DVD Player With DVI Output 355
ffierling writes "Why are there no big name DVD Players with digital video outputs? With all the available digital displays (LCD, plasma, DLP, etc) and the obvious benefits of an all-digital connection, it's easy to conclude the threat of litigation from copyright holders is holding up the big name manufacturers. So how is it V Inc. can sell their Bravo D1 DVD Player with DVI output? Are they below the MPAA's radar, or just quicker to market?"
Are they below the MPAA's radar? (Score:5, Insightful)
maybe (Score:2, Insightful)
My prediction (Score:2, Insightful)
Supply and demand... (Score:5, Insightful)
This isn't a fantastic amount to do - after all, this is probably a minor upgrade to most manufacturers - but it is rather pointless if 99.99 percent of your target audience won't even know what the port can be used for, let alone actually use it.
And why spend the time and effort incorporating an $5 (for argument's sake) upgrade if it makes next to no difference on how many units you'll sell? Right now, that $5 pe4r unit is lost profit in what's already a very cut-throat industry.
As DVI is a fairly new development (at least to the average home electronics consumer) it'll be a while before there's a major demand for DVI outputs on DVD players, etc. Gradually though, the major manufacturers will add DVI support, initially at the top of their ranges, then later throughout their catalogues.
In the end, it comes down to supply and demand. Right now, there's very little demand for DVI support. But you can bet the farm that by the time there actually is critical mass demand for DVI support it'll be there across the board.
Re:Market Demand (Score:5, Insightful)
No, that's the problem with cartels like the MPAA. People with often accept "good enough" if their preferred features are too hard.
MPAA makes it too hard for consumers to get region free DVD players (yes Geek Boy, your PC will do it just fine with DeCSS), and even out-of-region DVDs are very hard to find off the shelf, due to their strongarm tactics against stores renting them. Most folks will just go and rent something in-zone from their local, and play it on the DVD player they bought locally too.
I think your free-market faith is a little misplaced. Traditional market forces don't really apply when the market is essentially controlled by one supplier.
How many TV's have DVI input? (Score:5, Insightful)
In addition, component optical output is already far and away high enough quality to render the need for DVI moot.
The only TV-class displays that I know of which feature DVI inputs are flatpanel LCD and some flatpanel plasma displays... which are far more expensive than I can justify when compared to a comparably priced rear projection or CRT set.
Well well well (Score:2, Insightful)
Easy if you're a paranoid tin-foil hat wearing geek, that is. Absent from ffierling's conclusion is a factual foundation. He's twisted facts to suit his theories.
It does not take a great deal of effort to imagine where there are not (yet) DVI capable players on the market. First among them is the economy. People aren't buying fancy schmancy toys, and in the DVD market in particular, low-cost players rules the roost. In other words, the focus in the industry has been to compete on cost, no features.
A second reason that comes to mind is that, well, not many people want to shell out the monies for a DVD player with DVI capabilites. But now that DVI displays are catching on, that's going to change. The chicken had to wait for the egg to show up first, if you will.
Why (Score:5, Insightful)
When DVD's are 720p or 1080i, then it may.
Re:DVI is no problem. How about Firewire/Component (Score:3, Insightful)
That is incredibly understated.
For you to make a DVD player, you have to get permission to use CSS. For you to get permission to use CSS, the MPAA can make you sign any sort of contract they want, or you don't get to use CSS legally. That's all there is to it.
I don't think there is any "threat of litigation" keeping DVD players back, I believe it much more simple and direct than that.
Re:DVI has copy protection (Score:5, Insightful)
Kind of like how DVDs support "optional" encryption?
Re:Other DVI Players (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh, and if you're out and about, be sure to check out Samsung's DLP rear projection TV. It's head and shoulders above the other rear projection sets out there. It doesn't really have any of the downsides of the normal rear projections TVs (glare, burn in, viewing angle), while it has the positives of a plasma (super bright and clear picture, small size).
Their remotes still suck though.
Re:sweet (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Supply and demand... (Score:3, Insightful)
You haven't looked. The Toshiba 34HDX82 I just picked up has one. Sony's latest widescreen Wega also has them. Pretty much all of this year's widescreen HDTV models that I looked at a month ago had them.
--Jeremy