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[Dahbomb]

Well that certainly sucks, I was looking forward to watching Transformers on Blu-Ray/PS3. :lol

 

[Witchfinder General]

That said, what you say... not necessarily true in the case of the PS3; it's still the best BD player with the best features for the price point. Not to say it's perfect, but it competes well against other standalone BD players. It's also got an excellent build quality.

Compared to the Sony BDP-S1E the only thing the PS3 has over it is the ability to have software updates but as for sound, build, picture and aesthetics the Sony stand alone trump's it.

 

[HocusPocus]

Got my HD-DVD addon for the 360 with 300 free from BestBuy and bought several $19.99 HD-DVD's from Amazon:

1.) The Bourne Identity
2.) The Bourne Supremacy
3.) Dune
4.) Serenity
5.) Batman Begins
6.) Untouchables
7.) Goodfellas
8.) Smokey and the Bandit

I also picked up the Patriot on Blu-Ray for $20 from Amazon, and the Ultimate Matrix Ultimate pack for $70. It's actually quite nice to find some good movies for $19.99 on a format. Very happy with the player and the the movies. Huge thumbs up.

 

[TAJ]

Compared to the Sony BDP-S1E the only thing the PS3 has over it is the ability to have software updates but as for sound, build, picture and aesthetics the Sony stand alone trump's it.

The Bluray camp is STILL releasing players without Ethernet? Wow.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I only buy stand alone players as they're better made, better sounding and have better video and features.

The PS3 is an excellent DVD and BluRay player, breaking the trend you describe.

 

[MaX_PL]

The PS3 is an excellent DVD and BluRay player, breaking the trend you describe.

everyone says that but as a bluray player, is it really better than these second or third gen standalone players? i seriously doubt it.

 

[Oni Jazar]

everyone says that but as a bluray player, is it really better than these second or third gen standalone players? i seriously doubt it.

It's better in the sense that the PS3 is the most likely candidate to be future proof to profile 1.1 & 2.0. Also the differences that do exist between standalones and the PS3 aren't significant for most people.

 

[VanMardigan]

and then there is the wife factor.

her: "hey lets watch a movie tonight"
me: "ok, you choose"
her : "lets watch this one"
me: "ok. Now go grab that reference manual in the cupboard. Check the name of the movie and that'll tell you whether its bluray or HDDVD. If its bluray, you have to put it in the PS3. If its HDDVD you have to put it in the DVD player under the TV."
her: "....... its Terminator 2. The book says both?" (yes this is made up she'd never choose that herself)
me: "ah yes. I bought that on bluray first, but then thanks to lack of region coding it was available via a distributor in Europe that had the rights, even though its produced by a Bluray studio. So I bought it on HDDVD too because it had a TrueHD soundtrack. Which one do you have?"
her: "how the fuck do I know you freak? I'm going to watch Extreme Makeover instead"

Are we picturing an illiterate color-blind blonde as the wife?

My wife is not techno-minded at all, and she has no problem understanding the concept of HD DVD, combo discs, and regular dvd. I spoke to her about Blu Ray and she understands completely. I mean, if you can't figure out

Red Case->HD DVD -> Xbox 360
Blue Case ->Blu Ray ->Ps3

I don't know what to say. Women spend 10 times that amount of effort figuring out what colors match in their outfit, I think they can figure out red vs. blue. It's about talking with them. You just don't show up with a new gadget and don't talk about what it is and how its used.

Blue vs. Red, did we forget the case difference or are we just making up stupid reasons for not picking up an HD DVD player?


Also, at what point are Ps3 owners going to be told whether their console is compliant with the new profile or not? It's frickin September, and after all that garbage talk about how HDi would be trumped by the new BD spec by the fall and how all these new features would be widely available by the fall releases............we've got nothing yet.

What's worse, your largest BD demographic, the Ps3 crowd, STILL doesn't know what the deal is with the Ps3 and compatibility for these new features. And its September.

The longer it takes, the more titles are released without nothing interactivity or advanced special features. I'd ask if folks here are going to double dip when PoTC and Casino Royale etc. get released again with full interactivity special features, but I know the answer is "no" so as not to appear like they got ripped off by an incomplete format.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

It's better in the sense that the PS3 is the most likely candidate to be future proof to profile 1.1 & 2.0. Also the differences that do exist between standalones and the PS3 aren't significant for most people.

Yeah. It's been surpassed in quality, but it still rated very high.

Also, the kinds of things that made the PS2 a substandard player are not an issue:
1) excellent PQ
2) Ease-of-use interface
3) Quality remote

 

[Lord Error]

Yeah. It's been surpassed in quality, but it still rated very high.

Have there been any published test that show in what ways some of the new players are better?

 

[mrklaw]

Are we picturing an illiterate color-blind blonde as the wife?

Red Case->HD DVD -> Xbox 360
Blue Case ->Blu Ray ->Ps3

I forgot to mention I have all my discs in a discgear wallet, and the boxes go into storage. So no red/blue to work from, just shiny silver...

and I was exaggerating for effect too. Only slightly in the case of my wife, maybe more for other wives.

 

[OokieSpookie]

The longer it takes, the more titles are released without nothing interactivity or advanced special features. I'd ask if folks here are going to double dip when PoTC and Casino Royale etc. get released again with full interactivity special features, but I know the answer is "no" so as not to appear like they got ripped off by an incomplete format.

Technically speaking, that could all be added via dlc so it would not really take a double dip though of course that is not where the money is at.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

The longer it takes, the more titles are released without nothing interactivity or advanced special features. I'd ask if folks here are going to double dip when PoTC and Casino Royale etc. get released again with full interactivity special features, but I know the answer is "no" so as not to appear like they got ripped off by an incomplete format.

I don't re-buy DVDs when special editions come out, why would I with HD movies?

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Have there been any published test that show in what ways some of the new players are better?

Just reviews that say they are.

 

[distantmantra]

I'd ask if folks here are going to double dip when PoTC and Casino Royale etc. get released again with full interactivity special features, but I know the answer is "no" so as not to appear like they got ripped off by an incomplete format.

I wouldn't. I'm being absolutely truthful when I say that interactive features really have zero impact on my interest in a title. Hell, aside from some great documentaries (like the one on Hedwig and the Angry Inch), I really don't bother with special features on regular DVDs.

 

[Oni Jazar]

PoTC is so damn full of special features I don't think PIP or network connectivity will add much to the package.

There are movies that piss me off when they get released with absolutely nothing (*cough* Silent Hill *cough*) but PotC and CR are not one of those movies.

 

[jjasper]

I don't think that is true. It would take too long to recoup the costs of the hit simply due to VC-1 and HDi licensing fees.


Look at the history of x-box, and how much money they lost. It has been known that the 360 is in dire need of making a profit. That's why we've seen high peripheral prices, few 3rd party peripherals, and unfortunately ... poor quality of HW due to low bidding.

If it was simply an issue of MS being able to absorb the cost, the 360 would have dropped its price long ago ... or would have dropped it much more right now ... since that would pretty much kill off PS3.

Everyone knows they could have dealt a death blow ... but they haven't. Obviously its because they can't afford it. You can't simply site the cash MS as a whole has on hand ... and think the Xbox devision can do whatever they want with it. It doesn't work that way. MS was pretty lenient last gen, but decided they can't do that this gen.

But the thing is Toshiba who is apparently rolling in dough could have afforded to give them a great deal on the drive, and you know any investment Toshiba put in by having a drive would be returned 10 fold when HD DVD because standard.

I really feel Toshiba/MS dropped the ball on this end and thought so when the console was announced.

 

[StoOgE]

got my hda2 hooked up on the tv that had the 360 addon.

the hda2 blows it away in the sound department (and i havent even upgraded to an hdmi reciever for lossless audio on this tv)...

pq the hda2s blacks are much improved. i allways suspected the 360 was not processing black levels correctly, and this confirms it. the 360 crushes blacks and maybe even white... but i dont think that is limited to the hddvd add on, i think the console itself is at fault

if you dont have a 1080p tv, jump all over this player. once i get lossless audio hooked up in this room, i can compare the xa2 in the ht to my new hda2

 

[DCharlie]

I really feel Toshiba/MS dropped the ball on this end and thought so when the console was announced.

the issue though was i don`t think Toshiba or MS fully expected the PS3 to be launching at the price it did.

Also - the HDDVD inclusion would have pushed bcak the launch and maybe pushed up the price which means that the userbase that MS built up by being first may well have been lost.

 

[neojubei]

It's true. Looks like DVD for me.

Same here. no hs dvd is being bought with my money, now if anyone wants to buy it for me, then thats ok with me.

 

[fistfulofmetal]

If Lord of the Rings ever does go HD, would it be on both? Since it's New Line?

 

[distantmantra]

If Lord of the Rings ever does go HD, would it be on both? Since it's New Line?

New Line is currently format neutral, as they're releasing their first HD title, Hairspray, later this year on both Blu-ray and HD-DVD. As for LotR, who knows at this point.

 

[JB1981]

It's better in the sense that the PS3 is the most likely candidate to be future proof to profile 1.1 & 2.0. Also the differences that do exist between standalones and the PS3 aren't significant for most people.

It's also the fastest blu-ray player out there, by far. Have fun waiting for long boot times on the standalones.

Cell > sluggish standalones.

 

[Snah]

Blu-Ray experience isn't going to get very much better than the PS3. There simply aren't any major nagging issues whatsoever.

So long as PS3 is a blu-ray player, I'll never own a stand alone unit.

 

[Gattsu25]

This thread is a slice of the Gaming Forum

 

[Banjo Tango]

I see you can pre-order Blu-Ray Pan's Labyrinth on Amazon.co.uk. Would I be able to play that on a US PS3?

 

[Cheebs]

Monty Python's Life of Brian is coming to Blu-Ray November 6th. Just got announced today.

 

[sonycowboy]

I'm close to breaking down and getting the HD-DVD add-on for the 360. No one title is a must, but Heroes and Transformers are big for me. The Best Buy package last week was the most enticing so far with 300 thrown in with the drive, KK, & the 5 free movies. I expect we'll see more stuff like that this holiday on both sides.

But, Heroes is freaking $100 vs $37.99 for the DVD at Best Buy. That's a pretty huge markup (263%). I know it's only $69 at Amazon, but I looked in the circulars today and didn't see any great deal at any of the regular stores (Target, CC, etc)

 

[distantmantra]

I see you can pre-order Blu-Ray Pan's Labyrinth on Amazon.co.uk. Would I be able to play that on a US PS3?

Depends on the region coding.

 

[VanMardigan]

Technically speaking, that could all be added via dlc so it would not really take a double dip though of course that is not where the money is at.

How so? If the capability is not in the disc you bought, how do you figure it could be added later? The HD DVD titles that use the interactivity and online components had to be coded that way and shipped with the features. Disc interactivity like the HDi stuff and the online connectivity is not something you can add to a disc after the fact.

The Best Buy package last week was the most enticing so far with 300 thrown in with the drive, KK, & the 5 free movies.

I can't believe you had the ability to pass that up. If BR had a deal anywhere near that good, I'd be all over it. An HD player and 7 movies for $179? I wouldn't have to worry about Fox, Sony, and Disney movies not being on HD DVD, Heck, I wouldn't have to worry about any title, unless I had to look at specs when deciding which version to pick (on the Warner titles).

 

[StoOgE]

I'm close to breaking down and getting the HD-DVD add-on for the 360. No one title is a must, but Heroes and Transformers are big for me. The Best Buy package last week was the most enticing so far with 300 thrown in with the drive, KK, & the 5 free movies. I expect we'll see more stuff like that this holiday on both sides.

But, Heroes is freaking $100 vs $37.99 for the DVD at Best Buy. That's a pretty huge markup (263%). I know it's only $69 at Amazon, but I looked in the circulars today and didn't see any great deal at any of the regular stores (Target, CC, etc)

do you havea frys near you?

they have amazon prices@ a b&m

 

[KachoMakura]

I'm close to breaking down and getting the HD-DVD add-on for the 360. No one title is a must, but Heroes and Transformers are big for me. The Best Buy package last week was the most enticing so far with 300 thrown in with the drive, KK, & the 5 free movies. I expect we'll see more stuff like that this holiday on both sides.

But, Heroes is freaking $100 vs $37.99 for the DVD at Best Buy. That's a pretty huge markup (263%). I know it's only $69 at Amazon, but I looked in the circulars today and didn't see any great deal at any of the regular stores (Target, CC, etc)

Do it man. If you already own a 360 it's the best deal out there right now.

 

[The Main Event]

Do it man. If you already own a 360 it's the best deal out there right now.

+1

 

[xS1TH L0RDx]

+1

+2

 

[Sirolf]

+3

 

[TerryLee81]

What are the chances that MS will release a 1080p24 patch for the add-on?

 

[DCX]

Hold on what Best Buy Package?!?! 300? What!?!

DCX

 

[VanMardigan]

I don't know if the offer is still available, but Best Buy was offering a copy of 300 HD DVD along with the Xbox 360 add-on. So that was 300, King Kong (which comes with the drive), plus the other 5 HD DVD's in Toshiba's offer. For $179.

 

[mrklaw]

I'm close to breaking down and getting the HD-DVD add-on for the 360. No one title is a must, but Heroes and Transformers are big for me. The Best Buy package last week was the most enticing so far with 300 thrown in with the drive, KK, & the 5 free movies. I expect we'll see more stuff like that this holiday on both sides.

But, Heroes is freaking $100 vs $37.99 for the DVD at Best Buy. That's a pretty huge markup (263%). I know it's only $69 at Amazon, but I looked in the circulars today and didn't see any great deal at any of the regular stores (Target, CC, etc)

how loud is your 360? Not the disc, the fans. Mine was way too loud so I sold my addon and bought a cheap standalone (E1). Slightly more expensive but way quieter (like any standalone) and you get the lossless audio which was a bonus.

sold that too now and trying to hold out on one format, but it is getting difficult with the paramount annoucment. Part of me wants to get HDDVD, part of me wants to hold out from princicple at what Paramount have done. Petty maybe, but there you go.

 

[VanMardigan]

Blades of Glory hi def digest review.

It seems like Paramount's first HD DVD exclusive is a good one. I already have it ordered from Amazon, but it hasn't shipped yet.

Although it was originally announced for release on both Blu-ray and HD DVD, thanks to last week's announcement by Paramount, 'Blades of Glory' instead marks a major milestone in the high-def format war as the very first of the studio's HD DVD-only high-def releases. That means that the scrutiny on this title (and likely at least the next few from Paramount) will be quite intense. In the case of 'Blades of Glory,' HD DVD fans need not worry. While the film's more generic visual style may not lend itself to a true reference-quality release, this 1080p/VC-1 is encode certainly a good-looking, attractive presentation.

'Blades of Glory' comes to HD DVD day-and-date with the standard-def DVD release, and although both editions receive identical extras, the HD DVD has a clear leg up, as all of the video-based supplements are presented here in full 1080i video

Silly comedies like this usually don't offer much in the way of sonic thrills, but this disc's Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 Surround track (1.5mbps) ended up being a nice surprise, as the the film's sound design is actually quite lively, with lots of highs and lows that really light up the soundstage. (Note: The disc was originally announced as having a Dolby TrueHD track, but it's not actually included on the disc.)

 

[sonycowboy]

how loud is your 360? Not the disc, the fans. was way too loud so I sold my addon and bought a cheap standalone (E1). Slightly more expensive but way quieter (like any standalone) and you get the lossless audio which was a bonus.

sold that too now and trying to hold out on one format, but it is getting difficult with the paramount annoucment. Part of me wants to get HDDVD, part of me wants to hold out from princicple at what Paramount have done. Petty maybe, but there you go.

Ridiculously loud, even when it's not accessing the drive. It has moments where it goes a bit quieter, but always noticable. I'm already using up both my HDMI ports on my TV. I don't see buying the standalone for $399 (I'm not buying the 1080i if I'm buying a standalone)

If I had any confidence that this would be resolved by early next year as I did have before the Paramount / Dreaworks announcement, I wouldn't bother, but another year is a long time to wait.

 

[BotoxAgent]

I was at BB yesterday and I saw an old couple buying a standalone Blu-Ray player and a few movies. That made me smile and if the format sadly goes to the way of the dodo bird, i will be thinking of them, lol.

I bought MI3 on Blu-Ray, fantastic looking disc

 

[StoOgE]

That is the one bad thing about the 360 drive..

the price is great, picture quality is close to a standalones PQ and the sound is going to be "good enough" for most consumers.

The 360 sounding like a vacuum cleaner however, is enough to annoy anyone. I remember when I first bought the XA2 I was watching a movie and both me and the gf thought something was wrong because it wasnt making noise when loading the movie :lol

It was too quiet.

Cant wait for my 5 free discs. Im gonna Walmart those suckers and get a huge boost in the arm to my HD collection. Think Im pushing the heck out of 30 movies now.

 

[Rabid Wolverine]

HD-DVD version of Transformers has a release date of November 1st in Australia.

+1 Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive sale.

The day I offically own both formats. Guess Ill pick up some Bourne Movies and The Dude while im at it.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

That is the one bad thing about the 360 drive..

the price is great, picture quality is close to a standalones PQ and the sound is going to be "good enough" for most consumers.

The 360 sounding like a vacuum cleaner however, is enough to annoy anyone. I remember when I first bought the XA2 I was watching a movie and both me and the gf thought something was wrong because it wasnt making noise when loading the movie :lol

Back before the PS3 came out, I was considering a 360/add-on combo instead of BluRay. The noise factor helped put me off the idea (as did reliability issues) although ultimately it was studio support that decided the question for me.

I remember asking about noise on here and some people trying to tell me it was quiet. Others were more honest.

 

[sonycowboy]

OK,

Blu-Ray victory guaranteed again: :lol

High School Musical 2 will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in extended editions on December 11th in time for Christmas. This version will have bonus material including music videos, sing-along and karaoke. Some of the bonus will include a musical number Troy and Sharpay rehearse in the film but never perform. Below is a list of the features:

Sing Along with “High School Musical 2″ — On-screen lyrics for all the songs from the movie let viewers join in with their favorite stars.
“High School Musical” Karaoke — Anyone can be a star with this interactive, highly entertaining bonus feature.
Rehearsal Cam — An unprecedented opportunity to watch the rehearsal footage in sync with the movie
Bloopers — Nobody’s perfect and that’s half the fun! Watch as the movie’s stars try to cover their hilarious missteps.
Music Videos — Including a performance by popular Canadian artist Nikki Yanovsky singing “Gotta Go My Own Way” in French and English

 

[dskillzhtown]

I'm close to breaking down and getting the HD-DVD add-on for the 360. No one title is a must, but Heroes and Transformers are big for me. The Best Buy package last week was the most enticing so far with 300 thrown in with the drive, KK, & the 5 free movies. I expect we'll see more stuff like that this holiday on both sides.

But, Heroes is freaking $100 vs $37.99 for the DVD at Best Buy. That's a pretty huge markup (263%). I know it's only $69 at Amazon, but I looked in the circulars today and didn't see any great deal at any of the regular stores (Target, CC, etc)

Wait, Heroes is on sale at Best Buy for 79.99, not that is a big deal. But Wal-Mart had it for 69.99, that is if your local Wal-Mart sales HD-DVDs. I am sure Fry's will be having some kind of deal on it. I am pretty annoyed at the HD-DVD prices in general. I hate paying 2 times as much in comparison to a DVD. So my purchases have been limited so far.

I have the 360 HD-DVD player. I got it by trading in my PS2 and a bunch of games for it I no longer wanted. I love it, and luckily I have one of the new 360s that is whisper quiet.

 

[VanMardigan]

I remember asking about noise on here and some people trying to tell me it was quiet. Others were more honest.

I just don't think that the noise bothers everyone, not that people were being dishonest. I think the reliability issue is way more of a concern than the noise. I'm convinced that the noise issue either isn't the same across all 360's or is dependent on how sensitive you are to that sort of stuff. Another factor might be room acoustics. I've had 2 xbox 360's, and I can tell you that the noise has never been a factor on either one while playing games or movies. Now, I'm not saying that the 360 isn't noisy, but when I'm watching a movie or playing a game, I've never noticed it. Even when my surround sound is turned down, it hasn't been a distraction. I guess I can hear it if I look at it and listen out for it, but otherwise I won't notice it. When I power up the console, it makes a ton of noise, but from the moment the sound kicks in, that's it for me.

I can understand why it would bother folks, but to suggest that people were/are being dishonest when they say that the noise isn't a factor, I don't think that's right.

Then again, I remember some folks complaining about the GCN drive noise when it was accessing a disc. Some people's ears are REALLY sensitive when it comes to ambient noise.

 

[StoOgE]

I dont mind paying 20 bucks for a new movie. The DVD costs 13-14 bucks, and the premium is worth it for the improved quality to me.

The 28 dollar combo discs for HD are a bit harder to swallow... I wont buy a movie I 'kinda' like for 28 bucks. It has to be something like 300, Hott Fuzz, Children of Men that I really liked. I wont be buying Blades of Glory because that to me is a 20 dollar movie tops.

What really kills me with HD are the sets of movies. 60-70 bucks retail for a TV series is simply far too much money... especially when you can pick it up for DVD for 25 bucks. I would buy Lost for that kind of money.. but Battlestar and heroes arent worth it to me. Star Trek may be a purchase if it really is the whole original series.

Edit: The sound never really bothered me when I only had the add on. But it is MUCH nicer without the fan noise when I watch a film. But I am easily bothered by that kind of stuff. I hate the hum that Plasmas make, and I think most people cant hear it.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Van-- noise doesn't bother me in games at all. Movies are another matter.

I don't even like my projector fan, and it's pretty quiet.