Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD

[AlamoSpursFan]

I was in Walmart the other day looking at DVDs I otherwise would have bought, but they weren't out on Blu-Ray yet, so I'll wait...

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Did the price of VHS tapes make them unaffordable as compared to betamax after betamax lost?

Did Sony have 6 billion in R&D costs and exclusivity money paid to studios like Fox and Disney to recoup?

Has Sony's other proprietary media (Memory sticks, UMD, etc.) proven to be more or less affordable than compe ion (smart media, compact flash, etc.)?

You act like now that Sony has won this they are just going to give away their product.

, if it weren't for HD DVD having kick ass transfers to start out with, all you BR fans would still be getting ty quality transfers from Sony's BR authoring folks.

[Slomo]

Did the price of VHS tapes make them unaffordable as compared to betamax after betamax lost?

IIRC the price of VHS was very stable for a long time after it became clear that Betamax in the US and Video2000 in Europe were dead. JVC made billions by controling the VHS license very tightly until the patent ran out. The price of VHS tapes and devices started dropping rapidly sometimes around the introduction of S-VHS, that was soon followed by the VHS-C debacle.

That's why I laugh when I read all the comments about poor Toshiba and big bad Sony, because make no mistake they all behave the same. A VHS license was impossible to get from JVC if you weren't part of their club, regardless of financial interest. The change of heart only came when their dreams of a professional version of VHS didn't materialize (they were squarely beaten by a Betamax descendant - Betacam - which became a standard in the broadcast industry. Betacam was never licensed to anyone and yes Sony made billions...).

Read about it and you'll realize that the HD DVD club is just as exclusive as the BR one and that the main HD DVD players have actually more money to buy off studios. The reason that HD DVD is failing is because the technology behind it is old and outdated and has already reached its maximum.

As for the prototype comments I've already said that BR has been used in pro applications for 3 years now and in some of the harshest environment for such equipment (ie ENG from Iraq).

I'm not too happy about the BR - alleged - victory and hopefully the ever increasing speed of the internet (and consequently ever faster downloads) will force them to license it widely which is the only assurance for fair prices, but I would have been even less happy if HD DVD had won.

I've been active in the broadcast industry for 25 years and I can't remember a time when there wasn't a video format war going on. If I have learned anything is that whenever a format won, something new and better was already on the horizon and that the ideal solution for all times doesn't exist.

FYI BR is already getting replaced by Solid state memory in pro camcorders (and yes there are at least two different standard - one is from Sony ) and prediction are already out that this solid state fab is not going to last...

[TheTruth]

Is it worth the Money to buy the HD DVD hookup for the 360?

[Fillmoe]

Is it worth the Money to buy the HD DVD hookup for the 360?

why? in a few months they wont even make hd dvds anymore.....

[T Park]

Thanks slomo, I wasn't around at the time of the betamax VHS wars so I didnt know if that applied to this or not.

[jaffies]

why? in a few months they wont even make hd dvds anymore.....

not months......not days.....now.


as of this afternoon, Toshiba stopped manufacturing HD-DVD equipment.

reuters





*edit* - not confirmed by Toshiba -

[exstatic]

not months......not days.....now.


as of this afternoon, Toshiba stopped manufacturing HD-DVD equipment.

reuters

??? Toshiba is just one manufacturer.

[PM5K]

Toshiba is the main manufacturer of HD-DVD players, actually I don't know if anyone else makes an HD-DVD only player, the only other people that make HD-DVD players are combo drives that play both.

[Wild Cobra]

Well, I said from day one of previous threads of this nature that Blu-ray would win. I'm not always right on my predictions, but I am seldom wrong...

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Well, I said from day one of previous threads of this nature that Blu-ray would win. I'm not always right on my predictions, but I am seldom wrong...

I do believe a Cluby is in order.

[smeagol]

Well, I said from day one of previous threads of this nature that Blu-ray would win. I'm not always right on my predictions, but I am seldom wrong...

Lotto numbers for tonight . . . please?

[Wild Cobra]

Lotto numbers for tonight . . . please?

Sorry, the format war was statistically clear to me from the start, understanding electronics and communications like I do. Lotto... completely chance...

[Slydragon]

[ATRAIN]

Does anyone know if blockbuster rents out Blu-ray movies? If so how much more are they to rent?

[TwAnKiEs]

Does anyone know if blockbuster rents out Blu-ray movies? If so how much more are they to rent?

They do.. they run about $5 or 1 dollar more than reg dvds.

Also, here's an update concerning Xbox owners:

Microsoft said it will stop making HD DVD players for its Xbox 360 video game system after Toshiba ceded the high-definition video format battle to Sony's

Microsoft said Saturday it would continue to provide standard warranty support for its HD DVD players. Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida last week estimated about 300,000 people own the Microsoft video player, sold as a separate $130 (euro88) add-on for the Xbox 360.

"HD DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers and we will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room, along with playback of the DVD movies they already own," Blair Westlake, a corporate vice president of Microsoft's media and entertainment group, said in a written statement.

Microsoft was one of HD DVD's main backers, along with Intel and Japanese electronics maker NEC, and its support for the format was seen as a big win for Toshiba's format.

But support for the HD DVD waned as major movie studios -- Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. Entertainment -- picked Blu-ray to distribute high-def DVDs. Wal-Mart Stores struck what seemed to be the final blow just over a week ago when it said it would only sell Blu-ray players and discs.

More Technology News

Microsoft said it is looking at how the HD DVD technology it has developed, such as HDi, which adds interactive features to HD DVDs, and its VC-1 video encoding technology, can be applied to other platforms.

The Redmond, Wash.-based software maker said the decision to stop selling HD DVD players won't have a material impact on its video game business.


© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

LINK

[JoeChalupa]

Am I the only one who hasn't watched an HD-DVD or Blue Ray DVD? Is the quality that much better than standard DVD and does it make one enjoy a movie any more than watching it on standard DVD? I just don't get it.

[monosylab1k]

Everytime I see Blu-Ray displays at Best Buy and such, the picture is so sharp that it actually looks BAD. Anybody else feel the same way? I won't buy Blu-Ray because I think regular DVD looks alot better, honestly.

[ATRAIN]

Everytime I see Blu-Ray displays at Best Buy and such, the picture is so sharp that it actually looks BAD. Anybody else feel the same way? I won't buy Blu-Ray because I think regular DVD looks alot better, honestly.

Well I hooked up my Blu-ray player to my Sharp Aquos 42" with a HDMI cable and damn it looks bad ass. Its way better than regular dvd.

[JoeChalupa]

Well I hooked up my Blu-ray player to my Sharp Aquos 42" with a HDMI cable and damn it looks bad ass. Its way better than regular dvd.

I've compared the two and while I admit HD looks better I wouldn't say "way" better and it doesn't change the way I feel about a movie. It doesn't change the plot or the meaning, if any, of the movie.
That is also why I refuse to pay the high dollar prices at the theatre and watch it with a bunch of people who talk, don't turn off their cell phones or make stupid remarks during the movie.
I'd rather just watch it in the comfort of my own home.

[ATRAIN]

I've compared the two and while I admit HD looks better I wouldn't say "way" better and it doesn't change the way I feel about a movie. It doesn't change the plot or the meaning, if any, of the movie.
That is also why I refuse to pay the high dollar prices at the theatre and watch it with a bunch of people who talk, don't turn off their cell phones or make stupid remarks during the movie.
I'd rather just watch it in the comfort of my own home.

With my recent bad experiences from the movies lately I have to agree with you. Yeah my friend had both HD and Blue ray and I couldnt tell the difference much, they were both nice.

[Slomo]

Everytime I see Blu-Ray displays at Best Buy and such, the picture is so sharp that it actually looks BAD. Anybody else feel the same way? I won't buy Blu-Ray because I think regular DVD looks alot better, honestly.

Specially when they show the special promo reels compiled by the TV manufacturers. The contrast on those is hyped up so much it actually makes it look bad.

I also often see TV sets in stores that are just setup bad. HD doesn't look as good as it could on those.

As for the BR movies it depends a lot on the authoring. Pirates of the Caribean looks damn nice on BR, so does the blue planet do entary from the BBC. There are also some free HD wmv samples you can donload from the BBC (just scenes from Japan, Africa...) and those look really good. But I also have a couple of BR discs that I can hardly tell the difference from the regular DVD. If you have a decent setup (meaning the picture is not influenced by a crapy connection beteen the player and the TV) you can probably notice big differences between regular DVDs - the same is also true for BR HD.

Technology is not a magic wand, you still to have to put effort and money into the production if you want a good result.

[traitoravery]

Does your TV have to be full 1080p to get the full effect of BR? If so I will just wait until I get a full 1080p. As of now I have 1080i. meh

[MoSpur]

How much does Blu Ray run for? A decent one

[Slomo]

Does your TV have to be full 1080p to get the full effect of BR? If so I will just wait until I get a full 1080p. As of now I have 1080i. meh

What resolution is your screen? Is it a full HD screen (1920x1080)?

If it is BR will look pretty nice, just slightly worse than 1080p. If you have a lesser screen res, it will still look better than regular DVDs but the difference won't be that dramatic.