Blu-Ray

[Kage]

Alvino, your thinking in the same type of way as me:

"Yeah but HD-DVD to me only seems to be useful for block buster releases, while Blu-ray to me is less for that, and more for storage."

It makes sense to release them together and let them work that way, yes.

I've heard, you know since DVD's have really poor menu systems? That the new players/discs will have support for Java or something to make the menus more interactive/better to use.

Is that true?

 

[alvino]

Yeah, because both formats allow for larger menus due to the size.

However, even though Blu-Ray and HD-DVD hasn't completely released yet, there are some competing standards that sound pretty good. Here are two of them:

VCDHD (Versatile Compact Disc High Density), which is introduced by Ukraine's Sprout CD, Russia's Antrop-Studio and Dutch-based VDL ODMS, holds about 4.7gb of data per disc, but it features several things that normal DVDs lack. For example, VCDHD discs are only half as thick as conventional DVDs, they don't cost as much to manufacture, and feature some geometry related improvements to decrease errors. Inital reports say that each VCDHD disc will only take two seconds to produce in contrast to the six to nine seconds required for DVDs. This means that mass production is EXTREMELY easy to accomplish at a cheap price for the same storage size as normal single-layer DVDs.

Another format on the horizon is PH-DVD (Polar High-definition DVD), which is projected to improve the data storage capacity and read rate of DVD's by three times. According to Brainspark, which recently invested in Polarizonics, the company that developed the technology, PH-DVD's exploit "the polarization element contained in all current DVD formats [that] is not being used for the physical enoding of the information on the disc." However, unlike VCDHD which seems to be a direct DVD competitor, PH-DVD discs could eventually hold more than 100gb, possibly directing the technology as a direct challenger to Blu-Ray. Keep in mind that VCDHD and PH-DVD are both based on DVD technologies.

 

[blind_reaper8]

Whatever... Blu-Ray sounds cooler... that means it has an advantage over the competition considering that most people are simple like me... whatever sounds cooler wins

 

[alvino]

With all due respect, more like ignorant and narrow-minded. Just because it's called something "cool" doesn't always mean it's actually good. Do you think the name Nintendo Wii sounds cool? Well it's the most anticipated console in Japan right now, even more than the PS3, so that completely contradicts your point. I win, please try again.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2609

 

[baxtermadux]

i think blue ray is not backwards compatable because it uses a different kind of laser to read the media. dvd's use a red laser to read the media, and blue ray uses ultra violet lasers.

 

[alvino]

You've got the concept, but wrong facts. Blu-Ray isn't backwards compatible because the manufacturing process of the disc is completely different compared to DVDs. On the other hand, DVDs do use a 650nm wavelength red laser, while Blu-Ray uses a 405nm wavelength blue-violet laser to read and store media. The smaller size of the laser means more media can be stuffed on to one disc.

 

[Kage]

Those new medias seem pretty weird. Especially VCDHD - Hd would confuse people to mean High Definition, and a 4.7GB disc simply couldn't as we know.

The PH-DVD seems a bit better, but its just the improvement of old technology.

By backward compatable by the way, what I mean is will a drive be able to run all the media. Thats DVD/Blu-Ray/CD/HD-DVD.

The answers probably yes, because even though DVD uses a different laser compared to a Blu-Ray disc or a HD-DVD disc, it doesn't mean 2 types of lasers can't be enclosed in the reader, and so knows which disc is in, so chooses the appropiate laser.

PS3 will work like that I've heard, but will not read HD-DVD, but all the other formats it will.

NOTE:

I've got used to the name Wii now...
It should be good.

 

[alvino]

Well VCDHD and PH-DVD are for different segments of the market. VCDHD is to simply provide a cost-effective and easily produced alternative to current DVDs, while PH-DVD is to potentially challenge Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.

 

[baxtermadux]

blue-ray will not be compatable with any cd or dvd drives. so you will have to have two separate players. they will not make a player with both laser types in them because sony and toshiba could not agree to do so. its in the wikipedia entry for blue ray i think.

 

[-Paul-]

I honestly do not want HD-DVD to suceed

y?