First Blu-ray Disc / DVD hybrid announced in Japan
By Darren Murph 
posted Dec 19th 2008 10:06PM
posted Dec 19th 2008 10:06PM
[Via CDRInfo]
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Wow, finally I'd be able to buy those BR/DVD's so I dont have to wate my money re-buying movies when I decide to get a BR player. :)
Disney already shipped the BluRay of Sleeping Beauty with a copy of the DVD too. So the future you describe is here today.
@OCEAN CLAK
And while you're taking up gigs of space storing low-def movies, I'll be happily watching HD movies without worrying about storage space or HDD failure.
We need this now. Actually, we need this a year ago.
Do we really need it? I can't see any point... for the consumer anyway. I suppose it will temp people to upgrade sooner. But, you either make the jump or you don't. Don't make HD content "HD Ready".
Yeah, this is awesome.
Should've been released earlier so the victory against HD-DVD would've been a flawless victory.
Only $75.00 per disc! Blu-ray was the stupidest idea for media ever. The cost of 50GB worth of discs can get you a 1TB hard drive. DVDs only cost pennies per disc while blu-ray still costs tens of dollars per disc. I would still be behind HD-DVD, but they gave up... those idiots.
@protozoider
When you're willing to spend $80 for a 500GB (write protected) hard drive which includes a single movie on it... Let me know. Last I checked, purchasing a movie on a Blu-ray disk is a hella a lot cheaper than that!
People were saying the same thing when blank CDs and DVDs came out. Heck, the same thing can be said about SSD disks right now. In time prices do drop!
And now that blank DVDs are like 15 cents/4.37GB OR 3.4cents/GByte, it's much more reasonable. You could have said DVDs were a waste back then too. But look at their costs now.
New(er) technologies tend to come at a cost. It's the cost to be the first to adopt that technology. Why would someone spend an extra $600 for 300mhz faster processors? Does that make sense? Not really.
Some one care to show me the point.
R.I.P
Majel Barrett Roddenberry
Although we are entering late December, I think you may still be in the running for the worst comment of 2008.
Unless phanbouy emerges for last minute victory.
Well, she did Live Long and did Prosper for 76 years...
at least she lived to see the emergence of what is, the Next Generation of mobile technology...
iPhone...
......live long and prosper...
And you'd be beating all the regular trolls *looks above* and that's a huge achievment. Do I have to spell it out to you? The point of these is you only have to buy the same damn movie once. Until you've saved enough to buy a BR player, it'll play in your regular DVD player, and even when you do get your BR player, you can still put it in your non BR-compatible laptop or player on your secondary TV. Got it now? Jeebus.
don't forget you get to lend out your bluray/dvds to all your less technologically advanced friends (even though I really don't notice the difference at 720p), and you also have a side to hack so you can get a copy on your PMP with out having to pay for it again -- if they neglect to include a digital copy.
but asking that question on engadget is like asking why the sky is blue, when you can clearly see it's cyan
I think this is a critical part of making blu-ray a mainstream success (though I know several consider it to already be). If these are near the price of normal DVDs, people won't really care about the difference, and with a few titles already on their shelf it'll be a much more attractive prospect to plunge for a player or a ps3.
However, there'll be the occasional person who choses the wrong layer and calls up to complain that the quality is terrible. I've got a Björk album with 3 layers, all with the same music on.
wha?
gizmodo just posted a story where BOTH the bluray and dvd parts were on ONE side, and not on 2 different sides.
http://gizmodo.com/5114683/worlds-first-single+sided-blu+raydvd-hybrid-disc-unveiled
weird
Based on the images posted on Gizmodo, I'm under the impression that Engadget didn't quite get the story right. I personally would love to see these Blu-ray/DVD hybrid discs, so I wouldn't feel as guilty buying a movie that I can only play on my PS3.
And WHAT were doing over there, young man?! You are SO grounded!
that's good to hear. because to me, having each side of the disc being a different type doesnt sound as impressive. then again, for the typical consumer it probably makes no practical difference whether they're on the same side or two different ones. that they're on the same disc is probably what matters.
I don't know if the article got edited or something, but it now says:
"a single-layer of Blu on one side and a standard DVD on the very same side (as in, not a "flipper" disc)"
@Calvin: yep, it got edited.
These slides from the press event show the structure of the hybrid disc:
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20081219/kyodo09.jpg
http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20081219/kyodo11.jpg
Y'know, journalistic integrity and all that, they should really announce the edit.
It's a blog, so not really. Maybe for convenience, but not for integrity.
So does this mean they're going to come out with or already have, BR/DVD players, stacked in one device??? Like will these CD's work solely on a Bluray player or will it have to be compatible with a player that reads both??? Or is it either side you put it in it will work that way???
Blu-Ray players already play DVDs brother.
This=pointless. New Blu-Ray titles already cost 30-45USD, and they will cost even more now due to higher manufacturing costs to make dual sided discs. This was a good idea.....for the HDDVD camp. HDDVD and DVD where not that far apart as far as manufacturing process' and structure where concered, whereas BD and DVD are WORLDS apart.
Single sided
single sided.
multiple layered.
know the difference.
I doubt the discs cost lots now because manufacturing them is particularly expensive. They've just figured out that early adopters will happily pay a premium. Lowering the price of discs would just lose them money until lots more people have players.
I don't know where you've been buying your BDs at, but I typically never have to shell out more than $25 US for new movies. Unless I'm getting some boxed set like Season Six of The Sopranos.
i miss hd-dvd more complete of a format had these disk earlier. oh well i guess you really cant win everything.
I'd rather see them use the second disc that they're using solely for "Digital Copy" nowadays and put a standard DVD version of the film on as well, and keep the Blu-Ray disc as a 50GB Dual-Layer.
480p!!!
amen
ok.... uhmm... anyone care to explain to me the use of this? im very confused....
It's pretty simple.. You can use it in a regular DVD player or a Blu-Ray player.. You have a Blu-Ray player in the living room only, but the Mrs' wants to watch Movie X in the bedroom, so you bring in the hybrid disc and done deal. Or the damned kids wont shut up on the ride to Grandmas unless you put in their favorite cartoon movie.. Boom, bust out the hybrid disc. Say you like having sex with DVD but not Blu-Ray, but your wife doesn't, boom, problem solved....
/has nothing
Unfortunately hybrid discs are single layer Blu Rays and dual layer DVD. They might have uses for kids movies, but otherwise I see little attraction. Yes in theory it might allow you to take the same disc and play it on a DVD player, but that's a fairly marginal benefit when you lose out on HD content and possibly suffer a higher retail price for the sake of it.
"Not surprisingly, the action's going down first in Japan, with Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX (yes, seriously) as the first hybrid title."
I was curious, so I did some quick Google-powered research.... It seems it's a Japanese TV show called "Code Blue: Doctor Heli Kinkyu Kyumei."
wow the name sounds funny when in english lol
but that show was awesome!
well, kinda sorta. at least erika toda and aragaki yui were in it though :)
BEST. TITLE. EVAR.: "Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX"
I CANNOT believe the first comment on that dang title is this far down.
For shame...
...ooooooooohhh fail
Lolz
What? We need to preserve the sanctity of DVD-DVD replication. This Blu-Ray/DVD hybrid nonsense will destroy this nation!
oh, hmm.. but somehow, that person's hair doesn't look good.. he/she should wash his/her hair often.
and if that left palm is considered to be of a female, she may face bad times in future, with little help of recession...
The Final Nail in the Coffin for HD-DVD
Was delivered in January?
Zing!
Well, I'm still buying and using HD-DVD and downloading the movies that aren't on either disk format yet. It works pretty well on my 120" screen. I don't have a lack of movies to choose from or watch.
This is very, very cool. This will make BluRay disks so much more attractive to potential buyers, or people that only have 1 BluRay player (and several standard DVD players) in the house. And no flipping? Wow...
Now I almost wish I had waited to order the Dark Knight in this hybrid format, but I assume it won't make it to market for a least a couple years. Then there's waiting for the companies to switch production formats (seriously, it took this long for the Matrix collection to come out on Blu Ray?)
I would pay money to see Dual Blu-Ray/DVD movies come in cases that say "Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX"
what are you talking about? that is the name of a particular title.
Yay, more compatibility issues. Can't wait.
I thought the idea was fewer issues
Is this Disc available everywhere in the world, especially in Asian countries?
code blue? seriously? that's an interesting medical drama, and yui aragaki is in it too (hotness). that's awesome, if i could i would for sure get that bd/dvd hybrid.
Yes, and no. The actual title of the show is Code Blue (nothing added). you can read http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Code_Blue for more information. I'm actually glad it's this show that gets the blueray/dvd treatment, as it is an amazing show to watch.
If anyone is interested in pre-ordering the aforementioned Japanese medical drama:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=PCXF-60001
(Japanese language proficiency required)
You know, this sadly doesn't take care of the reason that most people still don't get blu-ray. It actually worsens it. Price, anybody? BD-$25 + DVD $15 = $40. Great. I guess you could expect it for the reduced price of $35! The reason I still buy DVDs is 'cause they're cheap. When I have enough money to buy movies on this hybrid disk, I wont care about DVD anymore.
This doesn't make sense. Hybrids were part of what killed HD-DVD, they were abandoned because they made HD-DVDs even MORE expensive. No one who had merely a DVD player wanted to pay $20 extra to get the HD-DVD also and few who had an HD-DVD player wanted to spend the $5-$10 extra to get the DVD also.
Cost-wise, it's pretty much the worst of both worlds.
Warners idea for a dual HD-DVD/BluRay disc was even stupider and was canceled before it shipped.
I've got to agree. The damn combo discs were one of the things I hated hard about HD DVD (if the movie came in both combo and dedicated and I could find dedicated I bought it).
My only other complaint about HD DVD (other than it's death) was the tiny amount of memory in my HD DVD player. Both my 360 add on and my A30 have barely enough storage for the extra Transformers downloaded content. And it's SD.
agreed, but two years down the track i could very easily see these being the norm. Prices will lower, DVD-only disks will disappear from shelves, and we will be left with these hybrids. It will be great because you can still watch it in your home theatre, but also your bedroom or portable player that isn't bluray.
"Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX (yes, seriously)" -- lol!
Ahh, Japan... Where campy is a way of life :)
Great!
now they should bring all movies to Hybrid Blu-Ray discs
and
all music to Hybrid SACD's
so everybody has a choice, and can enjoy high resolution content Blu-Ray and SACD or low resolution DVD and CD
My gut instict says this will never take off.
Companies want Blu-Ray to take off, sure, but they also want a high degree of reliability (I'd be very surprised if more issues weren't encountered on these Hybrid discs), and lower royalties on every disc. Paying for DVD royalties on top of Blu-Ray's....perhaps not so lovely.
My instinct? Fail.
We've been here before, anyway.
Hehe, movie companies desparately trying to escape the DVD lock in. I wish them luck!
Finally, I want one disk that works in my laptop DVD player as well as my Blu-Ray Player, not the stupid Digital Copy crap or even a second disk. Why can't one side be DVD and the other Blu-Ray? Seems like the easiest solution.
Good thing it's not 2 sided after all but multi layer, 2 sided would make it so tricky, play a DVD in your xbox and it'll scratch the BD side right off, would be a dream come true for MS maybe though. :)
I don't think this will fly unless the studios stop being greedy. And we all know that's not going to happen. When HD-DVD had the "flip disc" with HD on one side and SD on the other, those movies cost an average of $5 more than their BD counterparts. So, I doubt the studios, who've been charging us about $10-15 more for the BD version of the movie, are suddenly going to offer BD and SD on the same disc and for the low price of an SD disc. It's not happening. This disc, if it ever gets adopted, will be used in the same fashion HD-DVD used it with the mark up for providing you two versions of the movie.
Just wait a year and buy from the bargain bin!
I wish this was the way it is from the beginning
We will have to wait for all movies to be converted in this fashion.
The player will be cheap by then.
Even when Bluray players drop to DVD prices, I will still have dvd players all around the place (laptop, bedroom, portable)
Hybrid disks are great
So how about a layer to play the music in your CD player? (just teasing)
how the hell did they manage to do that?! :O
***MPAA thought bubble*** They are getting two movies one DVD and one Blu-ray they should be paying for both formats.
So, im assuming we can now have two different movies on a single disk
1 movie on the dvd layer and the other on the blue layer
I guess Sony Baloney doesnt know it yet, but BD-R is probably never going to make it mainstream. When you drive your competition off the road, you product dies with them. People already associate Sony with gargantuan royalty fees and expensive media that never lives up to what its suppose to be.
Anyways, this hybrid is another one of those BS formats that hardly make sense. Since BD players came out, i lost count of how many new formats BD went through, the latest being BD-RLTH and BD+ me thinks. I really hope someone else comes out with something to wipe the floor with this useless format.
the technology was announced by JVC in 2004
this is just the first commercial product
"Code Blue emergency helicopter doctor Blu-ray BOX "
I can only assume that it is the same Code Blue j-drama with all the j-idols playing doctor roles.
If they think this is odd....well in Japan it might not be.
Such a bad idea, well not the idea by itself but like the HD-DVD version the studios will opt for the combo discs over the stand alone discs, charging more and basically giving folks that have the BR Players already two choices, pay the premium on top of the already high BR premium or stick to DVD.
The reason that BR has not caught on as quickly as they hoped is the price. Most BR discs have a 20% or greater premium over DVDs and the visual difference between the two formats is not great enough for the mainstream consumer to justify the extra cost. Add to that, the studio shenanigans like those pulled with the Die Hard "Box Set", shipping the PG-13 version only on BR, but shipping the PG-13 and Unrated on the DVD format.
For me, any BR movie priced above $20 makes it a no go and I end up buying the DVD for $15.
The studios need to reduce the price to DVD levels or below to get people to buy into the format, especially if they want them to replace their existing collection.