bigandy
Nov 27, 01:56 PM
i would like to see this display option.
however, as stated, coming from DigiTimes this could just be hot air. :rolleyes:
however, as stated, coming from DigiTimes this could just be hot air. :rolleyes:
aiqw9182
Mar 24, 05:12 PM
I am talking about graphics capabilities now.
Actually, you are just confused and trying to back peddle:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=12245564&postcount=105
You are talking DirectX version numbers(which already has nothing to do with what we're talking about and has no bearing under OS X) in relation to OpenCL when OpenCL has nothing to do with DirectX? Something doesn't add up here.
Actually, you are just confused and trying to back peddle:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=12245564&postcount=105
You are talking DirectX version numbers(which already has nothing to do with what we're talking about and has no bearing under OS X) in relation to OpenCL when OpenCL has nothing to do with DirectX? Something doesn't add up here.
Al Coholic
Apr 3, 10:36 AM
Since the iPad does nothing useful this appeal to the wimpy "feelings" crowd is no surprise. Replace the iPad with a pair of pants and this could easily double as a Levi's commercial.
milo
Aug 29, 09:02 AM
Incredibly underwhelming.
If they're going to stay yonah, at least bump the clock speed more than that.
The only upside to this is that it leaves a HUGE gap between the mini and Pro, could mean that apple really is planning a conroe minitower/pizzabox/mediacenter.
That, and the fact that ThinkSecret is NEVER right. EVER.
If they're going to stay yonah, at least bump the clock speed more than that.
The only upside to this is that it leaves a HUGE gap between the mini and Pro, could mean that apple really is planning a conroe minitower/pizzabox/mediacenter.
That, and the fact that ThinkSecret is NEVER right. EVER.
Psychic Shopper
Jul 18, 11:18 AM
I must have watched 20 different video clips from the Daily Show on You Tube, streaming in almost real time. Why would I want to buy that content on the Itunes store?
rmhop81
Sep 7, 05:41 PM
well the problem is that sub accounts cannot exist without the main account and main account has to be renewed every year. so this essentially means i cannot use family pack by myself for 5 years.
i never said that u could go 5 years off one family pack. i simply posted those bc people were complaining about apple's price....newegg is cheaper so order from there for the exact same product....
i never said that u could go 5 years off one family pack. i simply posted those bc people were complaining about apple's price....newegg is cheaper so order from there for the exact same product....
Sky Blue
Jan 11, 04:54 PM
Sounds like a shoe.
dime21
Apr 20, 09:26 PM
sorry no longer the case for most of that.
Manuals now cost more to buy than autos due to fewer of them being built so supply is lower.
No really cheaper to maintain. Hell manuals can go 200+k with out the tranny or the engine needing to be pulled. Manuals sorry you have to pull one of those items ever 100k miles to replace the clutch. That eats up the saving so at best it is a break even in that department.
Tranny might last longer but that is about it. Still has to be pulled ever 100k to replace clutch. Hell an auto tranny will out last the car any how so a non issue.
Power wise yes auto is going to eat a little more of the power off the engine but really not much less than the manuals eat due to modern hydrolics and more physical locking together of the engine and tranny.
Fuel economy. Sorry no longer the case. High way the get the same due to the fact that the tranny of both are physically locked to with the engine so no gain there. City mileage Autos can and often times do get better MPG even more so with the modern CVT. CVT for the extra gear ratios and on top of that you have computer controlled shifting that can time it quicker and faster and at better points for MPG than any human can.
Even Autos now have 5-7 gears so that gain is even lost from the manuals. They have the same number of gears pretty much standard now.
Now control. I will give you that. but that is about it.
sorry, but wherever you got your information, it is not correct. fwiw, my last car, a vw passat, i sold with 312k miles on it. i bought it new at the dealer. still had the original clutch. your 100k replacement claim is bogus.
highway mileage is different due to gear ratios, not "physically locked". automatics use different ratios than manuals, even with same engine. shift speed is irrelevant for mileage.
and lastly, manuals do not cost more. every car i've ever owned, new or old, including my 2007 porsche 911, have come standard with a manual transmission. if you want automatic, that's an option you pay extra for, several $thousand in some cases. i've never owned an American car, so maybe the domestics are different, but your blanket statement is still wrong.
on my wife's mercedes, it needs automatic fluid change every 30k miles. dealer charges ~$300 for this. That's $1000 in service in 90k miles assuming nothing breaks. My manual transmission requires no service or fluid changes for 100k miles. $1000 in maintenance vs $0 in maintenance. automatic is far more expensive from a maintenance standpoint.
Manuals now cost more to buy than autos due to fewer of them being built so supply is lower.
No really cheaper to maintain. Hell manuals can go 200+k with out the tranny or the engine needing to be pulled. Manuals sorry you have to pull one of those items ever 100k miles to replace the clutch. That eats up the saving so at best it is a break even in that department.
Tranny might last longer but that is about it. Still has to be pulled ever 100k to replace clutch. Hell an auto tranny will out last the car any how so a non issue.
Power wise yes auto is going to eat a little more of the power off the engine but really not much less than the manuals eat due to modern hydrolics and more physical locking together of the engine and tranny.
Fuel economy. Sorry no longer the case. High way the get the same due to the fact that the tranny of both are physically locked to with the engine so no gain there. City mileage Autos can and often times do get better MPG even more so with the modern CVT. CVT for the extra gear ratios and on top of that you have computer controlled shifting that can time it quicker and faster and at better points for MPG than any human can.
Even Autos now have 5-7 gears so that gain is even lost from the manuals. They have the same number of gears pretty much standard now.
Now control. I will give you that. but that is about it.
sorry, but wherever you got your information, it is not correct. fwiw, my last car, a vw passat, i sold with 312k miles on it. i bought it new at the dealer. still had the original clutch. your 100k replacement claim is bogus.
highway mileage is different due to gear ratios, not "physically locked". automatics use different ratios than manuals, even with same engine. shift speed is irrelevant for mileage.
and lastly, manuals do not cost more. every car i've ever owned, new or old, including my 2007 porsche 911, have come standard with a manual transmission. if you want automatic, that's an option you pay extra for, several $thousand in some cases. i've never owned an American car, so maybe the domestics are different, but your blanket statement is still wrong.
on my wife's mercedes, it needs automatic fluid change every 30k miles. dealer charges ~$300 for this. That's $1000 in service in 90k miles assuming nothing breaks. My manual transmission requires no service or fluid changes for 100k miles. $1000 in maintenance vs $0 in maintenance. automatic is far more expensive from a maintenance standpoint.
Xapplimatic
Apr 4, 05:05 PM
I have to agree with all the other posters who say Apple doesn't need saving. It was saved the moment Steve stepped back in the door. It's profits haven't been higher in years and its market direction never more positive. Apple's market share is increasing again and profits are up 33% year over year... so what exactly is in need of saving?
Go save Gateway.. they're the ones closing stores instead of opening them... lol
Go save Gateway.. they're the ones closing stores instead of opening them... lol
p0intblank
Aug 6, 09:23 PM
Hahaha, I love Apple and their humorous banners! They always think of something funny. I can't wait to hear Steve's random cracks on Windows while giving his keynote. The crowd always gets a kick out of them. :p
princealfie
Nov 30, 10:49 AM
Here's the funny thing, I can tell you a feature is poorly thought out, even if I can't necessarily tell you how to solve it :) The fact that we don't have an answer is probably a good start on why the iPod doesn't already do it.
First thing I can say is this: Dump the idea of restrictions on non-DRM'd songs. If "the guy with guitar" wants to beam you his own song he should be allowed to decide that you can keep it as long as you want and send it to as many people as you want.
This goes back to the root of the problem with these devices and online stores: The record labels aren't worried about piracy, they're worried about all the guys on the street being able to bypass them by advertising virally then selling their own burned CDs. Sure it's only one or two now people now, but then it starts to grow, and some band ends up hitting it big and getting radio play, then everybody starts doing it, and then gradually the RIAA loses their money train.
Hurrah, the RIAA loses again :D
First thing I can say is this: Dump the idea of restrictions on non-DRM'd songs. If "the guy with guitar" wants to beam you his own song he should be allowed to decide that you can keep it as long as you want and send it to as many people as you want.
This goes back to the root of the problem with these devices and online stores: The record labels aren't worried about piracy, they're worried about all the guys on the street being able to bypass them by advertising virally then selling their own burned CDs. Sure it's only one or two now people now, but then it starts to grow, and some band ends up hitting it big and getting radio play, then everybody starts doing it, and then gradually the RIAA loses their money train.
Hurrah, the RIAA loses again :D
Multimedia
Nov 16, 05:50 PM
I'm thinking about my future 8 core Macpro:
2 questions for you:
- Do you think the 8 core proc will produce a lot more heat than the current core duo 2 ? I'm asking because I need a very quiet computer ...1. Yes. Lots more heat. Also the PSU may not be sufficient to drive the CPUs, memory, video card. two optical drives, four hard disks, all the gizmos on the main board etc... Effectivly Intel fixed the problem with their CPUs being power hungry heat monsters with the Core 2 Duo - and then they made exactly the same mistake by creating a power hungry heat monster with their Core 2 Quads... All just to beat AMD to the "Quad Core"Not exactly. If they go with an 80 watt 2.33GHz Clovertown then no. If they go with a 120 watt 2.66GHz Clovertown then yes. 3GHz Woodies are 80 watts.
-As always: shall we expect this one in the Macpro before 2007 ?I won't. But I will hope so.2. My guess (just a guess mind) is Feb-March next year.That's what I expect as well - with the Stoakley-Seaburg chipset onboard (http://techreport.com/etc/2006q4/clovertown/index.x?pg=1).
I wonder how Handbrake, iDVD encoding, or Quicktime encoding will take advantage of the extra cores?iDVD is not as good an encoder as Toast. If you are encoding DVD images, you should seriously consider using Toast instead. Toast can use up to 4 Mac Pro cores. Handbrake can use up to 3 Mac Pro cores. So they were made for an 8-core Mac Pro, if you, like me, run both DVD encoding and mp4 encoding at the same time in multiples. It is not unusual for me to be creating two DVD images while ripping two different sets of Handbrake batches all at the same time.
2 questions for you:
- Do you think the 8 core proc will produce a lot more heat than the current core duo 2 ? I'm asking because I need a very quiet computer ...1. Yes. Lots more heat. Also the PSU may not be sufficient to drive the CPUs, memory, video card. two optical drives, four hard disks, all the gizmos on the main board etc... Effectivly Intel fixed the problem with their CPUs being power hungry heat monsters with the Core 2 Duo - and then they made exactly the same mistake by creating a power hungry heat monster with their Core 2 Quads... All just to beat AMD to the "Quad Core"Not exactly. If they go with an 80 watt 2.33GHz Clovertown then no. If they go with a 120 watt 2.66GHz Clovertown then yes. 3GHz Woodies are 80 watts.
-As always: shall we expect this one in the Macpro before 2007 ?I won't. But I will hope so.2. My guess (just a guess mind) is Feb-March next year.That's what I expect as well - with the Stoakley-Seaburg chipset onboard (http://techreport.com/etc/2006q4/clovertown/index.x?pg=1).
I wonder how Handbrake, iDVD encoding, or Quicktime encoding will take advantage of the extra cores?iDVD is not as good an encoder as Toast. If you are encoding DVD images, you should seriously consider using Toast instead. Toast can use up to 4 Mac Pro cores. Handbrake can use up to 3 Mac Pro cores. So they were made for an 8-core Mac Pro, if you, like me, run both DVD encoding and mp4 encoding at the same time in multiples. It is not unusual for me to be creating two DVD images while ripping two different sets of Handbrake batches all at the same time.
Veg
Feb 25, 02:00 PM
http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac50/tadziodlu/IMG_1442.jpg
iJohnHenry
Apr 10, 07:01 PM
Hey, my Street Bob is a 2 seater. :mad:
Right. ;) Foul owl on the prowl. :D
http://www.rockpeaks.com/video/j/Jones-Quincy/In-The-Heat-Of-The-Night-1967/Foul-Owl-on-the-Prowl
Right. ;) Foul owl on the prowl. :D
http://www.rockpeaks.com/video/j/Jones-Quincy/In-The-Heat-Of-The-Night-1967/Foul-Owl-on-the-Prowl
Spanky Deluxe
Nov 27, 01:01 PM
I don't know if this has been posted here yet or not, I did a quick search but turned up nothing.
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20061127PD208.html
LCD vendors such as ViewSonic and Apple are set to launch 17-inch widescreen LCD monitors by year-end or the first quarter of according to industry sources.
LCD monitor vendors expect 17-inch widescreen monitors to replace entry-level and middle-range 15-inch and 17-inch LCD monitors in the future. The prices for 17-inch widescreen monitors will not necessary be higher than 17-inch 4:3 models amid more efficient panel cutting by makers, according to the vendors.
Currently, LCD panel makers such as HannStar Display and China-based players have launched 17-inch widescreen panels in the market. A fifth-generation (5G) substrate from HannStar can be cut into fifteen 17-inch widescreen panels or fifteen 15-inch 4:3 conventional-sized panels, the sources said.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), widescreen LCD monitors will account for 34% of the overall monitor market in the fourth quarter of 2007 with 19-inch widescreen monitors being the largest segment among all widescreen monitors. The proportion of 19-inch and 17-inch widescreen monitors will increase to 15.2% and 11.4%, respectively, by the fourth quarter of next year, the research firm added.
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20061127PD208.html
LCD vendors such as ViewSonic and Apple are set to launch 17-inch widescreen LCD monitors by year-end or the first quarter of according to industry sources.
LCD monitor vendors expect 17-inch widescreen monitors to replace entry-level and middle-range 15-inch and 17-inch LCD monitors in the future. The prices for 17-inch widescreen monitors will not necessary be higher than 17-inch 4:3 models amid more efficient panel cutting by makers, according to the vendors.
Currently, LCD panel makers such as HannStar Display and China-based players have launched 17-inch widescreen panels in the market. A fifth-generation (5G) substrate from HannStar can be cut into fifteen 17-inch widescreen panels or fifteen 15-inch 4:3 conventional-sized panels, the sources said.
According to International Data Corporation (IDC), widescreen LCD monitors will account for 34% of the overall monitor market in the fourth quarter of 2007 with 19-inch widescreen monitors being the largest segment among all widescreen monitors. The proportion of 19-inch and 17-inch widescreen monitors will increase to 15.2% and 11.4%, respectively, by the fourth quarter of next year, the research firm added.
wkhahn
Sep 7, 12:48 PM
Using an advanced video codec like h.264, you can get decent quality in 720p at 6 Mbps and 1080p at 8 Mbps. (Look at the HD trailers on apple.com)
With current cable modems now getting 8 Mbps download speeds, we're not talking 2 and a half days, we're talking realtime or close to it.
I'm betting apple skips "DVD Quality" (whatever that means) and goes straight into HD. It is the 21st Century after all...
On my lunch break at work, I just downloaded a couple of HD trailers, both 2min30sec in length; 1 at 480p and the other at 720p. My set up is an 3.0Ghz Pentium D, 1G ram, 256K Nvidia Gforce 6800, 20" Dell Digital LCD.
I could tell no difference in file quality. The problem lies in download time. Both files average dl speed was 150KBps. Thats 1.2Mbps if my math is right. The 420p file took 4:28 to dl, translating to 3:34:24 for a 2hr movie. For 720p, it took 12:39, meaning a full movie would take 9:28:45.
I know my cable provider offers up to 4Mbps downlaods, for about $120/month. And thats before the cable servise itself. Even then its not dedicated. Most people with cable will opt for their providers basic service ,like $40 - 50/month for 500-600kbps, or 1/2 as fast as my test. The movies would take twice as long to dl. 19hrs to downlaod will not fly. 7hrs may not either.
If the compression works to get a DVD quality movie down to 1G, then it could be downloaded in about 1h50mim, nearly realtime at work, or 3h40min at home. At work, I would only need maybe a 15min buffer before I start watching, and not catch up to the dl. But at home, I would need about 1h40min buffer. Maybe this is acceptable to some, but if I can walk to Wal-mart or Blockbuster and back in that time, then what's the consumer advantage beyond the novelty?
I'm sure apple engineers can do these same napkin calculations. There would have to be some alternative to the straight dl. Maybe a torrent of some kind built into iTunes 7. I don't know. Just thinking.
With current cable modems now getting 8 Mbps download speeds, we're not talking 2 and a half days, we're talking realtime or close to it.
I'm betting apple skips "DVD Quality" (whatever that means) and goes straight into HD. It is the 21st Century after all...
On my lunch break at work, I just downloaded a couple of HD trailers, both 2min30sec in length; 1 at 480p and the other at 720p. My set up is an 3.0Ghz Pentium D, 1G ram, 256K Nvidia Gforce 6800, 20" Dell Digital LCD.
I could tell no difference in file quality. The problem lies in download time. Both files average dl speed was 150KBps. Thats 1.2Mbps if my math is right. The 420p file took 4:28 to dl, translating to 3:34:24 for a 2hr movie. For 720p, it took 12:39, meaning a full movie would take 9:28:45.
I know my cable provider offers up to 4Mbps downlaods, for about $120/month. And thats before the cable servise itself. Even then its not dedicated. Most people with cable will opt for their providers basic service ,like $40 - 50/month for 500-600kbps, or 1/2 as fast as my test. The movies would take twice as long to dl. 19hrs to downlaod will not fly. 7hrs may not either.
If the compression works to get a DVD quality movie down to 1G, then it could be downloaded in about 1h50mim, nearly realtime at work, or 3h40min at home. At work, I would only need maybe a 15min buffer before I start watching, and not catch up to the dl. But at home, I would need about 1h40min buffer. Maybe this is acceptable to some, but if I can walk to Wal-mart or Blockbuster and back in that time, then what's the consumer advantage beyond the novelty?
I'm sure apple engineers can do these same napkin calculations. There would have to be some alternative to the straight dl. Maybe a torrent of some kind built into iTunes 7. I don't know. Just thinking.
guzhogi
Sep 1, 01:14 PM
I hope the resolution is higher on the 23" iMac than it is on the 23" Apple display. I'm sure the current Apple displays (of all sizes) don't go up as high as they could.
Anyways, weren't there also rumors of 42" Apple displays or something? Or are they waiting for HDMI to come more standard an video cards since doesn't HDMI handle higher resolutions than DVI? Just think of how high the resolution on a 42" screen would be like. 4800 x 3000? At least a dozen megapixels!
Anyways, weren't there also rumors of 42" Apple displays or something? Or are they waiting for HDMI to come more standard an video cards since doesn't HDMI handle higher resolutions than DVI? Just think of how high the resolution on a 42" screen would be like. 4800 x 3000? At least a dozen megapixels!
Psychic Shopper
Jul 18, 11:18 AM
I must have watched 20 different video clips from the Daily Show on You Tube, streaming in almost real time. Why would I want to buy that content on the Itunes store?
Peterkro
Mar 23, 01:53 PM
Anti-Daffy sites attacked including:
http://feb17.info/
Back up now.:mad:
http://feb17.info/
Back up now.:mad:
daneoni
Mar 24, 02:05 PM
I wonder if support is really there or just the ability to identify the cards.
Native Core Image acceleration and Quartz Extreme support on all those cards
Native Core Image acceleration and Quartz Extreme support on all those cards
skunk
Apr 10, 06:12 PM
Yes, but I choose to drive an automatic as most of my driving is in town.
jon1987
Apr 3, 06:25 AM
They always find a way to zoom in the screen and make it look nicer than what it actually is. The resolution is too grainy.
I am spoiled by the iPhone 4 display.
I am spoiled by the iPhone 4 display.
seashellz
Jul 18, 01:25 PM
1. The reports are coming in that the BR DVD picture is....well, lousy-while the HD picture is said to be primo. You can buy an HD player NOW (and discs-soon)for under $500.
For all intents and purposes, $1000 Blu Ray players are as scarce as George Bush's IQ numbers-if there are even any to be had at all...
2. *VERY Important: SONY has yet to produce a single BR disc under the promised new HD Codec 1- the prime reason to buy BR HD in the first place-the ones they are selling now are just 'prototype', being rushed to market so they can say "We were first!" which is like selling a car without spark plugs-youll just have to be patient until some arrive.
Yes, a "Better Future" is just around the corner, as they like to say defensively-well I say- PRODUCE THEM-then we will believe-other wise, it is VAPORWARE.
So you are in effect buying v.1 BR discs down at Best Buy-while v.2 discs are still being worked on-possibly to arrive by Christmas.
Who would buy a BR disc that will be obsolete in a few months-that is-if the Codec 1 discs ever arrive at all-?
They are having manufacturing problems with these still- [Corpspeak: "we are 'fine tuning' them"] which is the reason for the delay.
2. SONY JUST GOT KICKED IN THE BALLS #1: (Reuters) a UK high court ruling Friday declared that the the giant SONY/BMG merger is not legal, and must be broken apart, worldwide.
If this ruling stands, SONY will be sucked dry, in order to either fight this, or to seperate, as they have streamlined and folded the two companies in together so tightly-like two Octopi in battle-or love, that it will drain much time, money and resources from the company to fight the ruling, or to re-separate as two distinct entities should they lose...it could in fact, this SINK SONY.
Because of this ruling, Warner Bros. have already backed out of a deal to merge with EMI.
And while spokemen at EMI declared 'This will be no problem,'
Warner Bros. spokesfolks retorted with-'We wouldnt bet the farm on that if we were you'
The deal is on HOLD and possibly withdrawn.
Anyway, this will be a HUGE drain on SONYs already shaky financial structure-they are literally betting the whole company on Blue Ray-hoping it wont become another Betamax. There is also much infighting in the ranks of SONY, according to reports. (also, they themselves admit they have lost 3% marketshare worldwide, since the merger (If thats so, why would they APPEAL the decision?!)
3. SONY JGKITB #2: Reports are coming from the chip manufacturing plant that for every FIVE PSP-3 chips created, only ONE is usable-SONY still has to pay for the other chips. (Wednesdays Gizmo.com)
(they are too complex, and they are rushing this whole thing to market too fast)
What this means is that SONYs expected cash influx from selling these will be nill-in fact, this will bleed the company big time.
What it will mean for the consumer, is that the PSP-3 may be very hard to find, as there will be supply and distribution problems, if this is not corrected PRONTO.
SONY was counting on being able to flood the landscape with these in order to better 'push' BR.
But apparaently not any longer.
And we all know what it means when a desired product is scarce-much higher prices.
SONY has alienated much of the CD community with the secret DRM implant from a few months ago.
They have alienated much of the DVD community with subpar DVD releases of late.
ie: too many pan and scan releases, or cancelled titles.
And will they finally decide on flagging these BR discs so the folks with non-upconverting HDMI Monitors (or no HDMI outs at all) will be unable to play their discs in prime mode, if at all?
If they do-all you thousands of folks with the non-upconverting/compliant "HD" Bigscreen TVs will have to donate them to GOODWILL, and buy a new one.
While these trial discs dont have the feature yet, the *whole rational* in BRs security architecture was to keep
people from copying or PLAYING 'unauthorized' discs.
When SONY finally chooses to implement this essential (in their minds) baseline feature:
1.You will be unable to download BR movies onto your computer from disc or Internet.
2.You will need to connect to the internet through your player to get "permission" from a SONY server to play any title-not just SONY-Columbia movies.
I do not know if HD discs/players have the same feature, but doubt it.
Aside from the intrusion into your privacy, your player would be shut down via a signal from SONY if you tried to play a 'pirated', a backup disc, or one copied/borrowed from a friend. (It is not clear whether you will be locked out from that title only, or your WHOLE player will be shut down-and become a piece of junk-until the situation is rectified with SONY over an 800 number-remember, however, -thought criminals-er, pirates-you will have no reason to complain-or have recourse-what you did was ILLEGAL, so no amount of whining may save you-or your useless player.
(While this is still conjecture-it is a likely and very real possibility-as they spent billion on just this sort of feature)
They WILL NOT be burned by a cracked CSS code and wholesale DVD copying again.
They are serious about "piracy"-and your friends borrowed copy of a title-maybe even if legit-will shut down your player just as if playing a dubious Chinese-made copy of PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN disc bought today.
I dont think APPLE or anyone, should jump into BR just yet-It is not OUR duty to shore up a flagging, unproven-or any-HD format.
Let the war of the marketplace and the better player decide, before you buy into another potential Laserdisc or Betamax-whether BR or HD, then make a decision
It clearly looked for a moment that HD was the underdog, but that has changed overnight.
While at this point I have a slight bias towards HD for no particular reason,
I am sitting out ALL HD out until:
1. ONE format emerges as the clear winner.
2. Second generation of players and discs are available - a year or two from now-and most of the kinks are worked out.
For all intents and purposes, $1000 Blu Ray players are as scarce as George Bush's IQ numbers-if there are even any to be had at all...
2. *VERY Important: SONY has yet to produce a single BR disc under the promised new HD Codec 1- the prime reason to buy BR HD in the first place-the ones they are selling now are just 'prototype', being rushed to market so they can say "We were first!" which is like selling a car without spark plugs-youll just have to be patient until some arrive.
Yes, a "Better Future" is just around the corner, as they like to say defensively-well I say- PRODUCE THEM-then we will believe-other wise, it is VAPORWARE.
So you are in effect buying v.1 BR discs down at Best Buy-while v.2 discs are still being worked on-possibly to arrive by Christmas.
Who would buy a BR disc that will be obsolete in a few months-that is-if the Codec 1 discs ever arrive at all-?
They are having manufacturing problems with these still- [Corpspeak: "we are 'fine tuning' them"] which is the reason for the delay.
2. SONY JUST GOT KICKED IN THE BALLS #1: (Reuters) a UK high court ruling Friday declared that the the giant SONY/BMG merger is not legal, and must be broken apart, worldwide.
If this ruling stands, SONY will be sucked dry, in order to either fight this, or to seperate, as they have streamlined and folded the two companies in together so tightly-like two Octopi in battle-or love, that it will drain much time, money and resources from the company to fight the ruling, or to re-separate as two distinct entities should they lose...it could in fact, this SINK SONY.
Because of this ruling, Warner Bros. have already backed out of a deal to merge with EMI.
And while spokemen at EMI declared 'This will be no problem,'
Warner Bros. spokesfolks retorted with-'We wouldnt bet the farm on that if we were you'
The deal is on HOLD and possibly withdrawn.
Anyway, this will be a HUGE drain on SONYs already shaky financial structure-they are literally betting the whole company on Blue Ray-hoping it wont become another Betamax. There is also much infighting in the ranks of SONY, according to reports. (also, they themselves admit they have lost 3% marketshare worldwide, since the merger (If thats so, why would they APPEAL the decision?!)
3. SONY JGKITB #2: Reports are coming from the chip manufacturing plant that for every FIVE PSP-3 chips created, only ONE is usable-SONY still has to pay for the other chips. (Wednesdays Gizmo.com)
(they are too complex, and they are rushing this whole thing to market too fast)
What this means is that SONYs expected cash influx from selling these will be nill-in fact, this will bleed the company big time.
What it will mean for the consumer, is that the PSP-3 may be very hard to find, as there will be supply and distribution problems, if this is not corrected PRONTO.
SONY was counting on being able to flood the landscape with these in order to better 'push' BR.
But apparaently not any longer.
And we all know what it means when a desired product is scarce-much higher prices.
SONY has alienated much of the CD community with the secret DRM implant from a few months ago.
They have alienated much of the DVD community with subpar DVD releases of late.
ie: too many pan and scan releases, or cancelled titles.
And will they finally decide on flagging these BR discs so the folks with non-upconverting HDMI Monitors (or no HDMI outs at all) will be unable to play their discs in prime mode, if at all?
If they do-all you thousands of folks with the non-upconverting/compliant "HD" Bigscreen TVs will have to donate them to GOODWILL, and buy a new one.
While these trial discs dont have the feature yet, the *whole rational* in BRs security architecture was to keep
people from copying or PLAYING 'unauthorized' discs.
When SONY finally chooses to implement this essential (in their minds) baseline feature:
1.You will be unable to download BR movies onto your computer from disc or Internet.
2.You will need to connect to the internet through your player to get "permission" from a SONY server to play any title-not just SONY-Columbia movies.
I do not know if HD discs/players have the same feature, but doubt it.
Aside from the intrusion into your privacy, your player would be shut down via a signal from SONY if you tried to play a 'pirated', a backup disc, or one copied/borrowed from a friend. (It is not clear whether you will be locked out from that title only, or your WHOLE player will be shut down-and become a piece of junk-until the situation is rectified with SONY over an 800 number-remember, however, -thought criminals-er, pirates-you will have no reason to complain-or have recourse-what you did was ILLEGAL, so no amount of whining may save you-or your useless player.
(While this is still conjecture-it is a likely and very real possibility-as they spent billion on just this sort of feature)
They WILL NOT be burned by a cracked CSS code and wholesale DVD copying again.
They are serious about "piracy"-and your friends borrowed copy of a title-maybe even if legit-will shut down your player just as if playing a dubious Chinese-made copy of PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN disc bought today.
I dont think APPLE or anyone, should jump into BR just yet-It is not OUR duty to shore up a flagging, unproven-or any-HD format.
Let the war of the marketplace and the better player decide, before you buy into another potential Laserdisc or Betamax-whether BR or HD, then make a decision
It clearly looked for a moment that HD was the underdog, but that has changed overnight.
While at this point I have a slight bias towards HD for no particular reason,
I am sitting out ALL HD out until:
1. ONE format emerges as the clear winner.
2. Second generation of players and discs are available - a year or two from now-and most of the kinks are worked out.
mdelaney123
Jul 18, 07:35 AM
For this to work:
1. The movies will have to be able to play on a TV. I would even say they would have to be hi-def...
2. A Rental system would have to allow me to buy/download when I want, and then watch it when I want, with the ability to pause for a week or more if I want. (None of this having to watch it 24 hours after you download it.)
The people I have spoken to about this just don't want to watch a video on an iPod type device. We all have TiVos, Video On-Demand, Windows Media Center, etc. Most people don't want to watch a movie on their computer...
Apple has a opportunity here to really beef up Front Row, adding TiVo functionality, Movie downloads, etc... Really make the Mac a media hub. I hope they do it... I have Windows Media Center. It is lacking in a few areas, namely it doesn't record HD well yet... But it is close to being really good.
Our Tivo went on the fritz and we missed a Survivor last season. The next day, I went to CBS.com, paid $0.99 and downloaded it to our media center PC. We then watched it via our Xbox 360 hooked up to our 60" HD TV. The picture quality was better than broadcast, and there were no commercials. My wife was really impressed at how easy and seamless it was. (Note: My Media Center PC does not have a tuner card, so we don't use it for streaming videos. It is a gaming PC that came with Media Center...)
I really hope Apple gets this right!
1. The movies will have to be able to play on a TV. I would even say they would have to be hi-def...
2. A Rental system would have to allow me to buy/download when I want, and then watch it when I want, with the ability to pause for a week or more if I want. (None of this having to watch it 24 hours after you download it.)
The people I have spoken to about this just don't want to watch a video on an iPod type device. We all have TiVos, Video On-Demand, Windows Media Center, etc. Most people don't want to watch a movie on their computer...
Apple has a opportunity here to really beef up Front Row, adding TiVo functionality, Movie downloads, etc... Really make the Mac a media hub. I hope they do it... I have Windows Media Center. It is lacking in a few areas, namely it doesn't record HD well yet... But it is close to being really good.
Our Tivo went on the fritz and we missed a Survivor last season. The next day, I went to CBS.com, paid $0.99 and downloaded it to our media center PC. We then watched it via our Xbox 360 hooked up to our 60" HD TV. The picture quality was better than broadcast, and there were no commercials. My wife was really impressed at how easy and seamless it was. (Note: My Media Center PC does not have a tuner card, so we don't use it for streaming videos. It is a gaming PC that came with Media Center...)
I really hope Apple gets this right!