DVD format War... who will win?

[DjfunkmasterG]

Everyone knows the format war is going on and has been for over a year. I wonder who will really win. My money is on HD-DVD because Blu-ray refused to make discs for the porno industry, but there isn't an HD-DVD writer out for PC's only a Blu-ray writer so that could swing things back to the Blu-Ray camp.

However, HD-DVD has the price advantage. You can buy an HD-DVD unit as low as $249.99 on Amazon.com and there is also the combo discs which is kind of cool because you can always take the DVD to a friends house and it will play on their unit... just flip the disc over to side B.

There are other issues to factor in, 7 studio's exclusively back Blu-Ray while only 2 are exclusive to HD-DVD. Disney jumped on the Blu-ray wagon and that will make people with kids needing a Blu-ray player, but the machines are $800.00, not to mention the BR50GB discs don't seem to work in all Blu-Ray players. HD-DVD now has a 45gb disc in the works and there have been no reports of compatibility problems even when HD-DVD went from 15gb to 30gb.

The war, however, is continuing. Blu-ray has the advantage in that more studios back the format, but that is also because they have stronger DRM technology which sony developed, and we all remember how reliable Sony DRM can be with PC equipment. :rolleyes:

HD-DVD has a niche as well in that they are region free discs. you can buy an HD-DVD from the Uk and it will play in your US player. Blu-Ray hasn't made any announcement about that region coding sh1te and I looked pretty hard for it. HD-DVD has DTS HD something I think Blu-ray doesn't have yet, but I can't see it being that hard to adopt.

However, I think it is all going to come down to PC owners and Parents. If Disney continues to support Blu-Ray they will help the market, but HD-DVD could pull it off with the cheaper prices on the players in fact Toshiba sold quite a few units during this last week of their $100 off plus 5 free DVD promotion. That still leaves the PC user problem. With no HD-DVD writer this could be the death of HD-DVD. As a DVD burner I like the fact I can make my own DVD's and with Blu-ray having the writer it could be a major factor... if the DRm doesn't bog it down.

People will argue storage capacity will be the answer. I say Bullsh1t. Storage capacity means nothing to the average consumer, price and selection means everything, and the selection definitely goes to Blu-Ray, but technical problems with the hardware and software make it pointless. If the player doesn't work what good is having 200 titles.

There has been talk of a combo unit, or a combining of the formats into Blu-DVD and it would be backwards compatible with both blu-ray and HD-DVD. I think this is the best choice and this way we don't have another Betamax war. If they joined forces everyone would be a winner. Sadly I don't think this will be the case. I am curious to your thoughts on the matter, so feel free to reply and if you come across any format war news that is recent, post some info or a link please.

As of today HD-DVD could win this with the cheap HD-DVD player and the fact they have combo DVD's, but who really knows. Personally, owning the HD-DVD player I hope HD-DVD wins, but it doesn't matter to me...if they join and go Blu-Dvd... like I said, everyone wins.

[MinionZombie]

My money would be on HD-DVD, although I'm still behind normal DVD, there's no need for this HD bollocks yet, hahaha.

I think the porno industry will be a big boost to the HD camp personally, if it happened with VHS, then it's entirely possible with next-gen-DVDs...

Also - price and ease.

Also, with some folk, it could be a subliminal link - HDTV, HD-DVD...you know? Well, some people might think like that...

Anyway, my dosh is on HD-DVD.

[fartpants]

when are they gonna make porno's in 3-d

[Tricky]

I think the overall winner will be whoever produces a machine that runs both formats.However ive only seen HD-DVD's on the shelves in shops so far

[Danny]

if its region fre then hands down hd dvd, plus with dvd its a brand name of media people have grown to trust.

[DjfunkmasterG]

I actually just got done reading an article that said HD-DVD will win based on name recognition. Thats a far stretch, but I am sure the name will help, however, the key factor is going to price and product. Right now they have a good price... they just need more product.

[MinionZombie]

They'll get more product, just a slower start at the moment, but I'm definitely sure that name recognition will play a role with some people, because some people are either idiots, or just know nothing about tech, so they'd go with what sounds easiest and most sensible.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Ya know on paper the Blu-ray is the better technology. Storage capacity alone far exceeds that of HD-DVD, but Blu-Ray has had its share of problems. Some players aren't working as designed, Some discs are corrupt from the mfg, and other little minor blips.

HD-DVD has been flawless so far, I mean it has had minor stuff, but nothing as big as bad players or discs. What I find cool though is the same equipment is used by the mfg to make HD-DVD that makes standard DVD. It is a quick 5 minute fix of the equipment and voila... HD-DVD. Blu-Ray is a whole other animal from what I understand.

Ya know I was thinking about the name recoginition stuff and I thought "ya know... if Blu-Ray wins are we going to call them Blu-ray or still call it DVD." To me it is still a DVD so that is most likely what I will still refer to it as, calling it Blu-ray sounds stupid.

"Hey Joey, did you get the new Pirates 3 Blu-Ray?"

Even if they call it a BRD it doesn't have the cool roll off the tongue feel of DVD. So it would still be called a DVD by most consumer because that is technically what it is... a Digital Video Disc.

[Danny]

yeah doovede' is much more proffesional sounding.;)

[EvilNed]

when are they gonna make porno's in 3-d

Those have been around since the 70's.

I believe the porno industry will make or break this thing. Sony are idiots. They didn't support pornos with the Betamax and they won't support them with their Blu-ray. Who the hell sits in their management these days? Is the radioactivity somehow severly limiting their business capacities?

[darth los]

Those have been around since the 70's.

I believe the porno industry will make or break this thing. Who the hell sits in their management these days?


Methinks the same people that thought it would be a can't miss idea to charge 20 bucks a pop for umds.

[MinionZombie]

:lol: @ UMDs...geez, what a numpty idea those were! :D

[Danny]

tell me about it, though a freind of mine is such ar ehardcore fanboy he's still adamtn there "the future" and blue ray and hd wont compare to it.

i eblieve the phrase in the m.z dictionairy im looking for is numpty, correct?:rolleyes:

[MinionZombie]

tell me about it, though a freind of mine is such ar ehardcore fanboy he's still adamtn there "the future" and blue ray and hd wont compare to it.

i eblieve the phrase in the m.z dictionairy im looking for is numpty, correct?:rolleyes:
Or tea-baggin', romper-wearin' nobhead. :lol:

I still say VHS rocks! Just listening to the story about Walt Flanagan tug-o-war-ing an OAP for a VHS in the latest SModcast (#13) put a huge smile on my face, VHS is awesome! :cool:

[darth los]

VHS is an indespesible resource when it comes to cheesy 70's porn.:D

[Cody]

screw pornos being in 3D. virtual reality man, thats where its at

[Danny]

http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/32838#comment_1538751

i was allready sold for HD-DVD ,what with hd-dvd players being bakcwards compatible with dvd's and most blue ray players aside form the ps3 aint.
i dont like to point out fanboy bitchin' since it makes me sound like one myself, which i am with comics and the like but not formats, i never have been a big fan of keeping up to fate with technology, anyway most of the "you made the wrong choice, blu-ray PWNS!" comments are just that, only one has a good argument, that blu-ray is selling more, till you take into account 80% of blu ray discs that have been sold are the ones with ps3 games on em.
i myself am gonna wait for a bit of a price drop since 20 quid fro one movie just seems a bit much, though one thing i like about the new formats is you can put a season of a show on one disc, surely that means theyll be cheaper than those atrocious 45- 80 quid box sets of half a dozen or mroe discs you see nowadays?, but when the price drops i think im gonna get the hd-dvd player for my 360, there only 70 quid now at gamestation, so i guess the price is right, just the movies themselves are a bit pricey for me right now.
cant wait to see the matrix on hd-dvd everywere ive read about it thats the movie there using as an exampel so it must be pretty sweet.

[darth los]

but when the price drops i think im gonna get the hd-dvd player for my 360, there only 70 quid now at gamestation, so i guess the price is right, just the movies themselves are a bit pricey for me right now.
.


That's assuming the money they save from packaging etc. will actually be passed on to the consumer. That doesn't always happen Just ask the gasoline companies.

[Kaos]

I have HD-DVD, and I love it. Since the "war" won't be settled even in the next 2 years, I figure I will be format neutral and pic up either a Blu-Ray player or a HD-DVD Blu Ray combo player when the prices come down. It really is all about the movies, and the only reason I went with HD-DVD first was the fact that the hardware was affordable and the discs looked great.

[MinionZombie]

Where the hell are you buying your box sets?! :confused:

Get on play.com, that's what ya want, £25 to £40 almost always, there are only exceptions - such as the Band of Brothers box set which until recently was insisting on languishing above £30 even though it's several years old.

M-Lock box sets or the promo price ones are ideal too, a whole season of 24 for about £18, or a whole season of The X-Files for £13, bargain mate.

[Danny]

the only dvd shops near em now are HMV theyve muscled out all the competition, so its a given that every film student at my college hates em since music zone AKA the place were we could get dvds for 3 quid new was forced to close by em.:mad:

[MinionZombie]

Hoomve are alright, but they are overpriced...but they also sometimes (or fairly frequently) chalk up some decent deals too, so they're not all bad...do you happen to have people in your class who "hate the machine" and want "corporations to go down" and think "capitalism is bad"?

I bet they wear logo'd clothes and buy a lot of stuff too, eh? :lol: Nobheads.

[Danny]

no i hate HMV cus anything thats not pirates of the caribbean or shrek or the like costs an obscene amount more case in point the entire "world cinema" section, the average price for advd in that section is abotu 15 quid, when its about a fiver in any other section.

[darth los]

Where the hell are you buying your box sets?! :confused:

Get on play.com, that's what ya want, £25 to £40 almost always, there are only exceptions - such as the Band of Brothers box set which until recently was insisting on languishing above £30 even though it's several years old.

M-Lock box sets or the promo price ones are ideal too, a whole season of 24 for about £18, or a whole season of The X-Files for £13, bargain mate.


I just found the site play.com. Now, anybody wanna loan me a money conversion chart?:confused:

[MinionZombie]

Darth - www.xe.com ... or www.playusa.com (which is technically different, that one is for R1 discs, www.play.com is for R2 discs and other things).

Hellsing - that's what I was saying, they charge through the nose for their sh*t, but sometimes you get a really good offer going, two-for-ones or four-for-twenty-quid or whatever...but as for World Cinema, it's rare to find those films dirt cheap anyway, because they cover a much smaller market in the country than something like POTC which is mass appeal and family rated...so with less units getting sold, the price naturally goes up.

However, play.com, they have loads of offers and specifically have promotions for World Cinema as well...

[capncnut]

I say HD-DVD but I wouldn't like to call it. We all know of Sony's track record when it comes to things like this.

[MaximusIncredulous]

Thank God I can't afford HD anything. Poor man DVD will have to do for now. I'm still feeling the sting from supporting Betamax.