Gates disses HD-DVD, Blu-Ray
p2p news / p2pnet: Bill Gates has it right.
With the punch up between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray aficianados in the background, he says both formats are doomed to extinction by the advent of digital distribution systems.
“The format that’s under discussion right now, HD versus Blu-ray, that’s simply the last physical format we’ll ever have,” he said in a speech at Washington DC’s Howard University, says gamesindustry.biz.
“Even videos in the future will either be on a disk in your pocket or over the Internet, and therefore far more convenient for you.”
And this, says the story, might be why Bill and the Boyz didn`t include HD-DVD capabilities in their Xbox 360 console, despite the fact that the Redmond giant has already come out in support of the format.
Are you paying attention, EMI Group, Sony BMG, Vivendi Universal, Warner Music, Walt Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures Corp, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp, Universal City Studios LLLP and Warner Bros?
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
gamesindustry.biz – Gates dismisses next-gen DVD formats, October 20, 2005
October 21st, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Gates is only partly correct.
Not all computers will be connected to the net all the time, so physiscal copies of files will always be needed.
Even when hard disk have the capacity to store 10,000 movies, people will alwats have a need for physical copies for backup, for lending, or as memorabilia.
Also, I would not be surprised that within the next 10 years dvd (or equivalent technology) will have far broader uses than today. For example,
- if you go to a movie to see a new film, you get a dvd with an old film for free, as a way to get you to go to the movie.
– in every school class you get a dvd with all the material needed for the class.
- in every flight to Rome and elsewhere you get a free tourist guide for Rome on DVD.
- the public library will only have dvd’s for lending.
- book will be published in dvd format only.
- all court proceedings will be on video and made available on dvd.
etc. That is, if the copyright cartels don’t screw up the works.
Perhaps Gates hasn’t got a good future seer or he is counting on the screw up of the creation process and distribution systems by the copyright cartels.
Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com
October 21st, 2005 at 5:17 pm
and in my mind, Blu-ray has enough storage to stay the standard for many many years… long enough for digital possetions to become standard…
October 21st, 2005 at 9:21 pm
Let me put it succintly. Digital media is EXPLODING, digital formats are EXPLODING (DivX, XviD, mpeg4, mov, h263, h264, snow, ogg, mp3, flac, vorbis/theora, ——- MANY more).
Good thing is that portable media players will NEED to be able to directly READ the media file…. thus, the “container” (Blu-ray, or HD-DVD, or whatever) will only be “relevant” on STATIONARY bulky “stand-alone” players.
The future is PORTABILITY… thus, although Gates reason is not entirely correct, the end result is that both formats will be less relevant and necessary.
October 21st, 2005 at 11:50 pm
The future is solid state storage, which means large amounts of cheap memory. In 5 years time, you will probably see small 1TB(or more) portable memory devices, these devices will be the standard, not crappy DRM filled 50 gig scratchable discs.
However, before these large capacity solid state devices come into play, mini harddrives will be the dominant force. In a year or two, the capacities for mini harddrives will be massive (500GIG-1TB). Who needs 50 gig discs when you have cheap mini harddrives with capacities of 1TB?
October 23rd, 2005 at 12:59 am
Gates also said that 640Kbytes would be plenty for memory for anybody.
Gates almost missed the internet revolution.
Gates copied the Mac.
Windows NT and later is just Digital Equipment VMS OS warmed over.
Most Microsoft products are acquisitions, legally or otherwise.
And we are to take the world of this charlatan that HD or BlueRay DVD formats are the end of the line?
Puleeeeeeeez Bill, you take yourself too seriously.