Ultimate AV Mag report on Blu-ray demo - lots of information
 

http://blog.ultimateavmag.com/thomasnorton/

These are the main data:

• All first titles are expected to be limited to a single layer.
  
• There are two Blu-ray modes: Movie Mode (used for high definition films) and BD-J Mode (a fully programmable mode that includes interactive features, like games and Internet connectivity). Both modes can be used on the same disc.
  
• Sony and MGM titles will be encoded on the discs at 1080/24p. The user will set the player to convert this native resolution as required to match the capability of his or her display.
  
• At this time Sony has no immediate plans to implement the Image Constraint Token (ICT).
  
• All of the Sony and MGM titles will initially be encoded using MPEG-2, at a variable bit rate, but up to a maximum of 30Mb/sec.
  
• When other codecs exceed MPEG-2 at all data rates, Sony will begin using them.
  
• On the audio side, all Sony and MGM titles will include both conventional Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks. Dolby data rate is still unconfirmed. DTS data rate will be 1.5Mb/sec. Additionally all Sony/MGM releases will include a 5.1 uncompressed PCM audio track.
  
• The first Sony and MGM titles will each have a hidden Easter Egg containing several setup test patterns— a sweep, a standard SMPTE pattern including, among other things, a PLUGE, color bars, and a resolution monoscope. These patterns can be accessed by entering 7669 on your Blu-ray player's remote (7669 is S-O-N-Y on a telephone).

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His impressions of the visual demo:

Does this mean that they won't prohibit 1080i over component at all or they won't even allow the choice? If all the Sony title are 1080i over component, that is a HUGE arrow in the BR quiver.

ICT (aka downrezzing over component) is an option AACS gives the studios. The studios may use it or not at will, and even on a title-by-title basis.

Thomas Norton will surely explain it better than me:

Of course, they don't say they won't ever use it. For example, if in a couple years time, hypothetical pirates began using the analogue outputs to create their bootlegs, then Sony could reconsider and decide to use ICT for their subsequent titles.

So that means so far we have Sony, Disney, Fox and Paramount all making announcements that they will allow HD over component. Heres to hoping W-B follows.

Great post!

30Mbps Video = :drool:

So does that mean for at least the initial launch titles, they won't be including DTS-HD or DD+ (or whatever it is called)? That is a bit disappointing.

You can't equate that number to DVD bit rates. HD video requires higher bit rates because it contains more data.

That is excellent news about ICT. Hopefully the studios will just forget about that nonsense for a few years, and by the time they start using it, most of us component owners will have replaced our sets.

Great info in this post!

I'm not. I'm equating it with the fact that they could have gone with less, but went high.

My understanding is that they want to focus a little more on video quality right out of the gate. They are waiting for more HDMI receviers as well.

Variable Bit rate to 30mbps sounds great, but whats the low end of that as well? 10mbps mpeg 2 would suck.

True, but this is still well more than the 19Mbps of broadcast HD. Good news. Would be even better if it was 45 or higher, to match what comes out of the truck.

Good question. This quote: "Additionally all Sony/MGM releases will include a 5.1 uncompressed PCM audio track." suggests the new Dolby codec. But it is not specific. Players/processors will only be able to play that if it is a known format. And DVD-Audio/DolbyHD are the only 5.1 PCM uncompressed formats, I believe. So....

Note: The encoders being used by Sony for MPEG 2 said to be much better than previous versions. Can't wait to see what they can put out at given bitrates.

As far as audio goes it is pretty confusing to just about everyone it seems. Decoding will be done at the player and passed via HDMI 1.1, and higher, or the 5.1 outputs. S/PDIF output is going to be limited to D-theater levels. If you want to decode the new formats using a receiver you need HDMI 1.3.

Does anything have HDMI 1.3?

I don't believe so, though I could be wrong.

Is it me or is nothing ready for this HD-disc based launch?

No one has the TV's to watch it on (with the secure connections), no one has the receiver's for the sound... Why do we need it now?

Can we not wait another 5 years until more things are in place? I am not that excited about either format (okay, a little for BR-D, but still down the road).

I bought my DVD player in 1997. I bought an HDTV before there any local broadcasts to watch in 2001. I am an early adopter, and I am not all that excited...do you think the general public cares?

Rod319

excellent

rod319. I hear ya. same boat as you. I have seen high def cable on a 106" screen so I know there is a difference. But not sure of the sense of urgency. My opinion, for what it's worth, is the high DVD is evolutionary upgrade from SD DVD .. Not Revolutionary that VHS to DVD was.

and what makes us think that studios that aren't exploiting all the features of SD DVD (e.g. only using a portion of the disc space for video) will be doing things any different with high def? I made a joke on another thread about Madacy re-releasing Night of the Living dead for BR-D "now remastered in high def" - but honestly, does anybody expect the quality of that version to be anywhere near true high def potential? yes, you can argue about the source material, but my point is that I have a lot of very dissapointing video quality from manufacturers (some highly reliable) on today's technology that allowed for higher resolution.. I will definitely wait for reviews for any high def DVDs before I buy them.

I can tell you that a well mastered anamorphic SD DVD looks very impressive on my system...

Perhaps if there wasn't a format war...or perhaps if they really revolutionized things (like putting the disc in cassette thereby ensuring durabilty and enhance PVD market), etc..

I for one could care less about compability with SD DVD.. I mean, I still have a VHS machine to watch my tapes that havent' been released on DVD. What's the hangup of keeping the old DVD player around to play the old discs? What are people going to do that actually by these new high def players - throw their DVD players in the dumpster?

And the whole business of (potentially) downrezzing video if not on HDMI.. Sigh. It's like they couldn't have taken any more fun out of this if they wanted to.

And I really don't understand the cost of these new machines. Again, if revolutionary then perhaps I could buy it. But from an end users perspective it is the same format with higher resolution - that's it. And this is going to cost me $1000?