Blu-Ray Updates

[apcarandang]

My first DVD player was $1000 Sony DVP S7000 which I now use exclusively as a CD player so I think Bluray players are a bit cheaper compared when to when the first Sony DVD player came out.

If the generic players can perform close to the midrange models they will be great as a second or third bedroom unit. That hopefully will drive the prices of Bluray discs down.

APC
S & V Moderator

[Orbison]

The article is NOT talking about players made in China being cheap, but players from cheap generic Chinese brands coming in at cheap prices.

Made in China does NOT imply cheapness, just lower cost manufacturing. The Chinese factories are capable of the same quality as any factory in any nation anywhere in the world. They just cost less for the same amount of work than many western nations. If Panasonic designs their product with high quality and higher manufacturing specs than some generic Chinese brand, then it will cost more and be a better, more reliable product.

Whoa! I know what the article said! I was not suggesting anything about the quality of Chinese-manufactured goods. I merely pointed out "If Panasonic wants to cover the "low end" of the BD market, they may already have sufficient manufacturing facilities in China to do so. Are Sony & Samsung players also made in China?" i.e. Sony & Samsung may also have the facilities in China to extend their product lines to lower cost players if they choose to . The article suggests that these brands won't bother with low-cost units. IMO, if they see a significant demand for that price range, they might jump into it.

[IrritateGuy]

I wasn't trying to pick a fight, sorry if it came off tha way.

Even if Sony, Panasonic or Samsung were to make a cheap player, I doubt they would put their names on it as it would negatively affect their brand reputation.

[Haywood]

Samsung has a cool new player that I almost bought when I got my bedroom machine. It not only does BD, Netflix and Pandora, but will also stream your music collection over your network. The only reason I didn't buy it (and it pained me) was it was outside my budget at the time. I think these convergence devices are the future and that we will continue to see more and more support for online and local network content as time goes by.

[IrritateGuy]

Well, it actually happened! I am currently watching the skies for pigs on the wing and shopping with heightened caution as there may be demons shopping for scarves and mittens.

Today Microsoft sent Service Pack 2 for Vista and Server 2008 to manufacturing. That isn't terribly exciting, itself. However, included in SP2 is the added ability for Vista to natively write to BluRay discs - without any additional software installed. Just like the ability we've had for years to write to CD-R and DVD-R/W through the OS, now Microsoft officially supports BluRay media.

This is HUGE!!! I mean, really, really, REALLY HUGE!!!

[Maximo]

So how far off is it that media center will support Bluray playback?

[IrritateGuy]

So how far off is it that media center will support Bluray playback?

That's not going to happen soon. Just like with DVD, which required you license the playback decryption tech from someone (I used WinDVD for my MCE system), you will have to license the BD licence for playback decryption of watermark management. So, Microsoft has to come up with a CODEC spec for the BluRay technology and 3rd party ISV will have to offer that CODEC as an add-on for Windows which is compatible with MCE.

Maybe it'll be all baked and working when Windows 7 comes out. You'll still have to license the decoder from someone, but maybe that will be an option by then.

[apcarandang]

Looks like Apple will be adapting Bluray if the rumors are true.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-...g=2547-1_3-0-5

APC
S & V Moderator

[apcarandang]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-...g=2547-1_3-0-5

APC
S & V Moderator