http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/15/samsungs-bd-p1000-blu-ray-box-released-early/ Engadget says that movies aren't available until later, but one of the AVS guys that got a player was also able to get some movies (Fifth Element, XXX, Terminator, HOFD, Hitch); he might be making that up, although I think he offered to send pics from his phone to anyone that doubted him. So I guess anyone interested in Blu-ray might want to start checking out the local stores for any new shipments. The player wasn't supposed to go on sale until the 25th IIRC, and the first movies were supposed to go on sale on the 20th, but I guess those dates aren't set in stone everywhere. For more info on Blu-ray, check out the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray Info on the only available Blu-ray player: http://www.samsung.com/Products/Blu_ray/Blu_rayPlayer/BD_P1000XAA.asp I think Samsung's player will be the only player on the market for a while. I think Sony and a few other companies delayed their players by a few months (like August IIRC). For more info, just check out the AVS forums. Those guys know their stuff and will have tons of info and impressions as time goes by. Here are some links to the Blu-ray player and software sections of their forum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=149 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=150
I read somewhere that Sony had delayed some of their titles and cancelled a few others. But there should definitely be a few Blu-Ray discs on store shelves before the end of this month.
Yeah, I think they've been tweaking the launch titles with every press release. I think this is the latest and possibly the most accurate report: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060613/20060613005377.html?.v=1 I think Resident Evil 2, originally a launch title, got delayed by about a month (now July 25th). The Last Waltz and A Knight's Tale were supposed to be launch titles too IIRC, but they both got delayed by a week (now June 27th). I'm not sure if any have been cancelled though (maybe just really delayed). Here's a more readable version of that report I posted: June 20 50 First Dates Fifth Element Hitch House of Flying Daggers Terminator Underworld Evolution XXX June 27 Knight's Tale Last Waltz Ultraviolet July 11 Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addition July 25 Kung Fu Hustle Legends of the Fall Resident Evil Apocalypse Stealth Species SWAT
i guess those millions upon mult-millions of people who have HD TV's are chomping at the bits to buy one. WOW and the added incentive for buying a $1000 blu-ray player and that $2000 hd tv is the fact their releasing SWAT on blu-ray which can be had for a measly $40 bucks (colin farrell's stubble must look extra extra clear in hidef/blu-ray). man these are really good times!
IIRC, I think the latest figures said that HDTV adoption was around 20%-25% in the US, so apparently there are millions and millions of people that could use this (and that's just in the US). It will probably be even better in a few years, once these HD movie formats begin to go mainstream. As for SWAT, Amazon lists it at ~$20 while deepdiscountdvd.com lists it at ~$24 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...002-3445814-3298459?n=16295751&s=dvd&v=glance http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=COL015130 Movies like The Fifth Element, Hitch, HOFD, XXX, Saw, Memento, and T2 can be had for about $20 or less (sometimes ~$15) at Amazon and/or deepdiscountdvd.com. edit: Scratch that. I think it was 20-25 million in the US by the end of the year, not 20%-25%.
Yeah, I'm thrilled. I've got a 1080i HDTV, so I've gotta upgrade to 1080p. And even if I don't mind the 1080i resolution, I don't have a TV with HDMI inputs. And then there's my receiver. I'll have to upgrade that sucker since these new DVDs use DD 5.1 Plus, DTS-HD and God knows what other sound formats I've never heard of(and for the forseeable future, no receivers will be able to output those audio tracks). Oh, and then I'll have to buy two new players since the studios are too dumb to back off this format war nonsense. All told, I'm looking at over 5 grand in new home theater equipment. Yeah, I think I'll pass on being an early adopter.
You probably won't need HDMI until around 2010 at the earliest, when the studios might start using the ICT flags (forcing down-conversion on those w/o HDMI). And I think 85% of movie studios support the same format, and that might reach 100% by the end of the year.
U know there was a time when HDTV was the s**t with just a progressive scan dvd player and component cables. Now you HAVE to get 1080p, Blu Ray, and HDMI or else it's crap. I'm all about having a kick ass entertainment system but I'm certainly not gonna break the bank for it. I'll probably upgrade to HD by the end of the year. BUt I'm sticking with my current dvd and audio set up. A few years down the road I'll maybe upgrade. I'll be glad when they reach peak resolution cause sooner or later they'll hit that ceiling and then you won't have to drop a couple grand just to say modern.
im in your boat. I just upgraded to a hd lcd tv. purchasing a 360 soon. I have a p-scan dvdplayer and home theatre...which I'll probably end up selling on eBay I'm gonna have to upgrade all my stuff. I'll do it when the prices come down. or maybe i wont do anything at all...
Majoring in CS, not sure what I'm minoring in yet. I don't see 1080p TVs and Blu-ray being the norm until a few more years at the earliest (and HDMI won't be required until then either). Remember how DVD launched in 1996, and yet I didn't have a DVD player until the PS2 in 2000 (first standalone player was probably a year or two afterwards). Besides, while 1080p is the best of the resolutions, it isn't like Blu-ray/HD DVD look like crap on 720p/1080i displays (far from it). I'm guessing this stuff wil last for a little while (10 years or so, if not longer), but we'll always see new technologies. They already have demos showing off 2160p screens with 22.1 channel surround sound. Thankfully, that tech won't be commercially viable until around 2030 IIRC. And it isn't like this stuff only occurs with movies and televisions. If you want the latest and greatest PC, you'll spend $5K easy, if not more (quad SLI and quad-core CPUs are expensive, as is the power supply for that machine). If you want the latest video game machine, you'll have to pay $300-$600 for the console (and that's at big losses) along with $60 for games. Then you got $300 iPods and other expensive portable devices. If you can wait a few years, that $5K PC might cost under $1000; that video game console might be less than $200 with a number of games under $20. And so on and so on (1080p displays for $1000 or less, BD players for under $500, etc.). Trust me, you won't be alone in waiting for this tech to mature (and get cheaper). But these products have to hit the market sometime in order to become affordable.
I just hope Bluray media is affordable quickly. The DL DVDs are still around $2. I'm sure video quality will suffer when I shrink a 40GB movie down to a 4GB DVD.
The discs aren't actually that expensive to make AFAIK, although manufacturers had to spend some money to refit their equipment in order to make the discs. The discs themselves probably don't cost that much more, if any, to make than regular DVDs. Of course, being a new format and all, you'll still see them charging $15-$20 per disc/layer, or something like that. I'm actually a little surprised at the prices of some of the Blu-ray movies to be honest.
Of course there is always gonna be new technology and there will be a never ending cycle in spending to get the latest and greatest. It's just frustrating that you spend some money and upgrade your system which becomes outdated not too long after. I guess that's why I'm not a pc gamer. And in all honesty they probably jumped the gun a little bit for next-gen systems. I bet they could have squeezed another couple of years out of the current gen and taken their time with the new hardware. As for television, there is gonna come a point where screen resolution wont matter anymore. Seems like I read somewhere that once you reach a certain resolution the details will go unnoticeable to the naked eye. Would you really be able to notice all the minute details a 2160 system will have to offer? Unless by then new technologies in optometry will allow for improvements in vision. It just never ends, which is good for technology but bad for the wallet! And a 22.1 system, who the hell in their right mind would need somethin like that? I even question the need for a 7.1. But yeah I usually wait anyways so I guess it makes no difference to me. I had been out of the loop for a little bit cause my career path has taken a different route, and then all of a sudden I hear about HDMI and I'm like, what?! And whats worse, is most of my friends families have HDTVs now so when I watch a movie on mine I'm starting to notice the graininess of 'em (where I didn't before)!
