[Eric Huffstutler]

OK... I am sure this subject has been driven into the ground but do wish someone would give me a short and sweet answer to my concern.

Why in hell do we face 2 (two) types of DVD player replacements... Blu-Ray and HD ?

I mean come on... when DVD was being developed, certain consortiums wanted to come up with different standards but at least they eventually all got together to put out ONE type of player in 1997. Why couldn't the same happen with Blu-Ray and HD?

Who on earth has $2,000 to spend on two different players just to be able to play movies coming out from different studios? Get real! What happens to someone who makes $300 per week salary and wants to continue buying new releases?

Eric

[Jason_V]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Huffstutler

What happens to someone who makes $300 per week salary and wants to continue buying new releases?

Honestly, you do the same thing as those of us in a higher salary bracket...or those of who don't any interest in feeding either of these formats.

You wait. Wait until one wins out and the other goes the way of Divx. Then the prices come down. Until then, stick with standard DVD.

Trust me, you're not along in either your gripe or the sitting out.

[Eric Huffstutler]

But once certain titles make it to one format or another and "if" one does bites the dust... how long, if ever, will those previously released titles on the obsolete format take to make it to DVD? How long or how many Laser Disc and Divx titles are still missing from the DVD format 7-10 years later?

[Robin_B]

Once either one of the formats has won and begins to dominate, then the studios who bought into the losing format will jump ship. They have to, what else can they do, release DVD's on a format no one wants? Of course it's going to take time for most titles to make it to HD the same was true for SD DVD.

[Cees Alons]

Quote:

Once either one of the formats has won and begins to dominate, then the studios who bought into the losing format will jump ship.

They will, I'm sure. They hardly have to do anything: just have the same HD files be authored to the other format.


Cees

[Beast]

Welcome to the days of Beta and VHS.

[Joseph Bolus]

Actually, all we have to do is wait on a "combo" deck to be developed.

Samsung has already promised one as early as this November (although I'd be *shocked* if it really showed up then.) :
http://www.hdtvuk.tv/2006/05/samsung_plan_du.html

A "combo" deck would play DVD, Blu-ray, and HD-DVD. (Presumably, it would also provide standard DVD upscaling to 1080i).

IMO, "combo" decks will be the standard DVD player by November 2008 and will cost less than $200.

The hardware manufacturers and the studios *should* have standardized around one optical HD format. It's shameful that they didn't. But these Combo players will eventually take the sting out of the whole mess.

[Seth.H]

As long as studios such as Warners and Fox continue churning out the normal run-of-the-mill DVDs, I am quite happy to wait until I can afford a new player.

[AndrewWickliffe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Huffstutler

How long or how many Laser Disc and Divx titles are still missing from the DVD format 7-10 years later?

I think everything released in Divx made it to DVD... since Divx was just DVD (except they were all pan and scan, weren't they?)

[Steve Tannehill]

Quote:

except they were all pan and scan, weren't they?

Nope.

- Steve

[Steve Schaffer]

I've already bought an HD-DVD player. That hasn't stopped me from buying or renting SD-DVD. Keep in mind that SD-DVD will be around for a very long time and just because the new HD formats look better SD still looks pretty decent.