HD DVD: No surrender

[Chris Gerhard]

NOW - Let's get some freaking surround sound shit out there folks!

I think we could reach 100% agreement on that request here. Reuters is running with this rumor as well:

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1451010520080215

One thing Blu-ray has done is create a product name that people have heard, either through advertising or through news articles and stories on TV. SACD, DVD-A, and HD DVD all get a what is that response when mentioned. Blu-ray gets I have heard of that, what is it exactly? This format war has gotten mainstream news coverage and Blu-ray is always prominently mentioned, when was SACD or DVD-A ever mentioned in a mainstream news story?

Chris

 

[Old Quad Guy]

NOW - Let's get some freaking surround sound shit out there folks!

Man, let's hope that happens! But are the record companies hip enough to do that? Will it happen with what happened with the DVD-Audio / SACD era? Will cost of Blu-ray disc replication be a factor? $40,000 in licensing fees can't help but hurt the format and limit titles.

Also, what actually is the deal with the Blu-ray specs unfinished and will Profile 2.0 complete the product or just be a number that means still unfinished buggy product?

I don't see how Blu-ray can make it as a mass consumer item as a buggy product. Or as an expensive one. $300 dollars is too much for these units; $200 is more like it, speaking as one without much dough.

Now, if we get great surround titles with DVD-A / SACD included in these units for around $300, then most of us surround fans might buy.

Perhaps with time cost on all levels will go down. But Blu-ray better put the pedal to the metal and crank out low cost players and flood the market with high quality discs. Otherwise Blu-ray won't make it either with other technologies out there vying for a buck and a piece of the HDTV action.

A neighbor friend went down to SAM’s club to buy a regular DVD and was wondering why it cost $30 for a DVD? It was an old title. Then he saw some blue at the top, and was still confused what it was. You can’t blame him for not knowing the difference, he works most of the day and hasn’t the time or inclination to find out what the latest technology is. Most people just want to grab a regular DVD and go. They do not want to buy a new DVD player and that’s what’s hurting the whole market. Not a stupid format war nobody cares or even knows about.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

HD DVD may still not surrender but it won't be because Wal-Mart pulled HD DVD out of the tailspin.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/15/technology/wal-mart_blu-ray/index.htm?postversion=2008021511

Chris

 

[Old Quad Guy]

What more of a formal declaration from Toshiba does one need that HD-DVD is history:

"But she hinted that something's in the air. "Given the market developments in the past month," she said, "Toshiba will continue to study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, particularly in light of our recent price reductions on all HD DVD players."

It now comes down to this:

Blu-ray better put the pedal to the metal and crank out low cost players and flood the market with high quality discs. Otherwise Blu-ray won't make it either with other technologies out there vying for a buck and a piece of the HDTV action.

And regular DVD still the video format King.

 

[Manmc]

" It now comes down to this:

Blu-ray better put the pedal to the metal and crank out low cost players and flood the market with high quality discs. Otherwise Blu-ray won't make it either with other technologies out there vying for a buck and a piece of the HDTV action.

And regular DVD still the video format King."

Absolutely , and without the excuse of a competing format ' confusing' the market , BD is going to look very silly without some seriously big numbers to recoup the outlay of all those big cheques without bumping up the cost of players and discs .

~M~

 

[DaneelOlivaw]

They are talking about the special features that can be accessed from the menu with the new Blu-ray Discs and new players. Blu-ray profile 1.0 players can not access the Bonus View features and will not be able to access the interactive web based features that are coming soon and may even be available on some recent releases already. Profile 1.1 players handle the Bonus View (PIP primarily) and Profile 2.0 players will handle Bonus View plus internet interactive features plus everything else accessible from the menus.

I know both sides have touted these interactive features, but I am waiting for evidence it will have any significant market. The fact HD DVD with HDi could do it and Blu-ray with Java couldn't yet and despite that Blu-ray outsells HD DVD by a huge margin everywhere seems to indicate to me that the market isn't excited about it, at least not yet. I know I am not excited about it and haven't used any of it with my HD DVD player or PS3. If I can remember, I will take a look at some of it soon, just so I can discuss it.

Chris

Thanks Chris. It really does seem as if the Sony/Panasonic/etc consortium was in a huge rush to get the Blu-Ray format out there. As far as the menu issue, personally I just want the player to play movies - I already have a computer for the internet and bonus features on regular dvds right now are usually just fluff items so I almost never look at them.

 

[bmoura]

Reuters is really tracking this one. In their second HD-DVD story of the weekend on Saturday, they quote a Toshiba source that the end is near:

>> A source at Toshiba confirmed an earlier report by public broadcaster NHK that it was getting ready to pull the plug.

"We have entered the final stage of planning to make our exit from the next generation DVD business," said the source, who asked not to be identified. He added that an official announcement could come as early as next week.<<

See http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL1643184420080216?sp=true

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Thanks Chris. It really does seem as if the Sony/Panasonic/etc consortium was in a huge rush to get the Blu-Ray format out there. As far as the menu issue, personally I just want the player to play movies - I already have a computer for the internet and bonus features on regular dvds right now are usually just fluff items so I almost never look at them.

They were in a huge rush since HD DVD had hit the market. The Blu-ray group couldn't wait until the time was optimal, Blu-ray specification wise, since HD DVD all alone would have seized the market and did the only thing they could do, launch the format before they were ready. They did and it worked, Blu-ray prevailed in the format war. Toshiba of course understood that was their best shot, a preemptive strike. The first Sony and Panasonic standalone players are really good anyway, although unable to access the subsequent profile features and can't handle DTS-HD MA. DTS-HD MA wasn't ready early enough and the early HD DVD players can't do that either.

After picking up the Sony BDP-S1 on clearance, I am going to have it be my main player in my main system, picture quality is excellent and I will just use the PS3 if I want the Bonus View or BD-Live stuff or need DTS-HD MA. My opinion now is that DTS-HD MA is all it misses I care about. It was actually made by Pioneer and I believe essentially the same as the first Pioneer player. It isn't like early Blu-ray players are worthless, especially if all of them can continue to do everything with each Blu-ray release the players were capable of from the start. It is unfortunate that the early Blu-ray players can't access the new special features, but this is hardly the first format with early players that can't do all that later players could.

Chris