High Definition Codecs

It seems as technology expands, those of us today who are in search of a new HD TV are comforted with more buying options then ever.  So what does it all mean?

1080p defined

1080p resolution is the latest HD holy grail.  That is because they are theoretically cable of dispallying every pixel of the highest resolution HD broadcast.  On paper, they should offer more tahn twice the resoltuions of today’s 1,280 x 720 or 720p.

1080i, the former king of HDTV, actually has the same identical resolution as a 1080p but conveys the images in an interlace formate.  In a tube based TV, otherwise known as a CRT, 1080i source gets painted on the screen sequentially: the odd numbered lines appear on the screen first, followed by the even numbered lines - all within 1/30 of a second.   Progressive-scan format such as 480p, 720p, and 1080p convey all the lines of the resolution sequentially in a single pass, which makes the pictures smoother and cleaner.  Especially wtih sports and other motion intensive content.

So even if you do get a 1080p are there currently any channels available in a 1080p format.  Not really because of the bandwidth issue.  There will be some Blue-Ray and HD-DVD disc that output in such format but they will cost more as well.

The biggest difference between the two if you are watching with a 1080i signal is that if you sit really close to your TV you can see that the picture of the 1080p monitor will not have as much pixel structure.  Such as stir stepping along diagnol lines or screen door effects.  This advantage applies regardless of the quality of the source.

The bottom line: if you’re thinking of going really big, like with a 60 inch screen, the extra resolution may make it worth the difference - as long as you have a prestine, 1080l HD source to feed into the set.

PC Magazine - The companies backing competing formats for next-generation DVD technology will never again talk about forming a unified standard, an executive at Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said on Friday, leaving it to the consumer to choose the winning side. "We are not talking and we will not talk," Kazuhiro Tsuga, an executive officer at Matsushita, the world's largest consumer electronics maker, told Reuters in an interview. "The market will decide the winner." Matsushita, best known for its Panasonic brand, is a leading supporter of Blu-ray, one of two competing formats for the next-generation DVD. The other format, called HD-DVD, is backed by a group led by Toshiba Corp. At the core of both formats are blue lasers, which have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers used in current DVD equipment, enabling discs to store data at the higher densities needed for high-definition movies and TV. The two sides held talks last year in the hopes of avoiding a prolonged format battle similar to the one between Betamax and VHS videotapes in the 1980s, knowing that it could discourage consumers from shifting to the advanced discs and stifle the industry's growth. But the talks soon fizzled out, with each side reluctant to establish a format based on the other's disc structure. At stake is the $24 billion home video market and a slice of the personal computer market as PCs will be equipped with Blu-ray or HD DVD optical drives. The backing of Hollywood was seen until recently as the main deciding factor in the format battle, but with studio support split between the camps, the focus will now shift to cost-competitiveness and the products themselves, Tsuga said. He said it was doubtful how long Toshiba, which launched an HD DVD player this month for $499, could continue selling its next-generation equipment at such low prices, estimating that Toshiba was probably doing so at a loss. A Toshiba spokeswoman declined to comment on whether it would make or lose money on its players, but said the price point was also aimed at helping the HD DVD industry grow. "It's now a test of physical strength," Tsuga said. Matsushita plans to launch DVD players later this year with a price tag likely to top $1,000. Tsuga said that Matsushita was working hard to lower production costs and that it would make a profit on its next-generation DVD products from the start. Earlier on Friday, Matsushita announced that it would start shipping Blu-ray disc drives to PC makers, becoming the first in the industry to do so. It also unveiled single-layer and double-layer Blu-ray discs able to hold 25 gigabytes and 50 gigabytes of data, or 10 times conventional DVDs.

TechWeb - The new division will look for new opportunities in digital media, like the interactive applications the company featured on digital satellite and cable during the 2006 Olympic Games.

AFP - Microsoft founder Bill Gates has expressed confidence in the success of the software giant's new Xbox game console as well as high-definition HD DVD technology.
Visiting Japan, a key battleground for next-generation video game consoles and DVD players, Gates said he hoped the Xbox 360 would win a new legion of older fans with its simple games and online multi-player system. "The Xbox came out for the last Christmas season. That's been a very sold-out product and really ushering in this idea of high-definition gaming -- realism -- but even more importantly, the idea of community. "Bringing that social community aspect into this we think is very critical and it will redefine and revolutionize those products, in fact make it attractive not just to young men but to people of all ages," he told reporters. The first Xbox, which was launched in November 2001 and came to Japan in February 2002 -- nearly two years behind Sony's PlayStation 2 -- flopped here, in part due to a lack of games that appealed to local tastes. This time Microsoft is doing its utmost to avoid history repeating itself and has stolen a march on Sony, which recently announced a six-month delay to the launch of its PlayStation 3 next generation console to November. Microsoft and Sony are also key players in another battle between global technology giants -- over the next-generation of DVD players. The US software behemoth is supporting the HD DVD format pushed by Toshiba and NEC, which is vying with the rival Blu-ray format, led by Sony and Panasonic, in a replay of the VHS-Betamax video tape battle of the late 1970s. "We think products like HD DVD and Xbox 360 are really going to drive consumers to expect that high definition," said Gates. He also indicated that Microsoft's next operating system, Vista, the release of which has been delayed until next year, could eventually be made compatible with the Blu-ray format if its developers share the necessary information. "In terms of Blu-ray that's also coming along. As they finalize their specifications we'll understand how well that's able to connect up to Windows. As yet they haven't shared that," he said.