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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Blu-ray/HD DVD... Who is winning?

View Poll Results: Which do you have? (Choose only ONE. Includes stand-alones and game consoles.)
Poll Options:
HD DVD 34 votes (17.09%)
Blu-ray 87 votes (43.72%)
Both 14 votes (7.04%)
Neither 70 votes (35.18%)
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 199. You may not vote on this poll
Blu-ray/HD DVD... Who is winning? (Page 158)
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CRASH HARDDRIVE
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Sep 24, 2008, 01:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-3-...2271173&sr=8-2

$15. Does what it says on the tin.
Subego, I should have known that you -home automation guru- would have a solution. Thanks!

Ah heck, even though it's a 'problem' that doesn't really need fixing, I might have to get one of those just to check complete control with a single remote off the list.
     
CRASH HARDDRIVE
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Sep 24, 2008, 01:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Hey, that's not bad.


It's unfortunate that the PS3:

1. is so damned noisy (fans)*
2. is difficult to stack with other components, due to funky shape
3. doesn't match my other A/V gears
4. requires more ventilation than other players


* At least the one I use upstairs is loud, I don't know if this is the norm. When the fans are running at full speed it can be rather distracting.
True, it is loud.
That's one reason (aesthetics being another) I keep mine and all my AV equipment not even in the same room where I use them. It can make all the noise it wants- it's in a well-ventilated closet beyond earshot. (The wiring runs through the wall)
     
Eug
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Sep 24, 2008, 01:34 PM
 
I don't think that USB IR adapter covers power on/off (but don't quote me on that).

How much power does the unit draw when not being used? I mean one could just walk over and turn it on/off, but it'd be even easier to just leave it on if the power draw was low (and it was quiet).

Because my HD DVD player takes a relatively long time to start up, I was considering just leaving it on all the time. However, I don't because it draws almost 40 W IIRC even at idle. (Full tilt it doesn't draw much more so it's stupid it draws 40 W at idle.)
     
CRASH HARDDRIVE
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Sep 24, 2008, 03:43 PM
 
True, the IR doesn't handle power-on. But I can just go through the hardship of tapping the PS3 button on the gamepad. Power-off is handled via on screen menu, so that's no prob. No way I'd leave it on- big waste of power and probably downgrades the life of the machine.
     
subego
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Sep 24, 2008, 04:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
1. is so damned noisy (fans)*

My 80GB (vertical, behind the flat panel), has the fan on low speed half of the time, and kicks in on high the rest of the time. With my 40GB, (horizontal, in the bedroom closet), the fan almost never kicks in, and the little woman keeps it like a sauna in there.

They're both on 24/7, running the folding@home client, so the processors are pegged 24/7.

FWIW, the PS3, unlike the 360, almost never overheats.


Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE View Post
Subego, I should have known that you -home automation guru- would have a solution. Thanks!

     
Eug
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Sep 25, 2008, 07:33 PM
 
So, apparently Wal-Mart (at least in Canada) will be selling the Magnavox Blu-ray player (Profile 1.1) for less than $199. Impressive.

Despite being a Magnavox, it's so far supposedly working well, and is quite a bit faster loading than previous generation Sonys for example.

I'll have to go check it out. I'm considering it. The only major drawback (besides the annoyance of not having ethernet), is the fact it has no optical audio output. It does have coax digital, but depending on the setup, I might have to then spend extra on a coax-->optical converter.

Magnavox NB500MG9 manual

The other drawback is that it ain't the prettiest according to some, but I think it's OK enough looking, at least judging by the pictures.

     
analogue SPRINKLES
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Sep 25, 2008, 08:32 PM
 
I think that is one of the best looking BR player so far.

I didn't know they sold optical/coax converters.
     
mrtew
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Sep 25, 2008, 09:48 PM
 
Is there a way to plug my PS3 or DVR into my Mac and rip HD shows to Quicktime formats?

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Eug
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Sep 25, 2008, 10:31 PM
 
Yeah optical to coax and coax to optical converters have been available for quite some time now. They go for less than $20, plus shipping. However it's an extra piece and it also needs another power plug. Now that the Sony S350 is truly profile 2.0 I'm wondering if i should go that direction instead, that is if it were to show up soon for $249.99.

Originally Posted by mrtew View Post
Is there a way to plug my PS3 or DVR into my Mac and rip HD shows to Quicktime formats?
I've done it with my PVR via Firewire but it was a pain since the free software I used was very rough around the edges and audio sync was sometimes a problem. Plus burning it to disc is an issue.
     
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Sep 25, 2008, 11:03 PM
 
Originally Posted by mrtew View Post
Is there a way to plug my PS3 or DVR into my Mac and rip HD shows to Quicktime formats?
I have the TiVo S3 hooked up wirelessly to our network. I use TiVo Transfer for Popcorn to copy the TiVo files to my MacBook, and then use Popcorn to convert to a .mp4 file for my iPhone or burn the files to a DVD-R. Sometimes I just watch the TiVo files with the Toast Video Player.
     
Eug
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Sep 27, 2008, 06:17 PM
 
My local shop is sold out of the $199 Magnavox Blu-ray player. Oh well.
     
Eug
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Sep 29, 2008, 12:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
Yeah optical to coax and coax to optical converters have been available for quite some time now. They go for less than $20, plus shipping. However it's an extra piece and it also needs another power plug. Now that the Sony S350 is truly profile 2.0 I'm wondering if i should go that direction instead, that is if it were to show up soon for $249.99.
I just ordered the S350 plus Casino Royale for $269.99.

There is a 10% off sale at Future Shop. They conveniently priced the S350 at $399.99 and had a $100 off "sale" for $299.99, but that excluded it from the 10% off sale. However, they forgot to apply that exclusion to their combo deal with Casino Royale, which means you get the same player plus the free movie for 30 bux less.

I hear rumours that $249.99 is coming for that player very soon, but $269.99 with a free movie is close enough.
     
analogue SPRINKLES
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Sep 29, 2008, 01:37 PM
 
Why the sudden change of heart? Didn't you just buy a million HD movies and 2 HD players?

I thought you weren't touching BR until it was $199 for a 2.0 player?
     
Dakar V
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Sep 29, 2008, 01:39 PM
 
Why do you even care?
     
Eug
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Sep 29, 2008, 02:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
Why the sudden change of heart? Didn't you just buy a million HD movies and 2 HD players?

I thought you weren't touching BR until it was $199 for a 2.0 player?
I guess you never bother reading.

I said $199 for Profile 1.1, or $249 for Profile 2.0. And I've been saying this since last year.

$269 isn't quite $249, but it does include a "free" movie, so close enough.
     
analogue SPRINKLES
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Sep 29, 2008, 02:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by Dakar V View Post
Why do you even care?
Prob for the same reason you care why I care. Curiosity.

You might have said $250 a couple pages back but your angle has always been $199 for a 2.0. Not that I care as it is your dime but I wonder why the sudden purchase when you have every HD equipment under the sun.

You pumped for Ironman or something?
     
Eug
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Sep 29, 2008, 02:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
Prob for the same reason you care why I care. Curiosity.

You might have said $250 a couple pages back but your angle has always been $199 for a 2.0. Not that I care as it is your dime but I wonder why the sudden purchase when you have every HD equipment under the sun.

You pumped for Ironman or something?
Nope, wrong again.

I said I'd prefer 2.0 for $199 but didn't expect it in a timely fashion so 1.1 for $199 (for half decent player) would be fine, but I'd pay more for 2.0. And yes, I said this months ago. I will be getting two BD players eventually anyway, so if one is 1.1 and the other is 2.0, that's OK. (I "need" one for my 42" LCD, and one for my projector.)

I'm not interested in Ironman.
     
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Sep 29, 2008, 04:22 PM
 
I don't care. Or is it, "I could care less"?

I get so confused these days.

On a related note: Firmware: Toshiba HD DVD Players Get Firmware Update
     
Eug
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Sep 29, 2008, 04:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by Railroader View Post
I don't care. Or is it, "I could care less"?
So why did you post about it?

This brings back another point... Perhaps one can blame Toshiba, but this time it seems they have at least a several day delay between downloading it online and direct on-machine updates via the Ethernet jack. Dunno why. So for the very first time, I've decided to update the player by disk.

For those claiming a network jack has no benefit: As we suggested, disk-based update ain't necessarily an easy thing for non-geeks.

What I learned: The ISO doesn't work in Toast, and the Finder can't mount it either. However, you can still burn it in Disk Utility (which is what I did) and it will work fine (despite the fact that the Finder can't mount the ISO), but only on CD-R media (not DVD-R). Can you imagine trying to walk your mom through that?

Sure, I suppose Toshiba could simply have made the burn process easier, but I can tell you, the direct-on-player-via-Ethernet method is way easier. It's too bad they delayed its release with that method this time for whatever reason.

Speaking of firmwares... Sony pulled the Profile 2.0 update. Dunno why. Dammit.

Oh and Sony doesn't even release firmwares that are compatible with Macs. They are released as .exe files. If you are a Mac-only user and didn't have an Ethernet-enabled unit, you'd be screwed:

Filename : UPDATE_BDPS350_VER007.EXE
Version : 007
Last Modified : 07/25/2008
Size : 50.91 MB
( Last edited by Eug; Sep 29, 2008 at 04:51 PM. )
     
goMac
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Sep 29, 2008, 08:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
Oh and Sony doesn't even release firmwares that are compatible with Macs. They are released as .exe files. If you are a Mac-only user and didn't have an Ethernet-enabled unit, you'd be screwed:

Filename : UPDATE_BDPS350_VER007.EXE
Version : 007
Last Modified : 07/25/2008
Size : 50.91 MB
Hey, I believe I cited exactly this as to why I only buy network based update gear. (With the exception of my TV.)
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davidflas
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Sep 29, 2008, 08:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
So why did you post about it?

Oh and Sony doesn't even release firmwares that are compatible with Macs. They are released as .exe files. If you are a Mac-only user and didn't have an Ethernet-enabled unit, you'd be screwed:

Filename : UPDATE_BDPS350_VER007.EXE
Version : 007
Last Modified : 07/25/2008
Size : 50.91 MB
Not quite true, stuffit 10.0 which is still downloadable will expand the .exe file into the iso file. You can then use disc utility to burn it to cdr and update your blu-ray player. I have done this many times on my Mac to update my non ethernet equipped BDSP300
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cjrivera
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Sep 29, 2008, 08:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
Why the sudden change of heart? Didn't you just buy a million HD movies and 2 HD players?
Eug, are you looking to buy a few more? I have a few of the free ones that came with the purchase of my HD-DVD, that I don't really want (and are currently unopened). I'll let you have them pretty cheap.

pm me if interested
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Sep 29, 2008, 09:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by davidflas View Post
Not quite true, stuffit 10.0 which is still downloadable will expand the .exe file into the iso file. You can then use disc utility to burn it to cdr and update your blu-ray player. I have done this many times on my Mac to update my non ethernet equipped BDSP300
Good point. I totally forgot about StuffIt... cuz I hate it and deleted it a long time ago. And I wasn't aware it was essentially a zip file. However, it still illustrates the point that disc-based updates can be a problem for non-geeks.

Originally Posted by cjrivera View Post
Eug, are you looking to buy a few more? I have a few of the free ones that came with the purchase of my HD-DVD, that I don't really want (and are currently unopened). I'll let you have them pretty cheap.

pm me if interested
Thanks, but I already have all the free ones I want. I got free HD DVDs for my players too. I even got 2 free HD DVDs with the $49.97 HD DVD player I got.

Speaking of free discs... It turns out there was a free Transformers Blu-ray promotion that I didn't know about. I was at the cash about to pay for my BR player, and some salesguy sauntered over and told the cashier to get me a copy of Transformers. I didn't want it (since I already have it on HD DVD), so they just gave me a discount. So, in the end I got my S350 + Casino Royale for just under $252, only $2 away from that mythical $249.99 price point.

Now I'm off to program my Harmony remote...
( Last edited by Eug; Sep 29, 2008 at 09:19 PM. )
     
analogue SPRINKLES
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Oct 4, 2008, 03:02 PM
 
Honestly I am still blown away that some of you HD-DVD users are BRAGGING that you updated the firmware on your players a up to a dozen times. Is this really something to be proud of?!! I have never had any sort of device that needed a ROM update more than 3 times. None of my Mac's have even had more than 2 ROM updates.

There was a lot of boasting here by HD users that "The blu-ray spec wasn't finalized and HD's was". If that is the case what the heck went on that needed updating your player that often? Are studio's so damn stupid they can't follow a set standard and test the disk out on the 10-20 different players ever made?

Why the heck did Toshiba update the player 9 months after they canned the format? Are there still problems with disks that you owned for the last 9 months? That is ridiculously unacceptable. If I bought I disk I would expect a ROM update within 48 hours. Luckily that is exactly what happened with the PS3. In the 9 months of waiting you could have taken it to a service centre 30 times so a lot of good that live connected did in that case. And before anyone says the PS3 has been updated X number of times 90% of those updates were for new features in the PS3 and not the BR player. And when the BR player updates did come it was up update it to 1.1 or 2.0 and DVD upscaling, there was only 1 or maybe 2 update to fix problems with playback and they came super quick.

On the subject of profile 2.0 I am absolutely disgusted with it once again because of the problem with the Ironman disks that just came out. A week before it shipped the studio announced that it was recalled because of a problem with some players (again there are only like 20 models tops) and the disks might ship a week late.

On the original launch date they announced that all defects were replaced and all on the shelves would be fine. I ran out, grabbed my copy, invite 3 people to my house to watch it. Somehow I had a bad feeling, put the disk in... it doesn't load. Try again and again and no dice. Go on the net and find all 2.0 players are having the problem.

Turns out it was trying to connect to the online servers right from the start and download 12 megs of some live crap. WHY WASN'T THIS ON THE DISK ALREADY?! Even more importent why didn't they add code that says "if cannot connect to website.. wait 10 seconds and then give up".

Yes this is the studio's fault but my point is that should be in the 2.0 and should be following rules and being tested by both HD and BR. HD-DVD had the same problem when Transformers came out a year ago and nobody learned a damn thing from it.

Finally got my disk to run by turning on the live feature before I put the disk in. When the live features did work it once again sucked as it downloaded a tiny 10 question trivia game which was stupid to play and stupid that it had to be downloaded.

Next time any format comes out they better have everything sorted out before it comes out as it shows that when you can easily update your products you can rush your beta units out and fix problems over the next couple years.

How many times did DVD's have problems over the years? I had 1 disk that needed replacing because of a faulty DTS track. I updated my DVD player from a ROM update that I downloaded and burnt on disk no problem, if not sony offered to do it for free. How many people you picture that have HD-DVD players hooked up to ethernet but not able to burn a CD? Pfff.

Not the least bit impressed with studio's or player manufacturers so far.
     
turtle777
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Oct 4, 2008, 03:11 PM
 
I think I'm just doing the right thing by holding off.

I got a very got upscaling DVD Player (Oppo), I'm very happy with the picture quality I get.

Y'all can be the guinea pigs for BR.

-t
     
analogue SPRINKLES
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Oct 4, 2008, 03:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Y'all can be the guinea pigs for BR.

-t
The thing is it will never change now. If it wasn't in the spec from the start the same thing could happen when Dark Knight comes out and god help us all then.

I am also not interested in a BR player on my new MBP whenever they get released. I have 2 external hard drives equalling 1.5TB that cost me under 400 and hooked up to my Airport acting as media servers and time machines backups. I don't want to get a $350ish BR burner and spend $20 a disk to back up 50 gigs of my MP3's or whatever and there are already multiple backups on my TM. Hard drives are too cheap these days.

I am also not interested in watching BR movies on a laptop as for one I don't carry movies with me to watch 99% of the year. If anything I would rather rip a few DVD's on my hard drive. I'm even at the point where I am hoping the new MBP's only have exturnal burners so they can make them thinner and sleeker. I don't see much point in watching a BR movie on a 15" LCD with no surround sound. Even if it was on my desktop with a 30" screen I would rather watch it on my 50" TV with full surround sound.

I like BR movies for my home theatre but I am not replacing my DVD library with them other than the odd title. I'm only buying new movies on BR and then only special ones that take advantage of the better quality.

As a backup medium it isn't even going to do well in the long run as flash drives are getting cheaper and closer every day. I just bought a 16 gig memory stick for under $50, in a year they will have 32 gig ones for less.
     
starman
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Oct 4, 2008, 03:52 PM
 
This isn't a BR post per-se, but we started watching Survivor in HD and HOLY MOTHER OF GOD that show looks friggin' amazing in HD. Anyone who says their upscaler is "just as good" has no idea what their missing. NONE.

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Eug
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Oct 4, 2008, 04:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
Honestly I am still blown away that some of you HD-DVD users are BRAGGING that you updated the firmware on your players a up to a dozen times. Is this really something to be proud of?!! I have never had any sort of device that needed a ROM update more than 3 times. None of my Mac's have even had more than 2 ROM updates.
Errr... OS X updates? Remember, the firmware of players is the OS.

And what about iPhone updates? After this many updates, you don't want any more? How many have you had so far, 6? 7? I'm personally still waiting for copy and paste, and better stability in Safari.

How many times has your PS3 been updated?

There was a lot of boasting here by HD users that "The blu-ray spec wasn't finalized and HD's was". If that is the case what the heck went on that needed updating your player that often? Are studio's so damn stupid they can't follow a set standard and test the disk out on the 10-20 different players ever made?
Yeah, so I guess Ironman on Blu-ray works perfectly then. Oh wait...
On the subject of profile 2.0 I am absolutely disgusted with it once again because of the problem with the Ironman disks that just came out. A week before it shipped the studio announced that it was recalled because of a problem with some players (again there are only like 20 models tops) and the disks might ship a week late.
P.S. If you think logically about this for a moment... Not all discs are released the day of the release of a format. If they were, the need for periodic updates would be a lot less. As the format matures and more features are used, updates continue to be released to squash any potential bugs. Furthermore, there are updates that address other issues like performance, etc.

BTW, I wish Apple would update their optical drive firmwares more often. In my experience, Apple drives have the least speed compatibility with disc types. Why? Not because of the drive itself. It's because Apple refuses to update the drive firmware to recognize newer discs. I can understand not wanting to do it too often because sometimes it can brick the drive, but Apple prefers to go to the other extreme and just says fsck the customers, let them burn at 2X.
( Last edited by Eug; Oct 4, 2008 at 04:48 PM. )
     
goMac
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Oct 5, 2008, 03:40 AM
 
No code is ever perfect. Any device with software has a possible defect. And with Bluray and HD-DVD the software is much more complicated. Virtual machines, multiple audio decoding algorithms, multiple video decoding algorithms, the potential bugs grew exponentially over DVD.

With DVD I might not feel as bad about picking up a player that couldn't be updated. DVD only has to deal with one kind of video track, a few different kinds of audio tracks, and the menuing system is not too complicated. With a high def disk player? I simply wouldn't risk it.

Look at Tivo. That device does a fairly simple thing and they have sent out update after update.
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Eug
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Oct 5, 2008, 11:05 AM
 
Even some early DVD players needed updating, which was a major pain for early players because you had to take them in to have the repair shop do it.

I was so happy when I got my first progressive scan player, because that one could be updated by disc.
     
Eug
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Oct 5, 2008, 07:55 PM
 
Region free hack for Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray player

1) You need a third party remote. It doesn't work with the Sony remote (which is why I haven't tried it).
2) It's region free for DVD. I don't think it makes the player Blu-ray region free.
3) So far only European players have been shown to work. No confirmations of it working with North American players yet.
     
Peter
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Oct 5, 2008, 08:11 PM
 
ehh.
Doesnt seem worth it...? I'd like region free blu-ray though
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Peter
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Oct 5, 2008, 08:14 PM
 
Also, I just noticed my PS3 wasnt upscaling DVDs - I enabled it, they always looked good, but now I really struggle to tell the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray.
I still buy Blu-Rays because I'm a Sony fanboy though.
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Eug
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Oct 5, 2008, 08:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by Peter View Post
Also, I just noticed my PS3 wasnt upscaling DVDs - I enabled it, they always looked good, but now I really struggle to tell the difference between DVD and Blu-Ray.
I still buy Blu-Rays because I'm a Sony fanboy though.
How big's your TV, and how close do you sit?

The further you sit, the harder it is to tell, particularly with say a 42" TV or smaller and higher quality DVDs.
     
goMac
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Oct 5, 2008, 10:14 PM
 
The PS3 really is an excellent upscaler. I've seen comparisons where people compare their standard DVD player to Blurays on the PS3, and it makes me wonder why they simply don't just bench the PS3 against itself...

I hope that the Fall update on the 360 improves the 360 upscaling, but I'm not holding my breath. The 360 certainly has the horsepower for upscaling.
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Oct 5, 2008, 11:03 PM
 
With the way the economy is now and doom-and-gloom holiday forecast, I'll bet there will be some really good deals coming up. Wish I had a TV that has HDMI.
     
Eug
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Oct 5, 2008, 11:14 PM
 
Originally Posted by goMac View Post
The PS3 really is an excellent upscaler. I've seen comparisons where people compare their standard DVD player to Blurays on the PS3, and it makes me wonder why they simply don't just bench the PS3 against itself...

I hope that the Fall update on the 360 improves the 360 upscaling, but I'm not holding my breath. The 360 certainly has the horsepower for upscaling.
Microsoft just doesn't seem to care much about DVD playback. It's been out for how long now? Yet it still has at best mediocre DVD playback.


Originally Posted by Gankdawg View Post
With the way the economy is now and doom-and-gloom holiday forecast, I'll bet there will be some really good deals coming up. Wish I had a TV that has HDMI.
Component is just fine.
     
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Oct 6, 2008, 11:42 AM
 
Originally Posted by Peter View Post
ehh.
Doesnt seem worth it...? I'd like region free blu-ray though
It's a shame Blu-Ray won. HD-DVD was region free, which is perhaps one of the reasons why it didn't win.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
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olePigeon
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Oct 6, 2008, 11:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by Gankdawg View Post
Wish I had a TV that has HDMI.
HDMI is overrated. I actually hate it. Not only does it not clip in in any sort of fashion making it really easy to accidentally pull out if you adjust the TV or something (which happens often when I hook up my friend's Wii or XBox,) but it's practically worthless if you have a very nice (but older) AMP. I've tried to use HDMI as video only with optical audio, but it's a pain in the ass to get it to sync. HDMI delays the audio for some stupid reason, so I have to set a delay on my amplifier which causes the audio to be out of sync when I watch normal TV.

I miss DVI + optical. I hate HDMI. Luckily both my amplifier and TV have component.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
hyteckit
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Oct 6, 2008, 11:51 AM
 
Hmm... seems like neither HDDVD nor Blu-ray won.

Blu-ray hasn't grown since Jan. 2008.
Bush Tax Cuts == Job Killer
June 2001: 132,047,000 employed
June 2003: 129,839,000 employed
2.21 million jobs were LOST after 2 years of Bush Tax Cuts.
     
olePigeon
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Oct 6, 2008, 11:59 AM
 
Originally Posted by hyteckit View Post
Hmm... seems like neither HDDVD nor Blu-ray won.

Blu-ray hasn't grown since Jan. 2008.
My guess is that DVDs are good enough, so why plunk $300 down on a Blu-Ray player and rebuy all your DVDs to get a marginally better picture.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
Eug
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Oct 6, 2008, 12:02 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
HDMI is overrated. I actually hate it. Not only does it not clip in in any sort of fashion making it really easy to accidentally pull out if you adjust the TV or something (which happens often when I hook up my friend's Wii or XBox,) but it's practically worthless if you have a very nice (but older) AMP. I've tried to use HDMI as video only with optical audio, but it's a pain in the ass to get it to sync. HDMI delays the audio for some stupid reason, so I have to set a delay on my amplifier which causes the audio to be out of sync when I watch normal TV.

I miss DVI + optical. I hate HDMI. Luckily both my amplifier and TV have component.
Why don't you just use HDMI and optical?
     
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Oct 6, 2008, 12:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
Why don't you just use HDMI and optical?
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
... I've tried to use HDMI as video only with optical audio, but it's a pain in the ass to get it to sync. HDMI delays the audio for some stupid reason, so I have to set a delay on my amplifier which causes the audio to be out of sync when I watch normal TV.
   
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
Dakar V
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Oct 6, 2008, 12:44 PM
 
Ok, but why don't you just use optimal with HDMI?
     
Eug
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Oct 6, 2008, 12:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
   
Doh! Missed that. Anyways, I don't have that problem. Does your TV have sort of vid processing that is only active with HDMI?
     
olePigeon
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Oct 6, 2008, 12:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by Dakar V View Post
Ok, but why don't you just use optimal with HDMI?
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
olePigeon
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Oct 6, 2008, 12:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug View Post
Doh! Missed that. Anyways, I don't have that problem. Does your TV have sort of vid processing that is only active with HDMI?
I have no idea. I've tried 3 or 4 different HDTVs and all of them had sync issues.
"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
     
Dakar V
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Oct 6, 2008, 12:47 PM
 
Is the fist of death HDMI or DVI?
     
Eug
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Oct 6, 2008, 01:03 PM
 
What is your setup exactly?

When you used HDMI + optical, I assume the HDMI was directly from the source to the TV, and then optical to the receiver right?

Some TVs are slower at processing video than others. Furthermore, some TVs have various video modes that are faster than others. In fact, my HDMI projector has a "game mode" which basically turns off most of the video processing to reduce video lag time. (It's hard to game if there is lag.) TVs don't generally have game modes, but sometimes they do. If they don't you can sometimes select a picture mode that might be faster.

Anyways, the one TV I had with NO lag whatsoever was my Toshiba widescreen CRT. But, that's a CRT.

The other thing to consider is the source. Some TV channels with some TV shows have improperly sync'd audio straight from the source. It's extremely annoying, because you think there's something wrong with your system, but it turns out the audio was improperly synced for that particular transmission or whatever. Also, if you're using Blu-ray or HD DVD as the source, there are a few discs that are ever so slightly off-sync, so any sync problems on your system will get magnified.
     
hyteckit
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Oct 6, 2008, 01:29 PM
 
I have my HDDVD connected to my TV through HDMI, and to my received through TOSLINK.
Bush Tax Cuts == Job Killer
June 2001: 132,047,000 employed
June 2003: 129,839,000 employed
2.21 million jobs were LOST after 2 years of Bush Tax Cuts.
     
 
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