)
http://www.tgdaily.com/2005/10/31/ihd_l ... ay_says_hp
HP claims to be looking out for the consumer, but what I'm gathering from this article is that it will be cheaper for computer manufacturers, like HP, to implement iHD because support is included in Windows Vista. To put it simply, they won't need to buy a third party app (aka.. pay royalties).
Yes.. this savings MIGHT be passed on to the consumer. However, consumers are still going to have to pay for it in other ways. For example, most people still watch their DVD's in their living room and not in front of their computer. To do so, they're going to buy a set top Blu-ray player. If they are to support iHD, the manufacturer of this player will have to pay royalties (to Microsoft) which will be passed on to the consumer.
It seems to me, that Microsoft is really putting pressure on HP. If Blu-ray does adopt iHD, they will be getting A LOT of money in royalties. I'm still trying to figure out what HP gets out of this deal. There's gotta be something other than them looking out for the consumer.
Thoughts?
