Audioholics Article: 10 MORE Reasons Why HD-DVD Formats Have Already Failed

Paul Arnette · 06-14-2007, 01:56 PM

http://www.audioholics.com/news/edit...-hd-dvd-failed

I can't really find anything in here that I disagree with.

Note: 'Success' as it is defined in this article is mass-adoption. I think that is important to keep in mind when reading it.

Jason Roer · 06-14-2007, 02:46 PM

I LOVE this quote:

"To me this is a little like watching two third world countries battle for control over a section of desert."

I feel the same way, but could never quite articulate it so well.

EDIT - having finished the article - I agree with everything he said. And Paul - you are right as well, regarding "success". Some day I hope to be right.

Cheers,

Jason

Paul Arnette · 06-14-2007, 02:55 PM

Just recently I saw another article that described it as "Two bald men fighting over a comb"!

I personally thought that one was a bit more amussing as it wass more colorful.

ppltd · 06-14-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Roer

I LOVE this quote:

"To me this is a little like watching two third world countries battle for control over a section of desert."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Arnette

"Two bald men fighting over a comb"

Perfect descriptions of this battle. Make it all look a little silly.

Jason Roer · 06-14-2007, 03:18 PM

Two inmates fighting over fresh fish!

Cheers,

Jason

**HTF Ads**

loganhunter2002 · 06-14-2007, 04:55 PM

Wait. These guys are Audioholics!!! What do they know about video?

Ryan Peddle · 06-14-2007, 04:57 PM

I first read the article and said here we go again, another BD Fanboy knocking down HDDVD. The title is poorly chosen.

But the article is excellently written and I couldn't agree more. One thing I don't understand is why on every HDDVD I own is there a promo for HDDVD....I already own the damn thing.

Wouldn't it be smarter to put this promo at the beginning of the DVD releases and show the people that buy the DVD what they are missing out on. Instead I am told about what I am not missing out on. Good one guys.

One thing I disagree with through is the comparison to SACD and DVD-Audio. Millions of the people in the world use and listen to CD where only 2 channels is available (ei in a discman with headphones or in your car) why in the world would the masses adopt to a new format that provided more channels. Plus most would agree the CD already sounded awesome.

SACD/DVDA tried to reinvent something that didn't need reinventing at all. Sure there is a place and a market for it. But there was no real reason to replace CD.

But HDDVD/BLURay are not necessarily trying to reinvent movies on optical disc, they are trying to improve it to the point of perfection. DVD's look and sound great...but as most of us have seen, now, there is a dramtic level of improvement available for the DVD format. I watched part of chicken little on bluray on a Samsung 1080p 42" LCD today at a local boutique store and it looked absolutely stunning....STUNNING. MIND BOGGLINGLY STUNNING. No DVD could ever look that good.

Do I see the HD formats being more than Niche...yes...but not for another year or too.

Jason Roer · 06-14-2007, 05:18 PM

Ryan,

While I agree that comparing HD optical to SACD and DVD-Audio is poor at best, the fact remains that HD is not enough of a visual difference to MOST people. Certainly we couldn't live without it. I'll never go back now. But there isn't enough perceived enhancement to the masses for them to fork over even $300 for an HD-DVD player, let alone $500 for a Bluray.

That's the unfortunate truth. DVD is such a massive improvement over VHS, not only in quality, but in PQ not degrading over time, size of package (easier storage), etc - that the transition for the masses was much easier (although the masses really didn't get into the format until 5-7 years after its inception). And don't forget that the masses also don't have HDTVs. So they can't even enjoy the enhanced PQ if they wanted to. HDTVs in 25 million homes still isn't enough. And they are just getting used to DVDs. It's only been a few years for them. Give them time. And hope one of the optical formats becomes standard.

Cheers,

Jason

Shane Martin · 06-14-2007, 07:13 PM

The only thing that matters is if the studios feel it's a success. They are the ones delivering the product.

ppltd · 06-14-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Roer

That's the unfortunate truth. DVD is such a massive improvement over VHS, not only in quality, but in PQ not degrading over time, size of package (easier storage), etc - that the transition for the masses was much easier (although the masses really didn't get into the format until 5-7 years after its inception). And don't forget that the masses also don't have HDTVs. So they can't even enjoy the enhanced PQ if they wanted to. HDTVs in 25 million homes still isn't enough. And they are just getting used to DVDs. It's only been a few years for them. Give them time. And hope one of the optical formats becomes standard.

Cheers,

Jason

One of the reasons I jumped into collecting HD films as fast as I did was the near total lack of HD available any where else. All this money on display hardware and all I can watch is a couple of local channels in HD, or a few additional channels that Directv offered. Now, with almost 40 new HD channels (almost 20 movie channels) coming to DirecTV in September, and many more over the remainder of the year, I have to wonder just how much less the general public will care about these HD disk formats.

While the look of HD over Dish or DirecTV is not up to the same quality of HD or BD, it is fine for most, and it does deliver to the general public endless hours of High Def programming and movies, many titles that they will see a long time before that title ever gets released on High Def Disks.