Industry Insiders Q&A MASTER THREAD [separate thread for Xbox/Add On & PS3] - Page 28  

The president of Criterion is a personal friend and very excellent customer of mine. I will speak to him again this week and discuss TotalHD.

-Robert

Darin, are you referring to me in your question to Amir, which is quoted above?? You sound a little demeaning.

Sorry if I'm a little sensitive to your statement, but if you are referring to me I would hope you know my business is no just limited to my B&M store.

********************* is a well regarded, volume authorized nationwide retailer and I personally hold business development and engineering consulting agreements to TV Broadcast manufacturers as well as running my multiple business groups. I have enjoyed being selected for several industry speaking engagements, including the DVD Conference earlier this year and again at last weeks CES Show and I am frequently interviewed and quoted by CE trade publications. I am widely considered as an expert in this field. I also have a very close relationship with Toshiba. And although I do consider all of my staff including myself in sales my career is not typically carticartized as a salesman.

To further answer your specific question to Amir, may I point you to my earlier post where I responded to your same question on another thread a few hours ago.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post9450607

-Robert

I don't suppose you can confirm that the DD+ decoding problem has been, or is going to be fixed, in addition to adding DTS output.

Robert,

Interested in your presentation from this past week.

Is there anywhere we can readup on what you presented?

Amir,

Sorry to bring this up again, but would it be possible to give us an update on the status of work on the audio synchonization issues of the Xbox 360 with HD DVDs? Is a fix for this something we might expect with the DTS audio update, or is it something that may take longer? Also, is a fix for this a global thing, or is it dependent upon every individual problematic disc?

I understand you cannot tell us everything, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

P.S. I echo the thanks for your numerous posts in answer to various other questions. I've learned a lot, not just about individual product issues or features, but also about the industry and product development as well. It's also interesting to hear the stories about industry politics. Nothing is ever simple...



I would like to see this as well.

If you just want to have another version of the movie on the same disc, you can simply put it on the side of the disc. It is a little known feature of HD DVD that you can make 60 gigabyte discs by having an HD DVD-30 dual layer structure on each side of the discs (similar to how we make combo HD DVD-30/DVD-9 today).

The only reason to want to have it on the same side is if you want to switch between them quickly which I don't think is needed in your suggestion.

Can anyone from HD-DVD camp shed some light on the issue where people now are copying and "cracking" HD-DVD`S and sharing keys puplic.
How does this affect HD-DVD and customers and potential customers?
And what can be done to fix this without bugging customers too mutch?

source: was not allowed to post. But there is a big thread on doom9 forums

Edit: Bluray insiders: If this should happen to BD, what then?

I have an A1 and I realize that the resume function is borken because of the way authoring is done. The same thing happens on the 2nd Gen A2 as well.

Can anyone from the HD group confirm that resuming will be included in future HD disc?

Thanks!

Just a quick note on doom9 reports and keys. The official response needs to come from AACS organization. Yes, we are a member company but any response must represent all the companies involved.

AACS is fully aware of the news and takes such developments very seriously. They are acting on it appropriately. Please be patient for the official word from them.

I would also be interested, if any insiders are willing to talk about it. I was skeptical at first but it does appear that it is being confirmed by multiple sources for HD DVD, with keys being posted at various places thus allowing further confirmation. I'm not aware of anyone finding any BD keys yet.

- Tom

edit: I had not yet seen Amir's post above mine when I posted.

Amir-

I know you can't say much at this point on this issue but do you have any idea when they'll have some kind of statement ready?

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed this doesn't end up helping to cut the lives HD videos short.

Chris

This being the weekend after CES, I don't know when they will have an official statement ready.

Can you confirm that this is exactly the sort of hole that lead Microsoft to drop the notion of releasing a player for XP for playing HD disc content?

I remember you saying someone might take the risk. Several did. I wonder if they think it was worth it now?

Gary

I can't comment on what specific hole this is. But your generic comment is correct that we worry about how one safeguards such data in XP through software only measures. Even in Vista such a thing is difficult to do well, but with XP, it is much harder.

Any idea about what kind of consequences leaving the title/volume keys in the clear will have for software player makers besides getting their player keys revoked?

ie, will they be fined or bared from making future players?

Hey you all. Not fair dragging the comments out of me bit by bit . I really can't comment much further. AACS is the only org that can comment on consequences.

Just bumping it off the last page, as I am pretty sure it got glossed over.

Thanks again Amir, for making this site so informative.

Sorry about that. I thought I had answered it. Anyway, there is no way to tell for sure until Toshiba submits the proposal to DVD Forum for evaluation. The key is whether the drive can a) detect the third layer and b) read the third layer reliably through the one next to it. Given the fact that we use the Toshiba/Samsung (TSST) drive, probably improves the odds of it working but I don't want anyone to think that it does until confirmed 100%.


My pleasure.

Amir,

Can you comment on these unanswered questions/posts of mine?

How HD DVD players handle the decode/output of simultaneous mixed encoded content

Vista, CableCard, and HD streaming to Xbox 360

CES news on HD DVD authoring for PC consumer/prosumer

And one from the infamous Vista Audio thread

I didn't catch any CES news in particular, but a bunch of stuff is in development.

You can pretty much assume that any vendor who makes DVD authoring today is actively working on HD DVD.

Is there something in particular you're looking for you don't have access to today? "Consumer/prosumer" is a very broad range of markets.

Apologies if this is an obvious question. Would such software be a good idea with the current issue with AACS? Obviously there are legitimat uses but wouldnt such software be inviting to those who would copy and sell illegal copies? Or am I making a wrong assumption of what such software could do?

People who want to pirate HD DVD/BD have next to zero need to make copies of them on expensive writable medie for either format. So no, there is no impact here.

Besides, the specs are open. So if there is no commercial software, someone will write one anyway.

I don't have the schedule for cablecard handy but it should be this year.

Boy, you asked tough questions . I tried commenting on them but don't feel all that great about the answers other than the first. Hopefully they are still useful to you.

Amir,

Thanks for your excellent answers. In no way I felt that your first reply to my first deranged post was aggressive, don`t worry. In fact, I feel silly in retrospect, getting so freaked out with some pessimistic news...

Another question for you, since you seem to be able to get information from pretty much every company involved in HDDVD :

Do you know if/when Toshiba and the studios plans to start selling and marketing HDDVD in Latin America, Brazil specifically? Or Microsoft with its 360 drive (the Xbox360 was released officially here late last year)?

I`m anxious to be able to buy discs subtitled in portuguese, so that the rest of my family can enjoy them as well. And they`d be cheaper too.

Moreover, since Sony is not releasing the PS3 in these parts due to piracy concerns, the PS3-as-Trojan-Horse for BluRay can`t work here. In my view, HDDVD can gain a lot filling this void: HD LCD and plasma sets are selling like hotcakes here, but since the Japanese ISDB hidef system won`t be operational for another year or so, there are no hidef sources to speak of. People DONT KNOW what hidef is, they think the only advantage of the LCD sets are their slim sizes.

If HDDVD made a small effort to release it here sooner rather than later they`d be able to educate consumers on the benefits of HD, at the same time positioning themselves as the only source of hidef content for at least a full year. I really don`t see any brazilian replicators buying a BD line, but many have indicated they`d be willing to start replicating HDDVDs right away should the demand arise...

Thanks again,

Well, invite me to come and take pictures of your beautiful country and I will bring all the 360 HD DVD drivers folks may want.

Seriously, I don't have that data but just asked. Will post what our plans are when I get it.

BTW, isn't there special rules for Brazil where equipment must be "made" locally or it can not imported? Or am gettin my countries mixed up?


Didn't realize there was so much demand for HD there. Thanks for the info.


Very good point. I will be in touch.

I read that thread a few days ago and saw nothing to support anybody other than the OP having copied any HD-DVD content to HDD and nothing to support anybody else having got hold of any keys. Are you just speculating or can you point to something specific (as in links to specific posts)?

Thanks!

Just to answer your question, no equipment doesn`t need to be made here to be sold legally. But taxes for imported equipment are high, near 60% (depending on some factors). Most high end equipment are imported anyway, with higher prices, but toshiba has a LARGE plant in Manaus, Amazon state, and I`m sure they could produce units locally.

That`s unlikely, but even imported HDA1s for example, would cost around US$750 counting taxes, and people who have money here are used to paying these prices for new items...

Thanx Amir (and Ben!) for all the discussion. I have to say that you guys put a friendly face on and make a good case for HD DVD. It is reassuring to have insiders/developers available for direct communication and feedback.

BTW, we know what you look like now Amir !
CES HD DVD press conference slide show

Amir,

Since there is some talk about the RGB output levels on the PS3, I thought I would ask about them on the XBox 360. I have seen many people ask for a setup option to select the output levels of the RGB. Is any work being done to add this feature?

I personally bought a 360 with the intention of hooking it up via VGA to my Samsung 1080p DLP (one of the most popular sets on the market some would argue), along with the XBox VGA cable to get 1080p. I was disappointed when the image was washed out. It turns out my TV only accepts PC level inputs and the 360 only outputs RGB at video level.

Blowing $30+ dollars on a VGA cable that I don't even use (and couldn't return) left me feeling a bit burned. I had also planned on getting rid of my upscaling player, but lost out on that too because of the VGA problem.

So adding an output level selection in the setup, would redeem the 360 a bit in my eyes.