More from the HDDVD front

[kevinw]

http://www.datafuse.net/page.php?news=363

http://www.dvdrecorderworld.com/news/112

This could be the start of getting HDDVD into the market without huge costs for media.

[wifeB8]

Excellent news! So now if some one in my house wants to use their game box to view a movie they would no longer have to barrow my expensive HD DVD player. The more nails in either formats coffin the sooner the format will be available to the consumer. :)

[santogill]

Another link on the same subject from Cnet.

http://news.com.com/Toshiba%2C+Memory-Tech+unveil+new+disc/2100-1041_3-5481664.html?tag=cd.top

No wonder all of those Hollywood studios signed on to HD-DVD! This way, they don't have to put out seperate versions of a DVD for HD and for standard definition on first release. No left-over stock when the present DVD format fades away. It's a DVD distribution company's dream!

Now Blueray will have to be able to do exactly the same thing to stay competitive.

Actually, as far as I could tell, backwards compatibility was never really a problem for either of these platforms. Both systems would continue to play standard DVD format. But when buying the software, I know I'm a bit more pickey even now buying standard DVDs knowing that in a year or three, I'll have to rebuy the DVD in the HD format. Dual definition DVDs would put my mind at ease about buying movies.

[Ratman]

No wonder all of those Hollywood studios signed on to HD-DVD! .

Not all... only the ones 'owned' by Sony or the others 'riding on the coattails' hoping Sony (Blu-Ray) comes out as the 'standard'.

[santogill]

Not all... only the ones 'owned' by Sony or the others 'riding on the coattails' hoping Sony (Blu-Ray) comes out as the 'standard'.

I didn't mean every Hollywood studio -- just "all the ones who did" sign on: Universal, Paramount, Warner Br., etc, which is quite a lot of content.

That being said, Sony Pictures has a new ally in the form of another monolithic motion picture company: Disney is now a member of the Blueray board (and with them go all of Disney's subsidiaries such as Hollywood Pictures, Miramax, etc.).

http://news.com.com/Disney+to+support+Blu-ray+Disc/2100-1041_3-5484191.html?tag=nefd.top

Fox seems to be the last big studio holding out on any sort of alliance.

I imagine that until the battle is decided, most of the major blockbuster video releases will go out in both formats, but most likely the back-list films and smaller titles will only go out in the studio-preferred format.

This is going to be interesting...

[raidbuck]

I don't think this is going to be interesting. I think it is going to delay HD-DVD player cost and availability, reduce the number of movies on HD-DVD depending on the format winner and leave some people with a player with no product.

I hope it all works out quickly so I can move to true HD-DVDs. Since I don't own very many movies (mostly rent) my new HD-DVD library hopefully won't cost too much to replace.

Rich N.

[santogill]

If that's your concern, you probably shouldn't commit to any technology until three or four years after it is first released. In 2005, the first machines for both formats will be $999 MSRP and on-line for about $799. And they won't have anywhere near the functionality of machines that will come along only two years later.

By Chirstmas of 2008 or 2009, one format will be a winner, but you'll be able to buy a nice deck in the winning format for $150-$250, and all the bugs will be worked out by then. It's then and only then that the movie studios will start releasing most of their backlist (with the exception of blockbusters which will have been released in both formats during the format war.)

But the thing is, both MDs and LaserDisc followed the same pattern before each of those formats died -- and they didn't have a format war to push them (or hold them back). The first sets were overpriced and buggy; later they were mid-priced and useful; and finally they were dropped in mid evolution in favor of a different kind of video or audio format.

The same failure could happen to both versions of HD disks. Let say the digital photography world, computer world or mobile phone world comes up with tiny card that can hold 50 gig worth of memory -- and a relatively foolproof method is found of downloading a movie while retaining copy protection... Since you can't download either of the HD disk formats, this card-based format becomes the HD format of choice for the movie studio's home-entertainment divisions (no more need for backstock! All they need are reliable web servers and a ton of storage space). So only two to three years after the advent of the new HD disks, this stealth format comes in and takes them both out.

To me, this scenario seems not only possible but likely considering the American adoption of broadband internet and our increased love of on-demand entertainment.

So what's an early adopter to do? Realize that the cutting edge equipment we buy this year will be laughably out of date in three years, but enjoy being one of the first on our block to get the great picture and sound. Hang on to our old decks and old content (I love my DVHS deck; I still love my Laserdisc player; and I even use my Video8 machine every once in a while), and embrace new technology for the fun of it knowing how quickly it will be obsolete!

Or be conservative and only adopt new technology when we're sure it will be THE technology.

[Matt27]

I agree, but don't you think your thinking too far ahead?

[raidbuck]

I thought I heard that the Sony Playstation 3 due next year would support Blu-ray and cost about $500. Would that be a good alternative gamble? (At least you'd have a game box if nobody made Blu-Ray content).

Perhaps my limited technical understanding has fogged my memory.

Rich N.

[kevinw]

I thought I heard that the Sony Playstation 3 due next year would support Blu-ray and cost about $500. Would that be a good alternative gamble? (At least you'd have a game box if nobody made Blu-Ray content).

Perhaps my limited technical understanding has fogged my memory.

Rich N.
Games are another reason I think Blu-ray will win out in the end run. So much more information can be placed on a Blu-ray vs a HDDVD.

[Matt27]

That's what i was thinking man,

In fact i think that would be great to get a PS3 with an HD dvd player built in, people would get 2 great things in one.Gaming and movies, and since the BLU-RAY can hold more information it gives the game designers and movie makers unlimited options to get the best out of their software.

Hopefully we'll see these new HD dvd players by the end of 2005, I can't wait, i already am starting to save up some cash in my spending jar for the new players when they come out.

[jokerb]

I thought I heard that the Sony Playstation 3 due next year would support Blu-ray and cost about $500.

PS3 is most likely going to be out in 2006. Lots of details will come out in May at the E3. And any pricing rumors you hear are just rumors. Lots and lots of speculation right now, but no solid details at all except for the Blu-Ray compatability and some specs about the Cell chip that's going to be the brains of the console.