Blu Ray is likely here for at least a decade, and probably more.

Unless you've got a 60" TV or bigger it will be almost impossible for the untrained eye to see ANY difference between 1080P and 4500P.

As much as I can see a significant difference between Blu Ray and DVD, I don't think for a second that I'll be able to see any difference between 1080P and 4500P, and I damned well know I won't pay the premium price for something I'll never see. I doubt many people would.

Blu Ray is as far as they can take it for this generation. Remember, standard def was designed back in the 30's (TV itself was invented in the 20's). It's taken a hell of a long time just to get to 1080P High Def. There won't be any programming for anything higher def than that for a long, long time, and without programming (something to play a that definition), there's no point in making the TV's.

I love HDTV's and I love Blu Ray, but thinking about going beyond that just gets silly.

Pro-B

The problem is, you didn't answer Drexl's question.

Earlier, you said that Blu-ray needed to offer more than just improved picture and sound to differentiate itself from DVD. What did you have in mind? Or, are you saying that there is nothing more that could differentiate the two, and that, as a result, you don't see Blu-ray ever catching on?

This is the point some of us have been trying to make for a while now. Music and movies are two very different experiences. I can listen to music while I am driving, riding the bus, working in my office, sitting in the dentist's chair, working out at the gym, mowing the lawn (OK, just barely ), or any of a hundred other activities. And for those activities, I don't need pristine quality sound (in fact, for many of those activities, sound quality beyond what MP3 offers would be wasted anyway). I can't even imagine trying to watch a movie while engaging in any of those activities.

If you're comparing prices, you have to realize that Blu-Ray prices will come down, just like VHS and DVD prices did. All those formats were much higher priced in the beginning. To some extent, people act like this will always be true of Blu-Ray, that it will never fall in price. Give it time people. We're basically 2 years in. Most people on this forum probably didn't own a DVD player two years into DVD. If you did, you'd probably realize that DVDs were not cheap in B&M stores. The thing that made DVDs cheap back then were crazy online deals. But that was just a lucky coincidence that DVDs were growing right when all these stupid companies were giving stuff away on the internet. It took a few years after that for B&M stores to really offer competitive prices.

Yes.

I say digital downloads is the next step that may hit somewhat mainstream. Blu-Ray will still be the "best" option in my opinion for a long time though. I don't see many companies streaming 1080p content to a majority of the households.

There is a ton of R&D that goes into things like this. I don't see anything taking place of blu-ray for a LONG LONG time.

From what I know Samsung or a different tv manufacturer did make a 2560p tv just for show for some conference.

Its hard to think that they can fit more than 50g on some type of cd medium.

Think again:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05...optical_drive/

Standard Def HAS faded away. Try to find new SDTV's at a retail store. Very, very few available.

A lot of people have High Def cable or satellite for their HDTV's, Blu Ray is increasing it's market share - this is all at the expense of Standard Def.

It's taken a long time for Standard Def to be replaced, but it's in the transition phase now (slowly being phased out).

Blu Ray and HDTV are going to be around for a while.

Blu-ray could easily be around for years, but this doesn't mean a Super High Def format will replace it anytime soon. We will certainly see and witness higher definition formats being presented at CES in the future. But these will not go mainstream. Hell, Blu-ray is embraced by almost all studios now, so I can't see a new definition spec or format just popping up instantaneously without their approval. The studios, at least I think, don't want to burn their bridges too fast and do not want another competitor with Blu-ray.

I remember buying my first home computer in 1991. I bought it from COMPUSA, and elected to get the largest hard drive they sold. Not that I believed it, but I remember the salesman stressing that this was all the storage I would ever need.

The size of the hard drive?... 213 MEGAbytes.

Fair enough. You are completely entitled to believe that. Of course, I think you are completely, absolutely, profoundly wrong, but that's just me .

But, it also raises the question of why you are so interested in these discussions, if you already believe Blu-ray to be a failed format.

Getting all the studios on board for Blu-ray was a fight that took several years to complete. The studios and CE companies have huge investments that will take years to pay off. They are not jumping to another format any time soon. Maybe not for a decade or more.

I think you will see the all the studios push more and more for downloads because they have control of the DRM so you can't lend it out and you never actually own a disc you can resell. This is the kind of control over you they want. Blu-ray could be the last disc format if download speeds increase and downloads catch on.

Blu Ray is just BEGINNING. It will not be dying any time soon.

I am going to requote the question RoboDad asked above as it was avoided twice. I am curious to know what more BR needs to offer seeing that you appear convinced it isn't enough?

Pro-B

at asking someone why they're interested in a discussion on the internet.

I own Blu-ray. I like Blu-ray. I just don't see it ever becoming a widely adopted format.

It's not a matter of functionality (improved audio/video quality), it's a matter of usability. DVD works for people. They get video they want to see in the currently easiest way possible. Blu-ray offers no advantages in this area.

I dunno. Studios won't have opportunities to double-dip as much, and won't be able to sell their low-cost high-profit shitty packaging. Packaging is everything. Maybe 10 years from now we'll see more of an effort, but hard copies are here to stay.

Since downloading movies is for only one location, most people won't want it. Being able to take a movie over to a friend's house and watch it on their bigger/better TV, or just loaning out a movie to a friend, will keep hard copies stocked in stores.

The studios can push for downloads all they want, but historically, being denied consumer freedoms associated with buying a product, will not sell and will fail. If the studios want to isolate their rural consumers as well (due to inferior connections), hey, knock yourselves out.

At this point in time, ISPs aren't willing to give their bandwidth away, and are even locking down their downloading freedoms with tier pricing for those who go over a certain amount--penalizing those who download large amounts of data. Not only would downloading 10 Blu-ray movies a month take a considerable amount of time, but you would have a nice surprise coming in the mail from your ISP billing department.

Studios may want it. Studios aren't going to get it.

I find this to be a contradictory post to say the least since back in February you appeared to be receptive of the idea that mass adoption is possible:


http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread....39#post8499139

I wonder what could have happened since February to change your opinion from recognizing that there is a possibility for BR to become mass to not seeing it ever becoming widely adopted?

Could it be the fact that you were proven wrong about having two niche formats?

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/newreply.ph...eply&p=7956107

Furthermore...


Fine. Granted that most of us are collectors with large libraries I still believe that we use our DVDs normally. So, I find this statement also contradictory. At least judging by what you posted here:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread....99#post8262699

I'd say DVD playback issues are right in the same area with durability and compatibility. What do you think?

Finally the reason I asked you to answer RoboDad's question is because earlier in this thread you said:

...which tells me that something changed dramatically for you after you made the following statement last April:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread....07#post7956107

You changed your position on practically every point you've argued about. And even after three separate requests you still have not answered what RoboDad asked...I wonder why?

Pro-B

He DID answer.
He NEVER said he thought BD was a failure.

It is absolutely comical how some of you just trash anyone who has even the slightest bit of a critical thought towards a media format.

He owns the format and likes it. He just doesn't see it as a "leap" from DVD that will capture the hearts and minds of the mainstream consumer.

All the talk of how bad DVD looks and how good BD looks on huge screens is pertinent HERE, in an enthusiast forum. Most people don't have TVs bigger than 40", and at that point the investment in the advantages of BD diminishes.

BD does what DVD does, but better. Indisputable. Will that be "the next big thing?" It remains to be seen.

VHS - You have to rewind/fast forward
DVD - Special Features/No rewinding

Blu-ray exactly the same as DVD. It's not even a smaller disc!

Would a smaller disc have been an advantage for Blu-ray though? I mean, the Gamecube had smaller discs than other video game systems, but the cases that held the discs were the same size. Plus, they don't fit in standard carrying cases as securely. There really weren't any advantages to the smaller format.

Also, Blu-ray players would've still needed their loading trays to be DVD/CD size for backwards compatibility.

I don't think consumers are looking for a smaller media size at all.

Probably wouldn't have been any better for it being smaller. There's nothing innovative about Blu-rays over DVDs other than better PQ and AQ. The digital copy was a nice start but apparently that can't fit on the same disc so it's useless.

Maybe if we get to the point where we can download commentaries from fans/filmmakers from the web, that would be a nice bonus, but I doubt that will ever happen because the studios want us to double and triple dip.

VOD will destroy Blu-ray, once it is correctly implemented.

Do you know where I keep my CDs? In a box somewhere. Well, in a few boxes, as I've got hundreds of them. I'd like to do the same with my DVDs. Honestly, it's about the content. Box art and packaging is nice but it's not THE reason I buy DVDs.

If I want to listen to an album, I load it from a menu from within my computer, my PS3, or the 360 (all in different areas of the house). I can put an album on my iPod and take it with me.

I wish I could do that with movies. And we're almost, almost there. To anyone that doesn't see this coming, you're fooling and deluding yourself.