I'm the Idiot Who Bought an HD-DVD Player

[yaz96]

A casualty of the format war tells all.

I'm the idiot who bought an HD-DVD player. - By Josh Levin - Slate Magazine

I love this quote-

"In the end, the fight between Sony and Toshiba played out like some kind of bizarro sports movie: The bad guy won at the end by clocking the lovable underdog in the crotch with a baseball bat."

 

[meStevo]

Ya, the format war is like watching The Fallen.

OK movie that ends the way you do not expect it, without getting too spoilerish.

 

[teamerickson]

Ya, the format war is like watching The Fallen.

OK movie that ends the way you do not expect it, without getting too spoilerish.

Is that available on HD DVD?

 

[ray78]

Hits the nail on the head.

 

[VinceT3]

ROFL.. oh my god that was funny..

 

[teamerickson]

If there's any consolation for us HD-DVD-buying losers, it's that disc-shaped physical media won't be around much longer. Once high-definition digital downloads, like those available through Apple TV, hit the mainstream, Blu-ray will be as dead as HD-DVD. Take that, Sony! In the meantime, I'll console myself by watching hour upon hour of Planet Earth. And no, I'm not going to buy a Blu-ray player. Those things are too damn expensive.

 

[beast37799]

yea well i dont like the idea of downloading the movie only to not be able to transfer the movie from place to place or watch it 5 years down the road .sorry but downloads are inferier to media disc

 

[jayn_j]

yea well i dont like the idea of downloading the movie only to not be able to transfer the movie from place to place or watch it 5 years down the road .sorry but downloads are inferier to media disc

Not to mention, changing history/content. I know of several titles I have on Laserdisc that have changed content for the DVD release. Buying the DVD kind of futureproofs against that. I always want the director's vision, and save the extended stuff additions and deletions for the supps. Lots of things can change content, like music rights being lost (WKRP), an actor becoming powerful enough to cut out something embarrassing from early in his/her career (Strisand did do topless in her early films), or locations changing (twin towers removed from skylines after 9/11)

Connie Willis wrote a SciFi novel on the subject called Remake. Everything was download content, and among other things, the protagonist was a film editor being assigned to remove all traces of smoking and drinking from classic films.

 

[charper1]

yea well i dont like the idea of downloading the movie only to not be able to transfer the movie from place to place or watch it 5 years down the road .sorry but downloads are inferier to media disc

Agreed; and the vast majority of users will NEVER D/L movies, let alone near perfect HD movies. People that state D/L will overtake, simply just don't know the realities nor the politics involved. At best 25% of end users having a viable consistent D/L option is 10 years away, the ISPs and studios will likely fight it all the way, AND another medium will have likely emerged.

 

[vurbano]

Give it a few more years and many of us may be able to say we bought 2 loser HDM formats.

 

[Dveldh]

Agreed; and the vast majority of users will NEVER D/L movies, let alone near perfect HD movies. People that state D/L will overtake, simply just don't know the realities nor the politics involved. At best 25% of end users having a viable consistent D/L option is 10 years away, the ISPs and studios will likely fight it all the way, AND another medium will have likely emerged.

And that's what was said about music downloads about 10 years ago. Now CD sales have plummeted and iTunes, Amazon, Wal-Mart et al are doing a booming business in downloadable MP3s. To deny the technology is here today is to deny the future, and to say it'll never happen is like those who said airplanes would never fly. I'll place my bets on VOD to HDD rather than a piece of plastic in a box.

 

[jayn_j]

And that's what was said about music downloads about 10 years ago. Now CD sales have plummeted and iTunes, Amazon, Wal-Mart et al are doing a booming business in downloadable MP3s. To deny the technology is here today is to deny the future, and to say it'll never happen is like those who said airplanes would never fly. I'll place my bets on VOD to HDD rather than a piece of plastic in a box.

I think the whole music download scenario is more complicated than you present it, and may not be parallel.

First, Pandora's box was opened by a free Napster encouraging ripping small files from unprotected CDs.

Second, the music industry was trying to make the $25 CD the norm at the time. Most people just want a song or two, so the $.99 song download becomes attractive.

Third, consumers were changing their listening model over to IPods and computer listening from the traditional stereo. Even in cars, it is attractive to go with compressed MP3s where you get ten times the density, or simply plug in the ipod. All of this requires ripping and downloading anyway, so switching modes saves a step.

Fourth, there is a big difference in the current state of the net between downloading 10 KB of music and 4 GB of movie. The only reason it is working at all is because very few people are downloading. As it stands, Comcast and others are already choking bandwidth to people doing heavy downloads.

It isn't just video. I am heavily inviolved in web based sensor technology. The government is looking at placing 100s of millions of these things all over the country. I have written papers on how this is going to require a new paradigm and the need to filter data down at the source.

I strongly believe that this is all going to come crashing down in the next few years, and is going to require 2 orders of magnitude increase in overall net bandwidth to accomodate.

 

[Kevinw]

I don't see Dl content as the future as much as streaming. Eventually something like Rhaspody for movies will come along. Subscription based media libraries.

 

[ONUOsFan]

And that's what was said about music downloads about 10 years ago. Now CD sales have plummeted and iTunes, Amazon, Wal-Mart et al are doing a booming business in downloadable MP3s. To deny the technology is here today is to deny the future, and to say it'll never happen is like those who said airplanes would never fly. I'll place my bets on VOD to HDD rather than a piece of plastic in a box.

Funny, but I've lost three hard drives in the last two years on different computers I've owned or had for work. Know how many of my discs quit working?

And for all of you people talking about how downloads will take over and citing the music industry, consider this:

But despite some of the lackluster figures, the same NPD report said 10 percent of all music acquired in the U.S. comes from legal downloads...

Pollstar -- The Concert Hotwire

10%!! If downloaded movies are up to 10% of total movie sales in 5 years (which I doubt), the disc industry will still be alive and well.

 

[ONUOsFan]

I think the whole music download scenario is more complicated than you present it, and may not be parallel.

First, Pandora's box was opened by a free Napster encouraging ripping small files from unprotected CDs.

Second, the music industry was trying to make the $25 CD the norm at the time. Most people just want a song or two, so the $.99 song download becomes attractive.

Third, consumers were changing their listening model over to IPods and computer listening from the traditional stereo. Even in cars, it is attractive to go with compressed MP3s where you get ten times the density, or simply plug in the ipod. All of this requires ripping and downloading anyway, so switching modes saves a step.

Fourth, there is a big difference in the current state of the net between downloading 10 KB of music and 4 GB of movie. The only reason it is working at all is because very few people are downloading. As it stands, Comcast and others are already choking bandwidth to people doing heavy downloads.

It isn't just video. I am heavily inviolved in web based sensor technology. The government is looking at placing 100s of millions of these things all over the country. I have written papers on how this is going to require a new paradigm and the need to filter data down at the source.

I strongly believe that this is all going to come crashing down in the next few years, and is going to require 2 orders of magnitude increase in overall net bandwidth to accomodate.

:up:up:up Very good post.

 

[Dveldh]

I think the whole music download scenario is more complicated than you present it, and may not be parallel.

I cut the rest of the post to save the space apparently needed so desperately for downloads. But on to the matter at hand. The difficulty has been the bandwidth available. But did you know the bandwidth is available? The problem has been in curb-to-home connections. There is plenty of fiber available...it just needs that final reach. It's correct that the video revolution won't mirror the CD...it will move much faster and supplant physical media a lot sooner. And just because your HDD failed, isn't a basis for judgement. Mine have never failed, and I'm still using all of my old ones in one aspect or another. The fact of the matter is, people will use what's easier. A fast download over the Net or from the satellite, or the cable system, @ $4.99 and saved to the HDD, opposed to a disc from Wal-Mart @ 24.49--guess which one the average consumer will buy? Hint: it ain't the disc. As to your papers, I don't deal with papers. I deal with real world, real time networks and video distribution. Theory doesn't cut it with the speed of change. Get ready to start downloading...the days of your physical media are dying, and you need to start facing the facts rather than living in a fantasy world.

 

[jayn_j]

I cut the rest of the post to save the space apparently needed so desperately for downloads.

Putting a smile on the end doesn't change the flame bait aspect

But on to the matter at hand. The difficulty has been the bandwidth available. But did you know the bandwidth is available? The problem has been in curb-to-home connections. There is plenty of fiber available...it just needs that final reach.

I agree that we haven't reached the choke point...YET. Do you have a pointer or further justification for this statement, or is it just fuzzy rationalization? Also, are you discussing home based networking, or industrial. Corporations are starting to see choke points on dedicated fiber and T3.

It's correct that the video revolution won't mirror the CD...it will move much faster and supplant physical media a lot sooner. And just because your HDD failed, isn't a basis for judgement. Mine have never failed, and I'm still using all of my old ones in one aspect or another.

I never posted anything about HD failure. That was ONUOsFan. Please be a little more careful about your facts before attacking. Still, HD failure is an issue, and your not having one is just happy hapenstance. Those of us who are more than fifteen and use our own computers instead of daddy's know the pain of hardware failure.

HD failures are an issue because the studios have very restrictive DRM schemes in place and a HD failure will mean repurchasing all those precious downloads. (You wouldn't be the sort who plans on STEALING them, would you?)

The fact of the matter is, people will use what's easier. A fast download over the Net or from the satellite, or the cable system, @ $4.99 and saved to the HDD, opposed to a disc from Wal-Mart @ 24.49--guess which one the average consumer will buy? Hint: it ain't the disc.

Probably not fair to compare emerging technology prices here. I think we all agree that Blu prices need to come down to the typical $15 new DVD release price. Who has the winner then, especially when you discover that your HD download has been compressed, that you can't take it over to your buddies for your sleepover or whatever.

As to your papers, I don't deal with papers. I deal with real world, real time networks and video distribution. Theory doesn't cut it with the speed of change. Get ready to start downloading...the days of your physical media are dying, and you need to start facing the facts rather than living in a fantasy world.

Well, la de da. You don't read papers and that makes them invalid. Fortunately, the DHS, DoD, DoE, ISA and IEEE all do care and are working to mitigate the issues as they arise. I never said that we wouldn't solve these problems, but I do believe there will be a teething problem in that growth in bandwidth usage is currently outstripping capability expansion, especially when you look at government plans to start harvesting data over public networks.

Look, I'm not saying that downloads won't happen. However, I for one am not cheering on this change, and I am hoping that the public at large can see through the studio model of PPV on everything. I believe that with downloads we will get an inferior product, at an overall higher price, and with restrictions that are going to be difficult to adjust to.

 

[JAG72]

The fact of the matter is, people will use what's easier. A fast download over the Net or from the satellite, or the cable system, @ $4.99 and saved to the HDD, opposed to a disc from Wal-Mart @ 24.49--guess which one the average consumer will buy? Hint: it ain't the disc.

You have got to be living in a dream world if you think that the downloads will only cost around $5. If you look at iTunes right now a SD version of a newer released movie is $14.99. Lets see you can purchase a new release at the store for around $15 or downlaod it for $15 which one do you think people will buy? I personally would buy the disc for $15 over the downloaded media.

 

[Zookster]

Most non-technical people have enough problems with the idea of a device connected to their TV that you slip a disc into, with an option of 4 different possible cable connections between the device and the TV for video alone (forget the audio connections to the HTS). How many of these same people do you think will ever be able to master the installation, navigation, and use a much more complex (by comparison) HTPC with external storage, which functions completely independently from their standard cable/sat box, which, by the way, offers a much easier way to stream newer release movies for a small rental fee?

More than likely these same people that finally figured out how to successfully use a DVD player thanks to Geek squad installation and support will start buying/receiving as gifts a new BD player as prices come down and their old DVD players crap out. Downloading, managing, storing, sharing digital media among devices is really beyond the technical capacity of J6P (not to mention the capabilities of their current hardware/set up).

 

[diogen]

First, Pandora's box was opened by a free Napster encouraging ripping small files from unprotected CDs.

You mean Shawn Fanning was smart and RIAA stupid, right?
Don't know about the first but agree with the second. RIAA still is...

Second, the music industry was trying to make the $25 CD the norm at the time. Most people just want a song or two, so the $.99 song download becomes attractive.

I don't think so.
RIAA was trying to introduce SACD/DVD-A and sell you all the music again while artificially keeping CD prices high (weren't labels charged for price fixing?)... Didn't work.

Third, consumers were changing their listening model over to IPods and computer listening from the traditional stereo.

You mean people's behavior is the reason behind Napster's birth? I see it exactly the other way.

Fourth, there is a big difference in the current state of the net between downloading 10 KB of music and 4 GB of movie.

Where have you seen 10 KB of music?
Any song above 64kbps is a few MB.

The government is looking at placing 100s of millions of these things all over the country.

US technological leadership is fading...
Doesn't mean what they do is wrong, but I wouldn't read too much into that. Especially with this administration.

I strongly believe that this is all going to come crashing down...

You mean choke? That would be interesting to see.

I believe you make a mistake when you take the technological issues out of the political context.
During the technobubble of the late 90s so much fiber optics was laid, it is still half dark
(remember when Google was caught buying dark fiber around the country for pennies a few years back?)

I believe, by the time studios are ready to look at alternatives to BD seriously (1-2 years, IMHO), there will be more than one
fast pipe into the majority of households: fiber in urban areas, satellite in rural, wireless (WiMax, 802.11N, etc.) in most.

Just like MP3 - convenience! - trounced the high resolution audio formats, the same will happen with video, I believe.
Will the winning format have 1080p and super-duper lossless audio? I don't know. But those specs won't win by itself...
What can be streamed will win. The rest will be left to the drooling --philes of all types...

Diogen.