It's been awhile since we've read a good Ben "Blu-Ray" Drawbaugh "article." I was starting to think he may be swaying to the other side. ;)
Unfortunately, your analogies suck. The iPhone is a phone and iPod merged, so yes neither is obsolete. The Core 2 Duo is just two processors, so of course the old one still works. We're talking about a MOVIE FORMAT that is changing in midstream. Is a VCR from 1980 any different than one from 2007? They added wireless remotes, but that has no effect on the VIDEO part of it. Is a DVD player from 1998 any different than one from 2007? The new ones do video upscaling better and have progressive scan, but they still play the VIDEO part of it the same.
Old BD players from 2006, on the other hand, will not be able to play all of the VIDEO that's on the disks. That means they're obsolete in my book. Others may disagree, and that's fine. My complaint is that Sony and friends aren't letting customers KNOW this stuff ahead of time -- if J6P walks into Best Buy, they have no idea that they're going to be missing out on functionality because the standard isn't set yet. Heck, lots of people on the blogs don't even understand it.
You actually argued my points for me, neither of the examples made the previous offering obsolete and neither does BD Live. I can still continue to enjoy every new Blu-ray movies after the new players are out, the only difference is that I can't enjoy new features that may or may not be included on those discs and that I may or may not have even wanted to see.
As for Sony telling people in advanced, you can't be serious, it's not like they advertised having these features to J6P, sure they embellished a bit in their "Blu-ray is better" press releases, but who doesn't? And J6P doesn't read 'em anyways.
Xyzzy, wake up and smell the roses. Maybe you should actually read the article next time instead of reading the headline and skipping straight to comment box.
For starters, Drawbaugh isn't stating that the iPod or the old Core 2 Duo is obsolete, in fact he states just the opposite: "most of the time these devices are JUST AS USEFUL as they were when they were released -- and certainly still 'in use.'"
Now let's look at your accusation: "Old BD players from 2006, on the other hand, will not be able to play all of the VIDEO that's on the disks."
For the record that statement is completely incorrect. As stated clearly in the article (had you bothered to read it), "In October, when the BD Profile 1.1 is mandated by the BDA, all the current players will be every bit as useful as they are today."
As you stated, with VCRs "they added wireless remotes, but that has no effect on the VIDEO part of it." Similarly, DVD players "do video upscaling better and have progressive scan, but they still play the VIDEO part of it the same." And most importantly, new Blu-ray players may add picture-in-picture and other extras but the VIDEO part of it will remain the same.
One more time for those of you who like to skip over stuff (Xyzzy, I'm talking to you): old Blu-ray players WILL PLAY new Blu-ray movies. You may not get all the fancy extras, but the player will do exactly what it was designed to do when you bought it.
You're complaining because the piece of hardware you bought in 2006 doesn't have the same features as the one I bought a month ago? And (*gasp*) Sony didn't tell you ahead of time that they would be releasing a newer model?
Wake up! Your technology will always be replaced by bigger and better things, but this will always be the case. If you perpetually hold out for a newer model you'll be waiting a looong time.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Xyzzy @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:46PM
It's been awhile since we've read a good Ben "Blu-Ray" Drawbaugh "article." I was starting to think he may be swaying to the other side. ;)
Unfortunately, your analogies suck. The iPhone is a phone and iPod merged, so yes neither is obsolete. The Core 2 Duo is just two processors, so of course the old one still works. We're talking about a MOVIE FORMAT that is changing in midstream. Is a VCR from 1980 any different than one from 2007? They added wireless remotes, but that has no effect on the VIDEO part of it. Is a DVD player from 1998 any different than one from 2007? The new ones do video upscaling better and have progressive scan, but they still play the VIDEO part of it the same.
Old BD players from 2006, on the other hand, will not be able to play all of the VIDEO that's on the disks. That means they're obsolete in my book. Others may disagree, and that's fine. My complaint is that Sony and friends aren't letting customers KNOW this stuff ahead of time -- if J6P walks into Best Buy, they have no idea that they're going to be missing out on functionality because the standard isn't set yet. Heck, lots of people on the blogs don't even understand it.
Dominic @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:57PM
Xyzzy: elaborate for me. I own a PS3. will I be okay because of firmware updates?
Ben @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:03PM
Glad I don't disappoint.
You actually argued my points for me, neither of the examples made the previous offering obsolete and neither does BD Live. I can still continue to enjoy every new Blu-ray movies after the new players are out, the only difference is that I can't enjoy new features that may or may not be included on those discs and that I may or may not have even wanted to see.
As for Sony telling people in advanced, you can't be serious, it's not like they advertised having these features to J6P, sure they embellished a bit in their "Blu-ray is better" press releases, but who doesn't? And J6P doesn't read 'em anyways.
Alias @ Jul 3rd 2007 7:34PM
Xyzzy, wake up and smell the roses. Maybe you should actually read the article next time instead of reading the headline and skipping straight to comment box.
For starters, Drawbaugh isn't stating that the iPod or the old Core 2 Duo is obsolete, in fact he states just the opposite: "most of the time these devices are JUST AS USEFUL as they were when they were released -- and certainly still 'in use.'"
Now let's look at your accusation: "Old BD players from 2006, on the other hand, will not be able to play all of the VIDEO that's on the disks."
For the record that statement is completely incorrect. As stated clearly in the article (had you bothered to read it), "In October, when the BD Profile 1.1 is mandated by the BDA, all the current players will be every bit as useful as they are today."
As you stated, with VCRs "they added wireless remotes, but that has no effect on the VIDEO part of it." Similarly, DVD players "do video upscaling better and have progressive scan, but they still play the VIDEO part of it the same." And most importantly, new Blu-ray players may add picture-in-picture and other extras but the VIDEO part of it will remain the same.
One more time for those of you who like to skip over stuff (Xyzzy, I'm talking to you): old Blu-ray players WILL PLAY new Blu-ray movies. You may not get all the fancy extras, but the player will do exactly what it was designed to do when you bought it.
You're complaining because the piece of hardware you bought in 2006 doesn't have the same features as the one I bought a month ago? And (*gasp*) Sony didn't tell you ahead of time that they would be releasing a newer model?
Wake up! Your technology will always be replaced by bigger and better things, but this will always be the case. If you perpetually hold out for a newer model you'll be waiting a looong time.