Ranting Kenya

Xbox 360 Blu-ray console shipping by September?by Thomas Ricker, posted May 2nd 2008 at 2:12AMFor all of Microsoft’s denial, the Xbox 360 Blu-ray console rumors just will not die. In fact, they are getting more and more specific. The Chinese language Economic Daily News is reporting that Pegatron, an OEM subsidiary of ASUS, has won the order from Microsoft to assemble the Xbox 360 with Blu-ray Disc ROM drive — shipments are expected to being in Q3 of this year. Now come on Microsoft, just come clean on the matter, we won’t tell anyone.

Xbox 360 Blu-ray console shipping by September? - Engadget

Honestly, even after getting burned by HD-DVD, I’d probably get one.

Tags: hd, blu, ray, xbox, 360, xbox 360

There’s been a number of rumors re-surfacing in the last couple days about Blu-Ray drives coming to the Xbox 360. Microsoft said a few weeks ago after HD-DVD officially died that they weren’t talking with Sony about it. What that really means is “we’re thinking about it, and as of this moment we haven’t contacted anyone.” So are they going to do it? I think so.

I don’t think there’s any question that the future of the DVD/Blu-Ray is limited by digital downloads. We’re already seeing a number of services available that provide just this service. Microsoft’s Xbox Marketplace, iTunes Store/Apple TV, and the VooDoo box are a few. Plus you can watch so much online for free now straight from the internet browser. And of course, there’s still Video on Demand (VOD). VOD could be a real competitor if they’d just fix the quality issue.

Anyway, many have speculated that Microsoft won’t do a Blu-Ray (BR) drive because they want people to move to the download model. This is about half true in my mind. Yes, absolutely, they want people to do digital delivery. However, the Xbox division main goal is to sell Xbox 360 consoles and Xbox 360 games. Would adding a BR drive (either internal or as an add-on à la HD-DVD drive) be an added incentive to buy Xbox 360 consoles? I believe so. Many people bought a PS3 solely as a BR player. The PS3 continues to be one of the best and most flexible BR players available.

However, should Microsoft make such a drive available, it would surely sell at least as well as the HD-DVD drive did. All those early adopters are bound to jump on it since the format war is over. True, Sony would benefit from licensing fees, but at least Microsoft would get a cut on the players. It’s also another bullet point on the Xbox 360 box (BR capability), which would eliminate the major difference between PS3 and Xbox 360.

Plus, you can look at Microsoft’s track record with the Xbox 360. They’ve bowed to the community’s pressure on multiple occasions. The HD-DVD drive was in a way, bowing to consumer pressure. As was when Microsoft released Xbox 360 consoles with HDMI ports (their story before hand was that nobody needed HDMI). And perhaps less due to consumer pressure and more media pressure, the warranty extension to 3 years for all the red ringed consoles. Is there any reason to believe Microsoft won’t flinch and release an external BR drive? I don’t think so. The only reason in my mind that Microsoft hasn’t said there will be BR drives for the 360 is they may be waiting for the cost of the drives to get low enough to be able to offer an external drive at the $199 price point.

I don’t really watch a whole lot of TV programs anymore. I used to watch 2 to 3 shows every weekday night. Now, I consistently watch Lost. This is the only show where I freak out about missing an episode. I frequently watch Star Trek reruns, but I don’t care if I miss an episode because I’ve seen them all 5 times anyway. I watch The Office if at all possible. I catch a good amount of reruns Family Guy, American Dad, and Southpark. Then I watch sports.

Now aside from my many complaints about Shaw’s HD-PVR (the same as Comcast’s HD-PVR, that horrible Motorola box), and my complaints about my inability to get HD (or digital) channels on my Windows Media Center computer (i.e. The “Canada and the cablecard” issue and Shaw’s (my cable provider) encryption of digital and HD channels), I’m still going to rant about something else. Watching TV shows online.

On March 24, Gizmodo reported that all the Southpark episodes are online legally. Sweet. That adds to Hulu.com’s great content and implementation (from what I hear), and also ABC’s online episode viewer.

There’s really only one big problem for me, and my fellow non-Americans… NOT AVAILABLE IN OUTSIDE THE US! I understand that us Canadians (and other countries, but I will speak from a Canadian perspective) have different laws, and different content agreements. But seriously, these shows are already available in Canada. They are, legally. I can already see all of them on my 50 inch television. They’re on all the time, plus with my PVR (or my media center computer) I can watch them whenever. I even skip the commercials *gasp*. I can download them “illegally” from a torrent site and watch them all that way, without commercials. I can goto Blockbuster and rent and entire season on DVD for a fraction of the cost of buying (or even paying for cable/satelite), and even duplicate the discs (I don’t do this, but there are plenty of people that do).

Now imagine if I could just watch them when I want, online from the network’s website. As with the Southpark implementation, you’re forced to watch a couple quick ads, so the ads will be played (unlike with the torrents, PVR recordings or DVDs). I don’t have to worry about missing episodes, I can’t download and keep them forever (nor do I need to since they’re available day or night online), I’m not blowing as much bandwidth as downloading/uploading torrent files, I don’t need to “hide” from the authorities, the networks can actually gather viewer statistics about how popular their shows actually are, they can pilot an infinite numbers shows and keep them available (let’s face it, content is their real issue, not piracy), the networks can reach their viewers more consistantly, they can reach a greater audience and word of mouth can now spread wider and faster (you know all that social phenomenon… facebook and all). What’s better that TiVo’s recommendation feature? How about “Your Friends Recommend”? In fact, it’s a win win solution for everyone.

Now I know I can use a US proxy server, but so far, I’ve had little usable success. I’m going to try a few different methods in the next couple weeks, so perhaps I’ll update this post. But I shouldn’t have to work around these types of issues. This is all content that we all have access to already, this is mearly another delivery method. My only hope is that the South Park Studios changes their “Coming Soon” image to some great laughs soon.

Now that the music industry is allowing it’s content go out DRM-free, the music battle is more or less over. I believe that soon, music will be avaiable from all the major labels on all the major services. Apple pioneered the industry, Amazon was the first to fully nail it (in my opinion), and now there’s a baseline from which to judge the rest.

But what about video?

Well, the newest player out there (as of yesteday) is Apple. They started the music revolution (or was that Napster?), and now they look to duplicate that success for movies.

There’s another gorilla out there too, Microsoft (have you heard of them). They’ve been doing this for a while now on Xbox.

Amazon has their unbox service, which has already gone through some major revisions.

Aren’t we on the tail end of a format war right now?

So what’s the deal with all these services? From what I can tell, here is the list of similarities between them:

• They all use some form of DRM.
• They all work on different devices.
• They’re all rental services.
• They’re all unique, just like all the others.

So here are my quick thoughts on each service:

Apple

Pros

• Apple’s biggest advantage is that it’s Apple. Their computers continue to sell, iPods are huge, iPhones are even bigger. They have a highly desirable brand in the public consciousness.
• In a close second place, it’s next biggest advantage is that they have all major movie studios onboard. That’s better than the iTunes music store, and a great place to start.
• The quality of the HD video that Steve Jobs outlined sounded excellent. Finally the Apple TV will have some HD content, and also 5.1 digital audio.
• You can rent your movies through the simplicity of iTunes, or another excellent Apple interface via the Apple TV that you access from your couch.

Cons

• However, unlike the iTunes music store, Apple will have a much harder time since other companies are working on the digital delivery model too. iTunes was revolutionary, but others have seen the virtues of Apple’s product and business models.
• Media companies are getting more savvy, and more wary of Steve Jobs. Many feel that he unfairly compensated the recording industry with his low prices. He has been hailed for negotiating some of the most lucrative business deal for his own company (hello AT&T and the iPhone).
• Another problem, you have to purchase an Apple TV to enjoy these videos from your couch. Another couple hundred dollar investment.
• Figuring out what you can do with these videos is also a problem (but not unique to Apple). Here’s an example from Engadget.

Microsoft - Xbox Live

Pros

• Microsoft’s biggest advantage is probably that there is already 10 million Xbox 360 consoles in the wild. As far as getting content from the net to the TV with some propietary box, Xbox 360 is way out front.
• Similarily, they’ve already been selling videos (both HD and SD) on their service for well over a year now. In the Xbox 360 vs PS3 battle, a headstart is clearly a big advatage to have.
• An Xbox 360 console does far more than an Apple TV. It’s not a dedicated media extender/set-top box/service. It plays games, plays HD-DVD (with appropriate attachment), plays DVDs, and a whole lot of other stuff.
• As much as it doesn’t hurt to be Apple, it doesn’t hurt to be Microsoft. They’re huge, they got fingers everywhere, they have excellent technology, huge amounts of cash, and they’ll be in the for the long haul no matter what.
• Xbox 360s, when connected correctly, can upconvert it’s output to 1080p. This is a minor destinction to most, but not all.

Cons

• However, Microsoft lacks full studio support. Content is clearly king.
• You need to have an Xbox 360 console, and it’s more money than an Apple TV.
• You have to use these “Xbox points“. And it’s not a 1:1 ratio with real money. And you have to buy them in bulk. They’re annoying.

Amazon

Pros

• TiVo integration. What could be better than having your videos already waiting for you on your TiVo?
• Amazon got music right. Low prices, DRM-free, huge collection.
• They also have a working video service right now. As far as I know it’s PC only, but they’re in the game.
• I also think that Amazon has some unique possibilities regarding sales. They could sell you the DVD copy, while allowing you to rent or buy a digital copy that you can watch before the DVD arrives in the mail. This also eliminates that whole rental/purchase issue.

Cons

• How do you get it to the TV?
• Doesn’t have the brand recognition in this space of a Microsoft or Apple.
• There is no HD as far as I’m aware.

Final Thoughts

All in all, now that HD-DVD seems to be on its deathbed (at the hands of Blu-Ray), we’re really on the beginning of another “format war” of sorts. How are you supposed to pick between services? Some work with some ipods, some only with specific hardware, all have strict DRM schemes, none of them have anything to do with purchasing content, none inter-operate either.

However, I believe that this is a battle that we can’t afford to sit out. I’m sure if the movie studios see no sales in this digital space, it will delay the roll out of truly good download services by years. Money really is the only motivation that us as consumers can provide for large companies to develop technology and delivery methods that work for us.

This is also essentially the problem the music industry just went through. How do we trust our customers and allow them to enjoy the content they purchase the way they want?

*laughs* Actually, wouldn’t cable card solve a lot of these issues?

Warner actually wanted to go HD DVD. They gave Toshiba the chance to bring another studio into the HD DVD camp before they turned Blu. Fox was lined up, and told the HD DVD camp it was going to switch to HD DVD, which would’ve also turned Warner exclusively HD DVD. At the last possible minute, it nixed the deal.

Lindich says it’s because Fox received a reported $120 million payout from Sony to stay Blu-ray—Warner then switched and received between $400 and $500 million for its defection. BW says it’s closer to $400 million. In our phone call with Warner Kevin Tsujihara said it wasn’t a bidding war that brought them over—that’s true, in the words of Ben Kenobi, from a certain point of view.

Dirty Business: The Real Reason Warner Went Blu-ray

After reading this on Gizmodo, I’m almost mad. I’ve felt that HD-DVD has been superior, I bought an HD-DVD player, I have probably about 8 movies for it. To think that the crushing news of Warner going Blu-Ray was so close to falling on the other side of the fence stings.

Tags: hd-dvd, blu-ray, format, dvd, warner

Let me begin by stating that I have an HD-DVD player (the Xbox 360 attachment). I believe it’s a better format than Blu-Ray, however I also believe a lot of the differences don’t matter that much. You still get great HD and great sound.

However, now I’m really in the middle. I’m starting to feel the effects of some movies on one format and not on the other. It hurt me way back when after I realized that the Bond movies are Sony properties. Now I’m realizing that Superbad is also Blu-Ray only.

This war really feels like Playstation/Playstation 2 versus Xbox/N64/Gamecube/Dreamcast. There is really little difference in the capability of the competitors, it’s the games that made playstation. Blu-Ray feels the same. There’s just more movies on Blu-Ray. Most of them I have no interest in (Stealth, Hitch come to mind due to their big Blu-Ray campaigns), but there are some good ones.

So what’s my solution? Buy a Blu-Ray player too. Ok. Those Toshiba players are going for 100 bucks in the States, how bad could it be?

Well, the cheapest Blu-Ray player is still the PS3 at $400. The standalone players start at $500. Add the cost of 30-40 dollar movies (there’s lots of Bond movies). So factor in a modest 4 movies and your price tag basically starts at $550 (Blu-Ray has a promotion where you get a number of movies, 5 I think, that come with the player, restricted selection however). That’s kind of expensive.

Interesting study considering most of the blu-ray players out there are in PS3s, and most of those people didn’t even realize that it was a blu-ray player. I believe HD-DVD is the superior format, though most people don’t know the facts.

PARAMOUNT AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION EACH DECLARE EXCLUSIVE SUPPORT FOR HD DVD… The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs.

Bye Bye Blu-ray: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation Go Exclusively HD DVD - Gizmodo

Tags: HD

So I turned on my TV tonight because my Xbox 360 broke, that’s another story, and turned to channel 301 (that being the beginning of my HD channels). But it was not HD. It wasn’t even close. So of course I assumed that Shaw was screwing everything up, that’s how these things usually go for me.

But NO! They had moved all the HD channels 100 channels lower, and added 8 more! I now have 21 HD channels including HDNet and a few channels from out east. That way I can watch Conan at a reasonable hour.

The state of the HD war in Canada is is being dominated by one provider, long before most households have even gone digital.

When I initially went for HD about a year and a half ago (July 2005), the HD offerings were overpriced, and channel-wise it was slim pickings. I researched both providers available to me, Shaw Cable, and Bell Expressvu satellite. I called both companies multiple times to ask specific questions to help me decide on who to go with.

Shaw’s customer service people gave me three different answers to the same question. Bell was consistent. Shaw was “continually adding more HD channels”. Bell had every available channel in Canada. Shaw had one plain HD box to choose from. Bell was about to introduce a dual-tuner HD PVR.

The choice was an easy one to make. Bell did not disappoint. Picture quality was excellent, programming was good, service was consistent, the non-PVR box was stable, etc.

I have since moved from that house into a townhouse. This seriously limits your HD offerings. So now I’m a Shaw customer, and have been for nearly six months now. My experience has been different to say the least.

The picture quality is inferior to Bell’s and the dual tuner HD PVR (the best Shaw box available) isn’t worth its weight in gold (it ain’t light either). In fact, if you want to read some reviews on the box I have, search on the internet for the same box that Comcast uses in the United States (it’s a Motorola 6212 I believe).

Despite the boxes horrible interface, buggy operation, inferior quality, and higher price tag, what really gets me is the channel lineup. Shaw’s full HD offering includes 14 channels. That’s with the two new ones (National Geographic and Showcase). There’s basically no time-shifted channels (less important because of the dual tuner box), video on demand is not in HD (and arguably lower than SD too), even their Pay-Per-View is not in HD.

As I discovered when I called my friend with Bell Expressvu that I had received two new channels, he informed me that 14 channels is a joke. Bell, in the last few months (6-8) has added more for a total of 27! Nearly double what Shaw offers (not including their Pay-Per-View stations)! That included Mark Cuban’s HD-Net which I didn’t know was available in Canada at all.

So in review Bell has more HD channels, better looking HD and SD signals, better hardware (in every way), better customer service, no analog channels, and time-shifting channels. Need I say more?