Rumor new hd-dvd format comming ? No, there's not.

[orangerunner]

Originally Posted by obidawsn

They advertised it as a player that will give you HD quality with your regular DVDs. Now, we all know that that's impossible, and I'm sure they did, too. So why do it? They figured it would confuse the average person, they would buy their product (which was seemingly cheaper) thinking they would get the same quality of Blu-ray without having to buy new discs. But this idea failed, and Blu-ray continues to do well. Now when people are buying a new HDTV and wanting a new player, they are considering Blu-ray players. People know that it's the new format, it's promoted everywhere.)

I agree Toshiba will have to start making Blu-ray players just as Sony had to start making VHS players after it lost that war.

I still don't think there's anything wrong with Toshiba making a superior up-scaling DVD, either. I don't think the idea failed. It's tough to compare the sales of a single player model from a single manufactuer to the sales of an entire format. The Toshiba machine was a relatively small investment to help recoup the massive losses of the HD-DVD format.

While the sale of an HDTV may help the sales of Blu-Ray, the ratio of HDTVs sold and Blu-ray players sold is still a wide margin.

[obidawsn]

Originally Posted by orangerunner

I agree Toshiba will have to start making Blu-ray players just as Sony had to start making VHS players after it lost that war.

I still don't think there's anything wrong with Toshiba making a superior up-scaling DVD, either. I don't think the idea failed. It's tough to compare the sales of a single player model from a single manufactuer to the sales of an entire format. The Toshiba machine was a relatively small investment to help recoup the massive losses of the HD-DVD format.

While the sale of an HDTV may help the sales of Blu-Ray, the ratio of HDTVs sold and Blu-ray players sold is still a wide margin.

I agree with everything you said. I never said there was anything wrong with Toshiba making a superior up-scaling DVD, but the marketing for it was confusing. It wasn't full HD quality, yet they seem to promote it that way (at least from what I remember). As for its success, it may be hard to tell. But since the prices of the players dropped drastically since they were released, it makes me question how well they sold. And who really knows what Toshiba's intentions were. Were they intending for this new DVD player to be a major competitor against Blu-ray? There's reason enough for them to think that way, so it's easy to believe, even if they didn't intend it that way. And promoting it as HD quality movies with SD DVDs kind of leans it that way. However, I could be wrong about how they really promoted it. Even their website, now, admits that it will not "produce or output native HD content." But I remember them pushing the HD aspect of it when they announced it, even if they eventually added that blurb in their actual description of the product before, on, or after release.

As for the margin of HDTVs and Blu-ray players, that may be true for now. But I'm thinking about the future. HDTVs are starting to become affordable for many people, and will continually become more affordable. Blu-ray players are the same way. I say that margin will get drastically get smaller over the next few years (even if it never becomes a small margin).

[orangerunner]

Originally Posted by obidawsn

And who really knows what Toshiba's intentions were. Were they intending for this new DVD player to be a major competitor against Blu-ray? There's reason enough for them to think that way, so it's easy to believe, even if they didn't intend it that way. And promoting it as HD quality movies with SD DVDs kind of leans it that way.

The implication that it was going to make your DVDs into Blu-ray quality was certainly questionable.

However, with the video market in somewhat of a limbo state, I think offering a machine that maximizes the quality of the discs you already own for under $100 is a good marketing wrinkle for many consumers who do not wish to commit to yet another (expensive) format that, arguably, is nearly identical to what they already have.

[beebs]

Crazy, another HD media format? Not worth any speculation.

[whotony]

Originally Posted by obidawsn

I'mdefinitelynotlookingatanythingthrough Blu-coloredglasses.IwasanHDDVDsupporter.Forone,Ihadtheplayerandseveral movies,anddidn'twantBlu-raytowin.Iwasn'tinonthetechnicaldebate,asIdidn't studyallthetechnicalstuffoneither,butIsidedwithHDDVD,especiallywhenIwasable togetaplayerfor$100.Iarguedthatitwasthebetterformat,ifjustforname recognition.Evenmyin-laws(who are in their 70s)knewwhatHD DVDwas.They knewitwasHighDefinitionDVD.Itmadesensetothem.Blu-ray,ontheotherhand,was alittlemoreconfusing.Notthattheywereinterestedineitherformat,butwhenwetold themthatwehadanHDDVDplayer,theyknewexactlywhatitwas.ButwhenIwantedaBlu-ray movieforChristmas,theyweren'tsosurewhatitwas.Alas,itdidn'twin,soIknewI wouldinevitablyhavetogowithBlu-ray,eventhoughittookmealmostayeartodoso. Sincethenwe'veseenseveralreportsabouttheproblemsofBlu-rayplayers,whichHD DVDwouldn'thave(i.e. having to have two lasers, with one of them going out making playing DVDs or playing Blu-rays impossible, even though the other worked).Idon'tseeanybenefittsBlu-rayoverHD DVD,exceptthescratch-resistant coatingandthesize(which HD DVD could have eventually overcome).However, anyonewhodeniesthatBlu-rayisgrowingisn'tpayinganyattentionandlisteningto thenaysayers.LikeIquotedabove,eventhepresidentofToshibaadmitsthatmuch. Yeah,itmakessenseforToshibatowanttostayintheDVDmarket,andwhyshouldn't they?ItmakessenseforthemtowanttokeepDVDahugesellingformat.Buttheyneed tolooktowardthefuture.Ididn'tsaythatBlu-raywasgoingto"take over the world", butit'stakingagoodrunwithit.AndasmoreandmorepeoplepurchaseHDTVs,they'll wantHDcontenttogowithit.AslongasBlu-rayplaystheircardsright,whichIbelieve theyareforthemostpart,theywillbeknownasthemainformatforHDcontentwhenit comestophysicalmedia(and that's already taking place in other countries).Will ittakeoverDVD?Whoknows?Willitbeahugepartofthemarket?Yes.AndIwasgiving thereasonwhyToshibawouldcare.TheywanttosellHDTVs,whynotsellthema Blu-rayplayerwithit?AndalotofpeoplewillwanttheirBlu-rayplayerthesamebrandas theirTV,ifonlyforsimplicity,unity,orwhatever.Guesswhat,they'regoingtogoforthe Samsung,Sony,andPanasonicTVsifToshibadoesn'thaveaBlu-rayplayertosellwithit.

There, that's much easier to read.

btw, why is this topic still open?