Samsung Blu Ray player review

[neil wilkes]

Thanks very much to the member here who sent me this link.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=22593

Note carefully the pathetic audio quality, and the fact that BRD just cannot deliver what Sony promised right now - and by the time they can deliver, HD DVD will have moved on to the next level already.
If it wasn't pathetic it would be funny, really.

I still don't really believe either format will really do much - and if Sony pull the same stunts they did in the last fiasco, then only we will lose out.
Take the long-awaited release of Pulse, for example.
Sacrificed on the altar of Sony's greed.

 

[Manmc]

Just goes to prove what Ive always believed , ie. neither of these formats was actually ready to be launched. Simply upgrading PQ and Special Features without doing something similar to AQ does not warrant an entirely new format IMO.

I find it ridiculous , yet somehow unsurprising that even when trying to launch BRD Sony cannot let go of their philosophy of serial reissues; who would want to buy the 5th Element now knowing that an upgrade (repair job ? ) is already required ?

In 18 months time , 2nd or 3rd gen machines should have proper 1080p ( vc-1/h.264/MPeg4) , Lossless Dolby-True 5.1 , upscaling for standard Dvds , HDMI 1.3 and be Region Freejust to prove that the format(s) proponents are aware that we ALL share just ONE planet

Its usually at this point in my dream that I wake up sweating, berating myself for being so stupid ! But if I can wake up , why cant they ?

~M~

 

[neil wilkes]

Dolby "True" HD is NOT mandated for Blu Ray.
Period. Not even in Stereo.
It is an optional stream. Dolby are really full of so much s**t about this.
The only high resolution multichannel stream mandated for Blu Ray is DTS-HD.
And even the lossless form of this is optional, so the best that HAS to be supplied/decoded is DTS-HD HR, at 24/96 in 5.1 - which will also author to a current DVD-V disc.

 

[JonUrban]

For the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE, I am not an "early adopter"!

Feels kinda nice!

 

[phydo]

For the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE, I am not an "early adopter"!

Feels kinda nice!

Ditto!

Justin

 

[Quadzilla]

I still don't really believe either format will really do much - and if Sony pull the same stunts they did in the last fiasco, then only we will lose out. Take the long-awaited release of Pulse, for example. Sacrificed on the altar of Sony's greed.

See Cai, I am capable of sitting quietly and watching his Sony-bashing from the sidelines without retaliating.

I'm in my happy place, I'm in my happy place ... but if you feel that these comments are constructive ...

 

[Guy Robinson]

Same here. I have put Sony hardware in my list of things to not buy for the rest of my life. Which may be very short due to stress if Sony keeps pissing me off. They join the list with Ford and Salton.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Blu-ray is off to a slow start with more problems than I would have thought, that is clear. I still think the format will eventually be exceptional. Who knows now if the early problems will sink the format, but it is certainly possible. Higher quality movies and a better player better show up quickly. Panasonic, Sony, and Pioneer should all have players available in a few months.

Chris

 

[winopener]

Let's wait 18 months to see *if* one of the two formats survived...

 

[bmoura]

For the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE, I am not an "early adopter"!

Feels kinda nice!

Yes, both formats seem to be off to a pretty slow start. Probably not surprising given the pricing for movies - $29.98 for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray titles and $37.98 for the dual format HD-DVD/DVD formatted discs. Yikes !

 

[JonUrban]

What's amazing is the choice of titles chosen for these launches. Passing by the rack at Best Buy, I wondered to myself, "Why would they release THAT in HD??"

 

[winopener]

Well, now we understand better why in the world of dvd-audio or sacd releases the major seemed clueless... THEY ARE!

 

[bmoura]

Well, now we understand better why in the world of dvd-audio or sacd releases the major seemed clueless... THEY ARE!

The bottom line is that the Major Labels are after big volume. Niche formats and markets don't interest them.

That's why I thought David Kawakami's approach to launching SACD was intriguing. He signed up the small jazz, classical and audiophile labels first before approaching the majors to issue SACDs years ago.

It helped launch the SACD format and after the majors have come and gone, many of the same labels (Telarc, et al) are still supporting it.

 

[winopener]

Thanks Brian,
this is the best confirmation that the major are really clueless, no matter what Kawakami they may meet on their roads.

 

[bmoura]

Thanks Brian,
this is the best confirmation that the major are really clueless, no matter what Kawakami they may meet on their roads.

Another classic example was a conversation with a former Major Label Exec at a trade show during the height of Major Label SACD and DVD-A releases.

He told me the sales volumes on both formats for a typical SACD and DVD-A release were just not going to cut it for the majors. He predicted most of the major labels would become "bored" with the Hi Rez market in a year or two and exit.

Good thing I didn't bet against his take on things. Because that is pretty much how it has played out.

 

[Manmc]

What's wrong with hating Sony ?? Bluray promised , as opposed to delivered so far, better picture quality. There's no proper Mch Lossless as standard so you would wonder how they expect this 'new format' to excite people and get them spending. With Dvd , I and I'm sure many others perceived great benefits and encouraged friends and relatives to join in but i won't be doing that for these formats in their current state. Its hard enough to get 1 new format adopted even without a 'war'.

This inept launch has led some to consider that Sony may have blown it again :

http://www.projectorcentral.com/blu-ray_2.htm

~M~

 

[bmoura]

What's wrong with hating Sony ?? Bluray promised , as opposed to delivered so far, better picture.

At this point neither format seems to be exciting the market. It will be interesting to see if they get traction as time goes on.

 

[JonUrban]

Here's the way to have a REAL format consumer determined shake out.

All studios release every HD release in BOTH FORMATS. Let the buyer decide. This crap about "these" studios doing their films in format A, and these "other" studios doing their films in format B do not allow for a clear winner.

The VHS/Beta war was won because movies were released from all studios in both formats, and the customer was able to decide. If "Star Wars" was only available on Beta, who knows what would have happened.

Same thing with SACD/DVD-A. If every title was available in both formats, who knows?

It takes GUTS for a company to put the stuff out there in BOTH formats and let the market decide.

 

[bmoura]

Here's the way to have a REAL format consumer determined shake out.

All studios release every HD release in BOTH FORMATS. Let the buyer decide. This crap about "these" studios doing their films in format A, and these "other" studios doing their films in format B do not allow for a clear winner.

The VHS/Beta war was won because movies were released from all studios in both formats, and the customer was able to decide. If "Star Wars" was only available on Beta, who knows what would have happened.

Same thing with SACD/DVD-A. If every title was available in both formats, who knows?

It takes GUTS for a company to put the stuff out there in BOTH formats and let the market decide.

Either way, we'll see how the two video disc formats do in the months ahead. So far, neither one is rattling the walls at the Home Theater stores !