Feb
16
The Basics of High Definition
Filed Under blu-ray | Leave a Comment
While most people know that high definition is important, they don’t know the specifics of how HD works. In addition, the only product on the market that can make total use of HD is Blu-ray disc.
The primary way HD is measured is through resolution. Resolution is defined by how many pixels and horizontal lines there are. The higher the resolution, the higher the price.
High definition resolutions have either 720 or 1,080 lines, and either 1,280 or 1,920 pixels per line. This is much better than the original type of DVD, which can only have 480 horizontal lines and up to 720 pixels per line.
In addition to what the resolutions are, how the picture is displayed also has an effect on the overall quality. Images can be formed by either interlaced or progressive scanning. Interlaced scanning involves displaying odd numbered lines first and then the even numbered lines, while progressive scanning displays lines in sequence.
Progressive scanning is visually better because it produces a clearer picture. However, it requires larger amounts of data, which can slow down transmission if hardware is not up to date.
The main HD resolutions are 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. The number of horizontal lines used is denoted by the number, and interlaced or progressive scanning is done so by the lowercase letter.
While many HDTVs offer 1080p resolution, which is the best available, no stations broadcast in that form. Blu-ray players have 1080p capability, which means you can view movies in the most optimal fashion. It is expected that stations will soon begin showing programs in 1080p resolution.
With all the talk of the differences between resolutions, it may become important to one to get the best resolution. Realistically, a 720p HDTV looks about the same as even a 1080p one. Logically, it is not economically justified to get the 1080p, especially if you are on a budget.
Dec
14
How The Sony Playstation Won The Game Console Wars
Filed Under Console Wars, blu-ray, gaming consoles | Leave a Comment
I’m sure there is a collective sigh amongst the gaming community, when the PS3 managed to sell more than 150,000 units this past November. That’s the one year with the Xbox 360, or even remotely near, but the Nintendo Wii sold. So, depending on your perspective, and what side of whose fencer sitting behind 150,000 units may or may not be a good thing. There are those among us who would have us believe, at Sony doesn’t really consider, or care about the success of the PS3 as a gaming console. They’ve already hit their targets, as far as the PS3 is concerned.
There is some speculation among experts in the market, but the original design of the Sony PlayStation PS3 was really optimize for video playback. Sure, if you consider all the current specifications of the Sony PlayStation PS3, on paper it stacks up as one of the best gaming consoles ever created. But maybe Sony can more about promoting a machine that can deliver a number of media streams, and maybe play a few games.
The Sony Corporation, have a lot riding on the blu-ray format. Though they won the war between blu-ray, and HD-DVD, arguments can be made to the Sony PlayStation PS3 played a strong role in that battleground.
It’s highly unlikely, that another high definition format will come up in the near future to challenge the blu-ray dominance of high-definition television. If that’s the case, Sony stands a good chance, of controlling high definition technology. All the high-definition movies consumers decide to watch in the future, with your portion of those costs due to licensing agreements end up in Sony’s bank account. Where do you suppose Microsoft will go with the next version of the Xbox when it comes to playing high definition content. Even if the PS3 can compete with the Xbox 360 in terms of sales, they may still ultimately end up with a piece of the Xbox high, if there technology for blu-ray somehow incorporated into the Xbox platform. Sony’s been down this road before, after losing the battle with the Betamax format.
Nintendo is living in their own way with the phenomenal sales record of the Wii, and Microsoft is certainly got a stranglehold on gamers in both the PC, and Xbox arena, while Sony they wiggled away in with the licensing of the blu-ray technology. Whether they like it or not Microsoft, Nintendo, and anybody else want to provide high-definition a living room game consoles, or handheld gaming consoles, when the pain some server licensing fee for blu-ray to Sony. Hopefully, Sony will totally abandon the PS3, as more competition there is in the gaming console market for both hardware and software, the better for gaming consumers.