High definition material is here, now, and even more is on the way
Most of the articles from the 2008 edition of HDTV Vision deal with the equipment that is used to enjoy movies and TV shows. In the industry, this is often called the ‘hardware’. But then, there is also the ‘software’ – the actual content, the movies themselves, along with the other high definition material.
Over the next few pages we will be introducing the different kinds of high definition content, and showing you where you can find it.
Already there is a lot of high definition content available, and more is being released all the time. And it isn’t just all in one format – new channels of distribution are also opening up.
Today you can enjoy high definition content from:
- Free-to-air HDTV
- Blu-ray discs
- PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 high definition games
- The internet
And very soon, you will also be able to receive several high definition stations on pay TV.
Each type of high definition content needs its own player, which is often referred to as the ‘source’. For HDTV you will need a HDTV receiver. This may also be a high definition personal video recorder, of which there are several models, including the forthcoming TiVo. For Blu-ray discs you will need a Blu-ray player… although you can also use a PlayStation 3, which will play Blu-ray right out of the box (this, we think, is a big part of the reason that Blu-ray prevailed over HD DVD).
For games, you will need the relevant games machine. Which one (if not both) will generally be determined by which games you most like to play, since many games are available for only the XBox 360, or the PlayStation 3, but not both.
For high definition from pay TV you will need the new receiver to be introduced by Foxtel. Doubling as a personal video recorder, this will be called the iQ2.
And, of course, you will need a suitable device for accessing high definition video from the internet – an area that still remains somewhat uncertain as standards evolve.
Let us now take you through all of these wonderful sources of high definition home entertainment.
