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High-Def / DVD Gallery - OLD

       CD and DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD - Historical

    by Douglas Dixon

  The 2000s Mobile Digital Revolution:
        Cell Phones to Smartphones, Walkman to Media Players, CD to Flash to Web Services
  Historical perspective on some interesting technology and trends in digital home media.
  They include some sample products illustrating these trends.
  Information and pricing are summarized from public sources as of when they were added,
  and may be incorrect or out of date.

     

High-Def Disc Formats
    Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD -- Web features, digital download

High-Def Disc Products
    Set-top CE Players
    Game System Players: PS3, Xbox 360

See also:
    Home Networked Media Gallery

High-Def Disc Formats

    See DVD Authoring References

Blu-ray Disc (BD)
  • Championed by Sony and Panasonic
  • Strong support from the consumer electronics and computer industries
  • More aggressive step forward
  • More storage: 25 GB per layer and 50 GB for a DL disc
  • www.blu-raydisc.com

Profiles - Interactivity

  • Profile 1.0 (Grace Period Profile)
        Base available on all Blu-ray models before 11/1/2007
            no secondary video decoder or Internet connection.
  • Profile 1.1 (Final Standard Profile or "Bonus View") -- Dual video playback
        Adds secondary picture-in-picture (PiP) video and audio ("Bonus View")
            256 MB local storage (mandatory after 11/1/07)
        Discs should play normally on 1.0 players for movie playback and traditional bonus features
  • Profile 2.0 (or "BD-Live") - Networked
        Adds 1 GB of local storage capability
            Internet connection

Links

Copy Protection -- AACS

  • Movies locked down with extensive layers of copy protection technology
  • Set-top high-def DVD players will display HD picture only on displays that support HDMI interface
  • Titles may permit display at lower resolution on older analog displays
  • www.aacsla.com

Digital Copy

See article:  Digital Copy: Movie "Downloads"
  • Movie release on Blu-ray (or DVD), also includes 
        computer-readable versions of the movie in "digital copy" files
  • Fox Digital Copy - Digital movie files  - www.foxdigitalcopy.com
        for playback on PCs, Mac, portable devices
  • iTunes-compatible format - play on PCs, Macs, iPods (iPhone)
  • Windows Media format - playback under Windows
        Plays For Sure portable devices 
            (SanDisk, Creative, Samsung, Sony)
  • Play movie on PC (one copy), also sync portable device (one copy)
  • Sample BD Releases: Fox Juno, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
  • Disc 1 is movie on Blu-ray with special features
  • Disc 2 is DVD with digital copy files, with three copies of the movie:
        Windows Media "PC" - 720 x 390 (AVP 720 x 300), 1 GB
        "Portable" Windows Media - 320 x 174 , 500 KB
        Apple iTunes - 853 x 461 (AVP is 853 x 356)

    Next: Game System Players: PS3, Xbox 360

The Format War: Next-Generation DVD

  • High-definition video, higher capacity with blue laser technology
  • But two competing formats
  • 2/19/08 - Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Business

HD DVD -- Discontinued

Warner Total Hi Def (THD) -- Cancelled

       

  • Two-sided disc: One HD DVD and the other Blu-ray
  • Each side single layer or dual layers 
  • HD DVD 15 GB or 30 GB,  Blu-ray 25 GB or 50 GB
  • 2nd half 2007 -- cancelled
  • www.warnerbros.com

 

Resolved Jan. 2008

Blu-ray - as of CES 1/2008

  • 1/08 - Warner Bros. goes exclusive Blu-ray in 5/08
  • Blu-ray studios: Disney, Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, Sony,  Warner
  • HD DVD studios: Paramount, Universal, DreamWorks
  • Blu-ray sales: Blu-ray titles outsold HD DVD 2-to-1 in U.S., 3-to-1 in Europe in 2007
  • Blu-ray has 85% of global hardware sales (including PS3)
  • Blu-ray players: 500,000 playback devices, 3 million PS3 end 2007; increase to 6 million in 2008
  • PS3 first year (to 11/07) - 200 software titles released 
        more than 60 million pieces of content downloaded from PLAYSTATION Network worldwide
  • Blu-ray: ~ 1M consoles '06, mostly Sony PS3

HD DVD - as of CES 1/2008 - Discontinued 2/08

  • HD DVD sales: nearly 1 million dedicated HD DVD players sold in North America in 2007
        more than 400 titles available in U.S., more than 1,000 titles worldwide
  • 1/13/07 - Toshiba cut entry-level HD-A3 to $149.99, from $299
  • All players support picture-in-picture (PiP), Internet connectivity - "second look" for fans
  • "300" (Warner) - first PiP director's commentary, also  "Heroes" (Universal) and "Transformers" (Paramount) 
  • "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Heroes: Season 1," "Transformers" - downloadable content, continually updated
  • 2006 / 2007 - HD DVD: ~ 175K players, 100K Xbox HD DVD add-on

Top

High-Def Disc Products

Set-top CE Players (First generation)

  • First-generation set-top players for both formats released in the first half of 2006
  • First products are playback-only: no set-top recorders in U.S.

LG Electronics - "Super Multi Blue" (07)

        LG "Super Multi Blue"

  • LG BH100 "Super Multi Blue" Player - $1,199 (U.S. Q1 07)
        Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD
        Full HD 1080p
        Blu-ray: BD-Java advanced interactive functions, advanced menus
        HD DVD: Not advanced menu interactivity
        MPEG-2, VC-1, H.264 video, MPEG1/2 audio
        Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, DTS and DTS-HD audio
        HDMI out, component/composite video out, optical/coaxial/discrete 5.1 channel audio out
  • www.lge.com

Top

Game System Players

  • Least expensive option for HD movie playback

11/09 - Gaming System Hardware - November 2009 US Sales (NPD Group)

  • Nintendo DS 1.7 M, Nintendo Wii 1.26 M, Microsoft Xbox 360 819.5 K
  • Sony PlayStation 3 710.4 K, Sony PSP 293.9 K, Sony PlayStation 2 203.1 K
  • Nintendo was more than half of all video game systems sold in the U.S. through Nov. in 2009 (Nintendo)

Sony PlayStation 3 -- Blu-ray  (06 - 9/10)


PS3 original
  • Games, movies, networked media, Web browser, 3D
  • Plays Blu-ray movies
        BD-Live interactivity, HDMI output, 1080p
  • Video out: HDMI, Analog A/V, Digital audio (optical)
  • Full HD playback, 1080p
  • 9/10 - PS3 320 GB $349, PS3 320 GB w/ Move Bundle $399
  • 8/10 - PS3 160 GB $299
  • 11/09 - PS3 250 GB $349
  • 9/09 - PS3 Slim - 120 GB $299
  • www.us.playstation.com/PS3
Find the Sony PS3 320 GB on Amazon.com
Find the Sony PS3 160 GB on Amazon.com
Find the Sony PS3 120 GB on Amazon.com

Sony PlayStation 3 Move

Find the Sony PS3 320 GB w/
Playstation Move on Amazon

PS3 Product History

  • 9/10 - PS3 320 GB $349, PS3 320 GB w/ Move Bundle $399 - Blu-ray 3D Disc Playback update
  • 8/10 - PS3 160 GB $299
  • 11/09 - Introduce PS3 250 GB $349
  • 9/09 - Introduce PS3 slim - 120 GB hard drive, $299, charcoal black
    • 8/09 - PS3 80 GB reduced to $299, PS3 160 GB reduced to $399 ($349 street)
  • 9/08 - PS3 80 GB, $399
  • 11/07 - PS3 - new 40 GB $399 (does not play PS2 titles), 80 GB reduced $499 (was $599) (2.5" SATA)
  • 1/07 - PS3 original -20 GB HDD $499, 60 GB HDD with WiFi $599
  • 11/06 - Introduced
  • Compare versions - www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Systems/Compare
  • Firmware System updates - http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Features/SystemUpdate
  • Find the Sony PS3 80 GB on Amazon.com
  • Find the Sony PS3 160 GB on Amazon.com

Playstation Chronology

Specifications

  • Cell Broadband Engine - processor jointly developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba 
        PowerPC-base Core @ 3.2GHz, 1 VMX vector unit per core, 512KB L2 cache
  • Graphics processor (RSX) co-developed by NVIDIA Corporation
  • SCEI, and XDR memory developed by Rambus
        256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
  • 2.5" serial ATA hard driive, Blu-ray / DVD / CD drive (read only)
  • Ethernet (10, 100 1000BASE-T),  Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), Bluetooth 2.0
  • DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller - Bluetooth, up to 7
  • Video: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p 
  • A/V: HDMI out,  Analog AV MULTI OUT, Digital out (OPTICAL)
  • 2 USB 2.0
  • 60 & 80 GB: Memory Stick/SD/CompactFlash Slots
  • Product includes Free PlayStation Network membership, AV & USB cables
  • Not backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 titles, compatibility for some original PlayStation titles

Microsoft Xbox 360 -- Kinect  (11/10)

Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect  (11/10)

  • Stereo camera system for controller-free gaming
  • Full-body tracking to follow gestures and skeletal position
  • Face and voice recognition
  • Formerly known as "Project Natal"
  • 11/10 - $149 accessory, $199 bundled with game
    • Xbox 360 4GB Console $199
    • Xbox 360 250GB Console $299
    • Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect $299
    • Xbox 360 250GB Console with Kinect $399
  • PR 11/10 - Launch Kinect - http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Press/2010/1104-kinectlaunch
  • http://www.xbox.com/Kinect
Find the Microsoft Xbox 360 250 GB and Xbox 360 4 GB on Amazon.com
Find the Microsoft Xbox 360 250 GB with Kinect and 4 GB with Kinect on Amazon.com
Find the Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect on Amazon.com

Xbox 360 Product History

Microsoft Xbox 360 -- HD DVD  (11/05, 11/06)

HD Video

  • All games support 16:9, 720p, or 1080i
  • Xbox 360 HD DVD Player peripheral
        With Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote
        Up to1080p
        Introduced 11/06, $199 - summer 07 $179 - 2/08 $129
  • Component video, not HDMI
  • For HDTV, need Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable, $39.99 (w/ full system)
        Composite cable for standard TV output
        Component (Y, Pr, Pb) high-definition video output
        Progressive-scan DVD playback 480p
        HD output 720p, 1080i or 1080p
        Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound output
  • For digital, need  Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable, $39.99
        Standard VGA Connector
        HD at 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p resolution
        640 x 480 to 1280 x 720 (720p), 1280 x 768, 1280 x 1024, 1360 x 768
        Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound output
Find the Microsoft Xbox 360 on Amazon.com

Original Specifications

  • Custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU, 3 symmetrical cores each 3.2 GHz 
        1 MB L2 cache
  • Custom ATI Graphics Processor 10 MB of embedded DRAM
  • 512 MB of 700 MHz GDDR3 RAM
  • Detachable and upgradeable 20-GB hard drive
  • 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM
  • Built-in Ethernet port
  • Wi-Fi ready: 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g
  • Video camera-ready
  • Introduced Nov. 22, 2005, 6 million consoles sold by end of Sept. 2006
  • Microsoft TV IPTV Edition, IPTV on Xbox 360
  • 3.3 x 12.2 x 10.2 inches, 7.7 lbs
  • Xbox 360 Arcade - 256 MB (no hard drive) - $279 (was $299)
        Not compatible with original Xbox games (300 games), not HD 
  • Xbox 360 - 20 GB detachable hard drive - $349 (was $399)
  • Xbox 360 Elite - (black) 120 GB, HDMI - $449

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