Op-Ed: HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray

WRXWagon2112 · Post by **WRXWagon2112** » Mon May 15, 2006 11:36 am

Interesting take on the format war. I happen to agree that HD DVD will become the hi-def standard.

Link here.

--Alan

Post by **complacent** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:27 pm

I'm inclined to believe that most end consumers are not ready to abandon their DVD collections just for the sake of HD. I don't see many early adopters in this segment. That being said, I'll wait to declair a winner.

(his OP-ED on iVidiots is funneh as well.)

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:01 pm

Hmm, I read that article just like I read the weather in the newspaper...w/ not much faith in accuracy.

This discussion has been around since my son was in diapers...and he is still in diapers

Here was my first post about the formats especially the new 1 TB format:

http://forums.dcawd.com/viewtopic.php?t ... hlight=dvd

Here is a link talking about the new format...guess it was developed in London but you know the japanese helped

http://www.physorg.com/news1333.html

Post by **Sabre** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:11 pm

I'm still not sure on this. I think that Blu-ray will get a good amount of the share because of the PS3. Look at it this way: Parents are going to be shelling out 2 x car payments for a PS3 (yes, they will, even with their high price). Are they then going to shell out even more for a HD-DVD player, or just tell junior to sit aside while they watch a Blu-ray movie on the shinny new PS3? The only thing that I see HD-DVD has over Blue-ray (technical differences aside) is the name recognition, which can mean alot.

BTW, this is pretty technical differences chart. (look down at the bottom of the article.)

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:19 pm

Sony is going to release the PS3 before it releases its standard home component player. Pricing is ~500-600 for PS3 and ~$1000 for stand alone unit. My father was even saying how he was going to buy the PS3 instead of the stand alone b/c a) it is cheaper and b) it is the same components.

WRXWagon2112 · Post by **WRXWagon2112** » Mon May 15, 2006 3:20 pm

I still find it hard to believe that parents are going to allow their kids to hook up the PS3 to the family's nice, big-screen HDTV (and give up the "good TV") just to enjoy a high-def DVD every now and then.

It's more likely that the PS3 is going to be hooked up to some secondary (and more importantly, non-HD) TV for the kids to play on while the parents get unfettered access to their HDTV. Yes, there will certainly be those gamers who are in their 20's (and 30's) with the time and money to buy both a PS3 and an HDTV, but I picture the majority of PS3s being used on lesser TVs by people without the means to appreciate hi-def DVDs.

The HD DVD camp has a jump on everything including a cheap player (~$500). They also have a cheaper manufacturing process and a format that marries well with standard DVD discs (they will be marketing "hybrid" discs that have HD content on one side with standard content on the other). This means that consumers can buy a hybrid disc now and wait until cheaper, more capable players hit the market.

It's true, the wild card is the adoption of the PS3, but I have a feeling that HD DVD will win out.

Even so, expect to hear Sony yelling: "F*CK PANTS!! WE'RE SONY!!"

--Alan

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Mon May 15, 2006 4:42 pm

after trying to use the PS2 as my only DVD deck for a couple months, I wouldn't think about buying a PS3 for use solely as a blu-Ray DVD player.

Post by **complacent** » Mon May 15, 2006 4:57 pm

it's not so bad once you get the remote... keep in mind the best selling ps2 game at launch wasn't a game... it was teh matrix.

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:14 pm

I had the remote (was it required? maybe that was the XBox...) but it just wasn't that good at being a DVD player. but then again it was the first revision of the PS2 hardware.

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:35 pm

Mr Kleen wrote:but then again it was the first revision of the PS2 hardware.

Nailed it on the head! Yes, w/ the PS2 you had to get the optional remote (well actually you didn't but it made life easier from the couch). Also, the first couple of PS2s had problems w/ the dual laser setup (one for DVDs, the other for games). With the latest version being sold you shouldn't have that problem.

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:09 am

so yeah, I'll pick up a PS3 around July of 2008.

WRXWagon2112 · Post by **WRXWagon2112** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:27 am

And back from the dead it's ... the HD DVD vs Blu-Ray debate!

Who will win? This guy says neither! He's pinning his hopes on downloadable content.

But don't take his word for it. This other guy thinks content on physical discs is still a viable product.

Let the fanboy sniping commence.

--Alan

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 9:26 am

my dad's new HD satellite receiver has DVR capabilities and supports external hard drives, so he's going with "downloadable content" for his HD fix.

I almost bought a HD-DVD for the 360 this weekend. almost.

Post by **complacent** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 9:41 am

Mr Kleen wrote:my dad's new HD satellite receiver has DVR capabilities and supports external hard drives, so he's going with "downloadable content" for his HD fix.

I almost bought a HD-DVD for the 360 this weekend. almost.

I've been contemplating converting mah DVD collection to something that has a hard drive for a little while now.

And teh HD-DVD add-on for the 360 is getting cheeeep! I think I saw it for 159.99??!?!

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:32 am

the HD-DVD add-on for the 360 is $179.99. you get a 360 remote and King Kong along with a mail in offer for 5 additional movies. it uses USB interface so a lot of people have been buying them for use with a PC or Mac. a PC requires a driver download, a Mac will recognize it without any additional drivers.

Post by **complacent** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:46 am

Mr Kleen wrote: a Mac will recognize it without any additional drivers.

ORly?

Hmmmmm......

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:20 pm

From what I have read in a review in Sound & Vision, the HDDVD player add-on to the 360 is not very good vs. stand alone HDDVD players. I still like the LG dual drive player (both HDDVD and BlueRay) but I don't think they make one w/ v 1.3 HDMI yet.

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:39 pm

from what I have read no stand alone HiDef player is $180, although some do include free HiDef movies.

WRXWagon2112 · Post by **WRXWagon2112** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:43 am

Back from the dead ... with an old article.

Blu-Ray's dirty little secret : BD-only movies are available on HD DVD from Europe.

Apparently, a number of (US) movie studios that claim to be devout, faithful supporters of the BD format are guilty of a little electronic adultery. HD DVD is the mistress at a secret challis, in other markets.

...

While perusing the availability of HD DVD outside of the US, I noticed studios that release both or HD DVD-only have no problem releasing titles under some form of their own moniker while BD on HD DVD titles tend to be hidden away under the names of local distribution and production houses or subsidiary companies to obscure who owns the rights.

All of the BD-only studios seem to have movies released as HD DVD titles in Europe and elsewhere, but they don’t use their real names in these other countries. Even better, many of the very first batch of BD releases are available.

This seems to indicate that HD DVD might have the upper hand outside the U.S. However, this is not a nail in the coffin of Blu-Ray. After all, the U.S. is probably a large enough market to support the format even if the rest of the world goes with HD DVD. Besides, the article doesn't mention if regional coding will prevent the discs from playing in a U.S.-market player.

--Alan

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:55 pm

^^Figures. Money talks...in all languages

I am content w/ having both formats and the battle may never have a victor

Phibs · Post by **Phibs** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 6:26 pm

I don't think either format will win, thus the consumer loses and must pay for expensive devices that support both formats

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:19 am

Mr Kleen wrote:a PC requires a driver download, a Mac will recognize it without any additional drivers.

IIRC the Macs won't recognize HDDVD or Blu-ray content natively. Even with USB drive.

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:13 am

Libra Monkee wrote:
Mr Kleen wrote:a PC requires a driver download, a Mac will recognize it without any additional drivers.
IIRC the Macs won't recognize HDDVD or Blu-ray content natively. Even with USB drive.

not the CONTENT, the drive hardware. content decoder software is up to you.

Mr Kleen · Post by **Mr Kleen** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:58 pm

apparently the war is over

Post by **Sabre** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:35 pm

Now THAT was funny! I hate to say it, but I saw this coming...