Disney approves 51GB HD DVD

It's interesting but I doubt it means anything at all...

Sounds promising.... but no HD DVD players support triple-layer discs!

While it is not likely it has not been concluded that triple layer discs don't play in current players.

They are testing this at the moment.

And you can bet that Disney is keeping their HD DVD option open should ther BD plans fail.

I don't know where I saw this, and I not trying to start a rumor, but I do recall reading on some forum a while back that there was a Gen 1 player on display (at a show maybe?) playing a prototype 51g disk. (???) Doubtful, but 'ya never know.

Steve

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[Post edited by StevePro on Nov 20, 2007]

Wouldn't they have to test these 51GB disks on current HD DVD players BEFORE approving it? How else would they approve something without seeing first hand that it actually works?

I'm gathering all the information I can right now for a news piece. I'm trying to establish contact to the DVD Forum and HD DVD representatives and ask them several questions about the new HD DVD discs.

Stay tuned.

Hopefully it will just require a firmware update. That would be the best move for everyone.

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Wouldn't they have to test these 51GB disks on current HD DVD players BEFORE approving it? How else would they approve something without seeing first hand that it actually works?

Good point man. They wouldn't know if it would work without trying it? And if no players currently play it they'd not know if they work. It would be good if they released these discs, would give Blu Rays 'more storage' argument a swift kick to the teeth.

I thought the HD-DVD spec was finished?
I thought 30gb was supposed to be enough and 50gb is overkill?
You still wont get the video bitrates blu-ray offers, though.

My thinking exactly. Just WHAT are they going to use those 51g disks for anyway? 2 or 3 movies on one disk? Useless extras? Useless games like on the DisneyBD releases? Etc, etc...

Maybe a complete TV series season or something.

"My thinking exactly. Just WHAT are they going to use those 51g disks for anyway? 2 or 3 movies on one disk? Useless extras? Useless games like on the DisneyBD releases? Etc, etc... "

I'm thinking that, now Blu-ray cant say anything about storage capacity. Its probably useless but that was what Blu-ray billing.Like I read somewhere with HD DVD you can have a ferrarri for half the price. HD DVD offers the same sound the same display the same capacity and you get it for half the price. HD DVD also offers web enabling, still for haf the price of a BLU-ray.

Blu-ray currently has a 100 Gb prototype being developed by Hitachi that will simply require a firmware upgrade in order to work. You can see the Engadget article on it here:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/03/hitachis-100gb-blu-ray-disc-drive/

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[Post edited by bubblebathgirl on Nov 20, 2007]

Meh, I think that's a bit premature. First of all, it's still a prototype in development stages. Second of all, Sony is notorious for making things incompatible (all the different PlayStations). Third, isn't that a bit overkill? If anything, that would probably only be used for data and not for things like movies anyways.

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Blu-ray currently has a 100 Gb prototype being developed by Hitachi that will simply require a firmware upgrade in order to work

(Sigh). Will this ever end? It sounds like the "My disk is bigger then your disk game which we played in the locker room in the 7th grade." Well, maybe not bubbles...

Besides, WHO CARES???!!!! 99.9% of all the people out there will never need a 100gb disk, not to mention being able to actually afford one!!!

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Blu-ray currently has a 100 Gb prototype being developed by Hitachi

That's why bluray will be useful as a storage medium in the computer world. For hidef video 50GB is overkill. 100GB of space on a disk will be great for storing data files however. For movies, it's absolutely pointless.

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[Post edited by Falcon01 on Nov 20, 2007]

Ok so if Dreamworks is filing for divorce from Paramount ( I mean that is the on going rumor) then I will take this as Uncle Walt divorcing from SONY and Blu Ray. Let the trumpets sound, the war will be over alot sooner than everyone thinks.

I never got why Disney wasn't format neutral in the first place. I've never seen the House of Mouse actually cut itself off from a revenue stream.

btw...100 gigs! that's good for nothing but data storage anyway and wouldnt be a factor in this hi-def format war because at some point one-upping space limits turns silly. It won't be impressive until we get into terrabytes.

100Gb BR drives & media (for backup) are already useless when I can get a brand name external 500Gb USB drive for $99.

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[Post edited by shawnwc on Nov 21, 2007]

Shawn thats a good point. However if you need to transfer really big files (graphic designers, architects come to mind), being able to save it all on one disk and take it with you makes things a lot easier. However I doubt anyone would need anything close to 50GB for that so 100GB is again overkill.

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[Post edited by Falcon01 on Nov 21, 2007]

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100Gb BR drives & media (for backup) are already useless when I can get a brand name external 500Gb USB drive for $99.

agree aswell. i mean this is HD movie playback, who cares about backups, specially at this point.

Well I'm sure Sony believed that BR was going to produce revenue streams in all directions... Console sales, hardware licensing, software licensing, duplication housing, retail products, PC devices, backup/writable media... and on and on and on.

Now that Sony is losing ground in the movie arena, data backup may be their best bet to avoid those departments catching an hatchet in the head... I suspect that's why we're hearing about the 100Gb discs.

And if Disney has in fact NOT voted on previous HD-DVD specs... this is a VERY important milestone... I can see Disney 3 years from now talking about how they've believed and worked on the HD-DVD spec since 2007.... and we'll all remember how Disney scolded us for supporting HD-DVD... not that that will stop me from buying Cars or Rattatoulle on HD-DVD.

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[Post edited by shawnwc on Nov 21, 2007]

You guys kill me. Please show me where HDDVD has taken over. HDDVD said the same thing about the 50 gig BD disk, that it was not needed for movies and then lord behold here they come with the 51 that might not even work in current players. If it wasn't needed why develope it. The Transformers is proof that more storage is needed. I sure hope that they do play your triple layed disk cause it's going to be hell to pay if they don't from HDDVD owners. That's why you get it right first and not rush out and buy something just cause it has a pretty picture.

yeah...that right! You get it right first....or just release firmware updates until you do! Erm...unless they make your first player obsolete to playing that content and you need to buy another, more current one.

wait....what was Blu-Ray doing right?

"The Transformers is proof that more storage is needed." --Tony

A reminder that the Blu-ray editions of all three "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies use two-disc sets.

John

Rush to market??? 1.1 ring a bell???

Fact is most HD movies with audio can fit on 15Gb-20Gb. My point was that prior to this week, lots and lots of BR fanbois were raving about the space difference, and how THAT made all the difference between BR & HD-DVD... and now that HD-DVD will do 51Gb, I'm hearing about how BR will do 100Gb.

Wah wah wah. Matters nothing at all. I took extras on a second DVD for what - 10 years??? Barely ever popped one in. What's important? Let's check

1920x1080 resolution & VC1 support
5.1, DTS & TrueHD for those that can
Ethernet Port (for updates & web content)
Dual Tuners
Price

Movie selection too, but that can all change without effecting early adopters (ie, if HD-DVD wins Disney can make HD-DVD movies and they'll work on my player).

Telling me now that choosing HD-DVD is a bad idea because BR is developing a 100Gb disc is silly. I've spoken with my wallet, and will continue to. The more I can get, the more I will speak.

The firmware upgrades do a LOT more than people are apparently aware of (I know this from speaking to the techs about it). Accessing a 3rd layer is a matter of where to focus the laser within the multiple layers of the DVD (HD DVD, in this case). A "4th" layer is highly unlikely, given the restrictions of the minimum depth requirements for the substrates, or the problems that might be created by making a disc a slight bit thicker. However, I wouldn't put it past the HD DVD consortium to explore that possibility down the road. I would think that all of the HD DVD players - even the XBOX 360 HD DVD drive - can be upgraded to play a 3-layered HD DVD. If not... I would hope that some serious rebate offers would be available to anyone who owns a machine that can't be upgraded!

Let's hope that if Disney "finally" decides to release their library on HD DVD... that their first "NEW" HD transfer is a fully-remastered version of "The Rocketeer." That movie is not even enhanced/anamorphic on regular DVD! They also better dip into their pockets and get Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly - and possibly Timothy Dalton, into the studio for a running commentary track for the remastered version. When we shell out our hard-earned dollars for a movie on HD DVD... we expect to get what we paid for (and I'll gladly pay 35-40 dollars for The Rocketeer on HD DVD - if they deliver the above, plus all the usual extras we come to expect)!

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that their first "NEW" HD transfer is a fully-remastered version of "The Rocketeer." That movie is not even enhanced/anamorphic on regular DVD!

Yeah, it plays full matted. I'm with you, I LOVE that movie.

It is rumor that at steering committee meeting, someone tickled Disney CEO Robert Iger as a reflection, he raised his hand. Disney's CEO reaffirms commitment to Blu-ray.