HD-Dvd... Dead, Blu-Ray wins...

[apmaman]

http://www.reuters.com/article/compa...27196120080216


Looks as if the final nail has entered the cold wooden coffin of Hd-dvd.

Toshiba were (as far as I know) the main manufacturer of HD-DVD players and since they are now calling it a day it seems the "Betamax 2" has came through.

Thoughts?

I for one am glad, I can now safely put my money somewhere without having to worry about spending £300 on something that might not have anything to play. I do however feel sad for those who spent alot of hard end bones on getting the players, especially the early adopters.

[Eggy]

I'm glad in so many different ways that I waited to get a PS3 instead of the 360.

[dex]

If this turns out to be true I would LOVE to see Ken Graffeo lose his job at Universal and obviously at HD DVD as that won't need the whole Comical Ali format of press releases he's so good at anymore.

That guy singlehandedly kept Universal exclusive to HD DVD without even a contract or any incentives and had the nerve to put out hyped up press releases when there wasn't any hope left.
This guy's work is going to cost Universal, Toshiba and millions of early adopters billions of dollars. He kept the charade for at least 6 months longer than it needed to be kept.



Early adopters know what they are getting themselves into, just ask the people who got laserdisk decks or SACD.
Same with the first 42" plasmas that only did 848x480 resolution, early adopters sometimes lose but most of these people are better off than the average Joe which is why they are more inclined to jump early.

I for one can't wait for Universal to start releasing stuff on Blu-Ray, there are at least 20 films I'll just get as soon as they get released.

[rty13ibz98]

i had been putting of buying any high def stuff due to the battle between hd-dvd and blu-ray. so the results are in. i'll still wait another year, tho. the price will come down and make it worth my while. until then i'll still kick it with my upconverting dvd player and my 1080i tv.

rich(cheap ass...except when it comes to guitars!!!)

[jemsite]

Originally Posted by dex

If this turns out to be true I would LOVE to see Ken Graffeo lose his job at Universal and obviously at HD DVD as that won't need the whole Comical Ali format of press releases he's so good at anymore.

pretty foolish commentary & hatred for the guy considering the outcome was decided by warner and nothing else. had the coin flip landed on the otherside then you'd hate him for piloting the winning ship.

High def anything is not a priority to Universal, plus they have U-HD channel which probably generates more $$$ than any 1080p sales will for a long time.

actually, high def anything is not a priority to most anyone. read this for example. when you need to do "missionary work" to sell something it's game over, stick a fork in it as a mass-market system.

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/new...ticle_ID=12074

NPD: Tepid Consumer Interest in Blu-ray
Author: ERIK GRUENWEDEL
egruenwedel@questex.com
Posted: February 11, 2008
Email this Story to Friend

The Blu-ray Disc Association may have declared victory over HD DVD in the format war, but consumers remain largely indifferent toward high-def packaged media, according to a new study.

The report from the NPD Group, based on a sample group of 6,000 frequent DVD buyers, found that fewer than 10% of respondents said they would buy either a standalone Blu-ray or HD DVD player in the next six months.

Despite Warner Home Video’s decision in January to exclusively release all high-def packaged media after May 31 in Blu-ray, the number of respondents intending to purchase a BD player increased just 1.8%, to 8.1%, as of Jan. 16, according to the study.

Russ Crupnick, VP and senior entertainment analyst with the NPD Group, said even such a small percentage increase when based upon the number of DVD-buying U.S. households would result in sales of 1.6 million standalone BD players.

Currently there are about 1 million standalone Blu-ray and HD DVD players combined in the United States.

“I think it is a positive sign but not an overwhelming game changer,” Crupnick said. “It is significant from a marketing standpoint. It will take some time for all of this to trickle down at retail.”

He said a caveat of the study is that intent among respondents to purchase next-generation packaged media often is not followed through at retail.

“It is a measure of awareness,” Crupnick said. “How positive somebody feels about the format and not necessarily translating to actual sales.”

Crupnick said a previous NPD study for HDTV found that a majority of respondents were satisfied with standard DVD. Indeed, Warner last year in a consumer study found that more than 50% of respondents were indifferent toward HD packaged media.

Nonetheless, retailers appear to be leaning toward Blu-ray in greater numbers.

Best Buy Co. said beginning in March it would prominently showcase BD hardware and movies in stores. The Minneapolis-based consumer electronics chain is considered the largest seller of HD packaged media.

Ken Cranes Big Screen Headquarters, a Southern Calif.-based chain, in its Sunday newspaper circular offered a free Toshiba HD-A3 player with the purchase of any Toshiba HDTV.

Steve Caldero, SVP and COO of Hawthorne, Calif.-based Cranes, reiterated that the free HD DVD players did not reflect a decision by Cranes to abandon HD DVD.

He said Warner’s decision still left retailers with the responsibility to sell both formats, since Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks still release exclusively in HD DVD.

“It hasn’t been the best situation from day one,” Caldero said.

No. 2 CE retailer, Circuit City Stores Inc. continues to sell both HD DVD and Blu-ray players.

“It will be very difficult at retail justifying selling a format that is not going to have the support of the studios,” Crupnick said.

He said the Blu-ray survey results should be considered positive because they represent a beginning as well as inclination among consumers to do something in the future.

“There is a lot of missionary work to be done,” Crupnick said.

[newbieguitarmaker]

my dad couldn't wait so he got a sony blu ray player for his new sony tv and it is beautiful. The 1080p via hdmi is just amazing, I would like to see newer players load faster because that is my only "beef" with the player. I never thought hd dvd would win so I am glad to hear everyone can pretty much stop yelling about which is better

[microdmitry]

Originally Posted by jemsite

actually, high def anything is not a priority to most anyone.

With HD-DVD gone, that's about to change.

[jemsite]

no chance. with HD-DVD gone you just might have lost the only shot at mainstream 1080p discs actually (via combo discs something warner failed on btw)... glen

[bammbamm]

Originally Posted by jemsite

no chance. with HD-DVD gone you just might have lost the only shot at mainstream 1080p discs actually (via combo discs something warner failed on btw)... glen

So there will be a LOT of bargain players on sale in the coming months, you can still snatch up a bunch of movies.

[dex]

As soon as HD DVD started losing foothold all of a sudden all the hard core HD DVD supporters came up with a new song and dance called "HD media sales don't matter because DVD sales rock and later on downloads will take over".
Well all that will change now that there's no more ambiguity and people don't have to sift through all the miss-information out there.

And about the foolish comment - google this guy's name to see how Universal shot themselves in the foot.
The guy is Universal Studios' executive VP of high definition strategic marketing, AND co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.
Talk about conflict of interest.
If I was on the board at Universal I would ask for him and everyone who backed him to resign as soon as Toshiba put out an official press release confirming the exit.

Seriously Gen Graffeo = Comical Ali.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27Oq5ot0ZI

[ScottB]

First. let me qualify my position in the home entertainment marketplace. I don't have a home theatre set-up. Most of my TV and movie viewing takes place on a 24" LCD Sony WEGA 1080i in my bedroom. Our DVD player is a Sony HDMI 720p / 1080i. The balance (concert DVDs) are usually viewed on my 20" Dell digital monitor in 1680 x 1050. We have a 10+ yr old Mitsubishi TV in the living room, but it hasn't been switched on in over 6 months.

When DVD hit the market, there was an obvious improvement over the existing format at the time (VHS). Picture and audio quality seemed to increase tenfold.

I see the difference of HD over standard broadcast TV, but when it comes to movies on DVD vs. HD-DVD, as long as releases are available in the standard format at a 50% cost difference, I'm gonna buy the least expensive product. Standard DVD looks and sounds good enough to me. I just don't see HD-DVD as that big of a deal.

[Silver Sable]

I'm sure our first purchase will be a kick ass PS3. We'll probably pick up a few of the real must haves in the Blu-Ray realm, but typically for the movies like enough to buy, but that quality isn't really necessary (TV series, old B/W films, girlie movies, comedies etc.) we'll probably just stick with DVD for the time being. Of course the big action flicks and really good scifi stuff, or any additions to our Japanese collection will be on Blu-Ray if possible. Ohhh how I'd love to see some class John Woo cleaned up and in high def.

But then we'll need to buy a bigger and better TV too. We have a nice, smaller HD tv, but I've had my eye on a new Samsung. Of course all of our money recently has been used for buying guitars... and with amps and a new recording computer yet to buy, I'm sure all of this lovely entertainment stuff will just have to wait. There are more important things in life than TV/movies/

[jemsite]

Originally Posted by dex

As soon as HD DVD started losing foothold all of a sudden all the hard core HD DVD supporters came up with a new song and dance called "HD media sales don't matter because DVD sales rock and later on downloads will take over".

both hardcore supporters? get real when did HD-DVD have a foothhold? bluray has a foothold on a banana peel standing next to quicksand in regard to movie delivery for the masses.

Sorry but anyone with a sense of reality sees the format war debate as a pointless waste of time... glen

[dex]

Originally Posted by dex

Well all that will change now that there's no more ambiguity and people don't have to sift through all the miss-information out there.

You think I'm wrong - I think you are, I guess we'll have to wait a few years and see.

[Carlo]

Originally Posted by dex

"HD media sales don't matter because DVD sales rock and later on downloads will take over".

dont forget...

bu...bu...bu...bu...but...but....DIGITAL DOWNLOADS, lmao