"Total HD" from Warners (re: Blu-ray/HD-DVD hybrid disc) (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Can't wait to see the spiffy purple cases for these combo-format discs.

 

[dpippel]

Right now, if you're buying the disc then you ALREADY own either a Blu-ray or HD-DVD player. There's no need to buy a software product that carries both formats. You simply purchase the format for your machine. In addition, the only studios that would possibly release titles on this technology would be those that support BOTH formats. That excludes Universal, Disney, and Fox. Add in the possible technological compromises that Total HD may require due to space considerations and it spells disaster all the way around. How this can possibly benefit the consumer OR the marketplace at this point in time? We already have two high-def disc formats. We do NOT need a third. Again, a dual-format player makes much more sense than further muddying the already confusing software waters.

 

[RobertR]

To a lot of people, "Saving the day" means giving plenty of choice and quality. It doesn't necessarily mean "give one side absolute victory". Some people hope for different things than you do.

 

[Edwin-S]

Warner is all ready telegraphing that "Total HD" is going to cost more than existing HD discs. First they help create the market confusion of a format war and now they want to profit from it by offering consumers a higher priced solution. If they had gone Blu only there would have been no format war or, in any case, it would have been a much shorter one. Now they want to offer a higher priced dual format "solution" to help quell the confusion? They can stick it. If the discs are priced similarly to those stupid DVD/HD DVD combo discs then, for my part, they can sit on the shelf and rot.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

This is such a waste!

 

[John H Ross]

I'm sure they do. And I'm sure that small minority of people is happy with their HD kit while the rest of us continue to enjoy the variety that SD-DVD offers!

Whereas if one side had "absolute victory" who knows what might happen!

I don't see where the "plenty of choice and quality" comes into the HD format war since both format provide virtually the same thing!

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Exactly. With one format offering 20 gigs more and 1.5x more bandwidth.

Any image/sound quality differences between the formats (including price) are based on STUDIO and HARDWARE issues. Wanting better quality isn't about having a choice between HD DVD or BD... it's about the HT community letting the studios and manufacturers know what kind of quality we expect and what kind of prices we're willing to pay.

 

[Cees Alons]

Hmm. But you might consider buying the other format in the future (for whatever reason), when your player wears out.
And this might assure you that you don't have to choose the same format player anew just to keep your collection playable.

I also think that HD DVD and BD can offer exactly the same quality for the consumer for most of the releases. The difference is much more interesting to the studios (BD+ !!), and thus we're forced now to consider the one or the other, because different movies are released on either format (as well as different audio systems - which is only a choice made by the studio too).

I would welcome a universal player, and I could welcome a TotalHD disc. But we certainly need to know more about the associated conditions!


Cees

 

[Cees Alons]

Ha, David. Do great minds think basically alike after all - and at the same time?


Cees

 

[Patrick Sun]

The purple appears to be a hedge on the eventual winnah of the HD format war.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Agreed. That same thought crossed my mind. No player lasts for ever, and think of all of us with dying laserdisc or Beta machines. If those same media could have played on our future gear (like beta tapes playing on VHS decks, for instance) all tha sofware could have lived on.

When we're talking HD, assuming that mastering practices were optimal and that the bonus material supplied is all that you need, you might NEVER have to rebuy a copy of that movie in order to upgrade what we've been upgrading for the last 20 years... picture and sound.

If your disc you bought today would play on hardware from either format... then whichever format wins your investment in software won't have been a waste. The HD discs of the "dead" format in 2-years time (assuming one dies and they don't live side by side or merge with universal players) will not fetch a good return on ebay since hardware to support playback will dwindle away.

 

[dpippel]

Realistically, by the time even the G1 machines "wear out" either the format war will be over, player prices will be at commodity item levels, or dual format players will make the problem moot. Besides Cees, the only studios that would be releasing product on Total HD media are those that ALREADY SUPPORT *BOTH* BLU-RAY AND HD-DVD. There is no market need for this technology.

I'll say it again - I see absolutely zero benefit, and the potential for great harm, if Total HD ever sees the light of day.

 

[RobertR]

I'm all for things that make problems moot.

 

[Cees Alons]

Doug,

As you probably know, I'm a big advocate of the universal machine, and in fact said so in my post. I agree with you about the advantages of that.

But when you say "the only studios that would be releasing product on Total HD media are those that ALREADY SUPPORT *BOTH* BLU-RAY AND HD-DVD.", then I don't think that the studios who will NOT use the TotalHD medium can be used as an argument against it. If someone sees an advantage, of course (s)he means: an advantage if the medium exists and is used.


Cees

 

[Manus]

I do not like Bluray or its Drm. I do not want to be forced to support it surrepticiously. Much as I am a big fan of Warners I hope this doesn't happen.

One properly designed and unified format was definitely preferable and might have succeeded but ,no, the 'Industry' decided we must choose and I have.

If Bluray prospers I always could join in with a universal player should I choose to but in the meantime I dont want another 'stealth tax' of so much as a dime going to Sony or any of its Blu cohorts from my HD spending.

Bad idea

IMO

~M~

 

[ScottHM]

You're missing the point that many people (like myself) won't purchase any hi-def player until some sort of combo disc or combo drive is readily available. Such combo discs will do nothing but help convince some consumers who are sitting on the fence to take the plunge into hi-def. They're not designed to appeal to those who've already jumped into hi-def, but to those who haven't.

---------------

 

[Cees Alons]

Good point. Sometimes we tend to forget about that. We shouldn't.


Cees

 

[dpippel]

I understand what you're saying just fine thank you. You're missing (or ignoring) MY point however, which is that a single disc with a Blu-ray layer and a HD-DVD layer is *not* the way to go. Go back several messages and read my posts again. I made my opinion quite clear. The only logical way to address the competing format issue is with a player that'll do both. Warner's Total HD idea is poorly thought out and won't solve a thing. It will only confuse the marketplace even more than it already is.

 

[dpippel]

I'll have to disagree with you strongly there Cees. I've already explained why I feel that way, so I won't retread anything.

 

[Shawn Perron]

I see the "Total HD" discs being a good thing for Warner and Paramount. They are already releasing in both formats, so they can streamline thier releases by only having 1 sku for each title.

However, unless either Universal or all the Blu-Ray studios start using it, it's not going to help stop this format war one way or the other. In order for the "format war" to end, all studios have to publish in a format that will play on all players. In this sense, the dual format players make far more sense then dual format discs.