Iron Man on Blu-ray - May Have Dodged a Missile

[admin]

In true super-hero style - Iron Man might have narrowly avoided a near disaster. No, it wasn’t an explosive missile from his arch-nemesis in the film, Iron Monger played by Jeff Bridges. Instead it was something that could have been devastating for the film’s Blu-ray release and possibly delivered a spot of damage to the Blu-ray format overall.

Discuss "Iron Man on Blu-ray - May Have Dodged a Missile" here. Read the article.

 

[mike c]

ack. all my dvd/bd purchases are waiting for Iron Man to release before i hit the order button.

 

[birdonthebeach]

Imagine that.... blu-ray having a techie problem........

 

[Seth=L]

Imagine what it would be like now if HD DVD had won the format war. HD DVDs would be starting at $20, players around $100 (maybe some cheaper generic ones would be available).

*sigh*

Now just look what we have to put up with. This supposedly "superior" format is still outlandishly expensive and quirky.

 

[gus6464]

Imagine what it would be like now if HD DVD had won the format war. HD DVDs would be starting at $20, players around $100 (maybe some cheaper generic ones would be available).

*sigh*

Now just look what we have to put up with. This supposedly "superior" format is still outlandishly expensive and quirky.

At least look at the bright side. If HD DVD would have won we would have never got Transformers with HD audio or Iron Man with HD audio.

 

[Wayde Robson]

At least look at the bright side. If HD DVD would have won we would have never got Transformers with HD audio or Iron Man with HD audio.

Wasn't Batman Begins (HD DVD) the first high-def disc to feature a high-res soundtrack.

Not to re-open an old debate because I am firmly entrenched in Blu-ray technology over at the Wayde Home Theater:

However...

There is no way I will be convinced that Blu-ray was/is not an inferior technology - hobbled together too quickly and pushed out the door to compete with HD DVD. It's problems continue to haunt the format to this day and Iron Man is one more example.

The ONLY reason the boisterous majority fell on the side of Blu-ray is one simple numeric value...

the number 50 > 30 (psst... that's the dual layer capacity of each format)

If Blu-ray and HD DVD were purely memory or storage technologies that would be the end of it... Blu-ray would be better. But it was never that simple.

Sony used BD+ (a term I can scarcely spit from my mouth without complete derision) scandalously convinced the studios (ahem...FOX) to side with BD even though it was an untested, ill-conceived and in the end damaging method of content protection.

Convincing the studios there really was a Santa Clause was Blu-ray's slam dunk.

BTW...

Where are we on that class action lawsuit against Samsung for their early BD players... BD-P1000 / 1200?
http://www.courthousenews.com/2008/02/08/BluRayNewark.pdf

I have since fallen in line with Blu-ray and own Panny's BD-30. Let's face it...

...it's a crying shame that there are people out there with HDTVs and they're just using it to playback DVDs and SD television. Even HD digital cable and Satellite is far too compressed to show off the real image quality of HDTV.

 

[ivseenbetter]

Amen Wayde

 

[dobyblue]

The ONLY reason the boisterous majority fell on the side of Blu-ray is one simple numeric value...

the number 50 > 30 (psst... that's the dual layer capacity of each format)

Ah but that's not the number that convinced the majority of CE's and studio's to support Blu-ray - it was 54.825 > 36.55

While HD DVD was great for three studios with limited releases per month, it was never designed to handle 1080p with lossless audio for all studios with a mass market release schedule.

Even Amir stated that Microsoft could only handle so many encodes per month in an attempt to "wring out all VC-1 has to offer" - in his own words.

Sony used BD+ (a term I can scarcely spit from my mouth without complete derision) scandalously convinced the studios (ahem...FOX) to side with BD even though it was an untested, ill-conceived and in the end damaging method of content protection.

You couldn't be more incorrect. BD+ was Fox's brain child, co-developed with Panasonic. As Panasonic is the biggest giant in the Blu-ray consortium it took very little to convince the BDA to add BD+ to the specifications. The majority of BD+ testing goes on at the PHL.

It was only damaging to Samsung as they were behind the 8-ball on testing their hardware to conform with specs, thus resulting in them looking a little lost in October 2007 when FF4SS was released. Every manufacturer is welcome to send hardware to PHL for testing, that's part of what it's there for in addition to doing all the Disney and Fox BD encodes.

BD+ so far has been successful in doing what it was designed to do, which is keeping the new codes off the market for a 3-4 week window. There are other parties currently interested in adopting it based on the last year's results.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

DTS-MA is better

At least look at the bright side. If HD DVD would have won we would have never got Transformers with HD audio or Iron Man with HD audio.

I'm still not sure if that really matters.

I was disappointed with Transformers' TrueHD.

One BD reviewer mentioned that he thought the Iron Man's Dolby Digital sounded better than the TrueHD. He later said the DD was 4 or 5 dB louder than the TrueHD.

I have never heard of such volume issues with DTS-HD MA, have you?

 

[jostenmeat]

Let's face it...

...it's a crying shame that there are people out there with HDTVs and they're just using it to playback DVDs and SD television. Even HD digital cable and Satellite is far too compressed to show off the real image quality of HDTV.

+1

Displays have outclassed the sources feeding them for years now, and that's starting to change with the modest proliferation of BD. This includes 720p displays.

I'd prefer to have a 42" 720p $800 display coupled with a $250 BDP, than a 50" 1080p $2,000 display with SD-DVD and hi-def tv broadcasting combined. With a grand in the pocket.

That's just me. But, my pic will look better, not even close. Source is everything.


edit: mikey c, sorry about that! we all know that you were waiting too... sheesh

 

[Wayde Robson]

Ah but that's not the number that convinced the majority of CE's and studio's to support Blu-ray

You bring some interesting info Doby... thanks for that, really.

An old format war debate is about as interesting to me now as rehashing the merits of Adolf Hitler's attack on Russia.

So, anything that follows is written devoid of emotion - I am not some militant HD DVD fanboy. We're just two guys discussing an old format on a friendly forum, free of venom. I think I have learned something from you...

I knew Fox was somehow connected to BD+. I had heard they demanded something above and beyond the standard HDCP.

But come on! You actually think it's been successful? Isn't it the root of every compatibility issue?

I have been the proud owner of two Samsung BD players (post BD-P1200)... For a profile 1 player with no LAN they sure relied on firmware updates a lot!

In fact I think I've owned every profile 1 BD player made for < 1 month each.

With the BD-P1500 I remember suffering through TWO release dates... the date a new Blu-ray disc was released (eg. 3:10 to Yuma which I couldn't wait to see) ... then I had to wait for Samsung to release the patch so I could watch it. That is just unacceptable.

And I like Samsung and I think Korea is a cool country... kamsamnida.

------

I don't know if I believe in what - "HD DVD was ever designed to do..." It's difficult to prove - although you could be right, it's usually irrelevant.

Think of all the things we do with things that were never part of the original design ... like audiobooks and eating in cars.

HD DVD did a fine job with 1080P and high-res audio formats. In fact the result, while it lasted, was more stable than Blu-ray offerings.

 

[jostenmeat]

Wayde, I believe you when you say you had terrible troubles. I guess it must've been rough out of the gates.

OTOH, I have the same player as you do, the BD-30. How many titles, if any, are problematic for you? Which ones?

I bought my player last year. While I didn't buy the first player ever, I still joined in somewhat early in the game. I've only had one problematic viewing ever, which was "Sunshine", near the end. I haven't put it in since updating to FW 1.6. (btw, do you know what FW they are on, and would you recommend I update? I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it).

OTOH, with my HD-A35 player, I have two problematic discs. Bourne *Ultimatum* near the end, as well as Assassination of Jesse James. I haven't searched for FW yet. And for every HD-DVD I own, I have multiples more in Bluray.

So, my experiences are not similar with yours, but like I said, I did join later in the game. FWIW.

edit: Ultimatum not Supremacy, which I misspelled anyways.

 

[dobyblue]

I knew Fox was somehow connected to BD+. I had heard they demanded something above and beyond the standard HDCP.

But come on! You actually think it's been successful? Isn't it the root of every compatibility issue?

I only meant from the studio's standpoint, not from the buying public's standpoint.

However I believe Samsung are more to blame than Fox for the compatability issues. Most other players were able to come up with firmware upgrades before the BD+ titles launched last October or quickly thereafter. It seemed like Samsung were content to sit back and rest on their "we were the first to market a Blu-ray player" laurels while owners of the Samsung units got so peeved the one dude even launched a lawsuit!

I agree that Blu-ray launched too quickly, but I'm also glad they did. I don't expect everyone to see it the way I see it, but in the long run had everyone supported the HD DVD format and the 2001 Blu-ray Founders never existed I don't think we'd have a 1080p24 medium in the home right now.

The BD+ website is here - http://www.bdplusllc.com/home/list_of_adopters_content_participants_and_eligible_code_developers

You'll notice Fox are still listed as the ONLY participants and code developers. Whenever they change the code it still keeps their big titles out of the piraters hands for a minimum of 3-4 weeks.

 

[Wayde Robson]

hey Joston

the Panny BD-30 (not exact model ## but you know the one) has been great!

I performed one crucial firmware update that went smooth. I haven't performed an update since, I'll check the revision when I get home, I forget what it is. But I remember I needed it to playback a particular movie that could have been Sunshine. I recall the audio going out.

The Sammys I had (the 1500 and bd-UP5000) Were the worst and required updates. I have read the owners forum for the UP5000 and apparently it's come a long way so they might be good now.

I found Sony's BD players were almost perfect - except those early Profile 1 players didn't deocde or bitstream DTS-HD MA. But Sony's loaded fast and had no compatibility issues.

Panny was the first I got my hands on that could do DTS-HD MA. It's been great!

I'll dig up the rev## and let you know.

 

[jostenmeat]

Thanks for the response, Wayde. If you say crucial, I bet it was 1.6 like I did. The main reason, maybe the only reason, for me was to fix the -5 db cut in the LFE.

 

[allargon]

Every HDM player out there has issues--even the highly praised HD-XA2 and the PS3. That $2k Denon can't even internally decode DD+--something a $99 HD-A2 can do.

The studios (Fox, Disney and Paramount--ironically the old DIVX crowd are the biggest culprits!) need to share some of the blame with their half hearted testing. "It plays on the PS3? Ship it!" is no longer good enough.

========SILLY RANT==========
At least the review copies of Iron Man play on the LG BH200. So, Paramount is not following Fox by deliberately crippling all Korean players

 

[Wayde Robson]

I haven't put it in since updating to FW 1.6. (btw, do you know what FW they are on, and would you recommend I update? I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it).

I finally checked it out... I am on FW 1.8. It looks like a 2.2 just came out over the summer. I will get around to it soon. I have been troubleshooting one issue that I think is the BD player... popping in audio. I get it from no other source. I thought at first it was my apt's crappy electrical but I never hear it when I listen to music (from squeezebox) or watch regular TV from the cable box which also uses HDMI.

I just hooked up a DVD player and watched a movie and listened to a few DVD Audio discs at high volume and no pops at all. It's definitely the BD player. I may just sell it if this popping can't be reolved and wait for one to come along that doesn't have this problem.

It's funny, I might have spoke too soon with my love affair with the panny. Although, outside that intermitent audio popping the unit is great. I think the popping has gotten worse because I barely noticed it before. Now it's several times per-movie.

I won't abandon hope until I've tried 2.2. I would always recommend the revision although to tell the truth I probably would never bother with it until there is a problem or a specific feature it offered. I am also of the philosophy "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

[jostenmeat]

Let me know how 2.2 goes, and anything else you find out about it. Sorry about your player. Mine is working well... fingers crossed. I appreciate it, Wayde.

 

[Wayde Robson]

No worries about delays. Iron Man is definitely out there. I got mine I shall be watching the movie again tonight for the first time since opening day the movies.

 

[jamie2112]

I have to get this for my kids now. Is it kid friendly?