Posted by Joshua Zyber on 04/10/06 12:15

"~P~" <bmxtrix2005@cox.net> wrote in message
news:Fam_f.334$ZW3.33@dukeread04...
> There are DVD disc players that can support HD playback including
> 1080p.
> Your cable box could deliver 1080p. The issue is that video must
> actually
> be compressed to fit onto the discs themselves. The more storage
> space you
> have, the less compression that needs to occur to that video. The
> higher
> the allowed bandwidth of the player, the lower the compression needs
> to be.

Both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray have more than enough storage capacity to hold a
high-definition movie at excellent quality. They both support VC1
compression that is more effecient than MPEG2 and can store a lot more
content in the same space. Ironically, only HD-DVD will actually be
using VC1 compression right out of the gate, while the first Blu-Ray
titles will be using the less efficient and more space-hogging MPEG2,
negating their storage advantage.

Even if we get to the point where Blu-Ray does have a lot more free
storage than HD-DVD, there is a point of diminishing returns with any
compression format where less compression brings you negligible
difference in quality. You don't honestly believe Blu-Ray will use that
extra storage for higher audio and video bit rates anyway, do you? Of
course not, they'll use it to store interactive games, and fancy 3D
animated menus, and commercials, and forced anti-piracy announcements,
and other useless crap that no one really wants in the first place and
has nothing to do with quality movie delivery.

> As for the audio - the HD audio standards are part of HDMI 1.3 and are
> included capabilities on HD-DVD and Blu-ray disc. As I said though,
> with
> HD-DVD video has to take a hit when these HD audio formats are used
> with
> those discs while Blu-ray has the bandwidth to maintain a higher
> quality
> video signal.

This is pure FUD. Both formats are more than capable of delivering high
quality audio and video.

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