The Microsoft/Windows commercials where they give money to supposedly real-life people and they go shop for laptops and pocket any leftover money.

These ads seem to be targeted at Apple, the point being that you can get the same features or more as an Apple laptop for less money.

So in one of them a mother and her son go around and they recite the features of the Windows laptops they check out.

One of the features they cite, in unison is "Blu-Ray!"

You can say it's ironic, if you're being charitable, that the company which did more to try to stop Blu-Ray is touting it as an advantage for their OS.

IIRC one of Microsoft's employees said on these forums that Windows would not directly support Blu-Ray (the early PCs used 3rd-party software for Blu-Ray playback on Windows PCs which came with Blu-Ray drives).

Has that situation changed or is it still 3rd-party software which supports Blu-Ray?

Is MS still trying to push digital distribution over packaged media?

7 has write support but for movie playback you still need 3rd party software.
The really amusing part the Steve called BD licensing "a bag of hurt (http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/10/14/steve-jobs-calls-blu-ray-a-bag-of-hurt/)". So a competitor supports BD more than a BDA member.

Apple is holding out for the next generation of zip drive. Yeah.....

If I remember correct, they were also slow in adopting CD.

It's been a year. How come people complain about Microsoft moving on like every other HD DVD supporting company (besides Toshiba)?

Actually, I see no difference in support from Apple vs. Microsoft. On a Mac you can use Toast to burn to BD-R without a problem; also OS X recognizes and mounts BD discs and you can read/copy files (as long as they aren't copy protected commercial BD movies).

So, the only difference is that you can't play BD movies on the Mac because there is no third party software to do this. Without third party software, you couldn't play BD movies on a PC either.

Don't bring logic into this discussion.
MS has a commercial where a kid says Bluuuu ray and The Steve says BD OMGWTFBBQ.

For anyone interested here is the Microsoft commercial on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qui43P1kztw).

You can say it's ironic, if you're being charitable, that the company which did more to try to stop Blu-Ray is touting it as an advantage for their OS.

Well last I checked VC1 was part of the BD specs from launchday. So its not that ironic.

They didnt try to stop BD other then supporting the other format. Now since HD DVD isnt active anymore. They can support whatever they want.

Its just business. They do what works best for them.

In the ad, I believe the machine they bought was a Sony Vaio, and most of them now come with Blu-ray players. It's definitely a feature and an advantage over Mac books. It's also probably not a stretch to think that Sony partially paid for that advertisement.

Let's also not forget that Sony made VHS players too. It seems Toshiba is the only one who refuses to move on. They cant keep offering laptops with no blu-ray option.

In the ad, I believe the machine they bought was a Sony Vaio, and most of them now come with Blu-ray players. It's definitely a feature and an advantage over Mac books.

And yet there are so many other advantages and features on a Mac...:p Seriously though (well I was only half-kidding;)), I don't think a Blu-ray drive is a necessity, *yet*. It's just a nice extra, and it's quite understandable that Sony is including one on their Laptop line. Personnally I don't care, I wouldn't want to watch Blu-rays on my computer. My HT is good enough.:p

Personnally I don't care, I wouldn't want to watch Blu-rays on my computer. My HT is good enough.:p

After a while your BD collection will have grown, and some would want to take one of their BD movies with them when they travel. Then its pretty handy to have a BD player in your laptop.

You can call it amusing. I'd call it a very good commercial.

When Macs finally do integrate BD, will I have to re-format my blank disks to work on a Mac computer?

They didnt try to stop BD other then supporting the other format.

They only supported the other format to stop BD...

When Macs finally do integrate BD, will I have to re-format my blank disks to work on a Mac computer?

Did you read the thread? You can use blank BD-Rs today with a Mac for burning/reading data. You just need to buy a BD drive (internal or external for Mac Pros, external for iMacs and MacBooks).

They only supported the other format to stop BD...

And why would they want to stop BD?

[QUOTE=Eternal_Sunshine;16434312]They only supported the other format to stop BD...QUOTE]

Not true.

Not true.Ahem:Even after it was clear that Blu-ray would win the DVD format race, Microsoft continued to stand behind the rival HD DVD.

The software maker may have had many reasons, including the fact that its technology was used by HD DVD, but another reason was that Microsoft had promised HD DVD format backer Toshiba that it would do so as part of its effort to win a patent cross-license deal with the Japanese electronics giant[...]"Kelley's team also reaffirmed its support for Toshiba in its battle with Sony over DVD formats," Phelps and Kline wrote. "As she put it, 'we let them know that Microsoft would stick with them till the end.'" http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10203014-56.html

So, the only difference is that you can't play BD movies on the Mac because there is no third party software to do this. Without third party software, you couldn't play BD movies on a PC either.

STILL!!!... yikes BD Has been around for 3 years, and you cant play it on an apple. Lame.

They only supported the other format to stop BD.
Ahem:http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10203014-56.html
When I was growing up there was this old guy on our street who got upset every time he saw a Japanese or German car. Whenever you talked with him somehow he always twisted the topic back to World War II. Even though we won that, he seemed very bitter.

These threads always remind me of him.:D

When I was growing up there was this old guy on our street who got upset every time he saw a Japanese or German car. Whenever you talked with him somehow he always twisted the topic back to World War II. Even though we won that, he seemed very bitter.

These threads always remind me of him.:DWhatever. It takes two to tango, so for each "old guy on your street", there's always one of those Japanese soldiers that never believed the Empire surrendered until they were 70. :p

When I was growing up there was this old guy on our street who got upset every time he saw a Japanese or German car. Whenever you talked with him somehow he always twisted the topic back to World War II. Even though we won that, he seemed very bitter.Please do not take this the wrong way because I know of similar stories. If you had been in his boots it is possible you may have had the same attitude. I would like to remind everyone we may not be having these conversations here if it were not for “old guys” like this.

SP5 Wendell R. Breland
US Army 1966-1968

Companies are not people. They do not have emotions (not usually anyway :) ). They don't hold grudges (not usually anyway :) ). I have already met with some of the top industry people on the other side, and after the first two minutes, we all moved on and talk about the new opportunities ahead of us.

Worst mistake you can make in business is have your emotions override business opportunity. The world of digital media is going through incredible change. There is so much more to do….

They didnt try to stop BD other then supporting the other format. Now since HD DVD isnt active anymore. They can support whatever they want.

Its just business. They do what works best for them.

Of course.
:D

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/08/29/origins-of-the-blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-war/

Please do not take this the wrong way because I know of similar stories. If you had been in his boots it is possible you may have had the same attitude.

Nah, he was just that kind of guy. The funny part, and this is true and still makes me laugh, is he bought his daughter a Geo Prizm because it was an affordable "American" car. She was not allowed to buy a Honda Civic which was made by our neighbors at the nearby factory.

Oh, I just thought of this too...my father-in-law who wa a doctor in the US army in Korea talked us into buying a Korean car about a month ago. :D

I'll bet Blu-ray looks great on that 15" laptop screen. :rolleyes:

I'll bet Blu-ray looks great on that 15" laptop screen. :rolleyes:

My thoughts exactly.. I understand to some extent using it on PC with 20+ inch screen but on smaller then that, there's really no benefit to watching Blu-ray over DVD. Most of those 15" laptops don't even have 1080p capability they are most like 720p. Thus I understand companies who simply don't offer them. In addition, the market share for Blu-ray is stilli minuscule, so I would guess they don't see the reason to offer something that will raise the price of their laptops and make it difficult to compete.

My thoughts exactly.. I understand to some extent using it on PC with 20+ inch screen but on smaller then that, there's really no benefit to watching Blu-ray over DVD. Most of those 15" laptops don't even have 1080p capability they are most like 720p.

It has nothing to do with screensize on its own, but screensize in relationship to screen distance.

Having myself a laptop with a 15 inch 1200P display, I can tell you that I have no problem seeing the difference between DVD and 1080P. The difference between 720P and 1080P may be smaller. But to DVD you can see alot of benefits.

Why, because its not just about "resolution".

DVD has for example a luma of 720*480 (NTSC) and a chroma of 360*240 compared to BD who has a luma of 1920*1080 and a chroma of 960*540.

So while the luma can be hard on the eyes on that screensize, the 6 times increase in chroma will be detectable.

The other thing is that BD has superior compression to DVD. And that will also be noticable.

It has nothing to do with screensize on its own, but screensize in relationship to screen distance.

Having myself a laptop with a 15 inch 1200P display, I can tell you that I have no problem seeing the difference between DVD and 1080P. The difference between 720P and 1080P may be smaller. But to DVD you can see alot of benefits.

Why, because its not just about "resolution".

DVD has for example a luma of 720*480 (NTSC) and a chroma of 360*240 compared to BD who has a luma of 1920*1080 and a chroma of 960*540.

So while the luma can be hard on the eyes on that screensize, the 6 times increase in chroma will be detectable.

The other thing is that BD has superior compression to DVD. And that will also be noticable.

True, but how much, now that's the real question. If people don't appreciate the difference that is clearly noticable on 40+ inch TVs, how are they going to appreciate something on a 15". I certainly don't need Blu-ray to watch movies on my laptop because personally I don't think that difference of $200-$300 in laptop price will be justifiable for what I get.

Not that I watch movies on my laptop that much anyways :D

Well if they're going to stuff BR drives, they might as well make them writable, try to help drive down media prices.

Good, quick way to archive media collections.

I, for one, would like the option of a BD player on a 15" laptop (or any laptop) as long as it included an HDMI connection and had dual monitor capability. That's how I'm running my desktop. I use the analog out for the montor and use the DVI out and convert it to HDMI to drive a 50" display. While I have a standalone BD player, it would be really cool to have a ligthtweight 32" LCD display outside on those warm summer nights we get in Seattle :), hook up the laptop, and watch either a BD or any other HD downloaded material. It's also great because of the portability we can have TV nights at other locations like my parent's beach place. Nope, BD in a laptop makes perfect sense to me.

HDMI connection sure.

But other advantages may be software upgradeable to support new features, kind of like the PS3, then maybe some hacks for things like getting around region coding (not sure this is as much of an issue for Blu-Ray as it was for DVD -- aren't US and Europe the same zone?).

Maybe if there's some advantage to ripping to HDD too.

On the amusing front, check out this quote from Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton:

The panel was about the future of filmmaking, but that didn’t mean anyone had to like what they saw. “I’m a guy who doesn’t see anything good having come from the Internet,” said Sony Pictures Entertainment chief executive officer Michael Lynton. “Period.”

http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/memo-pad-uniqlo-nabs-deyn-bad-internet-classic-martha-2136751?src=rss/recentstories/20090515#/article/media-news/fashion-memopad/memo-pad-uniqlo-nabs-deyn-bad-internet-classic-martha-2136751?page=2


Nice to see the CEO of a Sony company with such a broad view of the world. I wonder if that means that he believes online gaming via the PS3 and BD-Live all fall under the category of not "anything good". :D

Special thanks to jvillain for digging through fashion blogs to find this link!

there's always one of those Japanese soldiers that never believed the Empire surrendered until they were 70. :p

I remember reading about that, Shoichi Yokoi in the jungled wilderness of the Philippines for 30 years.

I'd have bought the kid a $500 laptop from Dell and told him to be happy that he had a laptop at all. I doubt Lisa would have been willing to spend $1,500 of her own money on a laptop for her eleven-year-old son.

I haven't bought a laptop over $1,000 in years and don't expect to spend that kind of money on a computer ever again. My next purchase will probably be a $300 netbook on which I plan to run Ubuntu.

You can't play BluRay on Linux, can you?

I don't want to play Blu-ray on Linux; I have a PS3 and an HDTV for that. And why would I want to anyway? The increased resolution wouldn't matter that much on an 8-10" netbook screen. Indeed the netbooks have no optical drives, so if I wanted to play anything I'd need to rip it or use an external drive.

More generally, I could play BD on Linux if I first ripped them with a well-known product from an offshore site. Plus there's always the virtual machine option. Win7 runs fine in a Virtualbox VM on top of Ubuntu 9.04, even on a machine with only 1 GB total physical memory.

My comment was more about the notion that people should be spending over $1,000 on a PC for a kid. When my daughter got to high school, I bought her a Dell Dimension 640m which cost just under $1K at the time. Now that the equivalent machine is around $600, I'd be looking at those. Her previous machine was a refurbished desktop that cost about $500 including a monitor.

For many people, the advantage ordinary PCs have over Macs is the price differential. Suggesting that you need to spend $1,500 to get a decent notebook seems like a good ploy for Sony (who no doubt contributed to the cost of the ad), but not such a good idea for Microsoft, or for other manufacturers appealing to people without gobs of money to spend on computers.

BTW, what video subsystem do you think is in that Sony the kid bought? I'm guessing it's this machine (http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/sony-vaio-vgn-fw140e/4507-3121_7-33088924.html?tag=mncol;psum) (with the Blu-ray upgrade) with Mobile Intel GM45 graphics. Most serious gameplayers would probably scoff at the notion that this is a machine that's ready to play many modern games. We couldn't even install Oblivion on my daughter's laptop with a 945 chipset, and that was a few years ago now.