Toshiba Defiant After HD DVD Setback

[evilkat]

We aren't dead yet...just mortally wounded and bleeding to death

I have the PS3 and an Oppo 980, they are about the same in terms of upscaling. I kept the Oppo for watching SD DVDs, however I now use my A2 instead as it is also very good at upscaling.

Does anyone know what chip the PS3 uses for upscaling?

 

[j_garcia]

Yeah, it's good the A2 isn't a complete loss even if the HD DVD format does sink. If you are one of the lucky ones that got it for $100 it's a great upconverting player at that price, the fact that it plays your vintage HD DVDs is a bonus.

I got mine for $79 open box, so no free movies, but still a good deal.

Does anyone know what chip the PS3 uses for upscaling?

It isn't just a chip exactly. I believe it is mainly done with software and the Cell processor; I don't think there is a chip dedicated to upscaling.

 

[evilkat]

Thanks J, I didn't know if the PS3 had some dedicated hardware for BD decoding. Leveraging the Cell architecture makes sense though. Does anyone know if it passes the HQV tests for regular DVD upscaling?

Also is there some standard test for HD image quality (like the HQV one for regular DVDs)?

 

[patnshan]

There is no good reason to not go buy a blu ray player now... the format war is basically over, only Paramount/Dreamworks, and Universal still support HD DVD, and they don't put out enough good titles to overcome blu ray and all of the studios backing it. Right now it seems as though the 40 gig PS3 is the best deal in a blu ray player, as it has some of the fastest load times, and the built in wi-fi makes for easy firmware updates, and you know Sonly will definitely keep the PS3 updated.

Too expensive was my reason before and still is now. Until that changes, I see no mass adoption of Blu Ray occuring.

Pat

 

[j_garcia]

Price will definitely keep it from being adopted by the masses, so we can hope that prices will come down enough for it to take off.

If there is no mass adoption of BD, then HD DVD holds the same fate... Niche or replaced by something else.

 

[Seth=L]

I got mine for $79 open box, so no free movies, but still a good deal.

I totally agree.

It isn't just a chip exactly. I believe it is mainly done with software and the Cell processor; I don't think there is a chip dedicated to upscaling.

If this is true, the PS3 is almost infinitely expandable. If the proper software is updated it could enhance both Blu-ray and DVD playback far beyond anything currently available.

 

[D.R. Payne]

Thanks J, I didn't know if the PS3 had some dedicated hardware for BD decoding. Leveraging the Cell architecture makes sense though. Does anyone know if it passes the HQV tests for regular DVD upscaling?

Also is there some standard test for HD image quality (like the HQV one for regular DVDs)?

There IS a high definition HQV type thing, I'm searching for the precise name right now, but it's been referred to in equipment reviews.

 

[D.R. Payne]

It's called (oddly enough), "Silicone Optix High-Def HQV Benchmark"

 

[alexsound]

Does anyone know what chip the PS3 uses for upscaling?

Potato.......

 

[mtrycrafts]

It's not a huge deal, but it does get a little annoying when you have to remember that R1 skips chapters and R2 fast forwards and that there's no stop button (you have to go through an on-screen menu to stop the darn movie!).

Well, this may not be a huge deal for some, but it certainly is for others. This is yesterdays remote programming, not today's and tomorrows.

 

[Thunder18]

Circle is also a stop button on the PS3's sixaxis controller. You don't have to go into a menu to stop playback.

 

[j_garcia]

Circle is also a stop button on the PS3's sixaxis controller. You don't have to go into a menu to stop playback.

Yep. All the basic functions are on the controller. You can also quit with the PS button, unless that is what you are referring to already.

 

[majorloser]

I should have know that HD-DVD was doomed to die.

Both Tom and I bought one

 

[aberkowitz]

Yep. All the basic functions are on the controller. You can also quit with the PS button, unless that is what you are referring to already.

I was referring to the triangle button to bring up the menu. Didn't realize circle was stop... all of the other functions have their shortcuts marked in the menu- guess that's one problem solved! Either way, I'll be ecstatic once logitech releases a bluetooth compatible remote.

 

[ivseenbetter]

I sure would like to see one format or the other win...but I don't think that is going to happen yet. HD-DVD has been told it was dead before and it didn't want to listen. I think it may be awhile before one or the other dies.

Sony still has to finish the job by reducing prices and in the meantime I think a lot of people who just don't know any better are going to keep buying HD-DVD players. How many people (who know what this means) realize that WB is stopping HD-DVD production? In the meantime people are going to keep buying these cheap HD-DVD players. And then they will start buying HD-DVDs to go with it...or they will see how good SD looks on it and just buy regular SD disks because they are so cheap. Then they will tell a friend how cheap it was to buy this HD-DVD player and how great all of their movies look on it and that friend will go out and do the same.

It ain't over yet folks. I think it is too late for either to win personally.

 

[evilkat]

Potato.......

I knew there was something fishy there

It's called (oddly enough), "Silicone Optix High-Def HQV Benchmark"

Strange how few places actually use these benchmarks. One thing I've noticed in HT review places is how hard it i to find sites that actually display these benchmarks on product reviews (I know AH does...but they don't review a lot of products). If u take the PC market, you'll have benchmarks leaking out the wazoo for everything from USB read/write speeds to fan revs/s

 

[bandphan]

The only other downside of the PS3 is the remote issue- you can only use a bluetooth remote (the PS3 controller or add-on remote) to control the thing, so you cannot program commands into an IR/RF universal remote. It's not a huge deal, but it does get a little annoying when you have to remember that R1 skips chapters and R2 fast forwards and that there's no stop button (you have to go through an on-screen menu to stop the darn movie!).

http://www.schmartz.com/product.sc?categoryId=1&productId=4

try that

 

[GlocksRock]

It ain't over yet folks. I think it is too late for either to win personally.

I disagree somewhat with this... I think blu ray has basically won the format war, but I think by the time the public is ready to transition away from sd dvd, there will be some other format, or medium that will be better... and I don't think that will be streaming media either, America doesn't have the infrastructure in place to support the bandwidth needs, not to mention the greed of the corporations that supply the bandwidth. Not everyone is willing to pay $50+ per month just for the broadband connection, let alone paying for downloadable content on top of that.

 

[aberkowitz]

http://www.schmartz.com/product.sc?categoryId=1&productId=4

try that

Thanks- but $50 is probably more than I want to spend on something like this....
I do love this quote from the product description- "Do not mistake this device with other competing products. This one actually works."

I'm in a bit better mood today so I think I'll complain less.

 

[aberkowitz]

I... and I don't think that will be streaming media either, America doesn't have the infrastructure in place to support the bandwidth needs, not to mention the greed of the corporations that supply the bandwidth. Not everyone is willing to pay $50+ per month just for the broadband connection, let alone paying for downloadable content on top of that.

The lack of infrastructure is absolutely correct. The US has one of the lowest broadband penetrations among developed countries, and much of that broadband is at speeds well below (e.g. DSL) what would be needed to deliver streaming downloads. I would guess that it will be at least 5 years before digital downloads is even offered as a viable option- and it's probably going to be buggy and incredibly expensive- even moreso than BD/HDDVD are today.