Microsoft pushes HD DVD
By Richard Lawler 
posted May 24th 2006 9:02PM
posted May 24th 2006 9:02PM
All that is nice but when is someone shipping an HD DVD burner and media like Blu-ray already is?
[Via Chris Lanier]
posted May 24th 2006 9:02PM
The percentage of sales people that recommend Samsung HDTVs.
Salespeople are also becoming less likely to recommend LCD sets over plasma sets, which goes against the industry trend.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
"All that is nice but when is someone shipping an HD DVD burner and media like Blu-ray already is?"
Because it's not ready for primetime. Their hardware launch wasn't ready either. For all the whining about Blu-ray being later and DL being "impossible", HD DVD still isn't all shaken out. Microsoft, however, has been doing their damndest to push the format. With almost every big player at Microsoft calling for an end to physical media, it's almost as if they're trying to prolong a format war in order to kill off both just to improve their market share in the content distro and DRM fields. But Microsoft would never be so underhanded, right?
The reason Microsoft is pushing HD DVD is because Blu-Ray has too many DRM restrictions which keeps media from streaming over a network. HTPCs and network connected DVD players are the future, rendering Blu-Ray not future proof.
Since Sony was getting so much heat from their DRM and thinking they may loose the format war because of it, they decided to lighten up on the DRM for now, and later down the road, when they win the format war, they will re-enable their restrictive DRM.
Right. Microsoft, who's in direct competition with Sony in almost every technological field except consumer electronics and entertainment content ownership, is only in it for less DRM?
This is the same company who requires you to phone home every once in a while to "authenticate" your own operating system, even if you're just installing a new video card. It's the one who pioneered the "you can't play it even though you bought it" DRM on Windows Media Video/Audio (used on HD DVD)?
Please. It's about money, pure and simple. Kill the format, kill the console, kill the distribution.
Oh, and the DRM for both is roughly the same (AACS). Blu-ray's additional tech is for watermarking.
zombieflanders,
Your forgetting BD+
The BDA also adopted "BD+", a Blu-ray Disc specific programmable renewability
enhancement that gives content providers an additional means to respond to organized
attacks on the security system by allowing dynamic updates of compromised code. With
these enhancements, content providers have a number of methods to choose from to combat
hacks on Blu-ray players. Moreover, BD+ affects only players that have been attacked, as
opposed to those that are vulnerable but haven't been attacked and therefore continue to
operate properly.
link: http://www.blu-raydisc.com/assets/downloadablefile/050809-13034.pdf
To note, BD adds BD+ and ROM Mark. To counter what John claims, either ROM Mark or BD+ can be added to HD DVD at any point. There is no goal to "enable" them at a certain point.
Chris
The licence for HD-DVD allows a copy to be made to your HDD for playing over a network. Blu-Ray doesn't allow this. Microsoft have a lot invested in Media Centre functionality so its only logical that they go HD-DVD. I'm sure they will support Blu-Ray but its just less flexible. Plus thay want the expensive part of the PS3 to be rendered useless (no not the Cell :-p)
Since has looses the format war because of DRM they overcome from this but Apple is still dragging itself with this format I think if Apple will not end this happening sooner then it would be a great disaster for itself..............
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