If no clear HD winner, Sony would let Blu-Ray co-exist with HD-DVD? (1 Viewer)

[Nils Luehrmann]

By all appearances, there is a lot of politics involved in the make-up of the DVD Forum. Because HD DVD is based largely on the same technology and includes many of the same patents as standard DVD, many of the existing royalty agreements would carry over, thus there was a great deal of pressure within the DVD Forum to select a format that would protect those royalties.

Fortunately many companies, not just Sony did not want to be hamstrung by a format based on an optical disc technology that upon release was already reaching close to its limited potential.

 

[dany]

We wouldnt need this thread for a single format. I hate war.

 

[RobertR]

This war won't kill anyone, though. The only "losers" will be those who backed the losing format. That's a risk in any competition, though.

 

[dany]

I dont know. DVD-A has a much better selection to choose from then SACD and neither should brag about what they have and how long haver they been out now?

 

[JeremyErwin]

Don't like classical music, eh?

 

[Rachael B]

It seems to me that this is not such a volitile format war for consumers because both sides are selling backward compatiable media players, so the worst is that you get an upconverting DVD player out of it, at worst. We all have lots of legacy DVD's to play anyway and should for a long time to come, typically. Mr. "All-HD"'s will proably happen, I threw away or sold all my DVD's. That won't be most of us though. I have all kinds of HD and I stille watch LD's and S-VHS tapes I made. I know I'll be watching DVD's too for a long time. They'll stay in the mix just like the best of my other major legacy format LD.

In this one, you're not risking so much. I can find a good use for the losing player myself. This ain't like LD versus CED was, for example...where the losing player wasn't worth much, CED.

 

[dany]

LOL,no not really but if i did,i'd be in SACD heaven.

 

[Cees Alons]

When one of the formats loses the "war", the "losing" studios will rush to bring out the better-selling titles in the winning format, if they hadn't already before.

So, in the end, it will all be the same....




Cees

 

[Dave Moritz]

This format war only keeps many of the average consumers from buying into the HD market. If you are not willing to buy a HD player because you are affraid of wasting money. Then the more consumers that stay away then the format war has then had a very negative impact on HD.

I agree that as soon as one format looses that the studios will jump ship and begin offering movies on the winning HD format. I have talked to quite a few people and they honestly are staying away until there is a winner. Most of them are interested in Blu-ray and the others are interested in HD-DVD. One man I talked to today was interested in HD movies but wanted to wait and see what happened with Blu-ray.

I personally was Blu-ray only and for awhile I was going to consider HD-DVD. The problems with the HD-DVD player and the lower storage and flexability of HD-DVD made me go back to Blu-ray. IMHO Blu-ray has the storage, flexablility and longevity as a format to last into the future, HD-DVD falls short in these areas. It is just based on the total package that Blu-ray brings to the table. HD-DVD is good and can fulfill the need for HD movies but if it had a better player and more storage for movies, extras and audio options. I would have no problem supporting HD-DVD but for myself if feel that Blu-ray is the true 1080p solution.

And while having a upconverting dvd player out of a loosing format is great. I have to good dvd players allready don't need another dvd player with a HD-DVD player that has a small number of discs. For some that do not have a upconverting dvd player I guess you could say that would be an upside if HD-DVD goes down in flames, LMAO. But that would be a possitive way of looking at it Rachael B :- )

As far as DVD-A and SACD goes I have some great discs from both formats and enjoy them both. The only problem is that both formats are dead IMHO as there is no real growth in ether format. There is no steady growth of titles for ether format and that is very frustrating. I started off with a Sony DVP-S9000 ES as my SACD player and later added my Denon DVD-2200 SACD/DVD-A player. The entire time I purchased some DVD-A discs and SACD discs. I do not intend to support dual formats ever again no matter if its audio or video. I do not make alot of money so I think its amazing that I own the HT that I do. So I will have to save for months to buy my Sony or Pioneer Elite Blu-ray player and the discs to go with it. Not only can I not afford to support dual formats. But I need to upgrade other items in my HT and keep up with buying Blu-ray and dvd discs. Not to mention buying cd's that I have not purchased over the past 4 years.

I can't wait to get my Blu-ray player :- )

 

[dany]

You dont have to do either new format,i'm not. I'm as happy as could be with DVD.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

You mean in the same way that average consumers have stayed away from buying any game console hardware and software over the last few years?

If format wars caused confusion and kept consumers away, then the game console industry would not be the multi-billion dollar juggernaught that it is today, despite having one of the most heated format wars in the history of consumer electronics.

What keeps average consumers from buying a product is simply that it does not meet their needs. Interestingly enough, it is format wars that actually shape products into things that are more likely to meet and exceed the needs of the marketplace.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I consider the game console area to be a slightly different area. Game consoles have used there own platform for many years and gamers usually prefere one over the other. While it is more difficult for audio and video formats to coexist and be sucessful. Most retailers are not willing to dedicate so much retail space for multiple audio and video formats. And typically game consoles dont take up the retail space that movies and or music does. Until now game consoles have been relatively inexpsensive but just recently they have started to become very exspensive. Typically new audio / video formats start out exspensive and come down in price once the format has been out a short time, and it becomes cheaper to mass produce. And with many game consoles they usually have certain games to attract certain types of gamers to there platform. To my knowledge the gaming console area is the only example of where multiple formats/platforms can coexsist and be sucessful. I have never seen it work in the home audio/video market and I honestly do not see it happening with HD-DVD and Blu-ray.

 

[dany]

So if i have 2 tv's,one with 1080i and the other with 1080p,its like day and night and its a easy choice?

 

[Dave Moritz]

They both should provide great pictures but IMHO a properly setup 1080p display that is using a 1080p source should look better than its 1080i counterpart displaying 1080i material. I feel this difference is more apparent the larger the display or screen size.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

You may have a different idea on what exactly is the "home audio/video market", but I think you'll find that game consoles and software not only are part of the home audio/video marketplace, but they account for one of the largest segments of that marketplace.

I do agree with you however that I don't see HD DVD and Blu-ray succeeding in the same way as consoles and certainly not standard DVD, but that's because at this point in the game they have a VERY limited market appeal. Less than 90% of all households do not even have a display that could take full advantage of what either of these formats have to offer. Even then, market research suggests (and even some of the opinions here among enthusiasts who say "SD DVD is plenty good enough for me") even if more consumers had HD displays many are not likely to adopt a new DVD format until it is offered at the same price as standard DVD.

 

[dany]

And then how many are will to spend on a movie they already have in there DVD collection?

 

[Shawn Perron]

I'd say that the average video game player has a much more detailed knowledge of thier formats then the average dvd player owner of thiers. Just look at the costs for each new release game, it used to be $50 and is now being set at $60. That is not a mass market price by any means. If dvds cost $60, the format would be a videophile/movie lover only experience. Check out the number of video game magazines at your local grocery store, it's more of a passion then a hobby for most players (game players often follow developement studios histories like sports fans do thier teams). Multiple formats only work for consoles because the players are knowledgable enough not to be confused by the choices. The fact that there are currently 7 game formats in the video game section of the stores (xbox, xbox360, playstation 2, gamecube, psp, nintendo ds, gameboy advance) speaks volumes about this truth. If there were 7 different dvd variations at the store, the average consumer wander off in a confused and possibly angry state. In other words, it's not really a good comparison for the point you are trying to prove.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I love it when there is a new high tech toy that comes out and offers better performance and a better audio / vidoe performance. Alltough I agree with your comment Dany. I will only replace key movies that I really have to have in HD. I have no problem keeping my dvd's for the movies that I do not update and replace with HD discs. It would be just way to exspensive to go out and buy every title all over again. And I don't think there would be many out there that would.

 

[dany]

Not the cause of product failure? Does history lie?

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Exactly.