voyage to mars

Thursday, December 09, 2004

The next-gen DVD battlefield is getting bloody, and this is unlikely to benefit us, the consumers.

A few weeks ago, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, and New Line signed up with Toshiba and NEC's HD-DVD format, which gave them a major advantage over Sony's Blu-ray. Now Disney - obviously a key brand for any future format - has planted its feet firmly in the Sony camp, together with (Sony owned) Columbia and MGM. That's everyone accounted for, then, and we're all going to have to buy two players in the years to come, unless someone gives in to reason. (And seeing as billions of dollars are on the line, that's unlikely to happen.)

Personally, I would like to see Blu-ray emerge as the victor, simply because it's the superior format - it can hold more data - but, more importantly, I want to see a single format, because that's what the market needs. With two competing high-def formats, everyone loses. ¶ 09:27

Comments:

Go with HD-DVD that will be cheaper and able to play CDs and DVDs or Blu-Ray that will store more data.

It's ok to say you want a single format... but Blu-Ray was not superior when you first started saying it, and now I think it is still a weaker format.

On the otherhand wanted a single format, hmmm get rid of your Macs and start using x86, x86-64 because intel based machines are the most used. Not to mention windows vs linux.

# posted by Anonymous : 5:57 PM

A dual format Blu-ray/CD disc has already been developed, and it's expected that a BD/DVD disc will see the light of day in the very near future. Once manufacturing gears up, the production costs of Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs will be roughly similar. (In fact, Sony has developed a paper-based BD disc that would be cheaper to mass produce.)

There is no question that Blu-ray is technologically superior to HD-DVD, and players - at least the ones that have been shown in public, at CES and other trade shows - are currently more advanced. HD-DVD hasn't shown much of anything yet.

The studios' decision to join either camp, however, is purely a political one, not one based on technology or cost. It's rumoured that Fox will join Disney in supporting BD, which will make the two camps about equal in size.

# posted by Ragnar : 9:35 PM

Argh it's videowars all over again! History always repeats itself. But maybe it may also repeat in the fact that whichever system the *cough* erotic *cough* industry chooses will make it's way to the masses. We all know how it turned out. And then there's also the sure appearance of dvd players that will be able to play both ;)

# posted by Anonymous : 10:13 PM

"A dual format Blu-ray/CD disc has already been developed"
but the Blu-Ray/DVD hasn't. Blu-Ray before MPEG-4 support would have stored less video than HD-DVD, Sony was late on that. Until they confirm it then it doesn't exist.

"Once manufacturing gears up, the production costs of Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs will be roughly similar. (In fact, Sony has developed a paper-based BD disc that would be cheaper to mass produce.)"
The players will be more expensive, the disks would have a much larger initial outlay than HD-DVD. You can't say this cost doesn't exist.

"at least the ones that have been shown in public, at CES and other trade shows - are currently more advanced. HD-DVD hasn't shown much of anything yet."
Both companies have shown players. More advanced in what regards?

Wanting the approval of the DVD Forum, and the quicker adoption of media formats like MPEG-4.

Sony also went the mini-disc root, and has taken forever to even acknowledge that mp3, aac, and other formats even exist.

# posted by Anonymous : 11:43 PM

"Fox will join Disney" I never thought I'd hear this phrase.

# posted by Mayonesiac : 5:23 PM