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A new chip that could end the HD-DVD / Blu-ray battle before it even begins?!?!

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LINK TO ORIGINAL STORY

I found this story over on IGN. It's short, so I will just post it here:

March 13, 2006 - In a nicely timed announcement that coincided with the CeBIT conference, Atmel Corporation announced its new AT78C4050 "All-Format DVD" System-on-Chip (SoC). The new chip is essentially able to control all functionality in any optical disk drive, including red-laser devices like DVD and CD, as well as the next-generation blue-laser HD-DVD and Blu-ray.

Tech-specs aside, the announcement is huge with regard to the HD-DVD/Blu-ray format war. With the Atmel chip, manufacturers should be able to design and build essentially the same player for each of the formats and simply throw some switches in the manufacturing process to set the AT78C4050 to control Blu-ray or HD-DVD functionality. As a result, the overhead associated with supporting both of the two formats is massively lowered, leading many to suggest that the only manufacturers that will really get burned in the format war will be the companies that started it, Sony and Toshiba



If it all works out, this could be a VERY big deal.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/bgiffen/bigbluerig.jpg
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"leading many to suggest that the only manufacturers that will really get burned in the format war will be the companies that started it, Sony and Toshiba"

Good. Now maybe they'll hammer out a truly universal disc. This royalty crap gets old after awhile. It'll sell, guys - and there will be more than enough spoils to divy up later.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Meanwhile Universal's hopes were dashed as they had prepared no less than 12 editions of 'American Pie' for launch in EACH HD format...
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1 for each character's POV.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Not the mention the forthcoming straight to Blu-Ray release, 'American Pie 5: Jim's Dad goes grocery shopping'.

War does not make one great.

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Is it just me or is Sony's inaugural lineup for HD the worst in history? I mean, damn, they have the James Bond library and they're releasing XXX and 50 First Dates in their first push? WTF????

If you want to make cash off the early adopters, release the stuff that people are willing to upgrade for. Namely all the stuff that took forever to get on standard DVD in the first place. Speaking to no particualr studio, I'm talking about Star Wars. King Kong. Indy. E.T. And some of the stuff that's in wide release like LOTR.

Warner seems to have their head screwed on straight releasing Harry Potter and Batman stuff in its initial launch. These are the tentpoles that people will pay for over and over again. I'm betting the big-ass Superman mega set will be simultaneously released in HD formats.

And I'll still be sitting here watching my 10-year old standard def Toshiba 32" that keeps chugging flawlessly.
I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.
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I'm glad to see something like this come out to help solve the upcoming "format war" that the manufacturers can't seem to work out on their own. Now if only someone would get rid of the draconian DRM controls. I understand the need to protect copyrights, but what they are doing is ridiculous.
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Originally posted by: BigBlueRig
LINK TO ORIGINAL STORY

I found this story over on IGN. It's short, so I will just post it here:

March 13, 2006 - In a nicely timed announcement that coincided with the CeBIT conference, Atmel Corporation announced its new AT78C4050 "All-Format DVD" System-on-Chip (SoC). The new chip is essentially able to control all functionality in any optical disk drive, including red-laser devices like DVD and CD, as well as the next-generation blue-laser HD-DVD and Blu-ray.

Tech-specs aside, the announcement is huge with regard to the HD-DVD/Blu-ray format war. With the Atmel chip, manufacturers should be able to design and build essentially the same player for each of the formats and simply throw some switches in the manufacturing process to set the AT78C4050 to control Blu-ray or HD-DVD functionality. As a result, the overhead associated with supporting both of the two formats is massively lowered, leading many to suggest that the only manufacturers that will really get burned in the format war will be the companies that started it, Sony and Toshiba



If it all works out, this could be a VERY big deal.



I BET THAT EITHER SONY OR TOSHIBA OR BOTH TRY TO BUY OUT THAT COMPANY.

"I'VE GROWN TIRED OF ASKING, SO THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME..."
The Mangler Bros. Psycho Dayv Armchaireviews Notes on Suicide

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HD-DVD / Blu-ray thing is stupid. I bet it turns out to be a flop.
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Originally posted by: ADigitalMan
Is it just me or is Sony's inaugural lineup for HD the worst in history? I mean, damn, they have the James Bond library and they're releasing XXX and 50 First Dates in their first push? WTF????


This is exactly what I thought when I saw Sony's BluRay lineup. They want to take over the world, so they offer that garbage?

I want BluRay to win because of its technical superiority, but Sony deserves to have their ass handed to them for launching with such shit.
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I wish that Blu-ray would win, because of its technical superiority. But I think that HD-DVD will win for it technological inferiority.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

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Originally posted by: skyman8081I wish that Blu-ray would win, because of its technical superiority. But I think that HD-DVD will win for it technological inferiority.


I don't think the downfall of Beta (which is what I assume you're alluding to) really applies in this case. Beta's superiority--superior image quality--was overshadowed by its shorter recording time, which was far more important to the average user than a few extra lines of resolution. In the case of BluRay and HD-DVD, the technical differences will be irrelevant or unimportant to the majority of mass-market buyers. Only enthusiasts will understand the technical differences and the average buyer will think they both look fantastic.

This is a battle that will be won with software, and studio support is overwhelmingly in BluRay's corner. Sony is doing a bad job, but most other studios have announced A-list titles. Even Warner has said they'll release the exact same titles for BluRay as they have planned for HD-DVD. Universal is the only major holdout left and it's far more likely they'll cave and release BluRay titles than Disney, Miramax, Fox, Lion's Gate, etc. caving and supporting HD-DVD.

People who buy HD-DVD at launch because they don't know any better will be extremely disappointed when they can't get half the titles they want, can't output hi-res audio across all seven channels, and can't output true 1080p due to limitations in Toshiba's HD-DVD players.
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People keep mentioning the launch titles for studios. when was this announced? anyone have a good site where i can fill myself in on this info?

-Darth Simon
Why Anakin really turned to the dark side:
"Anakin, You're father I am" - Yoda
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" - Anakin

0100111001101001011011100110101001100001

*touchy people disclaimer*
some or all of the above comments are partially exaggerated to convey a point, none of the comments are meant as personal attacks on anyone mentioned or reference in the above post
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xXx: State of the Union -- I can hardly wait.
I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.
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WoW.....most of these titles suck! At least Reservoir Dogs is part of the list along with Kill Bill 1.
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only is these new ones have success, like studios did with DVD. And evn then, not for years and years. Most people, like the switch to DVD from VHS, will take a while to update, if they ever do, and since this format isn't the incredibly leap that going to DVD was, in the average consumr's eyes, they can't afford to stop making dvd's.

That was a long last sentence.

Hey look, a bear!

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Originally posted by: Jay
I don't think the downfall of Beta (which is what I assume you're alluding to) really applies in this case. Beta's superiority--superior image quality--was overshadowed by its shorter recording time, which was far more important to the average user than a few extra lines of resolution.
It should also be pointed out that Sony made the same mistake that Apple did when the IBM and its family of compatibles came around.
Sony refused to licence the technology to other manufacturers, meaning only they would produce BETA machines (I imagine later they did licence it...we used to have a Toshiba BETA deck).
When JVC invented the VHS, they did licence it. More competition drove down prices and let everyone outprice Sony.

How superior is Beta? My dad taped the 50th anniversary of NBC back in the 70s (don't recall the year) hosted by Orson Wells. He recently transferred it to DVD. There was a place here or there where the tape was physically damaged, but beyond that, it played as if NBC had just broadcast it.
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Thanks for posting the list Jay,

While there were some good titles in that list, it does seem like most of the studios just picked movie names out of a hat. And most of the titles i would be intersted in I already have on DVD and im not planning on double dipping.

couple questions id be intersted to see some of your opinions/thoughts on. how come they have Kill Bill Vol 1 but not Kill Bill Vol 2? they did the same thing with Lethal Weapon, only the first one...now would be prime time to release all 4 as directors cuts since only the first 3 have a director's cut on DVD release. Also, just a comment, but some of the titles i didnt realize were under the studio listed. Like whats up with all three terminators being under a different studio?

-Darth Simon
Why Anakin really turned to the dark side:
"Anakin, You're father I am" - Yoda
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" - Anakin

0100111001101001011011100110101001100001

*touchy people disclaimer*
some or all of the above comments are partially exaggerated to convey a point, none of the comments are meant as personal attacks on anyone mentioned or reference in the above post
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sorry for the double post, but i forgot to mention the case art. is it just me or is the case artwork shown in the pictures on the side the same as for the dvd release (at least in most, if not all cases). only difference seems to be the blue plastic.

also, look at the picture that features the Fantastic 4 disc. It says Beyond High Definition on it. I thought 1080p was high def.

or is 720p high def making 1080p higher def.

I mainly want blu ray discs to back up files from my harddrive

-Darth Simon
Why Anakin really turned to the dark side:
"Anakin, You're father I am" - Yoda
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" - Anakin

0100111001101001011011100110101001100001

*touchy people disclaimer*
some or all of the above comments are partially exaggerated to convey a point, none of the comments are meant as personal attacks on anyone mentioned or reference in the above post
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Different studios own the various Terminator films.

Couldn't tell you why Kill Bill Vol. 1 and not Vol. 2. From what I can see it's not an exhaustive list, so it might just be out of date. There are some older catalog titles Warner announced for HD-DVD that aren't on that BluRay list even though they've said they'll be releasing the same titles for both (North By Northwest is one I can think of off the top of my head).

I'd expect the case artwork to remain mostly the same between DVD and BluRay/HD-DVD. No reason to change it really.

Ignore the "Beyond High Definition" verbiage. Marketing junk I'm guessing.
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