Lynda interviews Rick Smolan.
Our Creative Inspirations series in the Online Training Library® is so popular that we’ve decided to distribute it on disc as well as online. We are currently building a new DVD interface so these documentaries can be viewed at home on televisions, sold in museum stores, and so on.
What format would you prefer to view our Creative Inspirations documentaries? In high-definition Blu-Ray or standard definition DVDs?
Loading ...Feel free to leave a comment below to let us know why you prefer one format over another. Thanks for your input!
Tags: Creative Inspirations Series, poll
Don’t know if you’ve been following the growing death knell for Blu-Ray, but this article from ZDNet is interesting …
http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=562
I think physical formats are 2nd to HD video online, as well as mobile formatted content (iPhone/Palm/BlackBerry/Windows Mobile).
Also, being able to store videos for offline viewing would be an awesome option
(Adobe AIR application or Google Gears?)
I would strongly urge that you stay with the standard DVD format, since all Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players will up-convert the video.
BTW, HD-DVD may not be dead (yet another reason to NOT pick a side). My understanding is that China has licensed the HD-DVD format from Toshiba, and will manufacture DVD’s in what they term as “China Blue” DVD’s. It seems that Sony would not come down on their prices for the Chinese populace that can’t afford Blu-Ray, and CB could end up getting a large market share that will also play on HD-DVD!
The content is what’s important. I don’t see any reason to increase costs to deliver the same content. I’d say stay with standard definition DVD.
While I agree that the content is most important and that mobile formats would we helpful, I’d definitely go for a high-def, hard-copy format. DVD resolution (480 lines) would degrade the current online video quality (which has roughly 670 lines). Upconverting blu-ray players can stretch the image fit to your screen, but obviously can’t display content that’s not on the disc to begin with. If you start recording at 1080p, then it would be even more useful to have an HD format.
I wouldn’t worry too much about CBHD for now — by the time it becomes a standard (if it ever does), bandwidth, data storage, and in-home media streaming solutions will be so cheap that hard-copy formats will be irrelevant imo.
I would go with the standard definition discs for the moment. I may not be like other lynda.com users but I view the content on my computer through a second monitor so I can use the application at the same time. Until Apple starts supporting Blu-ray it doesn’t make sense to support that particular format.
By the way, the online content deliver system is awesome and works perfectly. Thanks for all the great resources that your organization provides.
I would love to watch them in BluRay, but Macs don’t play BluRay. I am not going to watch this on my TV, even if I owned a BLuRay player.
Gary
The fact that high-def players upconvert DVD content (as was stated above) as well as the added cost of Blu-Ray make for two good arguments in favor of sticking to standard DVD for now. You should definitely produce the video in high-definition, just output it and sell it in DVD format. When Blu-Ray penetration reaches a certain level as well as sales numbers for this series, then it would make sense to release in a high-def format. Someone also mentioned the idea of HD video online instead of a physical HD format — if the bandwidth supports it, stick with that. HDTVs will continue to get more online-friendly in the coming years.
My personal feelings are that DVD would appeal to the broadest range of consumers and students alike. High Definition video online would be a move in the right direction as well, but as far as actual formats go and marketability, DVD is the most ideal.
(To back this up, bluray has it place and use, but as far as training goes I feel DVD does not compromise the quality of training experience).
Eric Oliver says it for me. As long as it works on my Mac.
Remain with Standard Definition DVD, as the content is what your product is all about. Anyone, with any equipment can play Standard Definition. Don’t limit your audience to only those with premium equipment.
I firmly believe that the only people who like and use blue-ray are the ones with no life. I can see them fussing with their flat screen “…GOD! This darn quality is killing me! Just look at this! This pile of rubbish shows me 200 pixels less then what I could possibly see! That’s it. I’m switching to blue-ray….”
30 years ago nobody complained about the quality of the television. Everyone was happy with it. It’s only a state of mind.
DVDs are cheaper. People who have blue-ray can play DVDs, but not everyone who has DVD can play blue-ray. Not to mention, not every computer system is ready to play back blue-ray.
The fact that you can experience the ants on the Amazon forest floor like being there is just a pile of rubbish marketing. If you really want to see the ants with supernatural resolution, just get yourself a plane ticket to the rainforest.
DVDs are just fine.
Stick with the standard DVD. I see no reason to go to either HD-DVD or BluRay. When using the material, I watch it on my laptop (online), while working with the stuff on the workstation (pdf-/jpg-files etc. from the DVD).
Standard DVD will be best for everyone.Go Lynda.
Thom summarises the whole argument perfectly. Bog standard DVD is more than adequate I don’t want to be pfaffing about with HD, Blue Ray. If it works on a Mac or PC that is good enough for me.
I use the premium subscription and study online. Makes no difference to me.