Posts by Paul Dixon 3 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Aug 2007
Isn't that bad... especially if you're listening to 5 live - the jump from AM to DAB is superb. Unless you listen to Radio 3, all the music out there is overly compressed anyway, so DAB is just fine.
I'm glad they've replaced the overly bright blue LCD screen on previous models - it lights up my entire room at night... not good when you're someone who likes to fall asleep with the radio on. I'll buy one just for that.
HD-DVD has had combo discs from day one. These are discs with HD-DVD on one side, and normal DVD on the other. This means you can start building your HD-DVD catalogue now, even if you have a standard DVD player. This is the format the new Star Trek: Original Series Remastered (with new CGI) is being released.
HD-DVD also has "twin" discs. This is a dual layer HD-DVD with HD-DVD on one layer and normal DVD on another layer. This means that unlike the combo disc, you don't have to flip it over to change between HD-DVD and DVD. This gives you a 15GB HD layer and a 4.7GB DVD layer.
Bluray has some serious yield problems at the moment - in order to increase yields, they have to reduce the capacity a wee bit (this is due to the spin coating - it can become uneven around the outer edges, and because of the high tolerences required for Bluray, it can make it harder for the laser to focus here. This is becuase Sony decided on a higher numerical aperture for the focusing lens on their blue laser pickup in order to cram in more capacity, which means the data layer has to be just 0.1mm from the surface of the disc, which needs new technology to protect it).
I hope the new generation of iPods keep the tactile buttons - it's so easy to change track / alter volume if you have your ipod in your pocket (and who wants to have one of those nasty, white remotes hanging about which shout "mug me"). Touch screens are all well and good on a mobile or a digital camera where you're usually looking at the device while using it... but for a music player, no way.
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