Who Really Won the High Definition DVD War?

With the dust settling on the next generation disc format wall settling, not all of us are thrilled with the Blu-ray outcome. While Bill bought an HD DVD player, I also thought that HD DVD was to be "the standard." Our very own Bear emerges from his den after a winter worth of hibernation to weigh in on the issue. With the studios bailing on making new HD DVD discs, I think the reality is that Blu-Ray is here to stay. However, like VHS defeating Betamax, let's not pretend that it was the superior format. Also, at current prices, the Blu-Ray gear is also more expensive.

Jonas
Well, they say the war is over, and Blu-Ray is the winner! I will be honest, I really thought for several reasons, HD-DVD would be the clear winner in the end. Maybe they will be……

My reasons for selecting HD-DVD format were clear. The players were cost much less. Where Blu-Ray was $499 and up, HD-DVD was $299! When I looked at the movie selections, I really like the selection HD-DVD had compared to the titles Blu-Ray was offering. The Toshiba HD-A2 had an Ethernet port so you could update the player’s firmware and get additional content regarding the movie off the internet. The Combo-Disc, a disc that had both the HD version AND the standard definition versions of the movie on the other side made a lot of sense. HD-DVD players played standard DVD’s.

Well, it seems Sony was not about to lose this war like they did to VHS with there Betamax video cassette player. In that war I selected Betamax! Again it made sense. It actually had a higher quality picture and was in a smaller housing. Wrong, VHS wins and I sit there scratching my head and asking why? Did Sony make deals with studios? Does it really matter?

The quality of a High Definition DVD played on a 32” TV is hard to see at a distance of 6 feet or further. Consumers with larger monitors will indeed see an increase in quality. Many consumers may actually decide that the quality of a standard definition DVD is acceptable when weighing the additional cost of Blu-ray discs and a new player!

The competition between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray was actually good for the consumer. It encouraged price discounts and pushed the advancement of the technology. The days of the CD are numbered, what to think that the same might be true of the DVD and Blu-Ray formats? In a few short years, the standard for all audio and video content we watch may very well be sent to our home via the internet and with advancements in compression the storage media may be a chip. Do you know where you music is tonight?

One things for sure, things won’t stay as they are…..

Bear

Goodbye HD DVD, We Hardly Knew Ya

Dearly gathered, let us mourn the loss of yet another media format. Add to the likes of eight tracks, minidiscs, laser discs, Jaz drives, digital audio tape, Betamax, and SmartMedia the latest in a long string of soon to be defunct media formats, the HD DVD.

I've been holding off buying a next gen movie player for quite a while, and I'm using my rule of thumb that I used for a DVD player: I'll jump on board when the player is $100, and there are discs aplenty at my local video store and public library. Quite frankly, before that happens, my regular DVD player and my TV set's upscaling are absolutely of high enough quality. For quite some time, I did think that this was the year that we would get a winner and affordable gear.

Is this death premature? After Black Friday '07, I was guessing at HD DVD as the winner, and Bill even bought a player. However, things turned quickly at CES, and Blu-Ray got all the buzz. With consumer outlets like Best Buy, Blockbuster, and online rental giant Netflix betting heavily on Blu-Ray, I think it has become clear. For better, or worse, Sony has emerged victorious, and Blu-Ray has been given the all important kiss of "the standard."

Is it all over that quickly? I'm not really sure, but based on what I've been reading over the last few weeks, it certainly looks that way. Pricing would also seem to confirm that. Right now at Wally Mart, the HD DVD's are going for around $150 (fire sale), and the Blu-Ray player is $370.

What to do? I'm sticking to my original plan: when I can find a Blu-Ray player for $100, I'll jump on board, and not any sooner.

Jonas

Feel free to discuss your plans below.

NudgeCast 12/05/07

Click to Play

Special thanks to Incompetech for the theme music.
Feel free to weigh in on the theme music as this is the first time I've tried it...

NudgeCast 7-12-07

You didn't think we were going to get through a week without a NudgeCast, did you? Well, it's posted, and with any luck you should be able to play it from within this screen. This time, I'm giving some shameless self promotion to our contest. Enter early & often to snag the pile of discs.

If for some reason the player won't work, plan "B" is over here.

--Jonas

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