How soon will my Blu-Ray laptop become absolete?

I am thinking of buying Sony FZ 4000 CTO. It will have 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo (6MB Cache), 3GB RAM and a GeForce 8400M GT (256MB VRAM), 15.4" with 1280x800 resolution.

How long can this machine keep up with playing the latest Blu-Ray movies? Will future Blu-Ray movies require more poweful GPU, CPU or more VRAM than 256MB? Does Blu-Ray system requirement keep going up at the same rate as 3D computer games?

Already my other system that has 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo with GeForce Go 7400 (64MB VRAM) couldn't keep up with the latest Blu-Ray movies. It has a problem playing the latest movies encoded with H264. The CPU utilization reaches 100% and as a result, the playback is not very smooth. While GeForce Go 7400 is not officially listed as the one capable of playing Blu-Ray movies, it is still relatively a new card. I bought it a year ago. So, I wonder how long my newer system can keep up with Blu-Ray.

 

I initially thought my 2.33Ghz XPs1210 couldn't play the latest HD movie too, but then I discovered it was a problem with the coed. Trying using something like Cyberlink PowerDVD ultra and the CPU usage drops to well below 30% (because it uses hardware acceleration). Future blu-ray movies won't require substantially more power than current ones. Your laptop should be able to play blu-ray as long as it could power up.

 

yeah,it will be able to play blu-ray disks until it dies!

 

I have both WinDVD and PowerDVD. Both of them reach 100% CPU Utilization on some but not all movies. Usually the one that uses H264 require higher CPU utilization. When I tried them with the newer system that has 8400M GT, the CPU Utilization drops to below 50%. So, I guess the card plays a big role here but for how long can it keep up with the latest movies that keep coming?

 

Well, let's look at DVD players. They cannot be upgraded with faster parts, but if one DVD is playable on it, all DVDs are playable on it.

Assume Bluray players are not upgradable, since Bluray players are designed for everyone, not only the technologically inclined. Said Bluray player should play all BRDs if it can play one BRD.

By this logic, if your computer can play 1 BRD, it should be able to play all BRDs as long as Bluray players exist.

 

For a more practical answer, I believe you can extract the Blueray drive from your current laptop and insert it into a newer laptop, unless the Blueray drive is some messed up form factor that Sony came up with specifically designed for your model of laptops.

 

It should retain it's basic playing functions however that doesn't mean it will fully support future Blu-Ray titles.

http://axvare.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/blu-ray-20-competing-with-interactivity/

The PS3 seems like the only "future proof" player at the moment.

 

The GeForce 7400 isn't up to par for playing Blu-Ray movies. Hence why the CPU got maxed out. The 8400 GT should be more than enough.

Provided the standards don't change (what Airman is referring to), if your machine can play one Blu-Ray it'll play them all, from now until the end of time. I've got an old Pentium II that could play DVD's back in the day, and it can still play the newest ones, no problem. Demand-wise, it'll be the same way for Blu-ray.

 

That would be nice, but that is the problem with BR....it's an incomplete format.
The stand alone players are having problems playing discs and Samsung has a class action lawsuit against them because the player won't play many discs.

It's a shame, HD-DVD was a much better and complete format, but it did not market it right. If you already have a BR player, then so be it. The updates will be slow and problematic. Version 2.0 has not even hit the streets and the only player I'd consider right now is a PS3...it's upgradeable and does a nice job upconverting.

Media is so expensive, etc. I'd hold off on all BR purchases as this format is struggling as well. With HD VOD, IPTV and other media....BR will have it's problems. Only 1% of the media market is BR.....

 

All it takes to update is an internet connection. And for players not connected to the internet its just a simple firmware update. Your arent locked in at the firmware you bought it at.

All Blu-ray players are "futureproof"

Future Blu-ray updates only deal with extra interactivity within the disc - and most movies dont even have this functionality in place to even be used. They have nothing to do with improved playback. The class action lawsuit is because Samsung refuses to update the firmware for those players to the newest Blu-ray version. The movies play fine, but the extra features that will come out in 2.0 movies wont work. This is a problem with one company and one player, not industry wide

 

it could probably outlive you ^^ its really the player's popularity, i mean my dvds still runn of this old p3 system desktop im using at home.

i wonder if anyone remembers LASER DISCS? LOL, that media died.

 

In what sense? That is news to me....the only real "future proof" BR player is the PS3. Also, the "CAL" against Samsung is due to MANY BR videos freezing and not being able to play. This is a common occurance across the board with BR players.

Don't get me wrong I want to see HD media survive because I am HEAVILY invested in HD. 2-HD TV's, boxes, player, etc. Sorry to say, unless BR drops prices on computers and stand alone players as well as media, then BR is doomed.

 

They are all futureproof because once a new version of Blu-ray is released, all it takes is a firmware update to bring the player to be up-to-date. Firmware can be updated through internet, USB, SD, or burned CD/DVD. All players since 2007 are required to have the capability for the future updates

The only problem is some of the early adopters players that are Profile 1.0 cant view the extra bonus because of lacking hardware, but thats always the gamble with being an early adopter. They still play Blu-ray titles fine, but cant use the enhanced features that have recently been released

What makes the PS3 different than other players?

 

I know what your saying and I'm sorry if I come off as arrogant....I apologize if I came across that way. The only thing is you can not upgrade a 1.1 to a 2.0 player....it just won't do that. The PS3 is the only device today that will.

Online content aside, it's a incomplete product at this time...too much to get into. Upconversion problems for one (except the PS3 and Panny), incompatible discs,etc.

 

No problem - Didnt come off as arrogant at all