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If worst comes to worst, maybe HD DVD will become a niche market similar to DVD Audio. DVD Audio [contra SACD(Sony)] discs are still being sold-although new releases seem to be dwindling.

TB. (Still waiting for the TCM.com webpage to load).

Cynic wrote:

I just bought a used PS3, so this is good news to me.

And, I have to say, a Blu Ray movie on a 1080p screen looks pretty sweet.  The PS3 seems to do a really good job upconverting standard DVDs, but Blu Rays are noticeably better.

I wonder how, or if, this will affect sales of the PS3.  I believe it's still the cheapest Blu Ray player available.  The only thing I dislike about it as a movie player is that you either have to use the PS3 controller, or the specific PS3 remote for controlling playback, because it uses Bluetooth rather than IR or RF.  I have a nice programmable universal remote, and I can't use it with this thing.

You can buy a stand-alone Sony Blueray player for 399, which I would buy over a ps3 anyday.

Doubtless Apple will use this as another stick to beat Microsoft and Vista with-"Leopard is the only OS to include support for Blu Ray" or some other such rot.

pottymouth wrote:

CES word is that Toshiba has announced siginificant price cuts to it's HD-DVD players with one model at about $150. An interesting move, but I'm not sure I'd pay even that low price for something that could be obsolete in a short while.

It's this statement, repeated across the country, that will kill HD-DVD.

Now, has anyone stated that the basic movie format will change at all? Everything I've heard says special features this and special features that. Has anyone said that the next rev of HD-DVD will break movie playback? If so, that's a dealbreaker, if not, well, the format war still rages.

bratboy wrote:

oatmeal wrote:

pottymouth wrote:

CES word is that Toshiba has announced siginificant price cuts to it's HD-DVD players with one model at about $150. An interesting move, but I'm not sure I'd pay even that low price for something that could be obsolete in a short while.

It's this statement, repeated across the country, that will kill HD-DVD.

Not necessarily.  Cheap player, tons of new movies already on disc...I would bet that many walk into the store and drop a couple grand on a new television without doing any research beforehand.  What's another couple hundred?

For Canadian readers, Toshiba seems to have discounted the price of the HD DVD players on the Canadian website:

http://www.toshiba.ca/web/products.grp? … amp;fm=top

Though the XA2 remains at $799.

Gatchaman wrote:

It's over.  Bring on the $39 burners and $29 spindles of blank discs!

G5Addict wrote:

I too hope Blu-Ray wins this war... and soon.  A Blu-Ray burner would be a nice addition to my Mac.

Why do you think this will make BD cheaper? Price wars & competition tend to drive prices down, not up. Technology does get cheaper over time, and a decent B-D drive (from ASUS, who make much Mac hardware) is going for around $250 now, bare drive, street price. Another maker has a combo B-D/ HD-DVD drive for $300. H-D software needed some time to get right.

user wrote:

Do we REALLY want a Sony-dominated standard?

Not I. Too shady, as noted, and all BD has going inherently is greater per-layer capacity. 2, 3, even 10-layer media have been shown. 3-layer HD-DVD has slightly greater capacity than dual-layer B-D.

elpato84 wrote:

I'm glad it's leaning to Bluray, if only because I can pronounce it without sounding like I'm stuttering.

Not really much of a reason.

iMan wrote:

Ahhhh great. Just as I buy the xbox, the one console with (the external) HD-DVD player. Guess I won't have anything to watch with stupid bluray(heh looks like blurrrrry)

MS recently said they will consider (read: will) bring out a B-D player 360 accessory if the market is there.

robco wrote:

I find it interesting that they went with the more expensive format. I guess the promise of better DRM was too much to resist. Now perhaps BRD players will become reasonably priced.

1) Perhaps. Yes, B-D media is nearly 10x as pricey as HD-DVD; B-D requires all-new plant, whereas HD-DVD needs only an adjustment to standard DVD pressing plants.

2) I'm still failing to see how B-D will become cheaper, esp. short-term.

It's a short-lived victory until downloadable content becomes reality.

Broadband capacity in this country is already strained, and Time-Warner is experimenting with rates based on usage- heavy downloaders to pay proportionately more. What will your bill be if/when you start DLing 25GB .isos or rentals without light users to subsidize you?

Cynic wrote:

I just bought a used PS3, so this is good news to me.

And, I have to say, a Blu Ray movie on a 1080p screen looks pretty sweet.  The PS3 seems to do a really good job upconverting standard DVDs, but Blu Rays are noticeably better.

The PS3 does quite well as a player; better than as a games machine. Alan Dang, video consultant who worked on the HQV test discs amongst other things, recent article:

Think upsampled DVD is just as good as Blu-ray and HD DVD? Heard amazing things about the PlayStation 3? Interested in comparing Avivo and PureVideo? We’ve got all of that in this Autumn’s Video Processing Face Off!

smilr wrote:

mrreet2001 wrote:

You can buy a stand-alone Sony Blueray player for 399, which I would buy over a ps3 anyday.

I wouldn't - the only Sony standalone blu-ray player I've seen in use was horrible. The UI took upwards of two seconds to respond to any input from the remote / front panel controls, and on several occasions had graphical glitches. The movies looked okay once they got going, but still - EWW.

On the other hand, the several PS3s I've seen playing movies have been rock solid and responsive... so long as you don't use an HDMI cable longer than 6'. Every time I used a longer hdmi cable (tried both high quality and el-cheapo cables) I couldn't get 1080p video.

Quality, above. Cable length... odd. Don't know of a reason for that; shouldn't be AFAIK.

Other relevant Dang articles of note:

Heroes HD DVD vs. ATSC HD Broadcast Comparison

Transformers HD DVD vs Upsampled DVD Comparison

ASUS Blu-Ray BC-1205PT QuickShot

(Note to Frankly: you might consider consolidating some replies this way. )

Side notes: at ca. $150, an HD-DVD player might be considered a fine upscaling DVD player that can also play a considerable body of higher quality discs, and the porn industry, still a major player, has declared itself format neutral, at least until a clear winner emerges; likewise the BBC.


ed urls etc

Last edited by Bat (2008-01-19 4:50 pm)