Why Blu-Ray will make it when SACD, DVD-A, and HD-DVD won't

[Old Quad Guy]

At this point we're probably stuck with both HD formats. Hopefully we'll get an "all in one" DVD-A, SACD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray player. Or the price will go down to under $100 for HD-DVD & Blu-Ray players.

 

[bmoura]

Paramount and Dreamworks just signed on exclusive HD-DVD today...This is going to get really stupid

Actually Paramount started out with HD-DVD only, then supported both and now went back to HD-DVD only - except for Spielberg's films.

I think the $150 Million that the HD-DVD camp gave them may have influenced this decision! See today's New York Times story at
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technology/21disney.html

 

[Quadzilla]

Hmm, are you planning to settle the whole Hi Def Video format war by buying an HD-DVD player as well ?!

Nope! I am still stinging over getting into DVD-Audio way back when. To paraphrase Jerry Lee Lewis ... Toshiba can kiss my ass. I wouldn't buy another Toshiba anything, even if it did mean their demise.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

From all that I've read, both camps are banking on what will happen this Christmas and the next year. It should be interesting to see what if anything happens with HD sales in the next few months. If one HD format does not die soon then we're probably stuck with both HD formats if a lot of titles are released.

 

[Quadzilla]

From all that I've read, both camps are banking on what will happen this Christmas and the next year. It should be interesting to see what if anything happens with HD sales in the next few months.

Mark my words. If I bought it, it will fail.

 

[orlandofireman]

And then there is the Adult Film Industry...I don't know much about it first hand but one of the guys at the firehouse said it's going HD-DVD...

 

[BananaSlug]

Saw a Sony Blu-Ray player for $450 at CostCo today. That may seal the fate of HD-DVD right there.

 

[elroy]

It seems a little early to let this Christmas and next year decide the fate of either format...they both have such small market share that I don't see either making much of a dent, certainly not in 3 or 4 months?

 

[lolbroek]

And then there is the Adult Film Industry...I don't know much about it first hand but one of the guys at the firehouse said it's going HD-DVD...

Last I read they were going for Blu-Ray. It's somewhere on dvdfile.com but I can't be bothered to go find it, sorry. Studying for exams at the moment. (what the hell am I doing here then?!)

 

[Old Quad Guy]

It seems a little early to let this Christmas and next year decide the fate of either format...they both have such small market share that I don't see either making much of a dent, certainly not in 3 or 4 months?

Paramount and Dreamworks are definitely gearing up for a big push this Christmas from what you read in articles. They're hoping people will buy because HD-DVD players are coming down in price. But, you're right will it amount to much now. $299 is still a lot of money for a DVD player for the average buyer. Even $199 is too much if you can't get the movies you want. HDTVs themselves need to saturate the market. Although every bar and restaurant I go into these days seems to have 5 or more HDTV sets in them, even the Doctor's waiting room!

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Paramount and Dreamworks are definitely gearing up for a big push this Christmas from what you read in articles. They're hoping people will buy because HD-DVD players are coming down in price. But, you're right will it amount to much now. $299 is still a lot on money for a DVD player for the average buyer. Even $199 is too much if you can't get the movies you want. HDTVs themselves need to saturate the market. Although every bar and restaurant I go into these days seems to have 5 or more HDTV sets in them, even the Doctor's waiting room!

HDTV's are selling great in the US, already exceeding 35% of households based on what I have read. Unfortunately only a tiny fraction have either new format and I don't believe this Paramount decision changes that unless consumers buy HD DVD believing a lot more software is available for the format than actually is. If anything, I believe the Paramount decision means people avoid Blu-ray, not that masses buy HD DVD. Who knows whether the average consumer has any idea that HD DVD has no software from Fox, MGM, Disney, Buena Vista, Lions Gate, Columbia Tristar, and Sony and if the average consumer even knows what studios have which titles. Nothing from Disney in particular sure seems to exclude all families from being interested if they know that fact.

This decision by Paramount/Dreamworks wasn't welcomed by me, I wanted an end to the format war and Blu-ray had a chance to end it by force until that happened.

Chris

 

[neil wilkes]

If it means people avoid the corporate monster called SONY, then I am all in favour of it.
They deserve all they get.

This decision by Paramount/Dreamworks wasn't welcomed by me, I wanted an end to the format war and Blu-ray had a chance to end it by force until that happened.

I didn't want a bloody High Rez format war either,. and Sony created that one as well. DSD was designed as an archival format, not a playable one (hence the heroic noise shaping used to make a 1-bit system listenable-ish) and Sony also own DVD-A patents. Why SACD? Greed. Same reason for Blu Ray. Greed. They want to own the entire format as well as the means of production (remember ONLY Sony DADC can replicate, and at massive cost)

Stuff them.

 

[Quadzilla]

If it means people avoid the corporate monster called SONY, then I am all in favour of it.
They deserve all they get.

I didn't want a bloody High Rez format war either,. and Sony created that one as well. DSD was designed as an archival format, not a playable one (hence the heroic noise shaping used to make a 1-bit system listenable-ish) and Sony also own DVD-A patents. Why SACD? Greed. Same reason for Blu Ray. Greed. They want to own the entire format as well as the means of production (remember ONLY Sony DADC can replicate, and at massive cost)

Stuff them.

Same old same old. Bottom line Neil, you hate Sony. WE KNOW ALREADY! Can we move on? I hate Toshiba, but it doesn't consume my life. I just don't buy their stuff any more. Mike.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

But Neil has a very important point. Sony has made life hell for content creators and nearly impossible to produce commercial Blu-Ray discs unless you're one of the huge movie companies with deep pockets willing to pay high royalty's and production costs. If Sony win's that's going to limit your HD viewing options on disc. Because of Sony's business practices I can't afford to release my bands music on Blu-Ray and your favorite cult film that was produced in small rums when they did DVD you won't be able to see ether should BD prevail over HD-DVD. If I understand the game HD-DVD doesn't have that problem. I'm guessing one reason Paramount and Dreamworks switched was in part as to not have to pay Sony's high licensing fee's. I'm format neutral, but anti Sony's licensing fee's because I can't release commercial product on Blu-Ray.

The solution is an "all in one" HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, DVD-A, SACD player for under $100 bucks. Until that happens I'm not going buy. Can't afford it.

 

[elshagon]

Saw a Sony Blu-Ray player for $450 at CostCo today. That may seal the fate of HD-DVD right there.

I saw a Toshiba HD DVD player at Costco for $238 yesterday. It seems to be the strategy of HD DVD to have a player out for 1/2 the price of the cheapest BD player. There's rumors of players out by Thanksgiving for less than $200 and possibly as little as $99.
I still want a player that does dvd-a, sacd, xvid, etc.

 

[timbre4]

Damn, if this stretches out another year, Warner's THD (HD-DVD/Blu-Ray combo disc) may be back on the table. Unless of course, Microsoft throws money at Warner to bring them to the HD-DVD only side. Pissy little war so far...

I hate Microsoft tactics even more than Sony's.....

 

[Quadzilla]

But Neil has a very important point.

I think Neil has a VERY valid point, but it is lost in his "I hate Sony" rants.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

If it means people avoid the corporate monster called SONY, then I am all in favour of it.
They deserve all they get.

I didn't want a bloody High Rez format war either,. and Sony created that one as well. DSD was designed as an archival format, not a playable one (hence the heroic noise shaping used to make a 1-bit system listenable-ish) and Sony also own DVD-A patents. Why SACD? Greed. Same reason for Blu Ray. Greed. They want to own the entire format as well as the means of production (remember ONLY Sony DADC can replicate, and at massive cost)

Stuff them.

I don't know much about any of that, I do know that SACD works great for my needs, I prefer it to DVD-A. I do know Blu-ray works great for my needs, I prefer it to HD DVD. I own all 4 formats and use all 4 formats. Since I never got caught up in the claims of greed or claims of whatever is behind the lunacy that is these two idiotic format wars, I base my preferences on what I hear and see. If the market had decided on DVD-A and HD DVD, fine, but based on the allegiances to each of the 4 formats, it appears to me SACD and Blu-ray had better and more widespread support from the industry. What I do observe is because of the confusion and reluctance for everybody I know in real life to get involved with any of these formats, none of them have amounted to much in the market and that is the outcome I wish could be avoided.

If you can look at the participants in all of this and pick out Sony as evil, and the others as good, then I don't agree. There is no corporation I can think of with a worse record than Toshiba, with criminal convictions and gigantic civil judgments. Of course their huge revenue stream from DVD means they can fund the judgments. Microsoft isn't exactly my idea of a corporate poster boy either.

It is all mess, that much we can agree on, I am sure.

Chris

 

[lolbroek]

Sony ain't exactly to your liking Neil. OK, but tell me: if Blu-Ray is REALLY that bad and costs sooooo much than why the hell did other companies, studios and CE manufacturers alike, thought it would be a good path to take?

Can you really blame Sony for wanting to make money on a format that they helped invent (together with Philips and Panasonic if I remember correctly)? I'd like to see you invent some stuff that can generate lots of money and then go "here guys, take all you want, I'm playing Santa for a day".

I don't want to be disrespectful of you, I'm just saying how I see it.

Also: how the hell are they gonna fit uncompressed audio like 5.1 PCM on a HD-DVD that has a long film like LOTR on it without sacrificing video quality (STUPID!) or splitting it over 2 discs (STUPID as well, because why switch to a HD format when you still haven't got enough capacity to make it fit onto one disc).

Just saying.

I want universal players that don't cost an arm and a leg. I swear to God: the first one to make a DECENT player at an affordable price wins over consumers and will have the honour of having ended the format war.

 

[TRAINMAN92]

I Just Got The Zektor Mas7.1 From Hdtv Supply.com [499.00] It Supports 7.1 Audio & Hdmi 1.3 It Works Great/trainman92