More Bad News for High-Def DVD
Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:33PM EDT
See Comments (4)
Bad news, Blu-ray fans: Sony's first Blu-Ray DVD drive (the Sony BWU-100A, made for your PC, not for your TV), not only costs nearly $1,000, it also won't play Blu-ray movies.
What's that? Sony has basically saddled the Blu-ray format with so much DRM that it doesn't quite know how to deal with it. To play back HD content, you need a TV or graphics card compliant with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), and these cards don't exist. Also, the software needed to decrypt the HDCP-protected content hasn't been finished. (Essentially that means that this drive can be used only to read and write Blu-ray data discs which, at least, exist as blank media.)
Wow, sign me up for one of these exciting items!
Meanwhile, don't think you're off the hook HD-DVD. Though HD-DVD is at least off to a start that is less a complete and utter failure like Blu-ray, it's still got a lot to prove before anyone takes it seriously either. This story notes that HD-DVD still has minimal support from studios and manufacturers when compared to Blu-ray, though several Hollywood players are supporting both formats. A bigger challenge: Blu-ray could eventually scale to a compelling 200GB per disc, while HD-DVD is unlikely to get anywhere near that level.
The jury remains out on high-def's future, but if you want my advice, you'll steer clear of flushing your money down this hole, at least for another year.
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2 Posted by jameslh0007 on Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:01PM EDT Report Abuse
i find it so funny that Blu-Ray movies are so full of DRM that the drives they're coming out with can't even read it. I agree that this is just the begining of the Blu-Ray format, as the technology evolves, it should become easier to use.
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3 Posted by m_xzero on Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:17PM EDT Report Abuse
Just buy a ps3 that comes with a blue ray player. Instead of spending a $1000 you can spend $500-$600 dollars on a ps3.
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4 Posted by bejaminsat@sbcglobal.net on Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:40PM EDT Report Abuse
I want my 8 track tape player back!
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1 Posted by simoncohen69 on Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:37PM EDT Report Abuse
Blu-ray isn't a failure, it just hasn't hit a compelling enough price point. I agree that the inability to play Blu-ray movies is a bit of an annoyance but that's nothing compared to the the $1000 price tag! Anyone serious about HD discs will be buying a standalone player to begin with. By the time people are ready to add HD movie capability to their computers, the graphics cards that are HDCP compliant will be in most new machines anyway. We're simply at the beginning of what will likely be a VERY long product lifecycle.