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Popular HD DVD Disc Hits a Snag
An anonymous reader writes "Following weeks of headlines touting strong sales for Blu-ray discs, rival next-gen format HD DVD looked like it had its own success story in the making with this week's HD DVD release of the cult hit 'Children of Men.' The disc recieved a stellar review at High-Def Digest, and went on to out-sell the most popular Blu-ray discs on Amazon. But now comes word of apparent incompatibility issues with the Xbox 360 HD DVD player, with some (but not all) consumers reporting that even multiple returns of the disc are unplayable on the format's leading playback device."
A lot of 1st and 2nd generation DVD players had occasional trouble with some DVD titles. Given the complexity of something like DVD, HD-DVD or BluRay it's really to be expected. Both the hardware and software is complex enough, and many Slashdoters know the difficulty of getting both new hardware and software to work together properly.
Meanwhile, pirates have probably ripped the disc and made it available online.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Yes, I am a smart ass; it's better than the alternative.
that broke.
I hope it is, as that might finally make these coalitions focus on developing the better technology for delivering the content instead of protecting it.
It's not worth the risk to release a format that is encumbered with complex copy protection schemes. They WILL get broken, and they WILL cause problems for consumers.
Sometimes the best solution is to stop wasting time looking for an easy solution.
Well - the industry has realized that marketing expensive HD-DVD players is a nightmare, when an Xbox can do that and so much more at a much lower price. Making HD-DVD content unplayable on the Xbox is just another logical step (they have they own special logic). So the question is this - is it a bug, or a feature?
Children of Men was a Hollywood-style blockbuster, a dime a dousin. And it was only recently released. How is it a "cult hit"?
"Oppression and harassment is a small price to pay to live in the land of the free." -- Montgomery Burns.
It was slow, but there were scenes where blood would splatter on the camera lens, and you literally watch a 7 minute, beautifully choreographed sequence with those same splatters on the lens the entire time. It's hard not to appreciate the work it must have taken for the producers to put it all together. Michael Caine is the MAN!
Back on topic: How hard would it be for MS to issue a firmware upgrade through the 360? To me, it seems like the hardware isn't going to (dramatically) change, and that a simple software/firmware upgrade should be all that's required for added functionality (ie: the "follow the white rabbit" schtick on the Matrix DVD...)
It seems, from reading through the forum postings, that some titles work, but the same title fails in a different drive, even if the drive is badged the same. Presumably the Xbox drives are made by different manufacturers and this is the source of the problem. Or possible the disks are pressed in different plants. Either way, that kind of inconsistency seems to be a good reason to avoid the whole thing.
Best Slashdot Co
"The current events overtones with the Homeland Security and illegal immigrant killings/deportations were only for the benefit of attracting those in the reviewer community that hate the US' current administration."
Yep. Never mind that it made no sense in the movie whatsoever. Dwindling population unable to reproduce, forcing people out of the country? Um, what? How does that make sense at all?
Not a surprise to those of us that have followed the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD battle for a while. HD-DVD was rushed to market to compete with Blu-Ray. Their first significant demo in January of 2006 was an embarrassing failure with the disc failing to play. HD DVD Demo a Disappointment
It is amazing the HD-DVD camp hasn't folded yet. Listening to the HD-DVD fans it is clear that rabid hatred of SONY drives their insistence that HD-DVD will win in the end.
People where initially skittish of buy Blu-Ray until the Playstation-3 came out. People where initially skittish about buying a Playstation-3 until Blu-Ray prevailed (supply issues aside). As it becoming more and more clear Blu-Ray will win and win big (currently with a 4:1 sales ratio and GROWING) PS3 and Blu-Ray will now both feed into the success of the other. Sony took a gamble, but it appears to be one that will win big for them despite whatever people may think of their sales practices or DRM attempts.
I for one hope hatred of SONY doesn't keep HD-DVD alive -- I would like to only have to buy movies (any movie I want) in one HD format.
Letter To Iran
God, that's cheap. Here in London it is about $23 a ticket, not including popcorn.
Well, if the world were in that huge state of collapse, you believe the primary concern of the government would be to deport illegals? To the extent were vast amounts of resources were used to control and deport them (let alone be able to)? Please....your bias is showing and it's laughable (along with the film-maker's).
If I were to say that, then yes. You should assume I'm full of shit.
At least that's the default position I take when reading user-posted comment on the internet... People are full of shit until they demonstrate otherwise.