High-Def / DVD Gallery -- OLD

Trends and Sample Products (older equipment)

    by Douglas Dixon

See the High-Def / DVD Gallery
     CD, DVD, Blu-ray, HD DVD, Optical disc trends

Set-top CE Players (OLD - First generation)

• First-generation set-top players for both formats released in the first half of 2006
• First products are playback-only: no set-top recorders in U.S.

LG Electronics - "Super Multi Blue"

        LG "Super Multi Blue"

• LG BH100 "Super Multi Blue" Player - $1,199 (U.S. Q1 07)
      Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD
      Full HD 1080p
      Blu-ray: BD-Java advanced interactive functions, advanced menus
      HD DVD: Not advanced menu interactivity
      MPEG-2, VC-1, H.264 video, MPEG1/2 audio
      Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, DTS and DTS-HD audio
      HDMI out, component/composite video out, optical/coaxial/discrete 5.1 channel audio out
• www.lge.com

Blu-ray -- Set-top CE Players (OLD)

Sony BDP-S1

• Full HD 1080p Video Output through HDMI connection
• DVD Upscaling to 1080p
• 1/07 - Firmware upgrade 1.50 - Improves BD-Java compatibility
      Enhances playback compatibility with certain BD-ROM format discs
      Corrects Linear PCM 5.1 output over HDMI
• 1/07 - $999

Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player  (6/06)

• $900
• www.samsung.com/Products/Blu_ray

Others

• Panasonic DMP-BD10
• Philips BDP9000
• Pioneer BDP-HD1
• Sharp - DV-BP1U BD player 2Q $1199

HD DVD -- Set-top CE Players (OLD)

Toshiba

• 1/08 - HD-A3 $149 , HD-A30 $199 , top of the line HD-A35 $299
• [ Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player ~ $499 (4/06) - first, aggressive price ]
• Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD player ~ $799 (4/06)
• Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player- entry level - $499 (10/06)
      HDMI 720p or 1080i, Play DVD and CD
• Toshiba HD-A20 HD DVD player - $599 (Spring 07)
      HDMI 720p, 1080i or 1080p, Play DVD and CD
• Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player - top of the line - $999 (12/06)
      HDMI 1.3, 720p, 1080i or 1080p, Play DVD and CD, Deep Color output, user picture setting
• www.tacp.toshiba.com/hddvd

         Toshiba HD-A1

PC Drives / Burners

• Originally for data backup
• Can't play back HD discs on any old PC
• Full HD playback requires significant upgrades or a new system
      Need good performance, updated drivers for HD decoding
      Need secure digital connection (HDMI) 
          with hardware support in both video card and display

LG Electronics - "Super Multi Blue" (OLD)

• LG GGW-H10N 'Super Multi Blue' Blu-ray Rewriter & HD DVD-ROM Drive - $1,199 (Q1 07)
      Blu-ray write/playback, HD DVD playback, DVD/CD write/playback; SATA?
      Blu-ray 4x recording, SL 25 GB in 24 min
• www.lge.com

Blu-ray -- PC Drives / Burners (OLD)

• Pioneer - BDR-101A internal Blu-ray Burner - no CD
• Panasonic - SW-5582-C internal Blu-ray burner,  DE, DL, $870
• LiteOn - LH-2B1S internal Blu-ray burner, SATA
• Sony - BWU-100A Blu-ray burner, DL, DVD+/-, +DL, $700
• Samsung - SH-B022 BD Burner - DVD and CD read not write 
• BenQ - BW1000 BD Burner - internal and external, DVD & CD, 2x BD
• Philips - SPD7000 BD Burner
• Hitachi - GBW-H10N Blu-ray / DVD / CD read/write - Blu-ray 4x

LaCie d2 External Blu-ray Drive - $1,149 (2/07)

• USB 2.0 & FireWire
• BD (Blu-ray) 2x / DVD / CD writer in one drive
• www.lacie.com

        LaCie d2

HP bd135 Blu-ray Disc Writer (spring 07)

• Burn BD-R, BD-RW (2x, DL), DVD and CD discs
• www.hp.com

HD DVD -- PC Drives / Burners (OLD)

Toshiba SD-L902A HD DVD Slim Writer - OEM notebooks (10/06)

• Read and write support for legacy CD and DVD formats, 1X HD DVD
• www.toshibastorage.com ( sdd.toshiba.com )

Toshiba SD-H903A HD DVD Desktop Writer - first half-height, SATA (2/07)

• Read and write support for legacy CD and DVD formats, 1X HD DVD
• Single and double layer (30 GB)

Hewlett-Packard hd100 External HD DVD-ROM (~ 1/07) ~ $499

• USB 2.0
• HD DVD-ROM 2.4x, DVD±R/±RW and ±R double-layer read capability
• www.hp.com

        HP hd100

Top

HD Disc Player and Authoring Software (OLD)

    See DVD Authoring Software Gallery

HD Disc Players

    See DVD Authoring Software Gallery

CyberLink PowerDVD Ultra -- Blu-ray and HD DVD

• Also plays from folder, DVD
• Also AVCHD

Corel (InterVideo) WinDVD 9 -- Blu-ray and HD DVD

• HD upgrade -- Blu-ray and HD DVD
• 1/07 - AVCHD certification
• Play Standard and Advanced Content (HDi) HD DVD titles
• 1/07 - supports playback of rewriteable Blu-ray Discs 
      BD-RE 3.0 (BDMV on BD-RE), BD-R 2.0 (BDMV format BD-R), BD-ROM discs

ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme -- Blu-ray and HD DVD

• High definition, full resolution playback of BD-AV, BD-MV, BD-J, HD DVD, AVCHD, DVD
• Advanced video decoding, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1 (SMPTE 421M) codecs
• Next generation Blu-ray and HD DVD audio format support
• Playback of protected content (CPRM, AACS, and BD+)

HD Disc Authoring Tools (OLD)

    See DVD Authoring Software Gallery

CyberLink PowerProducer 4 -- Blu-ray clips and HD DVD menus

• Blu-ray - BDAV 2.0 (no menus), burn to disc only
• HD DVD - with menus, to HD DVD, DVD, folder

Pinnacle HD DVD Authoring Pack -- HD DVD menus

• HD DVD format movie discs complete with menus
• Combine of HD and SD footage
• Burn to HD DVD or DVD -- Both play on set-top CE players, $49.99

Nero 7 Ultra Edition Enhanced -- Blu-ray & HD DVD data burning

• Blu-ray & HD DVD Disc Data Recording

Roxio (Sonic) MyDVD 9  - Blu-ray clips

• Author and burn Blu-ray (BDAV, no menus)

Roxio (Sonic) DVDit Pro HD -- Blu-ray menus

• Author and burn Blu-ray (BDMV, no menus)

Ulead DVD MovieFactory Studio Pro Edition

• Burn to HD DVD-R

Top