He has a feature story on High-def Digest about the 18 wheeler HD-DVD truck; which should coming soon to a town near you.
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/featu...interview.html
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/featu...interview.html
Wanna see a picture of Amir?
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IN that article above, Amir said "We certainly are very open to working with other studios. But it is really their call. We wrote a conversion tool that converts HD DVD streams to Blu-ray. And we did that on our own nickel. That's how Warner is able to produce VC-1 titles on Blu-ray. It is the same stream. So we've invested our own energy in that."
I think Amir knows that there would be a possibility that if they did not create this tool, if Warner titles were re-encoded using a higher bitrate and filling up to 50GB of the space, that the Blu-Ray 50Gb discs encoded with mpeg2 or mpeg4 at a much higher bitrate would look better than the VC-1 counterpart of the same film on a 30GB disc... So in essence they eliminate that threat by forcing a 30GB limitation with the tool and wasting 20GB in the process... Superman Returns is a prime example of wasted space without the lossless audio and yes, that film could have used a re-encode with a different codec using up more space...
I think Amir knows that there would be a possibility that if they did not create this tool, if Warner titles were re-encoded using a higher bitrate and filling up to 50GB of the space, that the Blu-Ray 50Gb discs encoded with mpeg2 or mpeg4 at a much higher bitrate would look better than the VC-1 counterpart of the same film on a 30GB disc... So in essence they eliminate that threat by forcing a 30GB limitation with the tool and wasting 20GB in the process... Superman Returns is a prime example of wasted space without the lossless audio and yes, that film could have used a re-encode with a different codec using up more space...
You can catch video speeches by both Amir & Kevin Collins at the Look and Sound of Perfect site. Click on the HD DVD Press Event and HD DVD Interactivity video links.
http://www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com/
http://www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com/
Here we go again...
Nobody is forcing Warner to use the same stream on BD. They could easily create a BD from scratch, creating a new transfer from the master in mpeg2, mpeg4 or VC-1. This is entirely Warners decision.
I suggest you get a master and do your own encodes with several codecs and bitrates. Once you have several versions, you let them run side by side and compare them. More space simply isn't needed if the encoding is done right. Take Batman Begins for example, this is a reference transfer as it is very close to the look of a 35mm print. I've seen some of this at crazy bitrates (way beyond what HD DVD and BD can do) and it doesn't look any better than the HD DVD. So why waste space by using higher bitrates if the results would be identical?
The next step in quality will be 4k resolution and 4:4:4 transfers, which is not possible with HD DVD or BD, so bring on the next generation...
It's funny you mention Superman Returns, because Warner has dropped features on that title to release it day and date on HD DVD and BD. They had to do that because the BD specs are not even finalized yet (which is planned for May/June 07), so technically it was not possible to port these features to BD. If it wasn't for BD, the HD DVD would have more extras.
Batman and V are two other titles that can't be ported to BD yet and Warner is holding back other finished HD DVD titles, because they want to release them on HD DVD and BD.
Here we go again...
Nobody is forcing Warner to use the same stream on BD. They could easily create a BD from scratch, creating a new transfer from the master in mpeg2, mpeg4 or VC-1. This is entirely Warners decision.
I suggest you get a master and do your own encodes with several codecs and bitrates. Once you have several versions, you let them run side by side and compare them. More space simply isn't needed if the encoding is done right. Take Batman Begins for example, this is a reference transfer as it is very close to the look of a 35mm print. I've seen some of this at crazy bitrates (way beyond what HD DVD and BD can do) and it doesn't look any better than the HD DVD. So why waste space by using higher bitrates if the results would be identical?
The next step in quality will be 4k resolution and 4:4:4 transfers, which is not possible with HD DVD or BD, so bring on the next generation...
It's funny you mention Superman Returns, because Warner has dropped features on that title to release it day and date on HD DVD and BD. They had to do that because the BD specs are not even finalized yet (which is planned for May/June 07), so technically it was not possible to port these features to BD. If it wasn't for BD, the HD DVD would have more extras.
Batman and V are two other titles that can't be ported to BD yet and Warner is holding back other finished HD DVD titles, because they want to release them on HD DVD and BD.
It depends on preference really. Personally with the paramount encode I have noticed little difference. I tend to prefer the BD version, because to me its a tad sharper.
That however could be due to the use of VC-1. I've always felt it had a soft look to it and not very film-like. I know some people say it is, but I just don't see it. It does provide a great PQ as is evident on my HD-DVDs, but I would prefer another codec, AVC or Mpeg2.
It depends on preference really. Personally with the paramount encode I have noticed little difference. I tend to prefer the BD version, because to me its a tad sharper.
That however could be due to the use of VC-1. I've always felt it had a soft look to it and not very film-like. I know some people say it is, but I just don't see it. It does provide a great PQ as is evident on my HD-DVDs, but I would prefer another codec, AVC or Mpeg2.
http://www.informit.com/authors/bio....33c41938e&rl=1
It is from the days when he worked for Sony and used Unix.
~Josh
It is from the days when he worked for Sony and used Unix.
~Josh
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That is a positively brilliant interview with Amir. So logical and articulate. Compare that to the typical interviews that have come from the Blu-ray side, which IMO have tended toward huge hyperbole with almost no useful information or support. Amir is HD DVD's best friend and an incredible asset to the format.
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222 Posts
Fantastic article. Thanks for posting it.
Amir is a great person to speak on behalf of HD-DVD, if only because he lays out what's wrong with Blu Ray's strategies without name-calling. Picking Java over HDi seems like a bone-head move, the effects of which can be seen very clearly now with the delayed Warner BD titles.
Amir is a great person to speak on behalf of HD-DVD, if only because he lays out what's wrong with Blu Ray's strategies without name-calling. Picking Java over HDi seems like a bone-head move, the effects of which can be seen very clearly now with the delayed Warner BD titles.
You know what I get after met personally Amir and Kevin Collins?
These guys love movies. They have nice home theater setups. They love to talk about movies. They want to do well for other movie lovers. They have a passion about it, they care. I think that's part of the reason Amirm can put so much time in, besides his vested interest. Amir feels he in his dream job, doing what all his experience can be used for, and its all directed at improving the thing he loves.
When I hear Andy Parsons or some of the other BDA chowderheads talk, its like their selling soap, and I don't think the have watched a complete movie since they were teenagers. They mislead and give misleading answers to confuse. Its gets my fur up.
Don't want to sound like a freakie groupie, but I have met Amir, looked him in the eye, asked him tough questions, listened to him speak, read him here and I trust the man. Now that wouldn't mean squat if HD DVD and VC-1 didn't perform, but when his private predictions come true, time after time, that means something to me.
YMMV of course.
These guys love movies. They have nice home theater setups. They love to talk about movies. They want to do well for other movie lovers. They have a passion about it, they care. I think that's part of the reason Amirm can put so much time in, besides his vested interest. Amir feels he in his dream job, doing what all his experience can be used for, and its all directed at improving the thing he loves.
When I hear Andy Parsons or some of the other BDA chowderheads talk, its like their selling soap, and I don't think the have watched a complete movie since they were teenagers. They mislead and give misleading answers to confuse. Its gets my fur up.
Don't want to sound like a freakie groupie, but I have met Amir, looked him in the eye, asked him tough questions, listened to him speak, read him here and I trust the man. Now that wouldn't mean squat if HD DVD and VC-1 didn't perform, but when his private predictions come true, time after time, that means something to me.
YMMV of course.
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2,423 Posts
thats how blu is trying to win the war of course alot of hyperbole....
thats how blu is trying to win the war of course alot of hyperbole....
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