A Blue Christmas For Blu-Ray
 

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061205/netu024.html?.v=72

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/061208a.php

http://www.cymfony.com/Blu-ray.pdf





Wow. BR is getting a lot of bad press lately.

I think Sony has created a very negative image for themselves this year and Blu-ray is suffering for it. Blu-ray still has a great chance if they can get a few million PS3s on the market next year, but I agree the window for BD is closing fast.

I'm really trying to keep the forum clear of any 'format war' stuff, at least in the short term.

Sony Blu-Ray Gets 'General Dislike' Among Web Posters
 

Here is an interesting read:


http://www.informationweek.com/indus...leID=196602781

I just hope a format is chosen in final within a year. The wife bought me the HD DVD add on for the 360 and I only plan on buying a few movies here and there til its settled. I read articles like this all the time and wonder what is the final breaking point for the format that doesnt win. I mean these companies have lots of money to keep pushing right?

Why, if you don't mind my asking?

Since you own the 360 add-on, even if HD DVD keels over in a couple of years, you'll still be able to play the titles you buy indefinitely.

Yeah, really.
You say you want the war to end within a year, buying HD DVD's would only help to make that happen.

I'm seeing articles like this everywhere. I think a lot of it is just a general feeling of ill will towards Sony right now. They made a lot of really bad PR moves in 2006.

I still think this can all turn around in 2007 if the PS3 sells well and also turns a lot of its users on to Blu-ray. Granted the clock is ticking on that one.

I think the general dissatisfaction extends to the PS3 as well, so I don't see the PS3 being the magic device Sony thought it would be.

which format has / would have the most titles as far as we know?

As it stands now Blu-ray will end up with the majority of movies available.

Blu-ray's exclusives include Sony, Disney, Fox, MGM, and Lionsgate. This is against HD DVD's exclusives of just Universal and The Weinstein Company. Yes there are some smaller studios supporting both formats but these are the majors. My personal view is that either dual format players will help to ensure both formats surviving longterm or Universal will eventually cave and support Blu-ray. I'm happy to support both formats right now and not wait to see what does or does not happen in the future.

Why would Universal cave to support a less popular format? If HD DVD has the numbers and the popular support, there is no reason for them to release on BD. If anything, LG and Disney will start releasing on HD DVD which will be a step towards the end of the war.

I don't see this "war" ending any time before the next two years. HD-DVD had a huge chance to pull way out in front of Blu-ray, especially by getting the G2 players out while launch PS3s were rare, but that didn't really happen. I still think it's going to come down to content, and if Blu-ray can get their big hitters on the market soon (Spider-man, POTC, the Disney classics, etc...), they have a good chance of "winning."

I have players for both formats, so I don't really care who wins, but all of this "Blu-ray is doomed" talk seems very premature.

I don't pretend to be able to predict the future but IMHO Blu-ray will eventually take the lead in terms of software and hardware sales. I base this belief primarily on the fact that the BDA is composed of many more big brand name companies than the HD DVD group has to combat them with.

How is that? If LG and Disney go dual-format support then they'll only prolong the format war further. You'd then have Sony and Fox versus Universal, essentially.

Agreed. Neither format is going away anytime soon. The battle is still heating up. I also agree that the exclusives game is in Blu-ray's favor. Since Warner and Paramount are neutral that leaves exclusives by Sony, Disney, Fox, and MGM on Blu-ray versus exclusives from Universal on HD DVD. I just don't see how HD DVD wins in this scenario. And that's not even including that almost all of the brandname hardware support is behind Blu-ray.

Can it still come down to cost? Isnt it more expensive to reproduce blu ray disks (and players) than it is HD-DVD?

This thread turns into a vs. thread in t-minus 10....9.....8.....

It could, but probably not so much a deciding factor.

The consumer prices are about the same on the discs. The BD players cost more now, but are coming down. Prices all around will most likely drop as more adapt.

Title selection is the biggest factor in my book. (I do have a PS3 now, but I would get and HD-DVD player also if the title selection warrants it for me.)

It's been open for 2-1/2 days with no problems, but thanks for that.

Oh yea, couldn't have said it better!!!!

If this whole thing lasts that long...

Over at AVS, they're talking about a price drop happening to current HD DVD prices for BD in about a little less than a year. That would give HD DVD a year to a year and a half lead. And who knows where the prices will be for HD DVD by then.

Are they talking about discs or players? Disc price drops would be a big help.

Still. More titles, more titles, more titles....

Players.

Doesn't matter what comes out if your stand-alone players are all 1k +

err? who has standalone players that are all 1k+?

Player is a one time shot for the common man, and those prices will inevitably drop on both sides.

A difference in disc price would make a big dent. Other than that, it's still titles.

Well, they're doing pretty good so far, outselling in software. So you're saying HD DVD will never gain any more companies for software or hardware?