Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
February 2002
February 2002
Well, "Super Up Conversion" will always be a nice feature to have in a video product.
I imagine that they could include this in "Download/Streaming" set top box that had a DVD drive as well. Team up with XBOX Live, Blockbuster, Netflix and/or Amazon that all has (or will very soon) a download service for movies and you would have quality good for most people.
If they want they can also license the feature to various AV receivers, DVD/Blu-ray players, projectors, TVs, Gaming Consoles and much more.
No matter how it is used - Good up conversion is always welcome.
[Post edited by Henning on May 9, 2008]
I imagine that they could include this in "Download/Streaming" set top box that had a DVD drive as well. Team up with XBOX Live, Blockbuster, Netflix and/or Amazon that all has (or will very soon) a download service for movies and you would have quality good for most people.
If they want they can also license the feature to various AV receivers, DVD/Blu-ray players, projectors, TVs, Gaming Consoles and much more.
No matter how it is used - Good up conversion is always welcome.
[Post edited by Henning on May 9, 2008]
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
February 2002
February 2002
Quote:
But if Toshiba did come out with a player in 2 years with improved upconversion...
It is 2009, so you mean 1 year, right?
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
October 2007
October 2007
Henning,
It's 2008, so technically fall of 2009 would be about 1.5 years. Regardless, we haven't seen any actual announcement from Toshiba, but last I heard they were considering the technology for their panel TVs sometime in 2009 - which is probably a more logical place to put the technology (rather than in a DVD player). All standard sources can then be "upconverted", including cable TV. You don't need to duplicate the technology within every source device in your house.
Even with HD sources increasing over the next few years, there will be a demand for upscaling/deinterlacing standard-def material for a long time to come. There is no "magic" bullet, and other companies like Silicon Optix are also working hard to continually improve the performance of their products.
I don't see this having to do anything with Blu-ray, nor do I see "upconversion" of standard cable TV killing HD cable adoption in the future either. Granted, the industry has succeeded at creating some customer confusion in the difference between upconverted standard sources and high definition sources (such as by advertising DVD players as having 1080p full HD output!).
The demand for upconverting DVD players is bound to decrease over the next couple years, as consumers with HDTVs become more tuned into what high-def is and realize that these players can only playback standard DVD media. In 2 years, I would guess that more HDTV owners would want a Blu-ray player with superior upscaling capabilities for the DVDs they still have in their collection - rather than a dedicated machine for the purpose.
It's 2008, so technically fall of 2009 would be about 1.5 years. Regardless, we haven't seen any actual announcement from Toshiba, but last I heard they were considering the technology for their panel TVs sometime in 2009 - which is probably a more logical place to put the technology (rather than in a DVD player). All standard sources can then be "upconverted", including cable TV. You don't need to duplicate the technology within every source device in your house.
Even with HD sources increasing over the next few years, there will be a demand for upscaling/deinterlacing standard-def material for a long time to come. There is no "magic" bullet, and other companies like Silicon Optix are also working hard to continually improve the performance of their products.
I don't see this having to do anything with Blu-ray, nor do I see "upconversion" of standard cable TV killing HD cable adoption in the future either. Granted, the industry has succeeded at creating some customer confusion in the difference between upconverted standard sources and high definition sources (such as by advertising DVD players as having 1080p full HD output!).
The demand for upconverting DVD players is bound to decrease over the next couple years, as consumers with HDTVs become more tuned into what high-def is and realize that these players can only playback standard DVD media. In 2 years, I would guess that more HDTV owners would want a Blu-ray player with superior upscaling capabilities for the DVDs they still have in their collection - rather than a dedicated machine for the purpose.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
February 2002
February 2002
I agree. It would fit perfectly in TVs, projectors etc.
What it comes down to is again, price. If they can get the cost of the technology down there will always be the need for up scaling of images.
And no, up scaling will not have a big impact on Blu-ray. DVD and download will as we already have debated many times.
[Post edited by Henning on May 9, 2008]
What it comes down to is again, price. If they can get the cost of the technology down there will always be the need for up scaling of images.
And no, up scaling will not have a big impact on Blu-ray. DVD and download will as we already have debated many times.
[Post edited by Henning on May 9, 2008]
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
October 2007
October 2007
Quote:
If they can get the cost of the technology down there will always be the need for up scaling of images.
Yeah, and when TVs with 6000x4000 resolution come out, we'll need some pretty powerful upconverters to make our Blu-ray movies look better
Quote:
And no, up scaling will not have a big impact on Blu-ray. DVD and download will as we already have debated many times.
I have no idea what you mean by DVD having a big impact on Blu-ray. Blu-ray is the new technology DVD the old, and all technology follows classic life-cycle curves of adoption and obsolescence. No one expects these curves to magically deviate for the first time in history, and have newer technology replace the older instantly. This isn't how it works. But we do have classic signs that DVD is in its downward slope of its life-cycle.
As far as downloading or VOD, I think it's a valid rental model that will obviously take market share away from conventional B&M rental outlets over the coming years.
[Post edited by Skyhawk on May 9, 2008]
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
Toshiba + Super Up Conversion = A day late and a buck short!!!
Come on now, can Toshiba be serious on this?
They are forecasting the release of this product about a 15 months from now...and expect to take on the proposed $200-$300 Blu-ray players that are expected to be common place in the market?
Unless Toshiba plans this unit to sell well below the $100 mark, this product will be another dead before arrival product.
And let's not even consider the competition from the existing so-called upconverting products already saturating the sub $100 market.
Aside from geeks and videophiles, is the average consumer even going to give a damn on this technology?
Hell, most people think that their squished out, analog cable, 4:3 ratio picture stretched out to 16:9 is High Definition
I know Toshiba too has deep pockets, but they can ill afford to take a hit on another wasted technology...
Toshiba, get back into bed with Cannon and release the SED television that you promised me 2-1/2 years ago
[Post edited by r-u-serious on May 9, 2008]
Come on now, can Toshiba be serious on this?
They are forecasting the release of this product about a 15 months from now...and expect to take on the proposed $200-$300 Blu-ray players that are expected to be common place in the market?
Unless Toshiba plans this unit to sell well below the $100 mark, this product will be another dead before arrival product.
And let's not even consider the competition from the existing so-called upconverting products already saturating the sub $100 market.
Aside from geeks and videophiles, is the average consumer even going to give a damn on this technology?
Hell, most people think that their squished out, analog cable, 4:3 ratio picture stretched out to 16:9 is High Definition
I know Toshiba too has deep pockets, but they can ill afford to take a hit on another wasted technology...
Toshiba, get back into bed with Cannon and release the SED television that you promised me 2-1/2 years ago
[Post edited by r-u-serious on May 9, 2008]
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
No offense Love. BLU-RAY players will not be $300 for 09' Too Soon for that. I say by Summer of 10'.
Skyhawk, we have seen Toshiba and others release product in the First and Second Quarters before, not always a fall product line up.
Toshiba, not like they are going to read this. Might be too late for this invention...
Japan is always the first beta test market. We may never see this hit shelves in North America. An if we do, Toshiba is hard up for sales, or we'll see it in 10' when the Blu-Ray prices hit sub $300.
Skyhawk, we have seen Toshiba and others release product in the First and Second Quarters before, not always a fall product line up.
Toshiba, not like they are going to read this. Might be too late for this invention...
Japan is always the first beta test market. We may never see this hit shelves in North America. An if we do, Toshiba is hard up for sales, or we'll see it in 10' when the Blu-Ray prices hit sub $300.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
March 2008
March 2008
The first Super Upconversion product is Toshiba laptop.
Quote:
but last I heard they were considering the technology for their panel TVs sometime in 2009 - which is probably a more logical place to put the technology
Also in DVD players, confirmed yesterday.
Quote:
All standard sources can then be "upconverted", including cable TV. You don't need to duplicate the technology within every source device in your house.
It's sort of like MPEG2 chip. It's in your TV set, DVD players, cable boxes, duplicated everywhere.
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I don't see this having to do anything with Blu-ray
Well then Blu-Ray fans have nothing to worry. Let high-end customers have their Blu-Ray players, while the mass consumers go for Super Upconversion DVD players.
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the demand for upconverting DVD players is bound to decrease over the next couple years
That's not what NPD says. DVD upconverter sales up 5%, Blu-Ray player sales down 38% this year. In fact, Blu-Ray player sales is so low NPD refuses to disclose them.
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I would guess that more HDTV owners would want a Blu-ray player with superior upscaling capabilities for the DVDs they still have in their collection
Or skip Blu-Ray feature and stick with DVD, since Super Upconverted output is almost as good as Blu-Ray to 95% of population.
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Come on now, can Toshiba be serious on this?
Yes.
Quote:
They are forecasting the release of this product about a 15 months from now...and expect to take on the proposed $200-$300 Blu-ray players that are expected to be common place in the market?
$200 Blu-Ray players won't be common place in Fall 2009 it won't exist at all.
Quote:
And let's not even consider the competition from the existing so-called upconverting products already saturating the sub $100 market.
Remember, this is not upconversion, but super upconversion. 960p quality out of existing DVD is what Toshiba's trying to sell here.
Quote:
Aside from geeks and videophiles, is the average consumer even going to give a damn on this technology?
They will notice the price difference between Super Upconversion DVD players and Blu-Ray players.
Why pay $30 for 1080p Blu-Ray discs when you can get 960p out of $5 bargain bin DVDs?
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
February 2002
February 2002
Quote:
I have no idea what you mean by DVD having a big impact on Blu-ray.
It comes down to if you believe that Blu-ray will ever outsell DVD in term of discs. DVD did it to VHS but I'm not sure Blu-ray can do the same to DVD. However, download has a real chance of doing it.
Blu-ray will no doubt continue to grow the next five years or so which is great and benefits the consumer. However, I find it doubtful that it will have the 10 years of growth that DVD had.
Also, it took Apple five years to beat conventional stores in terms of music with the iPod and the iTunes Music Store. I know it is another ball game with movies in terms of file size, set top boxes etc. but eventually price, ease of use and connivence will win the crowd over. Not megabits and X number of pixels.
Again, with music. Portability, instant gratification, fair prices, ease of use and timing was the reason of iTunes tremendous success. It made people accept that the sound was in lower quality than CDs.
[Post edited by Henning on May 9, 2008]
Friday, May 9, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
Super-upconversion is not the same thing as DVD2, is DVD2 following a different release time line??
Might we see that one sooner than later, since Panasonic is reported to be working on DVD2 along with Toshiba...
Still waiting to see what a Quad-Layer, Red Laser player can do.
2 layers MPEG-2, 2-Layers MPEG-4
Supposedly you would end up with a HD disc that would still play in an existing DVD player, or when inserted into a DVD2 player the resolution would be around 960p.
Super Up-Convert that, and I think I'll need to buy a new TV set to replace my outdated 1080p one
Might we see that one sooner than later, since Panasonic is reported to be working on DVD2 along with Toshiba...
Still waiting to see what a Quad-Layer, Red Laser player can do.
2 layers MPEG-2, 2-Layers MPEG-4
Supposedly you would end up with a HD disc that would still play in an existing DVD player, or when inserted into a DVD2 player the resolution would be around 960p.
Super Up-Convert that, and I think I'll need to buy a new TV set to replace my outdated 1080p one
