Thread: Sony shrink Blu-ray laser

the company has managed to shrink they Blu-ray laser to a size just shy of 3mm thick. What's that mean? The technology is finally small enough for 9.5mm laptop drives (which could lead to a smaller PS3 design), but maybe even more importantly, the lasers are cheaper and easier to produce (whether or not this cost savings was included in Sony's recent $US 400 PS3 manufacturing estimate is unknown). Oh, and for film buffs, the new lasers can read organic dye, allowing current DVD plants to more easily retool for Blu-ray production. All in all, this is nothing but good news for everyone.

Full steam ahead for Sony, it seems.

one step closer for Blu-Ray reaching the top for consumers

So long as someone wins and wins quick so ALL manufacturers can start pumping out the goods and lowering the prices!

It has already happened res... Sony = exclusive right to about 85% of Hollywood's content, and shared rights to the remaining 15%. Many studio's have already withdrawn support for HD-DVD entirely.

It's not swinging back the other way, not unless hell freezes over and pigs fly.

The second part of my sentence hasn't started and we still need to wait until mid year for the first part to get finalised when the other 15% join in.

Originally Posted by rec

It has already happened res... Sony = exclusive right to about 85% of Hollywood's content, and shared rights to the remaining 15%. Many studio's have already withdrawn support for HD-DVD entirely.

It's not swinging back the other way, not unless hell freezes over and pigs fly.

bs

there is still plenty of hd-dvd exclusive content, don't exaggerate

Like what? Transformers? Bzzzz, sorry, Paramount have completely withdrawn support for HD-DVD and you'll see it on Blu-ray in coming months.

Out of the major studios only Paramount and Universal are HD DVD exclusive. The rest of the major studios have gone to the blu-ray camp. Paramount can switch to blu-ray anytime, as they have a clause in their contract with HD DVD, that allows to break the contract, if and only if warner went blu-ray(which it did).
Both studios have only indicated that they will continue to support HD DVD for now. That's about 70% of the movies will be on blu-ray.
While HD DVD is a superior format(at the moment), content is still king. If you don't have enough content/movies then the hardware is dead.

The good thing that has come with the format war, is the price drop on the hardware, as both camps are willing to undercut their hardware to win the consumer.

Hopefully once the format wars have ended, there should be a consumer uptake, which should result on lower prices(fingers crossed).

As the guys from Warner, put it, the format war has hurt their pocket(a $40 billion market), so the sooner the ending of the format wars the better for the studios and for us.

One thing I can be sure, is that hi def will not as big as the dvd era, as I for one, I will not be replacing all my dvds with hi def ones. I will be upgrading only the ones I would like to watch again, like the Matrix and Lord of the Rings.

I do however buy blu-ray for new stuff.

My 2c anyway.

Edit: Here is an interesting read about why blu-ray is the winner. The Digital Bits presents... The Soapbox
Edit2: Porn will not decide this format war, as studios are using both HD DVD and blu-ray.

Originally Posted by The Times

Warner Brother's recent defection to Blu-Ray allowed Paramount to terminate their exclusive relationship with HD DVD. Universal Studios remains the only major studio to exclusively support the HD DVD format, though rumors have surfaced that their contract may also contain a termination provision similar to that exercised by Paramount.

When did this become not true?

Both Universal and Paramount have stated that they will continue to support HD DVD. Personally I would wait till March, because that's when the exclusivity of the format ends for both studios.