Prediction: Blu ray blows away HD DVD in 2008

[j_garcia]

The problem with HD DVD is, I don't think that half or more of the people buying an HD DVD player even know that HD DVDs are not the same as SD....they think upscaled SD DVD is the same thing. "What the public doesn't know is what makes them the public..."

Thus far, more of the BD titles I have seen look better than the HD DVD titles I have seen. At this point, The Matrix is probably the best looking HD DVD I have seen, though I haven't broken open Bourne Ultimatum yet.

 

[gus6464]

The problem with HD DVD is, I don't think that half or more of the people buying an HD DVD player even know that HD DVDs are not the same as SD....they think upscaled SD DVD is the same thing. "What the public doesn't know is what makes them the public..."

Thus far, more of the BD titles I have seen look better than the HD DVD titles I have seen. At this point, The Matrix is probably the best looking HD DVD I have seen, though I haven't broken open Bourne Ultimatum yet.

Harry potter looks badass on HD DVD, so does Bourne, and umm can't really think of another movie that's worth buying over renting. To me it just comes down to price. If the movie is being released for both I just buy whatever disc is cheaper that day. But BD does have the upper hand right now with better titles available. I want Iron Man on HD DVD though.

 

[annunaki]

IMO you really owe it to yourself to pick up a cheap HD player to enjoy until the "war" is over. I bought my player for like $350 and have enjoyed every penny of it. Blu Ray could win tomorrow and I'd have no regrets.

Me neither (regrets). At least I have a really good upconverting DVD player if the format loses out.

 

[Johnd]

And the title reads:

"Blu Ray blows"

on the main page. Just thought I'd let you all know (and fuel this meaningless format bashing a little further).

At $160.00, I too will love my A3 to death (w/10 movies) until the war is over...or the latest, greatest format is unveiled.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

I have a grand total of $237 for both an A2 and a Samsung BDP1400 with 5 movies in each format on the way.

I have no regrets either I will rent both from netflix and sit back and wait to see who wins out.

 

[gus6464]

I have a grand total of $237 for both an A2 and a Samsung BDP1400 with 5 movies in each format on the way.

I have no regrets either I will rent both from netflix and sit back and wait to see who wins out.

Wait you got both an A2 and a BDP1400 for $237?

 

[Duffinator]

2008 is the year Sony's Howard Stringer and the Blu-ray Disc will slay HD DVD as effectively as Joseph Turok dispenses with dinosaurs. If you're unfamiliar with that metaphor, you probably don't have a PlayStation 3.

Hmmmm, seems many were saying this exact same thing.......LAST YEAR. Don't kid yourself, this is still a long ways from being over.

For those of you who think BD is a better technology, really who cares? Is the picture quality better on BD? No. That's all that matters to me and many others. So what if a series takes up 4 discs for BD and 6 for HD. That didn't stop people from buying 10 discs SD DVD's now did it? As for computer storage BD (and HD) will NEVER become mainstream so give that one up as well.

And for those that think the HD formats will never catch on think again. You think people that just bought $2,000 1080P capable sets wont' buy $200-$300 HD capable players when they upgrade again? Sure they will.

Best bet is to buy inexpensive players for both formats and enjoy the amazing picture quality they both have to offer.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Wait you got both an A2 and a BDP1400 for $237?

Yeppers. I got the A2 for 98 bucks on that one day sale, and I was given a $150 gift card and I had a 12% discount at best buy. Then one week later they dropped the price on the 1400 a hundred bucks and had to refund me the difference. Total out of pocket for both players brand new was 237 bucks. I am a happy camper.

In addition to that I picked up the HD DVD version of Blade Runner final cut briefcase version for 45 bucks at borders. Thanks to a 40% off discount and $15 dollars in borders rewards bucks.

 

[Emusica]

Explain....

Emusica, It was meant to be a reference of when the cows come home:

"then those waiting may be getting their HD just after the cows arrive home"
Was a derivative of when the cows come home, i.e. a long time coming if ever.

Understood I'll be waiting forever.... hopefully I wont have to wait too long.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Even Sony is admitting Bluray isn't likely to get the kind of big win they'd hoped for.

 

[Sheep]

I don't understand some of your positions.... you want 1 to win, but you buy both... I understand getting a universal player, but 1 of each? What are you going to do, sell the other when it's over?

SheepStar

 

[Duffinator]

I don't understand some of your positions.... you want 1 to win, but you buy both... I understand getting a universal player, but 1 of each? What are you going to do, sell the other when it's over?

SheepStar

It's cheaper to buy two players than one universal.

 

[Electone]

I don't understand some of your positions.... you want 1 to win, but you buy both... I understand getting a universal player, but 1 of each? What are you going to do, sell the other when it's over?

SheepStar

Maybe, maybe not. If Blu-ray wins, I'll use my HD-A2 for my existing HD DVDs and for upconverting my SD-DVDs. If HD DVD wins, my PS3 will continue to play my BDs and I'm sure that it will continue as a gaming format.

One issue that isn't discussed very often is the ramifications for Sony not only as a BD player manufacturer, but as a studio as well. If Blu-ray wins, Toshiba only needs to start manufacturing BD players. But, if HD DVD wins, Sony will not only have to start making HD DVD players, but software as well. Sony has much more at stake in this format war than Toshiba.

 

[Sheep]

It's cheaper to buy two players than one universal.

But by buying both you're not helping the war. Supporting both sides?

SheepStar

 

[Thunder18]

Sony has publicly said that they are not marketing Blu-Ray as a budget item on purpose and I think as crazy as it sounds, J6P who got the $98 Toshiba A2 is going to balk at the price of HD-DVD's and continue to buy SD DVD's while your typical Blu-Ray buyer because of the price point knows exactly what he/she is getting into and doesn't consider a $30 disc a bad deal. I mean maybe I'm way off base, but I don't think affordable hardware guarantees anymore software sales.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Sony has publicly said that they are not marketing Blu-Ray as a budget item on purpose and I think as crazy as it sounds, J6P who got the $98 Toshiba A2 is going to balk at the price of HD-DVD's and continue to buy SD DVD's while your typical Blu-Ray buyer because of the price point knows exactly what he/she is getting into and doesn't consider a $30 disc a bad deal. I mean maybe I'm way off base, but I don't think affordable hardware guarantees anymore software sales.

Perhaps not but that would not be a point for renting HD from on line places

 

[allargon]

The problem with HD DVD is, I don't think that half or more of the people buying an HD DVD player even know that HD DVDs are not the same as SD....they think upscaled SD DVD is the same thing. "What the public doesn't know is what makes them the public..."

Thus far, more of the BD titles I have seen look better than the HD DVD titles I have seen. At this point, The Matrix is probably the best looking HD DVD I have seen, though I haven't broken open Bourne Ultimatum yet.

You haven't seen Hot Fuzz, Transformers or Eastern Promises?

Yeah, the cautious folks are buying HD-DVD players and renting the discs. (Too bad Blockbuster was too stupid to capitalize on this as usual. )

I thought Blu-ray was sure to win back in spring of 2007. However, i saw HD-DVD lower its prices to reasonable early adopter levels and saw that profile mess unfolding. I then heard prediction after prediction about HD-DVD is on its death bed. Then, Paramount switched and people shut-up briefly. Both formats will coexist well into 2008 barring a major studio shift.

Honestly, even if Blu-Ray wins, it will be the next laserdisc. For the average person with a smaller than 50" HDTV, upconverted SD DVD is good enough. (However, the differences are noticeable on a 32" screen.) Blu-Ray has significantly larger authoring and replication than HD-DVD and SD DVD. Independent (pr0n, high art, audio-only music, sports, non major production houses) studio support is almost non-existent on Blu-Ray.

For the price of a combo player one could buy a Universal (DVD, SACD, DVD-A) player, a Blu-Ray player and a HD-DVD player. The combo players are not Universal players. It boggles my mind that they didn't add SACD and DVD-A playback.

 

[Duffinator]

I mean maybe I'm way off base, but I don't think affordable hardware guarantees anymore software sales.

No guarantees but it can't hurt.

I wonder what the ratio of HD/BD disc sales are compared to players sold? I bet it's much closer than it appears. I'm in the just rent HD DVD's camp but I'll do the same thing for BD as well if/when I buy a BD player. I stopped buying DVD's a few years ago and think of NetFlix as my personal library of thousands fo DVD's. There's a NetFlix DC a few miles from me so I have a 48 hour turnaround on rentals.

The PS3 was supposed to be the decisive weapon in this battle and it very well may be in the end. But it's taking a lot longer than most Sony fans predicted. If there is a winner I think it will be BD but by the time this war is over we might be downloading movies and this will be a moot battle. In the meantime anybody know where I can get a BD player for $200 or less???

 

[j_garcia]

You haven't seen Hot Fuzz, Transformers or Eastern Promises?

Oddly enough, I picked up Hot Fuzz and Eastern Promises last night

For the price of a combo player one could buy a Universal (DVD, SACD, DVD-A) player, a Blu-Ray player and a HD-DVD player. The combo players are not Universal players. It boggles my mind that they didn't add SACD and DVD-A playback.

They didn't include them because they already weren't selling players based on those features.

 

[Thunder18]

For the price of a combo player one could buy a Universal (DVD, SACD, DVD-A) player, a Blu-Ray player and a HD-DVD player. The combo players are not Universal players. It boggles my mind that they didn't add SACD and DVD-A playback.

You won't see dvd-a support from Sony because they were one of the creators of SACD. Of course, on a side note, my Panasonic blu-ray player plays DVD-A. You're right though, for the price of the combo players, to not include something my $35 refurbed Samsung DVD-HD841 had(upscaling dvd, dvd-a, sacd and cd)? It can't cost that much to implement if you're still making the player compatible with the old formats. Although, weren't there several next gen players that wouldn't actually play cd's