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May 2006

HD DVD on Your Laptop
The New York Times is impressed with the new Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650 laptop computer:

One day you may have to buy the original "Star Wars" trilogy all over again. The Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650 can play standard DVD's, and also plays the new HD-DVD's, which offer a crisper picture and enhanced video extras.

The AV650 has a 17-inch screen that can display video with 1,080 lines of vertical resolution, the highest definition on the market. Once you run out of HD-DVD movies — there are only about 20 titles available right now (and "Star Wars" is not among them) — you can turn on the built-in TV tuner and remote control, and record video to the dual 100-gigabyte hard drives in this 13-pound laptop.

...The laptop, available now, starts at $3,000. Don't expect to use it on a long flight. The wide-screen display and other extras drain the battery in about two hours — just enough time to watch one HD-DVD.
May 26th, 2006

HD DVD Widens the Lead
Warner continues its firm support of HD DVD with the release of the movie "Constantine," featuring the new "In-Movie Experience" (IME) technology. According to Warner:

IME raises the bar of interactivity, allowing viewers to enjoy new ways of accessing interviews and other material -- while the movie is running -- to find out more about the filmmaking process. The IME for "Constantine" features director Francis Lawrence leading an exploration of the plot, stunts, characters and production of "Constantine."
May 24th, 2006

Toshiba HD DVD Players "Sold Out" - Try EBay
Video Business Online reports that Toshiba appears to have sold out of its HD-A1 high-def DVD players (though not of the more expensive HD-XA1 models.

In its first April shipment of both models, it was estimated that Toshiba delivered 10,000 to 15,000 players to about 3,000 stores.

“It’s not unusual for there to be a start-up or ramp-up period for a new technology,” Crutchfield executive VP of merchandising Rick Souder said. “You’re not going to be able to get up to peak production capacity at day one.”

Thanks to empty-handed retailers, Toshiba HD A-1 listings are flourishing at online auction site eBay. Many site users are hoping to sell players at around $700. That’s $200 more than the HD A-1 SRP but still $100 less than Toshiba’s HD-XA1 model.

A source at a studio producing HD DVD software said that Toshiba’s slim output was fully anticipated. April through September is considered a soft launch, and ample HD DVD quantities should be in stores by fourth quarter, he said, dismissing the possibility that HD DVD title sales might be negatively impacted by limited player availability.

“I think the fact that it’s so-called tight means that people are buying,” the studio source said. “I see that as more of a good thing than a bad thing.”
May 22nd, 2006

Notably Superior
Consumer Reports is impressed with Toshiba's HD DVD players:

The DVD has finally entered the high-definition television era. In our tests of the first ever HD-capable DVD players (from Toshiba), images from high-definition movie DVDs were notably superior to those of standard DVDs.

However, neither player is a must-buy yet. For one, at $500 and $800, they're many times the price of a standard DVD player. HD discs for these players are pricier than regular DVDs (at $30 apiece) and much less plentiful.
May15th, 2006

High-Def DVD - Not Needed
"Why the World Doesn't Need Hi-Def DVD's" says the latest headline. But this isn't some geek website or computer magazine. This is the New York Times.

What's wrong with the original DVD format, anyway? It offers brilliant picture, thundering surround sound and bonus material. The catalog of DVD movies is immense and reasonably priced. And DVD players are so cheap, they practically fall out of magazines; 82 percent of American homes have at least one DVD player.

To electronics executives, all of this can mean only one thing: It's time to junk that format and start over.
May 11th, 2006

Blu-Ray DVD Players - Not Enough Inventory?
Another spanner in the works for the introduction of high-def DVD - a looming shortage of components. Such is the global demand for high-tech products like mobile phones that component supplies are tightening. According to a Sony executive -

the company would not have enough inventory to supply demand for next-generation Blu-ray DVD players in the United States.

"It's going to be expensive," he said. "It will take time to get component prices down."
May 11th, 2006

Doomed, I Tell You! Doomed!!!
Blu-Ray is Doomed, writes columnist Lance Ulanoff, over at PC Magazine.
May 10th, 2006

Microsoft Confirms HD DVD Developments
Microsoft has launched a blog for developers working on the company's thrust into HD DVD. Microsoft has also confirmed that its previously announced HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 will connect to the console via USB.
May 9th, 2006

HD DVD Recorders Coming for the Soccer World Cup
Japan's Asahi Shimbun, one of the country's premier daily newspapers, carries an interesting report on the launch in Japan of the new Toshiba HD HVD players. A few excerpts:

The initial shipment of 1,000 units has almost sold out, earlier than Toshiba projected. The company shipped an additional 500 units last week.

...In the North American market, Toshiba had shipped 6,000 HD-DVD players by mid-April and plans to ship another 5,000 units soon.

Demand is strong for playback-only models in North America, while recorder-players are expected to be core products in Japan.

"We have received a strong reaction to the release of commercial products," a Toshiba official said. "Inquiries have come from Hollywood studios that support the Blu-ray Disc."

...Industry officials and analysts say it is premature to predict the outcome of the high-profile format battle.

"We cannot aggressively promote (Toshiba players)," said an official at one retailer. "Only playback-only models are on the market, but compatible titles are limited and the machine is expensive."

...Ahead of the World Cup soccer matches beginning in June, a growing number of shoppers are asking when recorder-players will be released, electronics retailer Bic Camera said.

Toshiba plans to release HD-DVD recorders in May or June, in time for the World Cup,
May 4th, 2006

HD Versus Blu-Ray - Witnessing a Train Wreck
John C. Dvorak discusses "Picking the Winner: HD versus Blu-ray" in PC Magazine, and he isn't optimistic. He's mainly talking about the prospects for computer storage media - rather than home entertainment DVD - but the points are still valid for the latter.

You have to wonder if people will upgrade any of their current DVD collections. I seriously doubt it. I don't think too many people upgraded their VHS collection to DVDs, either. Movies aren't like music, where you can listen to the same songs over and over. Most people are not rewatching Groundhog Day over and over.

And many people upgraded their vinyl collection because the vinyl wore out. DVDs do not wear out. Furthermore, the line-doubling DVD players often provide a credible substitute for HD, negating the absolute need for an HD version of the movie.

New content will be what drives the HD disc sales, so there will be no windfall for the vendors.

His grim conclusion:

I'm afraid we're witnessing a train wreck. It looks as if we'll be sticking with our old DVD writable drives for quite a while longer if something doesn't change fast.
May 2nd, 2006