BetaRay, SELF-DESTRUCT

[Chris]

Interesting read (http://www.tgdaily.com/2005/08/10/blu/index.html) about how if your blu-ray drive detects that you're using stolen media, a self-destruct code will be shot out to your machine through the internet.

Here's another Blu-Ray story (http://www.gamerandy.com/archives/2006/05/sony_fakes_blur.shtml). Sad, Sad, Sad.

[E2K]

Chris, if i were to posts some links to actual facts here, it would make you look stupid ;)

So i won't. :0

But you should at least mention that BD and HD DVD use the same copy protection.

So clear it up yourself, and change the title.
Your avator suggest you aint an xboxfanboy, so don't act like one in that case.

or change your avatar :P

[Curry]

But you should at least mention that BD and HD DVD use the same copy protection.
It's mandatory in Bluray though and entirely optional in HD-DVD.
So clear it up yourself, and change the title.
He doesn't have rights for that on the forum, but what would need to be changed :)
Your avator suggest you aint an xboxfanboy, so don't act like one in that case.
I'm really considering blacklisting the word 'fanboy' on the forums. Just saying something about one of the consoles, whether or not misinformed, does not make one a fanboy.

Please refrain from calling everyone a fanboy for nothing, that's just offensive uncalled for flamebait. Forums are for discussion, and in discussions you convince people by supplying arguments, not by insulting them.

[E2K]

Curry, if you really had guts, you should make a newsitem out of this:

http://www.blu-ray.com/faq/#bluray_vs_hddvd_comparison

"yeah but it is propaganda, look at the adress!!!".

hmm, well, i'll find a different source:
(5 min later)
use google ;)

The way it is now, you'll enjoy less titles on hddvd xbox360 then bd-rom.

But you get my point.
You'd probably make an item saying:
"hd dvd will be cheaper than blu ray!!" Well, it doesn't matter. The xbox will have blu ray however. But don't expect sony to give microsoft a cheap lincence :)

[Rival24]

The way it is now, you'll enjoy less titles on hddvd xbox360 then bd-rom.

There aren't any hddvd titles coming to the Xbox 360 as far as I know. And besides much more diskspace isn't needed if developers use the game engine for movies instead of those oversized cgi videos.

[Cage]

Here's a nice (not sony) review conclusion of bluray vs hddvd.
We have two great high capacity optical formats for the future, which correspond to two different manufacturer strategies. HD-DVD is clearly an evolution of the DVD format and a cheaper solution, both for disc manufacturers and customers. With its improved codecs, it seems good enough to fill current HD-TV needs. Blu-ray features superior data density and offers a more innovative approach, which would seem to support a longer lifetime. But innovation is expensive and we can’t be sure people will agree to pay the price.

It seems clear that we will see both of the formats at least for a while, as right now there is no clear winner. Perhaps due to higher manufacturing costs, coupled with the non-critical (for now) high storage capacities which Blu-ray offers, HD-DVD probably holds a slight advantage, especially for home recording. However, the companies supporting Blu-ray may manage to reduce production costs and at least members of CD Freaks can find ways to take advantage of this extra capacity.

Regardless of how this war plays out, we will be the winners when one considers the advantages of these new optical storage strategies.
source : http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/186/5

[Curry]

Curry, if you really had guts, you should make a newsitem out of this:

http://www.blu-ray.com/faq/#bluray_vs_hddvd_comparison

"yeah but it is propaganda, look at the adress!!!".\
I'm really getting sick of you and your extremely childish and poorly argumented accusations towards the people that run this site and again recommend you to change that behaviour if you wish to remain an appreciated guest. A few posts ago I warned you friendly to stop the fanboy bullcrap, and implying I don't have any guts and only write Xbox-commercials and anti-Sony-propaganda is not the correct way of responding to that.

[Chris]

If anyone wants to, I'm in support of changing it from 'BetaRay, SELF-DESTRUCT' to 'Blu-Ray, SELF-DESTRUCT'. :D

[E2K]

Yo, directed at curry because you are like the god of xbox.

Well, the forum members can only post negative things about the blu ray and other sony related items in the forum, but they cannot do shit on the frontpage. You, however can.

So i was thinking if you had the guts to go against some of the community, by posting facts that are in favor of the blu ray.

But this is too much for some.

Well then, any other moderators who have 'the balls'? :+

that was a joke.

But it will be funny to see some of thos in a freerecord shop or something in 2007:
"huh where is the hd dvd? i thought BD was going to fail because of things i read on xbopxic.com?? "

only time will tell however...

[Curry]

Why should our FP cover BluRay news? It's not like it's Xbox-related news is it?

Also, where on our FP do we say BD is going to fail?

And lastly: I'm not in favor of BluRay. From a technical perspective I think it's an overzealous attempt to thrust DRM far too far into the user-unfriendly area. DRM is good, compromising usability because of DRM is not. And I more or less expect it to fail, considering HD-DVD is backed by Microsoft and Intel, as such owning the whole PC market, and they explicitly oppose BluRay.

[Aift]

E2K.

Blu-Ray is a great disc player, that has a lot of potential. But as Curry said, they are trying to go to far in a user-unfriendly area. I mean, I like how Blu-Ray can give the developer more space to work with, so they can put all the things they were thinking to reality. But as J Allard said, if the DVD's that Xbox 360 games are made on doesn't have enough space for you to make you're game on, you are just a bad coder.

I think Blu-Ray is not ready to hit the Home Entertainment market. I think SONY, is bringing BD out to fast, and should wait a generation until most people have a TV that supports 1080p. Hell, I bought a new 30' HDTV saturday, and it only supports up to 1080i(Yes, it supports 720p).

I think BD is a great disc, that is being brought out to consoles to fast, and that's there downfall.

[E2K]

I agree that 1080P is a bit too much for 2006.
People cannot afford 1080P displays at this moment.

What should they do then?
Wait a few years, so that people can buy inferior HD DVD drives?

(inferior as in max bitrate, capacity, scratch resistant surface, etc etc, and windows something instead of java.)

Microsoft tried to make their windows media codec the next standard. The majority of the blu ray camp was against it, so microsoft had to go with HD DVD.

Anyway, they had to release it this year, otherwise the market would be run over by different products and 6 of the 7 big movie studios, apple, philips, sony, etc would lose a lot of money.

I laughed my ass of when HD DVD pretended their format to be in a way that everyone can freely copy all discs and that there would be no copy protection at all.

Even Universal, the only studio that is exclusive to HD DVD, did not agree to this.
So HD DVD also has AACSS or what they call it, etc.

Conclusion: they better release it soon because i want the best. Even if i can only afford a 720P TV at november 2006.

[Aift]

Ha.

I could have predicted that HD-DVD would have a copyright protection, thing on it. I mean, why would Microsoft use a disc where people can openly rip stuff off of the disc and make seperate copies. I would have laughed with you when they said HD-DVD wouldn't have copyright protection(CP); because CP goes in favor of the company that is using the disc, and I don't think Sony nor Microsoft are dumb enough to NOT use a disc with CP on it.

Why wait?

So Sony can have something new for the PS4. Give Blu-Ray a chance to develop into it's final stages, instead of using it, in it's early days. Without a risk and also to save money, because Blu Ray players are costly. I mean, Blu Ray is a gamble. It can be successful, it can fail; like all other things in life. As you can see between the PS2 and the Xbox, number don't really mean much. It's in the hands of the developers. As you can see from the past and from J Allards words, if you can't fit what you want on the DVD that 360 games ship on, you are just a sloppy coder.

360 games might turn out to be better, because Microsoft has support for the developers, with there new program XNA. I check my cousin out while he was using it, and I see that he was having a easy time using it; and the process was a lot faster. Sony has yet to put out a program that programs specifically for the PS3. Leaving the developers up to do the things, the ol' fashion way. XNA also allows devleoper to use less space on the disc to create what they want.

In this generation, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray have enough space to do whatever the developers want. At this point, I can even say to much space... SYKE!

O-)

[E2K]

creative developers will use it ;)

You do have a point.

The game Vagrant Story, a game that could easily eat up as much hours as oblivion or something, is 80MB 'large'.
But On the other hand, GT4 was around 7 GB, and it has very low res textured cars. Make the same GT4 but now with hi res textures for its 600 cars, and it could easily double.
That is only one example.

But when the ps2 was to use dvd's people said exactly the same :D !
bla bla a pc game is only 650MB, they will never need 4,5 GB what a waste of money, dvd games are expensive, etc.


One last thing: would you even expect j allar to say "games will be bigger than 8,x gigabytes" give me a break :D

Btw i will buy a xbox360 when you can copy the games. I can buy this shit here in holland tax-free. But 330 euro is too much, i rather buy a black psp so i have both colors ;)

[Chris]

Sony has officially announced the U.K. price of the Playstation 3 as £425, representing the fully featured PS3 which comes in at $599 in the U.S. and 599 EUR in Europe. GamesIndustry.biz suggests that Sony won't be selling the cut down model over the pond, although this isn't confirmed. The PS3's price in England is higher than the console's price in the United States and Europe but we're not entirely surprised by this: British consumers are used to paying more for their consoles (although traditionally the U.K. gets identical or lower prices compared to Europe). Here's a breakdown of the U.K. premium over U.S. and EU prices:

* £109 more than the U.S. "Premium" PS3: the U.S. price is $599 which converts to £316. Take this away from £425 and you're left with a £109 premium.
* £20 more than the EU "Premium" PS3: the EU price is 599 EUR which converts to £405. Take this away from £425 and you're left with a £20 premium

Now check out the price when compared to the Xbox 360:

* £146 more than Xbox 360 Premium: the Xbox 360 Premium is £279. Take away this figure from the PS3's £425 price and you're left with a £146 premium.
* £206 more than Xbox 360 Core: the Xbox 360 Core is £219. Take away this figure from the PS3's £425 price and you're left with a £206 premium.

If we were in Sony's shoes, we'd feel very uncomfortable right about now: the combination of a chunky U.S./U.K. price divide combined with the absence of a cut-down PS3 bundle doesn't stack up well against the PS3's main competitor: the Xbox 360. But wait! When we stepped into those Sony branded shoes we forgot to take the free prescription of Prozac hidden in the heel! Ahhh, much better. Now we'd say something similar to the Sony marketing rep tasked with announcing the news:

"I don't think it's an expensive machine; I think actually, it's probably a cheap machine ... If you think a Blu-Ray player by itself might be GBP 600-700, and we're coming in at just GBP 425 - it's a bargain."

Sony's "but it plays Blu-Ray" line works if you're addressing early adopters and hardcore users. However, the British public (the majority of which associate "PlayStation" with games console, and not much more) won't take kindly to hearing "bargain" and "cheap" in the same sentence as "four hundred and twenty five pounds". (from joystiq.com)

The last paragraph is exactly what needed to be said.

[Ponder416]

Did you guys hear MajorNelsons podcast Sunday? He talked about a Sony party promoting the Blue-Ray disk...They had a copy of House of a 1000 Daggers, and when a reporter went to check and see what the disk looked like he saw it said DVD/R...lol

Edit: I guess I should have read Chris's first post....

[Chris]

http://static.flickr.com/46/151930459_cc49bf4765.jpg
Sony not using their own blank media.
:D

[E2K]

Your posts are all on the same level :D

For example:

"whahaha DMC4 also on xbox!!" < this was a rumor weeks ago, but has also been falsified weeks ago.. just an example.

Now, for this one:
There were two laptops, one with a blu ray drive, the other one a normal dvd rw drive. They were setup next to eachother, so people could see the difference in quality of DVD vs BD.

Then, someone opened the dvd drive, to find out that the dvd demo was running on an actual dvd!!!

So it's either childish, or dumb to post it after it has been explained 2 weeks ago or something.

But what to expect from 14 year olds right?



It would have been interessting when it was still not explained though.

Some stupid f*ck would say something like: what bullshit this BD, when we get the same quality on dvd's!!! They want to rip us off etc.

Well, i could demo DVD technology using cd's!! A dvd is mpeg2, if i put on a cd a trailer in the same bitrate and mpeg2 codec as a dvd, i could use it to showcase dvd quality.
You could also burn a "Blu ray" trailer on a dvd. If the speed of the drive is fast enough for the bitrate, why not?

Here quote me:
E2K: "you can burn any Blu Ray Movie on DVD and play it back. As long as your hardware is up to the decoding, your drive is fast enough for the bitrate and you have enough dvd's"
The same thing aplies to hd dvd, so...

[Chris]

I'm not saying that the quality isn't there on Blu-Ray. Your explantion of the whole thing is opinion. Just like what I posted. Yeah, you went to a forum and 'someone' explained what 'actually' happend. I know,I get it.

But the fact remains, you weren't at the Vaio party, neither was I.
...it seems as though the pictures given by gearlog were indeed made to lead people into believing the wrong thing. there is no proof that Sony wasn't using a Blu-Ray disc, though there was no proof that they were, either. it still stands, however, that Sony was using a bootlegged copy of their own movie, and to that I give a big "whiskey tango foxtrot?!?!"

[Ponder416]

E2K: Where you picked on in school? Chill out this is a video game site...You dont have to debate every thread...

[E2K]

i was the guy who picked on ;)

these topics are not about videogames, they are about bashing next generation technology.
And when i see or read noobs i have to own them,

so i am sorry if i remind you of the guy who made your class realize that you were loser or something ;) but judging your post you'r still in school, so you can change it!8)

[Ponder416]

Sorry but I'm not trying to start a flame fest with ya, but to answer your question no im not in school, graduated high honors and was never picked on (sorry to disappoint) If we must know I was the Jock so I didn’t have time for Reindeer games...baby-baaaaby...

You seem to have something negative to say about everything so I was just wondering if it was a personal problem...no worries eh

[Emily]

Sorry but I'm not trying to start a flame fest with ya, but to answer your question no im not in school, graduated high honors and was never picked on (sorry to disappoint) If we must know I was the Jock so I didn’t have time for Reindeer games...baby-baaaaby...

You seem to have something negative to say about everything so I was just wondering if it was a personal problem...no worries eh

Off topic, but are you a hot jock? This coming from the girl complaining about superficiality in the contest, i know.

;)

[E2K]

Sorry to say negative things, to be honest:
i do not give a shit about who is posting, i read what it says and then i respond to it.
Look at my posts:
The majority is preceded by some bullshit that some nobody read on some bullshit site and posts it here in favor of his/her bullshit console.
Then, some other nobody, who lives on the other side of the world, posts some more bullshit to show the first thing was really bullshit.
This is called "http://forum.xboxic.com" for those who do not know.

But i am not complaining. I just came back from the davinci code, didn't read the book but anyway. I am tired a little bit, true. But not enough to go to sleep yet. So that's where you come in. You 'are' entertaining i must say.

Did i really care about who you are?... no. I don't know the word Jock, or why emilie is interessted in it. Also "graduated high honors". Same goes for "didn’t have time for Reindeer games...baby-baaaaby...".
Normally when i see something i don't understand, i get more information on it. (unless in college :P ) Not in this case.

So, sorry to have bothered you, but for all i care, your highly honored can go Jock-off to your reindeer games ;)

oh and this was offtopic. :)


Now ontopic:
this tread probably started because you felt offended by the restrictions on HDTV media formats right?

You really care about this, not?

Then you should learn a little more about your xbox or it's company. Vista is able to delete all software that has not been 'signed' what could also be know as: 'not paid money to microsoft'. It could erase your whole HDD when it detected free software. I would be worried more about that.
But, the same as with your posted 'facts' on blu ray copy protection, this scenario was also hypothetical, so there you go.

I hope you all learn from this, :)

[Chris]

There isn't an OS war(I barely call Apple competition, whether you think OS X is better than XP isn't the issue). There IS a format war about to happen.

[E2K]

Yeah, but all the complaints you could have about blu-ray, is that it has advanced media control or what they call it. The fact that a disc costs 19 instead of 14 cent to manufacture will not matter to you who buy the intial discs of both formats at 30 dollar anyway ;)

But i say, when you are really conserned about you shitty rights as a unique consumer or however you feel, then like i said it's more interessting to know that your next OS is able to be a lot more 'restraining' than you would like, or hate blu-ray to be.
This, is like i said, hypothetical. But still based on actual facts of the windows vista, "Mandatory Integrity Control" could be used against you.
But then again, you might not know of firefox, so chance is you like IE, or windows.

Also OS war is totally not the ussue. Nice to have brought it up.

If you know firefox, then know that windows is the Internet Explorer of operating systems.

So why do i post from wndows all the time then? :P
Well, i should have xgl by now, but being such a noob :) i screwed up and are now without an active x.org. So i need for a friend to come and rescue my os.

To really see that you are not getting in 5 years at least, check this out:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=XGL+novell
offtopic, but you brought OS war up, so there you go :)
CHeck the internet for other things like 'active searching' beagle or how they call it. But you cannot play Halo, or other games for that matter at the same framerates as in windows, so that is why not many people use it.

[Cage]

Yeah, but all the complaints you could have about blu-ray, is that it has advanced media control or what they call it. The fact that a disc costs 19 instead of 14 cent to manufacture will not matter to you who buy the intial discs of both formats at 30 dollar anyway ;)

But i say, when you are really conserned about you shitty rights as a unique consumer or however you feel, then like i said it's more interessting to know that your next OS is able to be a lot more 'restraining' than you would like, or hate blu-ray to be.
This, is like i said, hypothetical. But still based on actual facts of the windows vista, "Mandatory Integrity Control" could be used against you.
But then again, you might not know of firefox, so chance is you like IE, or windows.

Also OS war is totally not the ussue. Nice to have brought it up.

If you know firefox, then know that windows is the Internet Explorer of operating systems.

So why do i post from wndows all the time then? :P
Well, i should have xgl by now, but being such a noob :) i screwed up and are now without an active x.org. So i need for a friend to come and rescue my os.

To really see that you are not getting in 5 years at least, check this out:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=XGL+novell
offtopic, but you brought OS war up, so there you go :)
CHeck the internet for other things like 'active searching' beagle or how they call it. But you cannot play Halo, or other games for that matter at the same framerates as in windows, so that is why not many people use it.
Hey man, no offence, but your smartass posts are starting too annoy me. Allways dissing everybody who doesn't agree with your vision. You start to discuss vista and when someone reply's you complain that he started an OS war? 8)7
And another thing. You talk about XGL as if you created it yourself, but are so bad at linux that you destroy the OS in a couple of days?
Come on man. You're only 20 so go enjoy life instead of being so negative and narrow minded all the time. :)

ps: this was off topic.. excuse me.

[E2K]

it's okay to be offtopic, people do it all the time :)
Also, this makes the forum more interesting instead of reading "MGS4 xbox exclusive!!"-style posts.

I can handle Suse, Fedora or other 'kiddie' linux distro's :) But my friend helped me get a gentoo system. It's really good because it's optimized and shit. Plus you can install a whole office suite by just typing "emerge openoffice" it will autodownload everything, compile it, make shortcuts etc.
The problem was that for xgl you need xorg 7 instead of my installed 6.9 so you have to compile it, then unload 6.9 and then put on 7, but in this last step, supposedly something was missing from 7 so it doesn't work corectly, which causes no x at all to be booted.
Instead of fucking it up even more (though it should be fixed by 3 commands or so at max) I am waiting for this friend to come 2 the resque again.

So i know what i was doing, but i am still a noob in the process 8)

Sorry if i sounded like i invented it. But the video showed thing that will not even be in vista, which will not come out in 10-12 months.

this was offtopic btw :)

[Cage]

it's okay to be offtopic, people do it all the time :)
Also, this makes the forum more interesting instead of reading "MGS4 xbox exclusive!!"-style posts.

I can handle Suse, Fedora or other 'kiddie' linux distro's :) But my friend helped me get a gentoo system. It's really good because it's optimized and shit. Plus you can install a whole office suite by just typing "emerge openoffice" it will autodownload everything, compile it, make shortcuts etc.
The problem was that for xgl you need xorg 7 instead of my installed 6.9 so you have to compile it, then unload 6.9 and then put on 7, but in this last step, supposedly something was missing from 7 so it doesn't work corectly, which causes no x at all to be booted.
Instead of fucking it up even more (though it should be fixed by 3 commands or so at max) I am waiting for this friend to come 2 the resque again.

So i know what i was doing, but i am still a noob in the process 8)

Sorry if i sounded like i invented it. But the video showed thing that will not even be in vista, which will not come out in 10-12 months.

this was offtopic btw :)
aah.. so you know 4 linux commands. I'm impressed. btw, there are enough gentoo distro's arround with all software you need installed already. Why have someone help you with that? It sounds to me that you're using linux so you can say that you don't use a MS product and really like the visuals of xgl. Then don't bother with installing gentoo and adding xgl 'cause it's not for noobs. Instead use the kororaa.org xgl-live cd for showing off.

ontoppic: I still think BD will fail as betamax failed also. if you don't know wat betamax is, go look it up. It was better dan VHS also, but still didn't win. BD will take the same road.

[E2K]

I like the visuals indeed, and i tried kororaa ;)
You can download a gentoo with all software, but as you'll be compiling anyway, it's better to 'emerge' it, as you'll want the latest version anyway.

I like the f12 button more than the visuals :D

Betamax did not 'really' fail entirely,
as BETACAM became the wordwide standard for "profession vhs (:) ) "
go look it up.

[Rival24]

I like the visuals indeed, and i tried kororaa ;)
You can download a gentoo with all software, but as you'll be compiling anyway, it's better to 'emerge' it, as you'll want the latest version anyway.

I like the f12 button more than the visuals :D

Betamax did not 'really' fail entirely,
as BETACAM became the wordwide standard for "profession vhs (:) ) "
go look it up.
It did fail in the way that it could have been 100 times bigger :)

[Cage]

...
Betamax did not 'really' fail entirely,
as BETACAM became the wordwide standard for "profession vhs (:) ) "
go look it up.
I was talkin' about the global standard for everyday use by everyday people. This is wat the war between hddvd and bd is about. That's where the money's at and that's where betamax failed. Stop reading between the lines. You're not allmighty and allways right, for God's sake. 8)7

[Curry]

Don't bother, I gave up on him and banned him.

[Rival24]

Don't bother, I gave up on him and banned him.
Why do you get to do all the fun stuff ;( ;(

[Curry]

Cuz I'm the BOFH.

[Rival24]

Cuz I'm the BOFH.
You're the 'bastard' part alright ;)

[Cage]

Don't bother, I gave up on him and banned him.
>:) _o_ :D

[Chris]

Don't bother, I gave up on him and banned him.

I even tried to be civil.

[Clayton]

Why is everyone dissing microsoft, Linux is for idiots, business wise Linux is a bad solution, for people that sit at home and masturbate to Linux, Linux is just for you. Windows is easy to manage, thus allowing businesses to spend IT admin money elsewhere. Why do you think so many large corporations switched to Windows 2003, it is a proven fact that Windows Server Operating Sysytems are more reliable and easier to maintain. Who the hell wants to type in command lines to open a damn cd tray when you can push the button on the drive. Vista is going to be the best Windows to date, and Microsoft will continue to dominate the computer OS market, so take you Linux BetaMax Version 1.0 and shove it up your piehole.

[Cage]

Why is everyone dissing microsoft, Linux is for idiots, business wise Linux is a bad solution, for people that sit at home and masturbate to Linux, Linux is just for you. Windows is easy to manage, thus allowing businesses to spend IT admin money elsewhere. Why do you think so many large corporations switched to Windows 2003, it is a proven fact that Windows Server Operating Sysytems are more reliable and easier to maintain. Who the hell wants to type in command lines to open a damn cd tray when you can push the button on the drive. Vista is going to be the best Windows to date, and Microsoft will continue to dominate the computer OS market, so take you Linux BetaMax Version 1.0 and shove it up your piehole.
Everyone dissing microsoft? Which forum are you reading??8)7 I haven't seen anyone doing that here. Please explain.

[Chris]

Everyone dissing microsoft? Which forum are you reading??8)7 I haven't seen anyone doing that here. Please explain.

He may be referring to the late rambler known as E2k.

[Gus McNasty]

To get back on topic, I know that I may not have that many posts or anything like that, but after reading through this thread I would have to agree with some of the posts. Yes, there is an upcoming format war, but as history has shown Sony has lost several format battles (Betamax, Mini-disc, UMD), actually the only one that Sony has won was a joint venture with Phillips and that was the compact disc. IMO blu-ray is something that I would personally wait for versus HD-DVD. The overall cost for a current DVD fabrication facility to start producing HD-DVD's is minimal compared to facilities pressing blu-ray discs, therefore the cost of making HD-DVD's that is passed on to the consumer will be negligible compared to blu-ray. But as I said that is my opinion based on white paper comparison, and various other sources.

[Curry]

Gus: the value of your post is here is not judged by the amount of posts you made, but the coherence of your talk. Good contribution, and valid points you make!

[Chris]

Good post.

[Chris]

There's an interview here (http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/06/catching_up_wit.html), with CEO of Sony's Game Division Kaz Hirai.

I thought this was a little funny.
Here's an interview I did with Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony's U.S. game division, at E3.
Q: What was the reaction to your press conference about the PlayStation 3?
A: It was a positive reaction. People were generally excited we came out with a lot
of news like the launch dates in each region, prices and the quantities we would ship.
What fantasy world is he living in?

[Curry]

What fantasy world is he living in?
Sony's PR manager didn't quit for nothing after 10 years :z Something with "the idiot said WHAT this time?!?!?" :P

[Chris]

Phantom Insider says: Fully functional PS3 betas still do not exist

Red says: hmm

Phantom Insider says: Despite that we have seen a number of downgrades

Red says: clock speed?

Red says: remember it was going to be 3.5 ghz?

Phantom Insider says: And now we have been told that the powersource might be an external 400 watt unit after all

Phantom Insider says: instead of internal as promised

Red says: interesting

Phantom Insider says: The current designs despite having vents all over the place apparently still cant dissipate the heat to sufficient levels

Phantom Insider says: And yields on 3.2 Gigaherz CELL processors are too low


Read the whole thing here. (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/sony/more-ps3-downgrades-on-the-way-179863.php)

[Nino]

Linux is for idiots, business wise Linux is a bad solution, for people that sit at home and masturbate to Linux, Linux is just for you. Windows is easy to manage, thus allowing businesses to spend IT admin money elsewhere. Why do you think so many large corporations switched to Windows 2003, it is a proven fact that Windows Server Operating Sysytems are more reliable and easier to maintain. Who the hell wants to type in command lines to open a damn cd tray when you can push the button on the drive. Vista is going to be the best Windows to date, and Microsoft will continue to dominate the computer OS market, so take you Linux BetaMax Version 1.0 and shove it up your piehole.

You are a fucking idiot, I'm not even going to try to be polite here. And I'm not even going to take your post seriously since the post already proves you are fscking retarted. Nice job for a first post. Really, keep it up, I see great things for you in the future.

To get back on topic, I know that I may not have that many posts or anything like that, but after reading through this thread I would have to agree with some of the posts. Yes, there is an upcoming format war, but as history has shown Sony has lost several format battles (Betamax, Mini-disc, UMD), actually the only one that Sony has won was a joint venture with Phillips and that was the compact disc. IMO blu-ray is something that I would personally wait for versus HD-DVD. The overall cost for a current DVD fabrication facility to start producing HD-DVD's is minimal compared to facilities pressing blu-ray discs, therefore the cost of making HD-DVD's that is passed on to the consumer will be negligible compared to blu-ray. But as I said that is my opinion based on white paper comparison, and various other sources.

Nice post and I'd like to agree with you but let's not forget that the PS2 had a DVD player before DVD players were a common household item. And as far as I know DVD did not lose any format war ;)

[Chris]

Kutaragi Announces Plans To Confuse PS3 Gamers Even More

This is really Ashcraft's territory, as he can just flip his brain into reading those insect-like Japanese cryptograms that so confound me, but he's not around. So I'm trusting the guys at Evil Avatar that this summary of a recent interview with Ken Kutaragi of Japan is more or less accurate.

In the interview, Kutaragi said:

" - games on PS3 are running on the PS3 with "basic configuration" - software will have different relationship with hardware (including non-gaming applications) in the future - software module will be made inside the PS3 (such as OS?) so PS3 will have no problem adopting new hardware parts (this doesn't mean you can upgrade but just different versions of PS3) - thus two models of PS3 are actually two different configurations, there might be other configurations in future, such as: enhanced version of CELL, more memory etc. The higher-end model of PS3 might be released in future."

Mind boggling. They are actually planning on techno-schisming the PS3's user base even more. The advantage of consoles over PCs from a development standpoint lies mainly in the fact that it's a stable platform with one real configuration. But Sony is basically approaching the PS3 like a computer... a move sure to frustrate developers as much as it confuses gamers.
Here. (http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ken-kutaragi/kutaragi-announces-plans-to-confuse-ps3-gamers-even-more-179042.php)

[Curry]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/06/22/Sony_Blu-ray_player_delayed_again_part_2/
Gosh, the hits just keep on coming. Sony's debut standalone Blu-ray player has been delayed again - this time, until October 25th.

The player was originally due to come out in May, but was put back to July, then August, and now October. Crazy.

There's no guarantee that it won't be pushed back further, perhaps to coincide with the release of the PS3 in November.

Samsung has released a handful of its first Blu-ray player into the market already, with a a further trickle of the devices released in the next couple of months.

Meanwhile, Toshiba has been ramping up production of its two HD-DVD players, which went on sale in June.

Allegedly, Sony has delayed its player so that it has enough of the drive mechanisms to fulfil its Playstation 3 requirements.

Can Blu-ray continue to compete against HD-DVD, given that Sony's format will now be around 5 months late to the party?
:z

[Chris]

>:)

[Chris]

http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/13/0,1425,i=138890,00.jpg

Look at this review for the Pioneer's BDR-101A Blu-ray Burner. (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1980095,00.asp)

[Cage]

?? sounds cool, but is it true and could it be that the MS cam has a simular function??
A story suggesting that an Eye-Toy like innovation may be Sony's secret weapon for the PS3 has landed on our news desk and since the origin is a reliable source which we call a MegaGames friend, we have to mention it.

In a time when everyone is heaping praise, and rightly so, on Nintendo for innovating and daring to be alternative, many have forgotten that Sony has a proven record of fresh ideas including the introduction of Eye Toy which all of its rivals will be using in some shape or form in their new consoles. This news seems to tie-in well with the Sony's innovative side and with the idea that the Japanese giant had to have an ace somewhere up its sleeve.

The message we received started with a rather ambitious claim, ...what is the unrevealed connection between PS3 and Minority Report? We scratched our heads, called a meeting and remembering Kaz Hirai's enthusiasm at E3 the answer was obvious; stiff acting by both casts, right? It seems there is more to it than that as the correct answer comes from Sony's involvement with Prime Sense, a new Israeli company that claims to be operating in stealth mode. The new company claims to have patent-pending technology that can ...reconstruct 3D topography without assuming anything about the user or environmental conditions.

If you are still unclear as to how that ties in with Sony, maybe the full description of the technology by Prime Sense will light that bulb over your head.
Prime Sense’s concept is a device, which allows a computer to perceive the world in 3D and derive an understanding of the world based on sight, just the way humans do.

The device includes a sensor, which sees a user (including their complete surroundings), and a digital component, or "brain" which learns and understands user movement within those surroundings.

Prime Sense’s interactive device can see, track and react to user movements outside the computer, all without change of environment or wearable equipment for the end user. The closed device is plug and play and platform independent.

The way our, very reliable, source was reminded of Minority Report has to do with a scene in the movie in which a user manipulates a computer screen using special gloves; only with this tech you do not need the gloves. This reminds us of what Gesture Tek have hinted is possible with XBox 360 but taken one big step further.

Our source became even more specific claiming that the add-on will be available for the PS3 on the console's global release in mid November while Logitech will come up with a PC version a few months later. Additionally we found out that the Department of Defense, has expressed an interest in the technology although that is unlikely to affect the PS3 version of the hardware.

In conclusion, we have a very reliable source that claims Sony will have a PS3 peripheral which will recognize a user and his entire environment as well as his movements and will incorporate them into useful, in-console actions. The applications of this tech to gaming are obvious and if this story is proved right, Sony may yet manage to steal Nintendo's thunder in this generation of the console wars.
Source: megagames.com

[Chris]

Read this. (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32914):+

[Curry]

They're soooo dead 8)7

[Chris]

HD-DVD ahead by a nose.
Until the same disc was released in both formats, though, accurate comparisons weren't possible. Now that Warner has released three titles on both formats, comparisons have begun in earnest. High-Def Digest was one of the first sites to take an in-depth look at Training Day, Rumor Has It..., and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Their conclusion? The nod goes to HD DVD.

An unusual issue appeared right away. Training Day had cropping problems, with the Blu-ray version of the movie showing an estimated three to four percent less detail at the edges of the picture. The problem also "cropped up" in the other two films. With only one Blu-ray player available, it is impossible to say whether the problem is caused by the transfer process or by the player itself.

But Blu-ray's problems didn't end there. Occasional compression artifacts and brightness issues also led the site to crown HD DVD the winner. "In our first head-to-head comparison, we found the HD DVD to be superior," wrote Peter Bracke. "The unfortunate cropping of the Blu-ray image, coupled with more noticeable compression artifacts and an overall darker cast, can't compete with the more consistently pleasing presentation of the HD DVD."
Read the whole thing here. (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060801-7399.html)

[Chris]

Since manufacturers of blue laser diodes are still unable to improve yield rates, the shortage may result in pushing back the competition between Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD-DVD optical disc drives in the market to the first quarter of 2007, according to sources at optical disc drive (ODD) manufacturers.
Link. (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20060828PR206.html)

PS3 delay? HD-DVD drive on the Xbox 360 delay?

[ARCHA1C]

I didn't read EVERY post up to this point. I had a headache after the first page. But... has anyone mentioned the XBOX360's adaptability? If HD-DVD TOTALLY bombed, and died... In a year, MS COULD (COULD! In theory) manufacture a BD add-on... I know there would be chants of HYPOCRACY!! But, if there is a clear winner of the "Format War" in the near future, the XBOX360 can be adapted appropriately to cater to the consumer.

And my AVATAR... please not the OVER-THE-TOP fanboyism... I also own a PS2, and I still play some games on it...

And I will be buying a PS3 (or two :-)

[TRIGGER M4N]

There wont be a clear winner, that's the problem.

[ARCHA1C]

There wont be a clear winner, that's the problem.

There will have to be a clear winner eventually. It is impossible for two similar competing formats to coexist. Film studios (aka Hollywood) will not subject themself to limited market exposure by selecting one format or the other, and it is not cost effective for them to publish in both formats.

I'm sure there were some people who said "There won't be a clear winner" back when VHS and Betamax were competing. But there was. And there will be with this "format war". The market demands it.

[TRIGGER M4N]

There will have to be a clear winner eventually. It is impossible for two similar competing formats to coexist. Film studios (aka Hollywood) will not subject themself to limited market exposure by selecting one format or the other, and it is not cost effective for them to publish in both formats.

I'm sure there were some people who said "There won't be a clear winner" back when VHS and Betamax were competing. But there was. And there will be with this "format war". The market demands it.

Yeah, I agree. But people have been saying that the consoles (360 / PS3) will be the deciding factor of the format war. As long as both systems are out, both will (HD-DVD / Blu-Ray) excist. Unless one fails, but honestly, none of the new consoles will fail.

[The_Glovner]

Yeah, I agree. But people have been saying that the consoles (360 / PS3) will be the deciding factor of the format war. As long as both systems are out, both will (HD-DVD / Blu-Ray) excist. Unless one fails, but honestly, none of the new consoles will fail.

The format war can never be decided by the consoles alone because the largest majority market is the film industry still, yes a hell of a lot more people are playing games these days but films are still more popular and are still bigger money. So with that taken into account it will be the film industry that makes the decision which is why it was a far better strategy by MS to make a periphiral rather than include it directly in the box.

[Cage]

The format war can never be decided by the consoles alone because the largest majority market is the film industry still, yes a hell of a lot more people are playing games these days but films are still more popular and are still bigger money. So with that taken into account it will be the film industry that makes the decision which is why it was a far better strategy by MS to make a periphiral rather than include it directly in the box.
True.. And it's not the film industry in general that will decide the war, but the pr0n industry.. Just like they made VHS the better one by not releasing pr0n on betamax.. :P

[Chris]

There were pretty big differences, if i'm not mistaken between betamax and VHS.

Blu-Ray and Hd-dvd's differences aren't so defined so it isn't just black and white. Am I wrong?

[Cage]

There were pretty big differences, if i'm not mistaken between betamax and VHS.

Blu-Ray and Hd-dvd's differences aren't so defined so it isn't just black and white. Am I wrong?
The discs may look the same, but the difference is the same as betamax and vhs imo. Although betamax was better, it was more expencive also. That's why developers chose vhs as the medium to use..
Same as bluray and hddvd. The second is cheaper then the first.

Correct me if i'm wrong btw :)

[Chris]

What were the technical differences between betamax and vhs?

[Cage]

What were the technical differences between betamax and vhs?
http://www.compukiss.com/populartopics/tech_gadgetshtm/article953.htm

http://www.mediacollege.com/video/format/compare/betamax-vhs.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videotape_format_war

[Chris]

Seems like the everyday consumer won't really see a difference between blu-ray and Hd-dvd other than price. At the same time, if you care about blu-ray and hd-dvd, you're either a geek like us, or someone with too much money and those two groups of people aren't the mainstream.

Facts need to be put on a paper (price, lamens terms of easy specs to compare) by an independent unbiased company and sat in front of the average consumer. We then need to see the reaction.

longer article that I don't feel like reading. (http://technology.guardian.co.uk/online/comment/story/0,12449,881780,00.html)

[TRIGGER M4N]

Facts need to be put on a paper (price, lamens terms of easy specs to compare) by an independent unbiased company and sat in front of the average consumer. We then need to see the reaction.

Never going to happen, retailers will ALWAYS want to sell the more expensive thing from the whole range.

Example:

Average unaware consumer: "What are the differences?"
Stupid store clerk: "Blu-Ray is superior." (only saying this because of high price point.)
Average unaware consumer: "I'll buy that instead then!"


The same will happen with PS3 VS 360 VS Wii.

[Chris]

Average unaware consumer: Which one's cheaper?
Clerk: Hd-dvd.
Average unaware consumer: i'll buy it.

I think the winner is really chosen when the drives make it to wal-mart and places like that. That's when the extreme mainstream will actually start buying them. If you're even researching blu-ray, and hd-dvd you're not mainstream. It's sad to say, but mainstream is still the people who call Dell support because they don't know what a USB cable is.

It comes down to the Porsche and a Civic. The porsche is a much better car. But how many Porsches are sold compared to a Civic in the worldwide market?

[Cage]

It comes down to the Porsche and a Civic. The porsche is a much better car. But how many Porsches are sold compared to a Civic in the worldwide market?
Hey.. I drive a 2006 civic.. Are you calling me cheap? :'( 25000 euros isn't peanuts... Ahwell, it's a company car so yes, I'm cheap :P

But to get ontopic; I agree with you 100%. Average Joe will buy the cheaper one if it does the same as the expensive one..

[Chris]

I actually want a civic really bad. The newer models look a little blah to me. I like the '96 and '97's.

[TRIGGER M4N]

[Edited out the stuff about a crap car :o ]
But to get ontopic; I agree with you 100%. Average Joe will buy the cheaper one if it does the same as the expensive one..

Any explanation on why the iPod did so well?
You can grab a cheap mp3 player for £40, or an iPod for £100/200.

[Chris]

Name a commercial about an Mp3 player before the ipod had its success. I can't think of any. Also a lot of huge companies have used Ipods for promotional purposes. I just got this letter in the mail saying if I signed up with this certain bank, I'd get an ipod.

It's a trendy thing to do, that's what started Apple's success. College kids, High School idiots, it's the same reason some chumps buy t-shirts for $60, and some buy them for 85% less than that.

[Cage]

Any explanation on why the iPod did so well?
You can grab a cheap mp3 player for £40, or an iPod for £100/200.

Average kid : mommie, I want an I-pod.. Everyone at school has one except me. (cry)
Mother : Poor little child. What is an I-Pod?
A. kid : It's this shiny mp3 player for music.. (sob)..
Mother : You can use my mp3 stick if you want.
A. kid : But I want a IIII-poooooooodddddd. (cry) i want, i want, i want (scream) else i won't be cool.. (sob)
Mother : shut up little bitch! here's the money, now leave me be. You're just like your father..!

That's why everyone has an I-Pod.. It's cool to have one and everyone has one, so (add random person here) has to have one too..

[The_Glovner]

Average kid : mommie, I want an I-pod.. Everyone at school has one except me. (cry)
Mother : Poor little child. What is an I-Pod?
A. kid : It's this shiny mp3 player for music.. (sob)..
Mother : You can use my mp3 stick if you want.
A. kid : But I want a IIII-poooooooodddddd. (cry) i want, i want, i want (scream) else i won't be cool.. (sob)
Mother : shut up little bitch! here's the money, now leave me be. You're just like your father..!

That's why everyone has an I-Pod.. It's cool to have one and everyone has one, so (add random person here) has to have one too..


Better off with a Creative Zen though.IMHO

[Chris]

I want an iRiver.

[Rival24]

I want a Playstation 3! :+

[Chris]

Link (http://www.igniq.com/2006/09/ps3s-blu-ray-destined-to-fail.html)
Sony’s PlayStation 3 has already taken a major hit, and now the Hollywood movie studios are lining up to give it a big kick while it’s down.

The president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment has come out in favor of Microsoft’s backed HD-DVD format rather than Sony’s Blu-ray. That puts Universal, Warner, Paramount, HBO, New Line Cinemas and the Weinstein Company all in the HD-DVD camp.

Sure, it does have some support coming in the form of Disney and Fox, but the line up against is looking more and more impressive.

So, why should this be of concern to video gamers? Because Sony has made it a concern. Rather than go sans next-gen movies like Wii, or opt for an external drive like Microsoft, Sony’s made Blu-ray a huge part of its console’s hype. In fact, that big-ticket price on the PS3 console comes mostly because of the Blu-ray capability included.

But now it seems Blu-ray could be Sony’s own downfall (OK, that along with some serious ego issues and bad planning).

The next-gen movie concept not being embraced by the studios is a serious blow. Sony’s been counting on it to push the PS3 as a total entertainment device. Sony execs have used the Blu-ray inclusion as a way to justify the pricing of the console. They’re now blaming it for the delay in launch and the scaling back of launch numbers.

If the Hollywood studios don’t back the device, why would anyone want to buy it? Sure, hard core gamers will want it in hopes of high-def video gaming action, but what about the rest of the potential buyers out there? Will they be willing to plunk down the price Sony’s asking for a device that may or may not have good movie support?

It’s doubtful and this could put a beating on sales when the console does make its worldwide launch. Add to this the fact Blu-ray movies are expensive, and it really starts to lose its appeal over the optional HD-DVD capabilities of the Xbox 360.
Link (http://www.igniq.com/2006/09/ps3s-blu-ray-destined-to-fail.html)(same as top)

[The_Glovner]

I want a Playstation 3! :+

Why? Prefer you burgers to be cooked simultainiously on both sides with the fat able to run into the handy drip tray located beneath the angled grilling plates?

[TRIGGER M4N]

Wow, Sony are getting burnt!

[xboxguy]

Better off with a Creative Zen though.IMHO

i have a 20gb zen touch, it's really cool and the battery life is great, but the buttons dont do what they are supposed to sometimes, like if i hit "next track" it will either just stop what it is playing or go to "random track" mode. it really sucks trying to drive and figure out electronics at the same time.

[Chris]

Great unbiased breakdown of the two technologies Blu-Ray and HD-dvd. (http://www.engadget.com/2005/09/19/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-state-of-the-s-union-s-division/)

Even if you know it all, you'll still probably learn something new. Check it out.

[Chris]

Technological specifications and support from electronics, computer and videogame makers will clearly be important factors in deciding the outcome of the latest format war. But we think that user satisfaction with actual products are often overlooked. So HDBlu took a look at what early adopters of high-definition video technology were saying about their purchases by analyzing user reviews on Amazon.com. We analyzed over 120 reviews of two major products, the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Disc Player and the Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD Upconverting DVD Player.

What’s the consensus?

The early reviews are clear – users are very happy with their Toshiba players (HD DVD), and pretty dissatisfied with their Samsung players (Blu-ray). The average review for HD DVD was 4.53 versus a paltry 2.25 for Blu-ray.

Link (http://www.hdblu.com/reviews.htm)

[kidkit]

Toshiba's X2 1080p player is on the horizon :)

[Chris]

how much?

[kidkit]

~ 900 us. closer to the price point of a 1080p Blu-Ray player. The A1 (1080i) and X2 (1080p) players are much slimmer for their 2nd year, and have faster performance loading.

I'm leaning towards getting a the add-on for 360... my tv is 720p and I want HD more for than novelty than anything else, and don't imagine I'll have a PS3 until at least next fall. If it impresses me that is.

[The M.A.R.T.]

~ 900 us. closer to the price point of a 1080p Blu-Ray player. The A1 (1080i) and X2 (1080p) players are much slimmer for their 2nd year, and have faster performance loading.

I'm leaning towards getting a the add-on for 360... my tv is 720p and I want HD more for than novelty than anything else, and don't imagine I'll have a PS3 until at least next fall. If it impresses me that is.


Well urm, the 360 + HD-DVD add-on will do 1080p also after the fall-update (not usefull @ your 720p TV but futureproof it is), so for 1080p in the future you're fine also and don't need to buy a PS3 for ;)

[kidkit]

right but 1080p over vga... camman, what is that... how many tv's are going to bother supporting that, yes i know there are a few but still. Of course MS has said an HDMI cable is possible but they're waiting for the Market to 'demand' it... Give me a break! They should do it just to take away one more argument from the PS3 camp.

[The M.A.R.T.]

right but 1080p over vga... camman, what is that... how many tv's are going to bother supporting that, yes i know there are a few but still. Of course MS has said an HDMI cable is possible but they're waiting for the Market to 'demand' it... Give me a break! They should do it just to take away one more argument from the PS3 camp.

Who's talking only about TV's? There are monitors for PC that can do 1080p and that are not as expensive as the HDTV's.

I think they'll include the HDMI cable with the HD-DVD add-on

[kidkit]

bah. I still want my damn HDMI cable, and if they were thinking about offering one with the HD-DVD player i think we would know it by now. It would be an expensive add-in for them, and not everyone could use so it wouldn't be a good idea.

I want to free up a component port for a Wii :)

I have a VGA input on my TV but it doesn't scale correctly, everything looks messed up.

[Curry]

We have strong suspicions an HDMI cable will be out early next year: we found it on a webshop, listed at 45 euros, to be released March 2007. We called the shop, and they said their supplier pulled the listing within 2 hours, after which they also pulled it themselves. Major cockup on product name or release date? We decided not to run a Rumor article on it anyway, which should state how much trust we place in this, but well it was there and this was the explanation.

[kidkit]

ooo, thanks for the tidbit curry.

[Chris]

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1166/dumbomg9zc.jpg

[Rival24]

:D It's true!

for Dragonball Z fans

[MrMoen]

Dragonball :')

Dude, if you liked that show...

[Rival24]

Dragonball :')

Dude, if you liked that show...

I did!

10 years ago :P

[MrMoen]

Sometimes, you make me sad :(

[Rival24]

Sometimes, you make me sad :(

But I preferred Ovide though :P