Is HD DVD Trying to Lose?

[Pyrrho]

...
To the naysayers of dual format discs... do you guys never go on vacation and bring a few movies? ...

If I wanted to watch movies on vacation, I would stay at home. Why go to the expense and trouble to travel only to do what one can do at home? The whole point of travel is to experience something different from what one would experience at home.

That said, if the price were the same, I would prefer dual format discs over single format discs. All of my SACDs are hybrids, and I really like that so that I can play them in my systems that do not support SACD.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

My first Hi-Def player was the Toshiba HDDVD player (HD-XA1). Then after I noticed the dual format discs, I stop buying HDDVD and changed to Blu-ray. I think it is ridiculous to charge extra for something I have no use for (and already own on standard DVD). If people don't care about Hi-Def, then they should just buy plain DVDs. But I would think most people who care about Hi-Def would demand the best and just want HD movies. After watching HD, I would never even want to watch another standard DVD (unless it only comes in standard DVD format). I didn't buy a HDDVD player to watch standard DVD.
I have absolutely no use for standard DVD.
So now I'm all blu-ray.

 

[Audioholics]

It appears as though skablaw is the one who stood on the soap box this morning.

In his defense I am adding (as soon as we can) an icon-driven system to the site whereby articles will be more readily identifiable as editorial, news, review, etc...

 

[Tex-amp]

BestBuy has the 360 HD add-on for $149 this morning. With King Kong in the box and the 5 freebies that is $150 worth of HD DVD movies.

The 360 is supposedly going to be cut $50 next week. That means the combined 360 and HD add on will be $500 just like a PS3.

 

[Warpdrv]

Im not sure I would consider the Xbox 360 a very viable product for consumers in this day and age... Here is a company that instead of just releasing a console as an all for 1 unit right from the start, they first release the console without HDMI when every single product out there (even DVD players less then $100.00) already have HDMI hookups, not too mention they make the Hard Drive an upgrade, and then want you to add on another attachment for HD-DVD to this rediculus TURBINE JET ENGINE.... I could hear that stupid thing wining way off in my kitchen when my nephew brought his over....

Sorry to say, I will wait for something better to come out... XBOX-360 POS

Microsoft the $$ hungry whores they are....

 

[CooLJ92]

I agree with Autoboy on this. Combo disks are great since I can take them with when I travel with the family or on business and watch them on my PC or vehicle DVD player without taking my HD DVD player with me. With Blue Ray, you are only limited to watching the movies at home. I think this is a big plus for HDDVD. Combo format is only $3 more with the flexiability to watch in any standard dvd player.

jj

 

[BMXTRIX]

...the HD-DVD version of "300" includes copious high-definition extras not available on Blu-ray...

Pretty sure he wasn't doing a Blu-ray vs. HD DVD comparison or a "300" review, but was making a comment on how WB is not helping the HD DVD format in general. Most HD DVD releases do include some IME features, but the main movie is the same and you are paying five bucks more, on average, per title.

...in fact, most releases available on both formats enjoy a respectable discount on HD-DVD.

Why would you say something like this? It is flat out incorrect and part of the reason that I will shed no tears for HD DVD at any point. HD DVD is supposed to cost less, but if you actually compare non-hybrid dual format releases it is almost never the case that one format is cheaper.

Look at Blood Diamond and Shooter - both current, and excellent examples. The price? MSRP is exactly the same and the Amazon discounted price to consumers is exactly the same. It's not that I don't see any price 'discount' for HD DVD, it is that there simply isn't this discount you just said existed and with WB titles, you pay more for the titles!

I would also make mention that these soap-box rants add nothing productive to the discussion. They are merely egotistical pontifications and thoroughly disappoint those of us who turn to resources such as Audioholics for sage advice and objective analysis in order to make sound decisions.

I agree completely, it is far better to make things up in the face of reality.

 

[skablaw]

I apologize, Clint. I was in a particularly sensitive position having just purchased the HD-DVD moments before I read your take on the format. You're absolutely 100% entitled to that opinion and it's a valid one in many respects.

There's no doubt that many average consumers are going to look almost exclusively at the bottom-line and the hybrid discs practically need a banner proclaiming the justification for their existence since most folks won't even notice that there is a standard-def DVD included. They'll just say "Five bucks!? To hell with that!"

For what it's worth, with this title I'd compare the price differential to the Ultimate vs. Complete Matrix Trilogy. There are some extras that I think serious fans of the film will appreciate that aren't available on the Blu-ray, and for them the $5 is a Big Mac and fries so why not throw down the extra cash now and not wonder what might be missed.

I guess I was ultimately frustrated because I feel like articles such as yours are the reason HD-DVD is struggling, not because of the format itself. Sometimes I wonder if Sony is putting third-party reviewers and consumer advocates on their payroll with all of the bad press HD-DVD undeservedly gets. All of the banter early on about inferior disc space has proved a moot point and the reviews clearly demonstrate that the formats are technically equal in terms of video playback and audio quality. So what is killing HD-DVD? Articles about what is killing HD-DVD!

-As a footnote I want to point out that I own players for both formats and discs for both formats. My decision to pay $35 for the HD-DVD version of "300" came after half an hour of pacing around the stand at Best Buy and I finally settled on it after deciding that I appreciate both the DVD version and the added content.

 

[skablaw]

Microsoft the $$ hungry whores they are....

And Sony is better?

 

[Audioholics]

I think I've consistently railed on both formats equally... Did you see the review where I described how the DVD of The Fifth Element looked better than the first Blu-ray release?

And for the record I have an HD DVD player, simply because it was cheaper initially and allowed me to push 1080p content for my projector and display reviews.

 

[Tarub]

Porn industry on HD

When porn industry sided with VHS during the format war between Beta and VHS in 80's it made a lot of difference in the outcome.
Now on Hi Def disc war porn is starting to join the war again.

Sex sells!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/31/AR2007073100021.html

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I have a feeling that you dont really want to see porn in HD. Uglier girls than you think...

 

[Johnd]

When porn industry sided with VHS during the format war between Beta and VHS in 80's it made a lot of difference in the outcome.
Now on Hi Def disc war porn is starting to join the war again.

Do you really know this from the the Post article, or is it from personal experience? Funny, the article made no mention of VHS or Beta.

I'm just meesing with you Tarub.

 

[avaserfi]

When porn industry sided with VHS during the format war between Beta and VHS in 80's it made a lot of difference in the outcome.
Now on Hi Def disc war porn is starting to join the war again.

Sex sells!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/31/AR2007073100021.html

Actually, originally the porn industry backed HD DVD because it was cheaper to produce especially when Sony wasn't allowing pressing of porn in their factories, but more recently as BD popularity has grown the porn has found its way here.

The internet changed the strength of pornography in this format war. The anonymity of being able to get everything online and have updates included in the fees beats out hard mediums plus who really pays for porn anymore anyways.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Why do most people think that one of the Hi-Def formats will die?
Couldn't they just co-exist? As long as movie studios don't care and continue to crank out both blu-ray and HDDVD movies, I think both formats will exist like X-Box 360 and PS3 and MAC and PC.

 

[Tarub]

Do you really know this from the the Post article, or is it from personal experience? Funny, the article made no mention of VHS or Beta.

From the article:

The adoption of Blu-ray Disc by the Japanese porn industry could make all the difference in the format war. The adult film industry has long been a first mover in using new technologies, and many analysts say the industry played a key role in making VHS the winner in the video cassette fight against Sony's Betamax video tape standard years ago. Blu-ray Disc, also a Sony technology, is now vying with HD DVD to be the high-definition disc of choice in the 21st century.

 

[Johnd]

From the article:

Forgive me, you are hereby exonerated. I was really just joking though.

Either way, I think the porn industry is incredibly minute in comparison to mainstream movies and all that other stuff (documentaries, children's movies, music dvd's, etc.) that is purchased via dvd, and now hd/br. But good save Tarub.

 

[Johnd]

Why do most people think that one of the Hi-Def formats will die?
Couldn't they just co-exist? As long as movie studios don't care and continue to crank out both blu-ray and HDDVD movies, I think both formats will exist like X-Box 360 and PS3 and MAC and PC.

Those aren't fair analogies. Games and computers are different animals. Higher end audio customers are not as abundant as computer customers. That is why all the analogies to VHS/betamax..."in the end there can be only one" (if history is any indicator).

And if you read Clint's article, hybrids jack up the price of the media (because it is so much more information stored on the disc), and only a handful of people really need/want hybrids. I'm still on the fence, and will remain so with my antiquated dvd's until this dispute is truly settled. But, to be sure, the next format war is not far off, so hold onto your seats everybody.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Not to drag this topic of porn hi-def any further, but just how many porn titles are on HDDVD anyway compared to other movies?
And I definitely agree that Disney (and all family oriented) movies have A LOT more audience (population) than porn.
That's why I think Shrek, Nemo, Toy Story, etc. will always make more money in home video sales than all porn movies combined.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

But, to be sure, the next format war is not far off, so hold onto your seats everybody.

Haven't they been saying that for about a year now?

Personally, I don't care who wins.