Sony, Toshiba join forces for next-generation DVD standard

[Steve K.]

Read "historical reasons". At the time the CD audio format was being
developed, "digital" was a new and wonderful thing. It had to be a
simple format because you couldn't build consumer appliances with
full-fledged computers in them, to do decompression, DRM or anything
like that. The idea of using CDs for computer data came later, which is
why CD-ROMs hold less data than audio CDs (the normal audio CD error
correction isn't quite good enough for computer data, so additional
error correction needs to be included).

For DVDs, it's quite the other way around. The DVD format is primarily a
computer data format, and DVD-Video, DVD-Audio and all the other DVD
applications simply build on this computer data format--put any such
disc into your PC and you'll see a UDF filesystem with files on it.

With Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, I assume they're doing the same thing as with
DVD: the discs are designed first and foremost to hold a computer
filesystem, and all applications are built out of files stored in the
filesystem.

It's still craziness to run around trying to protect low quaity files
when higher quality ones are wide open.

 

[C.J.Patten]

Sure, people feel burned over Beta. Along with two VHS', I had a Beta unit
myself until a couple of years ago when it finally bit the biscuit.

Still - 80%+ of US households have VHS VCR's.

Average Joe consumer will either take a risk and be an early adopter of one
format or the other (Blu/HD) with a 50% chance of coming up craps.

Or, like most people, they'll wait until there's a clear victor and get in
then.

DVD5/DVD9 *will* last until a format war is over.

The only thing a format war is going to do is delay the time to adoption of
a dominant format.

The prize for winning the battle is licencing rights to the format. If the
competitors agree on a hybrid, shared format, they share the pie they'd
rather have all to themselves.

You want to know what's going to happen? Forget the technology - learn
everything you can about the executive in the Sony and Toshiba boardrooms.
The technology is less relevant than the people.

C.

 

[Barry F Margolius]

Or better yet, everyone will just stick with regular DVD and save
themselves a buttload of cash in the process! Either way, anyone who
jumps onboard either one of these formats right off the bat is a ****ing
dumbass(this is of course assuming they don't combine the 2 discs
afterall...) because, like you said, there's no way of telling which
format will be victorious. It's better just to wait it out for a few
years and stick with regular DVD for the time being(which is more than
good enough IMO and is HARDLY long in the tooth yet). Just ask anyone
who invested in Betamax instead of VHS. A lot of them STILL feel burned
over their loss...

Well, count me among the dumbasses. I will buy whatever format is
first available in a recordable format, reasonably priced. I really
want a way to record my HDTV shows. HDTV movies are just awesome -
much better than DVD versions. If high definition DVD writers show
signs of coming out more slowly than I expect, or more expensive, then
I may be forced to go the DVHS route.

Whatever I buy, I view it as a temporary solution. I'll buy some
hardware, record some shows, and then start all over again in a couple
of years. I'm willing to pay some few bucks for the fun of having it
for two years rather than waiting.

-barry

 

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

It's still craziness to run around trying to protect low quaity files
when higher quality ones are wide open.

They've tried to protect CD audio, by introducing all kinds of
copy-protection hacks. None have been very successful.

So it's not "craziness" for want of trying.