[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Blu-ray anyone?

"We’re not going to start making any importunate calls on this one, but Toshiba and Microsoft announced their plans to make use of Windows CE on Toshi’s someday possibly eventually forthcoming HD-DVD boxes. When you look at the situation it makes a lot of sense for both parties: Toshiba doesn’t have to roll out a new embedded OS for their media devices, instead getting one that easily drops in HD-DVD’s Windows Media-based VC1 HD video spec. Microsoft gets, um, mo money. Plus, may we remind that they were already in bed together, so there’s that too."


http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000600048324/

[mitchell_pgh]

Top Ten HD-DVD Mitchell_pgh phone conversations with mother:

1) "Unplug the HD-DVD player and plug it back in..."

2) "No, the blue screen isn't good."

3) "What version of the OS are you running? Operating System... the thing that makes the movie play"

4) "I KNOW you just want to watch the movie, but you have to watch the 5 minute Microsoft ad"

5) "Click play, no, the other play, are you using the blue remote? Use that one and hit play... the other play..."

6) "That means porn... I don't know why they mix the letters up... No, I don't know why it is popping up on your TV. That means 'hacker'. I don't know why they mix the letters up. Yes mom, I know you don't need Viagra. I know... the screen went blue again?"

7) "No, the popups on top of the movie aren't normal."

8) "I'm not driving seven hours to teach you how to use your new movie player"

9) "I'm sure Lucas will come out with them in good time"

10) "It's called a kernel panic..."

[jasonsRX7]

Insert a movie and Clippy the Movie Assistant dances onto the screen:

"It looks like you're trying to watch a movie. Please use the Microsoft Movie Activation wizard to register your movie. If your DVD player is not connected to the internet, please call our activation hotline and have your DVD Key available."

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

Top Ten HD-DVD Mitchell_pgh phone conversations with mother:

...snipp...

-t

[Zoom_zoom]

"the HD-DVD player will also include a keyboard with three keys "alt Control, Del"

[ManOfSteal]

mitchell_pgh =

[olePigeon]

*sticks in DVD*
"New Hardware Detected. Please insert the disk labeled 'WindowsCE'"

[ambush]

*sticks in DVD*

We do not support backup copy playback. Sucker.
All your DRM are belong to us.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Why in the hell does a DVD player need any OS?

[JoshuaZ]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Why in the hell does a DVD player need any OS?

Good F*****ing A! Why does it need an OS! My toaster doesn't need an OS. My TV doesn't need an OS. Why does a DVD player need one?

[macmad]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Why in the hell does a DVD player need any OS?

Well, these days most things are handled by a micro processor of some sort - its just cheaper, plus once there's a micro-proc in there, you can add all kinds of wizz-bang features, and features sell. M$ is obviously trying to get its OS everywhere it can, and that sucks. I hope consumers are smart enough to see this is not the way to go!!

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Sooo, can I play these movies on a Mac when they ship? Or will they only play on Windows OS?

[Superchicken]

H.264 is the codec, it'll play on a Mac.

Or at least if I understand right H.264 is the codec being used for all HD DVDs...

[jasonsRX7]

Originally Posted by Superchicken

Or at least if I understand right H.264 is the codec being used for all HD DVDs...

My understanding is that HD-DVD players will support MPEG2, MPEG4, and VC-9 (the Microsoft codec), and that the studio can use whichever one they want. But that for a player to brand the HD-DVD logo, it must be able to play the VC-9 codec, meaning they've paid MS royalties.

[macmad]

Originally Posted by jasonsRX7

But that for a player to brand the HD-DVD logo, it must be able to play the VC-9 codec, meaning they've paid MS royalties.

There won't be a player with any HD-DVD logo's in my house then...

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Superchicken

H.264 is the codec, it'll play on a Mac.

Or at least if I understand right H.264 is the codec being used for all HD DVDs...

Perhaps that is just Blu-Ray that is using it?

[jasonsRX7]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Perhaps that is just Blu-Ray that is using it?

H.264 is one of three codecs approved by the DVD Forum that must be included in any products that want to meet the HD-DVD video specification; the other two are the ubiquitous MPEG-2 and VC-9, which is the AVC used in Microsoft's Windows Media 9 Series. The three codecs were approved in conjunction with the DVD Forum's mid-June finalization of the HD-DVD-ROM physical specification version 1.0.

From here

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by jasonsRX7

From here

Wonderful, 3 codecs and 2 different hardware technologies.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

On the other side Blu-Ray will be Java.

http://news.com.com/Java+to+appear+i...3-5766409.html

HD-DVD stinks.

[Superchicken]

Holy frick these studios need to SERIOUSLY figure out what they're gona do... frick...

[jasonsRX7]

Maybe in 2008 I'll be able to get a DL-HD/BR-DVD+/-RW

[Obi Wan's Ghost]

Originally Posted by jasonsRX7

Maybe in 2008 I'll be able to get a DL-HD/BR-DVD+/-RW

Will be called Hi-BR-DVD (Hybrid DVD). We Jedi see in advance.

[jasonsRX7]

I'm sorry, but Hybrid DVD is too marketable, and I don't see a name that simple causing consumer confusion. And if you can't confuse the hell out of the consumers, what's the point?