Industry Insiders Q&A MASTER THREAD [separate thread for Xbox/Add On & PS3]

[RobertR1]

To any BD insider:

Can we get a few questions answered about porn please.

1. Does the BDA prohibit replication of Porn to all it's licensed authoring and replication partners?
2. Is there anything in the license that states that a replicator cannot produce porn titles or the license can be pulled for such content?
3. Why are American Porn studios saying that they can't get their porn titles on BR where as there is BR porn is Japan?
4. Could the porn studios pool their resources and get a license for authoring and replication of BR porn content? Would they be turned down?

Anything else you can add to clarify the BDA stance on porn authoring and replication would be grateful.

Thanks,
Robert.

[Schlotkins]

Amir-

I was just thinking about the Toshiba 1.5x speed upgrade to the standard. I'm sure they aren't that slow, but make sure they update all 3 disc types to 1.5x from 1x if they are going to change the standard. I mean, the drives would have to spin at that speed anyway, so why have different bandwidths depending on disc size. (Of course, I can see a bandwidth vs. capacity mismatch, but...)

Thanks,
Chris

[Kosty]

Before it gets lost, could any other insider respond to this issue in the thread listed below?

How practicable is network storage acting as extra capacity adn bandwidth for HD DVD and Blu-ray?

Does HD DVD’s 30 GB w/ home network storage have more future capacity than BD's 50GB?

Does any insider have any thoughts on this paradigm?

Does HD DVDs mandatory network & persistent storage specs trump BDs disc space?

Discussion thread and my longer post explaining my thoughts on the subject here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=788514

[Scorch98]

Amir,

I am a budget conscious HD owner who is still trying to optimize my HD experience. I own a Toshiba 56HM66 (1080i) DLP HDTV. I also own the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on and a 4-year old Sony receiver (sorry, I don't have the model number handy). I have been told that for video cables:

HDMI>Component (RGB)>S-Video>Composite (RCA)

and for audio cables:

HDMI>Digital Optical>Composite (RCA)

I'm sure all of this will ultimately depend on all of the various specs of each piece of equipment, but as a general rule, this is what I've been told.

If this is the case, why does the Xbox 360/HD-DVD not have an HDMI output? Will this be a possible upgrade/fix in the future? Is the (currently) best possible connection for the Xbox 360/HD-DVD to use the component video into my HDTV and the digital optical directly into my receiver?

This may be more of a troubleshooting question better suited for a different venue, but I figure you would be more knowledgeable than anyone else I get on a 800-number line, so I'll ask you anyway. I frequently lose all audio (zero sound for a second or two) during high activity moments (lots of gunfire, explosions, etc.) while playing Halo 2 on the Xbox 360. I have not noticed anything like this any time else (watching HD-DVDs, TV, CDs, etc). What is the likely cause of this problem: old receiver/speakers, faulty optical cable between the 360 and receiver, or simply a glitch with Halo 2? I would like to figure out the most likely culprit without spending hundreds of dollars to replace an old (but otherwise perfectly functional) receiver.

Thank you.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by RobertR1

To any BD insider:

Can we get a few questions answered about porn please.

1. Does the BDA prohibit replication of Porn to all it's licensed authoring and replication partners?
2. Is there anything in the license that states that a replicator cannot produce porn titles or the license can be pulled for such content?
3. Why are American Porn studios saying that they can't get their porn titles on BR where as there is BR porn is Japan?
4. Could the porn studios pool their resources and get a license for authoring and replication of BR porn content? Would they be turned down?

Anything else you can add to clarify the BDA stance on porn authoring and replication would be grateful.

Thanks,
Robert.

Robert,

These questions have been addressed in other posts, but for clarity:


1. Does the BDA prohibit replication of Porn to all it's licensed authoring and replication partners?
No


2. Is there anything in the license that states that a replicator cannot produce porn titles or the license can be pulled for such content?
No

3. Why are American Porn studios saying that they can't get their porn titles on BR where as there is BR porn is Japan?
This is a business policy decision on the part of the replicators being approached.


4. Could the porn studios pool their resources and get a license for authoring and replication of BR porn content? Would they be turned down?
I think there are enough authoring companies out there that one or more of them will handle this work. If a given adult entertainment company wants to buy Blu-print from us, we will sell it to them. Replication is another matter because even as big as the adult industry is, it is not likely to have the resources to buy or build a replication plant. My advice to them is to outsource the replication overseas where plants may be more relaxed about handling this kind of product.

[TrevorS]

Originally Posted by YONEXSP

Guess us A1 users are sh*&t out of luck again

We just have to wait our turn. We had no reason to expect an update ramping up to the A2 release, and no reason to expect one immediately following it given the likelihood of firmware correctable issues coupled with the upcoming release of the XA2. Now that both those are out, we can still expect some crimping in light of the forthcoming A20, though that one should be mostly a hardware change, plus anything that pops up with the XA2.

I wouldn't hold your breath just yet for a G1 update -- I reckon it could be another three months.

[amirm]

Originally Posted by Scorch98

Amir,

I am a budget conscious HD owner who is still trying to optimize my HD experience. I own a Toshiba 56HM66 (1080i) DLP HDTV. I also own the Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-on and a 4-year old Sony receiver (sorry, I don't have the model number handy). I have been told that for video cables:

HDMI>Component (RGB)>S-Video>Composite (RCA)

Correct except that the difference between HDMI and Component is very, very close. Component signals for example are routinely used in broadcast world (HDMI is not although there is the equiv. SDI standard).

and for audio cables:

HDMI>Digital Optical>Composite (RCA)

Correct although there is also the option of analog interface which works again, pretty close to HDMI (and depending on the audio path in your receiver and the quality of the box, may actually outperform HDMI but we won't go there )

If this is the case, why does the Xbox 360/HD-DVD not have an HDMI output?

Per above, component (and VGA) are able to produce absolutely top notch picture quality. Every HDTV already has component input and with no handshaking problems, component can be an excellent alternative to HDMI for HD output.

The HD DVD option uses the 360 output which is VGA (for 1080p) and Component (for 1080i). So that is the explanation for that.

Now, I am not saying it is bad to have HDMI. I personally wish the 360 had it. But I don’t run that P&L and the Xbox folks are pragmatic and go where the market is (which last year when the box launched, clearly had more component connections in the installed base than HDMI).

Will this be a possible upgrade/fix in the future?

If you own a 360, then component/VGA outputs are your only option. Per above, there is little that needs fixing in this scenario. We have driven the 360 with HD DVD test discs and can fully resolve 1080p signals on appropriate displays. So you are not losing anything as far as quality. And if you have a TV with a single HDMI, you can save that for something else and use the component for 360.

Is the (currently) best possible connection for the Xbox 360/HD-DVD to use the component video into my HDTV and the digital optical directly into my receiver?

Correct. Note that you have two options here: VGA and component so you may want to play with that to see what gives you the best picture as this is dependent on the display you use.

I frequently lose all audio (zero sound for a second or two) during high activity moments (lots of gunfire, explosions, etc.) while playing Halo 2 on the Xbox 360. I have not noticed anything like this any time else (watching HD-DVDs, TV, CDs, etc). What is the likely cause of this problem: old receiver/speakers, faulty optical cable between the 360 and receiver, or simply a glitch with Halo 2? I would like to figure out the most likely culprit without spending hundreds of dollars to replace an old (but otherwise perfectly functional) receiver.

Is you amplifier by any chance shutting off the output due to clipping? Turn the volume down on it and see if it still happens and listen for a clicking sound which is the relay shutting off the output to your speakers. Synthetic sounds could go very loud, causing your receiver to clip/and or generate “too much DC-offset” resulting in the protection circuit shutting off the sound. Of course, I am just guessing but try reducing the volume and see if that helps. If it does, then it is time to buy a new receiver if you want to enjoy things at that level .

[RobertR1]

Paid,

Thank you very much for the summary. Much appreciated

[Talkstr8t]

Originally Posted by RobertR1

To any BD insider:

Can we get a few questions answered about porn please.

1. Does the BDA prohibit replication of Porn to all it's licensed authoring and replication partners?
2. Is there anything in the license that states that a replicator cannot produce porn titles or the license can be pulled for such content?
3. Why are American Porn studios saying that they can't get their porn titles on BR where as there is BR porn is Japan?
4. Could the porn studios pool their resources and get a license for authoring and replication of BR porn content? Would they be turned down?

Anything else you can add to clarify the BDA stance on porn authoring and replication would be grateful.

Paidgeek responded authoritatively, but I'd just like to add that, based on the most recent press I've seen (last Friday), Vivid still anticipates a new release of Debbie Does Dallas on Blu-ray, which would certainly suggest it can be done. Further, I have to think the (over-18) PS3 demographic will be far too compelling for the porn industry not to find a solution for Blu-ray replication. I can think of few industries more adept at finding free market solutions than they are...

[Talkstr8t]

Paidgeek, I'd just like to provide my compliments on the information you've been providing here. While you're presumably part of Sony Pictures, you've been able to find timely information from SCEI and even Fox (Kingdom of Heaven), which has greatly increased the quantity and quality of Blu-ray input here.

- Talk

[MidnightWatcher]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

Our sales office gets reports from at least two sources, one of them is a Nielsen company. They can report actual register sales for the formats. And yes, Blu-ray has been ahead as of late December.

Blu-ray software (movie only) sales? Blu-ray stand alone player sales? I presume you're lumping the PS3 in there as well? As for software sales (movies), are you including the number you've bundled with the PS3 and Sony standalone? Are you including recordable Blu-ray media in there? PS3 games?

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by MidnightWatcher

Blu-ray software (movie only) sales? Blu-ray stand alone player sales? I presume you're lumping the PS3 in there as well? As for software sales (movies), are you including the number you've bundled with the PS3 and Sony standalone? Are you including recordable Blu-ray media in there? PS3 games?

My comments are only on BD movie disc sales.

[archibael]

I keep seeing commentary from people in the press and on the forum here that Blu-ray "requires" AACS... unfortunately, the press gets stuff wrong more than half the time and while this forum is notably better about these things, I don't recall seeing an insider comment on this. So here goes:

1. Does Blu-ray require that the content of ROM disks be protected with AACS?
2. Does Blu-ray require that the content of -R and -RE disks be protected with AACS? If so, how does this work for user-generated disks?

This is in the context of an Inquirer article someone referenced which dissed BD in several ways, but one of them was that you could easily burn data to an HD DVD disk, or even a DVD-9, but could not do the same with BD-9. Don't get me wrong: Charlie "I Heard a Rumor" Demerjian has a questionable track record, and it seems counter-intuitive to me that this would be the case, but I've heard it enough times I want to ask for definitive answers.

[MidnightWatcher]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

My comments are only on BD movie disc sales.

Including those that have been bundled and sold with players?

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by TomsHT

Paidgeek, I'd like to ask if this is more of a personal choice to come on here and answer questions or is it a business decision sactioned by your company? Thanks in advance

I decided to start posting based on my own observation that more available, accurate, BD information would good for us (SPE) and the format and on the recommendation of other posters like Penton-man. My employer is aware of this and supportive (at least so far...). My problem is that I cannot always devote the time to sift through the questions that come up. I would be grateful to get a PM if I miss one.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by MidnightWatcher

Including those that have been bundled and sold with players?

No, based on retail sell-through.

[joshd2012]

paidgeek,
Will video encodes be uniform across territories? Or will Europe have a different encode then the US?

[hellokeith]

Amir/Ben,

Originally Posted by amirm

This is why HD DVD players encode advanced audio codecs in the player. That way, any HDMI receiver or one with analog multi-channel can be used without compromise.

Did you mean to say "decode"?

What does the HD DVD spec mandate for audio content? Is it different for primary content vs. additional disc content/extras?

[wnorris]

Including those that have been bundled and sold with players?

Nielson Videoscan is the source of that information. It is for sell through BD movies only. From the copy of the numbers I've seen, the statement that BD outsold HD-DVD for that one week is correct. However, I don't believe it has kept the lead since then.

Currently, I think the two formats are at parity. A big CES release list from Sony may make sales jump a bit, and BD wins that week. But then a new release week with several new HD-DVD's sway it back to HD-DVD's side. Back and forth...Back and Forth. Can insiders with better access to Nielson confirm this?

[MidnightWatcher]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

No, based on retail sell-through.

Thank you, but I am curious where is this information? I could not find it. In my opinion this should be stated explicitely. All I could find was:

"'Blu-ray sales performance surpassed HD-DVD for the first time the week of Dec. 24 and did so by an impressive 20%,' said Mike Dunn, worldwide president of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. He said by the end of the first quarter of 2007, 'our research shows Blu-ray outselling HD DVD by a 3.5-to-1 ratio.'"

This does not suggest that it was softwares sales only, based on retail sell-through. It all seems to be vaguely worded without giving specifics. Can you please provide a link to something that shows this referring to specific Blu-ray movie title sales only?

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by joshd2012

paidgeek,
Will video encodes be uniform across territories? Or will Europe have a different encode then the US?

Unlike the case of DVD, we will almost always use the same encode worldwide so long as the title in question has no censorship issues.

[dkny75]

paidgeek, thanks for your contribution here. Can you tell me why Crouching Tiger, Marie Antoinette, and Glory have been delayed indefinitely?

[Frank D]

Originally Posted by Josh Z

At first I suspected that I just had a faulty unit, but I've now found corroboration from other users that the Toshiba HD-XA2 has a problem with juddery video when watching certain HD DVD and regular DVD discs. This issue is not present on the HD-A1 playing the same discs. The following thread lists examples:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=787340

Can one of the insiders in contact with Toshiba find out if they are aware of this problem and have any plans to address it? This seems to be similar to the issue that the Samsung Blu-ray player initially had when watching BD discs with DTS soundtracks. Samsung eventually fixed the issue with firmware, so I am confident that Toshiba can do the same. However, I don't know how long I'd be willing to wait for that, without at least some assurance from Toshiba that they're working on it.

I would also like Toshiba to address the issue of the XA2's poor sound quality over the analog audio outputs. Bass seems to be suppressed an additional 10db over even the HD-A1's low bass, but only when decoding Dolby Digital Plus tracks (standard DD 5.1 and DTS on DVDs are not affected).

For a $1,000 second-generation player, I find these problems greatly disappointing.

Amir responded:

"Good news! Toshiba has updated software for both A2 and XA2 which is supposed to release today or tomorrow. They seem to think it fixes the problem you reported Josh but the release notes are not specific enough for me to be sure.

__________________
Amir
Microsoft (HD DVD insider)
VC-1 video codec insider in BD/HD DVD
Ask me questions about HD DVD here "




Amir,

Which problem(s) the video judder or the 5.1 analog out LFE/related issue?

Regards
Frank

[Azumi]

paidgeek,

I also wish to extend my sincere thanks for the time you're taking and for your valuable input. I hope that it would set an example and will hopefully bring other Studio reps to this forum.

Besides Hellboy, Sony also has Tim Burton's Big Fish scheduled for a March release here in Europe. This suggests me a broader question: how do the big name directors value these HD video releases? Are they interested or willing to go back to the editing floor to rerecord new documentaires or to remaster deleted scenes from better sources?

Thanks again for your time.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by dkny75

paidgeek, thanks for your contribution here. Can you tell me why Crouching Tiger, Marie Antoinette, and Glory have been delayed indefinitely?

They will be released eventually. We are descriminating what is released based on a number of factors, not the least of which is how we think the title, regardless of bit rate or codec, presents in HD.

[kdragon]

Originally Posted by MidnightWatcher

I see. Based on what I've read, the only conclusion I can come to is that this December 24 Blu-ray performance announcement "surpassing" HD DVD lumped in not just movie sales, but likely hardware sales as well. I believe that if this was indeed relegated to solely Blu-ray movie sales then it would have been stated explicitly, and announcements would have been made specifically relating to both movie and hardware sales. It looks to me like the PS3 console is playing a significant part in this "performance" measure.

Paidgeek explicitly clarified this: Retail sell-through of movies. What other info are you missing? Please start a new thread if you want to debate this or question the info paidgeek provided so that it doesn't clutter this thread (no offense).


---
My question to HD-DVD insiders: Is HD-DVD's storage format same/similar to DVD's as far are progressive encoding is concerned (flags, for 60i in particular)? Can someone explain how it differs from DVD? I am having trouble locating where I read about this and my memory is playing tricks. [This is in relation to the 60i generation]

[dkny75]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

They will be released eventually. We are descriminating what is released based on a number of factors, not the least of which is how we think the title, regardless of bit rate or codec, presents in HD.

I have no doubt they will be released eventually. My question is that Sony gave out release dates on these titles only to pull them off the release calander. Do you know why they were yanked? i.e. BD-J problems, BD-50 availability, etc.? Hopefully they will look and sound stunning, especially Crouching Tiger. Hopefully you'll release more Sony Classics films on HD also. Are there any plans regarding those films that you know of?

[benwaggoner]

Originally Posted by gooki

Ben, for HDDVD how many channels can the commentary track use? and what bitrate limitations are there?

Here's the word from one of our scripting experts:

Sub Audio is stereo or mono up to 48kHz, but you can do real-time mixing into the center / surround channels if you like. Also, since it is mixed with the Main Audio, you still get the full surround-sound audio of the main movie.

Effect audio is also mono- or stereo-only, and must be in the WAV format. It supports 12, 24, or 48 kHz at with 8 or 16 bit samples. It can also be dynamically mixed through the surrounds to give panoramic effects.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by dkny75

I have no doubt they will be released eventually. My question is that Sony gave out release dates on these titles only to pull them off the release calander. Do you know why they were yanked? i.e. BD-J problems, BD-50 availability, etc.? Hopefully they will look and sound stunning, especially Crouching Tiger. Hopefully you'll release more Sony Classics films on HD also. Are there any plans regarding those films that you know of?

Excuse me for not expanding on this further. Please read my prior post carefully, I think it is explicit enough.

[BenDover]

@paidgeek, do you have info regarding the content on the demo disc used in the BDP-S1?

Originally Posted by BenDover

i happened to be in a BB today and played around with the sony bd player briefly; it was connected to a bravia lcd and was playing a sony bd demo disc.

are all the trailers encoded using the same codec? if so, which codec?

while playing a trailer and pressing the "display" button i was only presented with bitrates but nothing about the codec.

i am asking b/c the trailer clip for open season looked very, very good...i think if the movie is as good as the trailer on that demo there will be a new reference disc...imo