I was convinced everybody thought content (which comes as a consequence of content provider support) is the single most important condition for a format to succeed. But some people obviously disagree, citing past examples where superior content didn't keep a format from ultimately failing. Someone, somewhere has gone as far as saying that "there should be a mechanism that allows me to reach through my computer and stamp IDIOT into the forehead of any who dares post the word "content" [...] in this forum again." Obviously he thought content was a stupid reason for supporting a format.

So, what is more important than content? And why?

Note: this thread is not intended as flame bait, but rather to foster a reasoned debate.

Content is hugely important. But DVD sowed us that content will come with success. Not all the studios were on board for a long time when DVD launched.

When people say BR will pWn HD because of the studio backing (and their devotion to all things Sony), I can't help but think that the price of the players will be an equal if not greater factor in the winning format's success than what movies are available..

Content is King!

Let's face it. No matter how cheap HD-DVD players are, they aren't going to be cheap enough to compete against DVD players. The only people who are going to buy these new formats are going to be those same people who buy the latest and greatest AV equipment. Considering these people typically don't use price as a determining factor, but rather quality, they are going to invest their money where the content is. J6P isn't going to make his choice until prices come down, and when that happens, only one format will be left standing.

Some people on "that forum" (assuming we're talking about the same one) are more concerned with showing off what their home theaters are capable of than watching anything worthwhile.

I think you need three things for a format to really take off:

1) Quality hardware -- there has to be something compelling about the new fomat to differentiate it from existing gear.

2) Quality software -- unless your home theater is just a pricey tech demo, you'll need something worth watching. I'd rather watch an okay looking presentation of Jaws than a stunning, immaculately detailed transfer of 2 Fast 2 Furious, and I'd want to have a large selection of movies from which to choose.

3) A reasonable price -- less important to me than #1 and #2, but to get the mass market interested, the sticker price has to be fairly easy to swallow.

Agreed. It all depends on Toshiba's success or failure at selling their hardware at a much lower price than they wanted to. If people bite at $499.00, Hd-dvd has a chance, if not, they're screwed.

Cash is king.

It is a race for marketshare. Content will follow the cash.

The current support of studios for one format over another is their way of suggesting a particular format. They all have various reasons mostly surrounding copy protection schemes. However, if one side gets a significant marketshare advantage, the other will fold and content will follow the winning side current posturing not withstanding. Have no doubts about that.

The question is who will gain that important marketshare advantage?

Now I see two major arguments:


The people who will buy an HD player will be tech savvy individuals who have the latest and greatest AV gear.

It follows that they will value the technical and quality advantages over price. If these people really are the market for the new format, then Blu-Ray will most likely win a decisive victory. Look at the polls here (and elsewhere) and you'll see that Blu-Ray is favored 5 to 1 (or better). I have not seen a poll where HD-DVD is preferred by these early adopters. In fact, HD-DVD is making concessions in an attempt to compete with Blu-Ray. The latest being that now HD-DVD will support full res over component whereas before it was HDMI only. This followed Blu-Ray's announcement that they would support full res over component.

Moves like this seem to indicate that Blu-Ray is getting the attention of the early adopters and offers evidence that this scenario is true. It also offers evidence that technical and quality aspects are more important than price.


The people who will buy an HD player will not necessarily be tech savvy individuals, but will be made up of a more average population sample.

These people may have bought an HD set of some type and they will be willing to buy HD content when they see it. Since these are more "average" types, they are definitely more influenced by price over technical/quality features. They probably don't even know what Blu-Ray is, but when they hear "HD-DVD" it will be received as an automatic successor to DVD (the fastest adopted electronic innovation ever). Since HD-DVD is coming out at $500 and less it is not way out of the realm of possibility. These two factors (name recognition and price) are what HD-DVD has been saying are their strengths all along. And since HD-DVD will hit the market at least 2 months before Blu-Ray, the argument goes, HD-DVD will gain the all important first to market advantage. Remember, these people may not even know there is a format war. These consumers are more likely to see the eventual emergence of Blu-Ray as "distruptive technology" to be ignored.

Wal-Mart selling HDTVs is one piece of evidence that this scenario has weight since the price of entering the HD playground is at an all time low. More evidence: we all know of people watching SD signals on their HD sets and thinking they are watching HD so it follows that these people will be blown away by the new HD-DVD which, remember, is first to market. These people will be happy to see HD content available for their HDTVs. In this scenario, first to market combined with the price advantage spells disaster for Blu-Ray.

Well, with Toshiba showing a sub $500, probably around $400 online, player and an earlier release date I think the BR camp may be in trouble. I feel BR may be better, but hey, Beta was better. If Toshiba builds a nice chunk of users and the studios supporting them are moving movies, Disney and the likes will jump ship or hedge their bets faster than you can imagine. The content will find the cash. At sub $500 J6P, not AV enthusiast are going to win this war. Originally, I was going to hold out, but a sub $500 I am interested in the Toshiba as I need a good quality DVD player as mine is starting do strange things. I may buy BR also, but some people will not.

Content is huge. The technology is important, it has to improve on the existing format to get anyone to consider it. But all that will be wasted if no one buys it.

DVDs took off kind of slowly in the first year or two when they're wasn't a ton out. When more catalog titles came out, every new release was put on dvd, and the rental chains started carrying them DVD exploded and was a huge success.

Content is the most important for readers of this board, but in the "real world" price is still the leading factor imo.