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Missed this live event? No worries! Each Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon PT, we'll give you the chance to chat live with a CNET editor. We'll cover a new topic each week, from cell phones to TVs. Get those burning tech questions ready! Click here for the Ask the Editors Live event calendar.
Thanks for participating--this has been a great discussion all around. Be sure to drop by next week at the same time when Declan McCullagh of CNET News.com discusses protecting your online privacy:
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-12548_102-0.html?forumID=136&threadID=286396
That's Thursday, March 13 @ 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT.
I have a PS3. Do I need a receiver that has a HD-DTS and HD-Dolby audio decoder if the ps3 already decodes?
Because the PS3 decodes Dolby TrueHD on board, it outputs linear PCM via HDMI. A receiver that supports LPCM should output the soundtrack perfectly. Otherwise, use the optical output--that will offer lower resolution sound, but you'll still get DVD-style surround.
I recently tried hooking up my laptop (with a BD-ROM drive) to my Sharp LC-37GP1U TV via HDMI. I have an Nvidia 8600M GT card that is capable of outputing 1080p, but the TV would not accept anything over 1440 X 900. I am trying to watch BR movies on there, but they do not look that good at that resolution. Is this common among some televisions?
I bet you'll have better luck if you switch to a standard HD resolution--either 1920x1080 (1080p) or 1280x720 (720p).
Is there going to be anything after DTS-MA/True HD/DTS-HD anytime soon?? It just seems to me that receiver life spands has been shorted lately, 1st it was PCM (fine most receivers can do this via analogs cable), 2nd TrueHD, then DTS-HD & now DTS-MA & that is just in the past 1 1/2 years or so.
When could we see receivers that will be "good" for a few years. I know things change but could they do it a little slower, it can get costly & also gets confusing.
You can now get full support for all of these audio codecs in most mid- and high-range receivers--including ones starting as cheap as $400. Recent and future CNET reviews specifically list which audio formats are supported:
http://reviews.cnet.com/av-receivers/onkyo-tx-sr605-silver/4505-6466_7-32430580.html
I just bought a HD 1080p 52 inch Samsung 120mhz LCD. I was thinking about buying PS3 instead of a standalone blu-ray dvd player. I am intrigued by photo slideshows and on screen web surfing. I only plan to occasionally play games and have no old ps2 games. Is there any other difference between 40gb and 80gb PS3 except playing old games and flash card memory slot that I should be concerned about? Is there any difference in blu-ray player or web surfing between the two units?
The 40GB version also has 2, rather than 4, USB ports. Blu-ray playback and media features on both PS3 versions are otherwise identical. Check out this chart for the details:
http://reviews.cnet.com/consoles/sony-playstation-3-40gb/4505-10109_7-32733577.html?tag=txt
Can you explain what are the differences with regards to 24/30p BR HDMI output?
Also, I see displays that are being marketed as "120p/hz" How does this work with 24/30p BR players?
It's a bit complicated, but here's a good place to help demystify these two separate but related video issues:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6792632-1.html
I know that in order for a bluray player to be 2.0 compatible it has to have at least 1GB of storage, eliminating older players even by firmware updates, can the PS3 use its harddrive for this function since it doesn't have enough ram?
I would assume that the hard drive (40GB or more) would be more than enough to handle that storage requirement. Sony has effectively confirmed that the PS3 will be getting the Profile 2.0 upgrade later this year.
I have recently read of companies that hopefully will be offering "kiosks" in retail stores that offer the ability to rent Hi-Def movies on inexpensive Flash drives of some sort. Do you think the idea of getting a movie on a thumb-drive from a local 7-11 has any traction? Since about 50% of the USA has download speeds of 1Mbps or less, does this solve the issue of prolonged download-time that sometimes goes with renting digital content?
That could work in the short-term, but why not just go for Netflix instead? They already offer Blu-rays by mail, and it works perfectly well for those who don't have good broadband.
Hi John,
I am in the market for a home theater system. I'd like one with an upscaling dvd player, but some day I may add a blue ray player to that as well. Plus I'd like enough digital inputs to add both my cable box, and a media center pc in the future. And it would be great if I didn't have to spend a fortune to do it. What do you recomend?
There are many so-called "HTIBs" (home theater in a box systems) that are what we call "component based." They include an AV receiver and a 5.1 speaker system, and leave it to you to add a DVD player (or, later, a Blu-ray player). I'd recommend one of those--or simply get a good AV receiver such as the Onkyo TX-SR605 ($400), and add a cheap speaker system for now. Check our top products list for starters:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-6466_7-170-101.html
What's the best services out there and on the horizon for HD Movie/TV Download rentals, free content, etc.
As far as pay services, Xbox Marketplace (on the 360), iTunes (on computers, iPod, and Apple TV), and Vudu are all pretty good, but none of them really yet offer a Netflix-level of inventory. Amazon Unbox has yet to go HD; the same is true of most online video sites I know of (Joost, Hulu, etc.).
More info:
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9862008-1.html
How long do you expect that we will see HD DVDs still for sale? I'd assume that retailers will be looking to dump these pretty quickly. Is there a good source for buying them cheaply?
Brick and mortar retailers will likely dump HD DVD within the next couple of months--if it even takes that long. But Ebay and Amazon will continue to sell used HD DVDs for the foreseeable future.
I was perfectly happy to buy an AppleTV, since it allowed me to liberate my iTunes collection, play purchased video on my large-screen TV, and enjoy free podcasts in abundance. In other words, for me, it does a lot of things. I'm sure owners of XBox 360's, Vudu's and PS3's feel the same. Multi-purpose! A Blu-ray player, on the other hand, does ONE thing: play discs, perhaps somewhat better than a $30 DVD player, to be sure. So it's really hard to justify paying upwards of $300 for a one trick pony.
Wouldn't the Blu-ray proponents, manufacturers and studios alike, benefit GREATLY by getting as many "cheap" players into the hands of the public, so they can really move Blu-ray content?
Studios would love cheap players and pricey (high margin) movies; manufacturers would love cheap movies and pricey (high margin) players. Eventually, they'll be splitting the difference, and we'll get the same thing we have on DVD: cheap players, and [relatively] cheap movies on Blu-ray.
If BR recorders are a "not going to happen" then how do you make your own hidef media?
Are indie producers locked out?
To clarify: I don't think we'll see set-top Blu-ray recorders in the U.S. But PC-based Blu-ray burners already exist--so you can make your own high-def Blu-ray movies. You just won't (in my opinion) have a VCR-style Blu-ray deck sitting under the TV to record your favorite shows.
There is no denying that the PS3 was the major reason that Blu-Ray won when looking at stand alone sales of Blu-Ray players compare to stand alone HD-DVD players. Also, now all those stand alone Blu-Ray players need to be replaced since they can't be upgraded to 2.0.
Can Blu-Ray succeed with mom and pops who won't buy the PS3, will stand alone players be able to compare in features and price to the ever dropping PS3 which dropped 1/3 of it's price in just one year?
The PS3 was definitely a deciding factor in Blu-ray's victory. But once standalone players drop below $200 or so, and Blu-ray becomes as ubiquitous as DVD, it'll begin to hit critical mass in the mainstream.
Also note that pre-2.0 players will still play movies just fine--they just won't be able to access the BD-Live online features (which I don't think most people care about anyway).
Since MS is discontinuing their HD DVD player for the XBOX, Do you think in the near future they will offer a Blu-ray player instead?
Microsoft could always release a Blu-ray add-on for the 360--but I don't think it's their top priority. They'd prefer you used Xbox Marketplace to watch movies instead.
Do you think the price of the dvds themselves are going to come down anytime soon?
As answered earlier: I think they will eventually come down as the format grows in popularity, just as regular DVD prices dropped. But it could take awhile.
Do the new blu-ray machines also play SACD and DVD-Audio disc?
I believe the Panasonic players do DVD-Audio, and the Sonys do SACD. Just be sure to double check the spec sheets before buying if that's of interest to you.
Why do you think Hollywood is fighting consumer-level Hi-Def hardware, most likely on Blu-ray discs, but also hard-drive based recorders? Didn't they learn their lesson in the ol' VHS days? From where I stand, Hollywood has made a virtual fortune on home video! Is it really just a bunch of old fuddy-duddys in suits resistant to any change? Are they simply in a panic, now that the Internet has let the cat out of the bag?
... Hollywood really prefers the rental model, so you need to pay every time you watch the movie. Despite the fortune they made on home video, the Hollywood execs lament the fact that you "own" the movie--they'd prefer a pay-per-view solution. In the meantime, they've become addicted to the home video revenues, and need something to replace DVD--thus, Blu-ray (they hope).
If I were to get my hands on the BR recorder sold in Japan, any idea what the technical limitations would be to using it in my home theatre? I imagine it does not support HMDI. Do you know what the digital interface is?
I believe the Japanese Blu-ray recorders use the D4 interface that's unique to Japan. And they don't (if I recall) have the ability to decode the copy protections on commercial Blu-ray discs. So it's likely that you won't be able to record anything, and won't be able to play anything back, either.
Hi John -
I have a couple of questions.
First, do you see the price in Blu-ray movies rising now that HD DVD is out of the picture? I am an avid buyer off of amazon and they use to have competitive deals between HD and Blu-ray.
Second, I have both HD DVD and Blu-ray players (I own a PS3 and a Xbox360) but would like to invest in a dual player in the future. Do you believe these dual players will stay on the market long enough for there to be price drops?
In reverse order: LG has hinted that they'll be putting out another dual-format player, but I think it's rather unlikely. You're probably going to need to stick with your existing player if you want to keep watching your HD DVDs.
As for pricing: as Blu-ray becomes more mainstream and manufacturing becomes cheaper, I'd expect prices to begin dropping closer to standard DVD levels. But it's gonna take quite awhile.
How does the quality of a blu-ray movie filmed pre-HD compare to a current movie? Take for example the first Die Hard. Will it look even remotely as good as the most recent Die Hard filmed in 2007?
If the studio starts with a good print and invests money in a good HD remaster, older movies can look very good. But newer movies certainly have the edge in this department; the best looking older movies (e.g. Close Encounters) end up showing a lot of film grain. But they can still look even better on Blu-ray than you've ever seen them before.
Do you think the BR industry will offer a single disc, DVD/BR-Disc that can have the same content on a single disc that can be played on standard DVD and BR players? I would love to buy "one media" movie and watch it at home on my BR player and move the disc to my vehicle's DVD entertainment system.
... I wouldn't hold my breath. The combo DVD/HD DVD discs (one format on each side) didn't work too well, and I'd expect the industry to just focus on lowering the price of portable and in-vehicle Blu-ray players instead.
im not sure if this is on tiopic but what is a good low price plasma tv.
... are listed here:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-6485_7-168-103.html
Since everything qualifying as HD is not created equal from a quality standpoint, isn't it possible that Blu-Ray 1080p will be a premium viewing experience and downloads will dwell more in the 480p - 1080i area?
You're on target. Blu-ray (and HD DVD) both offered excellent, full bandwidth 1080p images. But the download services are generally limited to 720p at much lower bitrates. And it's the lower bitrate (not so much the resolution) where the quality is noticeably suffering. More info here:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=959
Just a note...the upconverting of DVDs is currently only available via HDMI/HDCP and not via component.
Only the HDMI output can be used to upscale DVDs; they remain at 480p via the component outs.
When do you think the price of Blu-ray players will fall to the retail price-point most favorable to consumers, i.e., under $100.00?
Funai is supposed to release a sub-$300 player later this year. Sub-$250 or even $200 players could hit as Black Friday specials this year. But I think $100 will take awhile--likely 2009 or later.
John,
What are your thoughts on how soon we might see a BR recorder? I know the Movie Discs have their own encryption and the HDMI standard makes it difficult to record an HD source in a lossless format, but shouldn't I have the ability to record free HD content off the airwaves a la the VCR days? The current answer is of course an HD PVR/DVR...I don't know about you but my HD PVR is approaching full and there is a good amount of content that I would like to be able to store on a BR disc for later viewing vice deleting. I know Japan has a set-top BR recorder out there - what are the limitations of it and why would/wouldn't it work in the US market?
I addressed this issue somewhat in a recent blog post:
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9870317-1.html
Bottom line, even though Blu-ray recorders are perfectly feasible (and exist overseas), I think the Hollywood studios and CE manufacturers will make sure that we never see a commercial model available in the U.S. And if it did ever come out, it would be so crippled with copy-protectiont that you wouldn't be able to record anything you wanted to anyway.
So what DO you do with an HD DVD player now? Is it possible, or likely, that some sort of firmware upgrade could ever allow these to use Blu-ray (or any other HD format) DVDs?
The HD DVD player I have works well enough with my extensive non-HD DVDs. And, since I have very few HD DVDs, I'm in no real hurry to buy another HD player.
I'd use the old HD DVD player as a standard DVD player for the time being. But don't expect it to ever play Blu-ray discs, unless it was an LG or Samsung combo player. Likewise, I think you're better off waiting before buying a Blu-ray player:
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9864122-1.html
Hey John,
I receive a lot of these emails from members and I just want to have you explain it to them to set the record straight:
Can Blu-ray and HD DVD players play regular DVDs?.
If they do, what benefits can I see using either of the 2 players when playing regular DVDs?
Thanks!
-Lee
Yes, for the record: all Blu-ray (and HD DVD) players can play standard DVDs. And they can all "upconvert" those DVDs to quasi-HD resolution (720p, 1080i, and sometimes 1080p), though it's not the same true native HD picture you'll get w/ real Blu-ray discs.
As someone who replaced much of his VHS movie library collection with new DVD discs just a few years ago, I wonder if a current generation of movie lovers might be upset with the prospect of having to RE-BUY their favorite movies in a new format, presumably Blu-ray. After all, it seems to be a general concensus that standard DVD is "good enough" for most TV-watchers.
Do you think that standard DVD is the biggest threat to Blu-ray, or is it the ability to download movies using AppleTV, XBox or other set-top boxes?
As with the earlier question--more great points. DVD and (to a lesser degree) video downloads are indeed "good enough" for a lot of people. Plus, DVD still has universal selection and compatibility. But as people get larger/better TVs, the Blu-ray difference does become more apparent.
Many people are postulating that the entire format war was a bit pointless...that HD on a physical disc was a niche temporary format overall. These folks claim that digital downloads are the real "future" of HD movie distribution and that Blu-ray has, in essence, 'won' nothing but a very brief time solo in the spotlight.
What do you think? Personally, I like downloading HD content (I own an XBox 360), but I see that as a RENTAL format, not a collectors/movie lovers format...we like to hold the thing in our hands and feel we, well, own the thing.
I agree with you. I think that downloads (aka digital delivery) is certainly real, and happening (Xbox Marketplace, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Unbox, etc.). You're also right about rental vs. ownership. The question is--do people (beyond the enthusiast community) still want to own?
Hello, I'm John Falcone, senior editor for home theater, & this week I'll be answering your questions about Blu-ray & the future of home video. Blu-ray is the focus, but anything in the general home theater / home video sphere is up for grabs. Enjoy!
