Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD

[tigersty1e]

So what format do you think will come out victorious?

And when do you think it'll cost ~$200 for a player that you attach on your computer.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Noone is gonna "win" . Sony has a few companies in thier pocket who will only release on Blu-Ray, the others that have freedom of choice will prob use HD-DVD as it's cheaper and easier to work with.

In the end it depends on what movies interest you, certain movies will only be on Blu-Ray due to companies siding with Sony and some only on HD-DVD with some that have freeom of choice going on both.

There will be no winner and they will both be arround for a very long time, in the time beeing just get the X360 HD-DVD usb DVD drive and make use of your PC to save a couple $ as it costs about $200 or less atm BNIB, you may even be able to scrounge one up on the FT forum for as low as $175 shipped.

 

[MobileLoser]

Combo drives will win. HD-DVD is still lagging but has a strong enough base to not die out

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Combo drives will also not happen . . . ever. Sony won't allow it . . . ever. Otherwise there'd b 3rd party UMD players by now

 

[newb54]

Originally posted by: Dazed and Confused
Combo drives will also not happen . . . ever. Sony won't allow it . . . ever. Otherwise there'd b 3rd party UMD players by now

Yeah except that they are already out....

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Can anyone provide a link to these Blu-Ray / HD-DVD drives ? I wasn't aware they existed

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: tigersty1e
So what format do you think will come out victorious?

And when do you think it'll cost ~$200 for a player that you attach on your computer.

There already is one. Xbox360 HD-DVD player. Welcome to 2006.

 

[SKoprowski]

You can now buy a 1080i Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player for $242.00 plus you get 5 free HD-DVDs. Blu-ray can't even touch that right now. Forget the computer add-on- just get a stand alone player.

 

[tigersty1e]

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: tigersty1e
So what format do you think will come out victorious?

And when do you think it'll cost ~$200 for a player that you attach on your computer.

There already is one. Xbox360 HD-DVD player. Welcome to 2006.

That was a typo. I meant to type ~$100.

 

[1Dark1Sharigan1]

At this point, Blu-Ray as lease seems to be more well known in the media, mainly because Sony not only makes the format but also makes movies also.

And despite the problems with the PS3, it is succeeding in promoting Blu-Ray, far more so than the HD-DVD player for the Xbox 360 (since it is optional and probably won't be bought by most 360 owners)

I felt HD-DVD was the better format, but in either case, it doesn't really matter as at this point, none one really cares about HD formats. The difference between a DVD playing a movie at 480p and 1080i/1080p isn't nearly as noticeable as going from 640x480 to 1920x1080 when say, playing a game

 

[hans030390]

On paper, Blu-Ray looks like it would win. It has the most space, most support (last time I checked), etc. Still, HD-DVD beats it with lower prices.

According to sales, Blu-Ray is currently winning by a good bit. Whether or not HD-DVD will "die", I doubt it.

If either "had" to win (as in the other died), I'd put my bets on Blu-Ray. I don't see that happening, or at least any time soon.

 

[uberloungedotcom]

HD-DVD.... going to have and have the cheapest drives... sony sucks! I hope they get crushed so they have two low kicks to the junk (PS3 and next blue-ray)

 

[CaiNaM]

HD-DVD will win. why? for the same reason VHS won way back when: the cost of the players, and maybe even more importantly, pornography. there's no way around the fact that sex sells, and (unless something changes) it won't be selling on blu-ray.

as with the betamax, sony turned their nose up to the adult film industry, which is being forced to adopt hd-dvd, regardless of their preference for the different technologies. as hd-dvd players continue to drop and hold a cost advantage, and porn starts turning up on hd-dvd, it will gain marketshare - to the point that blue-ray becomes insignificant and eventually goes the way of the betamax.

 

[manowar821]

Whoever wins, we loose.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: manowar821
Whoever wins, we loose.

Speak for yourself.

For me the answer is, who cares? By the time it all gets sorted out we will probably have something better anyway. Holographic media anyone?... http://www.edn.com/article/CA6440946.html

KT

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent

Originally posted by: manowar821
Whoever wins, we loose.

Speak for yourself.

For me the answer is, who cares? By the time it all gets sorted out we will probably have something better anyway. Holographic media anyone?... http://www.edn.com/article/CA6440946.html

KT

Apparently you can fit a 1080p movie on a DVD. Also, they have triple-layer DVDs now, too.

 

[Arkaign]

Retailers won't indefinitely hold shelf space for 3 formats. Whomever wins the Wal-Mart/Best Buy war wins the game. My $ would be on Blu-Ray, based upon consistent sales leads.

This Xmas should be the final chapter, the loser may still have movie releases for years, but the winner will be clear : who has the dominant shelf space at the big box retailers, and that is determined purely on WHAT SELLS.

 

[Slugbait]

I don't really trust the numbers these sales tracking companies are reporting.

The format that will "win" will depend on which market you're in, or what industry you're in. For example, in Japan the BetaMax flourished while VHS barely made a dent. If you go to almost any newsroom in the US, or places like the filmroom at the Seahawks Kirkland facility, you'll have a hard time finding a VHS machine...they're all using BetaMax.

Yes, it comes down to price and content. I remember back when you couldn't buy a DVD disc for less than $20, with most prices hovering around $25-30....and that's where we are right now with HD discs. A player couldn't be bought for less than $300, and then seven months ago I bought a very nice JVC unit for less than $40 shipped. If the discs start coming down in price, as well as the hardware, you'll have a dominant format. But it may not be the "winning" format, both may continue to exist..

Dropping the hardware price has been far more difficult for Blu-Ray than it has been for HD-DVD.

Two months ago some idiot said, "Within three years it will just be Blu-ray". He was actually speaking on behalf of the Blu-ray Association, and he wasn't just talking about HD-DVD...he was also talking about DVD.

Well, as we all know, DVD has had more than THREE TIMES that amount of time to wipe out tape. It didn't happen. You can still buy the players, the movies and the blanks.

Oh yeah...the idiot also said Blu-ray's dominance would be achieved with a game console. And I think we all know now just how pleased Sony is with PS3 sales...there are now rampant rumors that they will either cut prices, or cut production.

Neither format will displace DVD for some time to come.

 

[oronis]

Originally posted by: CaiNaM
HD-DVD will win. why? for the same reason VHS won way back when: the cost of the players, and maybe even more importantly, pornography. there's no way around the fact that sex sells, and (unless something changes) it won't be selling on blu-ray.

as with the betamax, sony turned their nose up to the adult film industry, which is being forced to adopt hd-dvd, regardless of their preference for the different technologies. as hd-dvd players continue to drop and hold a cost advantage, and porn starts turning up on hd-dvd, it will gain marketshare - to the point that blue-ray becomes insignificant and eventually goes the way of the betamax.

This....is the truth. Read it kiddies. HD-DVD will win regardless of anything else. HD Porn will sell faster than anything as soon as the players start selling for reasonable prices.

 

[Slugbait]

Originally posted by: oronis
... as soon as the players start selling for reasonable prices.

At $300, HD-DVD is already at a reasonable price. It's dropping much faster than prices for DVD players did. And this is being achieved WITHOUT a plethora of different models available from different manufacturers.

Another point: sales for HD players probably won't go ballistic until the broadcasting switch in February 2009. Until that time, a large percentage of people will still be watching 480 televisions. Once they upgrade their TV, then they will upgrade their source.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: oronis

Originally posted by: CaiNaM
HD-DVD will win. why? for the same reason VHS won way back when: the cost of the players, and maybe even more importantly, pornography. there's no way around the fact that sex sells, and (unless something changes) it won't be selling on blu-ray.

as with the betamax, sony turned their nose up to the adult film industry, which is being forced to adopt hd-dvd, regardless of their preference for the different technologies. as hd-dvd players continue to drop and hold a cost advantage, and porn starts turning up on hd-dvd, it will gain marketshare - to the point that blue-ray becomes insignificant and eventually goes the way of the betamax.

This....is the truth. Read it kiddies. HD-DVD will win regardless of anything else. HD Porn will sell faster than anything as soon as the players start selling for reasonable prices.

This is a completely different era than during the Beta/VHS days and porn does not have as much sway. You can get whatever porn you want (HD or otherwise) online anyway.

Blue-ray will be driven by PS3 (see Europe) and has a better chance to take hold this time. Beta did not have an entertainment system helping to drive it.

As I stated above though, I could care less either way. I certainly do not need to see anyone's naughty bits in HD, that's what real life is for.

KT

 

[MoobyTheGoldenCalf]

I'm gonna buy a HD-XA2 when the price drops on June 10, so HD-DVD had better win.

 

[fern420]

Originally posted by: SKoprowski
You can now buy a 1080i Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player for $242.00 plus you get 5 free HD-DVDs. Blu-ray can't even touch that right now. Forget the computer add-on- just get a stand alone player.

do you happen to have a link to the deal that includes the 5 free movies? ive seen that player as low as $209 but i never saw the deal that includes movies.

 

[gobucks]

I'm guessing HD-DVD will win for 3 reasons:
1) Price - it looks like HD-DVD is really pulling ahead on pricing, and this looks to continue - i read somewhere that Walmart just agreed to buy a crapload of HD-DVD players from either Toshiba or LG for under $150, and given Walmart's low profit margins, I'd think they would retail for $160-170. Blu-ray, on the other hand, still has trouble releasing a player that costs less than the PS3, and the PS3 isn't selling that well even though it is basically giving blu-ray fans a top of the line game console for free!

2) Production - HD-DVD media and players are very similar to regular DVDs, so it should be simpler for existing producers of DVD media to convert over to mass production of HD-DVD media, which should bring down the cost of media rather quickly. This is especially important for those of us looking forward to HD-DVD burners. Blu-ray is expensive because it is complicated, but the complicated nature doesn't really give it any advantages - since a full 1080p movie fits on an HD-DVD just fine, the capacity advantage is usually wasted.

3) Availability of rental titles - as far as I know, blockbuster and netflix both offer HD-DVD titles through their subscription service, but not Blu-Ray. This is really important to people like me. I have a pretty extensive DVD collection, but I'm sure as hell not going to re-buy all my favorite movies in a new format, especially if I don't know if the format will still be around in a few years. As long as there is a format war going on, rental/subscription availability is going to be key to a format's success, especially when the cost of the players gets within mass market range (~$100).

 

[doggyfromplanetwoof]

When every one is buying $30 HDDVD/BDVD discs, ill be searching the old DVD bins for 5 dolla' each. Take em home to my 42 plasma and upscale them to 1080p.

Whoever wins, I win more lol.