Blu-Ray to launch next week

Next generation format pioneer Sony will be launching it's much talked about Blu-Ray format next week. Sony Pictures has stated that it will release select titles on June 20th, even though earlier reports say that Sony itself is delaying their very own Blu-Ray player. The launch, however is to coincide with a Blu-Ray player by supporter, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and the launch of Sony's Blu-Ray compatible VAIO laptop.

The competing format in the high definition disk war, HD-DVD was released earlier this spring by Toshiba Corp. to a less than enthusiastic audience. With only limited titles and even less acceptance by the masses, it's still unclear if their jumpstart has had any affect on declaring a winner.

Sony and Blu-Ray supporter, Pioneer have also stated that along with the launch, they will start a campaign to educate consumers about the technology.

"Based on it being a new format, we wanted the educational and promotional materials to be in full swing so that consumers can fully understand what it is," said a Sony spokesman.

Pioneer has also set up a task force to educate retailers.

"We realized that retailers didn't really understand Blu-ray and what its virtues are or what the differences were between Blu-ray and its rival," said Russ Johnston, senior vice president of home entertainment for Pioneer Electronics.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: Dave Horvath @ 15 Jun 2006 18:07

Advertisement - News comments available below the ad

31 comments

gogochar

I may not know ALL the differences between the two formats, but I do know they both have the same copy-protection: AACS. Not saying that's an entirely bad thing, because I know parents of 15-year-olds going to Hollywood Video and renting nearly 20 movies a week. And I KNOW they couldn't have watched them all! Jesus, that's why it's called fair-use. It's fair-use when you backup your own media. It's not fair when people are going to the video store and ripping off thousands of dollars from the RIAA! I can see their side of the penny on this one. But, when they decide to take it out on ALL OF US, then I have a problem. If I were in the RIAA's position, I would force copy-protection ONLY on titles that are for rent in the videostore and LEAVE the home-DVDs (or home-BDs) ALONE! I say, try that and see how much money you're losing then! But they'll never do it :(!

15.6.2006 18:18 #1

llongtheD

By the time a movie worth its salt hits the video store, it has already earned the movie studios 50 to a 100+ million. Then they sell it on dvd, and make that and then some. I understand that they are in business to make money, but I think they need to adjust their price model. Twenty or more dollars for a new release on DVD, and even higher for the new formats, when it costs them less than a dollar to produce?(a stamped disc I mean) If they could sell at more reasonable prices they would sell alot more, sure there would still be some piracy, but alot of people like having the original.
If they do find their holy grail, the unbreakable copy protection, there will just be less people with those movies or cd's in their collection. With all the product tie-ins and ads in movies these days, would that really be a good thing? In the end it seems they are always biting the hand that feeds them.

15.6.2006 19:26 #2

s3a

gogochar, I agree with you!! But who cares, it'll be hacked...

15.6.2006 19:39 #3

Rob1026

seriously why are you complaining; who cares half of us dont have the players to play that shit anyways; just another ploy to get money from us viewers

15.6.2006 20:28 #4

djscoop

hopefully bluray will blow HD-DVD out of the water

15.6.2006 21:27 #5

llongtheD

@rob1026, now who's complaining? Don't have the money so f*ck them?
@djscoop, I hope blueray does fair better than minidisc, and betamax. It will as long as sony isn't too restrictive with licensing "their" format.

15.6.2006 21:35 #6

Cinnjerm

I said it once I'll say it twice. When it comes to electronics, price really is everything. And just for consumers either, but for those who supply the resources and factories. When the public does become aware of the new formats, with exception of super rich, most will probably go for the HD-DVD player which is 2 and 5 hundred dollars cheaper than their competitor. Yeah the HD library is dwindeling at this point in time, but looking towards the future there's one big partner to HD which pretty much is the nail in the coffin, and that's Universal. Don't lie to yourself. I'd be willing to bet 4 outa every five movies you saw the last 5 years were probably universal. Me myself, I'm a huge Spielberg fan and he's synonymous with Universal as well as Dreamworks. From what i know you wont see any of these movies on Bluray and that poses a big problem. Cheaper price and Universal( as well as Microsoft), that pretty much spells lights out for Bluray.

PS- It's Sony. Check the track record.

15.6.2006 23:44 #7

Zoolook2

Sony has learned their lesson, this time they don't introduce a new format on their own, they have a huge backing from other manufacturers like Samsung, Philips, Panasonic, Sharp etc, pretty much all the major players are onboard, and prices will come down, only early adopters pay 1000$ for a standalone player and noone will after the ps3 begins shipping, nah I'd say it's 70-30 in Bluerays favor.

Besides in two years time only licensing costs will stop hardwaremanufacturers to produce players playing both formats.

16.6.2006 01:16 #8

nitrous3

Wonder how much the Blu-ray player will actually cost and how much the Blu-ray discs/movies will cost?

16.6.2006 02:37 #9

tubbana

too much

16.6.2006 05:04 #10

RavenLife

there isnt really much differnce between the two apart from the capacity and price
blue ray players are far more expensive, but i feel after the launch of the PS3 - sales will pick up.

i neither agree nor disagree on the copyright front.

if you like it buy it
if not do what the hell you like - half the movies nowadays arnt worth the disks there burnt on!
and if on the rare occasion something good comes out (brokeback mountain for instance)
i watched it at the cinema - i paid my �6
im not going to watch it again, but i have it on dvd, its not an original.

16.6.2006 07:07 #11

Xenon24

Guys Im sorry to ask but what is really great about Blu-ray?or HD-DVD what do they do? do they just look better and thats it. Just wondering

16.6.2006 08:04 #12

tucker001

Do not buy a bluray or hddvd player you have to have it hooked up to the internet so that it can varify the encryption that is on the disk if it is a copied dvd uh oh the feds will be at your door. STICK WITH DVD.

16.6.2006 11:10 #13

GrayArea

Xenon24

The two high definition formats have the capacity to "look better" if the content is encoded at the higher resolutions. There is no guarantee that video content on a hi-def format disc it is actually higher definition than a standaed DVD. IMHO the biggest reason the studios are pushing the hi-def format(s!) is they can force the use of a new DRM scam, er... I mean scheme.

16.6.2006 11:30 #14

Cinnjerm

"(brokeback mountain for instance)
i watched it at the cinema"-

how ironic, a Universal Pictures production. AKA Universal not backing bluray.

17.6.2006 00:53 #15

Cinnjerm

"Do not buy a bluray or hddvd player you have to have it hooked up to the internet so that it can varify the encryption that is on the disk if it is a copied dvd uh oh the feds will be at your door. STICK WITH DVD."-

considering there is no provision for this on the cheaper HD-DVD model from Toshiba, i doubt it.

17.6.2006 00:55 #16

ripfuel

I shall not purchase either format. This is just another way of Big Brother controlling what we can & can't BACK-UP. No Thanks!

17.6.2006 03:42 #17

ofolion

I don't think that either will become popular for a very long time.

And in the end you will just be able to buy a drive/player that supports both so it won't really matter.

But anyway...all the stupid protection will be bypassed eventually in one way or another...so all in all...nothing will matter in the end :)

17.6.2006 09:57 #18

princedvd

There is no way I'm paying 1,000 dollars for one of these players. Its just another mony making scheme from Sony to take your money. Heck, if you wait til November, the Playstation 3 will have Blu-ray built in and only cost $500 to $600 dollars.

Plus Blu-ray discs start from $30 to $40 dollars depending on the title.

I'm happy right now with my Samsung Up-Converted HD DVD player. I cant see wasting $500 for HD-DVD or $1000 for Blu-ray. I hope they make a player where it will accept HD-DVD and Blu-ray together. But, Sony is being hard asses about it.

17.6.2006 10:10 #19

ZippyDSM

Unlike the DVD type format wars (-/+) this Format war is goign to take time to becuse soemthign worth fooling with theres jsut to many thigns going on to paly 500+ into it....

17.6.2006 17:06 #20

voyager

I hope both formats sunken in water forever.

24.6.2006 02:26 #21

ZippyDSM

One format to rule them all 0-o

24.6.2006 12:43 #22

madman91

I think everyone here can agree that you should never buy the first of anything. Wait until the bugs get kinked out and they realize that nothing will sell at the prices they are offering. Lets wait atleast 6 months, then lets take this seriously.

As for the copyright issues. Someone makes it, someone brakes it. Its the cycle. Nothing will be impossible to backup.

24.6.2006 12:51 #23

ZippyDSM

madman91
*nods nods*
unless the PS3 is made of soild gold I aint a touching it :P

24.6.2006 13:09 #24

Lloyd510

I'm thiking that if this Blu-ray format hits it big we'll have to buy and copy all our dvds over again? When the PS3 comes out I can't play a normal dvd in it can I? Sonys had a few formats that haven't really made it big before like the mini-disks and UMDs.

25.6.2006 21:03 #25

ZippyDSM

Lloyd510
N more like some movies will have reelases on BR sicne BR can still paly DVD theres no need to worry about a compelte convertion.

I have a brain...I think......

Windows Vister
I dub thee vister untill thee can prove thyself.

I aint the brightest bulb around but I can feel my way in the dark...

I fuzzy braind mew =0_o=

FIGHT THE M.A.F.I.A.A.
"Music And Film Industry Association of America.."

26.6.2006 05:41 #26

killa711

yes the ps3 will support ur media

CD
PlayStation CD-ROM
PlayStation2 CD-ROM
CD-DA
CD-DA (ROM),
CD-R,
CD-RW
SACD Hybrid (CD layer),
SACD HD
DualDisc (audio side)
DualDisc (DVD side)
PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM
PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM
DVD-ROM
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R,
DVD+RW
Blu-ray Disc
PlayStation 3 BD-ROM
BD-ROM
BD

Intel Pentium 4 530, 3.0Ghz With HT Technology
Dell Dimension 8400
1024 MB DDR2-400
HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDR8163B
PHILIPS DVD+-RW DVD8631
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
RADEON X300 Series (128 MB)
seagate 7200 RPM 160gig HD

26.6.2006 12:05 #27

ZippyDSM

killa711
Dont get ahead of yourself he was talkign about BR in genreal :P

and their are no BR PS3 games planed yet :P

26.6.2006 16:23 #28

killa711

well i was just listing the formats ps3 will play...

26.6.2006 17:14 #29

whale1

I think that Sony will overcome HD-DVD because everyone will be buying a Ps3 in November regardless of the price

4.7.2006 20:54 #30

ZippyDSM

whale1
thats a good point,the PS3 dose have the advantage its a cheap by 200-500$ BR palyer and thus is going to sell however whos going to buy it more the home threater nerds or the gameing nerds we dont know we also dont know if it will sale much at all..I almost dont want it to sell becuse the damn thign is so messed up....

5.7.2006 09:04 #31

AfterDawn: News