HD-DVD Losing Steam

[Jedi2016]

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB112363894801609440-H9jfoNklal4mpysZHqHaKWIm4,00.html

It seems that the backers of HD-DVD are starting to waver. Releases for this holiday seasons have been scaled back quite a bit, and it looks like Toshiba will be the only one releasing an HD-DVD player before the end of the year (current speculation still says it will be around $1,000 at launch).

Most of them seem to be hoping for a combined format, a merging of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. But it also looks like they may forgo HD-DVD entirely and simply switch to Blu-Ray. I think the instant market penetration of Blu-Ray through Playstation 3 is starting to get their attention.

 

[racquetman]

Man, I hope BMXTRIX doesn't see this thread!! I'll never hear the end of it.

I think it's hard to gain or lose momentum when you haven't really done anything other than make some announcements. Actions speak louder than words. We need one or both of these formats to start rolling some hardware off the assembly lines and some media to start showing up.

All we have going right now is a propaganda war.

 

[brian32672]

Man, I hope BMXTRIX doesn't see this thread!! I'll never hear the end of it.

Curious what you mean by that. LOL

 

[racquetman]

Curious what you mean by that. LOL

BMXTRIX and I love to argue about the HD-DVD and Blu-ray format war. He is firmly on the side of Blu-ray, so anything bad that happens to HD-DVD hurts my side of the argument. I'm not necessarily on the side of HD-DVD, but I'm trying to argue their side for them (someone has to defend those poor guys ).

 

[BMXTRIX]

You think I would pass this up??!!??



I still have no idea which will win for sure... But, it does fall in line with what my expectations are and what I have heard. Mostly, if Blu-Ray has movie production houses and have a market base to sell movies into, then the studios are ready, right now, to send HD masters to those studios to have them released in Blu-Ray format. Same with HD-DVD format. No studio is passing up $$$ to back either format which is why there are no 'exclusive' deals with movie only studios.

Still, if HD-DVD is being pushed back some, I am sure the Blu-Ray will be as well. The updates coming along are all slow still and by this time I would think that they would have finalized specifications for both formats so that manufacturers can start designing final product and getting things ready for production.

Meh, nothing new though - vaporware is a disease in the A/V world and actual product release is often months behind schedule if not 100% non-existent. It will be interesting to see if ads for HD discs on HD channels are actually shot in HD.

 

[Duffinator]

Still, if HD-DVD is being pushed back some, I am sure the Blu-Ray will be as well. The updates coming along are all slow still and by this time I would think that they would have finalized specifications for both formats so that manufacturers can start designing final product and getting things ready for production.

I agree. What this really does is give both sides more time to come up with a compromise. If they can agree on one format then everyone will win and we will finally get an HD DVD format. Then the fun begins with killer looking video, new hardware to purchase, and plenty of movies to buy.