"HD DVD" Scores One Victory Against "Blu-ray Disc"

[Specialist]

http://tinyurl.com/pjr9n

Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment, came out swinging against the Blu-ray standard calling HD DVD the "hands down" winner in the next generation movie formats. "Look at the blogs, look at the reviews by the early adopters and even look at the mainstream media – HD DVD has maintained its first-to-market advantage and delivered on the promises of providing the best high definition image and sound quality at the best value for consumers today," said Kornblau.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[adam]

I don't think there's really any substance to his statements. He's president of Universal Studios. They are the only studio that releases exclusively on HD-DVD, and they've been that way since the format was released. The statement was made to a crowd at an electronics design show. Its just typical tech talk. I'm sure there was a Sony representative on the other side of the room saying the opposite.

The main benefits of HD-DVD that have been touted are lower price, smoother release for both players and discs, and better quality. Blu-ray just began releasing their films in VC-1 instead of mpeg2 and so that basically filled the quality gap between the two formats. Quality is about on par now. Delays are hurting Blu-ray but the PS3 may make that issue moot. Price is going to become less of a factor over time as they both come down. HD-DVD is the better buy now, but neither format is a particularly good buy right now at all. When the dust settles I think both formats will be perfectly viable.

[normcar]

Will anyone create a dual player that plays both. The major electronics companies that make DVD players seem to be one camp or the other. The question is whether the dual mode players will be created or not. This is what will eventually decide if both exist. As for which one survives, that will depend on whether dual players, and writers will be made, or on which is the lowest cost assuming about the same pic quality.

[adam]

At the onset of the releases for these formats one manufacturer stated that they were committed to making a dual player. (I forget which company it was.) There's no immediate plan to do this because there's obviously alot of licensing issues and general agreements that would need to be made between both camps, but in my opinion its inevitable that it will happen and once it does the differences between the two formats will be mostly moot from the consumer's standpoint.

Recently another manufacturer also announced that they had developed a universal laser that could be used to read both HD-DVDs and Blu-rays as well as red laser DVDs. This makes the prospect of dual players much more feasible. It's only a matter of time.

[normcar]

The Indian ompany (I forgot the name) or another no brand companies will probably come out first with a dual reader, assuming the lasers are available to everyone. I don't know about copyright, since you are only reading the available data. The equipment to read the disks (lasers) is the problem. If the company you mentioned that created the laser to read all types of DVDs sells it's universal laser to anyone, then we will get cheap dual/triple players quickly. Since the cheapo electronics companies do very little or no R&D to create their own universal laser.

[adam]

Its not copyrights that are the problem its patents. Each format is patented so you can't make and sell a player for the format without a license. So each camp would have to agree to let someone make a universal player.

[normcar]

Its not copyrights that are the problem its patents. Each format is patented so you can't make and sell a player for the format without a license. So each camp would have to agree to let someone make a universal player.

I thought some of the no-name companies just started making DVD players (without digital security) without getting any "permission".

Plus, isn't the patent to not make any DVD titles without license, not to read what is already on the disk? What is the law here?

[adam]

The patents cover the entire invention including players and discs. You can't legally make an HD-DVD, Blu-ray, or red laser DVD player without authorization from that respective patent holder. The only case I've ever heard of where a manufacturer sold players without authorization was Apex and it was for VCDs. They seemingly just didn't care. They got caught and just removed VCD support for all subsequent players. The CEO was doing all sorts of illegal things at the time and as far as I know, he's in jail now.

[Oscar wallace]

With all the tables in this world you would have thought that the manufacturer/companys could have got round one and decide upon one HD standard,............then again I suppose that would have been to simple..(sigh! )

[SingSing]

Wagging "wars" is a Japanese company culture. They would like everyone to get on their program, Ya.

[Faustus]

I will continue to stand by my prediction that the battle will be long over before it matters to most people.

I don't think the public at large is ready for another format.

[MOVIEGEEK]

The patents cover the entire invention including players and discs. You can't legally make an HD-DVD, Blu-ray, or red laser DVD player without authorization from that respective patent holder. The only case I've ever heard of where a manufacturer sold players without authorization was Apex and it was for VCDs. They seemingly just didn't care. They got caught and just removed VCD support for all subsequent players. The CEO was doing all sorts of illegal things at the time and as far as I know, he's in jail now.

Also Cyberhome recently got in trouble for selling DVD players without a license:
www.twice.com/article/CA6344162.html

As for who will win only time will tell,it looks to me that HD-DVD has a price advantage and better market penetration.

[yoda313]

I was wondering do these play audio cds at all??? I seem to remember hearing something about one of the high defs not being able to play audio cds......

Or am I not remebmering correctly???

[Cornucopia]

Yes, that was a problem with Pioneer's 1st burner (maybe others). Gripes from THIS (ahem, you're welcome) and other forums seem to have spurred them into changing it (or at least subsequent models) to including CD capability. Andy Parsons of Pioneer seems to be pretty keen to the needs of most tech users.

Of course, sooner or later, companies WILL be phasing that capability out...

Scott

[NiteLite]

I will continue to stand by my prediction that the battle will be long over before it matters to most people.

I don't think the public at large is ready for another format.

Totally agree. Other than a few early adopters, those that have to have anything new even if it's just for decoration, and a few - money no problem - interested in the advances possible made, I really dont see it living up to the hype by the studio heads.
I've probably said before that DVD - current fromat - looks good enough to my eyes for the distant future. And the thought of rebuying my collection. Oh man...

Thought I read that Samsung was looking into the dual format.
Regards,
NL

[Chopmeister]

The issue in a nutshell is that at this point I don't really care that much. DVD was a quantum leap over VHS, which is why I made the shift. However, DVD is "good enough" for what I want at the moment and there is no compelling reason to upgrade. Sure, I will eventually. But there is no way I am spending a bucket load of money upgrading to hi-def until all this nonsense is sorted out. I am content to sit on the sidelines until it becomes clear what format will win, and DRM is effectively compromised so that I can buy with sufficient confidence that my fair use rights aren't unreasonably impaired. Until then, they can keep their multiple incompatible formats, crazy rules about what can be displayed on what output types, and obnoxious DRM - I feel no compulsion to play their game.

As a side note to the studios and manufacturers - I am exactly the sort of early adopter with a good tech budget that this sort of stuff should appeal to. The amount you are losing in actual hardware and disc sales by this format/DRM nonsense is many times the loss that even the wildest speculations of your crack-smoking accountants conjecture that you might be losing to hypothetical "piracy" through my exercising fair use rights to watch and view what I buy how I want. Think about it guys!

[Lexus]

The issue in a nutshell is that at this point I don't really care that much. DVD was a quantum leap over VHS, which is why I made the shift. However, DVD is "good enough" for what I want at the moment and there is no compelling reason to upgrade. Sure, I will eventually. But there is no way I am spending a bucket load of money upgrading to hi-def until all this nonsense is sorted out. I am content to sit on the sidelines until it becomes clear what format will win, and DRM is effectively compromised so that I can buy with sufficient confidence that my fair use rights aren't unreasonably impaired. Until then, they can keep their multiple incompatible formats, crazy rules about what can be displayed on what output types, and obnoxious DRM - I feel no compulsion to play their game.

As a side note to the studios and manufacturers - I am exactly the sort of early adopter with a good tech budget that this sort of stuff should appeal to. The amount you are losing in actual hardware and disc sales by this format/DRM nonsense is many times the loss that even the wildest speculations of your crack-smoking accountants conjecture that you might be losing to hypothetical "piracy" through my exercising fair use rights to watch and view what I buy how I want. Think about it guys!

I agree 100% with this; couldn't have put it better.

[somebodeez]

Said by Chopmeister:
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1579240&sid=30428b4f4a12093ef20d970d3b9b2431#1579240

Amen!

[oldandinthe way]

Ho hum

[computerchuck]

where's the content. If you look at the current releases there's not much to make you go out and spend this money. I have dishnetwork vip622 pvr and get all the hdtv content out there right now. This morning i pvrd fantastic four on hbohd. why go buy the disc right now when it will be on hbo for the rest of my days. eventually all this won't matter because when hard drive capacities get there, everything will be in downloadable format. Like Itunes for your videoipod or dump off your pvr to pocketdish. But if i picked one format, it would be hddvd. I was at best buy and the blueray display sucked. my opinion.