A New DVD Format War
Just when you thought it was safe to buy a nice new all-singing all dancing DVD player/recorder, along comes a new format war to add to an already confusing marketplace.Once the original DVD standard settled down, DVD players quickly became one of the most successful consumer items of all time. The new format revitalised the home entertainment market, and hardware manufacturers benefited both directly and indirectly, as enthusiasts clamoured to buy bigger and better televisions and sound equipment to get the best from their new DVD players.Then came recordable DVD, but the problem, as is so often the case, was that there were a number of different recording standards, all of them incompatible. It was just like Betamax versus VHS all over again. Now low-cost multi-format recorders supporting all the standards are hitting the streets, the recording problem is becoming less of an issue, and so one could be forgiven for thinking that's the end of the format wars.But technology has a habit of advancing at a relentless pace, and now a new battle is set to commence. The hi-tech companies are fighting it out to establish the standard for next-generation "high capacity" DVDs.
Higher capacities will allow for even better picture and sound quality than the existing standard, and will become more popular as high definition televisions really start to take off.There are two competing high capacity DVD technologies, HD-DVD (High Definition DVD) and Blu-Ray. HD-DVD works by using multiple layers on a single disk, and its main advantage is its low production costs. Blu-Ray is technically superior ? it uses blue laser light instead of the red light used by existing players. This blue light has a smaller wavelength, and so the pits that it creates on the surface of the DVD to encode the data, are smaller. Smaller pits means more pits in the same space, which means higher capacity.
Blu-Ray can store more information than HD-DVD, but presently is more expensive to implement. When Blu-Ray is combined with the multi-layering technology behind the competing format, it will see capacities rise to as much as 200 Gigabytes. Existing DVDs hold only 4.7 Gigabytes.The battle will most likely be won by the format that gets the most support from the big Hollywood studios ? nobody is going to opt for a DVD standard with a small catalogue of titles. With Blu-Ray being backed by the likes of Hitachi, HP, and Sony (who own MGM studios), it would appear to have the edge. Hollywood however, is remaining non-committal, afraid of backing a losing horse.
For now then at least, the formats are caught in something of a chicken-and-egg situation. As has been the case so many times in the past, only time will tell which format will come out on top..
Roger Faraway is the Technical Director at http://www.dvdgopher.co.uk - a popular site offering more than 25,000 DVD titles and a large selection of DVD hardware.roger@dvdgopher.co.ukHotels in Central London: History and Luxury
Copyright 2006 S Wander
Central London is where everything is: the history, the culture, the center of the UK's government, and the night life. For about a three-mile stretch between the Tower of London and Hyde Park, you'll find most of the London you're looking for: Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, St. Paul's, London Bridge, Westminster, Trafalgar Square. It only makes sense, therefore, to find a great hotel to stay in that area. You can do this for a reasonably-inexpensive rate, or you can splurge and be treated like the Queen.
The most important thing, though, is to reserve your spot as early as you can; rooms, especially the inexpensive rooms, go quickly. If you're arriving by midday, many places will hold your spot without a deposit. Others can be expensive if you're forced to cancel.
Bed and Breakfasts
In the streets behind Victoria Station, you'll find colonies of budget Bed and Breakfasts. It's a nice area, not at all touristy, and you...
Televisions > Hotels in Central London: History and Luxury
Why You Should Buy A Plasma Television
The plasma television has many advantages and benefits for you and your entertainment needs and wants. The plasma tv gives you incredible picture quality, it has a sleek design, and it is HDTV compatible. Plasmas provide sharper images and more vibrant colors. You can display both HDTV and DTV signals as well as computer signals such as XGA, SVGA, and VGA. Plasmas Superior to Both CRT's and LCD Plasma screen televisions provide sharp, clear pictures, plus no image distortion.
CRTs can't match this. Plasma tvs have brighter pictures and provide a better viewing angle at 160 degrees, than LCDs. For the best technology in display panels, choose plasma technology. High Resolution Plasma display televisions have higher resolution than most standard TV sets. They are able to display full HDTV and DTV signals as well as XGA, SVGA, and VGA signals from a computer.
If a plasma has a resolution of 1024x1024 it can display images from 1080i and 720i HDTV resolution, plus 480i and...
Why You Should Buy A Plasma Television
Televisions > Why You Should Buy A Plasma Television
Business Promotional Items - How to Stimulate Word of Mouth Advertising
If the promotional items you give out end up in the attic or shoved in the back of a desk drawer, they are probably not doing what they are supposed to be doing.
However, if items you passed out to clients and customers are being seen again and again, chances are, word-of-mouth advertising is stimulating your business.
With media (radio, televisions and newspaper), messages can come and go.
But, the exposure promotional items can give equals longevity.
While there is no real scientific way to measure how many impressions an item can receive in its lifetime, we know that it works and ultimately gets well over its money's worth.
I used to work at a radio station that passed out license plates.
We had a very fun logo- and still after ten years of being on the air, they are a sought out item.
We began to limit the number that were handed out at live action broadcasts, and that drew people to event after event....
Televisions > Business Promotional Items - How to Stimulate Word of Mouth Advertising
Bareboat Yacht Charters ? Save Money With A Bareboat Charter
Bareboat yacht charters without an experienced captain mean that you do need to have sailing experience. In order to find out if you are qualified to handle the bareboat yacht on your own, the charter company requires that you submit a resume of your sailing experience. With many of the bareboat sailing companies you don't need to have a sailing certificate because they place more value on the experience. With others, you do need to have a certificate. You will find many bareboat yacht charters online in all parts of the world.
Browse the sites to see which ones apply to you.
When you submit your record of sailing experience for bareboat sailing, charter companies will let you know whether or not they feel you can handle the yacht on your own. This is because bareboat yacht charters have to protect their investments as well as be assured of your safety. If they do not feel your qualifications are up to par for sailing the specific waters they service, you may be...
Televisions > Bareboat Yacht Charters ? Save Money With A Bareboat Charter
Choosing An HDTV Television
To take full advantage of the great number of HDTV stations you can get with your satellite system, you will want a television with a breathtaking picture and mind blowing sound.
When shopping for a television today, you have many more options than just a few years ago.
From several hundred dollars, to a price similar to that of a new Corvette, you can choose the television to fit your budget and lifestyle.
If you want to watch satellite programming you will need a tv that is at least HDTV ready.
Your satellite service provider will supply you with an HDTV tuner.
Even if you will not be watching much HDTV programming, there is still a huge benefit to watching a digital television.
All HDTV and HDTV ready tv's contain upconversion circuitry that cleans up the picture with even non HDTV signals.
If you watch a lot of movies or dvd's, you might want to purchase a widescreen television.
Choosing An HDTV Television
Televisions > Choosing An HDTV Television
Dream Are Waiting...
You have permission to publish this article electronicallyor in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines areincluded. A courtesy copy of your publication would beappreciated - send to: b2wforum@yahoo.co.inDreams Are Waiting...R.G. SrinivasanDreams, dreams and more dreams!
So many dreams are waiting to be realized!The world is created out of dreams.
Call it imagination, goals, objectives, aims or anything the dictionary can hold out for shaping a future event, the root is always the dreams.
One mans dream transforms an entire nation, people, events history.
A mans dream illumines the world the light bulb.
A dream puts man on space and the same dream nurtured by other people would one day lead man to the intergalactic wonderful worlds yet unknown to man and with it the widening of the narrow world view that we hold todayDo you have a dream?
Are you nurturing them regularly with your imagination?
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