The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent
vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums
here.
We now return to our regularly scheduled PA Forums. Please let me (Hahnsoo1) know if something isn't working. The Holiday Forum will remain up until January 10, 2025.
HD-DVD officially dies, High Def Disc war over
Posts
Who says you have to replace your collection? People keep saying this like switching to the new format means you have to do that. Most people are not going to do that. In fact, I'm pretty sure no one will do that, especially if they have a ridiculous collection. It's all about new releases and some of your favorites. I have a ridiculous amount of DVDs, but I'm only re-buying a few in high definition. Those are the ones that can really benefit from a high definition transfer (action, science fiction) and are the ones I enjoy the most.
We're already seeing this happen somewhat. I can, for example, rent HD movies from my cable provider (via DVR) or using my Xbox 360. The problem is that most of the current schemes out there don't allow for digital ownership--everything is just a rental. In order for digital distribution to succeed they'll need to do something like Steam, where you can buy the movie and then it's always yours to stream over again.
And so here we are.
Oh, and Sony formats off the top of my head:
3.5" floppies - a winner
Beta - lost to VHS except in pro niches
Minidisc - popular in Japan, nowhere else
ATRAC - was never even serious competition for MP3
Memory Stick - Sony uses it, no one else does
UMD - lost to digital files ripped from DVDs and customers' desire not to buy their movies again
BluRay - finally, another winner! Now has to fight off DVD and downloads
I think miniDV might also have been a Sony invention, but I'm not sure so I'm not listing it. It was a winner, too, though, so it might be a pattern-breaker, sorry. Sony was also heavily involved in the creation of the CD and DVD formats, but these were more joint efforts and not market competitions.
> turn on light
Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
There's talk of them being able to launch one by May. They reportedly (gadget site rumor) have a prototype working already.
> turn on light
Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
That's what pissing me off about the movies available from LIVE, really. I like being able to hold on to something and enjoy it more than once. A good movie is watchable damn near anytime, so when I get the urge to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail for the 1 billionth time I want to be able to do so after buying it once, not every time I want to see it (having said that I have bought Holy Grail three times... VHS, DVD, and Special Edition big ol' leather book lookin' 4 disc DVD with production cell and full hardcover script... because I'm a whore).
i'm not sure you could call blu-ray merely a sony format
I think within the next 15 or so years the retail rental market will disintegrate, and the outlet movie stores will stay more or less the same in terms of size.
I was pretty torn on the whole PS3 v 360 debate, but after seeing the XBLA's game selection, and watching the Live Movie Marketplace in action, I was won over.
Plus the PS3 isn't backwards compatible anymore...
And I don't own and won't own for some time a HDTV.
That's how these formats work, though. There's one company that creates/guides the technology (Sony for BR, Toshiba for HDDVD) and then they each sign on a bunch of other companies to help finish it, put it in real devices, and market it.
> turn on light
Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
Once you realize how incestuous all the media and communications companies are, it becomes difficult to want to do anything but bang your head against the wall about how crappy things can (and likely will) get now and in the future.
I thought Matsushita (Panasonic) did the majority of the R&D of the format though...
PSN: Infinity_Prime
I figured you were talking to me.
We are 15th amongst developed (formerly known as first world) nations, and 24th amongst all nations who could be measured.
Yeah I think widespread DVD library replacement will not be happening for a LONG time, if at all. VHS is just recently obsolete, it will be a while before yet another format takes over. Also, Blu-ray players can all play DVDs, correct?
So if a consumer doesn't need two separate media players (or even a combo like VCR/DVD players), he's not going to be in any hurry to replace everything. The two formats are much more alike than VHS and DVD ever were. I'm sure plenty of people still have VHS tapes and players, like myself. I think it will slowly expand it's market share until DVDs are slowly moved out of the picture.
I was, I read the wrong name :P
And thanks for the clarification.
yeah. i don't actually know the story behind it, but the mere fact that sony bunged it in the ps3 doesn't mean it's 'their' format. sure, they may be currently more invested in its success than any other company, but that says nothing of its origins.
but again, i don't really know the story of its origins.
Double checking via Wikipedia... Panasonic/Matsushita is barely mentioned in the Blu-ray article, and not as the developer of the format.
> turn on light
Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
Anyway, I'm really glad this is all over and done with. It'll surely boost the PS3's installed user base and hopefully/probably cause at least a slight price drop on Blu-Ray movies within the year.
Now for Paramount to release Transformers on Blu-Ray (among others), so we can end this exclusivity nonsense.
Picking the right format to come out of a format war is a first for me, so yeah, I'm pretty stoked about this.
That said, there are so many ways to slice-n-dice stats regarding broadband to make the US look better or worse than it actually is. As someone else pointed out, the relative enormity and sparseness of the US will make it much harder to wire as efficiently as, say, most dense European nations or countries like Japan and South Korea. However, based on raw population numbers of people using broadband, I believe the US is still very close to the top. You could argue that this gives the US the most growth potential for broadband (behind China and perhaps India). That's not too shabby either.
Additionally, you can do things like only measure urban areas. Or heck, just the East Coast ... and you'll probably get a much higher penetration rate, as well as still hit a majority of the population.
There's a lot of doom and gloom (almost on the border of FUD) that seems to suggest the US is "backwards" or immensely behind when it comes to things like broadband penetration. While it certainly can be better, it's not as bad as many seem to think. Believe it or not, services like Verizon's FIOS (fiber) are becoming increasingly available, and Comcast just announced additional updates to their cable Internet service. Competition is good and is driving the industry.
It's no wonder that companies like Apple and Netflix are increasingly jumping onboard the video-over-the-Internet bandwagon, delivering even HD content to consumers. Sure, it's still has a ways to go, but technology moves fast these days.
- Don't add me, I'm at/near the friend limit
Steam: JC_Rooks
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JiunweiC
I work on this: http://www.xbox.com
I don't think Htown is listening. I pointed this out to him yesterday and I don't think it's sunk in yet.
As for other successful Sony formats, the CD ring a bell? Sony and Philips co-created it.
Anyway, it's nice that Toshiba didn't try to draw it out any longer. I wonder how long it'll take Universal and Paramount to announce their Blu-Ray support.
Laserdisc Star Wars is still the best Star Wars, all I'm sayin'.
So? Other companies had a role in the development of Blu-Ray as well, that doesn't change the fact that Sony had a major role in its development.
You dont have to rebuy your collection, that would be stupid
just from a certain point onwards get BR's instead.
More likely until they are the same price as DVDs, as easily available, and you can buy the players for £30 anywhere.
So about the time the next generation of disks comes in.
Hell, some of them haven't had DVD releases yet.
So I'm somewhat apathetic about this until studios stop faffing around with last year's brainless action material and remember things like Eyes Without a Face.
Amazon.com offers Blu-ray movies anywhere from 15% to 50% off. So that 35 dollar movie ends up being about 20 to 24 dollars. You'll find many that are 15 dollars. At retail, they're expensive; but buying them online they're quite reasonable, at least far more reasonable.
Edit: Of course, you have to consider shipping and handling, but I think you can get ground for free. That or Amazon Prime membership gets you two day shipping free for any product. Ah, I just looked it up. Any order over 25 dollars gets you the free shipping.
They will. Not only did they say they will follow the market, whoever wins, there's also rumblings that they've got a prototype already made and the actual player will be released in May.
It's true. It's a shame they, what, lost it or something? So we're stuck with young Anakin being a ghost at the end of episode 6 and Greedo shooting first. Or whatever.
I am referring to retail in my case. I work at Target so buying my movies on my break at work is convenient for me. Not that I mind Amazon mind you, but I have to moderate my visits to the site. Nothing has resulted in more impulse purchases than Amazon 1-Click shopping. So many impulse buys...
All over that and all over Planet Earth.
don't you mean Blasterdisc :P
Also i knew this was coming a year ago. I have never, ever once heard anyone in real life mention HD-DVD except in passing (As in "I want to get a bluray player... or... what are those other ones? HD-DVD?". Also, the "average joe" i think already is aware of bluray, theyre just waiting for the prices to come down. In real life, i know atleast 5 people, just at work, who are planning in buying bluray players as soon as they become reasonably affordable, and 3 others who bought 40gig PS3's just for the bluray player. I know one person who bought an HD-DVD player, the 360 add on, and no one who was planning on getting one.
Personally i think its got to do with the name. Bluray is a lot more memorable than HD-DVD, even though HD-DVD conveys a lot more meaning as to what it actually is. Bluray sounds futuristic and cooler, which goes a long way in a lot of the average consumers minds. Plus the marketing for bluray totally blew the HD-DVD marketing out of the water.
Check out my band, click the banner.
I wouldn't trust Comcast's services when I have to consistently yell at them not to cap me below what I payed for.
I bought my Toshiba HD-A3 a few months ago for $200.00 which included 11 good HDDVD's, which I still think was a pretty damn good deal, and there are quite a lot of movies I'd love to grab for super cheap now.. (Planet Earth for one)
They aren't that big to those of us who own vinyl as well, but to a lot of people under the age of 20 the size of a Laserdisc is unthinkable. I suppose after that I should mention I'm only 22 but I have a fondness for records.
Check out my band, click the banner.
Don't people have parents? I mean, my folks have a wall unit full of vinyl records. I have fond memories of them telling me not to wear out the Star Wars soundtrack album by playing the Mos Eisley Cantina song over and over again.
It doesn't kick its ass in video and audio, and that's what matters to me!
But yeah, it will be a slow penetration into the market-but it'll happen.