Do we care about HD-DVD... Blu-Ray

[Marco33]

Stupid to have two formats. I don't see how one thinks it's format is better. How much room do we really need.

I'll wait till the smoke clears and even then I'll probably just stick to DVD since it's only so long till they start down rezing the component out on the players... my set doeasn't have DVI or HDMI.

[yoda313]

Yes I care. I just don't have a hdtv set yet. But since I can record hdtv I would like to be able to keep it in its original format. Not to mention saving the downconvert encoding time.

But I think eventually a multiformat player will make the matter irrelevant.

[Marco33]

I guess the HD writers will be +,- formats.

[gll99]

Had they used their heads they could have split the pie by sharing the profits from the 2 technologies. One format for computer data and non commercial video ( say blu-ray ) and the other for commercial video (HD-DVD). The commercial video format would have no computer reader or writer. Dual format players would be common but single format players could be available. PVR's/DVR's would only play to protected TV/Monitors, have no other outputs and content could easily be controlled with broadcast flags and expiry dates. No hardware devices could link to a HD-DVD except protected TV/Monitors and Blu-ray and HD/DVD could never be connected to each other and Blu-ray could not be connected to a tv source (cable box, satellite etc...) but Blu-ray would have no restrictions with personal devices hdd, cameras, output to tv etc....

I think this feud is only temporarily slowing down their ultimate objective of controlling all distribution of video material.

[Conquest10]

I hate this format war. I really want to get a DVD player and be able to watch movies in HD. But they are in such a rush to try to beat each other that they are letting sub-par equipment out. Boot times for HD-DVD are unacceptable. Sony is so far up the MPAA's ass to try to secure more titles for its format that they are willing to screw its consumers with its whole self-destruct mode.

[waheed]

The whole cost of the format war is just going to be passed down to the customers. Its all about greed, wanting to control the HD market.

[Marco33]

If you (anybody) are going to get into this whole hd disk thing... do you see yourself making backlups?

[gll99]

If you (anybody) are going to get into this whole hd disk thing... do you see yourself making backlups?

It would be a non issue if you could just go to the store and get an exchange 1 for 1 for a damaged disc without jumping through hoops. Many would no longer feel the need for a backup.

On the other hand (valid argument or not) there would still be an issue for those who like to view the movies on other devices.

[lumis]

I'm in the Blu-Ray camp myself. I'll be purchasing a PS3 on launch day, along with Madden 2007 and a couple of Blu-Ray movies.

I think Blu-Ray will win the "format war" because of the market penetration they will have with the enourmous popularity of the PS3. Maybe if Microsoft had been smart they would have put and HDMI adapter & an HD-DVD drive inside the Xbox 360 and that would have titled stuff towards the HD-DVD side. The other member of the Blu-Ray camp should be helping Sony get the PS3 ready for launch, because whatever is good for getting the PS3 going is good for Blu-Ray.

[Marco33]

I think HD-dvd will do better. I think the average consummer will equate easly with hd-dvd than BR cause they already know what dvd is.

I think they will pick up the fact tha HD-dvd is just like dvd only better. Simpler transition.

[Faustus]

Not to mention that the HD-DVD equipment on the market already is half the price of the Blue Ray stuff.

[Conquest10]

I know for a fact HD-DVD is simpler to explain. My parents are almost clueless when it comes to technology but when I told them about HD-DVD they immediately knew what it was about. DVD they know as a movie on a CD that looks and sounds better than VHS. And HDTV they know looks better than regular TV. So, you put them together and you get a movie on a disc that looks beautiful on an HDTV.

[vhelp]

To be honest with ya, I really prefer just one format, because it has proven
its ground *very* well, imho.. that being, the MPEG-2 format.

All those other formats, built-up from mpeg-4 and other variations, still does
not do as good a job as MPEG-2 does. Anyways..

About the only thing(s) I would do with HD-DVD or whatever, is: View it of course,
and also down-convert it to something more DVD managable. You know, some still call
it, Backup

-vhelp 3969

[Marco33]

Was in BB today. They had an hd-dvd demo set up WAYYYY in the back on a crap tv. I believe the sales persons exact words were " it make this tv look good".

They had the tester disk that comes with it playing. Mancurian candidate was playing and I was NOT impressed. If I had not known what I was looking for I would have walked right past it... just like everybody else I watched walk buy as I was looking.

[offline]

I think Blu-Ray will win the "format war" because of the market penetration they will have with the enourmous popularity of the PS3.

Almost no chance of that. PS3 is a whole different market, remember. Personally I hope BluRay falls into a niche segment like Sony's MD. History teaches us that whenever Sony wins, the consumer loses.

[yoda313]

I think Blu-Ray will win the "format war" because of the market penetration they will have with the enourmous popularity of the PS3.

Almost no chance of that. PS3 is a whole different market, remember. Personally I hope BluRay falls into a niche segment like Sony's MD. History teaches us that whenever Sony wins, the consumer loses.

Also the initial price of the ps3 will keep it from exploding too fast. If MICROSOFT can incorporate the HD-DVD right into the basic 360 in the next release without adding to the cost too much it might just crowd out the ps3 and bluray all together. Imagine having a 360 for HD gaming and an included hd-dvd player for $400 or less. That would bring the hd-dvd into the main market.

[cal_tony]

I'm confused about all of this and then again I'm not. It's been quite a while and none of these formats have seemed to move forward. Netflix is starting to carry Blu-ray a plus for me as a Netflix customer. But even after all this time, selection is limited. I could watch all of their Hydef movies in one week.
I don't care how this shakes out but I would like to see it moving forward. The part I do understand is that most of the battling seems to be waging in the courts, with congress, and with the suppliers of movies. The product is not out there and I don't think the consumer will make the final decision.

Finally, I have not seen either format in action, nor have I researched the differences between these and Over the air HD. which I receive and watch on my HD tv. Over the air HD is clearer than Dvds but not that much. Is this what the new formats will look like or is it something much better?

[whitejremiah]

I think Blu-Ray will win the "format war" because of the market penetration they will have with the enourmous popularity of the PS3.

you are now the second person im aware of that's gonna be buying one...launch day or not, so i wouldnt consider that to be "enormously popular" i dont know many people that are going to be shelling out 500-600 dollars for a video game system....pretty much everyone else i talk to is gonna be using their 500-600 to buy both a wii and a 360, otherwise they are going with just the wii...... enjoy the ps3, i really hope it fails and flops...sony has been shooting themselves in the foot so much lately that i really could care less about blu ray, as for hd-dvd......im feeling about the same...i've said it in the past and i will say it again, they are trying to push the technology too fast for most consumers.........the good majority of consumers do NOT own an hdtv and cannot really afford 500-600 dollars on a video game system, i think dvd is probably the format that's gonna win out this war since it's already a well established format.....

[MOVIEGEEK]

Almost no chance of that. PS3 is a whole different market, remember. Personally I hope BluRay falls into a niche segment like Sony's MD. History teaches us that whenever Sony wins, the consumer loses.

Yeah Sony has only produced two things worth buying:
Walkman:innovative,stylish and durable.
Digital8:bridged 8mm and DV,compact and affordable.
As for BD I think it will be a niche market like DVD-AUDIO,MiniDisc,DataStick,etc.

[CrayonEater]

I hope, I just dearly hope, that all this turns into a boondoggle that ends up p!$$ing off consumers and keeping them from adopting either. I'm willing to buy an upconverting DVD player, but I'm not willing to re-buy the same movies again for the second or third time. And then probably have Super-HD and Super-Blu-Ray come out in 5-10 years. I'm done.

I just hope consumers realize all that's happening is that they're getting milked for every penny they can.

[FulciLives]

I just bought a 51 inch 16x9 WS HDTV this past December 2005 so yes I am all set for either HD DVD or Blu-Ray ...

However I got 2 major issues ... lost my old job and working a new job for a lot less money ... so I can't afford either right now ...

The 2nd major issue ... which to buy?

I've seen a demo HD DVD playing at BEST BUY with trailers and movie clips from a bunch of different movies (one was Peter Jackson's KING KONG which was utterly stunning) and the quality was to "die for" but again ...

Which format to go with?

I guess I will wait and see what happens ... so I voted for the Let them bash heads, then I'll choose option.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[coodbe]

I think Blu-Ray will win the "format war" because of the market penetration they will have with the enourmous popularity of the PS3.

you are now the second person im aware of that's gonna be buying one...launch day or not, so i wouldnt consider that to be "enormously popular" i dont know many people that are going to be shelling out 500-600 dollars for a video game system....pretty much everyone else i talk to is gonna be using their 500-600 to buy both a wii and a 360, otherwise they are going with just the wii...... enjoy the ps3, i really hope it fails and flops...sony has been shooting themselves in the foot so much lately that i really could care less about blu ray, as for hd-dvd......im feeling about the same...i've said it in the past and i will say it again, they are trying to push the technology too fast for most consumers.........the good majority of consumers do NOT own an hdtv and cannot really afford 500-600 dollars on a video game system, i think dvd is probably the format that's gonna win out this war since it's already a well established format.....

Follow this link to soundand vision mag.com:

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=1473&page_number=3

Its a review of the Toshiba HD-XA1 that appears in the June issue of Sound & Vision Magazine. Here is the explanation you were looking for:

It seems apparent that HDTV should spank a DVD every time, but the HD DVDs were also noticeably better than a typical HD broadcast on satellite or cable. While I couldn't do an A/B comparison with any of the HD DVD titles, looking at a variety of movies and filmed shows made some differences obvious. While the broadcasts occasionally competed on overall detail, they, like the DVDs, offered less saturated colors and dynamic "punch" than the HD DVDs. And they were very often plagued by mosquito noise and other compression artifacts. There's an explanation: Most cable and satellite systems top out at bit rates around 8 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) for their HDTV transmissions. By comparison, HD DVDs pump out data at around 18 to 20 Mbps, with peaks that can hit 40 Mbps if the program demands it. The MPEG-4 or VC-1 compression schemes used for HD DVD are also more efficient at a given bit rate than the MPEG-2 used for broadcast and for most satellite and digital cable transmissions.

[coodbe]

I'm confused about all of this and then again I'm not. It's been quite a while and none of these formats have seemed to move forward. Netflix is starting to carry Blu-ray a plus for me as a Netflix customer. But even after all this time, selection is limited. I could watch all of their Hydef movies in one week.
I don't care how this shakes out but I would like to see it moving forward. The part I do understand is that most of the battling seems to be waging in the courts, with congress, and with the suppliers of movies. The product is not out there and I don't think the consumer will make the final decision.

Finally, I have not seen either format in action, nor have I researched the differences between these and Over the air HD. which I receive and watch on my HD tv. Over the air HD is clearer than Dvds but not that much. Is this what the new formats will look like or is it something much better?

I posted the wrong quote in my last post above this one. This is the quote I was trying to respond to re Sound and Vision Magazine. Sorry for my error.

[cal_tony]

Coodbe,
thank you very much for yor response to my questions. Your answer explains all I need to know.

[ROF]

No brainer decision here. Blu-ray wins hands down. Why? Because it will be a burner inside my computer. Let the movie people fight it out. I'll buy a setup player/recorder sometime next year when hopefully by that time three things will have happened:

1) Prices will have dropped.
2) Selection of device manufacturers and options will have increased.
3) A Leading Horse will be visible.

At this point having HD movies on my TV is not a priority. Storage Capacity for data is. Therefore Blu-ray wins for my needs.

[mattso]

DVD wins for video.

Just like CD wins for audio.

10-20 years from now? Who cares!?

[ROF]

DVD wins for video.

Just like CD wins for audio.

10-20 years from now? Who cares!?

CD isn't portable enough to be even close to a win for audio. Flash memory or hard drive storage has won the audio battle.

[Marco33]

Storage Capacity for data is. Therefore Blu-ray wins for my needs.

How much storage do we really need?

When talking gigs I don't know if saying this or that is better cause it hold X gigs more.

[ROF]

Storage Capacity for data is. Therefore Blu-ray wins for my needs.

How much storage do we really need?

When talking gigs I don't know if saying this or that is better cause it hold X gigs more.

How much? I think a 2TB portable disc would work today for me but that is at least a few years away and by that time my requirement will surely be larger.

The more storage capacity a product has the quicker it catches my eye. So for me, x Gigs more is better.

[Marvingj]

Who ever gives the consumer the best deal I'm for....$$$$$$$$$$$