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Maybe you've had this kind of thread before. If so, i apologise, i've just never seen it. (Irregularity).
So i was looking at dvd's, thinking how i could maybe afford one in a couple of months. Then i got to thinking...
So after the original dvd buzz has been milked for all it's worth, just as the majority of homes that will buy them do own them, and long before any need replacing, is that when we'll see re-writable dvd players?
However unlikely or difficult it looks now, cd's seemed the same, and they're available in re-writing units based purely in the hi-fi (ie- not pc related) media now. And vcrs were no doubt similar at one stage. Still, it always took a heck of a long time.
What would be needed for it to happen? Obviously cheap mass-produced writing hardware would be necessary, and for tv broadcasts it would require real time writing speed or an elaborate memory unit. But a digital signal would be ideally suited to match the format's high picture quality. How many years was it before the government planned to switch off all analogue broadcasts? 3 and a half years springs to mind.
But consider the alternatives. TiVo or whatever it was called (i think produced by the people at sky) offers recording to a computer, and combined with current dvd would cover all needs of digital play/record. Hmmm... but when has that ever stopped the release of new formats, especially when it offers both features in one box.
Anyway, how long did it take minidisk to catch on? I remember seeing dodgy compilations on one thin shelf of minidisks back in the days when there were posters for the suggs album with camden towm and cecilia on it adorning record dtore walls.
Internet tv? It's been knocked around as an idea, and seems like a real possibility when bandwidth, availability of said bandwidth and sufficient computer ownership allows it. Maybe it'd knock tv as we know it - digital or otherwise - for 6.
Realistically, i can see it happening. To be honest i think it's inevitable that recordable dvd's will appear, but i think it'll be a long time from now. Some of the other things may change the situation, but i don't think they could overhaul the dvd market and i don't see it happening for a long time to come yet.
I could wait out however many years with a vcr, but every format gets replaced eventually, and it looks like dvd players now have as much shelf life as anything ever will.
It looks like a great time to part with some cash.
So i was looking at dvd's, thinking how i could maybe afford one in a couple of months. Then i got to thinking...
So after the original dvd buzz has been milked for all it's worth, just as the majority of homes that will buy them do own them, and long before any need replacing, is that when we'll see re-writable dvd players?
However unlikely or difficult it looks now, cd's seemed the same, and they're available in re-writing units based purely in the hi-fi (ie- not pc related) media now. And vcrs were no doubt similar at one stage. Still, it always took a heck of a long time.
What would be needed for it to happen? Obviously cheap mass-produced writing hardware would be necessary, and for tv broadcasts it would require real time writing speed or an elaborate memory unit. But a digital signal would be ideally suited to match the format's high picture quality. How many years was it before the government planned to switch off all analogue broadcasts? 3 and a half years springs to mind.
But consider the alternatives. TiVo or whatever it was called (i think produced by the people at sky) offers recording to a computer, and combined with current dvd would cover all needs of digital play/record. Hmmm... but when has that ever stopped the release of new formats, especially when it offers both features in one box.
Anyway, how long did it take minidisk to catch on? I remember seeing dodgy compilations on one thin shelf of minidisks back in the days when there were posters for the suggs album with camden towm and cecilia on it adorning record dtore walls.
Internet tv? It's been knocked around as an idea, and seems like a real possibility when bandwidth, availability of said bandwidth and sufficient computer ownership allows it. Maybe it'd knock tv as we know it - digital or otherwise - for 6.
Realistically, i can see it happening. To be honest i think it's inevitable that recordable dvd's will appear, but i think it'll be a long time from now. Some of the other things may change the situation, but i don't think they could overhaul the dvd market and i don't see it happening for a long time to come yet.
I could wait out however many years with a vcr, but every format gets replaced eventually, and it looks like dvd players now have as much shelf life as anything ever will.
It looks like a great time to part with some cash.
At the moment, recording DVDs in dubious manners i.e. copying them, would be rather tricky. The blank disks were more expensive than pre-recorded ones the last time I looked and while macrovision is rather easy to get round I understand that there is something else stopping DVD to DVD coppies. In the first version of DVD-RW someone cracked this before it was released and the format was sent back to the drawing board security-wise. While I don't know for certain, I'm sure it is harder to crack this time!
If you think about it, CD players have been out for simply ages (known in the trade as 'yonks') but even though CD recorders have now been out for a while, they are still in relatively few homes, despite most people owning CD players. Why? Well, most people are happy recording on to tape and using those instead for any copies they might want (car etc) The mass amount of people with CD copiers have them in their PCs as they come with a lot of systems these days or are cheap to buy by themselves.
I believe this is how it will be with DVD. A lot of people are getting or have got DVD players and only those that are really into technology (and can afford it) are getting recorders when they go down in price and become available in high street stores. This is because most people who want to copy programmes from TV are happy to do it on video, and with the advances in new video recorders, the picture can be pretty sharp.
Anyone who wants to copy DVDs for more dubious reasons or wants to put their home movies on DVD will probably buy a DVD recorder for their PC, which will be a lot cheaper than buying a standalone DVD recorder and will probably be much more flexible, allowing them to add titles and swap video footage around.
I believe this is how it will be with DVD. A lot of people are getting or have got DVD players and only those that are really into technology (and can afford it) are getting recorders when they go down in price and become available in high street stores. This is because most people who want to copy programmes from TV are happy to do it on video, and with the advances in new video recorders, the picture can be pretty sharp.
Anyone who wants to copy DVDs for more dubious reasons or wants to put their home movies on DVD will probably buy a DVD recorder for their PC, which will be a lot cheaper than buying a standalone DVD recorder and will probably be much more flexible, allowing them to add titles and swap video footage around.
Recordable DVD players can be bought now at the hefty price of around £1500. Also, TiVO wasn't developed by Sky, they simply have signed a deal to use it in their new Sky Plus systems.
I'd see the two converging. TV downloaded through a fat broadband connection will happen one day, and with it storing broadcasts on a Hard Drive (a la TiVO) will become common. However, there must be some way of transfering these broadcasts between players, so the Recordable DVD will kick in. I see it a little like MP3s on your PC now. You keep most of them on your PC, but burn the best ones onto CD for playing in your living room/ bedroom/ car.
I'd see the two converging. TV downloaded through a fat broadband connection will happen one day, and with it storing broadcasts on a Hard Drive (a la TiVO) will become common. However, there must be some way of transfering these broadcasts between players, so the Recordable DVD will kick in. I see it a little like MP3s on your PC now. You keep most of them on your PC, but burn the best ones onto CD for playing in your living room/ bedroom/ car.
True, but I think DVD's will be on the market much longer than the VCR was. You need to consider that DVD is the latest in video technology and wont be replaced till there is a more quality type of playback.
Maybe you've had this kind of thread before. If so, i apologise, i've just never seen it. (Irregularity).
So i was looking at dvd's, thinking how i could maybe afford one in a couple of months. Then i got to thinking...
So after the original dvd buzz has been milked for all it's worth, just as the majority of homes that will buy them do own them, and long before any need replacing, is that when we'll see re-writable dvd players?
However unlikely or difficult it looks now, cd's seemed the same, and they're available in re-writing units based purely in the hi-fi (ie- not pc related) media now. And vcrs were no doubt similar at one stage. Still, it always took a heck of a long time.
What would be needed for it to happen? Obviously cheap mass-produced writing hardware would be necessary, and for tv broadcasts it would require real time writing speed or an elaborate memory unit. But a digital signal would be ideally suited to match the format's high picture quality. How many years was it before the government planned to switch off all analogue broadcasts? 3 and a half years springs to mind.
But consider the alternatives. TiVo or whatever it was called (i think produced by the people at sky) offers recording to a computer, and combined with current dvd would cover all needs of digital play/record. Hmmm... but when has that ever stopped the release of new formats, especially when it offers both features in one box.
Anyway, how long did it take minidisk to catch on? I remember seeing dodgy compilations on one thin shelf of minidisks back in the days when there were posters for the suggs album with camden towm and cecilia on it adorning record dtore walls.
Internet tv? It's been knocked around as an idea, and seems like a real possibility when bandwidth, availability of said bandwidth and sufficient computer ownership allows it. Maybe it'd knock tv as we know it - digital or otherwise - for 6.
Realistically, i can see it happening. To be honest i think it's inevitable that recordable dvd's will appear, but i think it'll be a long time from now. Some of the other things may change the situation, but i don't think they could overhaul the dvd market and i don't see it happening for a long time to come yet.
I could wait out however many years with a vcr, but every format gets replaced eventually, and it looks like dvd players now have as much shelf life as anything ever will.
It looks like a great time to part with some cash.
So i was looking at dvd's, thinking how i could maybe afford one in a couple of months. Then i got to thinking...
So after the original dvd buzz has been milked for all it's worth, just as the majority of homes that will buy them do own them, and long before any need replacing, is that when we'll see re-writable dvd players?
However unlikely or difficult it looks now, cd's seemed the same, and they're available in re-writing units based purely in the hi-fi (ie- not pc related) media now. And vcrs were no doubt similar at one stage. Still, it always took a heck of a long time.
What would be needed for it to happen? Obviously cheap mass-produced writing hardware would be necessary, and for tv broadcasts it would require real time writing speed or an elaborate memory unit. But a digital signal would be ideally suited to match the format's high picture quality. How many years was it before the government planned to switch off all analogue broadcasts? 3 and a half years springs to mind.
But consider the alternatives. TiVo or whatever it was called (i think produced by the people at sky) offers recording to a computer, and combined with current dvd would cover all needs of digital play/record. Hmmm... but when has that ever stopped the release of new formats, especially when it offers both features in one box.
Anyway, how long did it take minidisk to catch on? I remember seeing dodgy compilations on one thin shelf of minidisks back in the days when there were posters for the suggs album with camden towm and cecilia on it adorning record dtore walls.
Internet tv? It's been knocked around as an idea, and seems like a real possibility when bandwidth, availability of said bandwidth and sufficient computer ownership allows it. Maybe it'd knock tv as we know it - digital or otherwise - for 6.
Realistically, i can see it happening. To be honest i think it's inevitable that recordable dvd's will appear, but i think it'll be a long time from now. Some of the other things may change the situation, but i don't think they could overhaul the dvd market and i don't see it happening for a long time to come yet.
I could wait out however many years with a vcr, but every format gets replaced eventually, and it looks like dvd players now have as much shelf life as anything ever will.
It looks like a great time to part with some cash.