Exclusive interview with Sony Europe on Blu Ray!

[Phil Hinton]

Guys and Gals,
We have an exclusive interview with Nicholas Babbin from Sony Europe within the new podcast, it's 20 mins long and he is very frank about the new technology and Blu Ray, well worth a listen!

Get it here http://www.avpodcast.co.uk/podcast.mp3?p=12

[Uruloke]

Cool, downloading now.

Even cooler, my review of Hitman Blood Money is on it!

For anyone listening, that's not me talking!!

[Lyris]

Thanks for the link, having a listen now.

The Sony guy didn't seem to understand the question about player software though - I'd also like to know when I can watch HD movie discs on my PC.

I think the new version of PowerDVD will be able to interface with plug-ins that let you play back HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray.

He also put a pretty big spin on the space thing - comparing 200gb Blu-Ray discs that (I think) exist in lab testing to the 30gb HD-DVD has out now. In reality it's the other way around as currently HD-DVD actually has the slight space advantage.

It's not a like for like comparison. Right now it's all talk... they shouldn't be hyping up what is essentially vaporware when dual-layer BD discs aren't even showing up yet.

The excuse that "Blu-Ray looks bad right now because people are watching it on their CRT" had me in stitches

[Packetfront]

The guy from Sony didn't have much of a clue, just when asked the question why it's been postponed all the time in the U.S, i really don't know actually he replied.

Pretty lame answer from someone at Sony, don't they communicate with each other?

And the other questions when he replied about the cause Samsung BluRay player got such bad reviews out there he just accused that most of them had it connected to a standard CRT and it wasn't fair.

[Uruloke]

Some of his arguments (like the ones mentioned above) were pretty bad indeed. But some were pretty good too, like the greater studio support and the fact that Blu-Ray has been embraced by a lot of manufacturers, more than for HD-DVD. But he also implied that HD-DVD is Toshiba ONLY, which of course is not true. Also the murmers from an obviously disgruntled Samsung are that things could change very quickly...

[TommyVecetti]

This format is going to crash and burn based on that ineptitude.

[jamieuk23]

just out of interest who gives the interview ? stewart wright ?

[AML]

8 layers!

Im sure the quality of the moveis will improve over time the same way DVD did.

Technicaly speaking, blu ray does seem to be pulling away from HD DVD. Its not wonder Toshiba want to restart talks with sony!

[Stuart Wright]

Originally Posted by jamieuk23

just out of interest who gives the interview ? stewart wright ?

The whole team. The questions are written in advance based on what you guys asked for and our own research.
So who actually makes the call and asks the questions is irrelevant.

[Angry the Clown]

8 layers!

It’s a great pity he conveniently neglects to mention the minor fact that pre-recorded spec for Blu Ray only goes as far as 2 layers so none of the players will actually be compatible with anything greater. I’m still not sure just what 50gb is meant to offer over 30gb that will be of any true significance to the consumer because if we’re specifically talking about the use of advance codecs a further 20gb really isn’t going to be used to improve a/v quality (different argument for MPEG2).

Im sure the quality of the moveis will improve over time the same way DVD did.

That’s all well and good, and I don’t actually disagree with this. I’m not confident we’re going to see healthy yields on the replication of 50gb discs for a good while, but with advanced codecs on 25gb discs Blu Ray should finally deliver something comparable to HD DVD.

That said, it’s very difficult to defend Blu Ray right now in the “it will get better” sense given HD DVD is here and has already raised the bar for what enthusiasts should come to expect from a next generation format. This is where competition has actually turned out to be a good thing, since had HD DVD not existed buyers would have little choice but to go along with what Blu Ray is currently delivering, but HD DVD is here and as far as I am concerned it’s been meeting, and in some cases exceeding, the minimum expectations I ever had for a hi-def format so early in its life. For double the price, Blu Ray really ought be matching the level of a/v quality and features people have been enjoying since day one of HD DVDs launch, but it has failed to do so due to its backers greed in wanting to rush something out in order to prevent Toshiba and Co having an even greater market lead. I think the format may well have done itself more harm in going through with a rushed launch than it might have had it not released anything until the autumn when it might finally be able to match what its competitor is delivering.

But some were pretty good too, like the greater studio support and the fact that Blu-Ray has been embraced by a lot of manufacturers, more than for HD-DVD. But he also implied that HD-DVD is Toshiba ONLY, which of course is not true.

One thing so many seem to forget is that few companies and studios are bound to either format by contract. If one starts selling strongly, supporters of one will jump ship or back both platforms for a duration. They’re in it to make money after all. There are already enough signs to suggest the likes of Disney and Lionsgate are going to end up backing both, and it’s actually in the better interests of content providers to do so form a shareholders point of view, and it would prevent this awful situation of studios only backing one format forcing consumers to only take one route over another.

I’m worried just how much faith Sony is putting in the PS3. There’s no doubting that its initial short supply runs are going to sell out until Spring 07 even at its absurd price, but they seem ridiculously confident as to just how many are actually going to use the console as a Blu Ray player, and even hook it up to an HDTV. This is confidence that could backfire on them significantly if they’re not careful.

The excuse that "Blu-Ray looks bad right now because people are watching it on their CRT" had me in stitches

That CRT comment is baffling. So many comments from executives within Sony Corp and Sony Computer Entertainment in the last couple of months leave me feeling that the company is best off not allowing its staff to say ANYTHING in public as every time they do so they only seem to show themselves up as being both ignorant and arrogant which is surely going to do them no favours.

[Avi]

Originally Posted by Angry the Clown

It’s a great pity he conveniently neglects to That CRT comment is baffling...... So many comments from executives within Sony Corp and Sony Computer Entertainment in the last couple of months leave me feeling that the company is best off not allowing its staff to say ANYTHING in public as every time they do so they only seem to show themselves up as being both ignorant and arrogant which is surely going to do them no favours.

Great post

[Decanter]

I'm a novice in these players and which format would be best to choose, and that interview didnt do anything to make me want blue ray over hd dvd, in certain respects that was a pointless interview as none of the real questions were answered.

I'm planning HD DVD, but have always decided to wait for a UK release on both players, then judge the facts with their individual merits, but that interview doesn't inpspire confidence in Sony's product.

[Nic Rhodes]

Oh dear

No launch date for UK Sony BR! Welocme to the Sony PS3 flagship player at launch
Doesn't know why US launch is delayed.
Talks about 8 layer 200 Gb disc and I think intimates players can read them. Perhaps he should get his bosses to deal with dual layer discs first, not that they can go further with the current standard for HD movies anyway.
NTSC and PAL stuff, hmmmm for HD?
Forgot to mention microsoft in the HD DVD camp, wonder why?.....or Thomson, RCA....
Sony and the BD forum tried hard for unifications, hmm, why didn't they take BD to the DVD forum then?, to me that was the single biggest decision as to why we now have this bad case of two competing formats. HD DVD DID.

I got a very negative impresion of BD and Sony from this interview.

[Packetfront]

Yes i got the impression he tried to defend himself and BD all the time.

8 layers in the labs, so what? they can't even get dual layers 50GB working out of the labs in production.

Blu-Ray, what a stupid name, who will think of high definition when the consumer hears that for the first time?

Studio support? so what? there is no contract that tie them to BD exclusively, the studios are already planning on going HD-DVD due to the flop BD received with Samsung and failure of launching 50GB discs and old MPEG2 codec.

Hell yeah, satellite broadcasts dumped MPEG2 HD a long time ago, time to move on for Sony as well, but i guess they won't.

Reason Samsung got such bad reviews was because most people connected it to a standard CRT, oh yeah, that was a nice excuse, people ain't stupid, but that's what Sony tend to beleive.

And this one, he said people will choose when they see so many BD players in the shop and only one HD-DVD, no wrong again, people will vote with their wallets and what gives the best bang for the buck and that's HD-DVD for now.

[Tejstar]

Originally Posted by AML

8 layers!

But that will be some way off right now. However, other (smaller) guys are faster and recently saw 4 layers from the guys behind VMD. Theseguys hope to be the standard across China and India for HD delivery.