HD DVD vs. Blu-ray: The real reason behind the format wars
By Ken Mitchell
With Blu-ray pulling away in what seems to be the death of HD DVD, what is really happening? Why is Blu-ray gaining support from the Movie Moguls? I’ll give you a hint, not because it is better for us consumers.
HD DVD and Blu-ray are very similar technologies. Sure Blu-ray has higher storage and transfer capacities, and HD DVD has better codec requirements, but neither offer a significant advantage to the consumer. The real advantage here, is to the content providers.
AACS, or Advanced Access Content System, is a standard for digital rights management used in both Blu-ray and HD DVD. It involves encryption and watermarking to make the content harder to copy. One requirement of AACS, however, is that the user be able to easily and legally reproduce the protected content to a full-resolution copy or a scaled down copy. “Managed Copy” is intended to allow backing up the content on discs, or watching the content on a portable device.
Both Blu-ray and HD DVD players are required to implement AACS. Blu-ray, however, also requires the implementation of BD+. BD+ is a proprietary standard used in the digital rights management of some titles on Blu-ray discs. BD+ is not an encryption, but rather supplements the other security measures already used. BD+ is described as a virtual machine, able to execute programs and applications. BD+ also allows patching and executing player specific code behind the users back.
Is BD+ a good thing or a bad thing? Well, it is both. Manufacturers will be able to provide patches or software updates on Blu-ray discs, and the users will not have to do anything out of the ordinary to update their players. The downside to this is that it could be used to limit the functionality of the players. The AACS managed copies requirement is still in effect for Blu-ray, but would you be surprised if content providers found a way around allowing consumers to legitimately backup their content, especially given Sony’s history (cough* rootkit)? BD+ could be their way out.
What does this have to do with consumers? Actually, I don’t think it has anything to do with consumers, as far as the format war goes. I think that content providers are going to pull the wool over our heads on this one, and go with Blu-ray. Not because it is a superior technology, but because it is easier for them to have control over where and how their media is used.
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Stumble It!
February 12th, 2008
Too late, the PS3 cretins have declared their ‘love’ for a game console & that’s all that seems to matter in this so far.
A bunch of idiot kids doing their ‘I love my game console’ fanboy-ism & have made sure HDMs on disc stay a niche product.
Well done lads.
Thanks God for rips & downloads.
February 13th, 2008
Nice article. I never understood the majority praising blu-ray. Hd-dvd sounded a bit more consumer friendly in terms of costs and finished specs. I also liked their idea of dual format disc that would play in standard dvd players.
I guess the only sense to make of all this is that sony impregnated the market with ps3 to the 16-30 yo market. Thus you have a lot of people trying to justify spending 600$+ on a game system. Admittedly, I can not stand Sony’s business tactics. Not just the root kits, but inferior products and some past records of suing small companies that stand in their way.
If the new movie standards change every 10 years like dvd’s are I think I will just sit this one out and wait till the next “superb” format comes out cause I would rather not line Sony’s pockets.
February 13th, 2008
@DaveBG
Be warned, the PS3 cretins will respond with alot of techno babble and dub this site, as they misuse the word, “bias”.
February 13th, 2008
…tumbleweed….
February 13th, 2008
@kyboy dual format compatibility was a good point that I forgot to mention. But obviously here, we’re not going with what is more consumer friendly. It is more content provider friendly.
I think that it is worth mentioning that I think Blu-ray is a great technology and has its high points. I also *hear* that Sony didn’t support BD+ until Fox pressured them to do so. Either way, it’s an example of us letting *someone* bully us into what they want.
February 13th, 2008
I agreed. I think studios like Sony and Disney are especially keen on maximum security DRM stuff. Remember those rootkit music CDs and highly encrypted DVDs. The stories told us to what extend would they protect their copyrighted material.
Going Blu-ray is more secure for the content provider. I like HD-DVD, but if the releases in this format is becoming so limited, I don’t think it could last very long.
SD DVD is a solid format. The price is good and the quality is decent. Most families have more than one DVD players, and have a library of SD DVDs. I think Hi-Def DVD still has a very long way to go if intend to replace SD DVD, if ever.
February 13th, 2008
i’m guessing you all bought HD-DVD players…
February 13th, 2008
I’m sorry DaveBG, but “Thanks God for rips & downloads”? Looks like it was people like you who won the format war for blu-ray. Its exactly that attitude that makes security so important for content providers. As for your obviously slighted comments about “PS3 cretins”, i think its interesting how the Xbox360’s add-on HD drive was the largest selling HDM player (including the PS3), yet it didn’t have the momentum or the attatch rate to win the war for HD-DVD. Yet when “a bunch of idiot kids” buy a PS3 they apparently also buy a bunch of idiot blu-ray discs to play on it. Blu-ray, even before the WB annnouncement, was outselling HD-DVD consistantly, and you’ll have a hard time convincing me that this was the content providers doing. The consumer market chose a winner, and the content providers are following suit. Please don’t rewrite history and say it was the other way around
February 13th, 2008
JellyRoll is my hero!
February 13th, 2008
I thought this would be about how Sony got tired of paying toshiba for DVD and so they went back to there original format they were working before DVD came out so they could make all the money. But it wasnt this was instead some kind of crazy conspiracy article that has really nothing to do with anything unless you pirate copyrighted material. Damn the companies for wanting protect their investments. I have a question do any of you guys have locks on your doors so people wont rob you?? well it is the same concept and if people were not pirating companies would not have to put tons of money into protecting themselves.
February 13th, 2008
It’s not about stealing content or being a “pirate”. The point is that both formats provides sufficient rights management (AACS) which allows LEGAL copying (rights of fair use, many countries have them), but BD+ could give content providers a back door to restrict that. Consumers are not making this decision, providers are making it for us.
February 13th, 2008
This whole conversation is irrelevant bluray won all you HD-DUD suckers got the short end of the stick. I mean honestly if any of you made a movie would you want people just buying one movie copy or renting it and making copy after copy selling them making a profit when you get nothing? how fair is that to you or anyone who makes a movie. you all need to get over it and get a life. sell all of your HD-DUD crap on ebay it’s what my next door neighbor did you all should do the same and quit bitchen. Go ahead and wait 10 years for the next format I’ll be having fun watching my BluRay’s on my 70″ Sony LCD Bravia XBR that’s right a Sony. the majority won so just deal.
February 14th, 2008
hm, I remember hearing a couple years ago that sony had a patent on a technology that would make disc’s play to an exclusive player. I wonder if this is it, it sounds like it. So, I’ll bring up the questions from then. “What if the player breaks? What if I upgrade my player?… I’ll have a stack of disc’s sitting there, completely worthless, and have to start my collection all over again.
As far as the HD format war goes, I think it’s been worthless from the beginning. I believe, as things get more “do it from home friendly” the real winner will surface as some kind of set top box you download movies to. They’re out there, just a matter of time before one really catches on.
Also, as history shows us, where theres a will, there’s a way, BD+ or anything new they throw up will be cracked. They call it uncrackable, it gets cracked, they fix it, they crack it again, and again and again…. PSP anyone?
February 14th, 2008
Who cares about disc’s. It is a war about unwanted territories. I rented my first 3 movies via apple tv yesterday and it worked like a charm.
February 14th, 2008
Keep in mind everyone there are no 1080p movies for download only 1080i unless I am mistaken, who in their right minds would wait to download a 50g movie? The only thing companies like Apple,Microsoft and Netflix are trying to do is make everyone go out and spend a ton of money to upgrade your computer and have terabyte storage or buy things like apple tv. (no offence ATV) I don’t like the idea of downloading all of my movies and when I have a hardware problem poof all my movies are gone I mean who’s going to be responsible for that. There is still a demand for physical media and there will always be, for movies at least.
February 14th, 2008
the download movies are 1080 but they are compressed video so they are not high quality. yeah they fill the pixels and so are technically HD but they are in no way true HD quality. for the people who do not know what i am talking about make 2 jpegs of the same picture no save one at full quality and the other at 3rd the quality. they both fill the same pixel count but one is going to be obviously higher quality the full res represents any disc format the compressed altered image Downloadble movies.
also some guy said this is not about pirating but what bluray “COULD” do. so everyone is bitching about something that has not even been done yet, just at the possibility of it? people whine about everything…
February 17th, 2008
It always boils down to how to make more money. Resolution of Blu-Ray disc are under par when it comes to HD in general. The big 6 film companies probably see it’s an easier media to control like the report above says. Which means they can charge huge prices for a cheaper product and get away with it because there is no rival in the medium.
I like my HD DVDs, it’s going the way of Beta tapes (which were a better product than VHS if you don’t remember) but it’s fun while it lasts. I personally will still buy into HD products on either of the formats and my company will produce HD Discs even though I was wishing it would have been HD DVD as the victor. You can’t fight a system like this, it was a nice try by Toshiba and Microsoft type companies but they apparently are becoming the past. Poo about it but we will all in the end only have one forced on us regardless which one “wins”.
February 22nd, 2008
Regardless of which format is better, consumer get’s constantly screwed including me by big global corporations. People should protest and sue them for the money we lost buying the HD-DVD players and HD-DVD’s.