HD Format War is officially over.. Toshiba quits. See page

[Aslanna]

The 1TB version of that seems to be $350 everywhere. Plus it doesn't do the LTH discs which seem to be in my desired price range. Whereas I can get a burner for my PC and 20 discs for $200. It's a nice device and all just not sure it's as much as I want to spend and not have the ability to burn the cheaper media. Unless LG comes out with a new firmware for it or something.

I haven't heard much good about LTH type media. It's cheap for sure but you can get the standard blanks for not much more.

$3 as opposed to $1.50. Maybe "not much more" in the big picture but not really a difference I want to pay.

[Winnow]

$3 as opposed to $1.50. Maybe "not much more" in the big picture but not really a difference I want to pay.

huh? I paid nowhere near $3 disk. I bought my blanks at Fry's and they were cheap.

here's non LTH media that are $2 each:

http://www.frys.com/product/6150749?sit ... IN_RSLT_PG

[Kluden]

can you play burnt movies in the PS3 with those cheap disks?

[Aslanna]

can you play burnt movies in the PS3 with those cheap disks?

Which ones? PS3 does now support LTH Blu-Ray media depending on what firmware you have. I'm not sure when it was added but if you're up to date it shouldn't be a problem. Unless you mean the ones Winnow linked then I'm not sure. I assume those would work just as well. Not sure I would trust no-name stuff though!

And unlike Winnow I haven't heard anything consistently bad about LTH other than people whose burners aren't compatible and they are like "wtf Verbatim sucks these dont work!1!"

[Kluden]

having been a burner of dvd's for years upon years now, I have full confidence in Verbatim's products and their innovations, like LTH die bluray. But yes, I meant the ones winnow posted. since there aren't a lot of choices out there for bluray yet, one would think that there are only probably 3 or 4 factories making the disks, and branding them for each. If that's the case, and you can take a disk ID from the ones winnow has, and say, link it to the verbatim HTL blurays (normal blurays), then you would have a solid product at cut rate.

Its not like DVD's yet, where there are 100000000 factories in china and taiwan.....yet.

[Aslanna]

buy.com has Verbatim BD-R (non-LTH) today (Black Monday special I guess) for $29 for 20. While I haven't burned a single one of the LTHs I got that's a pretty good price for Verbatim's ($1.45 each) so I am thinking about picking up 40.

Oh and if you haven't used the BillMeLater thing and decide to sign up you get a $10 back on your first purchase. So I picked up 40 for $47.98 making them $1.20 each. That's a good deal in my book!

[Aslanna]

A research report this morning from The NPD Group confirms the prevailing narrative that the home video business is in trouble -- although you might miss that if you just look at the upbeat headline on its release: "Consumers Still Positive On Blu-ray." NPD found that 116 million adults bought a DVD or Blu-ray disc in the six months ending in March, down 9.4% from the same period last year. The firm says Hollywood studios are partly to blame. They released weaker titles in early 2011 vs the same period in 2010. Even so, analyst Russ Crupnick says that "the physical video-disc market was a bit disappointing." It shows that "Blu-ray may not be the replacement for DVD that many once hoped for." NPD played up the fact that 15% of all consumers used a Blu-ray player in the six month period, up from 9% last year. And 22% of all disc buyers bought at least one Blu-ray title. Are consumers warming to the format because of its sharp images and extra features? Crupnick says that's part of the story: "The fact that prices are now within the budgetary range acceptable to rank-and-file consumers is helping to bolster the overall value proposition of the Blu-ray format," he says. But 57% of adults still used a standard DVD player, same as in 2010.

Poor Blu-Ray. I wonder if that '15% of all consumers used a Blu-Ray player' included a PS3 which doesn't mean they bought or watched a movie. I know I didn't!

[miir]

I haven't bought a blu-ray movie in over 6 months.
Well... I also haven't watched a movie in roughly the same time-frame.

[Boogahz]

I have a blu-ray drive in my primary computer, but I have only watched two blu-ray movies. I have purchased more dvd's than blu-ray this year.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

I'm only buying stuff on Blu-Ray now, unless it's weird movies that aren't available otherwise.

[Canelek]

I'm only buying stuff on Blu-Ray now, unless it's weird movies that aren't available otherwise.

That. Although, my buying has gone down by 90% due to house stuff.

[Aslanna]

For those that are planning on using a BD related technology with component connections.. Better buy before Dec 31st if you plan on utilizing HD (with component). And yes some people still use component for some stuff. My receiver doesn't even have HDMI!

All new players sold after December 31, 2010 "must limit analog video output of BD content to interlaced standard definition (480i/576i). Then, 2013 is the expiration date for analog video: no player that passes "Decrypted AACS Content" to analog video outputs may be manufactured or sold after December 31, 2013," says Blu-ray.com.

So yeah. That will affect PS3s as well. Sony already has a new model to go which will require you to go HDMI if you want HD.

Link!

A tipster sends us rumored word (and image) of an incoming replacement model for the 160GB Playstation 3 which brings with it a change in the way some people will hook the console up to their HD television.

The new "K" chassis, which Sony will begin shipping to retailers this week, will require customers to use an HDMI cable to play a game or watch a movie in high definition, according to the tipster. The component out, which on all other models supports high definition video modes, will no longer do so, according to a memo apparently sent around at GameStop today.

All future models of the PS3, the memo continues, will require an HDMI cable for high definition output. Previous models will not be updated to require HDMI for high definition viewing.

Finally, as GameStop puts it, offering the HDMI cables to customers picking up a PS3 will "also help you drive add-on sales."

We've reached out to Playstation for comment on the rumor and to ask why, if it's true, the change is being made.

Update: While we still haven't heard from Playstation with an official response, it sounds like this move could have something to do with the AACS Final Adopter Agreement.

[miir]

Cue the Sony haters who will try to blame this change on Sony.
But seriously, would anyone actually choose to use component over HDMI.

All future models of the PS3, the memo continues, will require an HDMI cable for high definition output.

This is not true.
HDMI will only be required for HD Blu Ray movie playback.

[Aslanna]

But seriously, would anyone actually choose to use component over HDMI.

I gave you one reason.. My receiver doesn't have HDMI connections. I don't use it through there though (but others do!) so not a specific issue for me.

However I do attach the consoles (360 and PS3 both using component) directly to my monitors and the use of component means I can still get sound. My monitor doesn't have speakers so if I used HDMI how would you suggest I retain sound output?

There are valid reasons for using it. Just because you may not see them it doesn't mean they don't exist.

All future models of the PS3, the memo continues, will require an HDMI cable for high definition output.

This is not true.
HDMI will only be required for Blu Ray movie playback.[/quote][/quote]

I haven't read specifics on that for the PS3. Based on the spec that sounds to be the case but you don't know how Sony is going to implement it. The easiest way for them is to just remove 720p/1080i from selectable resolutions if you use component.

[miir]

I haven't read specifics on that for the PS3. The easiest way for them is to just remove 720p/1080i from selectable resolutions if you use component

Hooray for google.

The new CECH-3000 series PS3 requires HDMI only for BD movie output in HD, in compliance with AACS standards.
PS3 continues to support component output for HD gaming and streaming content.

This DRM solution forces all Blu-ray players to only support HD output via a HDMI or DVI outputs that support HDCP. The standard will only support a maximum resolution of 540p over component cables.

[Aslanna]

What is this crazy google thing? Is that something new?

Regardless.. I do need a new player so I'll probably pick something up before the end of the year. That actually would be connected to my receiver so HDMI only does me no good.