Great article on all the post format war doomsaying...

Nick Graham · 03-12-2008, 10:00 AM

Dan Ramer from DVD File has just posted a really good article on all the scorched earth attitude that has risen up from various sites and pundits now that the format war is over, called "The Hype Of Doom And Gloom"

DVDFILE.com

Jesse Blacklow · 03-12-2008, 10:45 AM

Excellent article. I especially like how he tore down the now-familiar tactic of comparing MSRP to retail prices, which I've seen from several so-called enthusiast sites. And then there's the selective memory vis-a-vis Sony. For example, the Sony statement that they don't expect to see $200 players or Chinese manufacturers. Never mind that Sony made similar statements in 2007 regarding the PS3 and hardware that were later proven wrong. Never mind that the chip solution manufacturers have confirmed interest from the BDA and China. Nope, these "enthusiasts" believe only Sony's words (actually, just the ones that make them look bad), but their actions mean nothing.

In addition, the whole "downloads are coming now!" argument from these sites seems to focus on questionable conclusions from fuzzy sources (Rob Enderle? C'mon, folks...), while ignoring the multiple statements from experts and industry folks that downloads are--at best--in their infancy, and the relatively spectacular failure of some of those services. On top of that, those that complained about excessive DRM and region codes practically fall all over themselves to talk up services like X-Box Live and AppleTV that are not only region-locked, but usually hardware-locked, while having DRM that makes DIVX look open-source by comparison.

I also think it's quite shameful how many of these same sites that pursued the perfection offered by HDM (high bit-rates, lossless sound) magically stopped taking this stance between January 4 and February 19. The only saving grace, they say, is the interactive features. Here's a question:

I'd like to know why they choose the least popular draw for DVD and HDM as somehow the only way to increase sales, yet at the same time believe that download services that offer no extras will kill off Blu-ray. The two are mutually exclusive, people. Pick one stance and stick with it.

Jari K · 03-12-2008, 12:32 PM

Several good points.

"I’m amazed that Blu-ray Disc can’t be left alone to enjoy its victory and we can’t be left alone finally to bring the motion picture experience into our homes with the absolute best high definition deliver vector conceived to date."

Amen.

Alfonso_M · 03-12-2008, 02:42 PM

Sounds like a cry baby worry that his new favorite toy of choice may not be as popular as He thinks and might not survive the next Christmas season.

"Blu-ray Disc won the war. It deserved to win."

"All utter rubbish…"

PaulDA · 03-12-2008, 03:02 PM

While that aspect of the article may be open to debate, it does raise several good points about other "competing" delivery systems. The download system will resemble his description a LOT more than it will the overly optimistic ones I often encounter elsewhere.

**HTF Ads**

Nick Graham · 03-12-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfonso_M

Sounds like a cry baby worry that his new favorite toy of choice may not be as popular as He thinks and might not survive the next Christmas season.

"Blu-ray Disc won the war. It deserved to win."

"All utter rubbish…"

I realize you have boycotted HDM now that HD DVD is gone, which is totally your right. However, what can you contribute to any discussion about current HDM when you are admittedly no longer a consumer of it? You no longer have a dog in the fight, so why engage in debates about it? The sour grapes are understandable and human nature, but there comes a time to let go.

Paul, agreed on the downloads. While the major cities and suburbs out there are starting to have things like FIOS and incredibly high download speeds available to them, the majority of the country has between 2 and 3 Mbps available to them on a standard residential internet connection (if that) and isn't going to see much of an increase until the telecom companies who serve them invest in major $$$ infrastructure improvements.

IanDP · 03-12-2008, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Blu-ray Disc won the war. It deserved to win. It unquestionably provides the best high definition home presentation that today’s technology can deliver.

That reeks of fanboyism. He had me until those last two sentences.

Walter Kittel · 03-12-2008, 03:20 PM

IMHO, the article perpetuates the negativity that it criticizes.

My take on all of this is to enjoy your collections and the forthcoming titles to the very best of your ability and not worry about other's opinions. It is a media format, not a way of life and is taken far too seriously by far too many individuals.

- Walter.

Patrick Sun · 03-12-2008, 03:27 PM

The uphill battle is when the mom in suburbia is perfectly fine with the quality of the streamed "HD" movies (via VOD) from their cable company, and utilizes the service as an alternative to rental, and also entertainment value (in terms of how many times will she or her family watch that particular movie). If only 10% of viewers (media buyers) think the extra costs associated with HDM is worth it, that 90% is going to be a tough crowd to overcome at the those price levels. Or if you're a parent and know that you can buy a cheap SD version that will pacify the kids (and be played repeatedly on various installed DVD players within their own family infrastructure), all the benefits of HDM go out the window. That's the uphill battle HDM has to deal with in fighting for marketshare.

It's not simply a matter of looking great that will win over the prospective HDM customer, not when the infrastructure costs are factored in. Some folks just want to be entertained for a few hours, they don't need to have films leave a profound mark upon their soul after watching the films. That's a much bigger pool of people who treat movies as disposable entertainment than the film enthusiast who wants the best possible A/V presentation all the time. Sometimes it's just not pragmatic to set up a home situation to enjoy the benefits of HDM. That's just how it is. This is why there is so much resistance to getting into HDM when DVD is sufficient for many many people's needs. Not trying to rain on HDM's parade, just need to look at a bigger picture of why HDM is not gaining mass acceptance.

Cees Alons · 03-12-2008, 03:29 PM

And I fully agree with Walter!

Cees