Toshiba introducing SD-friendly players for flash card movies that no one buys

Original post: click here

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highest Ranked

squiggleslash @ Jan 3rd 2009 8:08AM

They're getting cheaper. They seem to double in capacity for the same price every four to six months or so. This time last year my wife bought a "cheap" 8Gb card for about $70-80. Right now an 8Gb costs $15, and a 16Gb (twice the capacity) card costs around $25 (about a third of the price of that year old 8Gb card.)

What Toshiba is banking on is that long term SD will be cheap enough that you'll be able to buy, say, a 128Gb card for around $10, and then just load it up with movies either at a kiosk or using some kind of Hollywood approved secure software at home. SD has DRM mechanisms (CPRM) built in, and it's somewhat more robust (to put it mildly) than optical media, and you could add a reader to most modern HDTVs for around $1 - and wouldn't increase the dimensions of the TV.

So if it wasn't for the high cost of the cards it would make a lot of sense to distribute movies on the format. That's pretty much the only aspect of the technology that's stopping it from being popular, and it does appear that time will fix that.

Murph should stop being an ass. This is potentially a very exciting technology that could do a great deal to bring HD to the masses in a way that satisfies everyone. While the media may be expensive, the hardware isn't, this kind of thing can be used to bring about sub-$50 portable movie players. It means future TVs can (and will) have players built in alleviating the need for a separate player. It means small laptops will be able to play movies (removing the optical drive from smaller laptops, even premium laptops, is fairly common these days), and do so with amazing energy efficiency.

There is no downside, except that in 2009 the media is just a little bit pricy.

Add your comments

New Users

Name

E-mail

Current Users

E-mail:

Password

Remember Me

E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment

replying to thread #16390073

Add your comments:

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

Please note that gratuitous links to your site are viewed as spam and may result in removed comments. And yes, comments are moderated.

Wii-playing police receive slap on the wrist, strict talking to Here's what you're Gameflying this holiday season Citizen Game marathon gaming for Children in Need	Chrome OS browser saddles up and mounts your drives Tinker and Hold 'em coming to Games for Windows - for free! Bing rolls out new features, partnership with Wolfram Alpha
Facebook app developer is through with the iPhone, blames App Store approval process Microsoft manager admits to copying 'Mac look and feel,' MS denies Google to deliver free airport Wi-Fi for the holidays	Why is gold making a new high, trading at $1,118.00 per ounce? Applied Materials (AMAT) tops analyst estimates Tupperware continues to race ahead
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Encleverment Experiment, NBA Unrivaled, 0D Beat Drop How to unlock a one billion point Achievement Real-life Halo spike grenade not for the timid	First Petty's Garage Challenger heading to Barrett-Jackson Arcade Fire: Sega Outrun console being turned into driveable car [w/VIDEO] Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 11.11.09
Modern Warfare 2 finally goes live for Steam pre-orders Modern Warfare 2 PC update: Steam version unlocks at midnight and more [Update] Mythic sticks to its guns following EA's newest layoffs	Vince Now Young in Name Only Dirty Dozen: Are Pats, Colts NFL's Best? At Least Two Redskins Fined for Melee

Original post: click here

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

squiggleslash @ Jan 3rd 2009 8:08AM

Add your comments

Windows 7 media center review

Logitech Harmony Adapter for Playstation 3 review

HD 101: What is ATSC, PSIP, QAM, and 8-VSB?

How to install a CableCARD tuner in your DIY Media Center

DISH Network launches remote DVR control

Engadget HD Podcast 157 - 09.29.2009

Paradigm SUB 25 subwoofer review

Engadget goes behind the Dolby logo

Breaking news Feed

Featured stories Feed

Resources

Sections

Hardware

Manufacturers

Channels

Technology

Delivery

Programming