Them Blu-Ray Blues

Finally, someone sensible (and even more sarcastic than me) has put the whole Blu-ray DVD nonsense into something approaching proper perspective: Mystery Science Theater 3000's Kevin Murphy.

Sony, the self-styled "one and only," will introduce its high-definition Blu-ray digital video format on May 23rd to us, here in the US of A, a nattering, Neanderthal, heretofore unwittingly blu-ray-starved populace, rooting around as we are in the dim glow of conventional DVD-based home theaters, wondering how in the name of all that is holy we ever made it this far as a civilization without fifty gigabytes of dual-layer capacity and 3:2 pulldown compensation.

Not to be outdone, Toshiba will introduce their own gift from the gods, called HD DVD, in March, with its own equally impressive set of technical specifications and, of course, 3:2 pulldown. These two technologies, each with their own army of media giants behind them, are about to engage in a struggle to become the one that replaces the now-ubiquitous and perfectly adequate DVD format.

DVDs as we know them deliver to most of us a better quality of sound and image than we ever dreamed would make it into our homes. It has caused the makers of movies to radically shift the way they present their product, from title acquisition all the way to release and advertising. It has simultaneously allowed a meteoric market for home movie makers, who now can present the lavish imagery and nuanced editing of Brady's 1st Poopies on the Toi-Toi in High Definition with Dolby AC-3 sound.

But no, DVDs are no longer good enough. Over the next few years we'll watch these formats duke it out, and eventually we'll have to trash what we have and invest in the winner.

Why are they doing this? That's a damned silly question. Better to ask: what the hell is 3:2 pulldown? I've been working in television for twenty-five years, I have no idea.

Go read the rest.