Today at the National Association of Broadcasters convention, NAB2005, Warner Bros. Studios and Microsoft Corp. announced their plans to collaborate on the release of a broad range of next-generation HD DVD discs using Windows Media® Video 9, Microsoft's implementation of VC-1, the proposed Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard approved by the DVD Forum for HD DVD. Warner Home Video currently plans to release titles in the fourth quarter of 2005. HD DVD represents the first major push to deliver high-definition content to consumers on optical media in the U.S.
The collaboration signifies Warner Bros.' continued commitment to providing new digital entertainment experiences for consumers using the best digital media solutions available. Microsoft will collaborate with Warner Bros. to ensure that the video quality of HD DVD titles is unmatched, enabling true home theater experiences.
"Warner Bros. has evaluated the video quality of VC-1 and found it to be outstanding, making it an ideal format for the delivery of high-definition content," said Chris Cookson, chief technology officer at Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. "By releasing a wide range of titles in VC-1, we are creating great new opportunities to bring high-definition video to consumers."
View: Microsoft
The collaboration signifies Warner Bros.' continued commitment to providing new digital entertainment experiences for consumers using the best digital media solutions available. Microsoft will collaborate with Warner Bros. to ensure that the video quality of HD DVD titles is unmatched, enabling true home theater experiences.
"Warner Bros. has evaluated the video quality of VC-1 and found it to be outstanding, making it an ideal format for the delivery of high-definition content," said Chris Cookson, chief technology officer at Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. "By releasing a wide range of titles in VC-1, we are creating great new opportunities to bring high-definition video to consumers."
View: Microsoft
"Warner Bros.' plan to use VC-1 for the release of HD DVDs presents consumers with exciting new options for watching high-definition content," said Blair Westlake, corporate vice president of the Media/Entertainment & Technology Convergence Group at Microsoft. "As a technology provider, Microsoft is encouraged by the industry's efforts to deliver next-generation high-definition video experiences for consumers, and we see the Warner Bros. collaboration as a significant milestone."
Warner Bros. has one of the largest libraries of any motion picture studio with over 6,500 feature films, 40,000 TV episodes and 14,000 animated titles (including more than 1,500 classic animated shorts). The library includes such world-renowned franchises as "Superman," "Batman," "Friends," "E.R." and "The West Wing," as well as such contemporary theatrical hits as "Ocean's Eleven," "Mystic River" and "The Last Samurai." The studio is expected to announce the release of an increasing amount of its content on HD DVD as its involvement with the format continues.
I wonder if this will be conclusive.
I hope they stay with film or better yet go back to the 1970's when they used to release movies on 70mm.
Have you ever seen IMAX, there is still nothing as good as film !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They also have the option to go to Maxivision48 which is way better then Digital today and a lot less expensive.
Film is uncompressed !!!!
http://www.maxivision48.com/
Last edited by 2016 on 19 Apr 2005 - 18:49
Blue Ray will make the units expensive as the hardware manufactures will have to re-tool for the new type of units, while HD DVD that uses the current Red Laser technology with a minor tweak to the wave length width will allow hardware manufactures to make some basic changes to their equipment.
This means that we will see Blue Ray hard ware back at similar prices that we saw the DVD hard when it came out. I don't think this is such a bad thing - but lots of people are only now getting to DVD due to affordability.
If both Blue Ray and HD-DVD come out together then HD-DVD will be the clear winner due to it's overall lower price, there wont be enough enthusiasts out there such as myself who will support the hardware - leading to the old VHS Beta war from the 80's
Both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are still more than a year out from being ready for the average consumer.
Oh, HD-DVD doesn't exactly use "Red Laser technology" by any means. Also, the price difference will be less then you think. The "Real enthusiasts" know this too.
I'm just pissed that they choose to do this now, after I have purchased thousands of dollars worth of DVDs. They may not be useless, but which would you rather have? A VHS copy of a movie or a DVD copy? Same principle.
Last edited by 14562 on 18 Apr 2005 - 23:18
I certainly dont want to be in a world where in 3 years time I have to purchase "Microsoft certified" HD-DVD players or software.
http://www.neodigits.com/body/product/HVD208/feature.asp
plays HD content..
anyways...im glad they finally descided to take the next step into home movies..
as ive read both the blue ray sony side.. and HD toshibia side.. it seems
that HD-DVD is cheaper to make then Blue ray .. and can get out to the public
first... making it go to market faster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_Versatile_Disc
I understand though that it is needed as we head towards HDTV broadcasts becoming mandatory. Even so I don't see things letting up in the future. Technology is moving so fast that formats don't last as long as they used to. Once the internet and broadband becomes more complete in its coverage they that may become the standard for delivering content.
Why does MS have to release a standard in compression. why do they have to enter this market. WTF does this have to do with making Windows or Office better (the only 2 viable products MS sells).
All consumers want if for their stuff to work. That is all. Why do you think most people hate computers?
VC-1, MPEG-2, and AVC WILL ALL BE USED IN BOTH HD-DVD AND Blu-Ray! No matter what codec is picked by 'comapny x' it will play in any and all HD-DVD/Blu-Ray players.
You have your wish, it will work! If not, you didn't buy a true BD or HD-DVD player and if the player has an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray logo they will get sued for not supporting the standards that have been set.
Save your rants for something you know about, this is clearly not your subject. I would guess that you hate computers becuase you don't read and don't know enough about them.
The MS format is not a completly open format, and thus IMO is bad for the market. I don't understand why they entered the market. What are the advantages? Why move so far away from your core business? What is the leverage in this market? Where is the money to be made?
With VC-1, you have a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard in the works, and what do you know, look at what the MPEGLA has www.mpegla.com/pid/vc1/. Oh, and what is www.mpegla.com/avc/ ?
Why enter the market? Provide lower cost licensing, a codec that has proven to out perform AVC in some cases and MPEG-2 in a few cases.
What are the advantages? Choice for people who author content (this is you, correct). You can pick from MPEG-2, VC-1, or AVC. Hell, you could do one chapter in AVC and another in MPEG-2! Companies to have to pay large licensing costs, if I choose to use VC-1 if might be lower then that of MPEG-2. And from a consumer point of view, better video quality potential.
Why move so far away from your core business? basic business is always trying to grow. If you have already developed WMV9 a few years ago, why not propose a standard to SMPTE? Oh, as a standard nothing stops anyone from developing their own encoder, decoders, etc. In truth, it becomes much less Microsoft's.
What is the leverage in this market? Licensing, and the ability to have content grow from a Windows PC to a STB and back. Have micro content that can be streamed from the web to an STB using what IS a mandatory codec that all HD and BD will have to support.
Where is the money to be made? Licensing, although parts of VC-1 are based off parts of MPEG-4. In some cases, Microsoft will be paying out money too. In same cases they stand to make a little. The future. IPTV, micro-content, web streaming, etc.
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