Engadget HD Podcast 046 - 08.22.2007
By Trent Wolbe 
posted Aug 22nd 2007 11:58AM
posted Aug 22nd 2007 11:58AM
We actually did it, we actually recorded a podcast. We know you can't believe it either, but believe us when we say that we can't wait for the next one. In fact we're going to do everything in our power to crank one out on weekly basis -- just like old times. We know our promises aren't worth much at this point, but just wait and you'll see. This week we introduce the latest member of the Engadget team Steve Kim and then cover the big format news this week as well as some old favorites like LCD Vs Plasma and component Vs HDMI. So if you can't get enough HD news, go ahead and start the download and please let us know what you think.Get the podcast
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Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim
Producer: Trent Wolbe
02:19 - Paramount, Dreamworks dropping Blu-ray in favor of HD DVD exclusivity
06:55 - Fox, MGM strike back -- proudly unveil slew of upcoming Blu-ray films
08:48 - Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics coming to HD DVD and Blu-ray
12:35 - Onkyo's DV-HD805 HD DVD player: coming this fall for $899
17:37 - Official 1080p transport proposed for component video
18:16 - CEA turns down 1080p over component proposal
22:44 - What does plasma's future hold?
26:54 - More details on Pioneer's KURO plasma line
27:12 - The definition of High Definition?
29:37 - Let Engadget trick out your home theater
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Glad to see the podcast is back.
BTW Steve,
1024x768 is LESS than 720p.
We're glad to be back.
Not sure why you don't think that a 1024x768 TV isn't HD, but the CEA allows these TVs to carry the HDTV logo. CNet just rated a TV with this very resolution as the editors choice in regards to HDTVs. SDTV is 307,200 pixels where 1024x768 is 786,432 pixels; that is well over 100% more pixels. If double isn't considered "high", I don't know what is.
Besides you missed our entire point, which was that you should choose a TV with your eyes, not based on its fact tag.
Thanks to you guys for chiming in. I was afraid nobody would listen to my first podcast! And even if you tuned in just to listen to Ben, that's cool with me.
You are absolutely right that 1024x768 has fewer pixels than 720p, but the real point we were making is that pixels alone don't define image quality. We've probably all been burned by hollow specs. I'm reminded of how Rolls Royce specc'ed horsepower for a car - "sufficient". Above a certain level, the absolute number of pixels has less importance than how well those pixels are executed.
I didn't say that 1024x768 isn't HD. I was just giving Steve a hard time since it's his first podcast. Here's the quote I was referring to:
Ben said: "To me, 1024x768 is HD"
Steve said: "Yep, I'm with you there. Anything over 720p I think"
Technically 1024x758 isn't OVER 720p.
I have absolutely no problem calling a 1024x768 plasma HD. The larger the screen the nicer it is to have the extra resolution however.
Hey Ben,
Dump the Pioneer receiver and go with Yamaha... I have the RX-V2400 and it rocks. I think they are now releasing the RX-V2700. Get something decent... please. Enjoy, Steve
*** CORRECTION *** I have the Yamaha RX-V2500... not 2400. Thank you.
Ahh, thanks for the clarification.
Good discussion on the format war, gentlemen. Here’s my take:
We know HD-DVD has had a great week and I was happy to see their progress. However, with Paramount becoming exclusive, they have just put themselves in the position of *losing* the war for good. Why? See below.
HD-DVD has now adopted Blu-Ray’s original definition of success, which is: “the more studio support you have, the closer you are to winning the war”. If that’s the new success paradigm for HD-DVD, then in order for them to become *more successful* they also have to entice Warner to sign an exclusive deal or get Fox or MGM to go dual format. This seems like a tall order considering how much hard cash the HD-DVD camp had to pour into a Paramount (who was already an HD-DVD supporter!). Now any new studios to the HD-DVD camp are going to expect a big pay out. This is an unsustainable business model. We can’t pin down who exactly is paying whom, but how can you win a format war if you have to subsidize both the hardware *and* the software? Bleeding cash is always bad business.
And what happens after 18 months? If Paramount goes back to supporting both formats, that will be the ultimate “vote of no confidence” for HD-DVD. Game over.
HD-DVD’s previous success paradigm was that Toshiba has the lowest price points on hardware and therefore the lowest barrier to entry for consumers. They assumed that if they sell more players (and *if* PS3 owners won’t buy that many movies) then they would grab the most important success paradigm: **Most Movies Sold**.
Uh, oh. Bad news on that front too. We know that data doesn’t lie and Blu-Ray is moving discs at a rate of 2:1 over HD-DVD. This is very important ground that HD-DVD should have won with their cheaper players and a higher software attachment rate. Why didn’t they?
The exclusive deal with Paramount might be strategy to make the case that they have “largest catalog of titles” (yet another success paradigm, but a weaker one). This might work for HD-DVD if Fox continues to fail to release anything of note and Disney fails to release a wide selection of classic animation and Pixar titles. If Disney and Fox opened up their respective vaults, thereby flooding the Blu-Ray catalog, then HD-DVD would lose on this paradigm as well.
Blu-Ray’s success paradigm has only slightly changed. It used to be: “just keep doing what we’re doing and wait for Universal to break and go dual format”. And now they have merely added Paramount to that list. And let’s not forget that the Spielberg blockbusters are not exclusive to HD-DVD. That fact bodes well for Blu-Ray.
In the end, HD-DVD needs to catch up with Blu-Ray on disc sales. Merely putting Transformers and Shrek 3 on the menu won’t move enough hardware to expand their install base. They need a $99 player for the 2007 holiday season to exceed Blu-Ray in software sales. HD-DVD has to become the ultimate no-brainer-and-no-risk purchase for every HDTV owner.
>>> Full disclosure: I am not fanboy of either side. I am a an equal opportunity analytical realist. I don’t buy Sony products anymore (read: root kit fiasco), but that’s my only real prejudice. Fanboys, by definition, are not particularly good at looking at problems from all sides and coming to a rational conclusion based on facts.
It is good to have the show back. I am also glad you guys actually gave the story first then discussed it for the most part.