Death of Blu-Ray?

[Chiburb]

I don't have it and won't get it because my sole MC experience is limited to my car. But this sounds ominous for those that enjoy the format:

Snip:
Unless drastic action is taken before this Christmas season, Blu-ray will join all the other failed consumer media formats like SACD, Laser Disk, DVD-Audio and the PSP’s UMD. Most new formats fail - Blu-ray’s claim to fame is that it will be, without a doubt, the costliest such failure in history.

What can the BDA and the vendors do to turn it around? How about:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=509

 

[Q-Eight]

Haha, I saw this coming a long time ago.

What does Blu-Ray offer that DVD doesn't? Not a whole lot. Sure, ok the quality is better due to less compression (mpeg format, bah!) but to my eyes (I have BETTER than 20/20) I can't see any real difference.

Blu Ray didn't offer anything to me in the way of multichannel either. And why would I spend $xxx.xx on a Blu-Ray player to buy the same movies I already have?

I'm fairly certain there are a lot of folks out there with the same thought processes.

Now, had Blu-Ray come out and had offered 50 or so multichannel music albums that interested me, that MIGHT have picqued my interest.

Which brings me to another point.

The Record companies claim there is no market for multi-channel music.

I say, point them to Demonoid. Hold back your "I told you so's" as long as possible!

 

[westgate]

i use blu ray with a hi def projector and 84" screen and there is a big difference once you get into the bigger screens.
i also have a very good regular dvd player so they look great also. not as good as the blu rays but still very good.

but due to downloading, etc, i agree blu rays days might be #ed.

last summer, i got a refurbished blu ray player for around $200, pretty cheap for back then, and i rent blu ray movies/concerts from netflix for about $1.50 each.
nowadayz, i've seen bd players advertised as low as ~$100. on sale, iirc.

pretty cheap entertainment, imo.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

There is a greater experience in terms of Sound and picture. But the economy is really hurting the average person right now and Blu-Ray is the last thing on people's minds right now. I also doubt people are interested in re-buying their whole DVD collection again after just a few years of owning the DVD version. There needs to be more HDTV's in people's home's, many people still have old set's. When DVD's first came out - not that long ago - you didn't need to buy a new set to get a better picture. On the other hand, if you want a new set, you can only buy HDTV's now. But HDTV programing like Comcast's "On Demand" allow you to either buy or get HDTV programing for free. And Comcast, Directv, Dish Network and even AT&T U-verse have not even begun to ramp up the possibilities for HDTV directly into your home without having to buy discs. The HDTV recorder boxes offer HDMI output now. In Blu-Ray's favor though, there isn't enough HDTV programming on any Cable / Satellite service. Shockingly, hardly that much now IMHO. Turner Classic Movies still does not broadcast anywhere in HDTV yet.

I would rather buy discs, so I actually own something real. I'd like Blu-Ray to make it as long as prices come down from discs in the store to disc authoring and manufacture. Blu-Ray player prices need to come way, way down drastically by this Christmas. Well below $200 to compete with getting a new regular DVD player or forget it, Blu-Ray won't make it.

 

[westgate]

i've bought maybe ~20 or so blu ray movies, never paying more than ~$15 for a few and ~$7 to $10 for the rest, and one david gilmour concert on blu ray that i paid ~$21, iirc.

the ones i have bought i consider to be 'must haves' and i don't feel that way about very many movies. some concerts, yes.
that's why i rent the vast majority of 'blu-movies' (pun intended or not) cuz they're not good enough, imo, to be considered 'must haves'.

 

[JonUrban]

They could "fix" Blu-Ray in 10 seconds - just sell the discs for the same price as DVDs. Problem solved.

 

[westgate]

They could "fix" Blu-Ray in 10 seconds - just sell the discs for the same price as DVDs. Problem solved.

it would help but there's still the issue of-

they all got issues! (the players, i mean). even the new oppo is running into the occasional blu ray movie that gives it trouble. not very many, but a few.
(i'm omitting referring to its other features).

ps3 seems to still be the least troublesome. as far as just playing bds goes.
i'm getting my oppo bd info from the main owners thread at AVS, in case anyone cares.

 

[JonUrban]

.........Unless drastic action is taken before this Christmas season, Blu-ray will join all the other failed consumer media formats like SACD, Laser Disk, DVD-Audio and the PSP’s UMD......

(NOTE: You could also add DCC and MD and a few others as well!)

====================================================================

Here's the thing about Blu-Ray that wasn't the same for: "SACD, Laser Disk, DVD-Audio and the PSP’s UMD".

1) Blu-Ray discs are sold EVERYWHERE now. Warehouses, Department Stores, Electronic Stores, even my local Stop & Shop grocery store has them in with the DVDs. That never was the case with "SACD, Laser Disk, DVD-Audio and the PSP’s UMD".

2) Every new film of significance being released is available on Blu-Ray. Again, that was not the case with "SACD, DVD-Audio and the PSP’s UMD". (Wouldn't that have been nice! )

3) Ask Joe Blow on the street if he's heard of Blu-Ray. Even if he doesn't want it, he'll say yes. Not the case with "SACD, Laser Disk, DVD-Audio and the PSP’s UMD".

It's different than the other formats. I think my "Point 2" is the most important point. One of the biggest problems with SACD/DVD-A, for example, was one we demo'd the format to a friend, the next questions were "Where can I get it" and "What can I get on it".

In order for a "New and improved" format to have a chance, there has to be stuff out there that people want. SACD and DVD-A did not do that, 95% of new CD releases coming out from 2000-2005 never had a chance to be created in SACD or DVD-A, even in stereo.

Blu-Ray is different. But, alas, only time will tell. Heck, we still use our quad stuff, don't we?

 

[westgate]

it would help but there's still the issue of-

they all got issues! (the players, i mean). even the new oppo is running into the occasional blu ray movie that gives it trouble. not very many, but a few.
(i'm omitting referring to its other features).

ps3 seems to still be the least troublesome. as far as just playing bds goes.
i'm getting my oppo bd info from the main owners thread at AVS, in case anyone cares.

i should have added that as long as the studios keep requiring that the bd disc encoder guys keep a putting in constantly changing copy protection key codes (or whatever they're called) embedded in the discs data stream that most likely the unstable blu-ray player/blu-ray disc compatibility issues will always remain.

that doesn't encourage me and it doesn't bode well for blu-rays longevity.

edit-don't get me wrong, i'm enjoying them for what they are for as long as they are.

 

[BananaSlug]

I read a similar article with the same numbers a week or so ago. I think considering the economy and the quality of DVD that this is not surprising. I have a 720p 32" hdtv, I seriously doubt that I'd notice the difference at the 12' I sit from the set. I have no doubt that people with bigger and better tvs notice the difference. It would be interesting to know what the median size tv is today. It could be that the people with the large hdtvs already have blu-ray and that is where market penetration is going to end.

 

[EMB]

They could "fix" Blu-Ray in 10 seconds - just sell the discs for the same price as DVDs. Problem solved.

That would be a good start...and do some serious discounting on catalog titles, too. If you can get some movies for $5 at WallyWorld, then some Blu-Ray stuff should be available for $10. Formats are hurt for a variety of reasons (including the economic situation), but nothing hurts more than charging absurd premiums for mainstream product. Criterion can get away with boutique stuff and price tags to match, but most titles need to be affordable and--let's face it--inexpensive regardless of format and quality.

Blu-Ray also has such great storage capacity compared to DVD's that it should sustain itself on that potential alone. I don't think it's going under any time soon, but to supplant DVD has to be the ultimate goal, and that ain't gonna be easy since the latter is as entrenched as VHS once was. It takes a lot beyond format quality to drag the average consumer away from the previous one, and a lot of folks seem perfectly happy with DVD's, so for Blu-Ray to survive, prices gotta come down.

ED

 

[daved64]

Don't own one, not planning on getting one soon, but that article is simply another blow hard blog opinion piece. Until we see hard evidence that it's dying, don't worry.

 

[BananaSlug]

All they really need to do is stop making DVDs. Start telling people that they are being phased out. Seems to me that's basically what they did with LPs.

 

[timbre4]

It's florishing at my house, looks much better, sounds much better and I try to buy smart most of the time. I can't keep up with all the titles coming out that I want. The household penetration rate is better than DVD was and $150 BD players are about to become common.

If we *can* get some multi-channel music, that's icing on the cake.

The Target stores and such selling Blu Ray at nearly full pop have squat for sales and are a waste of everybody's time. Cool in-store sales are very rare. Savvy people spend more on line (tons of catalog titles in the $11-$18 range, hits are $20-$25) and non-savvy shoppers whine about the prices never investigating the real story.

Those who got hip to HDTVs 2-3 years ago are now coming around to BD, maybe buying their first player this year.

I *survived* laserdisc, don't tell me about failed formats. The article is hogwash.

 

[timbre4]

All they really need to do is stop making DVDs. Start telling people that they are being phased out. Seems to me that's basically what they did with LPs.

LP, cassette & CD actually co-existed for a few years.

Then a funny thing happened.... people stopped buying LPs.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Yes, we will most likely have many different HDTV options including Blu-Ray. Perhaps we will watch free HDTV movies off of web pages with the internet connected to our T.V's? Blu-Ray being sold at Stop and Shop type stores should mean that the Death of Blu-Ray is greatly exaggerated! And certain movies we'll buy in a new format if it's better than the version before. Come to think of it, I replaced my VHS tapes and Laserdiscs with standard DVD's as I'm sure many of you have too. But there does need to be inexpensive Blu-Ray players for sale this Christmas. They need to price some new models at $100 bucks or so, to help sell the format. Trying to think positive here, but you never know. Still too early to tell. So until then I'll keep enjoying my fire sale HD-DVD discs.

I still want the Oppo that does DVD-Audio and SACD.

 

[Philip Spinner]

The best way to spike BD sales right now would be to release a lot of Michael Jackson titles.

 

[Dylan Berichon]

For those that say they can't tell a difference between DVD and Blu-ray, you must not have HDTVs.

I notice a world of difference on the HDTV at my parent's place. It's not even close.

I don't see a DVD like take over in the near future, but it takes time. It took 9 years for DVD to completely replace VHS. We're still early in the Blu-ray game.

 

[daved64]

For those that say they can't tell a difference between DVD and Blu-ray, you must not have HDTVs.

I notice a world of difference on the HDTV at my parent's place. It's not even close.

I don't see a DVD like take over in the near future, but it takes time. It took 9 years for DVD to completely replace VHS. We're still early in the Blu-ray game.

I saw Guy R's setup and the difference was pretty amazing. Blacks look black. Sharper detail. Sound had a veil lifted from it.

I just can't justify the upgrade right now. Going to look at a house in the country today!

 

[JonUrban]

Don't take my Blu-Ray away from me, I think it's great. I also thought HD-DVD was better, but that's over so I'm moving on.

However, I do not feel I should be forcing this format on anyone, especially in this economy. Back in the LaserDisc days, I used to by any LaserDisc that I thought I would be *slightly* interested in. These days, I get Blu-Rays at Costco or Sams, and only things I really want. I'm not doing the "replace the DVD" deal, unless it's a "special" movie to me. No more cataloging for me.