Recent Comments:
Sony's connected BRAVIA HDTVs score Netflix streaming, PS3 left in the cold {Engadget HD}
Jul 9th 2009 12:22PM Given that there's now been -2- polls from Netflix about the service on PS3, and now this, I think they are gearing up to the end of the more than probable 1 year console exclusivity with the 360 (in November or December I think).
Looking forward to Netflix streaming on PS3.
85 percent of the 14 billion videos downloaded last year were illegal {Engadget HD}
Jul 8th 2009 2:22PM Is that really a surprise?
And the rationalization is ridiculous. DRM is not the reason why people do this.
It' s because $0 is way cheaper than $10, that is all.
I guess for some it's also the feeling that they are "sticking it to the man" on top of the "Zeraw" cost.
There can be only two directions from here: much worse DRM, or a whole new way of thinkign about this.
Apple's solution was to put all the msuci tracks at 99cents, with a passable quality to appeal to the lowest common denomminator.
But videos are nowhere near as practical to handle as Videos, and nowhere near as cheap to produce either.
So I could totally see backtrcaking from the studio, trying to find the most coercive and restrictive ways to enforce their copyrights.
You guys should have seen what the law recently voted in France had (including people being banned from Internet use for years -at the IP level-, if not forever. I don;'t think that part of the law passed, but they're trying), it could be a window on the future.
Million of people breaking the law can't be wrong? Yeah, right.
People just have the wrong attitude toward medias, that they consider should be free.
The day it costs nothing to produce a movie, then it'll be free. Until then, be ready to either face much stronger DRM, and/ or see studios just giving up on risky projects more and more, only to pump out overblown CGI crap that's sure to sell in theatres more and more.
Evidently it's still cool to hate on Blu-ray: Harris Poll spin {Engadget HD}
Jun 22nd 2009 12:37PM Given the technological knowledge of both the interrogated persons and the guy who made the analysis and/ or questionning, the poll is obviously bogus.
I mean, putting the PS3 in "other HD DVD players" in the analysis?
Plus it is painfully obvious (with the % and the way things are phrased) that some of the persons interrogated assimilate HD DVD with Blu Ray (as in High Definition DVD), so unless we could ensure with 100% certainty that none of the respondent said "yes" in having a HD DVD player when they actually have a Blu Ray disc player, and that the person doing the poll understands the difference (apparently they don't), this is of absolutely no value and brings no insight what so ever.
Warner and Paramount sign up for movies on SD cards {Engadget HD}
Jan 12th 2009 11:39AM When are -you- Brian (and people like you) going to get that this SD card business is downright stupid ?
Not only is a SD card far more expensive than a disc on a $1/ Gb ratio (and due to the nature of the product, likely to stay that way), but I should go to a local kiosk to stand there, possibly wait in line, and wait for the transfer to occur (imagine a HD movie, not even the size of a BR), when I could actually Download the movie at home if I wanted to?
A SD card more durable? Yeah, electric shock or strong magnet anyone?
This is the dumbest thing -ever- imo.
If I want to buy something physical, that I can build a collection with, with the best quality, I'll go BR. The prices are falling (and they seem to be headed way south, cf fulyl featured Vizio plyaer for $199), but if I want something small to go aroudn with, I can download on whatever bazillion services are already in place (from Itunes and Amazon to the PSN store).
VIZIO jumps into the sub-$200 Blu-ray player ring with its VBR100 {Engadget}
Jan 7th 2009 4:53PM It is supposed to be BD Live, same for the Memorex model that is also being anounced at $199 MSRP, except that the memorex (apparently) does not decode the HD MA.
2009 will have a price war going on full swing, expect fully featured players at $99 or lower for the next Black Friday.
Now if the studio will follow suit for the price of movies, we can finally mean business here.
P.S: downloadable content? lol. It'll stay (relatively) niche as long as the vast majority of people in the US and the rest of the world will not have access to cheap and easy to setup braodband.
No need of that to just setup a player and a TV (and personally I couldn't care less about BD Live, but a connection possible make updates easy).
What Blu-ray needs to do in 2009 in order to gain ground {Engadget HD}
Dec 30th 2008 1:37PM Wow. Where to start.
Blu Ray's HD quality can only be appreciated by HDTV owners... Really? No Way! Where did you get that, I had NO IDEA !
Now the sound. Sorry, but even if you indeed need a receiver capable of either PCM (not expensive, check the Sony DG-720 per exemple) or decoding HD codecs (Sony DG 820 or Yam RX-V663 are fairly affordable) to hear it, there is a pretty good difference between the old DD or DTS sound and the lossless new ones.
Now, I see a lot of people mentionning lile you how the difference between the VHS and DVD has been -huge-. Well, not to school you, Darren (and I know the original article makes this point too), but you forgot a little thing in between called "LaserDisc". I know in your mind that the DVD has been literally the second coming, but it hasn't invented everything.
Laserdisc: Superior Image quality compared to VHS: check. Dolby Digital Sound and DTS sound: Check. Direct Chapter access: Check.
In reality, the only things that DVD had brought forth are real digital image (which at first gave worst images than good LDs), a fairly poor level of interactivity (for which few actually care) and thankfully a small physical size, easily manageable, and prices that fell rapidly. That was the saving grace of the format, while the price of LDs and its cumbersome format kept it from reaching mainstream.
Now the only thing Blu Ray needs is falling prices. It's already happening for players, but it needs to happen faster for films, where good deals can almost only be found online. If Studios really want BR to succeed, they will lower prices, have more releases, advertise more on picture and sound quality, and at the end of 09 they will start releasing the Blu Ray films 1 week in advance compared to DVD.
Personally, I'll buy my second BR player (for the bedroom) this year, and thanks to Xmas, my BR collection has been grownig quite a bit :)
Blu-ray reportedly doing more than alright in Europe {Engadget HD}
Dec 22nd 2008 8:16PM Err, given that TDK has been released on Dec. 8th in the UK, how could the November numbers be helped tby this title ? O.o
Pre-orders are generally not counted in actual sales, unless I am mistaken.
Playboy phasing out DVD in favor of internet content {Engadget HD}
Oct 21st 2008 3:15PM Well, I see that as a sure bet to make their video offerings more and more irrelevant.
Why would someone pay for something they can have for free? Going online makes this even more "in your face".
What they need to do is find a medium where they can show added value, like Magazine including a Blu Ray or something like that.
But de-materializing? Most people just check bittorent and they'll find more porn than they could manage in 2 or 3 lifetimes.
Ask Engadget HD: To TiVo, or not to TiVo? {Engadget HD}
Aug 27th 2008 12:55PM I have a Cox HD DVR (and a normal DVR) and am very happy with it, no problem whatsoever (and I reccord repeat TV shows, films, record on the fly, pause live TV, etc.)
I see absolutely no reason to buy a Tivo and pay a monhtly fee on top of that.
To Me, Tivo might add a few exotic features here and there, but nothing that -to me- justifies getting it when the DVR provided is already very good.
Now if only Cox could increase the offering in HD channels for Phoenix, (Scif Fi among others), all would be swell...
Wall-E Blu-ray details seep out, it's unsurprisingly getting the royal treatment {Engadget HD}
Aug 25th 2008 7:23PM It's his opinion (Joseph), but it is no mystery why Wall-E is one of the best critically review film of the year (wait .. it -is- the best, 97% at Rottentomatoes), or that ist has a 8.7 user score on imdb.
Wall-E is downright fantastic on pretty much all levels, from the beauty of the pictures to the emotions it generates in the viewer.
Just for the visuals alone I would get Wall-E, but on top of that I also get a great film to boot :)
