Microsoft prepping Feature Pack for Storage with Blu-ray for XP and Vista

We're not going to get back into the Xbox 360 + Blu-ray debate, but Sony's HD format is clearly on Microsoft's collective mind, as it's begun prepping a new Windows add-on dubbed Feature Pack for Storage. The kit's set to contain modules for portable drive recognition and restriction, ICCD and CCID Smartcard drivers, but most notably an image mastering API for Blu-ray that enables "master style optical burning on Blu-Ray [sic] media." Expect it soon on Windows Vista, XP SP2+, Server 2008, and Server 2003 SP1+ -- or really soon if you get in on the beta.

[Via ZDnet]

[Flashpoint @ Aug 16th 2008 3:37AM]

If the HDDVD consortium had listened to me in the very beggining, they could have saved millions of dollars.

Its not always pessimism when someone writes you a letter and says:

"your format is DOOMED, blu ray will win"

[Starvine @ Aug 16th 2008 6:02AM]

Maybe the billionaire execs would have taken you more seriously if you hadn't constructed your harsh letter using words clipped from magazines articles.

[zargon @ Aug 16th 2008 9:38AM]

As a storage format, yes, HD-DVD was behind Blu-ray, but I don't know about doomed. We have yet to see any blu-ray media above 50 GB and never mind that fact that the media is currently no where near affordable and won't be for a little while longer.

As a video format, no, HD-DVD was not doomed. HD-DVD was ahead of Blu-ray as a fully functional format, we are just starting to see profile 2.0 profile players to hit the main stream, but they still need to come down more in price. Blu-ray just had more money to throw around to buy exclusive support and the deal that fell through at the 11th hour for WB to go HD-DVD exclusive for CES pretty much sealed HD-DVD fate, but would have swung the format war in the opposite direction.

In the end, what is done is done, I am now just happy it is all over. Though if Blu-ray want a chance to grab a lasting foothold in the market, they need to do something about the prices right now. I have yet to purchase a new Blu-ray from a brick and mortor store, let alone a etailer, I have snagged all my Blu-ray movies on eBay on the super cheap. Stores like Best Buy price of $30+ is just not going to happen for the masses.

at the big party HD-DVD was ready to throw at CES to celebrate it pretty much sealed HD-DVDs fate, but could have swung the format war in the complete opposite direction.

[astrocramp @ Aug 16th 2008 10:43AM]

I wonder how many $9.99 HD-DVD's have been sold versus blue-ray. Who buys a movie for $30/disk? I have an HD-DVD drive and simply rip all the $9.99 movies to future proof them.

[mcm @ Aug 16th 2008 11:07AM]

So instead Blu-ray loses billions of dollars. Congratulations.

[roach @ Aug 16th 2008 12:38PM]

I thought manufacturer who supported blue ray got shafted.

If they had supported HD_DVD, their players would had been a viable choice for a lot of consumer. 360 doesn't come with HD-DVD, so consumers who didn't have 360 (or care for console games) would had probably bought a stand alone player (rather buying a console and a HD DVD add on). With blueray, it just doesn't make sense buying a stand alone player when sony already offers a good player with a console as a bonus.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Aug 16th 2008 1:06PM]

Zargon:
Roughly 90% of BluRay players are PS3s and thus have been profile 2.0 capable for months. Although honestly, online access from a disc has not been used for anything I give a crap about yet. I have literally never let a BluRay disc access the net (the PS3 asks you when you play each disc) and I don't currently expect to do so in the future.

It is unlikely the CES party would have led to the dominance of HD-DVD. HD-DVD was never a viable format since no hardware company could sell HD-DVD players at a profit because Toshiba was subsidizing their players with the profits from the sales of discs. Thus the only 3rd party players we saw were the LG (and Samsung?) ones that played both formats and retailed at $1,000. HD-DVD was a true go-it-alone format and would almost certainly have met the same fate that go-it-alone formats (like Betamax) usually do.

[collegekid13 @ Aug 16th 2008 3:38AM]

I see windows media player 12

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Aug 16th 2008 3:49AM]

blu-ray will be DOOMED also ........ i download all my movie!!

why we need blu-ray?!


HD Movie -- Download.
Storage --- use HDD or SSD.
Backup --- use HDD.

[TMFAN @ Aug 16th 2008 3:56AM]

You =/= Everyone else

[LordPaul @ Aug 16th 2008 4:58AM]

Wow! You rule!

[ethana2 @ Aug 16th 2008 5:02AM]

Actually, if I wanted the easiest way to get HD content, I wouldn't even think of downloading it. That would take forever and would be easy to track.
Thank goodness for rentals.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats/BluRayAndHDDVD
Just slap 7.10 on your PS3, hook it up to ethernet, and follow the guide.

[ethana2 @ Aug 16th 2008 5:04AM]

By the way, sorry for the mess-- 8.10 should be a Just Works PS3 release, but there's a lot of work to do yet.

[ajfarson @ Aug 16th 2008 5:22AM]

same reason you need English lessons... it just makes things clearer.

[tekdroid @ Aug 16th 2008 9:02AM]

med Alzayani @ Aug 16th 2008 3:49AM
Storage --- use HDD or SSD.
Backup --- use HDD.
--------
Hallo Ahmed.
Good thing I don't outsource my data back-ups to you.
Regards.

[Michael @ Aug 16th 2008 9:20AM]

Ethana, sure it will take forever if you use something like bittorrent to download your HD fix. But usenet is very quick. An example of how quick; I downloaded an entire series of a tv show in under 3 hours(close to 10gigs). Thats how long it can take to download cams off of bittorrent.

[sr @ Aug 16th 2008 9:56AM]

Well, if I were blind also I guess overcompressed 8mbps video at 1920x1080p would be sufficient. Since, I've been blessed with sight, I'll take 20-30mbps video at 1920x1080p. I can SEE the compression artifacts on over compressed video.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Aug 16th 2008 10:13AM]

Ahmed just might be right. I've always thought the "HD media formats will be ignored due to downloads" argument was pretty weak.

But then, I should be right in the BluRay group's target demographic; 1080p HDTV, young, single, plenty of disposable income. I said I'd buy a BluRay player as soon as the format war was decided but.. I just don't care anymore.

So, bring on the downloads!

[Mike @ Aug 16th 2008 3:54AM]

Microsoft showing Blu-ray love? Whatever next, a new Xbox with Blu-ray drive...

It's Clear Microsoft got it VERY wrong, and Sony got it VERY right this gaming gen...

[Rocky @ Aug 16th 2008 4:21AM]

There is nothing right about an over priced console.

[Joel Shapiro @ Aug 16th 2008 4:16AM]

It's never been clear that sony got much of anything right, all they did correctly was put a blue drive in the PS3. HD-DVD movies were always cheaper, most could be played back in normal dvd-players too, and the DVD-forum (group that approved the original dvd-spec) gave the thumbs up to HD-DVD, sony just went rogue and got more players on the market through the PS3. Don't forget that anyone who has a non-PS3 BD-player is probably being burned on both price and lack of profile 2.0 support.

[giuliop @ Aug 16th 2008 5:18AM]

It is clear that Microsoft had never really committed to HD-DVD. I'm sure the if they had put an HD-DVD drive in every XBOX 360, the format would still be alive and kicking.

[ill trooper @ Aug 16th 2008 5:50AM]

"HD-DVD movies were always cheaper, most could be played back in normal dvd-players too..."

Sorry Joel, this is wrong. Maybe you're thinking of the hybrid discs. And it also is a moot point now.


As for MS adding BluRay burning... Apple - get your ass in gear and support BluRay with iDVD and DVD StudioPro - you are on the consortium, after all. MS wasn't and they're getting involved.

[tekdroid @ Aug 16th 2008 9:06AM]

Mike @ Aug 16th 2008 3:54AM
It's Clear Microsoft got it VERY wrong, and Sony got it VERY right this gaming gen...
--------
It's clear they accepted a bag of money they have been enjoying, either way.

[roach @ Aug 16th 2008 12:49PM]

I thought if Toshiba had concentrated in releasing a HD DVD burners (PC add on or standalone) they would had the backing of PC community. I mean screw what movie is being release on what format. Once you have large numbers supporting your product, companies will follow.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Aug 16th 2008 1:13PM]

Actually Joel, at the height of the combo (HD-DVD/DVD) discs, the average HD-DVD disc price was higher than the average BluRay disc price. This was because combo discs sold for another $5-$10 above the price of an HD-DVD.

Because of this, combo discs were discontinued and most HD-DVD discs could not be played in DVD players, which is why you see them on sale for $8 at Fry's. If they could be played in regular DVD players they would be worth as much as the regular DVDs.

[mrkorb @ Aug 16th 2008 4:12AM]

So does this mean we'll finally be able to natively burn DVDs in XP like we could with CDs?

[David Burg @ Aug 18th 2008 8:01PM]

There is no Windows Explorer integration for Windows XP in this feature pack. This is an API for application developers to build applications with. End users may however download applications already created by several developers based on IMAPI2. To give a sample:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/miscctrl/imapi2.aspx

by Eric Haddan. Alex Feinman also had some sample applications, can't find them right now.

[Saad Rabia @ Aug 16th 2008 6:27AM]

What's Blu-ray?
.
.
.
Oh okay.

[xValentine @ Aug 16th 2008 1:23PM]

Something that you can't afford.

[Major4Play @ Aug 16th 2008 7:14AM]

Does this mean the ability to watch blu-ray through media center ?
Woo Hoo My lovefilm [uk version of netflix] will be sending me blu-ray discs to rip instead of dvds.
Now we just need £40 blue-ray drives

[David Burg @ Aug 21st 2008 12:16PM]

This does not enable additional playback capabilities. This feature pack contains an API (set of programing interfaces for applications developers) to record data to blu-ray media.

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Aug 16th 2008 10:11AM]

Kudos for planning to support it in XP as well

[El Taco @ Aug 16th 2008 1:10PM]

Same here, kudos Microsoft!

[BigD145 @ Aug 16th 2008 1:31PM]

"restriction" Keep that word away from my computer, thanks.

[Lancelot @ Aug 16th 2008 9:39PM]

The new DRM protection /restrictions they've written to please those they care about so much, no not us, will be a revelation..