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Microsoft unveils Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator, hopes to speed up development
We can't say we saw this one coming down the pike, but Microsoft has unveiled a new piece of software designed to "streamline development / testing for HD DVD content" as well as "accelerate the advancement" of next-generation interactivity (HDi, in particular). Simply put, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator allows studios the flexibility to "model the behavior of HD DVD disc content, including encoded video and HDi interactivity, in a virtual environment." When put to use, companies can purportedly cut down on coasters and wasted time, but in order to do so, they'll need an Xbox 360 + HD DVD peripheral, a connection to Xbox Live and $2,999. Thirsty for more? There's plenty where that came from. [Thanks, Erie T.]
HD DVD to start promoting HDi with logo
HD DVD's interactive layer has had sort of an identity crisis, officially the DVD forum considers it is an implementation of their Advanced Navigation, but we like to remind them that it's the only implementation. During development, Microsoft code named it iHD, but later renamed it to HDi -- we believe this is because the name iHD is a little too Apple. Regardless of what you call it, it has proven to be the best interactive layer in the format war. Sure BDJ isn't quite done yet and this might change, but as of today there isn't much of an argument when you compare the releases. So like all companies today, they're going to make sure everyone know who's to blame for all that great interactive content and in the STB market that means a logo. Logos can be even more important when devices like the LG's BH100 support HD DVD, but not HDi. So look for the logo on every HD DVD player and HD DVD cover before throw down your cash.
First HD DVD/DVD Twin disc hits U.S. in June, along with new HDi features
Add one more dual format disc type to the pile, as Bandai Visual will bring the HD DVD/DVD Twin disc to the U.S. June 26, with the release of its bestselling OVA Freedom, and will also be one of the first releases to include HDi network capabilities. As opposed to the combo releases so far that have HD DVD on one side, and DVD on the other, the Twin disc allows up to three layers of either HD DVD or DVD content on the same side of the disc, no flipping necessary. Your old-school DVD player might have trouble with the disc, so its been limited to Japan-only releases so far. Bandai's been working with Microsoft and Memory-Tech to tweak the VC-1 codec for Japanese anime, and the company says after this they will start releasing other HD DVD and Blu-ray titles in Japan and overseas. The SRP for Freedom Vol.1 (of 6) is $39.99 and while we don't know much about the series beyond its mix of CGI and 2D animation, it does heavily represent that most holiest of foods, ramen.
Universal's HDi extras on Children of Men & Smokin' Aces HD DVDs unveiled
Sure 1080p video and various iterations of surround sound audio are nice, but we've been waiting to see more interactive BD-J and HDi (or is it Advanced Navigation?) features on next gen discs, and Universal is bringing just that with their next two high profile releases. Children of Men hits first on March 27th and will let viewers watch the video billboard ads shown in the film, in their entirety, rather than just the short clips visible in the movie. Smokin' Aces follows on April 17th and features a Google Earth tie-in to show the location of each assassin during the film. VideoBusiness got the heads up from Microsoft's director of HD DVD evangelism, who also noted we expect to see three HD DVD titles featuring internet connectivity this year and that these movies "just scratch the surface". The HD DVD camp will need to do a few things Blu-ray isn't in order to keep pace in the format war, we'll see if extra features prove to be a difference between the two.
META seeks to push HD DVD / Blu-ray formats, features
Considering that some retailers are already implementing larger floor displays for HD DVD / Blu-ray discs, and the wee fact that we've already got a combo player out on the market to appease the fence-sitters, we suppose it follows logic that an off-the-wall group be formed to push the formats and their all too controversial features into public acceptance. The recently-formed Media Experience Trade Association (META) is hoping to "improve consumer acceptance of emerging formats" by slapping "META Seals" onto discs that clearly inform consumers of certain usability benchmarks and by "creating digital media standards" that would help the faltering iHD Advanced Navigation and BD-Java features blossom. Interestingly, the group's purpose is to simplify things and make the user "feel less intimidated," but we're not so sure that tossing extra labels and probably a few hidden dollars in the pricetag to compensate for "their work" is the best approach. Still, it looks like yet another tag will be hitting high-definition discs "by the end of 2007" if this all pans out, but if we end up getting a bit more functionality in our next-generation flicks, we won't grumble too much.
iHD, HDi? Nope it's called Advanced Navigation
In the world of technology there are more than enough acronyms and different names for the same thing. Then there are those people who insist on trying to pronounce them even when they end up sounding like an idiot. The world of HDTV isn't any different and with the new Hi-def media formats come new acronyms to learn. HD DVD's new interactive technology which for some time was known as iHD and more recently has become known as HDi. While we had a chance to talk to Kevin Collins from MS on our latest podcast we asked him about this. What he told us was that the code name was iHD and an internal name that was later changed to HDi (maybe because it sounds less Apple), but the official name is Advanced Navigation. Yeah we know, no wonder they call it HDi. It's also no wonder MS choose to back HD DVD considering they use so much of Microsoft's technologies. One thing for sure is that no one is arguing that BDJ is better than HDi!
A little, dirty detail about LG's combo HD DVD/Blu-ray player
LGs combo HD DVD/Blu-ray player could very well be the killer blow for HD DVD. What's that you say? Well, the combo player fully supports Blu-ray's interactivity, BD-J, but the BH100 seems to have forgotten all about HD DVD's interactive features, iHD. That's right, none of it - no PIP, next-gen menus, user bookmarks, HD DVD downloads/updates - nothing that will "WOW" the average Joe. However, when our friend Joe pops in a Blu-ray disc, the menu pops with excitement and is accompanied with, well, PIP, downloads/updates for instance. Why would Joe buy an HD DVD the next time out when the Blu-ray discs offer so much more? (He won't) Is this player the saving grace for both formats, nope, but it may well turn out to be the saving grace for Blu-ray. Plus, with the $1200 MSRP, you could make your own combo player by getting a PS3 ($600) along with a Toshiba HD-A2, ($410 at Amazon) duct taping 'em together. Then you can sit back and enjoy the best of both worlds with enough money left over to buy some titles on both formats. We just hope Warner's Total Hi Def hybrid disc doesn't have any skeletons in the closet.
DVD International announces eight HD DVD combo releases including DVE HD
Proudly proclaiming itself as the leading independent and fourth overall largest supporter of the HD DVD format, the DVD Acquisition and Development Group has announced HD DVD / DVD combo disc releases for the fourth quarter of this year. Coming from their DVD International division, the most high profile release is the high definition edition of Joe Kane's Digital Video Essentials calibration disc. DVE HD will include 720p and 1080p-encoded versions on the HD DVD side, various test patterns for all manner of A/V setups, and is "HDi capable" -- hopefully this means the menus are easier to navigate, some complained about that on the DVD release (included on the flip side). The seven HDScape discs? Your basic travelogue fare, Exotic Saltwater Aquarium HD DVD, Fireplace HD DVD, Antarctica Dreaming, Visions of Sea: Explorations, Serenity: Southern Seas, HD Window: Hawaii, HD Window: The Great Southwest provide what we're sure are crystal clear looks at various landscapes if you're not already bored to death by them on INHD2 into that type of thing. DVE HD will retail for $34.95, while the HDScape discs will all go for $29.95. A sampler (pictured) is currently on sale at the website for free plus $3.95 shipping.
Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift HD DVD combo reviewed
The third installment of the Fast & the Furious movie franchise is finally on store shelves in HD DVD format so we can stop posting about it right? Not quite, as it's the first 30GB/9GB HD DVD/DVD combo disc, and includes HDi features at level we haven't seen before. The reviewer at High Def Digest has nothing but praise for the 1080p VC-1 transfer, with all the fast moving cars, CGI and loud colors it manages to keep up without any issues. The soundtrack isn't Dolby TrueHD but it also earns kudos for high quality.. The most interesting aspect of this release is the U-Control interface, surpassing any IME features we've seen so far. The viewer can access extras like director commentary, car information, and insurance damage estimates at any time while the movie continues to play. Some might be worried this is all too complicated, when all they want to do is sit back and watch fast cars, but the review says it's got a very simple learning curve. This could be the start of real next generation home theater experiences...or just another menu to skip during a quick rental of a popcorn flick.
Superman Returns to DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Nov. 28th
Summer blockbuster Superman Returns has a date from Warner Home Video, and VideoBusiness says you'll be able to see it no matter what side of the format war you're on. While The Lake House will still be the first triple-release later this month, you can pick up Superman Returns on DVD, HD DVD & Blu-ray November 28th. The standard DVD will be available either as a single disc (MSRP $28.98), 2-disc special edition (MSRP $34.99), HD DVD Combo disc (MSRP $39.99), or Blu-ray (MSRP $34.99). The special edition DVD will come with several hours worth of extras, but no word on the high definition IME extras we've already heard so much about. Still, considering such a high profile release and that they've already got HD extras ready, it seems likely that Superman follows Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift in being a 30GB/9GB combo disc. We're still not sure how many people are willing to pay a few extra bucks for a combo disc, but Warner is putting a lot of weight behind them. Information on whether or not the disc would allow buyers to fly merely by putting on a cape and yelling "I'm Superman" is also unavailable at this time.
Video of Xbox 360 HD DVD player in action
We've already got the info on the Japanese prices and 1080p support (whether it's really necessary/useful or not), but how about we see the thing in action. Microsoft gave a live demo of the HD DVD drive at the Tokyo Game Show and the guys from Xboxyde were there to see it. The cam video isn't HD, only 960x540, but you can get a good look at the much-ballyhooed special interactive features of the Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift HD DVD coming soon, as well as the Xbox 360's ability to bring the guide up as the movie continues to play in the background. Even if you're not thinking of getting the HD DVD add-on, who could miss a moment of the glory that is Fast and the Furious 3? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Batman Begins HD DVD hits October 10
The much-anticipated Batman Begins HD DVD including several HD DVD-exclusive IME (HDi) features will hit store shelves October 10, along with The Polar Express. One consistent complaint about the HD DVD and Blu-ray launches has been the paucity of big, quality titles.This hopefully marks a reversal of that trend and is a sign that studios are also confident in taking advantage of the unique features afforded by the formats. Studios know they have to get things right with their most valuable properties or risk angering millions of fans, now its just up to consumers to show if they're willing to pay the cost for the experience. VideoBusiness expects more details tomorrow including price and features. What this really means is in a month or so we can move on to complaining that Superman and Lord of the Rings aren't out yet but for now, we wait.
Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift to introduce HD DVD 30/9 quad combo disc
Sure we said we wouldn't post about Fast and the Furious anymore until it came out but we just can't help ourselves. One minor detail released about this movie amongst all the hoopla at CEDIA 2006 was that not only will it include advanced iHD HDi features, it will be the first movie to ship as a quad-layer combo disc. With a dual-layer HD DVD on one side and a dual-layer DVD on the other, this should enable HD DVD viewers to view extras without having to flip to the DVD side, as they did with previous 15/9 combo discs. In a good or bad sign, it still has a $39 MSRP in line with previous combo releases, so no price increase but it will still cost more than a standard HD DVD or Blu-ray disc. Univeral Studios Home Entertainment prez Craig Kornblau sounded positive about its prospects in reaching people outside the current 25,000 HD DVD-equipped households, but we're still not sure many people will bite given the price premium.[Thanks, Tyler]
Warner Bros. to release TEN high definition movies September 26
Going dual-format certainly has its benefits. You can put up cool press releases about slating a record number of high definition media releases on one day. Luckily, Warner hasn't just stopped there. Among the six Blu-ray and four HD DVD discs are a few particularly notable items. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride makes its HD debut on blu-ray, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines will include Warner's In-Movie Experience (IME) on HD DVD and they will debut their Ultra-Resolution technology by transferring over the animated Bugs Bunny flick The Adventures of Robin Hood. All of the movies will carry an MSRP of $28.99 and except for T3, contain the same extras as the original DVD releases. No details on if any of the Blu-ray discs will be encoded in anything other than MPEG-2 but we will keep you posted.Blu-ray releases: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Swordfish Space Cowboys Lethal Weapon 2 The Fugitive House of Wax HD DVD releases: The Dirty Dozen Grand Prix Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines The Adventures of Robin Hood You can also check out our Google Calendars for all the dates.HD DVD release scheduleBlu-ray release schedule
Designers ready to go to work on Blu-ray and HD DVD interactive menus
With the capabilities offered by interactive menus, iHD and BD-J features, Blu-ray and HD DVD discs can go far beyond the simple static background menus we've gotten used to from DVDs. As a result, this CNet article indicates they will go from largely an afterthought to creating a need for professional designers able to get the most out of the new formats. David Anderson of Giant Software, fresh after attending the recent DVD Forum event, was interviewed so he was expectedly very high on the PiP, persistent storage-enabled downloads, and other capabilities of HD DVD. He also reiterated a claim we've heard frequently from the HD DVD camp, that Blu-ray's BD-J would be more difficult and expensive to take advantage of, but he seemed ready for that and is staffing up on programmers adequately experienced. We'll know this has gone too far when The Graduate's famed career advice "Plastics." is replaced with "Java" (U.S. MGM/Fox edition) and "XML (European StudioCanal release).[Via digg]
Paramount's Mission: Impossible III HD DVD-bound, with HD special features
While Paramount isn't bringing that many titles to the HD DVD party this year, one of its biggest summer movies is making the trip. Mission: Impossible III was announced for the format at yesterday's DVD Forum meeting, with date and other specifics yet undetermined Paramount did state all the extras were filmed in HD -- a welcome change from the 480i SD extras that have largely accompanied releases so far -- and that it will take advantage of HD DVD's picture-in-picture feature to show video commentary from the director as the movie continues to play. Also mentioned was The Look and Sound of Perfect marketing campaign, set to roll out online ads this week, a bus tour leaving Denver in mid-September, and television spots to follow in the fourth quarter. We're still hoping for a day-and-date release with the DVD version but that remains to be seen.
mariposaHD joins Instant Media
It seems appropriate that the internet's first HDTV show and the internet's first high-def network should pair up so they did. Our friends at mariposaHD have announced that you can download their shows in the iHD format via the I'M player, though they will also continue to be available via BitTorrent. Not to be confused with HD DVD's iHD, Instant Media's format is designed for viewing 720p content over the internet without requiring a high-powered machine. We considered reviewing Instant Media's HD platform when it launched a few months ago, but the high-def content was so limited and boring (think QVC + your local access channel in 720p and you've pretty much got it) we couldn't bring ourselves to watch, much less write about it at the time. Hopefully this is a sign of change for the better.
Major Nelson's podcast on HD DVD vs. Blu-ray
For the second time this year, Xbox Live's Larry Hryb a.k.a. Major Nelson has a high definition expert, actually two, appear on his podcast to extol the virtues of HD DVD. However this time, unlike during the interview with Tyler the HDTV expert on 1080p back in February, Blu-ray and HD DVD are both available and on store shelves at the moment. The two experts appearing this week include Amir M., who many of you are already familiar with due to his frequent posts on AVSForum, and Kevin Collins, both work on Microsoft's efforts promoting iHD, VC-1 and HD DVD.If you're familiar with Microsoft's stated reasoning for supporting HD DVD instead of remaining neutral or supporting Blu-ray there won't be a lot of new info here, but probably enough to make a listen worthwhile. Be warned that if you're a Blu-ray fanboy this isn't exactly the equal-time special, if you're expecting the Blu-ray side of things to be presented you'll need to look elsewhere. However being biased towards the HD DVD side (not mentioning reported issues with HD DVD players and promoting recent firmware upgrades as a benefit and not a side effect of rushing to launch for example) doesn't mean they aren't telling the truth. Their main points are clear, 30GB dual-layer HD DVD over 25GB single-layer Blu-ray, VC-1 HD DVD releases over MPEG-2 Blu-ray releases and already available iHD-enhanced titles over potentially limited BD-J support in current players.
Metamenu trying something new with menus on Blu-ray discs
Who out there hates the current DVD menus? Anyone? We don't but that doesn't stop us from being intrigued by Metamenu's novel approach. A few studios have selected them to include their new system on select Blu-ray titles (Crash and T2). You see the difference is that when the disc is inserted, there is a 20-sec orientation video (you can skip that by hitting enter, play or skip) and then your film starts. No menu to navigate through or anything like that, just your movie. Now this is not to say there isn't menu's at all VCR style but rather overlays of the video where you can select other options like chapters or the features. This seems cool and all but we really need to peep this in action before passing judgment on it. Keep in mind that this isn't HD DVD's iHD or Blu-ray's BD-J but rather just a proprietary menu system. Metamenu does have a 'demo' on their site and it kind of gives your the feel of the system. We do have some screen shots of it in action after the jump if that is your type of thing though. This system is currently available on the Blu-ray release of Crash. Someone out there must have used this system then. Thoughts?
Constantine HD DVD release (Warner's) first for special features, Bourne Supremacy out now
Other than Keanu Reeves, star of The Matrix and Bill & Ted movies (the Bill & Ted flicks are far better as a series), the HD DVD release of Constantine that we mentioned earlier will also be the first to feature bonus content exclusive to the HD DVD version. Using what they are calling In-movie Experience (IME), you can watch an interview with the director while the film is still playing.This seems to be the first disc to use any iHD features, it will be interesting to see how well received this is by buyers, not to mention what sort of special features Blu-ray discs will launch with. Until now HD DVD has only offered SD extras copied direct from their DVD cousins, hopefully this marks the end of that era.Update: VideoBusiness has more information on Universal's release of The Bourne Supremacy, which contains similar interactive features and should be on store shelves near you for $34.98. Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (thanks WiFiSpy) and Dukes of Hazzard are also slated to get the interactive treatment, no release dates yet.
