Blu-ray vs HD DVD: game over
Summary: Blu-ray wonThe sturm und drang over the Blu-ray vs HD DVD battle has come to naught. After a bit of jostling Blu-ray has taken an unassailable lead over HD DVD.
Blu-ray won The sturm und drang over the Blu-ray vs HD DVD battle has come to naught. After a bit of jostling Blu-ray has taken an unassailable lead over HD DVD. Blockbuster's Matthew Smith, SVP of merchandising, says "The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing." This is what he's seen:
Blockbuster has been renting both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles in 250 stores since late last year and found that consumers were choosing Blu-ray titles more than 70 percent of the time.
Ghost of Betamax laid to rest Sony has played this game well. They own a movie studio, and got all but one of the major studios to release on Blu-ray. They put a Blu-ray player in every PS3. And they benefit by the rapid growth of HDTV sales.
Despite the disappointing sales of the PS3, the fact that it includes a Blu-ray player also tilted the playing field. A leading indicator: Toshiba recently reduced its US sales goal for HD DVD players by 40%. The rapid uptake of HDTV in the US completes the content-player-display triumvirate.
It is safe to buy that Blu-ray disk player now The biggest loser in this is Toshiba. They've put a lot of time and money behind HD DVD. Microsoft is also a loser, partly as a supporter and partly because their add-on Xbox HD DVD player sales will tank. The folks who bought one can't be feeling too good about Microsoft's judgement.
Intel, another backer, loses too, but they seem to have had the least skin in the game. They probably just went along because of Microsoft.
The Storage Bits take It is all over but the shouting. Expect to see some closeout sales on HD DVD players and burners, but I wouldn't buy one. Now that the market has shifted you can expect to see Blu-ray burner prices drop faster. I expect that Apple will be adding on on their next gen Mac Pro, and after that, the MacBook Pro.
In time this may also boost Firewire, which is substantially faster than USB. In fact, USB 2.0 probably can't handle 18x DVD writers at full speed, and 20x DVD writers are starting to make it to market. Once Blu-ray writers get up to 6x speed, Firewire will be the way to go.
The biggest winners though, are us, the consumers. 50 GB optical storage is good for all digital junkies. Now that we don't have to worry about the format war, we can get back to rip, mix, burn!
Comments welcome, as always. I'm heading up to the Google scalability conference in Seattle today - and avoiding some 100+ degree weather here in Arizona - so my response times may be more distended than usual.
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Talkback
Did anyone except a different outcome?
Too early to tell
That's too long
Does it matter?
Kind of early to tell who wins.... but I also don't give a crap.
My personal preference is ignore all of it and just keep playing my standard DVD's for a long time to come. Don't really care what happens to HD or Blu-ray.
Just Link Bait
The truth is that these disks will be a niche product for years.
If Blu-ray disks became standard then the consumer would be the big loser due to the additional DRM. Even today they announced yet another protection layer.
Yeah!
I have seen quite a few posts here from joe workin' guy that standard def is good enough...It perhaps is, but I can remember when DVD's first came out and I told friends about the fact it will put VHS tapes into oblivion...The clarity of the picture, durability(if not abused) and 5.1 surround audio. HD viewing is another step up in picture quality...What I have found out though is resolution and quality of picture can be VERY subjective, depending on who is viewing the movie...Besides if the HDTV is less than 40 inches, there won't be much difference anyway..To really benefit, you have to have a big screen.
But c'mon, Sony, the maker of the Betamax, which technically was better, but lost to VHS?? Sony, the rootkit dropper on CD's? Sony, the better "do it our way or the highway" company? Sony, the maker of the Mini-Disc? Sony, the company that will put massive amounts of DRM on their Blu-Ray discs because they think I'm a pirate? No thanks, I will stick with HD-DVD, thank you, as I said, it's the lesser of two evils...
Couldn't agree more.
I'll stick with HD-DVD thankyou, and if it ends up that I'm the last one on the block to switch, well...... I'll just sit and watch my old DVD's by myself.
be objective, playing favorites backs loosers
In the end it really doesn't matter
What I'm waiting for is something that doesn't scratch, takes up less room on shelf and has the HD quality. It's comming and soon so both these formats are DOA.
Horse Pucky!
DVD didn't instantly start outselling VHS
Plus, people do pay extra for better quality. How much do you pay for your Digital cable box every month? Add $20 to that at least every month for HDTV. Or with DirecTV the digital box is $99 and the HDTV is $199. People definitely pay more for higher quality.
Plus HDTVs
Digital HD less on Comcast
DVD-HD or Blueray. Fuggetaboutit. After switching from Laserdisc and VHS tape to DVDs, I am not about to replace my 200-300 disc collection for blueray or DVD-HD. Who really needs all the extra features? I have never listened to an alternate audio track, took the time to see how the movie was filmed, or spent hours watching the director's notes. Perhaps good for an extreme movie buff, but all I want to do is watch a movie.
Wrong!!!!
DirecTV HD Box: $99, if you already have DirecTV ($100 rebate), And FREE if you sign up for DirecTV. You pay more for Cable, which has a lower Quality, and ISN'T all Digital, except for a few small players.
Most people have a price range that they'll make purchases in, and NEITHER format is even close, Considering that you can get an upconvert DVD player for $60-$70 . . .
And the "High end" Flat screens aren't exactly flying off the shelves, either. The screens that are selling are the 720p models, mostly, with the screen size hovering in the mid 40" range.
And, as someone else pointed out, if Wal-Mart gets in this game and throws their weight behind HD-DVD, don't look for Blockbuster to save Blu-Ray . . .
And Moving from VHS to DVD involved moving to a whole new Media footprint. There's no compelling reason to rush out and buy all new equipment just to play HD movies . . .
The price of the new technology...
Supply and Demand. Honestly, I think people should be skeptical... demand shouldn't be that high at all.
Besides, who is going to switch over all they're equipment to support the better definition? It's such a big jump. Yeah, prices are coming down, but everything needed adds up very quickly.
disagree
About some of the things your waiting for, Blue ray had no choice but to add a protective layer, and it makes it very hard to scratch. People have tried and failed, its sort of entertaining. As far as taking up less room on the shelf, not to mention price drops, both will come with time. Manufacturing technology dictates how much it costs to produce, thus how much of the price is going to be profits. When demand picks up that part comes naturally, and something isn't going to come out in a couple years and knock these off the shelves. Do a little research, the companies involved on both sides have been working on these things since the 90s, didn't just slap them together at the last minute."
For Burners - Blu-Ray; for Moviez; Don't care
What?
<i>Blu-Ray; for Moviez; Don't care
I much prefer 25GB per disk over 15GB for burning. For Moviez; well; you got eMule, so who cares. I want my 1920p though, paid or pir8d.</i>
Is Blockbuster really that influential anymore?