sounds familiar - http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/c64web.html , and was desegned for browsing etc using a crt which as others have pointed out were perfectly achievable even on the original c64s etc.
Both solidify the current system of "we distribute, you bu¥, and no copying"
Well, you weren't paying much attention. HDDVD allowed for copying to PMPs, Home Jukeboxes etc - the format was actually designed with 'fair use' in mind.
And one of the many advantages of HDDVD is that it supports managed copy to get these files onto (no cracking required as suggested further up) media 'jukeboxes' or pmp's. Again, another consumer friendly feature (like no region encoding and fully defined standard) that blu-ray doesn't have. It suprises me that in an environment such as slashdot, where championing the right to the product - not the media - that bluray seems to be the favored son.
There you have it. Even though 'the war is over' etc. You'd go and buy a HDDVD player knowing that. and You aren't likely to be the only one - add this to the numbers who will buy the cheapest HD device they see and suddenly you've got a large proportion of the consumer space with HD DVD players and who are the perfect market for films on HDDVD.
I think the HDDVD consortium is missing a trick.
ALL media sales are suffering as people don't know which HD format to choose, and are worried about buying DVDs now as they know they'll want to replace them when they do decide which format to go for.
Fewer HD DVDs are being released in the 'killer' dual format (HD one side, DVD the other), which is a shame. What I propose is for the HDDVD backers to actually STOP selling "HDDVD" discs and players.........
hear me out - instead the exclusive studios only release their DVDs with "bonus HD versions" on side two and a leaflet inside the box saying that the owner will enjoy the DVD but why don't they try out the fantastic version on side two? Back this up with a SHORT (ie not annoying) intro feature (using the no-skip feature they all love) and you've grabbed all the current DVD purchasers. At the same time, the manufacturers don't release HD DVD players - they turn their lines into 'HD ready' DVD players or 'DVD+HD'(similar to DVD-A being added as a feature).
this is a two pronged approach that introduces people buying current DVDs and assures them their purchase is 'future proof' whilst people buying new machines are drawn in too. In both cases the average consumer is being given something for free (which they're not really. The machines and discs are the same as being sold currently), which everyone loves.
this also gives people the ability to watch a HD disc on all those other devices they and their friends own. There are millions of car in-dash, car over-seat, portable, notebook, PC, console and just 'round mum and dads' players out there which will still be able to use THE SAME DISC. (a poster above mentioned how he wanted something that his kids could watch in the car so he'd stick with DVD - well, there's no reason to make that distinction in this case)
Selling your DVD media and Players with a copyrighted 'HD Media ready' logo, similar (and thus familiar) to those found on new displays gives the consumer a nice warm fuzzy feeling and sales will boom.
Thing is, and your point was raised by others above, that this is not a new or 'upgraded' console as such.
It is a console incorporated into a STB/PVR and the two are integrated. There are no new features for games designers to develop for - if this comes about, a game will work on the xbox 360 and the toshiba entertainment hub.
Microsoft have said all along that they wouldn't do things like, for example, allowing the HDdiscs to carry games as this would stop owners of older consoles enjoying the games. Until a completely new console (360 II, 720, whatever) comes along you will find that owners of the original first editions will be able to play the same games as any of the newer versions.
so, you wanted the bbc to sign up with a single distributer and you would force everyone to use their download service/software with all it's associated extras, rather than providing a clean system? (why is forcing people to use iTunes any better than providing a simple player/downloader? )
I still wonder why people think that the BBC 'HAS' to provide the player for different platforms. Tthey are required to as part of the approval to create the service, but that's different to being morally obliged to.
In the 1930s there were two platforms for television - Baird 240-line transmission and EMI electronic scannning. If slashdot were around back then, then auntie would have been told that they were not supporting all the public and that, by choosing the EMI system, they were supporting one manufacturer over another (which is a very bad thing, apparently).
Slashdot Mirror
sounds familiar - http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/c64web.html , and was desegned for browsing etc using a crt which as others have pointed out were perfectly achievable even on the original c64s etc.
A year down the line and it does what she wants it to do
But surely, not having to spend a year getting it right would be better? I'd much prefer to just load windows and get on with it.
Nothing to do with firmware. The Xbox HDDVD implementation was [i]all[/i] software.
Well, you weren't paying much attention. HDDVD allowed for copying to PMPs, Home Jukeboxes etc - the format was actually designed with 'fair use' in mind.
And one of the many advantages of HDDVD is that it supports managed copy to get these files onto (no cracking required as suggested further up) media 'jukeboxes' or pmp's. Again, another consumer friendly feature (like no region encoding and fully defined standard) that blu-ray doesn't have. It suprises me that in an environment such as slashdot, where championing the right to the product - not the media - that bluray seems to be the favored son.
There you have it. Even though 'the war is over' etc. You'd go and buy a HDDVD player knowing that.
and You aren't likely to be the only one - add this to the numbers who will buy the cheapest HD device they see and suddenly you've got a large proportion of the consumer space with HD DVD players and who are the perfect market for films on HDDVD.
I think the HDDVD consortium is missing a trick. ALL media sales are suffering as people don't know which HD format to choose, and are worried about buying DVDs now as they know they'll want to replace them when they do decide which format to go for. Fewer HD DVDs are being released in the 'killer' dual format (HD one side, DVD the other), which is a shame. What I propose is for the HDDVD backers to actually STOP selling "HDDVD" discs and players......... hear me out - instead the exclusive studios only release their DVDs with "bonus HD versions" on side two and a leaflet inside the box saying that the owner will enjoy the DVD but why don't they try out the fantastic version on side two? Back this up with a SHORT (ie not annoying) intro feature (using the no-skip feature they all love) and you've grabbed all the current DVD purchasers. At the same time, the manufacturers don't release HD DVD players - they turn their lines into 'HD ready' DVD players or 'DVD+HD'(similar to DVD-A being added as a feature). this is a two pronged approach that introduces people buying current DVDs and assures them their purchase is 'future proof' whilst people buying new machines are drawn in too. In both cases the average consumer is being given something for free (which they're not really. The machines and discs are the same as being sold currently), which everyone loves. this also gives people the ability to watch a HD disc on all those other devices they and their friends own. There are millions of car in-dash, car over-seat, portable, notebook, PC, console and just 'round mum and dads' players out there which will still be able to use THE SAME DISC. (a poster above mentioned how he wanted something that his kids could watch in the car so he'd stick with DVD - well, there's no reason to make that distinction in this case) Selling your DVD media and Players with a copyrighted 'HD Media ready' logo, similar (and thus familiar) to those found on new displays gives the consumer a nice warm fuzzy feeling and sales will boom.
Thing is, and your point was raised by others above, that this is not a new or 'upgraded' console as such.
It is a console incorporated into a STB/PVR and the two are integrated. There are no new features for games designers to develop for - if this comes about, a game will work on the xbox 360 and the toshiba entertainment hub. Microsoft have said all along that they wouldn't do things like, for example, allowing the HDdiscs to carry games as this would stop owners of older consoles enjoying the games. Until a completely new console (360 II, 720, whatever) comes along you will find that owners of the original first editions will be able to play the same games as any of the newer versions.
yup, baird vs emi system (the bbc supported EMI, that's evil )
so, you wanted the bbc to sign up with a single distributer and you would force everyone to use their download service/software with all it's associated extras, rather than providing a clean system? (why is forcing people to use iTunes any better than providing a simple player/downloader? )
They've been trialling multicasting over the past year or two with several ISPs so the serving is offloaded to the ISPs local infrastructure. http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/18/2257257 for info on plans to extend it. Talking of infrastructure, there are worries from a lot of ISPs that the iPlayer will bring their networks to a grinding halt http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2007/08/13/uk-isps-to-limit-access-to-bbcs-iplayer-streaming-content/ with plans to charge for usage.
I still wonder why people think that the BBC 'HAS' to provide the player for different platforms. Tthey are required to as part of the approval to create the service, but that's different to being morally obliged to. In the 1930s there were two platforms for television - Baird 240-line transmission and EMI electronic scannning. If slashdot were around back then, then auntie would have been told that they were not supporting all the public and that, by choosing the EMI system, they were supporting one manufacturer over another (which is a very bad thing, apparently).