Blu-ray vs. HD DVD Discussion Thread

[FoolKiller]

My honest opinion about GE's holographic disc situation:

It is convenient that when their stock is in the crapper and their CEO just got a lot of hard questions during a shareholders meeting (including some booing) that they suddenly announce their breakthrough discovery and talk about how it is better than the current consumer product on the market, which appears to be fairly recession proof. But further details reveal that it won't even be on the market for three years and then not even for consumers, and the current cost quotes seem a bit skewed.

Immelt = Fail

EDIT: I forgot something.

[/silly conspiracy theory thinly veiling my dislike of Jeff Immelt]

 

[Scaff]

One other rather large problem for holographic disc's is that of studios.

What killed off HD-DVD as a viable home format was studio support, once WB went Blu-ray exclusive the plug was pulled on HD-DVD rather quickly.

I don't get a great sense that the studios want another format at this time, or in the near future (and I totaly disagree with Joey that another format war would be good for the consumer). Blu-ray is getting established, sales are improving and it offers a better profit margin for studios themselves, they are very unlikely to throw all that away on a new format.

Unless GE gets studios behind holographic disc then it will be dead as a home format before it even gets started.

Regards

Gideon

 

[TheCracker]

Blu-ray is getting established, sales are improving and it offers a better profit margin for studios themselves, they are very unlikely to throw all that away on a new format.

Unless GE gets studios behind holographic disc then it will be dead as a home format before it even gets started.

Also, if a BD can fit an entire HD film plus all the extras on a single disk - why do we need a format that can hold 10x the amount? You'll end up with films released on holographic disks with 90% blank space.

Unless there's a new ultra-HD display format just around the corner i can't see holographic discs been used for anything other than data storage in the near future.

 

[FoolKiller]

Unless GE gets studios behind holographic disc then it will be dead as a home format before it even gets started.

Synergy. GE owns NBC (entire TV shows on one disc) and Universal Pictures.

Now, the real question for them is: can they use their synergy for the handful of uses a disc with that much storage capacity could do before the 16 layer Blu-Ray gets finalized to work on current players with a firmware upgrade?

Personally, I don't think so, but I have felt that Universal drug their feet on the Blu-Ray acceptance issue.

But this is also the same company that refuses to put Ed on DVD, so I doubt they can even get moving in the proper direction on this before it is too late. Yes, I just judged an entire conglomerate on one TV show not being put on DVD. But if that isn't enough: They canceled Star Trek.

Hang on, I did that wrong. [Kirk]They...cancelled...Star Trek[/Kirk]



They also created (in part) Hulu, so who knows.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

The PS3 remains arguably one of if not the highest rated Blu-ray player despite all the new Blu-ray players that have been released over the past few months... not that this should come as a surprise to hardcore HD enthusiasts who have been paying close attention to Blu-ray for the last few years.

• How to Buy a Blu-ray Player
  • PC Magazine's Updated Review of the PS3

Then, of course, there's the Sony PlayStation 3, which in addition to being one of the best Profile 2.0 players on the market also lets you stream video and play hundreds of games.

It's been two years since Sony launched the PlayStation 3, and although the box itself looks the same today, a lot has changed. The price has dropped; developers have released dozens of cool new titles; and Blu-ray has triumphed as the high-definition video format of choice. Perhaps most important, Sony's continual upgrades help the PS3 constantly evolve—bringing new functionality, including enhanced online game play, offering support for the latest Blu-ray features, and adding access to downloadable videos. At $399.99 (direct), the PS3 is still pricier than Microsoft's Xbox 360, the Xbox 360 Arcade, and the Nintendo Wii, but it has matured into a multifunctional console that fits perfectly at the center of any home entertainment setup. For serious gamers and Blu-ray buffs alike, the PS3 is simply the best game in town.

The Best Blu-ray Player Around?

Part of the reason that Blu-ray beat out HD DVD in the HD format war was likely because with the PS3, Sony jump-started the trend toward Blu-ray adoption. No doubt, the built-in Blu-ray player is a big reason why the PS3 is, and will remain, more expensive than the Xbox 360 or Wii. What's more, purely as a Blu-ray player, the PS3 is pretty amazing.

The PS3 is the only Blu-ray Disc (BD) player that features integrated wired and wireless network support. That means you can get online quickly and easily for profile updates and additional downloadable content. Among the various updates for the PS3's firmware is one that enables bitstream audio output (via HDMI to a compatible A/V receiver) for all of Blu-ray's high-quality formats. Other recent PS3 updates have added support for BD-LIVE features (downloadable multimedia content available with some newer titles), Bonus View (picture-in-picture), and 1080p24 video output with Blu-ray movies to a compatible HDTV. Overall, regular firmware updates have kept the PS3 at the forefront of Blu-ray feature support, and those same updates have also maintained the console's status as the most compatible Blu-ray disc player.

Some older standalone Blu-ray players require a minute or longer to begin disc playback, but the PS3 remains the disc-loading champ, with an average time of 34 seconds from load to play. The fastest load time we've seen with a standalone player is the Panasonic DMP-BD30's 41 seconds.

The PS3 also excels at upconverting standard-definition DVD video to HD—thanks to yet another firmware update. The console achieved the second-highest score we've recorded with the challenging HQV Benchmark test DVD, which showed that the PS3 did a good job of minimizing common artifacts such as jagged edges, moiré effects, and video noise while preserving and enhancing picture detail.

Physically, the Sony PlayStation 3 may not have changed much in the past two years, but the platform has evolved considerably. Though it still can't offer the swinging-nunchuck experience of the Nintendo Wii or the recently revamped Xbox 360 Experience's social networking, the immense potential of the cell architecture gives the PS3 a huge advantage. It may cost more, but as a Blu-ray player and high-definition gaming system, the PlayStation 3 can take all comers.

 

[Pako]

There are deals out there. We needed a BR player for upstairs but I didn't like the $399 price tag of the new 80gb PS3's so I started shopping. While online, I see a Credit Card ad for Sony Card which offered a $200 credit for any purchases from Sony Style over $349. Well guess what I did, yep....bought a $399 PS3 and promptly got a statement credit for $200 making my second BR player a PS3 80gb for $199.99 plus free shipping. Pretty hard to beat that I think.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Another benefit of Blu-ray...

[YOUTUBEHQ]xfj1n8vPWCE[/YOUTUBEHQ]


I saw a longer and more detail explanation on the Science Channel's weekly series, Brink, where KipKay has a regular DIY segment, but it has not yet been posted on the Brink site. Fortunately, I found this older video from him on his YouTube channel.

 

[FoolKiller]

Just to let everyone know, Amazon is having a Blu-Ray blowout sale until July 24th.

There are a good number of titles for under $20.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.ht...1_grlink_2?ie=UTF8&plgroup=2&docId=1000391161

 

[Scaff]

At long last Toshiba have final given in and have released the final details of its first Blu-ray player, the first HD machine from the company since they pulled the plug on HD-DVD.

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/blo...u+ray+player+set+january+2010+launch+03+09+09

I can see a small number of die-hard HD-DVD fans on AV forums around the world exploding as they curse Toshiba and accuse them of selling out to the devil that is Blu-ray.


Ta

Scaff

 

[Small_Fryz]

Finally toshiba will start having lappies with blu-ray.. why did HP stop selling them with bluray?

 

[Casio]

They haven't.

 

[DEATHSARTHE]

Right now, I think HD-DVD is perhaps a fading trend, but still the most economical and for some still satisfying option. Blu-Ray will eventually have the spotlight, but I don't think it's a matter of when but really for how long?

While I will agree that Blu-Ray is catching on, it is still a very traditional way to watch movies. It is still no different then picking up a VHS and popping into a VCR, no matter how much you wanna dress it up with specifics and bells and whistles.

What people want is something more convenient, innovative, and still just as satisfying and economical. Sony is already kind of tapping into this new digital market, as is Netflix/Blockbuster(), where they cut out the middle man and offer downloadable movies from an online inventory. IMO, THIS is there the home movie market is destined to go. There are already some television manufacturers developing a concept like this that is already incorperated in the television itself. It's just a matter of marketability... presenting it in an easy and traditional enough way to make it appealing for the average Joe.

So from my perspective, its like seeing the final destination - it is just over the hill - but would you wanna buy this $1000 Blu-Ray player for the meanwhile? LOLnothnxbai They're both on the verge of being obsolete, so...

So gimme my PSN downloadble movies for now and goawai!

 

[Scaff]

Right now, I think HD-DVD is perhaps a fading trend, but still the most economical and for some still satisfying option. Blu-Ray will eventually have the spotlight, but I don't think it's a matter of when but really for how long?

While I will agree that Blu-Ray is catching on, it is still a very traditional way to watch movies. It is still no different then picking up a VHS and popping into a VCR, no matter how much you wanna dress it up with specifics and bells and whistles.

What people want is something more convenient, innovative, and still just as satisfying and economical. Sony is already kind of tapping into this new digital market, as is Netflix/Blockbuster(), where they cut out the middle man and offer downloadable movies from an online inventory. IMO, THIS is there the home movie market is destined to go. There are already some television manufacturers developing a concept like this that is already incorperated in the television itself. It's just a matter of marketability... presenting it in an easy and traditional enough way to make it appealing for the average Joe.

So from my perspective, its like seeing the final destination - it is just over the hill - but would you wanna buy this $1000 Blu-Ray player for the meanwhile? LOLnothnxbai They're both on the verge of being obsolete, so...

So gimme my PSN downloadble movies for now and goawai!

Sorry but I don't agree, the digital download market is killing off DVD rentals more than its harming the sale of HD media.

What downloads still don't offer (and connection speeds are going to need to jump a lot before they will) is the same bit-rate for video and audio as physical media do. Streaming or downloading a movie in 1080P is one thing, but if it doesn't have the bit-rate to go with it you are still going to get artifcating on the image and currently most downloads (or no streaming media) gets even close to the audio side of BR.

You also are working on the assumption that everyone is happy to ditch physical media, and to be quite honest I know a lot of people who are not. Given the option between the two I would alway go for the physical media, even if its slightly more expensive, and I know that opinion is still shared by a hell of a lot of people.

One of the reasons being that I've dropped a lot of money on my home cinema and I'm not then going to feed it, what is currently (and will remain so for quite a while) lower quality media.

Its the same reason why I still buy CD's and when I can records.


Regards

Scaff

 

[FoolKiller]

Right now, I think HD-DVD is perhaps a fading trend, but still the most economical and for some still satisfying option.

Uh, what? HD-DVD has been dead for over a year now. The only thing economical about it is that stores are selling them for dirt cheap to get what little remains off of their shelves.

As for everything else you said, Scaff covered most of it. Until I can download a movie and play it on as many machines as often as I want and even loan it out to a friend I will stick to physical media.

And as Scaff pointed out, people like myself can see the difference between a PSN movie at 1080p and a Blu-Ray.

Oh, and I like special features.

 

[DEATHSARTHE]

Uh, what? HD-DVD has been dead for over a year now. The only thing economical about it is that stores are selling them for dirt cheap to get what little remains off of their shelves.

Well that is percisely the point I was making lol, I was merely speaking from a consumer perspective. I don't think that Blu-Ray is sweeping the market, not with how much players are selling for. I believe in a lot of people's minds that the differences still aren't great enough to justify that kind of investment.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but the Targets, Walmarts, Kmarts, Best Buys, and other electronic stores I visit on a regular basis still only have maybe 1 part of 1 side of 1 rack of Blu-Ray movies and the rest of that department is all HD-DVD or just regular DVD. I really don't pay attention to the market, so I don't know if 1 part of 1 side of 1 rack in a year is considered a tremendous leap in progress, but Blu-Ray seems to be strengthening nevertheless.

As for everything else, it's just my speculation. There are so many issues that digital media would fix for the industry and also still be convenient enough for people to become a conventional option.

Will it rake physical media off the shelves and into piles of bonfires? No, physical media will always be an option. People like that tradition. I'm just saying using your television to download movies from an online inventory would be one heck of a selling point and a great feature. Imagine never having to buy another player ever again or not having to worry about scratching CDs, having your movies automatically stored away and neatly organized on a hard drive, and never having to pay another pesky re-stocking fee because you were late returning your physical media.

As for resolution, I rented Wall-E from PSN and it looked beautiful. We also have that movie on Blu-Ray (little did I know) and I couldn't see a difference. That's a great movie by the way. I also think whatever nit-picks you have now with digital movies will eventually be solved in the future. Who knows what the future holds, but Blu-Ray will definitely have its time and the concept of Digtial movies will be ongoing and impossible to ignore. 👍

 

[Scaff]

Well that is percisely the point I was making lol, I was merely speaking from a consumer perspective. I don't think that Blu-Ray is sweeping the market, not with how much players are selling for. I believe in a lot of people's minds that the differences still aren't great enough to justify that kind of investment.

An old argument (mainly used by Toshiba fans following the death of HD-DVD) and one that actually is not borne out by the sales figures at all.

Unit sales of new release DVDs are dropping, unit sales of new release BRs are increaseing and as a result BR is takening larger and larger percentages of sales at the point of release.

When The Dark Knight was released last year (Nov) BR accounted for over 10% of the sales, a trend that has only increased since then.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/16/blu-ray-celebrates-91-percent-sales-increase-for-first-half-of-2/

That kind of indicates that consumers do care and do want to buy.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but the Targets, Walmarts, Kmarts, Best Buys, and other electronic stores I visit on a regular basis still only have maybe 1 part of 1 side of 1 rack of Blu-Ray movies and the rest of that department is all HD-DVD or just regular DVD. I really don't pay attention to the market, so I don't know if 1 part of 1 side of 1 rack in a year is considered a tremendous leap in progress, but Blu-Ray seems to be strengthening nevertheless.

The US must have some very strange retailers then because I've not seen a HD-DVD in a retail store now for a good 9 months.

BR displays on the otehr hand have an equal shelf share for new releases and a growing (and visably so) percentage of shelf space for old titles.

Certainly I can't think of a single retailer limiting it to "1 part of 1 side of 1 rack".

As for everything else, it's just my speculation. There are so many issues that digital media would fix for the industry and also still be convenient enough for people to become a conventional option.

The average broadband speed in most of Europe is 2meg, thats going to need a very significant increase before streaming or downloading becomes a viable option for the majority of consumers, thats ignoring the 25% of all households that don't have internet access at all....

Source - http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

....for them its not an option full stop, let alone a more convenient one.

Will it rake physical media off the shelves and into piles of bonfires? No,
physical media will always be an option. People like that tradition. I'm just saying using your television to download movies from an online inventory would be one heck of a selling point and a great feature. Imagine never having to buy another player ever again or not having to worry about scratching CDs, having your movies automatically stored away and neatly organized on a hard drive, and never having to pay another pesky re-stocking fee because you were late returning your physical media.

What if you drive frys? What about when you run out of space? What about lending it to a friend? What about taking it around someones house for a film night?

All of these things are problematic for downloads, a number of points often forgotten by download advocates. All of which are far more of an issue than the ones you get with physical media.

As I said above, the main growth area I see for downloads actually look to impact more on the rental market (particularly DVD at the moment) rather than the HD media sales market.

As for resolution, I rented Wall-E from PSN and it looked beautiful. We also have that movie on Blu-Ray (little did I know) and I couldn't see a difference. That's a great movie by the way. I also think whatever nit-picks you have now with digital movies will eventually be solved in the future. Who knows what the future holds, but Blu-Ray will definitely have its time and the concept of Digtial movies will be ongoing and impossible to ignore. 👍

I to be honest most certainly can see the difference, particularly in dark areas (which suffer from artifact isssue on low bit-rate downloads) and halo issues on border areas of high contrast.

I also notice that you don't address the audio side of the issue, which downloads can get even close to, the difference between a 650kbps DD track and a 20+mps HD audio track are huge.

I'm yet to be convinced by digital distribution in many areas, when a choice exists it is not always the better option. I have bought many CDs for less in physical form that they sell for on download. The same applies to a good number of games (in particular PSP and PS3 titles). With a download I also have no way of part-exchange or re-sale should I wish to.

I also would much rather be the proud owner of this.....

....than have a 'digital' version of it.



Regards

Scaff

 

[TheCracker]

The average broadband speed in most of Europe is 2meg, thats going to need a very significant increase before streaming or downloading becomes a viable option for the majority of consumers, thats ignoring the 25% of all households that don't have internet access at all....

The best speed i can get (in the forth largest city in the country) is 2.5meg. With that i can just about stream sub-broadcast quality TV with a little buffering. Digital distribution of even moderately good quality TV/Film isn't an option at all and the company who installs digital fibre-optics in the UK has no future plans to do so where i live.

If i want convenience, i can already sit in on my sofa and order what ever film i want, within reason, either via on-demand broadcast 'box office' or via an online DVD/Blu-ray distributer, if i don't mind waiting a day or so, or think ahead a bit.

There will come a time when digital distribution sits side-by-side with conventional media, when the technology catches up sufficiently, but some people will always want something physical to show for parting with their hard earned.

 

[Scaff]

The best speed i can get (in the forth largest city in the country) is 2.5meg. With that i can just about stream sub-broadcast quality TV with a little buffering. Digital distribution of even moderately good quality TV/Film isn't an option at all and the company who installs digital fibre-optics in the UK has no future plans to do so where i live.

If i want convenience, i can already sit in on my sofa and order what ever film i want, within reason, either via on-demand broadcast 'box office' or via an online DVD/Blu-ray distributer, if i don't mind waiting a day or so, or think ahead a bit.

There will come a time when digital distribution sits side-by-side with conventional media, when the technology catches up sufficiently, but some people will always want something physical to show for parting with their hard earned.

May I thank you for a first class example of exactly the point I have been making in regard to one of the major issues with digital distribution of films 👍


I'm lucky enough to live in a cabled area and currently get a 10meg service (could go to 50meg if I was willing to pay), however I am more than aware that I am among a very, very small number of users in Europe than are able to take advantage of such a service. With the majority being in the same position as 'The Cracker' or in an even worse position.


Ta

Scaff

 

[FoolKiller]

An old argument (mainly used by Toshiba fans following the death of HD-DVD) and one that actually is not borne out by the sales figures at all.

I am still confused as to how consumers are finding HD-DVD movies at all when they quit making them over a year ago.

Unit sales of new release DVDs are dropping, unit sales of new release BRs are increaseing and as a result BR is takening larger and larger percentages of sales at the point of release.

When The Dark Knight was released last year (Nov) BR accounted for over 10% of the sales, a trend that has only increased since then.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/16/blu-ray-celebrates-91-percent-sales-increase-for-first-half-of-2/

That kind of indicates that consumers do care and do want to buy.

Watchmen has the current Blu-Ray adoption rate record at 36%.
http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/5564.html
It may actually be catching on faster than DVD, but only time will be able to tell.

The US must have some very strange retailers then because I've not seen a HD-DVD in a retail store now for a good 9 months.

It is not the US. I have not seen an HD-DVD on sale in a retail store in over a year. They just redesigned my local Wal*Mart and they moved Blu-Rays to a new display stand under the HDTVs, so that people looking at HDTVs are also looking at HD movies. Best Buy has an entire aisle, both sides, devoted to Blu-Ray.




Recently I have bought Star Trek Season 1, Star Trek: The Original Series movie boxed set, and Watchmen Director's Cut on Blu-Ray. The special features included in these are huge compared to what DD versions offer. I can't watch a DD with the director commentary or even log on for a live chat with the director, nor can I watch the movie with a friend in another city, fully synched, while chatting. No DD Star Trek will give me virtual tours of the Enterprise or give me pop-up trivia knowledge throughout or a PIP commentary showing the remastering process.

Digital Delivery seems like it will be fine for the majority of the population, but for what people are paying for their setups they are scrutinizing the finer details much more than they used to. Too often I see people who thought they were fine without all the fancy stuff see my setup and say, "Wow, look at that picture," or, "Why does yours look so much better than mine?"

 

[Tornado]

As an aside, I was at the unboxing of one of those when one of my friends picked it up. We weren't surprised when all of the extra goodies came out, but we just started laughing uncontrollably when he took out the third disk of the movie and noted that there were two more to go.

 

[sumbrownkid]

I'll take Blu ray, cause, it's the only thing left besides DVDs.

BTW can you guys help me out with a decision I'm going over in another topic? It's the Deals on 1080p Displays topic below this one.

Thanks.

 

[Joey D]

So I bought my parents a LG Blu-Ray player for xmas, I was wondering what would be a good film to them to to go along with it that really showcases Blu-Ray? For the most part I can barely tell the difference between a Blu-ray and an upscaled DVD so I might be a bad judge with it. They like movies with plots is about all I know, although they do enjoy a good comedy (they, weirdly, loved the Wedding Crashers).

 

[FoolKiller]

So I bought my parents a LG Blu-Ray player for xmas, I was wondering what would be a good film to them to to go along with it that really showcases Blu-Ray? For the most part I can barely tell the difference between a Blu-ray and an upscaled DVD so I might be a bad judge with it. They like movies with plots is about all I know, although they do enjoy a good comedy (they, weirdly, loved the Wedding Crashers).

I tend to only get good quality visual movies on Blu-Ray. Up and Star Trek are two new ones that are good. District 9 comes out this month.

Also any of the recent superhero movies look good on Blu-Ray.

Personally I would probably just get something like Wedding Crashers on DVD as it will offer very little extra on Blu-Ray. The best route to go (but likely expensive) would possibly be some TV shows. Something like Lost or Battlestar Galactica would be noticably different. I know Star Trek season 1 for me was amazing with both the remastered and original versions available with both surround and mono audio tracks all switchable while playing. Band of Brothers, if they like plot, is also excellent on Blu-Ray.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

I didn't see it mentioned any where so for those that may not have heard, the Blu-ray disc association finalized the specifications for Blu-ray 3D last month, and the interesting anecdote is that apparently the only current Blu-ray player that will be able to playback the new Blu-ray 3D discs in 3D is the PS3. All the other current players will only playback these new discs in 2D.

I went ahead and started a dedicated thread for those interested:

Blu-ray 3D Specification Finalized, PS3 is only current BD player that can support it


In addition to the Blu-ray 3D news, just this week Sony and Panasonic announced that they have developed a way to expand the current Blu-ray disc layer capacity by more than 40% from 25GB to 35.4GB. This means dual layer discs would be able to store nearly 67GB instead of 50GB. Most importantly, the new discs would be fully backward compatible with all current Blu-ray players. 👍

 

[Solid Lifters]

I remembering posting an article on 3D and the PS3 before the PS3 was released. That was a long time ago.

I'm getting my interest more peaked about 3D. DirecTV announced they'll start broadcasting 3D signals on three channels starting in June, which means will get it sometime in November. At best.

DIRECTV - First Television Provider to Launch 3D in the Home -Will Soon Deliver Three Dedicated 3D Channels Presented by Panasonic

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DIRECTV, the world's most popular television service, and Panasonic, a world leader in HDTV and digital electronics, announced today a strategic relationship that, for the first time, will bring 3D TV, the next frontier of television entertainment, to the largest audience nationwide. Beginning in June 2010, millions of DIRECTV HD customers will receive a free software upgrade enabling them to have access to three dedicated 3D channels through their 3D television sets, such as Panasonic's VIERA Full HD 3D TVs.

Panasonic will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of DIRECTV's new HD 3D channels, which will deliver movies, sports and entertainment content from some of the world's most renowned 3D producers. DIRECTV and Panasonic will leverage current relationships with programming partners and movie studios to obtain new and existing 3D content. DIRECTV is currently working with AEG/AEG Digital Media, CBS, Fox Sports/FSN, Golden Boy Promotions, HDNet, MTV, NBC Universal and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., to develop additional 3D programming that will debut in 2010-2011. The sponsorship will feature Panasonic branding on all DIRECTV 3D channels for a one-year period.

"We led the way with HD and we are excited to do the same with 3D," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. "Adding the most HD channels to our lineup gave customers a viewing experience that was incredibly lifelike; adding 3D to the mix will take that one step further allowing them to become part of the cast as the picture comes to life in their living rooms. We are taking a technology that at one time could only be seen in a theater and bringing it into the living rooms of the largest audience in the United States. By partnering with Panasonic, we are bringing together two industry leaders to deliver the most advanced television technology available today and together we are continuing to set the standard for the best television viewing experience available."

"Panasonic has been developing 3D standards for television for several years, and we believe it represents a fundamentally new experience in home entertainment because it adds the immersive nature of real life," said Yoshi Yamada, chairman & CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America. "Our relationship with DIRECTV is a core component of our 'end-to-end' strategy of building out an entire 3D entertainment ecosystem. From leading the development of the Full HD 3D standard for Blu-ray Disc to launching Full HD 3D stereoscopic prosumer camcorders; to now supporting broadcast of 3D content by DIRECTV; to introducing a broad line of Full HD 3D VIERA televisions and a Full HD 3D Blu-ray player in 2010; our commitment to 3D is unquestioned in the industry."

At launch, the new DIRECTV HD 3D programming platform, powered by Panasonic, will offer a 24/7 3D pay per view channel focused on movies, documentaries and other programming, a 24/7 3D DIRECTV on Demand channel and a free 3D sampler demo channel featuring event programming such as sports, music and other content.

In addition, Panasonic is working to make available 3D production tools, such as Full HD 3D camcorders, professional monitors and related production technology assistance.

Panasonic will showcase its suite of Full HD 3D VIERA televisions and home theater system products tuned to a dedicated DIRECTV 3D channel with exclusive content from the motion picture, "AVATAR" and other sports, entertainment, documentary and music footage at its booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall, #9405) at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

For more information on Panasonic's Full HD 3D Technology, visit www.panasonic.com/3D.

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTV), world's most popular television service to more than 18.4 million customers in the United States and is leading the HD revolution with more than 130 HD channels. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed national cable companies for nine years running) and superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD DVR services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.

About Panasonic

Based in Secaucus, NJ, Panasonic Corporation of North America markets a broad line of digital and other electronics products for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC), and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company's Eco Ideas programs. Detailed information about Panasonic's environmental stewardship may be found in its Panasonic Report for Sustainability 2008 (www.panasonic.net/csr/reports) and Environmental Data Book 2008 www.panasonic.net/eco/rpt/. Information about Panasonic and its products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

SOURCE Panasonic