HD-DVD - Blu Ray Format War has ended - Toshiba quits HD DVD business

[stratman]

I have misgivings on the whole hi-def DVD maelstrom. I don't know if BD will survive in the long run, or at least hold up as well as CD or DVD has. I just don't know. I guess I'm a bit cynical after all the failures in CE formats. How many times before have companies invested untold amounts of capital in a venture which seemed logical, profitable and outright enticing to the mass market, only to have it flop after a digestion period of months or short years? I tread cautiously, I will wait till end of year and pray that the economy will at least remain steady or dip only slightly more. One good hiccup in the economy and they won't be able to give away BDs. But then CE won't be a pressing need to the majority of Americans, keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table will be on the forefront.

 

[rgriffin25]

I'll be very happy if all players are Profile 2.0 by Christmas and there is a model form somebody - anybody - for $199. They need to get everyone to Profile 2.0 however. This multi-profile stuff is going to cause MAJOR headaches.

Well here are my questions about BD profiles..?

1. Will Profile 2.0 ever really matter?
I remember several promised features for DVD that never became a reality. Here are a couple of examples.. Having multiple ratings on one disc. Which means you can watch an R rated movie at a PG level. I have seen variants of this such as TV Guardian. However this NEVER became a widely used feature. How about multiple camera angles? I believe there was only one industry that made use of this feature..(can any one say PORN?)

2. If profile 2.0 does matter.. How many people currently in the US have a broadband connection? Let alone a dedicated broadband connection to their TV?

Sometimes I think the confusion / headaches are brought on by ourselves. I may not be giving J6P enough credit, but I dont think the newer profiles matter as much as price. I can't tell you how many times I have browsed the BD / HD movie section and overhearing someone mention how expensive the HD movies were. The player prices at the $300 to $400 range are fine (it would help somewhat if they were to fall another $100). If Blu-ray wants to go mainstream the price for movies needs to drop below $20.

 

[stratman]

I don't think that 2.0 is such an issue of contention (only to Audioholics.) Most folks do fine with 1.3, the key is cheaper players and slashed software prices.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I couldn't care less for profile 2.0.

I have never even hooked my PS3, Sony BD, Panasonic BD, or Toshiba HD to the internet.

I don't even care for all the movie extras.

I just care for the movie itself.

And I own 2 new laptops, and I just bought another desktop.

 

[The Chukker]

I couldn't care less for profile 2.0.

I couldn't agree more.

I have never even hooked my PS3, Sony BD, Panasonic BD, or Toshiba HD to the internet.

You may want (for sh!ts and giggles) to upgrade your firmware once in awhile; my BD player ran much smoother after I upgraded it, and especially with SD playback -- much less jittery. Downside? It took forever to complete (like almost an hour yikes! )

 

[Thaedium]

Whoa, was just watching this on the news as some of you have. I'm kinda relieved, I just went out and bought the PS3 like 4 days ago. And as a big Xbox fan, I have to admit I just plain out like the PS3 more (too bad it has shitty controlers ). Not to mention the Blu-ray movies I've watched thus far have been really impressive eyecandy. I've only gotten around to watching The Prestige, and Rush hour 3 thus far.

As for updating the players taking a while, I think the PS3 update was flawless. I downloaded firmware to a memory stick, plugged it into PS3 and then 10 minutes later I was good to go.

I think its a shame to see HD DVD go though, its too bad Toshiba and Sony never got together to make a joint effort product.

 

[Biggiesized]

Well here are my questions about BD profiles..?

1. Will Profile 2.0 ever really matter?
I remember several promised features for DVD that never became a reality. Here are a couple of examples.. Having multiple ratings on one disc. Which means you can watch an R rated movie at a PG level. I have seen variants of this such as TV Guardian. However this NEVER became a widely used feature. How about multiple camera angles? I believe there was only one industry that made use of this feature..(can any one say PORN?)

2. If profile 2.0 does matter.. How many people currently in the US have a broadband connection? Let alone a dedicated broadband connection to their TV?

Sometimes I think the confusion / headaches are brought on by ourselves. I may not be giving J6P enough credit, but I dont think the newer profiles matter as much as price. I can't tell you how many times I have browsed the BD / HD movie section and overhearing someone mention how expensive the HD movies were. The player prices at the $300 to $400 range are fine (it would help somewhat if they were to fall another $100). If Blu-ray wants to go mainstream the price for movies needs to drop below $20.

Many of the unused DVD features were the result of lazy programmers.

However, some made their way into major releases. The Criterion Collection Beastie Boys DVD Video Anthology had some music videos on it that had 8 or 9 angles. You could watch the same music video multiple times without seeing the same thing because you can switch angles on the fly.

 

[joe68]

As exciting as all of this is to me I think it will take quite awhile for the HD fomat in any form (profile)to really get astablished, the price point is one thing and SD DVDs sell really cheap, as far as everyone haveing to plug there player into yet another peice of equiptment well... maybe the new generation will but to expect the masses to I just don't see it happening any time soon. I can only guess the target is a billion people out of the 9 or so of us there are but that may take awile. The only way they can do it and (I won't put it past them) is to force it down our throats by cutting off the supply of other media but thanks to the allmighty dollar that's not likely to happen. I do like the HD experience but I'm still not capable of the full effects ie; true HD sound or 1080p I'm close but another couple grand keeps me out, and thats the problem I think most people have. You really need alot of equiptment to get the full effect of HD It might only take me a year or so but, it may take a bit longer for others. Anyway when BR has there $##$ together I will buy a good player and new receiver to process and maybe a new 1080p LCD and poss a dedicated computer, well will see how things shake out.

Sorry I just needed to get some of that out.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Weird, mine takes just a few minutes each time and I do it through wireless internet.

You may want (for sh!ts and giggles) to upgrade your firmware once in awhile; my BD player ran much smoother after I upgraded it, and especially with SD playback -- much less jittery. Downside? It took forever to complete (like almost an hour yikes! )

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I couldn't agree more.

You may want (for sh!ts and giggles) to upgrade your firmware once in awhile; my BD player ran much smoother after I upgraded it, and especially with SD playback -- much less jittery. Downside? It took forever to complete (like almost an hour yikes! )

I've downloaded every single firmware from my computer, so there is really no need for the ethernet- at least not for me.

 

[patnshan]

Prices will drop as economics dictate. As Toshiba proved it makes no sense for a company to drop prices if they're losing money. Toshiba's deals on the A2 and the A3 were an exception, not the rule, of how a company should introduce a new product. This was proven out by the fact that the company lost hundreds of millions of dollars producing a product that is now defunct.

I think all Toshiba proved is that they should have paid Warner as much as it would have taken to join their camp. That was quite simply the deciding factor IMHO. Everything else just spiralled down from there.

These headlines would all be the same, but substitute HD DVD for Blu Ray in them. I would go further to say that mass adoption to HD DVD if Blu Ray dropped out would be very rapid just based on the price.

Despite the typical fanboy responses I expect, the format war was not won because of a "better" product, specs, picture, etc. It was won because of marketing and studio support, nothing else.

Pat

 

[astrodon]

I can't believe I picked the winning format

I thought for sure that when I bought a PS3 to play Blu-Ray, my purchase would spell doom for Blu-Ray. (I bought a Beta machine for my first video tape player.)

 

[saurabh]

Isnt that the way of the world ??

Despite the typical fanboy responses I expect, the format war was not won because of a "better" product, specs, picture, etc. It was won because of marketing and studio support, nothing else.
Pat

 

[The Chukker]

Oops...

Weird, mine takes just a few minutes each time and I do it through wireless internet.

To clarify, if was my receiver that took a hour; the BD Player took ~6 to 7 minutes .

 

[davo]

the format war was not won because of a "better" product, specs, picture, etc. It was won because of marketing and studio support, nothing else.

Pat

I wouldn't play down those two very important points, MARKETING and SUPPORT.
Why do you think BOSE is so popular? They have marketing by the truck-loads.
And what company would turn down wide spread support? They would be out of business very quickly if they did because some other company/brand would get it.

We have seen two similar formats, but only one of them was really trying.

To the winner be the spoils!