Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Blu-ray sales hit 2m mark
As of 15.02.2008
Blu-ray is winning the data format war in Europe with sales topping two million and four out of five consumers choosing the technology over its rival, technology website pocket-lint.co.uk reports. Latest sales figures released by Media Control Gfk International show 2.4 million units were sold, which translates to 79 per cent of customers opting for the Blu-ray technology instead of a HD-DVD player. Blu-ray's bundling with the Sony Play Station 3 is also reflected in the successful sales figures. Chairman of the BDA European Promotions Committee, Frank Simonis, says that the take up of the new technology is faster than that of its DVD predecessor. "Our challenge now is to move Blu-ray Disc into the mainstream. As a format, Blu-ray Disc is proving more attractive than even DVD Video at the same time in its development," he told the website. David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, said that the Blu-ray story is getting stronger and that the sales figures will see Blu-ray concentrate more on the needs of its consumers instead of trying to win a format war. Blu-ray technology has been locked in a struggle with HD-DVD over the format of future entertainment data such as games and movies.
Blu-ray is winning the data format war in Europe with sales topping two million and four out of five consumers choosing the technology over its rival, technology website pocket-lint.co.uk reports. Latest sales figures released by Media Control Gfk International show 2.4 million units were sold, which translates to 79 per cent of customers opting for the Blu-ray technology instead of a HD-DVD player. Blu-ray's bundling with the Sony Play Station 3 is also reflected in the successful sales figures. Chairman of the BDA European Promotions Committee, Frank Simonis, says that the take up of the new technology is faster than that of its DVD predecessor. "Our challenge now is to move Blu-ray Disc into the mainstream. As a format, Blu-ray Disc is proving more attractive than even DVD Video at the same time in its development," he told the website. David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, said that the Blu-ray story is getting stronger and that the sales figures will see Blu-ray concentrate more on the needs of its consumers instead of trying to win a format war. Blu-ray technology has been locked in a struggle with HD-DVD over the format of future entertainment data such as games and movies.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
DiGiTaL TeChNoLoGy aNd ThE FiLm iNdUsTrY
Production: Having done some research on various websites, wikipedia provides the best informative desciption of the digital production process.
Capture : "As of 2007 the most common acquisition medium for digitally projected features is 35 mm film scanned and processed at 2K or 4K via digital intermediate. Most digital features to date have been shot at 1920x1080 HD resolution using cameras such as the Sony CineAlta or Thomson Viper. New cameras such as the Arriflex D-20 and Silicon Imaging's SI-2K can capture 2K resolution images. Thus the future of digital cinema can be expected to have as a standard 4K capture and 4K projection. Currently in development are cameras capable of recording 4K RAW, such as the RED One and Dalsa Corporation's Origin"
Post Production: Film is scanned from camera-original film negatives into a digital format on a scanner or high-resolution telecine. Data from digital motion picture cameras may be converted to a convenient image file format for work in a facility. All of the files are 'conformed' to match an edit list created by the film editor, and are then color corrected under the direction of the film's staff. The end result of post-production is a digital intermediate used to record the motion picture to film and/or for the digital cinema release.
Digital Mastering: When all of the sound, picture, and data elements of a production have been completed, they may be assembled into a Digital Cinema Distribution Master (DCDM) which contains all of the digital material needed for a show. The images and sound are then compressed, encrypted, and packaged to form the Digital Cinema Package (DCP)
Distribution:
Digital Cinema Distribution (DCD) is the process of transmitting the DCP to theater servers via different methods that may include: hard drives, LTO data tapes, DVD-ROMs, or satellite.
Each method of distribution faces its own unique challenges and there is currently much debate regarding preferred methods. The issue can become hotly debated by advocates for the various methods and media. Currently, there is no industry or de-facto standard for distribution. This issue will likely be decided by market forces and business models. There is some testing of the various methods going on that may provide empirical data and objective analysis in the future.
Exhibition:
The Way in which the film industry, and the way we watch our movies today is changing. This is due to the advances in the technology within the industry, HD or High Definition is now the pinnacle of the viewing experience and technology.
The home cinema systems are becoming such good quality that less and less people are visiting the cinemas around the uk. In addition, the cinemas have too compensate for their loss in profit by inflating prices. So the combination of these two have aided in the decline of the cinema. The greatest fight the cinemas face is against the internet, and the illegal download industry. Programs such as limewire are reported to by destroying not only the film industry but also, more destructive in the music industry. This tends to be free and very quick to complete. Are the public slowly cutting out the middle man?
See below for the fight of the millenium...the beta-max vs. vhs is redone in the 21st century, this time its bigger...
Capture : "As of 2007 the most common acquisition medium for digitally projected features is 35 mm film scanned and processed at 2K or 4K via digital intermediate. Most digital features to date have been shot at 1920x1080 HD resolution using cameras such as the Sony CineAlta or Thomson Viper. New cameras such as the Arriflex D-20 and Silicon Imaging's SI-2K can capture 2K resolution images. Thus the future of digital cinema can be expected to have as a standard 4K capture and 4K projection. Currently in development are cameras capable of recording 4K RAW, such as the RED One and Dalsa Corporation's Origin"
Post Production: Film is scanned from camera-original film negatives into a digital format on a scanner or high-resolution telecine. Data from digital motion picture cameras may be converted to a convenient image file format for work in a facility. All of the files are 'conformed' to match an edit list created by the film editor, and are then color corrected under the direction of the film's staff. The end result of post-production is a digital intermediate used to record the motion picture to film and/or for the digital cinema release.
Digital Mastering: When all of the sound, picture, and data elements of a production have been completed, they may be assembled into a Digital Cinema Distribution Master (DCDM) which contains all of the digital material needed for a show. The images and sound are then compressed, encrypted, and packaged to form the Digital Cinema Package (DCP)
Distribution:
Digital Cinema Distribution (DCD) is the process of transmitting the DCP to theater servers via different methods that may include: hard drives, LTO data tapes, DVD-ROMs, or satellite.
Each method of distribution faces its own unique challenges and there is currently much debate regarding preferred methods. The issue can become hotly debated by advocates for the various methods and media. Currently, there is no industry or de-facto standard for distribution. This issue will likely be decided by market forces and business models. There is some testing of the various methods going on that may provide empirical data and objective analysis in the future.
Exhibition:
The Way in which the film industry, and the way we watch our movies today is changing. This is due to the advances in the technology within the industry, HD or High Definition is now the pinnacle of the viewing experience and technology.
The home cinema systems are becoming such good quality that less and less people are visiting the cinemas around the uk. In addition, the cinemas have too compensate for their loss in profit by inflating prices. So the combination of these two have aided in the decline of the cinema. The greatest fight the cinemas face is against the internet, and the illegal download industry. Programs such as limewire are reported to by destroying not only the film industry but also, more destructive in the music industry. This tends to be free and very quick to complete. Are the public slowly cutting out the middle man?
See below for the fight of the millenium...the beta-max vs. vhs is redone in the 21st century, this time its bigger...
Friday, 8 February 2008
Home Entertainment Exhibition Development
Well, as far as HD DVD vs. Blu-ray goes, it looks like we've pretty much passed the point of no return now; with each passing day it seems less and less likely that a compromise will be reached on a next-gen format. The ongoing peace talks between the two camps, which have been on-again, off-again for months now, seem to have finally dissolved. It's disappointing, but however you feel about the fact that the HD DVD and Blu-ray factions squandered countless chances to make it right and come together, it looks like in just a few short months they're going to be duking it out mano a mano right in our livingrooms. There may not be a lot we can do to fight back - apart from refusing to adopt either format out of sheer spite of their pigheadedness - but no matter what we might as well at least arm ourselves with the knowledge necessary to understand the nature of the situation at hand.
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