High-definition DVD Primer

- The deadline for switchover to digital television in the United States is February 18, 2009.

- Canada along with the rest of the world is expected to be 2010-2012.

- Beta launched in 1975 and VHS in 1976, but the format war took off in the early 1980's.

- Blu-Ray Media Format:
- Members include Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer, Sharp, Apple, Dell, HP, Philips, and more.
- Playback media for audio and video are identical.

- Video Formats:
- MPEG-2
- H.264/AVC
- VC-1 (Windows Media)

- Audio Formats:
- Dolby Digital
- DTS
- Linear PCM
- DTS HD
- Dolby TrueHD

- 25 gigabytes single-layer disc.


- HD-DVD Media Format:
- Members include Toshiba, Microsoft, NEC, Sanyo, Intel HP, and more.
- Playback media for audio and video are identical.

- Video Formats:
- MPEG-2
- H.264/AVC
- VC-1 (Windows Media)

- Audio Formats:
- Dolby Digital
- DTS
- Linear PCM
- DTS HD
- Dolby TrueHD

- 15 gigabytes per layer.


- Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player:
- $799 US

- Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-Ray Player:
- $999 US

- 1080p - means progessive, basically all 1080 lines draw togeather.

- 1080i - means interaced, basically 540 lines draw first, and then 540 lines draw again during the next 16th of a second.

- For more detailed information on TV connectors see episode 2.

- For more detailed information on optical media see episode 15.

- The standard DVD format maxes out at 8.5 gigabytes on a dual-layer DVD.

- Layers on a DVD are semi-transparent to allow the laser to reforcus on a second [or third] layer beneath.

- Both Blu-ray and HD-DVD use a blue laser tuned to a wavelengh of 405 nanometers.

- CD's used a red laser tuned at 780 nanometers. Standard DVD's tune the red laser to 650 nanometers.

- To get HD content to your television you need at least component cables, consists of red, green, and blue for video only. The best cable to use would be HDMI, which carries both audio and video.