lordjedi

User Group: Members
Join date: 8-Jun-2005
Last activity: 9-Apr-2015
Posts: 1,640

Post History

Post: #295703
Topic: The REAL truth about computers
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295703/action/topic#295703
Time: 21-Aug-2007 3:48 PM

Originally posted by: sean wookie
Found a quote that migh t go well in this thread.

He started to count to ten. He was desperately worried that one day sentient life forms would forget how to do this. Only by counting could humans demonstrate their independence of computers. -Ford Prefect, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Seeing as how sentient life forms have trouble with spelling and grammar, I think we're already doomed.

Post: #295702
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295702/action/topic#295702
Time: 21-Aug-2007 3:46 PM

Originally posted by: dumb_kid
Here's a roughly apples to apples comparison between HD and SD:

http://www.zonadvd.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=736

So no, anyone with a TV smaller than probably 40" won't be able to tell the difference.

I personally don't care if we don't get a Transformers 2 and I care even less if Bay doesn't direct it. The first one, while being an ok movie, wasn't all that great imo. Sure, it had great CG, but the rest was kind of lame. For the first half of the movie, the Autobots were pretty dumb. Seriously, the kid tells them to hide so they all transform into cars in his backyard. How stupid is that? It wasn't really until the second half of the movie that it actually picked up and got good.

Anyway, the more time that goes by with two formats, the more people are going to stop caring and just wait for the next best thing. I'm honestly hoping that they both do fail at this point. Maybe this time the industry will learn that if you have two formats competing that are completely incompatible with each other that the format is doomed to failure. I guess we'll just have to wait until this Christmas to see what happens.

Post: #295689
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295689/action/topic#295689
Time: 21-Aug-2007 12:25 PM

Originally posted by: Arnie.d

Originally posted by: lordjedi
Of course, even if the player debuts at $500, the not so early adopters will snap it up so they can play both formats and then the price will do nothing but drop. That's exactly what happened when dvd+r and dvd-r were at war. The burners were expensive until dual format ones hit the market. Now you can find them for $30 (my first dual format drive was $250).

I remeber when I wanted to buy my first dvd burner, but I couldn't decide between -r and +r. Then Sony came with a dual format burner and from that moment everybody started producing dual format drives and prices dropped. So I'm kind of hoping the same will happen with HD.

Exactly. I almost picked up that burner myself. I ended up getting an NEC from Costco that was a little cheaper.

Post: #295675
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295675/action/topic#295675
Time: 21-Aug-2007 3:49 AM

Originally posted by: zombie84
Well that is certainly interesting. Sigh, the end of the war has now been put off a few more months. I wonder how much payola was involved to get that deal.

Its worth noting, however, that the first Spielberg film to be released on hi-def will be on Blu Ray though...

I think it's worth noting that Spielberg's films will probably only be released on Blu-Ray, especially since that's practically what the press release said.

The end of the war hasn't been put off for a few months. No, if anything, the war would have ended in a few months. Now, we've got Shrek the Third and Transformers coming exclusively to HD-DVD. Go read some of the latest columns over at digitalbits. This will do nothing but prolong the war. They, and others, are speculating that this could even cause Warner Brothers to go exclusive to HD-DVD. If that happens, the formats will be evenly split between all the studios.

Two things can happen if that happens. Either low cost dual format players hit the market, which consumers will happily snap up, or hi-def totally dies. If there are no low cost players and two competing formats in the next couple of years, hi-def will go nowhere. No one wants to invest in one format only to end up with obsolete hardware. All this is going to do is prolong the war, to everyone's detriment.

For the record, it's being reported that Microsoft gave them (Paramount and DreamWorks) $150 million dollars to go HD-DVD exclusive. Make no mistake though, this could end up killing both formats. Without a low cost player (probably sub $300) or a single format, hi-def will end up a niche market, similar to DVD-Audio and SACD. I'm summarizing most of this from digitalbits, but I think they're spot on. Well, except for the part about a dual format player. I think if a cheap dual format player comes to market this Christmas, it won't matter won't format a movie is on. Of course, even if the player debuts at $500, the not so early adopters will snap it up so they can play both formats and then the price will do nothing but drop. That's exactly what happened when dvd+r and dvd-r were at war. The burners were expensive until dual format ones hit the market. Now you can find them for $30 (my first dual format drive was $250).

If hi-def formats die, the next big thing will be hi-def downloads direct to media center PCs. More and more people are installing those and as long as you can connect it to your TV, you don't really have to worry about formats. Divx, Xvid, MP4, WMV, VC-1, they can all be played through the computer as long as the right codecs are installed.

Post: #295648
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295648/action/topic#295648
Time: 20-Aug-2007 9:03 PM

Now it's definite. The war doesn't end until a fully compatible dual format player comes out:

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/33461/98/

Post: #295531
Topic: Happy 25th Birthday, Compact Disc
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295531/action/topic#295531
Time: 19-Aug-2007 2:07 AM

Originally posted by: Trooperman
I can very easily tell the difference between mp3 and uncompressed WAV. Especially with orchestral music. I don't know how to describe it... cycling? Wahwahwah.... It's very obvious.

I know there are different methods of encoding mp3's, but based on the mp3's I've heard, CD's beat mp3's any day.

In fact, I was in the car with a friend and he had on a Star Wars soundtrack CD. I could instantly hear it was a compressed copy. I asked him about it and sure enough, it was not the original album. He had burned mp3's.

I have to agree with Arnie; I love the physicality of a disc, not to mention the liner notes and the case and so on. I don't like downloading music.

Did you ask him what bit rate he compressed it at? Sure, if it was 128k (the default in 99% of programs) or lower, it's pretty easily noticed. At 192k or higher, it's indistinguishable. In fact, a lot of people, at one time, were encoding at 320k to lose as little quality as possible. It turns out though that 192k is the sweet spot for mp3. Lower bit rates will sound worse. Higher ones won't sound any better though.

To my ears and on my speakers (no, I don't have a $2000 speaker system and I won't buy one) the mp3s encoded at 192k are indistinguishable from the CDs. Having them as mp3s lets me take them practically anywhere. The CDs not only have to be handled more carefully, but they're harder to transport.

Besides, I honestly wouldn't want to risk scratching any of my discs, let alone my Star Wars CDs. Rip them to the computer once and then put them away.

Originally posted by: Arnie.d
Originally a Compact Disc was to be 115mm/60 minutes. But Philips and Sony decided one disc should be able to contain Beethoven's 9th symphony (which is 74 min.) so playing time was strectched to 74 minutes (120mm). Also the size of the hole is based on a 10 (guilder)cent coin from Holland (one of the inventors of the CD is from Holland).

And then that got stretched up to 80 min sometime around 1999. At least it did with CD-Rs.

Post: #295503
Topic: Happy 25th Birthday, Compact Disc
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295503/action/topic#295503
Time: 18-Aug-2007 12:38 AM

Originally posted by: Arnie.d
Still, I feel MP3 is a step back. I also don't understand why downloadable albums are so popular, compressed shit whithout case, cover, booklet and nice shiny compact disc that will last a lifetime if handled with care.

That's why right there. I wouldn't say people don't treat their stuff well, but a flash based mp3 player is a lot easier to handle. Some people have kids and kids aren't exactly careful with things. And you can hold a lot more albums of mp3s on something like an iPod than you can carry around that many CDs. Add in that double blind tests have shown no noticeable difference between mp3 and the actual CD (not to mention the non difference on monitoring equipment) and you have all the reasons necessary.

Downloading is quicker and easier for a lot of people. No need to go to the store to buy the latest album. Just go to iTunes and download it right to your iPod. Then just plug that into your stereo or car and away you go. All you have to do to ensure your mp3 collection doesn't bite it is to regular backups of all your files.

Mind you, I don't use iTunes. All the mp3s on my iPod are self made from previously purchased CDs. I don't use iTunes due to the DRM they embed in the files (I know they sell some without DRM, but they just embed your name and address into the file now). I know it's Apple, so they get a pass from most people on the DRM. I don't care. If I'm going to pay for music, I want it free of any restrictions. I'd rather buy the CD off Amazon and just turn it into mp3s myself.

Post: #295493
Topic: Who got their membership pkg and "letter" from George Lucas?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295493/action/topic#295493
Time: 17-Aug-2007 7:12 PM

Originally posted by: Fang Zei
And yes, the blu-ray and hd-dvd releases of superman the movie are indeed the 2000 cut.

Is that bad? Is there something wrong with the 2000 cut? I don't know anything about it, which is why I'm asking.

Post: #295470
Topic: Faster than the speed of light
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295470/action/topic#295470
Time: 17-Aug-2007 1:37 PM

Originally posted by: Arnie.d

Originally posted by: lordjedi
I'm sure they weren't just looking at it.

LOL
But still, it only takes the light about 0.000000003 seconds to travel 3ft.

Which is longer than instantaneous. Pretty cool that it was a couple of Germans that discovered this. Seems like they made all the major breakthroughs of the last century (jet flight and atom bomb are two that come to mind).

Post: #295469
Topic: "Chocolate Rain"- by Tay Zonday
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295469/action/topic#295469
Time: 17-Aug-2007 1:34 PM

Originally posted by: vbangle
I take back what I said. This version I like.

Now THAT is funny!

Post: #295466
Topic: Who got their membership pkg and "letter" from George Lucas?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295466/action/topic#295466
Time: 17-Aug-2007 12:45 PM

Originally posted by: skyjedi2005
that is not necessarily true because blu ray and HD-DVD can offer bonus materials traditional dvd's can't.

Like picture in picture commentaries on the HD-dvd of heroes and star trek remastered.

I know quite a number of people who will be buying the HD-DVD version of heroes over the traditional dvd set because it is the decked out version.

The biggest roadblock i see for either of the two competing HD formats is earlier and classic movies needing to be scanned at HD resolutions and have cleaned up prints or go back to the camera o-negs.

The only viable films I see at the moment would be the recent lowry/dts digital 4k scan of the bond movies that is only on dvd, the 2k scan they did of both the indiana jones movies and the 2004 edition of star wars trilogy.

X-men 1 and 2 the only good ones are not on HD-DVD or blu ray and the lame part III is.

we are getting close encounters and blade runner on the HD spec, and dick donners original superman is on HD as well, though it may be the 2000 cut.

because of the lawsuit of Peter Jackson and weta vs new line we will not see those movies on HD anytime soon. new line broke the profit sharing agreement, and peter will block them from releasing the films on HD in 2008 or 2009 with an injunction because they at weta still have yet to recieve there monies from lotr.

also because of the greedy suits at new line peter's hobbit movie will never see the light of day. The morons are going to do it with an entire new cast and trying to get sam raimi to direct it. Ian Mckellen said hewould only be in the film with a proviso that p.j. directs it.

Very few people buy DVDs, today, for the bonus content. Myself and my techie friends are probably the only people I know who actually watch the bonus content and the commentaries. Nobody else I know does that.

It looks like you're basing your opinion on the Hobbit movie, PJ, and New Line on old news. http://www.the-hobbit-movie.com/

Post: #295456
Topic: Faster than the speed of light
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295456/action/topic#295456
Time: 17-Aug-2007 10:36 AM

Using sensitive, and expensive, scientific equipment. I'm sure they weren't just looking at it.

Post: #295433
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295433/action/topic#295433
Time: 16-Aug-2007 11:26 PM

Originally posted by: Zion

Originally posted by: lordjedi
It happened with VHS and Beta, it sort of happened with DVD and Divx (but to a much lesser extent)

For the record, Divx was not a competing format to DVD. It was basically a DVD rental gimmick Circuit City came up with to try and get people to "rent" their own DVDs every time they wanted to watch one of them. Divx discs were DVDs with special coding that made them unwatchable except on a Divx player that had the movie activated. Players played regular DVDs as well. (This also had nothing to do with the DivX video codec we all know and love.)

Yeah, I know, but the Divx "extension" still really annoyed the hell out of me. The President of the company I worked for during the whole thing picked one up because he thought it was cool. I tried to explain why it was bad, but he thought it was kind of neat. Oh well.

Post: #295425
Topic: Blade Runner 2, 4, and 5-disc sets in December
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295425/action/topic#295425
Time: 16-Aug-2007 7:44 PM

Cap 7 doesn't look bluer to me. It looks brighter. Since they were watching a projection of the replicants dossier, the projector probably gave off a blue hue. When they brightened it up, that showed through just a little. The non-brightened cap is much darker though, with almost a purple tone.

As far as cap 12 goes, they're probably trying to impress on the viewer the feeling of coldness. That is the scene where Roy talks to Chuy in the freezer, so it almost makes sense that it be blue.

It's not like they went through and made white corridors look blue. Overall, I think the reviewer nailed it. The scenes appear to be mostly brightened, which may have had the side effect of bringing out a bluer tone (other than the freezer scene). The unicorn scene looks fantastic!

Post: #295424
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295424/action/topic#295424
Time: 16-Aug-2007 7:33 PM

I'm pretty sure the hi-def movies don't vary from 480i to 1080p. Maybe 720p to 1080p, but I'm pretty sure they don't go down to 480. That's SD DVD territory.

The dual format player I was referring to is this one http://www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=11043

And yes, a PS3 can play every Blu-Ray movie. A PS3 is a Blu-Ray drive after all.

Post: #295395
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295395/action/topic#295395
Time: 16-Aug-2007 12:32 PM

Originally posted by: Arnie.d

Originally posted by: ChainsawAsh
Blu-ray is going to emerge dominant (well, it already has, to be honest), and eventually will take over almost completely. It's by far the superior format anyway.
Is Blu-ray really dominant? I really hope so! I think if the companies got together in the first place and decided on one format, players would be much cheaper. Plus with all these format exclusive titles who wants a player that can only play one format?

Originally posted by: skyjedi2005
though i do favor blu ray for it's technical aspects and amount of data space HD-DVD is cheaper and more user friendly and allows use of imported titles and does not have the high end encryption.

should hacks crack blu ray like they did dvd, then i can watch region 2 japan titles on blu ray but until that happens i'm sticking with dvd

But HD-DVD has this DRM/AACS crap.
I'm hoping it will be easy to make a player region free.

Both formats have DRM/AACS junk, but I believe Blu-Ray has not fully implemented it yet. It is part of the spec though.

As for regions, I'm pretty sure that both formats did away with regions.

Originally posted by: dark_jedi
Multi-format player is already out,Best Buy has had them for a while now,they are about $1200 bucks.

DJ

Yeah, but isn't that the LG player that doesn't fully take advantage of all the HD-DVD features? What I was referring to is a combo player that plays both formats to their fullest.

The format war has been a joke from the beginning. These companies come out with competing formats, then they wonder why adoption is so slow. Time and time again they come out with two different formats and time and time again adoption is slow. It happened with VHS and Beta, it sort of happened with DVD and Divx (but to a much lesser extent) and it really happened with DVD+/-R (until dual format burners emerged). So we'll either get a fully capable dual format player or the "war" will be long and drawn out.

Post: #295350
Topic: Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD?
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295350/action/topic#295350
Time: 15-Aug-2007 6:56 PM

Nope, but after reading a recent article on the Digital Bits, I think I'm a Blu-Ray convert. It appears that Universals exclusive use of HD-DVD may not have anything to do with the format and may indeed be just because of kickbacks or something else (note that this is conjecture on my part). Apparently someone asked a Universal exec about the whole thing and about getting Spielberg's movies (specifically Jaws) on HD-DVD and they said that Spielberg hadn't committed to either format. That was a week before the CE3K announcement at Comic-Con. Also, apparently Universals parent company, GE, is not happy about their exclusive use of HD-DVD.

So it seems to me that yes, Universal either needs to adopt Blu-Ray in addition to HD-DVD or switch to Blu-Ray all together. I'm also pretty sure that multi-format players will be out this Christmas, which will effectively end the format war. If I can find a reasonably priced dual format player (reasonably priced being something under $500, preferably under $300), then I'll gladly upgrade. Until then, I'll continue enjoying DVDs on my HDTV (yes, I know they aren't as good, but there's also no chance of getting stuck with something that won't work in the future).

Post: #295336
Topic: "Chocolate Rain"- by Tay Zonday
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295336/action/topic#295336
Time: 15-Aug-2007 2:53 PM

Originally posted by: vbangle
To me it wouldn't matter what color person sings that song, its still annoying repeating the same lame jingle over and over again for what seems like an eternity....make it stop please....

Totally agree.

Post: #295333
Topic: Part VII VIII and IX
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295333/action/topic#295333
Time: 15-Aug-2007 2:17 PM

Originally posted by: bigbaddaddyvader
Has everyone here honestly not seen Soylent Green?

I honestly haven't. I always get the reference when someone says "It's people! Soylent Green is people!". I get that. I did not get this because I've never seen the movie.

Post: #295327
Topic: "Chocolate Rain"- by Tay Zonday
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295327/action/topic#295327
Time: 15-Aug-2007 1:25 PM

Originally posted by: sean wookie
Maybe if you told this to us 2 weeks ago when it was fresh it would be better. It is old as hell now.

Really? I just heard about this the other day (this past Saturday or Sunday I think) from my mom. Of course, I only really heard about it in passing. I personally think it's kind of lame. "Institutional racism"? (found that in an interview here). Um, yeah, whatever.

Sean, according to the video it was "fresh" back in April, when it was posted, which is hardly two weeks ago. More like 4 months ago.

Post: #295319
Topic: Rest In Peace, Merv Griffin (1925-2007)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295319/action/topic#295319
Time: 15-Aug-2007 12:23 PM

http://www.biography.com/biography/images/episode_images/griffin_merv_320x240.jpg

Post: #295265
Topic: Wookie Groomer's 1080p Star Wars Saga project (Released)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295265/action/topic#295265
Time: 14-Aug-2007 4:12 PM

Originally posted by: Wookie Groomer
I might have a chance in about 2-3 weeks to post something so pick what's most wanted. 1080p WMV DVD9 or 480p NTSC DVD9 split screens. My updated New Hope Split screen came and went without a peep from anyone so I assumed no one was interested.

1080p please! And thank you, thank you, thank you for reconsidering! Yay!

Post: #295264
Topic: Part VII VIII and IX
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295264/action/topic#295264
Time: 14-Aug-2007 4:09 PM

Originally posted by: zombie84
Lucas will never make the sequels. Maybe someone else one day will, but I'm quite certain that Lucas will never never direct another motion picture, nor have many major projects once the current lineup of Indy4/Redtails/CloneWars/Live-action-SW is over with in 2014 or so. He'll be 70, his health will be failing, and he will retire and live his last years enjoying life before he croaks from diabetes-related matters around age 75. He'll never direct those "personal films" of his, he'll never make more Star Wars films, and there will be a ton of attention to the rights to Star Wars when he dies since they are owned by Lucasfilm and hence him; he'll appoint some CEO in his will to run the company, give instructions not to remake or sequelise the existing films nor release the OOT in a competitive, form, all of which will be ignored in due time and history will look back on him with a confused mix of admiration and derision. Honestly, thats the way the future will likely go.

If we see any sequels, we'll probably be old men ourselves when that finally happens, as I imagine a good decade or so would have to pass after Lucas' death before the lengthy and controversial negotiation and development begins, and even then there is a fair chance that the films will suck only slightly less than if Lucas had done them himself. My estimate is that it would be close to 2040 or so before we see new Star Wars films on the big screen. It will happen.

Somehow, I doubt all of that (well, most of it). I think you're right that he'll never direct those "personal films" he's been talking about. But I also think that if he puts it in his will that no one is to release the OOT ever, that it's never going to happen. I also don't think (and I actually hope) we'll ever see another Star Wars film on the big screen.

Seriously, the story has been told. The originals are light years ahead of anything in the PT. We don't need more movies. Lucas can go retire and live out his life on his ranch and no one is really going to care. Hollywood and most of the world has moved on. Even if more movies did somehow magically come out at some point in the future after Lucas' death, I'm betting they wouldn't get nearly the draw that the OT or even the PT got. The children who love the PT today would lambast it just like we're lambasting the PT right now.

Star Wars is over. May it RIP.

Post: #295215
Topic: UFOs and Aliens
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295215/action/topic#295215
Time: 14-Aug-2007 3:20 AM

Originally posted by: sean wookie
I think if aliens have ever been here they would be traveling at something similar to warp drive or you know if you are moving at the speed of light time will move faster around you 50 years to you can seem to be hundredsof thousands to the out side universe.

Time doesn't move faster sean. The faster you go, the more time appears to slow down. This has actually been scientifically proven. Clocks were put onboard jet aircraft after they were synchronized with ground stations. The planes flew at high rates of speed and at the end of the experiment, the clocks on the planes were millionths of a second behind. That's not much, but it proved the validity of Einsteins theory.

The problem with a "warp" drive, at least by our current understanding, is the amount of energy it takes to "warp" space. The amount of energy it would take to do that is so great that you'd expect the beings that did it to have some other purpose beyond cow mutilations.

Post: #295165
Topic: Wookie Groomer's 1080p Star Wars Saga project (Released)
Link: https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/295165/action/topic#295165
Time: 13-Aug-2007 4:57 PM

Has anyone else but me and vBangle bothered to send him an email? His email is in his profile. I just got a response and it doesn't look good, at least for the time being. In a nutshell, it looks like he's moved on to other things. I get the feeling that he might come back to it if he gets a hankering in the future to finish it, but as of now, there's no plans to finish them.

I was very much looking forward to the rest. Perhaps someone else can take what we've got so far and make a new splitscreen of the other movies.