I was looking at Amazon at their new movie download service and was wondering if anyone has tried this on their projector. Is the quality good enough for large projection. I really wish technology would move faster concerning this issue. The industry is milking the consumer on Blu-ray. Why can't we just download High Definition movies? I have my PC hooked up to my projector and HD clips look just as good as Blu-ray. I would pay 30 percent more to not have to go to the video store. There is your solution for global warming. Think about all the gasoline we would save from people not driving to the video store every year. Just solved the war on terror, Bush.

I was looking at Amazon at their new movie download service and was wondering if anyone has tried this on their projector. Is the quality good enough for large projection. I really wish technology would move faster concerning this issue. The industry is milking the consumer on Blu-ray. Why can't we just download High Definition movies? I have my PC hooked up to my projector and HD clips look just as good as Blu-ray. I would pay 30 percent more to not have to go to the video store. There is your solution for global warming. Think about all the gasoline we would save from people not driving to the video store every year. Just solved the war on terror, Bush.

I use Netflix for blu-ray rentals. No driving to video store.

Downloads wouldn't have all the lossless audio options either. If its not DTS Master Audio or Dolby True HD via download (and I doubt it would be) -- that's a major draw-back.

I use Blockbuster and every blu-ray title is "very long wait" meaning never. Is netflix any better?

I use Blockbuster and every blu-ray title is "very long wait" meaning never. Is netflix any better?

Yes. Since the Blu Only announcement from Netfilx, many have seen "very long waits" go to short waits. I currently have 4 blu rays at home and one regular DVD from Netflix.

My current Netflix Queue:
12 Blu Ray: Now
7 Blu Ray: Short Wait
6 Blu Ray: Long Wait
2 Blu Ray: Very Long Wait

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=969946&page=20

As to the direct download, I belive they are SD DVD quality. I have done a few direct downloads from netfix and they seem to be less quality than DVD.

A Blu Ray movies are 30+ GB. Even at my 6 MB/S download speed, that is still a LONG download. Someday direct download may be viable for 1080p content, but I would see that as 5+ years away.

I use Blockbuster and every blu-ray title is "very long wait" meaning never. Is netflix any better?

It is now (as of Monday) - since the announcement they were dropping hd-dvd.

But if you join it will make it harder for others -- so actually it still is bad :D

The industry would love to stop physical distribution of content altogether. This is why they are dragging their feet releasing titles on the HDM formats. HD downloads are an inevitability and you will be stuck with compression. So many people are watching VOD and iTunes now that the market for lossless codec based audio and video is dwindling.

Mediocrity is the standard. Pure profit is the goal.

The industry would love to stop physical distribution of content altogether. This is why they are dragging their feet releasing titles on the HDM formats.

I disagree. Most HD releases are day and date with DVD. DVD is very profitable for the studios. They get most movies turned around from big screen to DVD quickly.

As to older movies, disk sales are less profitable for older movies. There is less demand and therefore incentive to get the movies out. Plus many older movies need to be remastered to be acceptable in HD.

If it were true that the studios aren't interested in physical distribution of HD content, they wouldn't have invested hundred of millions of dollars in a format war.

HD content direct download is not feasible with today's bandwidth. A major bandwidth upgrade will be needed before HD content direct download is acceptable.

HD content direct download is not feasible with today's bandwidth. A major bandwidth upgrade will be needed before HD content direct download is acceptable.


HD-VOD and Streaming HD is already available in most markets.

I agree..... what a joke I Tunes is... for that mater.... all MP3 music is low quality.

The industry would love to stop physical distribution of content altogether. This is why they are dragging their feet releasing titles on the HDM formats. HD downloads are an inevitability and you will be stuck with compression. So many people are watching VOD and iTunes now that the market for lossless codec based audio and video is dwindling.

Mediocrity is the standard. Pure profit is the goal.

I disagree. Most HD releases are day and date with DVD. DVD is very profitable for the studios. They get most movies turned around from big screen to DVD quickly.

Yes, DVD is profitable, now, years down the road. HDM is still a huge loss and if they only release the top 100 movies every year in BD format, it is never going to be profitable. Sony is invested in this battle for the royalties, not the media distribution. Toshiba makes billions on DVD royalties and Sony needs this money to stay in business.

Is Blu-ray Gone Baby Gone

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was looking at Amazon at their new movie download service and was wondering if anyone has tried this on their projector. Is the quality good enough for large projection. I really wish technology would move faster concerning this issue. The industry is milking the consumer on Blu-ray. Why can't we just download High Definition movies? I have my PC hooked up to my projector and HD clips look just as good as Blu-ray. I would pay 30 percent more to not have to go to the video store. There is your solution for global warming. Think about all the gasoline we would save from people not driving to the video store every year. Just solved the war on terror, Bush.
Yes, DVD is profitable, now, years down the road. HDM is still a huge loss and if they only release the top 100 movies every year in BD format, it is never going to be profitable. Sony is invested in this battle for the royalties, not the media distribution. Toshiba makes billions on DVD royalties and Sony needs this money to stay in business.

Why do I get the feeling you gents are HD DVD supporters?
Perhaps you should take this thread to the appropriate forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=114) where these ideas have been discussed incessantly.

ted

Why do I get the feeling you gents are HD DVD supporters?
Perhaps you should take this thread to the appropriate forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=114) where these ideas have been discussed incessantly.

ted

Thanks thread police...

Go read the OP again and then find your own way back where you came from.

Thanks thread police...
Yep that's me.:rolleyes:
I guess you haven't been paying attention to what has been happening to AVS over the last few years.

Go read the OP again I did, I guess my reading comprehension is poor but I can't see where this has much to do with pjs less than $3K so you will have to clarify. However, in deference to the short phrase "good enough for large scale projection": Sure if low bandwidth streaming satisfies you or perhaps your pj is 800x600 data rated (see this *is a pj forum).

and then find your own way back where you came from.

Civilization, where reading comprehension and civility (see my mention of AVS in the last few years) counts for something?

ted

OP asks has anyone played any movie downloads over their PJ and specifies his reasons. Because of the named format, several posts appear talking about how that format is obtained. I opine that the VOD and download formats are probably going to replace physical media, trying to aim at getting back to download/streaming formats since the OP wondered wht those looked like on a PJ. A few differing opinions are offered to my opinion and suddenly tvted pops in with accusations and a directive to take it elsewhere. I comment on this abrupt input and suddenly I am lectured on civilization and reading comprehension. Weird...

OP: I have not tried the Amazon movies but I do have a laptop hooked up by VGA to my PJ and I watch 720p mkv files from the net from time to time and they look good.

Yes, DVD is profitable, now, years down the road. HDM is still a huge loss and if they only release the top 100 movies every year in BD format, it is never going to be profitable.

Here are the top 100 selling DVDs for 2007:
http://www.the-numbers.com/dvd/charts/annual/2007.php

How many of them were not 2006 or 2007 releases? Seven.

The top fifty gross was almost $5 billion in sales. The total 100 gross sales were $6.5 billion. I would argue that the top 50 movies released every year will outsell all others cobined. The top100 is where the profit is. The rest is just filler.

As to direct download, I have not used Amazon's. I have used Netflix. It is inferrior to regular DVD. However it is a nice feature.

When extra high speed internet is as common as phone service, direct download will proabably be a big money maker for the studios. Until then, it is just an "up and comer".

OP asks has anyone played any movie downloads over their PJ and specifies his reasons. Because of the named format, several posts appear talking about how that format is obtained. I opine that the VOD and download formats are probably going to replace physical media, trying to aim at getting back to download/streaming formats since the OP wondered wht those looked like on a PJ. A few differing opinions are offered to my opinion and suddenly tvted pops in with accusations and a directive to take it elsewhere. I comment on this abrupt input and suddenly I am lectured on civilization and reading comprehension. Weird...

OP: I have not tried the Amazon movies but I do have a laptop hooked up by VGA to my PJ and I watch 720p mkv files from the net from time to time and they look good.

Oh my.

Good analysis.
It is now considered wrong to point out that there are places where this discussion is taking place with dedicated said threads i.e DOWNLOADING (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=874782).

May I point out that with your claim to "lecturing", it was you who told me to reread the original post and suggested I should return to where I came from. If you have any issues with the appropriateness of my post I suggest you report me - feel free.

So I will simply make this the last time I "pop in" and state that given the overwhelming astuteness of your critical breakdown regarding the event chain, you win. The last word is yours.

ted

Here are the top 100 selling DVDs for 2007:
http://www.the-numbers.com/dvd/charts/annual/2007.php

How many of them were 2006 or 2007 releases? Seven.

The top fifty gross was almost $5 billion in sales. The total 100 gross sales were $6.5 billion. I would argue that the top 50 movies released every year will outsell all others cobined. The top100 is where the profit is. The rest is just filler.

As to direct download, I have not used Amazon's. I have used Netflix. It is inferrior to regular DVD. However it is a nice feature.

When extra high speed internet is as common as phone service, direct download will proabably be a big money maker for the studios. Until then, it is just an "up and comer".

Right - DVDs, not HDM. There's no argument that DVD is very profitable and as you pointed out, a lot of dvds that are selling are not even recent releases.

Apple, Inc makes nearly all their profit from iTunes and iPods. A large majority of people think the highly compressed audio and video they offer is "good" enough for them. Also, a large enough percentage of the market has access to broadband to cause the media industries to skew towards that group.

It is my concern that those who prefer a higher definition, better format for audio and video are going to be left out as well as those who do not have access to broadband simply because the profit model shows that they do not need to cater to you in order to make their bottom line.

Take a look at the VOD market. It is hot and picking up speed. Service providers are making good money by providing this service. Movies and tv will all be on servers soon, just not your server.

Comparing DVD to HDM is a valid comparison. Just as DVD beat Divix and VHS, HDM will be the short term successor to DVD. As larger TVs sell, consumers want the better picture. The format war has kept many people on the sidelines. But now that Blu Ray is so far ahead, more and more people will be joining the HDM camp. Personally, I wanted Sony to lose the war. But I finally jumped in two weeks ago with a Blu Ray.

As to Ipods, when you are watching a movie on a 3.5" screen, you can compress all you want and not lose alot of quality. But when you have a 50", 60" or 100" screen, consumers want the best picture possible.

I have an Ipod that works fine when I'm working out or jogging. But when I want to listen to quality music, I don't use the Ipod. Most of the Ipod sales are to teens. Most Blu Ray and 50" plasmas are for adults.

I see the VOD and HDM markets as mostly separate and so should manufacturers.

Movies and music are essentally the same. The magnetic tape has been replaced by the cd which has been replaced by MP3 for music. Movies are next, and I hoping fast. However, the media industry and the consumer will quickly trade quality for convience. The issue is that what satisfies someone with a 40" TV sitting 12 feet away might not satisfy someone with a 110" projection screen sitting 12 feet away. I was just curious how these movie downloads look on the big screens. Blu-rays are nice but it is crazy to have to wait. Americans don't have patience. I think the VOD technology is going to grow faster than anyone imagined. Personally I thought video stores would be extinct 10 years ago.

Movies and music are essentally the same. The magnetic tape has been replaced by the cd which has been replaced by MP3 for music. Movies are next, and I hoping fast. However, the media industry and the consumer will quickly trade quality for convience. The issue is that what satisfies someone with a 40" TV sitting 12 feet away might not satisfy someone with a 110" projection screen sitting 12 feet away. I was just curious how these movie downloads look on the big screens. Blu-rays are nice but it is crazy to have to wait. Americans don't have patience. I think the VOD technology is going to grow faster than anyone imagined. Personally I thought video stores would be extinct 10 years ago.

I have watched some of the "free" HD on demand offerings on cable. In my experience HD VOD as delivered by Comcast, when viewed on a 106" screen, is equivalent to SD DVD upconverted by my Toshiba HD-A2 -- it is very good but not as good as "real" HD. It is good enough for me but I would not pay to watch any of the programming that costs extra.

No. Not until it is feasible for streaming 1080p content with the new advanced audio codecs at a bit rate that maintains the same quality we get with the current optical formats.

Its the same reason I still buy CD's and shy away from digital music downloads. MP3's sound like crap.

There is still a LOT to be said for quality over convenience.

I use Netflix instant download on my 37" TV that we sit 10' from, and it looks great. It would NOT look good at all on a 100" screen from 12'. I also have a crapload of mp3's on my mp3 player. They sound great through my headphones when I'm running or doing housework, but I wouldn't listen to them on the home stereo.

I'm anxious to see the implementation of the Netflix/LG set top box that's supposedly coming out later this year for HD downloads.

Okay
Now that I've waded through all these posts including the personal and the acrimony maybe my question will be appropriate here and not subject to any police action - YIKES this is a expression restrictive forum - probably due to greed and fear of offending sponsors and advertisers!

Sorry - I have an under $3000 projector. My son wants to buy us a D-Link wireless device that acts as a wireless entertainment hub and it runs on our wireless home network.

QUESTION - If I download streaming movies via our Netflix account if I can transport that content to this hub which will connect to my PJ via HDMI cable will it look worth a toot spread to a 120 inch diagonal on our screen???

This hub gadget seems like a neat thing - if I can watch streaming HD movies using it.

Any thoughts sincerely appreciated.
Thank You

I googled the Netflix/Lg partnership and it looks like exciting stuff. Wonder what Blockbuster is going to do to counter. It's funny in a few years I think the optical storage device will lose market share. Everything will go to flash memory. If you think about how long DVDs were the norm there is no way Blu-ray will see the same success. I just wish as a society we could pick a format and stay there for a while. Constant upgrades are breaking the bank. My kids are going to be pissed when they can't go to college.

Okay
Now that I've waded through all these posts including the personal and the acrimony maybe my question will be appropriate here and not subject to any police action - YIKES this is a expression restrictive forum - probably due to greed and fear of offending sponsors and advertisers!

Sorry - I have an under $3000 projector. My son wants to buy us a D-Link wireless device that acts as a wireless entertainment hub and it runs on our wireless home network.

QUESTION - If I download streaming movies via our Netflix account if I can transport that content to this hub which will connect to my PJ via HDMI cable will it look worth a toot spread to a 120 inch diagonal on our screen???

This hub gadget seems like a neat thing - if I can watch streaming HD movies using it.

Any thoughts sincerely appreciated.
Thank You


The DLink DSM-520 supports up to 1080i - as long as the downloads are HD then it ought to look great.

Thanks for that information. It's the 520 that he wants us to try.

How does this thing do sending other content to our projector.

Reason I ask is I have thought of buying a BluRay internal read/write drive for my PC and my QUESTION this time is can I play a HD BluRay disc in my PC and have it look reasonably HD to my projector/screen using the D-Link hub?

Thank You

My comment to the qhery of how can we afford to keep up with the upgrades is don't worry - be happy with reasonable viewing quality.

We have a HUGE collection of standard def movies. The advent of up conversion for this content satisfies us. They look really good upconverted on our 56in HD TV and most look good enough even when streached across the projector's 120 inch diagonal image.

Incremental image improvements - to us - aren't worth the forklift upgrade of equipment and disc type. I believe that eventually the home PC with have the power and software to turn most any old content into the High Definition image of the current day.

I would consider investing in dual or stereo projection for 3D - now in selected theaters and WAY too expensive for the consumer - for now.

Now true 3D would be a true evolutionary step in home theater projection and I want it but til I can have it up converted standard def looks good enough for us on our projector.

I think Microsoft missed the boat on this one. They should have partnered with the cable compaines long ago to run their OS on the cable boxes. Internet looks really nice on a 50" plus screen. Then VOD would have been a seemless transition.

VOD would be okay IF the price point for content is low enough driven by providers recognizing volume = lower user fees.

Otherwise I would prefer to use the various ways available to allow me to keep the content I like to see at home and so have my personal "on demand" availability.

I think Microsoft missed the boat on this one. They should have partnered with the cable compaines long ago to run their OS on the cable boxes. Internet looks really nice on a 50" plus screen. Then VOD would have been a seemless transition.Microsoft actually did in 2004. Microsoft's TV Foundation Edition software on Comcast cable boxes. I think it was somewhat of a failure, as it never seems to have gotten widely deployed. Google "Microsoft TV Foundation Edition".

Actually I was referring to running Windows on the cablebox. Just make the cablebox a PC. I mean if you think about it we are paying for redundant technologies. There is a computer in our PCs, there is one in our cableboxes, one in our gaming systems and one in our DVD players. It would be so much cheaper and so much more seemless if all these technologies were confined to on piece of equipment. All other TVs in the house could be networked to the main PC. Again the consumer is getting milked.