Blu-ray and HD-DVD: What You Need to Know

What is High-Definition DVD? High-definition DVD is a generic term for the next generation of DVD technology, which can burn more information onto the same size disc as your current CDs and DVDs. Like a DVD, it can be used for either video or computer data. But you'll need new hardware to play a hi-def disc on either your TV or your PC.

Why should you care? Because the quality of a hi-def DVD movie greatly outpaces that of a standard DVD, displaying images in real HDTV resolution. Users report that the picture is stunning, though the quality increase may be lost on those who aren't videophiles.

Similarly, the ability to put more data on a single optical disc is good for computer users. Backups can be burned to fewer discs, requiring fewer disc swaps and generally being less of a headache to use. However, since DVD is only now becoming popular for program distribution, hi-def probably has a decade or more to go before finding a use for commercial software.

There are two competing formats of hi-def DVD: Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Much like VHS and BetaMax, they are incompatible, and eventually only one standard is likely to "win," although both should theoretically output video at the same quality and resolution. The jury's out on which will be the victor: Momentum swings from one side to the other every couple of months. Some observers feel that neither may end up winning: That hi-def DVD may soon go the way of laserdisc. Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, read on to see what you need to know about the two competing formats.

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tech.yahoo.com
PS360PCROCKS6543d ago

Am I the only one who already knew all of this? This isn't really news...

THELANDSOFSAND6543d ago (Edited 6543d ago )

yeah, not news.
but i suppose it's a good summary.
how long before this becomes a 360 vs PS3 thread, I wonder...

&&
"Users report that the picture is stunning, though the quality increase may be lost on those who aren't videophiles"

so thats like, 99% of consumers!

XboxKing6543d ago

I knew most of this info in this story to.
But with all the fighting I see on this web page about PS3 vs Xbox 360; I thought this would be good to help being things into light about Blue-ray vs HD-DVD.

PS360PCROCKS6543d ago

lol yep your right...I can notice the different though I am technological lover, anything you plug in I like lol

PS360PCROCKS6543d ago

Oh hey does anyone else just randomly go to Best buy to walk around and check stuff out? Cause I know I do quite a lot

HyperBear6543d ago (Edited 6543d ago )

I once went there for about 3hrs, just staring at wat LCD tv's would be awsome for my Xbox 360, then ended up looking at games for an hour, then at computers, then at laptops, and when all that time of staring at stuff, looking at specs, and not buying anything came around, I had spent close to 5hrsa at that store, looking at stuff and buying nuthing

The Real Deal6543d ago

lol...I do to. I think we all do. Our dreams of what we wish we had always out ways the money we actually have to spend on it. lol...I do it often. Its funny but very true.

joemutt6543d ago

I want to slap that salesguy, "No you moron, I didnt need any help 30 minutes ago when you asked and I dont need help now."

Seriously, do I look like a 65 year old woman? I know more about electronics than they do, I can decide which TV I want all by myself.

HyperBear6543d ago

When you look at it, they both pretty much have the equal # of advantages and disadvantages. I mean Blu-Ray has got more of a backing catalog than HD DVD, and it had 50GB of storage to HD DVD' 45. But then HD DVD is 600 bucks less, already has about 30 movies out there, and the movies will also be cheaper, and it does the pretty close to the same thing as Blu-Ray. Its going to be interesting to see which one consumers will pick, either Xbox 360 or PS3, either Blu-Ray Player, or HD DVD Player. It basically comes dowen to if you want great, powerful technology that can do a lot of things and still outperform, then you'd get Blu-Ray. If you want something cheaper, and the same quality, just not as much storage and backing, then you should get HD DVD. "Only Time Will Tell"

kidvideo6543d ago

When they first announced the DVD player in 1997 I drove 90 miles to best buy to get one on the day they were released and spent $500 for an open boxed return because that all they had left. I was so excited to see the dramatic difference in picture and sound quality and I was not disappointed. It was 3 - 4 years later before DVD's reaaly took off an began to replace the VHSs in the local video stores. I make this point for two reasons. I think becase their was a HUGH difference between the quality of VHS and DVD it sold us all. The cost to but a VHS movie was way higher that the cost of DVD, You didn't have to rewind, you had added features (Even though none of us watched them) and it worked on your exsisting TV. Bluray and HD DVD will give you a beeter picture quality but at waht cost $1000!!! Even at $600 for a PS3, I dont want to replace or better yet can't afford to replace the over 600 DVD collection for a slightly better picture. Further more what about the digital conection, no one is talking about this. If you are one of the 2 - 5% of USA that has a High DeF TV, most of which do not have an HDMI connection you wont be able to get the full benefit of HD without plugging into this port. I have two HD tV's and each one has only 1 HMDI input. I have DirectTV HD plugged in both TV whic don't leave me another port other than Component for Bluray or HD. I have a XBOX 360 plugged into the component or composite I forget which is which. Where are you now going to plug the next devise requiring HMDI as Bluray is advocating? I dont know that they maufature a machine with 2, 3 or more HMDI ports. Do you really want to crawl behend your TV to Swap out the PS3, the HD Dish all day??????

One of these two formats will die, and sice HD plays on your exsisting DVD player and cost about half as much, I think the walmart buyer will go for the HD and pass on Bluray which the audiofiles will garb just like the Laser Disc. Laser Disc had great quality but was cost prohibative and the DVD took it out. I expect it to go the same way. For me I'll sit this one out for a year or two. Time will tell.

noSpecialCharsAllowd6542d ago (Edited 6542d ago )

are u sure!? u do mean hd-dvd rite? hmm.. do u noe wat ure talking about.. coz its messy.. even if it does.. that defeats the purpose of buyin a hddvd movie rite.. y not buy dvd..

Show all comments (12)
60°

XCOM's Jake Solomon Q&A - Building a Narrative-Driven Life Sim Game at Midsummer Studios

XCOM and Marvel's Midnight Suns director Jake Solomon has founded a new studio to make a life sim game. Here's a new interview with him.

Read Full Story >>
wccftech.com
350°

Microsoft's quest for short-term $$$ is doing long-term damage to Windows, Surface, Xbox, and beyond

Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's plans to increase every department's margins.

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
Brazz16h ago

"The plan to move Xbox games to other platforms is codenamed "Latitude" internally, and I know there's debate and unease at Microsoft about whether or not this is a good idea. More upcoming Microsoft-owned games slated for PlayStation are already being developed. At least for now, they're potentially obvious games you'd most likely expect. And yes, while it's true Microsoft is a prolific publisher on PlayStation already, it has typically revolved around specific franchises like Minecraft. From what I've heard, Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation, and it all revolves around Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood's mandate to increase every department's margins. "

Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware.

Xeofate14h ago

"Yeah, they are going to kill Xbox hardware."

It's for the best.

Quit stringing along xbox fans and screwing over PlayStation owners.

crazyCoconuts9h ago

Take good care of those Xboxes if you have 'em ...

outsider16249h ago

An Xbox game on a Playstation. Never in my years of gaming did i ever thought this was gonna happen.

jznrpg4h ago

It is dying anyway so doesn’t make much of a difference

VersusDMC4h ago

No way can they get rid of the hardware as probably 90% of game pass subscribers are hardware users.

Highly doubtful those users will move to PC or Cloud to subscribe there and the competition (Sony and Nin) will never have gamepass on their system.

If they want to keep the current subscribers, they need to keep releasing new hardware.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4h ago
gold_drake15h ago

i think it will kill off the xbox brand. windows will be fine.

but there is and would be a chance that xbox might be killed off in the future. if they fail to make the money they put in. imo.

S2Killinit13h ago

They wont kill it, but they will go fully PC while keeping xbox as a brand, and go multiplatform for the most part. They will also work tirelessly to diminish console gaming’s importance.

PRIMORDUS9h ago

It would be best if Xbox goes the way of Sega, just make and publish games. I know I myself will not support them at all with buying games from them, you all can. 🙃

ChasterMies8h ago

The Xbox brand will live for the games. I don’t expect Microsoft to entirely drop out of gaming hardware. They make Surface tablets and laptops. They’ll make Xbox branded hardware for those that want it.

shadowT15h ago

"Microsoft is pushing for no "red line" for what games could come to PlayStation"

Forza and Starfield next?

Skuletor13h ago

Starfield would be no surprise and there's the rumor that it will come to Playstation after the Shattered Space DLC, Forza (along with Halo and Gears of War) I find less likely but I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually end up on PlayStation too, especially if Xbox give up on hardware and go the Sega route.

shinoff218313h ago

Not to worried about forza. I'd rather see others like what inxile and obsidian are working on. Starfield sounds like it needs more time in the oven so let it cook first imo. If starfield and it's a small if does release on ps it'll be in the fall around the time for dlc or right at the dlc and come packaged with it.

-Foxtrot14h ago

In the words of Phil Spencer when he was talking about Nintendo last year

“It's just taking a long time for Microsoft to see that their future exists off of their own hardware"

S2Killinit13h ago

Yup. MS are a cancer to console gaming.

Aloymetal12h ago

100%!!
I wonder what happened to that dude that was always here posting those court articles with cartoons about MS spending all those billions in studios. He suddenly disappeared, I guess he doesn't like bad news when the green brand is in trouble. No new articles from him as of late...

PRIMORDUS9h ago

Yup, and it's only going to keep spreading.

Outside_ofthe_Box10h ago

Phil Spencer's words always comes back to bite him lol

13h agoReplies(7)
Show all comments (62)
210°

Price Reductions Available Now on the Digital Xbox 360 Store - Closing July 29, 2024

Xbox 360 launched 18 years ago and was a generation-defining console that invited many people to jump into gaming for the first time and connect with friends around the world. We’re thrilled people continue playing their favorite Xbox 360 games on Xbox 360, or on newer consoles via Backward Compatibility for supported titles.

Read Full Story >>
news.xbox.com
Einhander197216h ago

"we believe in game preservation"

Remember the media reaction when PlayStation wanted to shut down the PS3 store (but then kept it open)... where is that reaction here?

CrimsonWing6915h ago

What are you asking? Like, if people got pissed at Sony for that? Because they did. We also got pissed at Nintendo when they did it.

You’re getting a chance to buy what you want before they close it. Moving forward digital stores should work like Steam. It’s just in this beginning they made it platform specific and closed off. A hindsight in their part and it sucks, but what is the percentage of people buying anything off these stores and what is the cost to keep the servers up?

I get it and yes making strives so this isn’t the case every gen we go into is absolutely a must. I mean PSN on PS3 is so convoluted to buy anything since you can’t use a credit card. Vita store is gone. It’s going to go away eventually.

Einhander197215h ago

"What are you asking? Like, if people got pissed at Sony for that? Because they did. We also got pissed at Nintendo when they did it."

My point is when PlayStation did this every website under the sun was writing articles talking about how "anti-consumer" it was yet I haven't seen anything like that happening when it's xbox doing it, in fact mostly what I see is praise from media when xbox makes obviously false claims about game preservation while they close down their store and xblig and push for digital only consoles streaming and subscriptions.

What I am asking is for everyone to be criticized or praised equally.

I mean look at the way the PS5 Slim's detachable disk drive was reported, it was super critical. Even though in reality they made it easier for people who initially buy a digital only console to move to physical, it was actually a step away from digital only. But did it get reported like that at all... no.

And you can still buy stuff on PlayStation you just need to add money to your account on the website or a PS4/5.

Tacoboto15h ago

That reaction isn't here because you can still play Xbox 360 discs of supported BC titles on Series and Xbox One, and you can still buy BC titles on the current Xbox Store.

It still sucks losing access to non-BC titles but don't act like it's the same situation. Let me know when PS5 actually supports my PS3 library.

Einhander197214h ago(Edited 14h ago)

How are you going to play those discs on your Series S (which 75% of xbox owners have) or your adorably all digital Series X?

And keep in mind that BC on xbox is an extremely limited selection of games, it's less than 25% of retail releases, and way less than the entire catalogue.

It's not a solution for the future, this isn't how "game preservation" looks, it's the fake PR that makes it that much worse.

Tacoboto14h ago

I'm not getting an all digital Series X so bark up someone else's tree, creep. I have my Series X for that disc support and functioning old hardware I still buy discs for (Bought Sudeki, Super Paper Mario, and 3D Dot Game Heroes a few months back - one for each old platform).

Fact is there's a mechanism that exists for Xbox OG and 360 BC physically and digitally. PS has none for PS1 or 2 or 3. If you're gonna bring PS into an Xbox article, at least know what you're talking about.

Einhander197213h ago

"Fact is there's a mechanism that exists for Xbox OG and 360 BC physically and digitally. PS has none for PS1 or 2 or 3. If you're gonna bring PS into an Xbox article, at least know what you're talking about."

I understand that, I'm making commentary on the fact that xbox is moving to digital only (and that the vast majority of current gen xbox owners do not have a disc based option) and not towards preservation as they claim.

And obviously people can play games on the original hardware for as long as that lasts, I have hundreds of games from "retro" consoles, I own nearly 200 PS3 discs alone.

Is there some reason, you feel the need to make personal insults in every comment, I reply to what you say without insulting you. But you know whatever, it says more about you than me...

And for the record "you" was being used colloquially I wasn't speaking you directly.

shinoff218311h ago

It won't as far as emulation. The os3 was built different.

I am in agreement though. I wish Sony would sell like an ultimate console. Have it where you have to order off their site and make it have real bc. Like the og ps3 had ps2 inside so to say.

Tacoboto10h ago

@Ein You're a creep because of your obsessive comment history making everything revolve around Sony or how awful Xbox is to a point that you're now just throwing irrelevant things in any way you can.

And don't try to make "you" colloquially now just because you're wrong about me and your feelings got hurt.

Einhander19727h ago

Whatever, keep insulting me, if you think that is going to make me change my opinions or what I say you couldn't be more far from the truth.

How you choose to treat other people only reflects poorly on you. (and this time it's not colloquially)

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 7h ago
darthv7214h ago

The PS3 situation may have something to do with no forward way to play those games on newer hardware. Not to mention the PS3 store has been around far less than the 360 store. 360 store closing was expected and they did a pretty good job making many of its digital games forward compatible with XBO and subsequently the Series as well. Ones they could not come to an agreement with are going to be left behind, but here is your chance for last minute deals for you to continue playing on your 360.

Just because the 360 store closes doesnt make all of those games you have (digital/physical) stop working on real 360 hardware. If people have physical 360 games, chances are they also have the means to play them. Just like People with PS3 games having a PS3. It would be nice if all older games worked on newer hardware... but that is not for us to decide, that is for MS, Sony and Nintendo.

Asplundh13h ago

Difference being the 360 games will still be sold on series consoles, while the PS5 only preserved a selection of Ps3 games for premium subs. If the Xbox 360 store closes the games will still be available, if the Ps3 store closes then those games are gone.

How does this contradict what they said about game preservation?

Einhander197213h ago

As far as what I have read that is not accurate, except for a small selection of games that are available through BC.

And even when the PS3 and Vita stores were going to be shut down they still were still going to be available to download if you purchased them already.

rlow16h ago

So you’re asking for equal treatment? That’s not how the world works or don’t you know? Which I can can’t believe you’re that naive. Xbox gets attacked on this site all the time. You have to ask why that was a big deal amongst the PS3 fan base? Because it wasn’t Xbox fans that were throwing up a huge stink. It’s was PlayStation fans and look at the results, Sony gave in and kept it open. You should celebrate it, instead of worrying about who takes it on the chin more.

The one thing I’ve Learned, is these companies don’t need people to defend them. They have all done things worth criticizing, but it will never be equal.

darthv726h ago

While the 360 store is closing and you will not be able to make any new purchases from a 360..... you can still download content you have previously purchased prior to the closure. The same can also be said about access to 360 games available on the XBO/Series. You will be able to make new purchases of titles that are available on the current store as well as download previously purchased content that is also compatible with the XBO/Series.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 6h ago
1Victor16h ago(Edited 16h ago)

RIP Xbox 360 digital store and all its games.
It really grinds my gears that they are waiting till 10 days before closing to give the best discounts and the list as of now is 100 or less titles from the massive 360 library

Phoenix7615h ago(Edited 15h ago)

I should have enough points by the weekend to get £25 credit off MS, (hardly ever spend money on xb1), might look at a few of these.

DivineHand12515h ago

The Xbox 360 store was one of the only advantages the Xbox Series consoles had over the PS5. When I got my series X, I spent more playing Xbox 360 games vs current-gen Xbox games since that was the golden era for Xbox and several titles had enhancements such as 4k resolution and fps boost.

Closing this store will now only benefit the competition.

VersusDMC15h ago

The xbox360 store is closing on the xbox 360.

Xbox 360 games are unaffected on the xbox one and series consoles.

Einhander197214h ago

"Xbox will stop supporting the ability to purchase new games, DLC, and other entertainment content from the Xbox 360 Store on the console ->and the Xbox 360 Marketplace (marketplace.xbox.com).<-&q uot;

You will not be able to purchase any 360 games. You will only be able to play xbox discs if you have a console that support discs which doesn't look great for the future of xbox, if it has one.

VersusDMC14h ago

@Ein

Why are you repeating what i said?

You will not be able to buy digital 360 games to play on your 360.

You will still be able to buy 360 games on Xbone and Series consoles. Go to marketplace.xbox.com, that's the old browser store and not the new one.

Knightofelemia11h ago

Won't be long before Sony pulls the plug on the PS3.

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