Which Format Do You Think Will Succeed? Blu-ray or HD DVD?

[Ian]

To kick off this new section of the forum, I thought a poll was in order.

We've seen all the various studies saying one is better than the other. Now its your chance to vote. Are you a Blu-ray backer or are you down with HD DVD? Feel free to explain your reasoning.

[dolphinius_rex]

I think we should confuse the heck out of the whole industry and go back to analogue. *THAT* would mess up some marketing folk I think!!

[oslik3]

Let's clarify poll's question, or even split the poll in two parts:

1. Which format do you think SHOULD succeed (i.e. you like it better) and
2. Which format do you think WILL actually succeed.

One will be happy if #1 = #2, but, as we all know, what we like to happen and what will actually happen may not be the same

[Ian]

lol.. Good point oslik3.

[MediumRare]

Hey, neat- a new forum where dodecahedron can't muck up the posts!

Normally the best technology doesn't necessarily win (see VHS vs. Beta vs Video 2000) and if Sony originates it, it has 1 strike against it too.

Still, my vote goes for Blu-Ray. CD-presses couldn't handle DVD's and I think it's better to go with clean technology rather than hay-wiring something together.

G

[dodecahedron]

Hey, neat- a new forum where dodecahedron can't muck up the posts!

the "pfft" this got from me sprayed my spit on the monitor. really, G.

[dolphinius_rex]

My vote has always been and continues to be for BluRay. I just think it's both a better format, and a better marketed format (the latter being more important for it's survival sadly).

I'm kinda keen on the extra storage space it brings over HDDVD anyways. Why use HDDVD for 15GB, when you can use DVD+RDL for 8.5GB. And I don't see HDDVD being only 2x the price of DVD+RDL for quite some time!!

Anyways, I'm not in a rush to upgrade to BluRay *OR* HDDVD in the near future. I *LIKE* my DVD collection!!

[dodecahedron]

i'm curious to know - is it possible/likely that they'll come up with dual-format drives that can burn both formats, like they did with dual format DVD burners ?
i guess the differences between HD-DVD and Blue-Ray are more significant than between DVD-R and +R, so is it at all possible ?

[dolphinius_rex]

i'm curious to know - is it possible/likely that they'll come up with dual-format drives that can burn both formats, like they did with dual format DVD burners ?
i guess the differences between HD-DVD and Blue-Ray are more significant than between DVD-R and +R, so is it at all possible ?

Well according to the link Ian posted in another thread (http://www.thetechzone.com/?m=show&id=374), it's not likely we'll be seeing dual format drives this time around... which really could make things difficult for the consumer in the long run.

[Ian]

There are a few vendors working on dual format drives (Samsung is one). They won't be available right off the bat though.

[MediumRare]

Hey, neat- a new forum where dodecahedron can't muck up the posts!

the "pfft" this got from me sprayed my spit on the monitor. really, G.

No offence- I wanted to point out that you're not (yet) a mod for this forum.

G

[aviationwiz]

I thought dodeca was an admin, or is it just me?

[dolphinius_rex]

I thought dodeca was an admin, or is it just me?

I thought he was a DVD Polygon

[oslik3]

So, with the recent FOX announcement, how are the studios positioned now ?
Would be nice to see a "standings" table - what studios support which format:


BR only / HDDVD only / Both / Undecided

I wanna see totals for each format....

[dolphinius_rex]

So, with the recent FOX announcement, how are the studios positioned now ?
Would be nice to see a "standings" table - what studios support which format:


BR only / HD only / Both / Undecided

I wanna see totals for each format....

I may be mistaken, but I get the impression that all major studios have either sided entirely with BluRay, or decided to support both formats. I don't know of any studios that are only going to release on HDDVD. If this is the case, I think HDDVD is already dead.

[Ian]

Your comments inspired this artwork.

[seanc]

It may be good if we don't have dual format drives. Imagine if beta & vhs both worked on machines and we still had those two camps alive and well. Why, it would be just like what we have today...shelf space taken up by both dvd- and dvd+ media and the majority of writers working with either.

Wouldn't it be better if just one format had succeeded? We might have lower production costs, as well as drive costs.

Let's hope one succeeds...and let's hope it's the one we like the most!

Sean

[Alektron]

I hate to piss on enthusiasm, but CDs got popular because of music. DVDs got popular because of movies. These days, there's not yet a mass appeal for something beyond DVDs is there? Of course Blu-ray and HD-DVD seem great for backing up the hard drive. But that won't bring down the price of Blu-ray discs.

[Justin42]

I have to agree-- I don't see either format succeeding like DVD did. DVD brought MASSIVE, obvious improvements to the table, for pretty much anyone with any kind of TV or sound system-- much better looking picture, much better audio, room for extras, etc...

What these formats bring is... "a little bit better more of the same"... we're gonna have even BETTER looking pictures (... for the 10% of people with TVs that can handle it...)... even BETTER sound (.. for the 10% of people with 18 speakers in their home theatre ...)... do you get my drift?

I'm not saying in the long term people won't move to them-- you can almost see the studio execs drooling thinking this will solve a> piracy, b> piracy and c> world hunger once these new formats happen. They'll prematurely kill off DVD because of the new copy protection in these new formats.

But I just can't see a huge rush of people going to upgrade their TVs and sound systems-- how many people have even semi-decent home theatres NOW? Do you think the people who have waited this long have just been for a newer format? I kinda think the people who want this already have it, and the ones who don't never will, don't care, and just buy whatever format's at Walmart or available from the library or something. (and there's nothing wrong with that!)

I see one or both of the formats becoming fairly popular/useful for PC data storage, but I think the only BluRay player that's gonna take off is the PS3 (and it might just trojan-horse its way into a successful Sony format launch..!). But even then will people spend $25+ for a BluRay copy of a movie they can get on DVD (and will look almost exactly the same on their 2 year old sorta-HDTV with no HDMI/HDCP/whatever plug, and NO different on their 15 year old living room TV) for $15?

[Ian]

One more reason to buy a Blu-ray player...

[dolphinius_rex]

Wow... Serenity will be available on April 14th on HDDVD.... I have the urge to buy it SIMPLY because I can. Too bad the players are a no show so far

As for BluRay, 5th Element and Robotech Shadow Chronicles are enough for me!

[club_ice]

Do you think there is a possibility of hybrid HD DVD and Blu Ray players?

[Ian]

Do you think there is a possibility of hybrid HD DVD and Blu Ray players?

LG is working on it. Considering how successful their Super Multi drives have been, they'd be the ones to pull off a combination BR/HD drive.

[dodecahedron]

Samsung were working on one too, no ? but it was defeated by the BIG CONGLOMERATES.

[Ian]

Yeah, but they supposedly ran into licensing issues. With LG, they're part of the Blu-ray group and have a patent agreement with Toshiba so they shouldn't have those problems.