High-definition
without
all
the
technical
jargon
"
By
Kaitlin
Milroy,
The
Fulcrum
(University
of
Ottawa)
"-''
OTTAWA
(CUP)
-
What's
the
next
best
thing
to
actually
being
at
a
concert
or
sporting
event?
High-definition
entertainment.
Imagine
watching
sports
and
movies
in
such
high
resolution
that
you
can
see
the
pores
of
your
favourite
athletes'
and
actors'
faces.
The
clarity
HD
television
provides
is
part
of
the
pull
behind
the
new-generation
of
high-def
DVDs.
While
the
prices
are
currently
too
high
for
the
typical
student
($10-15
more
expensive
than
a
standard
DVD),
prices
for
next-gen
DVDs
are
sure
to
drop
within
a
couple
of
years.
Unfortunately,
the
recent
debacle
over
next-gen
DVDs
has
been
soaked
in
technical
jargon,
which
doesn't
exactly
jive
with
the
non-tech-sawy
kids
who
just
want
to
see
Brad
Pitt's
beautiful
face
up
close.
Until
recently,
there
was
a
format
war
between
the
two
existing
incompatible
high-definition
DVD
formats
Toshiba's
HD
DVD
and
Sony's
Blu-ray
disc
which
ended
in
the
favour
of
Blu-ray.
Toshiba
announced
in
February
of
this
year
that
the
company
had
ceased
manufacturing
and
distributing
HD
DVD
players.
Remember
Beta?
It
seems
that
Sony
learns
from
its
mistakes.
Having
lost
the
video-cassette-format
war
between
Betamax
and
VHS
in
the
late
70s
and
early
80s,
Sony
rectified
its
oversight
in
the
latest
format
war.
While
its
Betamax
video
cassette
only
boasted
half
the
recording
space
of
JVC's
VHS,
the
opposite
was
true
this
time
around.
Blu-ray
discs
boast
50
gigabytes
of
space,
compared
to
HD
DVD's
paltry
30
gigabytes.
However,
the
origin
of
the
format
wars
seems
to
have
less
to
do
with
the
actual
technical
specifications
of
the
two
formats
and
more
to
do
with
the
support
or
lack
thereof
from
major
movie
studios
and
large
retailers.
Their
general
consensus
was
that
despite
Blu-ray's
greater
capacity
to
store
HD
and
standard
DVD
content,
both
technologies
offer
more
or
less
the
same
service.
HD
DVD
and
Blu-ray-disc
technology
both
share
sound
quality
consistent
with
that
produced
in
the
mixing
studio,
as
well
as
picture
resolutions
appreciably
higher
than
standard
DVDs.
The
question
remains:
what
tipped
the
scales
in
the
competition
between
the
two
similar
products?
HD
DVD
was
the
first
to
have
a
compatible
high-def
player
hit
the
market
in
March
2006,
giving
it
a
three-month
head
start
over
Blu-ray.
Scrambling
to
compete
with
Toshiba's
HD
DVD,
Sony
rushed
a
flawed,
very
expensive
Blu-ray
disc
player
to
the
market
Not
surprisingly,
Sony's
sales
were
slow
until
its
inclusion
in
the
company's
PlayStation
3
(PS3).
Unlike
the
first
Blu-ray
player,
this
dual-console
and
high-def
DVD
player
was
a
huge
success.
The
value
in
the
consoleBlu-ray
player
was
recognized
by
gamers,
who
also
benefited
from
the
intense
realism
high-def
provided
to
their
gaming
experience.
Their
interest
helped
push
Sony's
PS3
sales
to
the
tune
of
10.5
million
units
by
February
2008.
In
fact,
Sony's
sales
success
prompted
Toshiba
to
create
an
HD
DVD
add-on
for
Microsoft's
Xbox
360,
although
it
never
gained
the
same
momentum
as
the
PS3
and
was
later
discontinued.
Toshiba
never
managed
to
sell
more
than
1-million
HD
DVD
compatible
players,
including
the
Xbox
360
add-on.
The
tidal
wave
of
interest
in
the
PS3Blu-ray
player
encouraged
retailers
and
major
movie
studios
(among
them
Blockbuster
and
Warner
Bros.
Entertainment)
to
align
themselves
exclusively
with
Blu-ray
and
drop
their
support
for
HD
DVD,
forcing
Toshiba
out
of
the
competition.
So
why
does
Blu-ray
matter
to
students?
For
many,
creating
a
home-theatre
experience
is
simply
out
of
the
question
when
there
are
tuition
loans
to
pay
off.
However,
just
like
any
other
gadget,
prices
are
sure
to
drop
and
high-def
is
bound
to
become
more
affordable
and
commonplace.
Patience,
grasshopper
You
too
will
soon
be
able
to
count
Brad
Pitt's
moles
as
often
as
you
like.
College
of
New
Caledonia
-
Ion
4