NY TIMES (May 11): Who needs HD-DVD?
05-11-06, 07:47 AM
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NY TIMES (May 11): Who needs HD-DVD?
A lengthy article in today's NY Times basically says that HD-DVD is not something the world needs or even wants to any great extent. Here's some excerpts:
"This month, Toshiba's HD-A1 high-definition DVD player hit store shelves. It's the first marketplace volley in an absurd and pointless format war among the titans of the movie, electronics and computer industries.
Just contemplating the rise of a new DVD format is enough to make you feel played. What's wrong with the original DVD format, anyway? It offers brilliant picture, thundering surround sound and bonus material. The catalog of DVD movies is immense and reasonably priced. And DVD players are so cheap, they practically fall out of magazines; 82 percent of American homes have at least one DVD player.
To electronics executives, all of this can mean only one thing: It's time to junk that format and start over.
Of course, the executives don't explain this decision by saying, "Because we've saturated the market for regular DVD players."
Instead, they talk about video and picture quality. A DVD picture offers much better color and clarity than regular TV, but not as good as high-definition TV. The new discs hold far more information, enough to display Hollywood's masterpieces in true high definition (if you have a high-definition TV, of course).
Toshiba has two aces up its sleeve. First, its first HD-DVD player is available now, giving it a head start; Blu-ray players aren't expected until the end of June. Second, this new player, the HD-A1, costs $500 half the price of the cheapest Blu-ray deck.
The HD-A1 is a pretty big box: 17.7 by 13.3 by 4.3 inches, more like an early VCR than a sleek modern DVD player.
The $500 isn't the only price you pay for being an insanely early adopter; this baby is slow really slow. It takes over a minute just to turn on; menus are sometimes slow to respond; and a newly inserted DVD takes 45 seconds just to get to the F.B.I. warning. (And no, even the brave new DVD format doesn't let you skip over that tiresome warning.)
The remote is a disaster; its buttons are identically shaped and illogically placed. Not only are they not illuminated, but their labels are painted on faintly and in what must be 4-point type. (A sibling model, the HD-XA1, adds minor goodies like a backlit remote for $300 more.)
Finally, though, the movie begins and your shield of cynicism begins to waver. As you watch the brilliant colors, super-black blacks and ridiculously sharp detail up to six times the resolution of a standard DVD you realize that you've never seen anything quite this cinematic-looking in your home before.
Even high-definition TV doesn't look this good; the amount of information HD-DVD pumps to your screen dwarfs what you get from high-def satellite or cable (36 megabits a second maximum, versus 19 or less).
You need a big screen to benefit from all this picture data, however. The impact of the extra detail begins to evaporate at screen sizes below, say, 35 inches.
Over all, though, the A1 does deliver the spectacular picture and sound promised by Toshiba. Should you buy one, then?
Not unless you're an early-adopter masochist with money to burn.
Reason 1: The average person can see the difference in picture quality, but only on a big, high-def screen, preferably side by side with a standard DVD signal. The leap forward is nowhere as great as it was from, say, VHS to DVD.
Reason 2: For a brand-new technology, the A1 is a reasonably priced razor but it's got a serious blade shortage. Only 20 will be available by the end of this month, priced at $20 to $40, and only a couple of hundred are expected by year's end. (Tens of thousands are available in the traditional DVD format.
Reason 3 (and this is the big one): You could be placing a very big bet on the wrong horse.
In fact, this might even be a race that neither horse wins; the public may well decide that regular DVD's are just fine as they are. (Remember SACD and DVD-Audio, two rival "high-definition audio" formats that also required new players and new discs? Didn't think so. Both are well on their way to the great eBay in the sky.)"
"This month, Toshiba's HD-A1 high-definition DVD player hit store shelves. It's the first marketplace volley in an absurd and pointless format war among the titans of the movie, electronics and computer industries.
Just contemplating the rise of a new DVD format is enough to make you feel played. What's wrong with the original DVD format, anyway? It offers brilliant picture, thundering surround sound and bonus material. The catalog of DVD movies is immense and reasonably priced. And DVD players are so cheap, they practically fall out of magazines; 82 percent of American homes have at least one DVD player.
To electronics executives, all of this can mean only one thing: It's time to junk that format and start over.
Of course, the executives don't explain this decision by saying, "Because we've saturated the market for regular DVD players."
Instead, they talk about video and picture quality. A DVD picture offers much better color and clarity than regular TV, but not as good as high-definition TV. The new discs hold far more information, enough to display Hollywood's masterpieces in true high definition (if you have a high-definition TV, of course).
Toshiba has two aces up its sleeve. First, its first HD-DVD player is available now, giving it a head start; Blu-ray players aren't expected until the end of June. Second, this new player, the HD-A1, costs $500 half the price of the cheapest Blu-ray deck.
The HD-A1 is a pretty big box: 17.7 by 13.3 by 4.3 inches, more like an early VCR than a sleek modern DVD player.
The $500 isn't the only price you pay for being an insanely early adopter; this baby is slow really slow. It takes over a minute just to turn on; menus are sometimes slow to respond; and a newly inserted DVD takes 45 seconds just to get to the F.B.I. warning. (And no, even the brave new DVD format doesn't let you skip over that tiresome warning.)
The remote is a disaster; its buttons are identically shaped and illogically placed. Not only are they not illuminated, but their labels are painted on faintly and in what must be 4-point type. (A sibling model, the HD-XA1, adds minor goodies like a backlit remote for $300 more.)
Finally, though, the movie begins and your shield of cynicism begins to waver. As you watch the brilliant colors, super-black blacks and ridiculously sharp detail up to six times the resolution of a standard DVD you realize that you've never seen anything quite this cinematic-looking in your home before.
Even high-definition TV doesn't look this good; the amount of information HD-DVD pumps to your screen dwarfs what you get from high-def satellite or cable (36 megabits a second maximum, versus 19 or less).
You need a big screen to benefit from all this picture data, however. The impact of the extra detail begins to evaporate at screen sizes below, say, 35 inches.
Over all, though, the A1 does deliver the spectacular picture and sound promised by Toshiba. Should you buy one, then?
Not unless you're an early-adopter masochist with money to burn.
Reason 1: The average person can see the difference in picture quality, but only on a big, high-def screen, preferably side by side with a standard DVD signal. The leap forward is nowhere as great as it was from, say, VHS to DVD.
Reason 2: For a brand-new technology, the A1 is a reasonably priced razor but it's got a serious blade shortage. Only 20 will be available by the end of this month, priced at $20 to $40, and only a couple of hundred are expected by year's end. (Tens of thousands are available in the traditional DVD format.
Reason 3 (and this is the big one): You could be placing a very big bet on the wrong horse.
In fact, this might even be a race that neither horse wins; the public may well decide that regular DVD's are just fine as they are. (Remember SACD and DVD-Audio, two rival "high-definition audio" formats that also required new players and new discs? Didn't think so. Both are well on their way to the great eBay in the sky.)"
05-11-06, 07:59 AM
#2
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Many of these same kind of arguments were made against DVD when it launched. Overpriced, not enough software, people can't see the difference, etc.
I agree there is nothing wrong with waiting out the format war though.
I agree there is nothing wrong with waiting out the format war though.
05-11-06, 08:27 AM
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Enh. It's the good with the bad, in that article.
Don't be bitter. Just don't buy it if you don't want it.
It is the NYT's though and I know people who live across the country who read it.
Don't be bitter. Just don't buy it if you don't want it.
It is the NYT's though and I know people who live across the country who read it.
05-11-06, 08:34 AM
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Originally Posted by New York Times
What's wrong with the original DVD format, anyway? It offers brilliant picture, thundering surround sound and bonus material.
Their argument boils down to "hey, I don't want an HD-DVD player, so therefore, they shouldn't exist". DVD isn't dying anytime soon. I don't know why people are quaking in their boots at the prospect of these formats. If you don't want it, don't buy it, as inconceivable a concept as that may be for some.
DVD wasn't in 82% of American homes on day one. DVD didn't launch with tens of thousands of titles. DVD didn't launch with a bunch of AAA titles. DVD didn't launch with huge Best Buy ads listing scores of recent theatrical releases for $15.99. Expecting HD-DVD to do the same within a few weeks of release is moronic.
I didn't buy my DVD player because millions of other people were. I bought it because it was the best home video format available at the time, and that's precisely why I bought into HD-DVD. I couldn't care less if 70% of the U.S. buys one of these formats. I just want enough consumer support that the studios will keep releasing movies for it at a not-ungodly price. If more people buy in, great. If not...doesn't matter. I don't understand why "...but it'll never be as popular as DVD!" is such a compelling argument for so many of these naysayers. Ruth's Chris Steak House doesn't have the same market penetration as Ryan's, so does that mean it shouldn't exist either?
Arguing that you need a high-definition television (few of which are below the 35" threshold they gave) to benefit from a high-definition home video format...well, yeah, no kidding.
They make legitimate points as to why investing in HD-DVD is not an overly compelling proposition for the average consumer, but HD-DVD at this stage of the game isn't directed towards the average consumer, so... They do not make legitimate points as to why a new high-definition format should not exist.
05-11-06, 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Blitz6Speed
"Betting on the wrong horse." Even NYT knows wassup =)
05-11-06, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
What was wrong with Laserdisc? There were thousands of movies already available, it had a much slicker picture than VHS, spectacular audio, and invented the concept of bonus material. I bought many of those titles for less than I'm paying for an average DVD now. Using the New York Times' "logic", DVD shouldn't exist either.
Their argument boils down to "hey, I don't want an HD-DVD player, so therefore, they shouldn't exist". DVD isn't dying anytime soon. I don't know why people are quaking in their boots at the prospect of these formats. If you don't want it, don't buy it, as inconceivable a concept as that may be for some.
DVD wasn't in 82% of American homes on day one. DVD didn't launch with tens of thousands of titles. DVD didn't launch with a bunch of AAA titles. DVD didn't launch with huge Best Buy ads listing scores of recent theatrical releases for $15.99. Expecting HD-DVD to do the same within a few weeks of release is moronic.
I didn't buy my DVD player because millions of other people were. I bought it because it was the best home video format available at the time, and that's precisely why I bought into HD-DVD. I couldn't care less if 70% of the U.S. buys one of these formats. I just want enough consumer support that the studios will keep releasing movies for it at a not-ungodly price. If more people buy in, great. If not...doesn't matter. I don't understand why "...but it'll never be as popular as DVD!" is such a compelling argument for so many of these naysayers. Ruth's Chris Steak House doesn't have the same market penetration as Ryan's, so does that mean it shouldn't exist either?
Arguing that you need a high-definition television (few of which are below the 35" threshold they gave) to benefit from a high-definition home video format...well, yeah, no kidding.
They make legitimate points as to why investing in HD-DVD is not an overly compelling proposition for the average consumer, but HD-DVD at this stage of the game isn't directed towards the average consumer, so... They do not make legitimate points as to why a new high-definition format should not exist.
Their argument boils down to "hey, I don't want an HD-DVD player, so therefore, they shouldn't exist". DVD isn't dying anytime soon. I don't know why people are quaking in their boots at the prospect of these formats. If you don't want it, don't buy it, as inconceivable a concept as that may be for some.
DVD wasn't in 82% of American homes on day one. DVD didn't launch with tens of thousands of titles. DVD didn't launch with a bunch of AAA titles. DVD didn't launch with huge Best Buy ads listing scores of recent theatrical releases for $15.99. Expecting HD-DVD to do the same within a few weeks of release is moronic.
I didn't buy my DVD player because millions of other people were. I bought it because it was the best home video format available at the time, and that's precisely why I bought into HD-DVD. I couldn't care less if 70% of the U.S. buys one of these formats. I just want enough consumer support that the studios will keep releasing movies for it at a not-ungodly price. If more people buy in, great. If not...doesn't matter. I don't understand why "...but it'll never be as popular as DVD!" is such a compelling argument for so many of these naysayers. Ruth's Chris Steak House doesn't have the same market penetration as Ryan's, so does that mean it shouldn't exist either?
Arguing that you need a high-definition television (few of which are below the 35" threshold they gave) to benefit from a high-definition home video format...well, yeah, no kidding.
They make legitimate points as to why investing in HD-DVD is not an overly compelling proposition for the average consumer, but HD-DVD at this stage of the game isn't directed towards the average consumer, so... They do not make legitimate points as to why a new high-definition format should not exist.
To quote Karen Walker...."wanna make out?"
05-11-06, 08:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
What was wrong with Laserdisc?
Price of movies. If I remember, the average retail price for laserdisc movies was atrociously high. I remember seeing "special sets" that were in the $50-$100 range and most movies were not the same price as tapes.
Had to flip. Unless you had the player that flipped the disc for you, you had to stop the movie and flip the disc.
Discs were huge. People don't like big. Laserdisc was very big.
This is from someone who doesn't own a laserdisc and was waaay too young to care about it when it was out, but this is the impression I got.
05-11-06, 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by The Bus
This is from someone who doesn't own a laserdisc and was waaay too young to care about it when it was out, but this is the impression I got.
05-11-06, 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by The Bus
Poor distribution. When DVD was out, Best Buy had DVDs. I don't ever remember seeing Laserdiscs anywhere except places like Suncoast Video, etc. at the mall.
Price of movies. If I remember, the average retail price for laserdisc movies was atrociously high. I remember seeing "special sets" that were in the $50-$100 range and most movies were not the same price as tapes.
Had to flip. Unless you had the player that flipped the disc for you, you had to stop the movie and flip the disc.
Discs were huge. People don't like big. Laserdisc was very big.
This is from someone who doesn't own a laserdisc and was waaay too young to care about it when it was out, but this is the impression I got.
Price of movies. If I remember, the average retail price for laserdisc movies was atrociously high. I remember seeing "special sets" that were in the $50-$100 range and most movies were not the same price as tapes.
Had to flip. Unless you had the player that flipped the disc for you, you had to stop the movie and flip the disc.
Discs were huge. People don't like big. Laserdisc was very big.
This is from someone who doesn't own a laserdisc and was waaay too young to care about it when it was out, but this is the impression I got.
For the most part, the "special sets" were of a MUCH higher quality than any of the SE's we see on DVD today. If an HD format goes that way where we pay a little more and get real material as opposed to fluff, I'd pay more for having it be a niche.
There's a lot about laserdisc that I miss. DVD has, in a lot of ways, fucked my enjoyment of home video formats by allowing every Tom, Dick and Hilda to exploit it.
05-11-06, 09:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
Take off the blu-colored glasses and read it more closely: "You could be placing a very big bet on the wrong horse." They're not saying Blu-ray will win out over HD-DVD. They're saying it might, just as HD-DVD might win out over Blu-ray. They go on to say that HD-DVD and Blu-ray might both be failures.
05-11-06, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Blitz6Speed
I was just teasing the hardcore hd-dvd people. I agree with your comments, but the shroud of doubt over this format is all over the place. I know being an early adapter you want the format to live on, but theres a lot against you. Hang on for the ride!
05-11-06, 09:24 AM
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Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
There's a helluva lot against BR too. At this point, I'd definitely say "more."
05-11-06, 09:26 AM
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Originally Posted by Blitz6Speed
Id definetly disagree. However, thats because i stick to my guns vs jumping ship at the first opportunity, unlike yourself. I am a man who doesnt settle, i cannot say the same for you, missy. LOL =)
The only TWO things BR has going for it can change tomorrow.
05-11-06, 09:31 AM
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Will we get banned if we post something in this topic that is critical of HD-DVD? I mean seriously, I don't know anymore. Obviously this topic warrants discussion, but unfortunately given the tactics of moderators in this forum, I don't know. It seems like the mods can post their own opinions about how great HD-DVD is...but others cant.
Last edited by chanster; 05-11-06 at 09:34 AM.
05-11-06, 09:32 AM
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This is actually a well written article by an avg DVD viewer. He says the good (amazing picture quality) with the bad (BR/HD war, not enough interest to upgrade).
05-11-06, 09:40 AM
#18
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Originally Posted by Adam Tyner
I didn't buy my DVD player because millions of other people were.
The Black Hole
Halloween II
Fletch
Condorman
That's literally what made me finally take the plunge and supplement my LD collection, about 2 years in (early '99). I'm sure the manufacturers weren't considering the "Condorman Effect" when they began marketing the things.
High Def will be different for me, since I have an HDTV and I'm itching to get more content. The only thing holding me back right now is the format war (and the usual things that will clear up in a year or so -- prices, buggy 1st gen machines, title selection).
Once this HD/BR thing shakes down, I'm ready to jump in.
05-11-06, 09:40 AM
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Originally Posted by chanster
Will we get banned if we post something in this topic that is critical of HD-DVD? I mean seriously, I don't know anymore. Obviously this topic warrants discussion, but unfortunately given the tactics of moderators in this forum, I don't know. It seems like the mods can post their own opinions about how great HD-DVD is...but others cant.
05-11-06, 09:50 AM
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Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
Out of curiosity, how old are you now?
For the most part, the "special sets" were of a MUCH higher quality than any of the SE's we see on DVD today. If an HD format goes that way where we pay a little more and get real material as opposed to fluff, I'd pay more for having it be a niche.
There's a lot about laserdisc that I miss. DVD has, in a lot of ways, fucked my enjoyment of home video formats by allowing every Tom, Dick and Hilda to exploit it.
For the most part, the "special sets" were of a MUCH higher quality than any of the SE's we see on DVD today. If an HD format goes that way where we pay a little more and get real material as opposed to fluff, I'd pay more for having it be a niche.
There's a lot about laserdisc that I miss. DVD has, in a lot of ways, fucked my enjoyment of home video formats by allowing every Tom, Dick and Hilda to exploit it.
Anyway, the article does start out negative, but does make a few good points. I have no problem with an article saying "You'll need this hardware to really take advantage of it, and since there are two similar products, it's something of a risk as to which will be the bigger hit, if any."
And whenever there's new hardware, there's always a shortage of software to use on it. How many DVDs came out within the first month of DVD players being released? Even the Xbox 460 only has what, 50 or so games out, not counting XBLA.
And of course every early adopter will pay a premium. That's the way it's always been. Although even he says "For a brand-new technology, the A1 is a reasonably priced razor"...how much was the first consumer-available DVD player?
05-11-06, 10:04 AM
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Originally Posted by dtcarson
And that elitist attitude is part of why laserdisk was not the success DVD is. If that's prevalent in the HDDVD/BR camps, I'll definitely stick with DVD. Tom Dick and Hilda buying dvds has created a market for tons of reasonably priced titles to come out that might not have if were limited to a niche.
Laserdisc had crapload titles that STILL are not released on DVD and it was a niche. That has nothing to do with it.
If laserdiscs were a little lower priced, it would have been great.
But does everything have to be $8? The DVD format has been cheapened and exploited as much as it can.
And i wasn't asking how old he was to be a snob. I was asking because I was 14 when I got a laserdisc player. And it was all mine. Not my parents or anyone else's.
If I look at that, it's been 8 years since I've bought into a format. Laserdisc lasted 6 for me. I'm hoping to get 10 years out of the HD format.
Last edited by digitalfreaknyc; 05-11-06 at 10:06 AM.
05-11-06, 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by chanster
Will we get banned if we post something in this topic that is critical of HD-DVD?
I'm not sure how many different ways I can spell out "criticism is allowed", but a small, vocal group of people seem determined to ignore it, instead preferring to prattle on about poor moderation. If they'd spend as much time reading this forum as they do complaining about me, they'd see that their gripes don't have much basis. No one has ever been banned, suspended, etc. for criticizing anything on this forum.
Criticism is very much allowed in threads that warrant it (if you spend some time browsing other topics, you'd see quite a bit of it), and yes, this is one of them. I just don't think every single topic should be a "HD-DVD and Blu-ray are stupid" free-for-all, and I think this forum should be reserved for people who at least have an interest in the concept of HD formats. Not these formats specifically, but the idea of watching movies in high-definition.
If you have any further questions or complaints about the moderation, send me an e-mail off-forum or post to one of the existing threads in Feedback.
05-11-06, 10:15 AM
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I don't know why you'd choose this topic to a) be a smart-ass and b) post something critical about HD-DVD. The article was critical of BOTH BR and HD-DVD.
I really wonder why the OP didn't post the beginning of the article, its a good examination of the problem of both formats being pushed on the public.
here is the rest:
WHEN did you first become cynical about the electronics industry?
Was it when VHS went out of style, and you had to buy all your movies again on DVD? Was it the time(s) you never got the rebate you mailed away for? Or was it when your computer's 90-day warranty expired, and the thing croaked two days later?
Doesn't matter. As it turns out, you didn't even know the meaning of the word cynical. This month, Toshiba's HD-A1 high-definition DVD player hit store shelves. It's the first marketplace volley in an absurd and pointless format war among the titans of the movie, electronics and computer industries.
Just contemplating the rise of a new DVD format is enough to make you feel played. What's wrong with the original DVD format, anyway? It offers brilliant picture, thundering surround sound and bonus material. The catalog of DVD movies is immense and reasonably priced. And DVD players are so cheap, they practically fall out of magazines; 82 percent of American homes have at least one DVD player.
To electronics executives, all of this can mean only one thing: It's time to junk that format and start over.
Of course, the executives don't explain this decision by saying, "Because we've saturated the market for regular DVD players."
Instead, they talk about video and picture quality. A DVD picture offers much better color and clarity than regular TV, but not as good as high-definition TV. The new discs hold far more information, enough to display Hollywood's masterpieces in true high definition (if you have a high-definition TV, of course).
UNFORTUNATELY, this idea occurred simultaneously to both Sony and Toshiba. Each dreamed up its own format for a high-def DVD. Each then assembled an army of partners. Toshiba's format, called HD-DVD, has attracted Microsoft, Sanyo, NEC and movie studios like New Line and Universal. Sony's format, called Blu-ray, has in its camp Apple, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Pioneer, Dell and movie studios like Sony, 20th Century Fox and Disney. (Some companies, like HP, LG, Warner Brothers and Paramount, intend to create products for both formats.)
The new DVD players will play standard DVD's, but that's as far as the compatibility good news goes. Movies in Toshiba's format won't play in DVD players from Sony's side, and vice versa.
At first, pundits guessed that Sony's Blu-ray format might win, because it had signed up so many more movie studios, its discs have greater capacity, and the PlayStation 3, expected to top best-seller lists this fall, will double as a Blu-ray player.
Was it when VHS went out of style, and you had to buy all your movies again on DVD? Was it the time(s) you never got the rebate you mailed away for? Or was it when your computer's 90-day warranty expired, and the thing croaked two days later?
Doesn't matter. As it turns out, you didn't even know the meaning of the word cynical. This month, Toshiba's HD-A1 high-definition DVD player hit store shelves. It's the first marketplace volley in an absurd and pointless format war among the titans of the movie, electronics and computer industries.
Just contemplating the rise of a new DVD format is enough to make you feel played. What's wrong with the original DVD format, anyway? It offers brilliant picture, thundering surround sound and bonus material. The catalog of DVD movies is immense and reasonably priced. And DVD players are so cheap, they practically fall out of magazines; 82 percent of American homes have at least one DVD player.
To electronics executives, all of this can mean only one thing: It's time to junk that format and start over.
Of course, the executives don't explain this decision by saying, "Because we've saturated the market for regular DVD players."
Instead, they talk about video and picture quality. A DVD picture offers much better color and clarity than regular TV, but not as good as high-definition TV. The new discs hold far more information, enough to display Hollywood's masterpieces in true high definition (if you have a high-definition TV, of course).
UNFORTUNATELY, this idea occurred simultaneously to both Sony and Toshiba. Each dreamed up its own format for a high-def DVD. Each then assembled an army of partners. Toshiba's format, called HD-DVD, has attracted Microsoft, Sanyo, NEC and movie studios like New Line and Universal. Sony's format, called Blu-ray, has in its camp Apple, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Pioneer, Dell and movie studios like Sony, 20th Century Fox and Disney. (Some companies, like HP, LG, Warner Brothers and Paramount, intend to create products for both formats.)
The new DVD players will play standard DVD's, but that's as far as the compatibility good news goes. Movies in Toshiba's format won't play in DVD players from Sony's side, and vice versa.
At first, pundits guessed that Sony's Blu-ray format might win, because it had signed up so many more movie studios, its discs have greater capacity, and the PlayStation 3, expected to top best-seller lists this fall, will double as a Blu-ray player.
The DVD format has been cheapened and exploited as much as it can.
Last edited by chanster; 05-11-06 at 10:18 AM.
05-11-06, 10:22 AM
#24
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
Please.
Laserdisc had crapload titles that STILL are not released on DVD and it was a niche. That has nothing to do with it.
Laserdisc had crapload titles that STILL are not released on DVD and it was a niche. That has nothing to do with it.
Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
If laserdiscs were a little lower priced, it would have been great.
Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
But does everything have to be $8?
Or is it just that you want them cheap enough for you to afford, but not cheap enough for the great unwashed peons to want to buy?
Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
The DVD format has been cheapened and exploited as much as it can.
Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
And i wasn't asking how old he was to be a snob. I was asking because I was 14 when I got a laserdisc player. And it was all mine. Not my parents or anyone else's.
No, this phrase implied the snobbery to me:
"DVD has, in a lot of ways, fucked my enjoyment of home video formats by allowing every Tom, Dick and Hilda to exploit it."
How dare Tom, Dick and Hilda be able to cheaply buy and enjoy movies and tv series. The sheer gall. DVDs are only for the Elite like me. I can't enjoy watching a superb movie in 480p on my WS HDTV and sound system if I know that Joe Blow, the mechanic next door, is doing the same thing.
Originally Posted by digitalfreaknyc
If I look at that, it's been 8 years since I've bought into a format. Laserdisc lasted 6 for me. I'm hoping to get 10 years out of the HD format.
Article: Okay, that first paragraph definitely has a more negative tone. Not toward the tech necessarily, but toward the industry. But again, nothing new--why should I buy a new car? Why should I buy a new generation of videogame consoles? Why should I buy new clothes? They're always coming out with 'new/improved' stuff to buy. It's up to the consumer to decide if the money spent is worth the product for them.
Last edited by tonyc3742; 05-11-06 at 10:29 AM.
05-11-06, 10:24 AM
#25
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Originally Posted by paulringodaman
This is actually a well written article by an avg DVD viewer. He says the good (amazing picture quality) with the bad (BR/HD war, not enough interest to upgrade).