Looks As If Blu Ray Will Win

Ron61 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-16-2008, 11:54 AM

Kind of like the old war between Beta and VHS back when they were first starting VCRs.

Wal-Mart dumps HD DVDs to back Blu-ray - Yahoo! News

Ron

Got the Bug · #2 (**permalink**) 02-16-2008, 12:53 PM

Ron - Netflix is also dumping HD and going with Blu Ray, Best Buy is going Blu Ray, and I read today that Toshiba is ready to announce that they're bailing on HD.

Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war: source - Yahoo! News

Netflix, Best Buy pick Blu-ray format | ajc.com

Best Buy follows Netflix in dumping HD DVD News - PC Advisor

And I bought an HD DVD Player.

Oh well, at least I can still play standard DVDs and I'm not stuck with a boat anchor.

Ron61 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-16-2008, 01:21 PM

Doug,

I feel for you. I was probably the last person in America to buy a VCR because I knew that one format was going to win out and whichever one I bought would be the wrong one, so I waited. I saw that Netflix was going to change over to them but hadn't seen where Toshiba had formally announced they were throwing in the towel. I just wonder how long they will continue with the standard DVD disks. My last computer which is two years old has a dual DVD format drive in it that writes and reads the dual DVDs and will write and read a standard CD, all in the same drive. And it is already obsolete.

And your HD DVD would make a great small planter.

Ron

Joe Wicked · #4 (**permalink**) 02-17-2008, 07:01 AM

I am in the same point with my computer. I think for a little while after DVDs completely disappear, that there will be a bunch of ripping the Blu Ray and putting the movie on a DVD. Kinda like the ripping of DVDs and making video CDs.

Ron61 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-17-2008, 07:13 AM

No doubt there will be some ripping of them unless they come up with some kind of copy protection code.

Just saw where Toshiba has officially declared they are stopping the HD DVD production. It is going to cost them quite a bit losing the war with Sony.

Toshiba to give up on HD DVD, end format war: source - Yahoo! News

Ron

bomelia · #6 (**permalink**) 02-17-2008, 06:25 PM

One great place to keep up with all of the AV technology is AVSforums.com. They have been prognosticating for some time on this. I have held off till now because of the debate. Glad I did.

Plug for the AVSforum. I have a 34" direct view (tube) Sony tv that quit about a week ago. Folks there told me what the problem was... bought a few parts and spent half a day working it out. TV works fine again! Hiring a repairman would have prolly cost me $300-$400. I fixed it for about $40.

Great site.

Mike

Joe Wicked · #7 (**permalink**) 02-18-2008, 05:34 AM

I have about 30 4.7GB disks and about 10-15 8.5GB disks here. I actually don't use them too often. Have have had both spools for over a year.

Aussie Mike · #8 (**permalink**) 02-18-2008, 05:45 AM

Sony are going hard at it this time and don't want to lose like they did in the VHS Betamax war.

Down here in Australia they are giving away a PS3 free with their new HD LCD panels. I bought a 40" unit and hopefully the PS3 will turn up in a couple of weeks. I didn't care either way before but now it looks like I'm in the blue ray camp.

Bravia PS3 Promotion

They seem to be prepared to give away thousands of PS3 units (which happens to be their blue ray player) to secure the format in the hope of future earnings.

Cheers

Ronbo · #9 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 12:00 PM

Guess WB will have to take the hit as well, they were the only major studio and only reason HD-DVD even got off the ground. Guess you can get "The Matrix" on Blu-Ray soon.

Unlike the VHS-Beta formats (where the best format lost) there's a big advantage to blu-ray in that it's not as vulnerable to surface scratches.

For those of us that had laserdisk, this was a big down side to DVD. Although I did forget and leave a couple laserdisks in my car on sunny day and they turned into salad bowls.

Plus laserdisk was analog and you could run it through a resolution doubler and get 900 lines.

VRM · #10 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 12:49 PM

Ron,
! year from the day you started this thread will be the last day for analog tv broadcasts.
I think there are going to be a lot of very surprised people in a year trying to figure out why their TVs don't work.

Maybe it's time to set up a temporary TV repair shop to help get them through their ordeal.

Mike, you need a job??

Steve

Ron61 · #11 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 01:36 PM

Steve,

That is ironic isn't it. I hadn't even thought about the date. I guess the price of the converters will go out of sight. I don't have to worry about that at least as the satellite company will just change my receiver when they get the digital satellites in orbit. I think that is supposed to be done by 2011 or 2012.

Ron

Wes Tausend · #12 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 03:15 PM

...

It's my opinion that Toshiba gave up because there already is a winner ...and it isn't Blu-Ray. Of course there is a lot of hype and banner waving right now; that's marketing.

My thought is that standard DVD is going to be the norm for a long, long time ...that it has already won. Toshiba quit because it's a losing proposition to try to advance high definition video of any kind. Standard DVD is just a little too good.

I suggest that HD video will go the way of HD audio. How many of us have HD audio players or have even heard of them?

I believe one of the main reasons both HD formats have been promoted is that it is too easy to copy the contents of standard CD and DVD. And that is why there is such desperation to ween the public away from them. But I predict that it won't work. Most people will continue to buy standard DVD until there is some kind of underhanded move, if ever, to kill the manufacture of new standard players. Kill the goose that is presently laying a lot of golden eggs for the movie industry. Won't happen IMHO.

...

Ronbo · #13 (**permalink**) 02-21-2008, 09:29 PM

I'm guessing your referring to SA CD. They were a narrow market like half speed LP's, DAT and DBX. Most people don't have the stereo systems to hear the difference SA offered.

Unlike SA many people have HD TV's and would benefit from Blu-ray. There rolling out Blu-ray recorders for computers and stand alone recorders as well. My camcorder from 2yrs ago records in HD.

The HD DVD encryption was hacked about a year ago and Blu-ray is likely cracked as well. But it's the same problem, sure you can copy that DVD or just buy one at Wal Mart for $5 in the bin after 6mos.

Aussie Mike · #14 (**permalink**) 02-22-2008, 12:24 AM

Most of the free to air TV in australia is transmitted in digital HD. The uptake on HD TVs and projectors is quite high.

Cheers

Joe Wicked · #15 (**permalink**) 02-22-2008, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wes Tausend

...
I suggest that HD video will go the way of HD audio. How many of us have HD audio players or have even heard of them?
...

HD audio is still around. A lot of radio stations invested in HD broadcasting and they are transmitting in HD. My car stereo is HD Audio, and I can tell a difference, but my audio system is not completely stock. In a stock system with just a after market head unit, I could not tell a difference. In a completely redone system, I noticed was even better than mine.

Ronbo · #16 (**permalink**) 02-23-2008, 02:20 AM

NTSC had to go, like analog cell phones it just uses to much bandwith. The FCC is starting the bidding frenzy on the 700mhz blocks shortly so I doubt you'll see an extention to the kill date.

I'd imagine FM broadcast will get updated to a digital format in the next 10yrs or so. Believe it or not the stations themselves will push for this so they can compete with XM and Sirrus. These sevices will pull the same crap cable did, initially offer comercial free content then get people used to paying for it and offer "premium channels".

Satelite TV is even worse, they don't have the overhead of millions of miles of cable to maintain (and people though the cable company was a cash cow). Wired phone service is taking a beating from the cell companies as well. Right now they're trying to steal business from each other and I only see internet service stopping DirectTV from taking it all.

clayfoushee · #17 (**permalink**) 02-23-2008, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronbo

NTSC had to go, like analog cell phones it just uses to much bandwith. The FCC is starting the bidding frenzy on the 700mhz blocks shortly so I doubt you'll see an extention to the kill date.

I'd imagine FM broadcast will get updated to a digital format in the next 10yrs or so. Believe it or not the stations themselves will push for this so they can compete with XM and Sirrus. These sevices will pull the same crap cable did, initially offer comercial free content then get people used to paying for it and offer "premium channels".

Satelite TV is even worse, they don't have the overhead of millions of miles of cable to maintain (and people though the cable company was a cash cow). Wired phone service is taking a beating from the cell companies as well. Right now they're trying to steal business from each other and I only see internet service stopping DirectTV from taking it all.

That's an interesting question on the cost of satellite vs. land-based cable or fiber systems. According to the link below, it looks like each TV satellite costs about $350M, and Dish Network, for example currently needs 8. I would imagine it is bigger for Direct TV.

Dish: Local HD Would Cost $1 Billion, 3 Satellites, 4 Years

Ronbo · #18 (**permalink**) 02-23-2008, 04:29 PM

Ya, it's even worse now with the price of copper through the roof.

$350m for a bird is nothing compaired to billions in coax, line install crews, distribution amps and bucket trucks, employees ect.

Plus the sat company makes you buy the receiver, but they usually give you a free $75 install.

If they were smart they'd cut the price to $10, increase their subscriber base and get that much more money for advertising. This would kill off any competition in a few years.