As a follow up to the recent discussions we’ve been having on the new High Def DVD wars on the Audio Editions, New Zeland reader Timslim sent me this interesting link to an article on Audioholics AV Magazine website called “10 Reasons Why High Definition DVD Formats Have Already Failed”. It’s a fantastic article and worth your time to read.
Here are their 10 reasons (without giving you the descriptions… you should go read the article for that):
1) Nobody likes false starts
2) Format Wars Don’t Sell Players
3) HD DVD and Blu-ray are NOT Quantum Leaps in Technology
4) Studios are Conservative, Greedy and Unmotivated
5) Playstation3 Cannot Save the World
6) Those Who Ignore History…
7) People Want Technology that’s 15 Minutes Ahead of Its Time
8) Enthusiasts Are Getting Tired (and Smarter)
9) A Skeptical News Media Doesn’t Help
10) Broadband and IPTV to Compete?
The authour of the article ends his piece by making this interesting statement:
So, while I certainly hope for the best, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. High definition is headed for a niche market at best, not an industry takeover.
I don’t know if I totally agree with him… but he makes some wonderful points. Like I said, you should really go give the article a read.
As a follow up, you can also check out my article I put up last month called Blu-Ray and HD DVD Can Both Go Screw Themselves
The post by mogulus is probably one of the most ridiculous things i have read.
just to clarify, in the above post, I’m trying to point out the problem in the HD format is that most folks dont have tvs that will even give them enough of a difference, and that not even with these new viewers will you be able to say your money was well spent.
I realize after reading it that it looks like my TV argument has no link to the HD players…just want to clear that up.
just to weigh in here, there’s another thing going here as well, though I’m not sure anyone but the most astute of us will realize it until it’s too late.
Most widescreen/hdtv type devices that i’ve seen that can actually take full advantage of this technology have problems in my opinion.
I owned a 50+ inch rear projection tv that was manufactured around 1985 and it worked great. I enjoyed it immensely, especially while playing video games.
My buddy had an HDTV with the whole nine yards on it. I think I got mine for around 100 bucks at a garage sale and he got his for over 3000 bucks back when they were fairly new ( probably more…we never talk money, my friend and i, but I do know he bought it new. )
on my rear projection tv, while watching film, it had this cinematic feel that his tv just didn’t have. it wasnt that the picture was any sharper, because it wasnt. It wasn’t that it was visible at extreme angles, because it sure as hell wasnt.
but what I’m saying is, my TV had this strange asthetic quality about the images. A truer color or something..i’m not even srue..
basically, the long and short of it is, with a price difference so big, there’s not enough difference to quantify it.
Blu-ray does not actually hold more than HD DVD. It can *potentially* hold more but doesn’t actually yet. Also HD DVD are just about to release 3 layer HD-DVD, so 45GB vs mythical 50GB. 4 layer is actually being worked on as well.
All the reports I have heard so far have HD-DVD kicking ass over Blu-ray.
Blu-ray has overpromised and under-delivered. HD-DVD underpromised and over-delivered, yet people still believe Blu-ray is superior.
I don’t think that they have failed already, but HD DVD is off to a terrible start. One of the things that was only briefly mentioned is the obscene price for a player — nearing $1000. From reports, an HDTV is needed to actually see the difference, so you add another $600-$4000+ for the TV. That’s hardly a formula for success – and the player is still in the “luxury” mode of things. I’m not paying over $2000 to watch Aeon Flux in HD.
John,
Can you please stop snorting coke before you write these blogs?
Lately you’ve been WAAAAY off base, and I’m not sure if it’s that you have an axe to grind or just want to be confrontational or whatever but let’s get serious for just a second, shant we???
In 2009 everyone will be FORCED to by a digital television. By then HDTV tv’s will be alot cheaper. The only way to get a full length HDTV movie onto one disc is if you have a hell of a lot of space. And guess what formats currently house enough space to carry it? BLU-RAY DISCS and HD-DVD’s.
Blu-Ray is the larger of the two, being able to hold 50 gigs total. HDTV can hold 30. There’s a clear winner here, and it’s blu-ray. HDTV may have been the first to draw blood on getting a great name, but as we all know, anmes don’t make it, product does (i.e., PLAYSTATION? Get real. But it’s the best system out there by far)
Now for you to say in 2006 that they’ve failed without taking into consideration the current shift of the market towards digital formats such as HDTV, says to me you’re either out of touch with current events or just letting off steam.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you’re just angry or something. Because the list you site up there by the New Zealand crackhead is pretty unconvincing and sophomoric.
Get real. DVD’s are doomed and the next wave will indeed be Blu-Ray, followed by HDTV2 which will hold double if not triple the current top capacity.
John,
Can you please stop snorting coke before you write these blogs?
Lately you’ve been WAAAAY off base, and I’m not sure if it’s that you have an axe to grind or just want to be confrontational or whatever but let’s get serious for just a second, shant we???
In 2009 everyone will be FORCED to by a digital television. By then HDTV tv’s will be alot cheaper. The only way to get a full length HDTV movie onto one disc is if you have a hell of a lot of space. And guess what formats currently house enough space to carry it? BLU-RAY DISCS and HD-DVD’s.
Blu-Ray is the larger of the two, being able to hold 50 gigs total. HDTV can hold 30. There’s a clear winner here, and it’s blu-ray. HDTV may have been the first to draw blood on getting a great name, but as we all know, anmes don’t make it, product does (i.e., PLAYSTATION? Get real. But it’s the best system out there by far)
Now for you to say in 2006 that they’ve failed without taking into consideration the current shift of the market towards digital formats such as HDTV, says to me you’re either out of touch with current events or just letting off steam.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you’re just angry or something. Because the list you site up there by the New Zealand crackhead is pretty unconvincing and sophomoric.
Get real. DVD’s are doomed and the next wave will indeed be Blu-Ray, followed by HDTV2 which will hold double if not triple the current top capacity.
IPTV and Cable, not to mention broadband movie services are going to put HDDVD and bluray out of business. These discs are NOT a quantum leap! Especially considering on demand services, where all you have to do is sit on your ass, click on a movie and it starts to play! With the increasing speed and bandwidth of ISP’s expect High Definition content to be more likely streamed than bought on a disc.
There’s DVD players that handles both HD and XviD. Ripp the HD content compress it with XviD and view it on you big ass flat screen. That’s probably what I’ll be doing. ;)
/Joel