11/02/2008 | Posted by Jonas D
Sure, by now we've all heard that BD-Live offers a really cool feature set that allows for interactivity. These kinds of features could never be done in DVD, and offers a real advantage taking the user beyond what is on the disc, and into exclusive content, which is internet based. Of course, that means that the Blu-ray player needs to have a connection to the world wide web. While my initial thought is how to snake some CAT 5e cable to the back of a Blu-ray player, that may be the least of the concerns. Recalling that the internet goes both ways, and Sony just may be using this new level of connnectivity to collect more than a little data on its users. Is this just paranoia, or one more example of why Sony shouldn't be trusted when it comes to technology? Personally, if this type of info is being collected, the user should be informed up front, and not find out later.
02/22/2008 | Posted by T.J. Carpenter
Do you need to pay over $100 for an HDMI cable in a retail store, or can you get by with a $10 cable from the Internet? The short answer is, pocket $90 or spend it adding to your collection.
The world of HDMI is in a sense, standard. This is where a lot of marketing comes in similar to a recent post I had regarding sound systems. While Monster or Belkin might be more of a household name, Dynex or another store/house brand will work just the same.
All of the cables play at 1080p and consolidate both video and sound. Needless to say, don’t be fooled by the name.
There is a difference; however, between the different technologies. The most recent technology 1.3 has the ability to stream higher resolutions of video and sound at break-neck speeds, although, there aren’t any mainstream devices yet that can fully benefit from the increase. If you do have one of these devices though, I’d like to know how well the increase in tech has helped it – if at all.
Sure, by now we've all heard that BD-Live offers a really cool feature set that allows for interactivity. These kinds of features could never be done in DVD, and offers a real advantage taking the user beyond what is on the disc, and into exclusive content, which is internet based. Of course, that means that the Blu-ray player needs to have a connection to the world wide web. While my initial thought is how to snake some CAT 5e cable to the back of a Blu-ray player, that may be the least of the concerns. Recalling that the internet goes both ways, and Sony just may be using this new level of connnectivity to collect more than a little data on its users. Is this just paranoia, or one more example of why Sony shouldn't be trusted when it comes to technology? Personally, if this type of info is being collected, the user should be informed up front, and not find out later.
