Posted by Bill's News on 01/07/08 01:34

"willbill" <trek@worldwide.net> wrote in message
news:flpssc01mou@enews5.newsguy.com...
> Lloyd Parsons wrote:
>
>> Believe what you will, I don't think a sub-$200 BD player
>> will be out before the next Christmas shopping season, maybe
>> not even then. BD will remain a niche for quite awhile, imo.
>
>
> agreed
>
>
>>
>> Really take a look at the BD machines out there. With a
>> couple of exceptions, they are grossly overpriced for the
>> crappy way they operate. Slow loading, firmware upgrades
>> practically everytime a new blockbuster hits the streets.
>> And not a bit more reliable than the $29 el-cheapo DVD player
>> at WalMart, which never needs a firmware update to play all
>> the DVDs out there.
>
>
> geez. as one of the few here (i.e. you)
> who has both players, i was meaning to ask
> you about your experience with each. my
> own 3rd gen A35 is a bit clunky but not
> so bad that it drives me nuts
>
> i did have to upgrade the player from
> 1.0 to 1.3 firmware (a 40 meg ISO download,
> via slow dialup!)
>
> anyway, it will be interesting to see what
> Toshiba does in the next weeks/months.
> somehow i don't see them rolling over
> and dying
>
>
> bill

My only video processors are PCs. I added the LG BD-HD-DVD
player/burner to one PC a short while ago and have played both
HD formats from NetFlix using the PowerDVD software that came
with the drive. The startup time for either format is longer
than any DVD or TV capture file, both of which are instant, but
not so inordinate as to consider abandoning the idea and
certainly way less than a minute. I've inhibited either the
drive support or the player from accessing the internet without
approval, none has been sought so far. Once started, most discs
have gone directly to the main menu, from which I can select the
first chapter, and few have then imposed trailers or even FBI
warnings, though there have been exceptions. For some odd
reason, the Pixar compendium of shorts (on Blu-Ray, I believe)
refused to "Play-All" (or at least, step to the next via remote
after making that choice) but the new menu system is a welcome
change and made that less of an issue.

Up until now I've been concentrating on viewing the HD version
of DVDs which I already have. This next week will be the first
I've ordered new HD/BD material from NetFlix, so this may be the
first time either component seeks updating. So far I've asked
for more Blu-Ray because of DVD matching content, but I've been
equally pleased with HD-DVD playback. The list of older flicks
I'd still like to borrow from NetFlix in HD is lopsided toward
HD-DVD by 13/3.

Sadly, neither format has enough previously unviewed material to
be of much interest right now.

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