Blue Ray vs. AOD, the latest

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9002

Good discussion, with links and quotes from some industry accounts of
the politics at the DVD Forum as two competing formats fight to inherit
the mantle of the DVD.

On the one hand, BD-ROM appears to use the most cutting-edge optical
technologies to wrest the highest capacity and bit rates. But the AOD
proposal before the DVD Forum promises better compatibilty with less
cutting-edge optical technology, same physical format and the prospects
for lower costs.

They are both talking about products in late 2005 but the AOD propoents
note that production yields and efficiencies probably won't be realized
until about 2007. At that point, the production costs for making
prerecorded AOD discs will be as low as the production costs for
prerecorded DVD discs.

However, note that Hollywood wants to price any HD-DVD content higher
than current DVD prices, regardless of their manufacturing costs.

So while AOD has an inherent cost-advantage, will it be realized in the
form of lower prices by late 2005? If AOD recorders are $2000 and AOD
players are $1000 at intro, will BD-ROM hardware be able to come close?

Or will studios make this all moot just by releasing in AOD format,
regardless of whether this format gets the blessing of the DVD Forum?
That way, they would still have low costs but could proceed with their
intent to price AOD content higher than DVD content.

poldy

HD-DVD would only succeed if they make it a Blue Laser format. And I
hope they don't go with Windows Media, I'd hate to see it tied in with
Microsoft, that could really hamper things.

--
"Get rid of the Range Rover. You are not responsible for patrolling
Australia's Dingo Barrier Fence, nor do you work the Savannah, capturing
and tagging wildebeests."
--Michael J. Nelson

Grand Inquisitor
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost

Grand Inquisitor

Tremendously interesting. And alarming. Here we go again!

luminous

"Grand Inquisitor" <> wrote in message
news:OAbtb.6864$...
> HD-DVD would only succeed if they make it a Blue Laser format. And I
> hope they don't go with Windows Media, I'd hate to see it tied in with
> Microsoft, that could really hamper things.

As far as picture quality goes, HD will beat Windows Media handily. The
major reaon that those small OEM manufacturers are supporting AOD is that
they can continue selling their cheap machines at Walmart.

As far as technology goes, AOD will be a half baked product. Looks like we
are heading for another betamax versus VHS war and the winner will decided
by the contend provider, Hollywood.

My guess is Blue Ray will win because Hollywood is not gonna support those
cheap manufacturers who also happen to be in the region where their products
are pirated the most.

Goldfinger

In article <1Actb.949646$>,
"Goldfinger" <> wrote:

> My guess is Blue Ray will win because Hollywood is not gonna support those
> cheap manufacturers who also happen to be in the region where their products
> are pirated the most.

I hope that's the case, because BR is better technology, although there
are a lot of advocates for WMV9 and H.264.

But the computer companies like IBM and Intel endorsed AOD, even though
BR has greater capacity and higher throughput.

About Hollywood, sounds like they're favoring AOD as well because it
would be cheaper for them to make AOD discs than BR discs. Yet they
could still try to price a premium on AOD discs as HD-DVD discs.

poldy

A half-baked format would never succeed, it'll be like Divx. It's got
to be a new, super-high-capacity blue-laser format, built specifically
for HD, not a jury-rigged SD-DVD with special compression, or else it's
dead.

--
"Get rid of the Range Rover. You are not responsible for patrolling
Australia's Dingo Barrier Fence, nor do you work the Savannah, capturing
and tagging wildebeests."
--Michael J. Nelson

Grand Inquisitor
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost

Grand Inquisitor

"Grand Inquisitor" <> wrote in message
news:6Shtb.5475$...
> A half-baked format would never succeed, it'll be like Divx. It's got
> to be a new, super-high-capacity blue-laser format, built specifically
> for HD, not a jury-rigged SD-DVD with special compression, or else it's
> dead.
> Grand Inquisitor
> http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost
>

Don't be so sure....that is never how commercial dynamics works.

luminous

"luminous" <> wrote in message
news:i8ntb.1071095$...
>
> "Grand Inquisitor" <> wrote in message
> news:6Shtb.5475$...
> > A half-baked format would never succeed, it'll be like Divx. It's got
> > to be a new, super-high-capacity blue-laser format, built specifically
> > for HD, not a jury-rigged SD-DVD with special compression, or else it's
> > dead.
> > Grand Inquisitor
> > http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost
> >
>
> Don't be so sure....that is never how commercial dynamics works.
Unless there is a very compelling reason, I will stick
with our current DVD format. The new format has to be
a very high capacity disk or there is no reason to do it.

Mark Jones

On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 04:22:26 GMT, Grand Inquisitor
<> wrote:

>A half-baked format would never succeed, it'll be like Divx. It's got
>to be a new, super-high-capacity blue-laser format, built specifically
>for HD, not a jury-rigged SD-DVD with special compression, or else it's
>dead.

You do realize AOD is a blue laser format that is backwards compatible
with current DVD.

You can check the latest WSR interview with NEC and Toshiba who are
developing AOD.

The biggest hurdle right now for an HD-DVD is that a current majority
of members on the DVD forum steering committee are also members of the
Blu-Ray consortium, and they don't want Blu-Ray to come under the
aegis of the DVD forum (Sony would have to give up control) Toshiba
and NEC's proposal would be handed over to DVD forum's control if
accepted. However that won't likely happen until after the January
election of the new steering committee. If the steering committee is
formed of AOD proponents AOD will become the blue laser HD-DVD formar.
If the majority are Blu-Ray committee members then AOD is dead, and an
HD-DVD format under the DVD forum is likely dead. Blu-Ray will be
deveoped under the close eye of Sony and control will remain tightly
under Sony's purview.

AOD is not the red laser high compression scheme that Warner's is
promoting

GK

The Mad Doctor

luminous wrote:
> Don't be so sure....that is never how commercial dynamics works.
>
>

If it's a half-baked format then it would not be good enough for anybody
to want to upgrade over their standard DVDs.

--
"Get rid of the Range Rover. You are not responsible for patrolling
Australia's Dingo Barrier Fence, nor do you work the Savannah, capturing
and tagging wildebeests."
--Michael J. Nelson

Grand Inquisitor
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Oost

Grand Inquisitor