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  1. Member
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    We said it here some months ago....

    http://www.cnet.com.au/desktops/dvdburners/0,39029405,40091720,00.htm
    First Blu-ray disc drive won’t play Blu-ray movies
    The first Blu-ray (BD) disc drive for desktop PCs is here, but be warned -- it won't play commercial BD movies.

    Sony officially announced its BWU-100A product at its "Experience More 2006" event in Sydney yesterday, all the while acknowledging that there's significant room for improvement before the product is viable for integration into media centre PCs.

    Vincent Bautista, Sony's product manager for data storage, told CNET.com.au that due to copy protection issues and lagging software development, the drive will only play user-recorded high-definition content from a digital camcorder, and not commercial movies released under the BD format.

    Bautista says that one of two reasons for this is the fact that commercial content is encrypted with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), which can only be decrypted using a HDCP-compliant graphics card that offers DVI or HDMI connections. Since there are currently no PCs for sale offering graphics chips that support HDCP, this isn't yet possible.

    The second reason, according to Bautista, is that BD playback software that can decrypt HDCP isn't "released as a saleable item yet". Today, the only HDCP-supporting BD playback application is the OEM version of Intervideo WinDVD BD that's bundled with Sony's VAIO VGN-AR18GP notebook. The AR18GP also offers an HDCP-compliant HDMI connector, which makes it capable of playing commercial movies without issue.

    Bautista is optimistic that both issues will be resolved "soon", and says that despite not being able to play commercial content, the drive is still useful as a "storage device", particularly for those looking to create and distribute their own high-definition home movies on BD-R and BD-RE discs.

    The Sony BWU100A has a write speed of 2x and will be available this month for AU$1399.
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  2. Member waheed's Avatar
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    Doesn't bother me. Im not upgrading until there a dual format player (HD-DVD/Blu ray) and prices have come down significantly. And that also depends on how MAD the movie studios go with regards to copy protection.
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  3. This does not bother me either, because I have no desire or need to upgrade. My dvd's work great. I have all I need.
    Believing yourself to be secure only takes one cracker to dispel your belief.
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  4. I'm just curious if anybody knows what part of a Blu-Ray reader or writer makes it cost $1000 USD? Could the laser be THAT expensive?

    So $1000 for a writer and $1000 for a reader plus your HDCP video card and HDCP monitor for the priviledge of watching HD. DVDs look better than ever to me

    Mark
    www.TheHTPCRecord.com
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  5. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Almost anything you make in low quantity that took many millions of research will loose money for several years. Until you get volume up it may never make money (examples: Concorde Jet, Apple Lisa).

    Reminds me of the famous David Sarnoff (RCA) story from the early 50's. His golfing buddy asks "Can you get me one of those new color TV sets at cost?"

    Sarnoff replied "I'd love to sell you one at cost" implying that the credit check may not turn up enough millions in this poor guy's account.
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  6. Member
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    Now common DVD players sold at their introduction were expensive as well. I'm not saying I wanna get a Blew Ray player, contrary, why would I want one? Hardware is expensive... pre-recorded movies are VERY expensive... I do ocasionaly buy DVDs but refuse to pay more than CAD$12 for a movie I really want and more than $5 for a movie I'd like to watch. Also, I'd really like to be able to make a backup copy of the movie I paid for so that I could let my friends watch the movie too if they wish but not taking chances of losing the original by letting them use that backup.

    There is nothing there BR offers I can put to use or enjoy...

    But then again, it's just me
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  7. Member waheed's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by mlofaso
    I'm just curious if anybody knows what part of a Blu-Ray reader or writer makes it cost $1000 USD? Could the laser be THAT expensive?
    CD Writers and DVD Writers were also that expensive when they first appeared. But eventually prices will drop over time.

    Blu Ray only offers one advantage - high definition and thats about it.

    The rest are disadvantages - HDCP certified equipment, Copy protection, maybe internet authenticcation etc... im only going through them all but you know what I mean.
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  8. The industry messed up big time by not AGREEING on one damn format and make it open and free for other companies to develop products! This is what pisses me off. Greedy companies that think their technology is better than everyone. DVD took off, because it was agreed to be the next standard. I say wait for HVD. Maybe by that time, all the little CEO kids will have grown up and make ONE format.
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  9. Member ntscuser's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Wile_E
    The industry messed up big time by not AGREEING on one damn format and make it open and free for other companies to develop products!
    Philips did exactly that with the Compact Cassette and as a result failed to earn a single penny in royalties from any of the millions of cassettes sold by rival companies. No one is likely to repeat the exercise.
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  10. Originally Posted by edDV
    Reminds me of the famous David Sarnoff (RCA) story from the early 50's. His golfing buddy asks "Can you get me one of those new color TV sets at cost?"

    Sarnoff replied "I'd love to sell you one at cost" implying that the credit check may not turn up enough millions in this poor guy's account.
    LOL. Good story. edDV. (On a side note I just paid $110 for a 10 day supply of a common generic antibiotic for my son's sinunitis. I think the R&D on this particular antibiotic has been covered several times over. We consumers have been conditioned to pay lots of money for prescription drugs in the last decade or so.)

    In the meantime, what I'm suggesting is almost every part of HD-DVD or Blu-Ray has already been developed, short of the laser and circuitry. I don't know that for a fact, just my guess. This isn't a brand new start like the CD player or color televisions where there was lots of money figuring how to make lots of things work properly.

    Man I remember the first CD players...took about 30 seconds to start playing and would skip if you walked too close to them. All the dampening and high precision stepper motors has been around, what, 20+ years now. The day they put a CD player in a car that didn't skip, I think they reached their pinnacle in technology. That was bitchin!

    Sorry about the rant guys

    Mark
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  11. Member thecoalman's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by ntscuser
    Originally Posted by Wile_E
    The industry messed up big time by not AGREEING on one damn format and make it open and free for other companies to develop products!
    Philips did exactly that with the Compact Cassette and as a result failed to earn a single penny in royalties from any of the millions of cassettes sold by rival companies. No one is likely to repeat the exercise.
    But on the other side of the coin you have Betamax. No company is going to want to repeat that either. It appears one is heading there, possibly both.
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  12. Originally Posted by Dv8ted2
    This does not bother me either, because I have no desire or need to upgrade. My dvd's work great. I have all I need.
    I totally agree. I'm not going to upgrade until I have to. My old and tired eyes doesn't need that much detail.
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  13. Member
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    I will be surprised if Blu-Ray ever gets off the ground simply because the Blu-Ray people keep shooting themselves in the foot. I've never seen a product introduced where so many reasons not to buy are attached.
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    Originally Posted by akrako1
    Bautista says that one of two reasons for this is the fact that commercial content is encrypted with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), which can only be decrypted using a HDCP-compliant graphics card that offers DVI or HDMI connections. Since there are currently no PCs for sale offering graphics chips that support HDCP, this isn't yet possible.

    The second reason, according to Bautista, is that BD playback software that can decrypt HDCP isn't "released as a saleable item yet". Today, the only HDCP-supporting BD playback application is the OEM version of Intervideo WinDVD BD that's bundled with Sony's VAIO VGN-AR18GP notebook. The AR18GP also offers an HDCP-compliant HDMI connector, which makes it capable of playing commercial movies without issue.
    None of this will effect me even if I were to purchase this burner today. I rarely if ever watch a movie on a computer screen. When I do it certainly is not using my precious laser life to do so.

    The graphics card industry and the software industry will have plenty of time to "catch up" and produce equipment capable of playing movies long after I begin to consider using my burner to watch HD movies anyways. This is not really a Sony issue but more of an industry issue. Now that the spec for HDCP has been nailed down this problems solution is centered upon the GPU industry and the software companies to produce hardware and software that is capable of displaying this content.

    AMD has stepped into this arena by getting into the decision making for GPU development and production and acquisitioning ATI. Maybe AMD will produce some cheap spec cards for such HDMI/HDCP displays.
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    Add me to the list of people who don't care that a burner can't playback DRM'd content.

    A handfull of new HD-camcorders are hitting the market, and people are going to want to edit/store that footage. If they don't get a burner out there now, the AVCHD format - which allows burning to red-laser DVD - will absorb precious early-adopter money.

    The DRM & HDMI/HDCP fisaco has already cost both blue-laser formats time to market...

    PS3 delays have spoiled Sony's chances of it being the "trojan horse" to get Blu-ray into the lead...

    The only way they can mess this up is if the camcorder footage recorded to one of these discs is rejected by the crazy-a$$ DRM on the standalone players...
    "Dare to be Stupid!" - Wierd Al Yankovic
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  16. Looks like PANASONIC's Blu-ray Disc Drive is also shipping:

    http://tinyurl.com/qnp4l

    Jerry Jones
    http://www.jonesgroup.net
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