Nail Meet Coffin - HD-DVD

[CaptainVideo]

While Wal-Mart is more of the bargain hunters realm, they still have clout. They've just announced beginning in June they will be exclusive to Blu-Ray. Wal-Mart puts stake through HD DVD's heart.

This pretty much sucks. I've waited this whole format war out, but I did prefer HD-DVD mainly because Toshiba is not in the content business thus not have a conflict of interest but it looks like I may be buying that Playstation 3 after all.

[orsetto]

As has been said many times, for every benefit Wal*Mart brings to the table, they bring a drawback. Having them own what amounts to 90% of the consumer goods retail market gives them a ridiculous amount of direct and indirect clout over issues they really should not be influencing.

[SCDVD]

I think a lot of us share your sentiments but that's the way things go sometimes. Hind sight is always better than foresight but in my opinion, Toshiba and the HD DVD boys could have had a different outcome if they had put together a strategy to pitch to the studios about their "advanced" copy protection strategy. In sales strategy training 101, a key component of effective selling is to identify the prospect's most desired product requirements and develop a sales strategy to sell to this requirement. It has been obvious for a long time that copy protection is a hot issue with the studios to the point it is an obsession. This would have been much more effective at influencing the studios than anything else they could have pitched.

[jagabo]

What advanced copy protection strategy? AACS has been cracked. As far as I know only Sony has anything beyond that.

[SCDVD]

What advanced copy protection scheme?

That's my whole point. They should have developed something and pitched it to the studios. There is more that makes the world go around than an engineering lab filled with technoids. A smart company does a market and customer analysis and from this, they develop a product spec that takes this into account and then they develop a sales strategy accordingly. Any competent marketeer would have identified robust copy protection as a key feature needed to sell to the studios. An engineer might have a problem understanding this. Typically they look at you with a glassy look in their eyes when a product configuration and sales strategy is mentioned that goes outside the envelope of the technology involved. They truly do have a difficult time understanding anything outside of their little techno-world. I know this from many years of my own experience. Effective companies are teams of people who collectively contribute all of the skills necessary to insure success. If any part of the team becomes too dominant in the business process, the company is in trouble - always! Toshiba didn't do the complete job with respect to developing and selling HD DVD to the studios. Your question is the perfect straight man that illustrates the point - "What advanced copy protection scheme?" If they had done a competent job of analyzing the product needs of the studios, they would have addressed this issue. It was far too obvious to miss. Toshiba didn't do this and they lost.

[jagabo]

It thought you were saying they already had an advanced copy protection scheme and simply weren't pushing it.

[videopoo]

What does AACS have to do with the downfall of HD DVD?


Both support AACS. As a content owner, who wants to replicate, you have a choice whether to include it or not for HD DVD - thats not so with BD. If your talking about BD+ then fine but there are only 15 or so titles which carry it. Studios didn't prefer BD over HD DVD because of BD+. They both pitched copy protection.

[SCDVD]

What does AACS have to do with the downfall of HD DVD?


Both support AACS. As a content owner, who wants to replicate, you have a choice whether to include it or not for HD DVD - thats not so with BD. If your talking about BD+ then fine but there are only 15 or so titles which carry it. Studios didn't prefer BD over HD DVD because of BD+. They both pitched copy protection.

Thank you for illustrating my point. Are you an engineer? My point is simply that Toshiba missed an opportunity to pitch the studios in a way that would definitely get their attention. They could have pitched a cooperative strategic relationship with respect to their hottest button - copy protection. Without realizing it, you just said it - Sony did (BR+) and Toshiba didn't. I don't care if zero titles have been released with some sort of super copy protection. It's what the studios believe is coming and in their future interests that weighed heavily in their decision.

[Conquest10]

Hopefully Blu-Ray will become more affordable.

[cal_tony]

Hopefully Blu-Ray will become more affordable.

My bet. Prices will go up on players and disks.
When you win, you don't cry uncle.
You thump your chest and move forward.

The first sign of anything else would be a rebate for players in the form of additional
free disks like they had over the Christmas holidays

Tony

[jagabo]

I don't think BD prices will go up. But with HD-DVD out of the picture they won't be going down as fast as they would have otherwise.

[ViRaL1]

I agree, BR won't drop as fast but it won't go up. In the end, people don't NEED high def.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I agree, BR won't drop as fast but it won't go up. In the end, people don't NEED high def.

That's what the BDA doesn't realize when there is HD cable/satellite,AppleTV,etc.
BTW:now that HD DVD is gone you can kiss those "5 free" promotions goodbye.

[MozartMan]

Nail Meet Coffin - HD-DVD

And picture worth a thousand words.

[jagabo]

I'll buy a BD player when/if a 1080p model drops down to ~US$100.

[MozartMan]

I'll buy a BD player when/if a 1080p model drops down to ~US$100.

There are no 1080i only BD players. They are all 1080p, and also can output 1080i and 720p.

[jagabo]

I'll buy a BD player when/if a 1080p model drops down to ~US$100.

There are no 1080i only BD players. They are all 1080p, and also can output 1080i and 720p.

Yes, but when they introduce the first budget player for $99 will it also be 1080p? Or will it be 1080i to differentiate it? Of course, this scenario assumes a $99 BD player comes out before solid state, or something else, replaces optical media.

[MozartMan]

Yes, but when they introduce the first budget player for $99 will it also be 1080p? Or will it be 1080i to differentiate it?

Yes, it will be 1080p.

[Constant Gardener]

Now, how long before Blu-Ray fizzles? Bring on H.264-enabled DVD players and HD content on DVD...

[MozartMan]

Now, how long before Blu-Ray fizzles? Bring on H.264-enabled DVD players and HD content on DVD...

It is called AVCHD which is supported by every Blu-ray player.

AVCHD - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVCHD

[raffie]

I agree, BR won't drop as fast but it won't go up. In the end, people don't NEED high def.

Speak for yourself. I need HiDef.

[DereX888]

People need HighDef TELEVISION first for crying out loud
I'm always laughing at those who bought BR-DVD or HD-DVD players and movies, yet they still use the "top-of-the-line" 6+ years old television sets

[Bradskey]

Until BD+ is cracked or they (heaven forbid) relent and assure me of fair use, they can all stick their HDDVD and Blu-ray up their @--. I'll buy DVD until they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

[videopoo]

I'll buy DVD until they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

Gee...your sure missing out. I don't get why the issue of fair use would prohibit anyone from moving up to HD. Your going to buy the disc anyway regardless.

[dvd3500]

Until BD+ is cracked or they (heaven forbid) relent and assure me of fair use, they can all stick their HDDVD and Blu-ray up their

Last month there was actually a DVD player advertised by a local super market as "region free". It was written in big bold letters that it was region free! So cracking BD or at least having players that are more consumer friendly shouldn't take that long.

[hanugro]

Well for many ppl it is simple price down ppl buy, price high ppl won't buy. DVD era really start when many players available at $200-250. I think BD camp will want the players price to come down as well.

Ppl talk as if only Sony make BD player. Many companies build this and with budget Korean like Samsung/LG and Chinese player then the price will come down. There is still competition for the cake.

[hanugro]

Until BD+ is cracked or they (heaven forbid) relent and assure me of fair use, they can all stick their HDDVD and Blu-ray up their

Last month there was actually a DVD player advertised by a local super market as "region free". It was written in big bold letters that it was region free! So cracking BD or at least having players that are more consumer friendly shouldn't take that long.

I know it is different in US but in South East Asia ppl will not buy player that is not region free. ALL players here are region free.

[Conquest10]

Last month there was actually a DVD player advertised by a local super market as "region free". It was written in big bold letters that it was region free! So cracking BD or at least having players that are more consumer friendly shouldn't take that long.

So it only took 11 years? WOW!

Just think how fast it'll happen with a monopoly.

[dvd3500]

So it only took 11 years? WOW!

Fofficially yea, but there have been region free players since 1997.