Danny Kaye, Executive VP of Global Research and Technology
at Twentieth Century Fox stands up for Blu-ray's higher disc capacity and
future-proof technology.
| HDR | What are Blu-ray’s unique selling points? |
| DK | Without question unmatched company support, 50 GB disc capacity and the potential of BD-J and BD-Live. HDR: What content can Bluray offer that SD DVD cannot? DK: High defi nition up to 1080p with uncompressed master audio, new forms of interactivity and internet connectivity. |
| HDR | What is it about Blu-ray that separates it from its competitors? |
| DK | Extra disc capacity results in higher video and audio quality as well as additional features. BD-J interactivity makes the format future-proof. Also, most major manufacturers and studios support Blu-ray. HDR: Some have claimed that Blu-ray uses less effi cient video and sound compression than HD DVD, but is this true? |
| HDR | Some have claimed that Blu-ray uses less efficient video and sound compression than HD DVD, but is this true?. |
| DK | Actually, this is completely inaccurate. Both formats use the same compression codecs, but Blu-ray can use higher bitrates due to extra disc capacity. This results in higher video and audio quality is actually dramatic in some cases. |
| HDR | Could you tell us about BDJ and how it’s important? |
| DK | BD-J is a version of the Java platform used worldwide in a number of technologies. As such, it represents a futureproofed system for developing ground-breaking interactive features that enhance the movie experience and will give consumers new ways of consuming movie and TV content in their homes. |
| HDR | The production costs on Blu-ray were thought to be more expensive, but this doesn’t seem to have made much difference to its price.Why would you say that is? |
| DK | We don’t comment on pricing, but it’s fair to say that it costs more to develop any new revolutionary technology. |
| HDR | How do you think Bluray compares with HD DVD? |
| DK | Blu-ray has significantly more support and will generate more consumer interest based on its greater disc capacity and all it entails for the consumer: enhanced video and audio quality as well as advanced interactivity. |
| HDR | Is Blu-ray the more sustainable product, do you think? |
| DK | Yes, for all the above reasons. |
| HDR | Is Blu-ray at a much greater advantage in terms of content because of its larger storage capacity? |
| DK | Again, yes. 20GB per disc is a huge advantage. |
| HDR | Can the two formats co-exist or does there have to be a winner? |
| DK | The market needs a winner so that consumers feel confident in upgrading. |
| HDR | Do you see a tipping point coming on the horizon and what do you think it will be that finally tips the balance in favour of Blu-ray? |
| DK | Continued sales advantages for Blu-ray discs plus continued introduction of Blu-ray disc players will determine the outcome. |
| HDR | How beneficial has it been to Blu-ray that Sony built a Blu-ray player into its games console the PlayStation 3? |
| DK | We have always argued that including Blu-ray in PS3 was a huge advantage and one that Microsoft has not competed well against in Xbox 360. This brings Blu-ray into far more households than could have reasonably been expected for a brand new consumer electronics format. As the PS3 becomes more mainstream, as typically happens with game consoles, then PS3 consumers will increasingly use their PS3s to play movies and TV shows. |
| HDR | Does the VHS/Betamax analogy used by many hold up in your opinion? |
| DK | Only in that there came a time when VCRs accounted for a 70 per cent market share and it became unsustainable for the market to support two formats. Blu-ray is at that level now. Whereas some argued that the better technology failed to garner majority support in that ‘war’, Blu-ray is both the superior technology and enjoys the support of the majority of companies. |