The winner of the first round is...

[Ilya]

I know, the war has only started, the main guns have not fired yet, and we have only seen the first round of what may become a very long fight. Too early to declare a winner in the Format War!

Never the less, the first round of the fight has occured, we've seen at least one player from each camp (four HD DVD players are really just minor variations of essentially one single player from Toshiba); we've seen sufficient number of titles from each side to draw the first conclusions: I think we have enough information to declare the winner of the first round.

So, based on what you've seen, heard and read, who do you think the winner of the first round is? HD DVD or Blu-Ray?
Please vote!

 

[JoeSp]

I voted HD-DVD but I think that this is very subjective as it has been discovered that the Samsung BluRay player is severly flawed. Nothing new here about Samsung and their DVD players, just wish that this was between Sony's BluRay player and Toshiba's. Since it is their formats dualling it should be their players. I hope you will do this again after Sony's BluRay player debute.

 

[CochiseGuy]

Never the less, the first round of the fight has occured, we've seen at least one player from each camp (four HD DVD players are really just minor variations of essentially one single player from Toshiba); we've seen sufficient number of titles from each side to draw the first conclusions: I think we have enough information to declare the winner of the first round.

Well, he did say 'Round 1', and currently at 85% for HD DVD, I think we can say HD DVD has a clear lead. But, yes, we should have several more polls as the "rounds" in this fight are played out. I would expect:

Round 2 - when Sony & Panasonic come out with their players
Round 3 - when the PS3 & Xbox 360 come out with their add-on drives
Round 4 - when BD titles comes out in something other than mpeg2
Round 5 - when & IF BD 50GB DL discs make an appearance
Round 6- when & IF a studio switches from their BD or HD DVD only position

But, if I were a betting man, I'd bet by Round 6 we're still at around 85% support for HD DVD. Wait! I AM a betting man! I've been accumulating short option Calls on Sony stock after it went up 5% last week on good earnings. I think their $700 game console is going to be the flop of the holidays season. :

 

[Brewer4]

I think their $700 game console is going to be the flop of the holidays season. :

IF it makes it to market before the Holidays.

 

[teamerickson]

I AM a betting man! I've been accumulating short option Calls on Sony stock after it went up 5% last week on good earnings.

Naked?

 

[navychop]

"...just dont expect a DVR to record MPEG4...."
Mine does.

"...when the PS3 & Xbox 360 come out with their add-on drives..."
The BD isn't an add on for the PS3, it's built in.

"...IF it makes it to market before the Holidays...."
If it doesn't, Sony might as well fold up shop as a major consumer electronics company.

Sony has 3, maybe 4 months to get a dual layer BD on the streets or at least announced with near term shipping, or move to a better codec. If they fail at that, the Blu-ray reputation will be mud. But judging from Toshiba's peace offering, I gather they expect BD to come on strong by year's end. Granted, it's the 2008 sales that will count the most, but those will depend greatly upon the reputations earned by the start of 2007. Anyone behind the 8 ball at that point will have a hard time recovering during 2007.

 

[vurbano]

"...just dont expect a DVR to record MPEG4...."
Mine does.

"...when the PS3 & Xbox 360 come out with their add-on drives..."
The BD isn't an add on for the PS3, it's built in.

"...IF it makes it to market before the Holidays...."
If it doesn't, Sony might as well fold up shop as a major consumer electronics company.

Sony has 3, maybe 4 months to get a dual layer BD on the streets or at least announced with near term shipping, or move to a better codec. If they fail at that, the Blu-ray reputation will be mud. But judging from Toshiba's peace offering, I gather they expect BD to come on strong by year's end. Granted, it's the 2008 sales that will count the most, but those will depend greatly upon the reputations earned by the start of 2007. Anyone behind the 8 ball at that point will have a hard time recovering during 2007.

I agree with you. IF Sony or some other company doesnt have 50 GB movies and a player that will surpass HD DVD PQ by Xmas then I think its over. I dont think that for 2 to 3 times the price of an HD-A1 that its good enough just to match the PQ.

 

[colebert]

speaking of reputations that are mud... :devil:

 

[vurbano]

speaking of reputations that are mud... :devil:

elaborate please?

 

[navychop]

Mister Colebert! :haha :clap