blu-ray

Format war just starting?

Thursday, May 29th, 2008
by Michael Sherlock

I have already talked about waiting to buy blu-ray players and movies but I also feel that physical media overall is coming to an end. Right now, the internet is the most efficient way to enjoy media. You don’t have to drive to a brick and mortar store, hope they have what you want, buy it if they have it, and drive home and enjoy. By the power of the internet you can press a few buttons on your computer and you can enjoy that media in a few minutes. Plus, the cost of digital media is much cheaper than physical media furthering the overall feeling that digital is taking over.

Netflix allows their users to enjoy movies and tv shows on their website. This way, you can simply log on and view the files. (Granted right now the selection is slim but more titles are coming) Recently, netflix began offering a set-top box which allows the user to stream that same online media directly to their tv over the internet. You can’t store the files on the device but you can watch them in somewhat standard definition.

Similar is to be said about apple. For a long time they have had a huge online music library which honestly can not be beat. Over the past few years they have branched out to movies and television shows which have grown to include all the major studios besides NBC of course. Last year apple launched the apple tv which allows media to be streamed to or stored on the device in high definition or standard definition. Earlier this year apple released a software update which allows media to be purchased directly on the apple tv itself. This is one of the easiest ways to enjoy digital media. Simply turn on the device, browse the media you want, download and enjoy. HD content delivered seamless to your tv; thats a great product!

My advice is to wait until the bugs are worked out of digital media distribution and then upgrade your hardware if need be. In all reality though, you probably already have the hardware you need to enjoy this media. In the coming years digital media will continue to expand so expect great things and amazing hardware. Conventual media is changing so it’s important you follow technology, understand how it works, but more importantly, enjoy it.

Cancel that blu-ray purchase

Sunday, March 30th, 2008
by Michael Sherlock

Blu-Ray
With the death of HD-DVD I have herd from almost everyone on the web that the time is now to purchase those blu-ray players. The funny part is I have also read that due to the lack of competition, the prices for blu-ray players are going up. Plus, with each movie costing around $30 it’s absurd to me that people are flocking to this new and expensive platform which is yet to be finalized. Many people are unaware of this truth that a lot of blu-ray players on the market will not have the ability to be upgraded to the final standard. Sure some can such as the PS3 but the fact of the matter is, a large majority can not.

With high prices and a standard that is yet to be finalized I’m blown away by the cult that is surrounding blu-ray. I’m not even trying to bash this format but it’s unfortunate how mislead some consumers are. It’s clear the next physical media platform will be blu-ray but it’s in the consumer’s best interest to wait. Wait until the format is finalized and all players meet this standard, and wait until prices are reasonable.

What the consumer should do now is to stick to the format they currently have, DVD. Bloggers are quick to attack DVD but DVD can still produce a good looking picture. Depending on your HD monitor and your up-converting player, if you have one, DVD can still shine. Have you ever seen a 1080P up-converted dvd? If you have not, they look great and in some cases the line between DVD and blu-ray is blurred.

In conclusion, the time to buy a blu-ray player is not yet among us but should be once blu-ray is affordable for the average joe. If you need to be on the cutting edge than go ahead and buy your player but for everyone else sticking to what you have should be fine. To make your current system shine however I would recommend looking into an up-converting DVD player that can maximize your TV and your DVD’s at an affordable price point.