Blog: HD DVD: Fight or Quit (Preferably Quit)

[hrbib21]

I disagree with every analogy except for the laserdisc/ced one.

This is an argument over nothing. Blu-ray and HD-DVD are both small niche markets compared to DVD--period. Blu-ray players still cost too much. HD-DVD discs cost too much. (Why? I have no idea.) Joe six pack isn't interested. To him HD is DVD (progressive scan) on his 32" 768p Vizio/Sceptre/Emprex/Ilo/Westinghouse LCD.

Like it or not this is SACD/DVD-audio all over again. (I wish it were DVD+/-R, but it's not.)

I agree. I care more about sports in HD than I do HD-DVD/BluRay. My standard def discs look great on my upconverting DVD player and 56" HDILA. Of course, I don't watch all that many movies at home so it really is quite subjective.

Yes, it is VERY much like the VHS vs. Beta "war". I see no difference between then and now. I ended up with both players at the time, one of them obviously being a paperweight.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I keep seeing people bringing up divx, I musta missed that all together.

 

[diogen]

...Like it or not this is SACD/DVD-audio all over again.

I'd second that.
HD/BD have a relatively narrow time window to succeed.
On one hand they have DVDs as the format of choice for J6P.
On the other - download/VOD options (XBL being best example).
J6P has to decide he has to have an HD player before downloads catch on.

And if the story of SACD/DVD-A is of any lesson - it might not happen.

MP3 in the form of Napster and its descendants showed that J6P doesn't care
about high resolution audio: CD buisness still lives (but struggles) and SACD/DVD-A is dead
(less market share than HD/BD have today in video market).

What makes the high definition video market different?

Diogen.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Whats bad for Toshiba is Universal is about as dead as HDDVD is, they just dont know it yet.

This is not a promising article for HDDVD's sole major exclusive. I wonder how long before GE either sells Universal Studios or forces them to go nuetral?

In go-for-broke Hollywood, Universal Studios aims for the middle - International Herald Tribune

LOS ANGELES: The hilltop theme park outside the 14th floor office of Ron Meyer, the president of Universal Studios Group, could stand a makeover.
The park is anchored by past glories like rides based on the hit films "Jurassic Park" and "Backdraft." So an attraction based on "Transformers," the smash hit from DreamWorks, the for ally of Universal, might add a little pizazz.
But "Transformers" went to Paramount in a deal made many months ago, and DreamWorks soon followed.
Meanwhile, Meyer, who at 62 is the longest-serving chief of a major movie company, had to rent a hit with his recent deal to feature the Warner Brothers series "Harry Potter" at another Universal theme park, in Orlando, Florida.
So it goes at the sixth-place Hollywood studio. Although profitable for the past nine years, Universal has been noticeably short on blockbusters to call its own.

Catalog releases on HDDVD are only going to carry Universal so far.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I believe the Betas/VHS comparison is not the best. This situation seems very similar to the Laserdisk/CED wars of 1981-3. CED had every studio except Warner and Universal. A few others were producing in both formats. A half dozen companies were producing CED players, and after the first year, every laserdisc player was produced by Pioneer. The situation looked as clear cut as the current one does to the BR folks, when suddenly RCA pulled the plug.

The situation is very similar today. After all the noise and hype, high def discs are still a niche. Most people are happy with the current DVD situation and mostly confused and uninterested in the high def hype.

It isn't like the DVD explosion because there are several factors missing. First, people were frustrated with wear issues and especially rewind times on VHS. Second, DVDs cost significantly less to produce than VHS and sold for a significantly higher price at first. Third, the player prices came down very quickly, and people didn't have to decide who was going to win a format war.

I really wish that an upgrade was in my near future, but I am still staying out of this one for now (and I AM a technophile)

I think Jay is right on in terms of the majority of people out there. And with new upoconverting DVD players, standard DVDs look even better.

I am considering the move to HD DVD, but only because my DVD player is on the fritz, and I can get one for under $300. I have no interest in a $600 gaming system. Nor do I intend to replace the 100 DVDs I have with High Definition ones. If in 2 years, I find that there are no new titles in HD DVD, so be it; by that time there will be reasonably priced BR players.

 

[loves2watch]

Any Sony format (Blue Ray) is sooooo proprietary they want to control you. Even if BluRay was the only format available I would never buy it.

 

[vurbano]

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Looks dead to me.

Interesting chart - do they have it for a longer time-frame.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Whats bad for Toshiba is Universal is about as dead as HDDVD is, they just dont know it yet.
...

Dude, why do you have such a vendetta against HD DVD? One post after another dissing it in one way or another.


What did it ever do to you?

 

[diogen]

Dude, why do you have such a vendetta against HD DVD?

He spends too much time at AVS...
Just wait 'til JoeSp comes back: solo will turn into a duet

Diogen.

 

[JamesJ]

that chart is VERY misleading, that is for products in the top 10, look at overall sales please. also Hd DVD could very will have a swing there way soon, I am just waiting for it.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Dude, why do you have such a vendetta against HD DVD? One post after another dissing it in one way or another.


What did it ever do to you?

Its a war, we choose sides. I have no love for HDDVD or Universal for supporting them

If you guys wanna buy a future brick because its cheaper, go right ahead.

 

[dfergie]

This is worse than Direct vs Dish sheesh... I guess from the thread title it's OK... someone start a Blu-ray should just crawl up in a hole and die thread

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Its a war, we choose sides. I have no love for HDDVD or Universal for supporting them

If you guys wanna buy a future brick because its cheaper, go right ahead.

So you are either with us or with the terrorists, huh?

Maybe then the forum name is a bad one; because I'm more interested in seeing meaningful discussion about the merits and demerits of each format, not "I hate HD DVD" or "BR is a piece of crap."

 

[gadgtfreek]

The amazon numbers currently show the norm, BD outsells HDDVD title vs title:

BD/Rank----HDDVD/Rank
300/3----300/8
PE/33----PE/37
Blade Run Coll/57----Blade Run Coll/71
Blade Run Ult/59----Blade Run Ult/114
Shooter/223----Shooter/583
TMNT/229----TMNT/470

 

[gadgtfreek]

So you are either with us or with the terrorists, huh?

Maybe then the forum name is a bad one; because I'm more interested in seeing meaningful discussion about the merits and demerits of each format, not "I hate HD DVD" or "BR is a piece of crap."

I can be fair too. Im not going to sugar coat it and say I like HDDVD.

Ill never say anything I dont believe to be true, and if Im proven wrong Ill admit it.

 

[r.jones1116]

Its a war, we choose sides. I have no love for HDDVD or Universal for supporting them

If you guys wanna buy a future brick because its cheaper, go right ahead.

It's better than an future brick that doesn't meet specs. But if you want to buy it because it's overpriced, go right ahead.

And you claim not to be a fanboy. Your "Rah Rah" my format beat up your format is getting tiresome. You must be in the under 25 demographic.

HDDVD is a mature format that's not for the immature. So it's no wonder you have no love for HDDVD.

 

[dfergie]

Future Brickholder here and I can do alot more with my brick than you can do with your Blu at this time numbers only... we'll see when Sony does something dumb like they did with CD on Blu-ray... don't get me wrong, I will likely buy a Blu-ray player soon... I have a Ford, I used to own Chevys but I don't run the other one down... I just hate to see Pit like vengenge for no good reason against any format whether it be Dish which I have or Direct which I also have, or HD DVD which I have and Blu-ray which I want...

 

[gadgtfreek]

It's better than an future brick that doesn't meet specs. But if you want to buy it because it's overpriced, go right ahead.

And you claim not to be a fanboy. Your "Rah Rah" my format beat up your format is getting tiresome. You must be in the under 25 demographic.

HDDVD is a mature format that's not for the immature. So it's no wonder you have no love for HDDVD.

Yepp you hit the nail on the head . Dont show your age by trying to guess mine, youre the guy that keeps using the fanboy term.

Speaking of immature formats, talk to the HDA1 and 360 addon owners that continue to get combo HDDVD's that wont play on their units.

You know what, we shouldnt argue because there is nothing to argue about. BD is outselling HDDVD weekly title for title. PS3 is giving them massive hardware penetration and now theres a good chance Weinstein is going neutral which leaves HDDVD with Universal.

But hey, you guys paid less for your player(dont forget the fact that the sub $300 player doesnt do 1080p ).

Im going to get in my car and drive back to the BD forum, there's really no reason to argue about BD vs HDDVD at this point because the only replies I can get to the fact HDDVD is getting beat in sales every week is "my player is cheaper" and "my format is more mature" .

 

[gadgtfreek]

Future Brickholder here and I can do alot more with my brick than you can do with your Blu at this time numbers only... we'll see when Sony does something dumb like they did with CD on Blu-ray... don't get me wrong, I will likely buy a Blu-ray player soon... I have a Ford, I used to own Chevys but I don't run the other one down... I just hate to see Pit like vengenge for no good reason against any format whether it be Dish which I have or Direct which I also have, or HD DVD which I have and Blu-ray which I want...

I can understand that. The purpose of a BD/HDDVD player is to play movies in HD. Why pick the one with less studio support because its cheaper? Hmmm.

I promise you that you cant do more with your brick than I can with mine. The PS3 currently has most Blu and HDDVD players beat as far as what it does.