So you have someone in the family that is a movie fanatic and you are looking to buy the next generation of movie playback devices because let's face it, the DVD player you've had for 2 years is just "so 2005." So now the question is: "Which kind of player do I buy: Blu-Ray or HD DVD? What's the difference?"
Here's your answer:
Blu-Ray: Price: $300 & up
- Blu-Ray is the offspring of the Sony Corporation and is basically the next step in data storage. In response to developing the next generation of data storage after DVD's, Sony developed a technology that used the reading of data through a blue laser instead of red laser like those on DVD players. By doing this, they were able to put more data in the same size disc because of basic physics revolving around the color spectrum. Enough with the science chat. The Blu-Ray discs hold a lot of information on the same size disc as a DVD or CD but because of an increase in production costs for the technology, the price to develop the discs increased. With this in mind, some of the major film studios have moved away from this technology for financial reasons causing support for the next format.
HD DVD: Price: Cheaper than Blu-Ray
- HD DVD is the offspring of Toshiba in response to Sony's development of the Blu-Ray. Basically, it was created to bring in more money for Toshiba and not allow Sony a monopoly in the next generation of movie playback. The technology is virtually the same as Blue-Ray but the discs themselves do not hold the same amount of data which brings in the controversy similar to that of Beta vs. VHS. Blu-Ray discs hold more data and can theoretically adapt to the ever growing realm of high definition. HD DVD, in comparison, holds less than half of what a Blu-Ray disc holds but it is gaining more support from the major film corporations due to alliances between Toshiba-based companies and the film industry.
Overall approach: This is basically the return of Beta vs VHS. There is no safe purchase this year when it comes to the next generation of movie playback devices because no one knows which format is going to become the standard. Sony's strong backing in the gaming industry mixed with some support in the film industry has kept the Blue-Ray disc alive. However, HD DVD has just gained the support of the majority of major film corporations in the past several months which has caused a greater divide for which will survive: Blu-Ray or HD DVD.
Both players and discs cost more than the standard DVD player and discs and make it hard to justify which will be the dominate format this year. Personally, I'm in support of Blu-Ray due to it's integration into the Playstation 3 (a personal desire for this Christmas) but there is no way of telling.
To prevent relapse of that $400 Beta player people have sitting in their basement (Mom and Dad), my suggestion for Blu-Ray vs HD DVD: DON'T BUY EITHER THIS CHRISTMAS! There are too many variables this Christmas and without a standard, eventually one group will win and the supporters of the losers will be sitting at home with a bunch of useless hardware. Wait a year and see what happens in regards to the battle between the two technologies.
*If you want to read more about the technology, check out Engadget's synopsis of the technology.
Tomorrow's Gift Guide Topic: MP3 players
Have a great day!
Showing posts with label Toshiba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toshiba. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Back To School Computers and Some Recognition
The days are incredibly hot and becoming increasing shorter. This can only mean one thing: It's time school to start!
Woohoo and Boo at the same time! Great for the fact that it's time to get back to some mentally stimulating work and boo for the fact that this is the last year for me and the boring classes that seem to consume a lot of time are right around the corner.
For those who are going to be sending kids to college or private schools or who are just looking because their children are begging for a computer of their own; I have some suggestions.
Warning!: First of all, figure out how responsible your child is. If they are careful with their possessions and seem to be on the go all the time; buy a laptop. If they don't fit those two qualities, stick with a desktop because you'll thank yourself a few months down the road.
The only reason for that warning is the fact that laptops can be dropped, stolen, misplaced and spilled on and if any of those happen, life for that computer will cease to exist. A desktop is a bit harder to move, pretty hard to be stolen or misplaced and if a keyboard is spilled on, it can be replaced for a very reasonable price. Warranty plans only cover so much unless you spend extra at companies like Dell for a CompleteCare program.
#1. After you've decided on what kind of computer, pick a brand and budget that works for you. Good laptops for a decent price come from companies like HP, Gateway and Toshiba. The warranties are decent, the computers are good for everyday use and it's hard to beat the $500-900 price tag on one of these laptops. If your student is into design and graphics and overall great appearance, buy a Mac. Remember to apply the desktop/laptop warning above as these computers start $900 and go up quickly! If you are into gaming and lots of modification options, try Dell and use the same warning again and the price range fluxuates as you modify.
BIG NOTE: Almost every university has an agreement with Dell and Apple and sometimes the others companies. Just click on the student area of the websites and you will be asked to select your school and you should recieve a very good discount on almost all products!
#2. The specs! All computers, excluding Mac's, have a standard that should be followed. Desktops should have at least:
-2-3 GB of RAM
-2.0 Ghz Dual Core Processor
-200 GB Hard Drive
-128 bit video card
-if possible, Windows XP.
(This addition will be taken differently but XP has a stronger following and is supported completely by most universities whereas Vista is still in a building block stage.) If you have to pick Vista, choose Home Premium.
For laptops, the same specs would be nice but the price will increase with this kind of setup so at least:
-2 GB of RAM
-150 GB Hard drive
-same processor
-same video card
-same Windows system.
And Mac's require the same thing but the RAM is a little smaller because of faster processors.
That's the small amount of information. Keep in mind that this is coming from a university IT guy and I would rather have students with computers that can adapt over four years rather than fail after four months!
I have one more quick thing. If you like my blog, you will definately like this new blog I've found about tech, programming and books. Have a look at Mega Voltage! I can only hope this blog develops like is has started: wonderfully!
Enjoy and have a great day!
Woohoo and Boo at the same time! Great for the fact that it's time to get back to some mentally stimulating work and boo for the fact that this is the last year for me and the boring classes that seem to consume a lot of time are right around the corner.
For those who are going to be sending kids to college or private schools or who are just looking because their children are begging for a computer of their own; I have some suggestions.
Warning!: First of all, figure out how responsible your child is. If they are careful with their possessions and seem to be on the go all the time; buy a laptop. If they don't fit those two qualities, stick with a desktop because you'll thank yourself a few months down the road.
The only reason for that warning is the fact that laptops can be dropped, stolen, misplaced and spilled on and if any of those happen, life for that computer will cease to exist. A desktop is a bit harder to move, pretty hard to be stolen or misplaced and if a keyboard is spilled on, it can be replaced for a very reasonable price. Warranty plans only cover so much unless you spend extra at companies like Dell for a CompleteCare program.
#1. After you've decided on what kind of computer, pick a brand and budget that works for you. Good laptops for a decent price come from companies like HP, Gateway and Toshiba. The warranties are decent, the computers are good for everyday use and it's hard to beat the $500-900 price tag on one of these laptops. If your student is into design and graphics and overall great appearance, buy a Mac. Remember to apply the desktop/laptop warning above as these computers start $900 and go up quickly! If you are into gaming and lots of modification options, try Dell and use the same warning again and the price range fluxuates as you modify.
BIG NOTE: Almost every university has an agreement with Dell and Apple and sometimes the others companies. Just click on the student area of the websites and you will be asked to select your school and you should recieve a very good discount on almost all products!
#2. The specs! All computers, excluding Mac's, have a standard that should be followed. Desktops should have at least:
-2-3 GB of RAM
-2.0 Ghz Dual Core Processor
-200 GB Hard Drive
-128 bit video card
-if possible, Windows XP.
(This addition will be taken differently but XP has a stronger following and is supported completely by most universities whereas Vista is still in a building block stage.) If you have to pick Vista, choose Home Premium.
For laptops, the same specs would be nice but the price will increase with this kind of setup so at least:
-2 GB of RAM
-150 GB Hard drive
-same processor
-same video card
-same Windows system.
And Mac's require the same thing but the RAM is a little smaller because of faster processors.
That's the small amount of information. Keep in mind that this is coming from a university IT guy and I would rather have students with computers that can adapt over four years rather than fail after four months!
I have one more quick thing. If you like my blog, you will definately like this new blog I've found about tech, programming and books. Have a look at Mega Voltage! I can only hope this blog develops like is has started: wonderfully!
Enjoy and have a great day!
Blogged with Flock
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)