Archive for January, 2009
Blu-Ray Vs HD DVD Player – A Comparison
January 27th, 2009 | 
Author: 
It’s been going on for a couple of years now. Stores have been carrying both Blu-Ray and HD DVD disks, manufacturers have been making both types of drives, and people have been talking about them both.
However, Blu-Ray players can’t play HD DVD’s, and HD DVD players can’t play Blu-Ray discs. At the end of the day, they both do the same thing (play a high-definition movie on an HDTV), so why the feud? Well, it’s a matter of who got their first. Two companies developed and successfully marketed a working high definition delivery system, and they both took off! But, as we all know, only one can survive, and in the battle of Blu-Ray vs HD DVD player computability, it seems Blu-Ray has won the fight.
The major movie rental chains have decided on Blu-Ray as their high definition disk of choice, and electronics retailers are selling Blu-Ray players instead of HD DVD players. The battle is over, and a victor has been decided: Blu-Ray won.
However, that leaves a little bit of a dilemma. Thousands of people have already bought an HD DVD player, and some movies have come out on it already. Though as many newer movies may not be coming out on this format, it is still an alive and kicking video format, even if it has lost the battle.
Though it might make more sense to choose Blu-Ray so that you’ve got more choice in movie selection, when looking at a Blu-Ray vs HD DVD player, the choice really is up to you. The price of HD movies and players has recently took a dive, so it can be a great time to buy and watch some great movies with the family in HD!
By: Victor Thomas
Posted in Shopping And Product Reviews | 
Tags: Blu Ray Vs Hd, Blu Ray Vs Hd Dvd, Chains, Delivery System, Dilemma, Dvd Comparison, Great Time, Hd Dvd Players, Hdtv, Leaves | 
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Who Will Win The DVD Format War? Blu Ray or HD DVD?
If you have even thought about this question, then at the very least you know that there has been an ongoing controversy about the standard of the next generation of Digital Video Data. If you haven’t thought about yet, here’s the low down.
Toshiba and Sony both had digital video technologies in the works back in the early 1990s. Toshiba won that battle with the DVD that we all know and love. Sony started working on the future of DVD technology and came up with the Blu Ray Disc. Toshiba was also looking to the future with their answer to the future, HD DVD.
The technical differences between the two new standards are not all that great. Blu Ray discs can hold more data and are more expensive due to a special process needed to create the final layer. The surface layer of HD DVD is the same as current DVDs, 0.6mm. Blu Ray is only 0.1mm thick and has to have a special super strong coating applied to them to keep them from scratching too easily and becoming unusable.
The real difference lies in which movie studio decides to use which technology. For example, two of the biggest movies of the summer, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ and ‘Spiderman 3′ were released exclusively on the Blu Ray disc format. Even though HD DVD had several of its own exclusive releases, they were not huge hits like these two movies, so Blu Ray got more sales than HD DVD.
Another blow to Toshiba’s HD DVD format came when Blockbuster, the movie rental giant, decided to go solely with Blu Ray discs, meaning if you want to rent movies from Blockbuster you have to have a Blu Ray disc player, obviously if you have a Blu Ray disc player you will buy Blu Ray discs. The latest blow to the HD DVD format came just a few days ago when Warner Brothers announced that they would only use Sony Blu Ray format from here on out. Many others in the film industry who have been releasing movies in both formats are expected to decide on an exclusive format very soon. It looks like most of these will choose Blu Ray.
So whether you like it or not, it is starting to look like Blu Ray will be the next big thing. But before you run out and buy a Blu Ray player, it might be worth to wait and see if this prediction will come true or not. Either way, it will be nice to have the battle over formats settled so that consumers will know which player to purchase!
By: Candice Carlson
Blu-Ray – Sony Wins The Format War With Toshiba
For the past couple of years HD DVD and Blu-ray technology have been competing to become the industry standard format for next-generation DVDs.
Toshiba’s HD DVD system arrived in the market in April of 2006, the same year that Sony launched its Blu-ray system.
In February 2008, Toshiba announced that it would cease production of its HD DVD players and recorders – effectively making the Blu-ray system the new industry standard.
There were a number of key deciding factors in Sony’s ultimate victory – one of which was Sony’s decision to ship their PS3 console with a built-in Blu-ray player. To date over 10 million PS3s have been sold worldwide – compared to only one million HD DVD players.
The potential customer base is therefore an order of magnitude higher for Blu-ray in comparison with HD DVD.
And of course, let’s not forget that Sony Pictures is one of the largest studios in Hollywood. Obviously they were always going to back the Blu-ray format and they were followed by Disney and Twentieth Century Fox. Although Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros initially went with HD DVD, Warner Bros changed to supporting Blu-ray in January of 2008.
Toshiba themselves identified the decision of Warner Bros studio to use the Blu-ray format as the final nail in HD DVD’s coffin. Of course, the previously mentioned disparity in the potential consumer base must have had a major influence on the Warner Bros’ decision.
The emergence of a clearly defined industry can only be good news for consumers. There can be no concerns regarding compatibility with a single industry standard and, the cost of the players will tumble as other manufacturers commit to the Blu-ray standard.
As interesting as it is to watch two corporate giants slug it out toe-to-toe, there are some industry analysts who feel that the “format war” is a meaningless sideshow. Many industry insiders feel that more and more consumers will choose to download their home movies from either the internet or from their cable TV suppliers.
The example of MP3 downloads – which actually have a lower quality than traditional music CDs – is cited to support this argument. The key factor in capturing the consumer market for music and video appears to be convenience and instant access, something which Sony and other Blu-ray providers would do well to remember in the future.
However, for the foreseeable future, Sony have set the standard and consumers can spend their hard earned cash without worrying about obsolescence – not for a little while at least.
By: Hamish Hayward
Commercial Toaster Ovens
There are different brands of commercial toaster ovens that really give satisfying result to your kitchen needs. These toaster ovens have different features such as slices of bread capacity, and styles. An array of toaster ovens can be seen in the next paragraphs.
The Sanyo SK-WA2S 5-Slice Toaster Oven has a bake and broil capabilities. It has a 5-slice of bread capacity, slide-out crumb tray, 15-minute timer, built-in crumb shield, and automatic slide doors. The heat options include upper heater, lower heater, toast, pizza, and keep-warm. Its height is 8-4/5 inches, length is 14-1/2 inches, and the depth is 12-4/5 inches.
The Delonghi AD1079 Solo Convection Oven is a patented product. It has dual heating elements and allows twice-heated air to be displaced.
Next is the HORCHOW Commercial Convection Oven. Expert caterers usually use this BroilKing commercial convection oven. It can bake, broil, and roast. It provides a full capacity of 1500 watts of power. The oven is 18.75 square by 14.25 high, making it more spacious for the toast. It also features insulated double-wall structure, a 9.5 by 13 pan, removable double-glass safety door that stays cool during use, and easy to clean stainless steel.
The SITOA CORPORATION Kalorik Professional Toaster Oven is often used in Italian restaurants and bars. This is a double shelf and an open-face oven that can all together toast twelve slices of bread, cook pizza, broils, and reheat food. Its removable crum tray and brushed stainless-steel allows easy access to a professional performance right in your own kitchen. You can independently operate its 1650 watts quartz upper and lower heating elements.
The Waring WCT708 Commercial Toaster is chrome styled. It can accommodate 4 slices of bread and is great for bagels. It features four self-centering bread racks and removable crumb trays, and electronic, extra wide slots.
A conveyor toaster can hold 400 pieces of bread per hour and other bakery favorites such as rolls and bagels. This is a combination of quality, efficiency and service. It has three heat settings: upper, lower, and both. It features 1700 Watts power, conveyor speed control for preferred toast color, exterior and interior stainless steel.
The Dualit 45375 4-Slice Lite Series Commercial Toaster has a remarkable performance and is classy. It has wide 2 extra long slots that can handle bagels, muffins or buns. During toasting process, a neon light glows and flashes, providing actual signal to the user. It features insulated stainless steel body, and a classic black Soft Touch(TM) outer frame.
The Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven is a quality toaster oven handling 6 slices of bread. This toaster oven has a safe to touch exterior walls, electronic browning control with nine settings, led screen with 90 minute timer, front access crumb tray, and the Programmable, digital control panel to toast, broil, warm and bake.
The Cucina Pro 42 Liter Convection Toaster Oven has digital screen timer, stainless Steel, and 1700 watts power. It also incorporates baking tray, rotisserie set and handgrip, and a toasting rack.
And the Professional Convection Oven/Rotisserie is capable of baking, broiling, roasting and reheating food. It features stainless steel interior, tempered glass door, and 3 shelf positions.
By: David Urmann
