Paramount to Drop Blu-Ray High-Def DVDs

[MikieV]

The interesting part of the NY Times article to me is:

The two studios may have left themselves wiggle room, however. Paramount’s agreement to use only HD DVD is limited to only 18 months.

More than likely Dreamworks left similar wiggle room. This would seem to invalidate a few arguments people are making. I don't see a big rush for mass adoption of HD content in the next year and a half.

I'm wondering how many people who have mentioned that the deciding factor for their purchase of a player will be affected by the announcement of exclusive releases - i.e. Star Trek - are aware their favorites are only exclusive for a year, or so?

Is this such a critical time for HD-DVD that they need to "buy" exclusives to prevent Blu-ray from burying them?

Interesting take on market share:
http://tinyurl.com/3b6vj8

Analyst Carl Howe of Blackfriar’s Marketing wrote in July that Sony wasn’t dropping its PS3 console price just to compete against the Xbox 360, ... The real battle for Sony is adoption of its Blu-ray HD movie format.

Howe reported that just 103,000 standalone Blu-ray players have sold, apart from the 6.2 million Blu-ray equipped PS3s Sony has shipped (and stuffed the channel with). In comparison, only 310,000 HD-DVD players have sold, even including the optional HD-DVD drives sold for the Xbox 360.

One of the reasons for Sony’s PS3 push--beyond establishing an overwhelming majority platform for Blu-ray--is to help drive down the manufacturing cost of Blu-ray player components through high volume sales. Sony is banking big on the success of Blu-ray, which is potentially more important and valuable to the company than the gaming side of the PS3.

According to his numbers, and the impressive-looking chart that goes with them, PS3 gives Blu-ray a tremendous advantage in installed-base over HD-DVD.

But will that really give Blu-ray an advantage in the format wars, or will it just mean 6.2-million PO'd PS3 owners if Blu-ray loses the war?

[MikieV]

I love the last line in this article about the upcoming IFA Fair in Berlin.

http://tinyurl.com/2qr6f2

A survey by NPD Group pollsters in the United States found 40 per cent of PS3 owners had never even discovered that their consoles could play movies.

[Marvingj]

When will this stupid war stop!

[DereX888]

When will this stupid war stop!

doh!

It hasnt started yet
All we see now are just skirmishes, a prologue to real 'format war' that will start when about 1/4th of civilized world switches to high def tv...

[yoda313]

[quote news storie from mikev posts earlier in the thread]Howe reported that just 103,000 standalone Blu-ray players have sold, apart from the 6.2 million Blu-ray equipped PS3s Sony has shipped (and stuffed the channel with). In comparison, only 310,000 HD-DVD players have sold, even including the optional HD-DVD drives sold for the Xbox 360.
[/quote]

I think the more important part of that news story is the word SHIPPED for ps3 consoles. It doesn't say SOLD. I still see a ton of ps3's sitting in the back at the local BestBuy. Funny thing is they don't have the same overflow problem with the Nintendo Wii

[MikieV]

I think the more important part of that news story is the word SHIPPED for ps3 consoles. It doesn't say SOLD. I still see a ton of ps3's sitting in the back at the local BestBuy. Funny thing is they don't have the same overflow problem with the Nintendo Wii

Agreed.

I thought it was interesting that he uses the number of "shipped" units in his fancy graph of "installed base".

Installed in the original box?

I don't know how the war will end... probably become moot as downloads become more prevalent.

http://www.blackfriarsinc.com/blog/2007/08/google-vint-cerf-predicts-end-of-tv-as

The Mac-centric guy at RoughlyDrafted gives his take on how the war started:

http://tinyurl.com/2pdrml

[DereX888]

I think the more important part of that news story is the word SHIPPED for ps3 consoles. It doesn't say SOLD. I still see a ton of ps3's sitting in the back at the local BestBuy. Funny thing is they don't have the same overflow problem with the Nintendo Wii

Agreed.

I thought it was interesting that he uses the number of "shipped" units in his fancy graph of "installed base".

Installed in the original box?

I don't know how the war will end... probably become moot as downloads become more prevalent.

http://www.blackfriarsinc.com/blog/2007/08/google-vint-cerf-predicts-end-of-tv-as

The Mac-centric guy at RoughlyDrafted gives his take on how the war started:

http://tinyurl.com/2pdrml

ROTFL
Just few quotes from the above articles:

The company (Microsoft) had developed a proprietary implementation of the H.263 codec (also known as MPEG-4 Part 2, and similar to DivX)

The first "DiVX codecs" (the so-called Divx3 Fast Motion and Low Motion versions) thats been 'released' were just a hacked versions of the Microsoft MPEG-4 v.2 beta codecs itself (simply bitrate limit was uncapped, nothing more).
What an euphemism to say that Msoft's codec was "similar to DivX" hahaha

In order to run Microsoft's WinCE-based HDi menus and render HD video, it incorporated a PC: a Pentium 4 processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 256 MB Flash drive, and 32 MB of additional Flash RAM.

Windows CE machine with such specs?!
bwahahahahahaha

To skirt around the open plans being built upon industry standards and simply beat them to market with its proprietary technology, Microsoft began recommending the use of its Windows Media 9 to deliver HD video files on regular DVDs, enabling consumers to play back HD content on the discs using a Windows PC or potentially new player equipment that licensed Microsoft's playback software.

Yeah, like Msoft should instead use Apple's QT container instead?



What a truckload of bullshit in the article.
All biased craptility to prove usual (Microsoft is bad).
Yeah, most of us know how bad is Microsoft, and if someone doesnt - search US DOJ vs Microsoft; these are *facts*.
The thesis in this article are just usual bullshit from an Apple-centric fanboi.

I think most of apple-fanboys don't get it: we (the PC/Windows users) use it because it more convenient than their stupid proprietary Macs, and PCs are just tools for us, not part of a cult following some jerkface dude who self-proclaim to invent home computing LOL
Because we use them it doesnt automatically mean we love Microsoft LOL - which is obvious (but not to them - they can't understand it because they are fanboys

And the funniest part of the article is the "Paypal donate" button at the bottom of the page
But who knows - maybe Steve-o iJobs does donate there... and thats why it still exist I guess

PS
It just dawned on me:
You can be a complete idiot and you still can use Mac, but you have to have at least few active brain cells to use PC

[SingSing]

Here, Here. Computers are just tools, and not something to fan about.

[gshelley61]

The Mac user subculture/tribe comes with some definite snobbery attached, too. They "get it" and the rest of us don't. They are intelligent, sophisticated and cultured while PC users are commoners at best and cretins at worst. Especially videographers, graphic artists, designers... they worship Mac and are totally convinced they are superior machines on which to produce their "art".

No offense if you own a Mac...

[SingSing]

The biggest improvement on MAC lately are using pentium processor, and ability to run MS windows. Duh.

[DereX888]

The Mac user subculture/tribe comes with with some definite snobbery attached, too. They "get it" and the rest of us don't. They are intelligent and we are cretins. Especially videographers, graphic artists, designers... they worship Mac and are totally convinced they are superior machines on which to produce their "art".

Every idiot knows he know everything.
Only smart person doubts he knows even enough.

It is unfortunate there are so many of the former in the Mac-schmuck iDiot crowd.
It hurts the "Mac world" a lot and is one of the reason why Macs are still in the computing ghetto.

[yoda313]

The biggest improvement on MAC lately are using pentium processor, and ability to run MS windows. Duh.

Yeah and they even legitimized it with BOOT CAMP!