Format Wars: Blu-Ray Pulls Ahead?

[pri9908]

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,123491,tk,dn111505X,00.asp

[lordsmurf]

All this HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray stuff reminds me of the dot races at the baseball game. They will pull in front of each other over and over and over again. But you won't know the winner until it actually hits the finish line.

[gll99]

I don't care who wins and I won't get caught up in it even after one format is gone.
I'll wait until I see what the winner has to offer that I don't already have.
If it's too restrictive I may never buy in.
If dl DVD becomes more readily available and dependable it will probably suit my needs for another 10 years or more. Who knows what else will be available by then.

[pri9908]

I don't care who wins and I won't get caught up in it even after one format is gone.
I'll wait until I see what the winner has to offer that I don't already have.
If it's too restrictive I may never buy in.
If dl DVD becomes more readily available and dependable it will probably suit my needs for another 10 years or more. Who knows what else will be available by then.

I agree totally. I am sick tired of cleaning my pockets out at the expense
of "High Technology." It is up to the individual to draw the line on spending
and quite frankly, a lot of us have had enough of it already.

[RottenFoxBreath]

so like,if thats the case then,STOP POSTING STUPID TOPICS LIKE THIS,if youve had enough of it already pri9908,then dont post it,its not needed,just add it into another thread,not add to the glut of same old same old posts.

[ROF]

I hope Blu-ray wins. The Blu-ray group seems to support more restrictive DRM which provides legal safety for the consumer and iP protection for the producer. It might restrict some of your current habits, but most of those habits are illegal under the law anyway.

[MozartMan]

...provides legal safety for the consumer...

And what is that, legal safety? Installing "root kits" on user's computers?

[ROF]

...provides legal safety for the consumer...

And what is that, legal safety? Installing "root kits" on user's computers?

As long as you are told beforehand, sure why not? I doubt that will happen as Microsoft which is the largest distributor of operating systems has made it clear they do not support such things and will provide a way of removing or blocking such rootkit installation. DRM provides legal safety by ensuring that you do not violate the law or obscure fair use.

[MozartMan]

...provides legal safety for the consumer...

And what is that, legal safety? Installing "root kits" on user's computers?

As long as you are told beforehand, sure why not? I doubt that will happen as Microsoft which is the largest distributor of operating systems has made it clear they do not support such things and will provide a way of removing or blocking such rootkit installation. DRM provides legal safety by ensuring that you do not violate the law or obscure fair use.

rof, you must be on drugs.

[ROF]

I fail to see what my medical conditions have to do with any of this unless you have no reply and are just trolling.

[VCDHunter]

just trolling.

Irony ?

[Headbanger's Ball]

ROF, I think your comments do more to support piracy than stop it.

If the HD people were wise, they'd do a PR campaign against Blu-Ray and using Sony's "security" flaws as a case for HD.

[ROF]

ROF, I think your comments do more to support piracy than stop it.

If the HD people were wise, they'd do a PR campaign against Blu-Ray and using Sony's "security" flaws as a case for HD.

I would hope not. But I'll bet the HD people might have something planned. I forget, which camp is Sony in?

[Xylob the Destroyer]

both formats have advantages and disadvantages, but the feature I look forward to most is hi-def content.
regardless of which format wins, the PS3 will be a Blu-Ray player -- which as far as I can tell, will pretty much insure that format's "winning" this war.
Look at how the PS2 caused the DVD format to explode in popularity -- when it came out it cost about the same as a good stand-alone DVD player, but offered so much more.
PS3 will do the same thing, for better or for worse - I really believe that Blu-Ray will come out on top (all this is based on a probably flawed assumption that $ony will stay on top of the heap as far as console gaming is concerned).

[ROF]

I wonder if PS3 games will include rootkit installs?

[GullyFoyle]

I hope Blu-ray wins. The Blu-ray group seems to support more restrictive DRM which provides legal safety for the consumer and iP protection for the producer. It might restrict some of your current habits, but most of those habits are illegal under the law anyway.

hahaha. That is the funniest post ever from a SONY exec.
Dude you slay me.
Now tell us the one about Pirated Cds and DVDs are the new drug of choice.

[waheed]

ROF, DRM is only for the benefit for movie studios. It does not provide any benefit to the consumer. In fact, its the opposite, its restrictive.

[ROF]

ROF, DRM is only for the benefit for movie studios. It does not provide any benefit to the consumer. In fact, its the opposite, its restrictive.

restrictive yes, but only because the things being restricted are in violation of rights management anyways. DRM provides a fail safe mechanism where it becomes increasingly difficult for the end consumer to violate the law or use IP in ways the provider does not want you to.

[GullyFoyle]

both formats have advantages and disadvantages, but the feature I look forward to most is hi-def content.
regardless of which format wins, the PS3 will be a Blu-Ray player -- which as far as I can tell, will pretty much insure that format's "winning" this war.
Look at how the PS2 caused the DVD format to explode in popularity -- when it came out it cost about the same as a good stand-alone DVD player, but offered so much more.
PS3 will do the same thing, for better or for worse - I really believe that Blu-Ray will come out on top (all this is based on a probably flawed assumption that $ony will stay on top of the heap as far as console gaming is concerned).

If SONY uses that play lock idea they will screw the PS3. No more used or rental games. That sucks.
I'm starting to wonder if it is even worth it to buy the next generation of game systems. They are massively expensive and as far as I can tell for the same amount of effort and size game prices will increase 10% - 20%.
Does anyone really think game production and developement costs have risen that much in such a short time?

[ROF]

Does anyone really think game production and developement costs have risen that much in such a short time?

Most definitely. Minimum wage keeps increasing which increases the cost of products, which decreases the buying power of the dollar, which in turn increases salary wages, and the cycle continues. Talent costs money and increasingly the talent which brings you those video games is asking more and more in salary. As software houses increase in size, they must build or acquire infrastructure. The cost of these and many other factors are passed on to the end consumer. This is why Audio CDs never experienced a drop in price like other audio media before it.

[Cornucopia]

Get real, and learn some facts. http://www.osjspm.org/101_wages.htm#1. It's greed plain and simple.

Maybe you forgot, but the RIAA had a class action suit a couple of years ago about ARTIFICIALLY HIGH PRICE FIXING OF CD'S, and was judged guity. Nothing to do with wages there.


Scott

[ROF]

I think you should learn some facts. Nobody was found guilty. They settled out of court for less than 1/4 the amount they would have paid if found guilty and the payout was somewhere between 3-5% of the money made during the 4 years in question.

Guilty? Nope.

[GullyFoyle]

Does anyone really think game production and developement costs have risen that much in such a short time?

Most definitely. Minimum wage keeps increasing which increases the cost of products, which decreases the buying power of the dollar, which in turn increases salary wages, and the cycle continues. Talent costs money and increasingly the talent which brings you those video games is asking more and more in salary. As software houses increase in size, they must build or acquire infrastructure. The cost of these and many other factors are passed on to the end consumer. This is why Audio CDs never experienced a drop in price like other audio media before it.

? HUH?
Only in New York.
But most of this gets farmed out anyway.
Or don't you follow that whole outsourcing problem?
Bottom line is the companies REALIZE they can scam an extra few bucks off the backs of working families.
We are a long away from the early days of Doom.

[GullyFoyle]

I think you should learn some facts. Nobody was found guilty. They settled out of court for less than 1/4 the amount they would have paid if found guilty and the payout was somewhere between 3-5% of the money made during the 4 years in question.

Guilty? Nope.

No one was found guilty BECAUSE they settled out of court. that in itself is an admission of guilt.
Maybe you should get YOUR facts straight.

[GullyFoyle]

Get real, and learn some facts. http://www.osjspm.org/101_wages.htm#1. It's greed plain and simple.

Maybe you forgot, but the RIAA had a class action suit a couple of years ago about ARTIFICIALLY HIGH PRICE FIXING OF CD'S, and was judged guity. Nothing to do with wages there.


Scott

I'm sure they do the same thing with dvds.
Dvd prices have not changed much in the US. Quite a while ago I started buying Asian dvds due to an interest in Asian films. Comparable films, equal quality and roughly the same status in theaters, were far cheaper direct from Asia.
The dvds were the same quality.
The production companies and marketing companies still made a profit.
The movies were of equivalent quality.
But the dvds sold for five to ten dollars less.
These were not pirated.
No one went broke. There were no corporate lay offs.
So why were they selling less expensively?
Could it be because there was NO pricefixing going on?

[GullyFoyle]

I think you should learn some facts. Nobody was found guilty. They settled out of court for less than 1/4 the amount they would have paid if found guilty and the payout was somewhere between 3-5% of the money made during the 4 years in question.

Guilty? Nope.

No one was found guilty BECAUSE they settled out of court. that in itself is an admission of guilt.
Maybe you should get YOUR facts straight.

On reconsideration you are correct. That also means that all those RIAA suits settled out of court prove there are no illegal downloads happening. There were no convictions thus no guilt.
That will be the new argument against the RIAA few, if any, REAL convictions of illegal downloaders. Anything now settled out of court just proves you are innocent.
Thus the RIAA are doing nothing but harassing innocent citizens.

[Steve Stepoway]

I think you should learn some facts. Nobody was found guilty. They settled out of court for less than 1/4 the amount they would have paid if found guilty and the payout was somewhere between 3-5% of the money made during the 4 years in question.

Guilty? Nope.

No one was found guilty BECAUSE they settled out of court. that in itself is an admission of guilt.
Maybe you should get YOUR facts straight.

GullyFoyle, you obviously never have had anything to do with lawsuits. People & corporations pay settlements all the time in cases in which they are innocent. They do it because the potential risk of a crackpot jury award makes it cheaper to settle than to fight, even when they know they're right. I have personal knowledge of half a dozen such cases. Remember, the lawyers get paid win or loose.

In this particular case of the RIAA, I have my suspicions, but a settlement is not an admission of guilt.

[ROF]

That's why they continue to prosecute or threaten prosecution. Payouts are made to prevent larger payouts in the future or to avoid being found guilty. I just hope the RIAA and others continue prosecuting these crimes of infringement because even bad publicity is still publicity and brings the notion to the uninformed such as you tried to imply that those settling instead of going to court are guilty. If a teenager is guilty(settles) and a grandmother is guilty(settles) piracy must be widespread and therefore these lawsuits gain more support. It also increases support for further protections against IP theft. As I said in another thread, only those in the know actually hear about the flip side of this or actually consider boycotting while the rest agree with you that if they settle they must be guilty.

[GullyFoyle]

In this particular case of the RIAA, I have my suspicions, but a settlement is not an admission of guilt.

Right. So anyone who settles with the RIAA has NOT admitted guilt.
If they are not guilty then the RIAA is merely using these non-convictions to inflate their own numbers. Thus allowing them to harass more non-guilty people who may be forced to settle out of court because they are innocent.
Makes perfect sense.

[Steve Stepoway]

I never suggested that it was the way the civil justice system should work, just that it's the way it does work. The big guy probably can pound the little guy into submission, no matter who's right. Sucks.