This High Def thing is going to start pissing me off?

Question

I just heard that Paramount and Dreamworks are signed on to HD DVD so i wont be seeing Shrek or Blades of Glory any time soon to mention a few. I asked this guy at best buy which format will win and he said blu ray definatly. Now im not so sure.

my question is when will this hd war end? I think i'll **** a brick if lord of the rings goes to HD exclusivly Then i'll have to buy two systems when one of them is going to be obsolete eventually.

Answer 1

The war won't end until a) one format has players under $200 (and HD DVD are almost there since Circuit City and Wal-Mart started selling off HD-A2's for $197 last week), b) Warner makes a choice which format to support. Furthermore, the vast majority of consumers are still happy buying DVDs and HD disks represent less than 3% of total DVD and HD disk sales ... so the 'war' is 'regional skirmish' of little importance to most consumers.

Despite the hype in the media and ads, consider whether you can benefit from HD even if there is a winner.

For example, you won't see any appreciable advantage to HD DVD or Blu-ray if you are watching on a sub-40", sub-1080p (i.e. 1366x768) HDTV and then only at a suitable distance (e.g. 6 ft or less for a 42" 1080p HDTV). Furthermore, you need a top end audio setup to benefit from the HD audio formats that HD disks feature (and studios are beginning to support).

I have an HD player (HD-A2 that I bought cheap) and a 110" screen and a 720p/1080i projector. While HD DVDs look marginally better than normal DVDs (sound of DolbyHD tracks on my system does seem improved though) there is not sufficient advantage for me to buy more than a very selective subset of the small number of HD DVDs yet available (and few of these warrant HD!). Sure, I'm probably not getting the full benefit of HD DVDs due to equipment limitations ... but that's my point. Most people are like me, equipment limited AND getting a good enough picture with normal DVDs. Therefore little incentive to upgrade.

My advice:

1) Wait. Don't spending money on a player of any type, let the war reach a conclusion, let more disks become available, more places start to rent them, AND see whether HD disks EVER catch on. They may remain a niche format and some form of download / HD movie on demand format slowly take over (10 GB in 5 second wireless is in early stages and further advances in compression can be expected).

2) In the meantime, put your money into improving your display (preferably a 1080p/24fps projector!) so you can take advantage of the "winner", or some other option.

Or ...

3) If you are lucky enough to have the equipment to allow you to benefit from HD disks now (and that includes your audio setup to benefit from HD sound) -- and can't wait -- buy a dual format player.

Answer 2

I know it is annoying being in the middle of a format war.

But .. would you like it if you only had 1 choice? The competition between the two formats is driving prices down, the connections are getting simpler with a single HDMI cable, and sales of HD box's is forcing CATV companies to upgrade so customers can get HD broadcasts.

We are on the 'bleeding edge', but I remember spending $480 for my first DVD player. The Progressive Scan units came out at $900 and stayed high for many months.

After only a few months, you can pick up one of these players for $200, or spend $400 and get a game system (PS3) as well.

Be thankful you have choices.

Answer 3

The Best Buy guy has been told to plug blu-ray because the players are more expensive, therefore the store makes more money - and he can make more money when he sells an extended warranty plan on a blu-ray player vs. a hd-dvd player.

At any rate, I've been telling everyone to totally IGNORE the whole HD-DVD/Blu-Ray thing. It's utterly stupid that the companies are thinking that consumers are going to somehow be HAPPY spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a movie player THAT CAN'T PLAY ALL MOVIES.

Which will win? Ask 10 people who even know about HD video, and 2 will say Blu-Ray, 2 will say HD-DVD, and 6 will say "Who cares? I just want this stupid war to END already!" Yes, that's right, even the home theater crowd, known for its early adoption of expensive new technology, ISN'T BUYING. They're calmly waiting for a victor to emerge. And why not? Many of them remember the VHS/Betamax war from the 80s, and the more recent war involving DVD-Audio/SACD (which ended in a failure of BOTH formats)

Buying a player now that can only handle one format is just a big gamble - and you'll get better odds at breaking even by going to Vegas and throwing a $500 chip down on the blackjack tables!

Most likely what will happen is that companies like LG and others will release dual-format HD players capable of playing both HD formats, plus all your DVDs and CDs. These initial models will probably be around $1000, but will drop in price quickly. This would end the war from the consumer's point of view, though you can bet the hardware companies and studios will bicker for years and years to come.

What's really stupid is that, at best, the HD video market can be is only about 20-25% of what DVD is doing right now. This is because HDTV only has a market penetration of 20-25% (at best) compared to the households that still don't have HDTV, and therefore have abosolutely no need of either HD movie format.

Granted, HDTV will be making big strides in the coming years. However, by the time the majority of the market has switched to HDTV, there's a really good chance that some yet-unheard of format will arrive that will not only dwarf HD-DVD/Blu-Ray, but will cause everyone to just leap-frog those formats in its favor.

Answer 4

Hi. HD DVD and Blu-ray are NOT quantum leaps in Technology. It is quite possible that the "format war"will go on indefinitely, because HD DVD and Blu-ray are not being positioned as replacements to DVD,they are simply an option - and one that is being largely ignored by the public despite millions of dollars being spent on competitive marketing. It's too much,too fast ,and with too little gain.Both camps are out to lunch and cannot see that all they have succeeded in doing is forming two elitist camps that cause consumer confusion and a general sense of apathy that we all have to go through such a debacle again - after so many lessons have taught us better.

Answer 5

This is a funny question, they do make players that play both formats.

........ But lets take a look at history.

VHS vs Beta: Beta by Sony, relative good quality for the time but proprietary thus expensive. VHS lower quality but every manufacturer was allowed to build them without the proprietary crap or at least at a much lower cost
WINNER VHS LOSER SONY

CDs no competitor at the time and developed with Phillips but didn't really take off until SONY let go of the high proprietary price tag and allowed players to be built cheaply by many manufactures.
WINNER SONY but 5 years later than it could have.

DAT vs ? This didn't work, again because of propritary cost. Sony charged others way too much to make a DAT player and tapes. Well that and initial law suits about coping LP's and other media to DAT.
LOSER SONY

Play Station (one) vs Nintendo in the 90's Sony finally got it right and invited as many companies as they could to write games and software. We all know the killing the ps1 made and lessor the ps2. ps3 price is killing it but back to the PS1 for inviting as many manufactures as possible to write software and not being so proprietary and expensive.
WINNER SONY LOSER Nintendo (in the 90's not now)

MP3 vs ATRAC: Humm lets see every one can make an MP3 player but they have to pay through the nose to make an ATRAC player, who won, lets see Sony just discontinued atrac
WINNER MP3 LOSER SONY

HDDVD vs BluRay As history has taught us, but not SONY, when you open your product to as many manuractures as possible at a reasonable price you will win as seen by the PS1 and the CD player (years later though). When you try to hold all the chips yourself you will lose as seen by BETA, DAT, ATRAC, and probably BluRay.

Just a side note, Pioneer backs BluRay and builds BluRay But, on the funny side, it also produces some of the Microchips used in HDDVD players. strange bed fellows

Answer 6

socca Your day will come. Every team, every bit of game time gets harder and harder from here on out. There are thousands of players competing for each college slot. Thousand of college players wanting to play for each open pro slot. The chances of winning a spot, and then playing get less and less. It is the same in all competitive sport! Soccerref

Answer 7

It is too early to tell which will "win" if either. Wait a while longer to know for sure, but if a one should look at a universal player if it is available, if they can't wait.

Answer 8

high def start pissing

Answer 9

to early to tell, and i too am tired of waiting. but you know we are part of the problem, i am waiting to see, which will win, yet there will be no winner till us the consumer chooses one... buy bying it by a considerable margin over the other. because then thats were the money will be. personally i vote for blu ray, and i aplaud sony for thier efforts to get it mainstream.

Answer 10

And your question is?