Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD (2006)

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  • Reply 1021 of 2106
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    [B]Well Doc Holliday how are you doing lunger? <Tombstone reference>



    :P



    Ya like that, heh? I knew I could count on you to pick up on that one.
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  • Reply 1022 of 2106
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by marzetta7

    Ya like that, heh? I knew I could count on you to pick up on that one.



    Hey bud on a lighter note what do you think will be your first Blu-Ray player a PS3 for standalone? I'm torn I'm thinking that it might be safer to avoid the PS3 because the last time I was doing online gaming I was hooked like a junkie. I'm not sure my 30 something body can handle those 2am frag sessions anymore.



    I'm pretty excited for early next year. Once I get my Sammy 1080p (not etched in stone I will look at other brands come purchase time) and I'm moved in to my new place (roomate is getting married) I'm ready to rock. By then netflix is going to have a damn good selection of HD DVD and Blu-Ray movies. I'll probably have both players by June 2007 hopefully running into a AV Receiver that has two HDMI inputs.



    Next up will be a HD camcorder but I may have to wait a bit. I'm loving this HD stuff man
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  • Reply 1023 of 2106
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Hey bud on a lighter note what do you think will be your first Blu-Ray player a PS3 for standalone? I'm torn I'm thinking that it might be safer to avoid the PS3 because the last time I was doing online gaming I was hooked like a junkie. I'm not sure my 30 something body can handle those 2am frag sessions anymore.



    I'm pretty excited for early next year. Once I get my Sammy 1080p (not etched in stone I will look at other brands come purchase time) and I'm moved in to my new place (roomate is getting married) I'm ready to rock. By then netflix is going to have a damn good selection of HD DVD and Blu-Ray movies. I'll probably have both players by June 2007 hopefully running into a AV Receiver that has two HDMI inputs.



    Next up will be a HD camcorder but I may have to wait a bit. I'm loving this HD stuff man




    I've got three boys, and well, let's just say their itching to play some PS3 games...Ok Dad is too. So, the PS3 will be my hardware of choice for both games and HD movies.



    Problem too is, I'm waiting for 1080P sets too come down in price as well. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for true 1920 X 1080 progressive goodness. All this time I've been walking into BestBuys, CircuitCities, etc. and seeing these 1024 X 768 sets blown up on 45' screens and them calling them HD...robbery of the less informed I guess. I've been telling family and friends to just wait till the true HD sets come, and finally...it seems they're here.



    I think truly, this year is HD DVD's and Blu-ray's baby steps, it'll be interesting to see how they duke it out in 2007. Exciting times ahead. 8)
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  • Reply 1024 of 2106
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    Also, speaking of PS3...Just ran into this video over at IGN for you Star Wars fans. Take a look at the pre-vis of the new Star Wars: Force Unleashed coming to PS3...



    http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/823/823668/vids_1.html



    If it looks anything like the pre-vis, that'll be freakin sweet.
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  • Reply 1025 of 2106
    elixirelixir Posts: 782member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by marzetta7

    Also, speaking of PS3...Just ran into this video over at IGN for you Star Wars fans. Take a look at the pre-vis of the new Star Wars: Force Unleashed coming to PS3...



    http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/823/823668/vids_1.html



    If it looks anything like the pre-vis, that'll be freakin sweet.




    that looks nice



    but check out Half-Life 2 on 360





    Portals





    http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/8...67/vids_1.html
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  • Reply 1026 of 2106
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by marzetta7

    I've got three boys, and well, let's just say their itching to play some PS3 games...Ok Dad is too. So, the PS3 will be my hardware of choice for both games and HD movies.



    Problem too is, I'm waiting for 1080P sets too come down in price as well. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for true 1920 X 1080 progressive goodness. All this time I've been walking into BestBuys, CircuitCities, etc. and seeing these 1024 X 768 sets blown up on 45' screens and them calling them HD...robbery of the less informed I guess. I've been telling family and friends to just wait till the true HD sets come, and finally...it seems they're here.



    I think truly, this year is HD DVD's and Blu-ray's baby steps, it'll be interesting to see how they duke it out in 2007. Exciting times ahead. 8)




    Wow 3 boys yeah I'd be looking at a PS3 then too. My son just turned 4 this week so he's not really going to be into gaming for another couple of years. Finally we are seeing HD sets coming that don't cost your firstborn. Next year I'll decide between a 50 or 56" HDTV that has to support 1080p



    In the next 5yrs I'll be looking for a dedicated Home Theatre room and a front projector that does 1080p.



    man you guys should NOT have showed me those vids. My current gf who'll be my wife soon enough isn't the biggest fan of games. I'm going to have to do one hell of a sales job to get both an xbox and ps3 into the home
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  • Reply 1027 of 2106
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Elixir

    that looks nice



    but check out Half-Life 2 on 360





    Portals





    http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/8...67/vids_1.html




    That does looks sweet. Half-Life 2 will be on the PS3 as well though,...



    http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/743/743925/vids_1.html



    I don't know if the Star Wars: Force Unleashed game will be released on the 360 though. I've tried to see if it will be, but so far I've come up empty. If anyone sees that it will (be released for the 360), let us know.
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  • Reply 1028 of 2106
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    Fox's Dunn Bullish On DVD and Blu-ray



    http://www.homemediaretailing.com/index.cfm?sec_id=2

    Quote:

    Fox's Dunn Bullish On DVD and Blu-ray



    Mike Dunn, worldwide president of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, has been with the studio for nearly 20 years. He remains a strong believer in packaged media, notably the next-generation format Blu-ray Disc. Mindful of burgeoning digital distribution, Dunn believes the medium is in its infancy and that the focus should remain on filmed entertainment?s cash cow: DVD.



    As previously done with other key executives, Home Media Retailing asked Dunn to elaborate on packaged media?s durability and where he sees growth potential, among other issues.



    HMR: What effect has the maturation of the DVD industry had on your business?



    Dunn: We?re at 80% DVD market penetration in the United States, and we?ve reached this point in record time. It is one of the most successful consumer electronics products of all time and, at $25 billion, home entertainment remains one of the biggest consumer categories for all classes of retail trade.



    Overall, it has become a product-driven business, meaning that a key growth driver for us this year is the incredible lineup of new theatrical releases from our studio. We?ve saved Ice Age: The Meltdown for the critical holiday season. Also in the fourth quarter is X-Men: The Last Stand at $233 million and The Devil Wears Prada heading over $100 million.



    There are certain niches such as TV DVD and, for Fox in particular, inspirational or faith-based titles that are driving growth. For example, the faith business has been very successful for us, with more than $100 million in revenue in the past two years. And TV DVD, which is still the fastest-growing segment of the business, will gain 8% to 12% this year, with consumer spending well over $2 billion. As a leader in [TV DVD], we expect our business to grow significantly.



    And, a real ace in our pocket is our new relationship with MGM, which will provide a steady stream of new release and catalog titles. It?s an exciting time, and we?re very bullish on the business.



    HMR: Has the strong global box office season this year shored up the theatrical distribution food chain?



    Dunn: This year, the studios ? and Fox in particular ? have been successful at making films that are attracting a worldwide audience, with the total business finishing up 7% to 10%. A strong theatrical business this summer is going to echo right to the fourth quarter in DVD. The box office sets the bar for DVD and the value of a film through all windows of distribution. For most movies, DVD is the profit driver.



    HMR: How does Blu-ray fit in a download world? Without a unified format, is there a possibility Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD could become the next UMD?



    Dunn: First of all, the format war is really only going on in the press. Come the late fourth quarter, starting in November, Blu-ray is going to be showing huge numbers. The early adopter is going Blu-ray, and I think it will be readily apparent to that crucial second tier of consumers that Blu-ray is the obvious choice.



    It really is an easy argument to make. Right from the start, Blu-ray is going to be in consoles, computers and video games. You?ve got 170 companies involved, many of which are among the most trusted consumer brands, along with every major motion picture company but one. The penetration of Blu-ray is going to be in the millions of households by early 2007, compared to less than 100,000 households for HD DVD. And, it will penetrate faster than DVD did ? going from zero to 10 million households like a rocket. Once the delta between the two formats begins to widen like that early on, it becomes a Blu-ray no-brainer for the consumer.



    As for digital downloading, it is at its very beginning stages. There is a long way to go before the download world leaks into the DVD business. That, too, is going to be an issue in the press but not in the marketplace. I think packaged media is pretty safe for the next 10 years.



    HMR: As it has with theatrical, does an ever-increasing percentage of a film?s DVD sales come from abroad?



    Dunn: Home entertainment is a worldwide business. The household penetration rates are north of 50% in all of the developed countries. It is a very significant marketplace and a very complicated one because there are different levels of piracy and competition in each territory. There are roughly 300 million people in the United States and nearly 6 billion in the rest of the world. Our business isn?t 50-50 yet, but that?s our goal. We?ve structured our company to aggressively drive sales in every market. It?s a well-oiled machine that gives us a true competitive advantage.



    HMR: Do the studios have a control on piracy overseas?



    Dunn: Piracy is like a rash. You have to fight it, fight it and fight it. There is not one solution to piracy; there are multiple solutions. It is an everyday competitor that we are attacking in a variety of ways. This studio is mobilized to meet this challenge on every front, every day.



    HMR: How important is it to market DVD to alternative retail outlets (supermarkets, Starbucks, convenience stores, etc.) compared to mass merchants such as Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Costco?



    Dunn: I still like the early Coca-Cola strategy: ?be an arm?s length from a consumer?s need.? Simply, the more ubiquitous the distribution, the better you serve the consumer. We are definitely increasing our distribution base.



    In the last year alone, we?ve opened 3,000 new doors, Christian bookstores, that we?re serving not only our faith-based fare but also appropriate all-audience, family and kids titles.



    The consumer dynamics in this country continue to evolve, and we are really pushing into high-end stores where people have money.



    HMR: Is Fox interested in working with Starbucks to distribute titles? Dunn: I don?t have much to say about that. I believe Starbucks has talked with everybody in town. There are different levels of interest and different projects among the studios. Starbucks clearly attracts an upscale consumer with a certain level of taste, and that is very attractive.



    HMR: What kind of a second half of 2006 can we expect in home video?



    Dunn: We see a growth level of about 5% compared to last year. The strength of the product is really solid and complementary to the consumer. For instance, this year there are three very strong family movies ? Ice Age: The Meltdown, Cars and Over the Hedge ? compared to one last year, Madagascar. There was no Devil Wears Prada last year with a female-skewing demo yet also appealing to men. The moviegoing audience is responding. Exit surveys are telling us that people like the movies they see ? not only ours, but also some of our competitors,? too. Simply, better movies make for a better DVD market.



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  • Reply 1029 of 2106
    elixirelixir Posts: 782member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by marzetta7

    That does looks sweet. Half-Life 2 will be on the PS3 as well though,...







    yeah but for 200 dollars more.
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  • Reply 1030 of 2106
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,464member
    Fox hasn't even shipped one Blu-Ray title yet right? How can Dunn sit and talk about the War with "any" credibiliy?



    We tend to forget that Xbox360 user will have low cost HD DVD options as well.



    We'll see how things turn out. I'm just a bit tired of the conjecture based on the PS3. Everone I know that is a PS2 user or just generally interested in game consoles HATES the PS3 pricing.
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  • Reply 1031 of 2106
    slugheadslughead Posts: 1,169member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    We'll see how things turn out. I'm just a bit tired of the conjecture based on the PS3. Everone I know that is a PS2 user or just generally interested in game consoles HATES the PS3 pricing.



    Everyone I know who is a game console user is going to buy a PS3.



    Our anecdotes! They're conflicting! One of them must define the truth!



    Personally, I see both formats as roughly the same, but HD DVD hardware seems to be more forward-looking in that the LED's are smaller.



    I don't want another betamax. I remember the DVD-RAM in my AGP Graphics G4 Powermac.



    And one more thing: why do HD DVDs cost so much?!? $30 for a movie? Are you kidding me? I always thought $20 was too much.
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  • Reply 1032 of 2106
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,464member
    Best Buy is charging more for HD DVD than anyone. I'm posting this from the Tacoma Compusa and they have Phantom of the Opera, The Last Samurai, Millon Dollar Baby and another title for $19.95



    The Blu-Ray titles here are $24.95. Amazon has half of the HD-DVD titles for under $20 as well.



    I think that a lot of gamers are going to buy a PS3 but I wouldn't expect these people to be high movie purchasers. Games are expensive enough without adding $25 dollar movies to the total. I'd expect gamers to be bigger renters of movies than purchasers. We'll see though. It should be interesting.
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  • Reply 1033 of 2106
    elixirelixir Posts: 782member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by slughead

    Everyone I know who is a game console user is going to buy a PS3.









    and exactly what does that prove?
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  • Reply 1034 of 2106
    kupan787kupan787 Posts: 586member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Elixir

    and exactly what does that prove?



    The PS3 will sell out at launch. The question is will it continue to sell after launch, and all the fanboys have their system. I think the casual gamer, going to buy a next gen console in Feburary/March, will see the PS3 ($499), Xbox 360 (probably $250 after price drop around PS3 launch), and Wii ($250), and be deciding between the later two. I really don't see the PS3 being the "deciding factor" in this movie war. It is still very much up in the air at this point.



    On a side note, I was with a friend at a local Best Buy the other day (they had 3 blu-ray players and 2 hd-dvd players for sale in store). She is fairly tech savvy, but not up on the latest in this format war. She owns a 51" HDTV, and knows teh difference between standard def, dvd, and hdtv. I showed her the Samsung blu-ray demo and the Toshiba hd-dvd demo. After seeing both, and then the prices, she asked why one was twice as much when they look the same. Then she was looking at movie selection (about 8 titles for blu-ray, and 20 or so for HD-DVD), and she was even more confused at the price difference. She almost pulled the trigger and bought an HD-DVD player right there, but said she wanted to wait until there were HD-DVDs at blockbuster before she made her purchase.
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  • Reply 1035 of 2106
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Best Buy is charging more for HD DVD than anyone.



    It always amazes me how many suckers there are out there that continue to purchase from Worst Buy and keep them in business. I guess a good name counts for a lot in the marketplace.
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  • Reply 1036 of 2106
    elixirelixir Posts: 782member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kolchak

    It always amazes me how many suckers there are out there that continue to purchase from Worst Buy and keep them in business. I guess a good name counts for a lot in the marketplace.





    and where do you purchase tech? best buy is everywhere
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  • Reply 1037 of 2106
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Elixir

    and where do you purchase tech? best buy is everywhere



    Amazon, Froogle, yahoo shopping
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  • Reply 1038 of 2106
    ngmapplengmapple Posts: 117member
    Again, don't buy this junk. Blu-ray and HD-DVD players are just a compilation of cheap plastics and electronics that probably cost about 10-20 bucks per player. The whole thing is a marketing scam. They created two standards on purpose, to get a lot of media attention and hype.



    In the end there's no reason to buy this junk, just wait for HD movies on demand from iTunes. Blu-ray and HD-DVD players can't even be upgraded they're like paper plates that you'll toss for the next non-upgradable piece of hardware. With iTunes, you can download software updates and always experience the latest and greatest.



    I bet you all went out and wasted your money on the best typewritter you could buy right before the PC took off and are kicking yourself for doing it.
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  • Reply 1039 of 2106
    marzetta7marzetta7 Posts: 1,323member
    LG Scraps Plans for Hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD player



    http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/14360.html

    Quote:

    LG Electronics, the one-time DVD peace-maker, has scuttled plans for a combination Blu-ray/HD-DVD player that was planned for launch this fall. According to Bob Perry, VP of sales and channel marketing who outlined product plans at the company's 2006 Summer Line Show this week in New York, LG remains part of the Blu-ray camp and will make a product announcement later in the year.



    The road to high-def DVD has been a long one for LG, when the company announced last November that it would roll out a Blu-ray player, the BD199, in Q2 of this year. Back then, Perry said, "We're putting a stake in the ground to bring some sanity to this continuing battle."



    In March of this year, however, LG declared in a memo to dealers, "In light of uncertainty in this early stage of the market for pre-recorded high-definition optical discs, we have decided not to introduce the BD199 as originally planned for this spring."



    Rather, the company would produce a hybrid Blu-ray/HD-DVD solution to appease all comers. Such a thing would make sense for a company that already builds HD-DVD players for its OEM customers.



    But it was not to be, as Perry announced a few days ago. No word on when an LG-branded Blu-ray deck may ship in the U.S.



    In other LG news, Perry reviewed industry trends driving the market in the transition to digital content including the accelerated transition to HDTV, strong flat-panel TV growth and shifts in screen size preferences. For the first time, he said, LCD and plasma reached price parity at the 42-inch size with fast-dropping prices in LCD. He sees 42-inch flat-panel TVs selling for between $1,700-$2,600 during the second half of 2006 and 50-inch plasmas ringing up between $2,000-$3,000.



    LG's contribution will include a 47-inch LCD TV, the 47LB1DA ($4,000), which ships next month with CableCard capability and dual HDMI inputs. The company also showed an impressive 60-inch 1080p plasma ($5,900) that boasts a 7000:1 contrast ratio. The 60-inch plasma, with two HDMI inputs, will ship to stores in September.



    In addition, LG has announced a line of 2 megapixel LCD HDTVs with built-in 250 GB hard drives and PVR capability. The 1080p-capable TVs, a 37- and 42-incher (37LB2DR, 42LB2DR), round out LG's other 1080p offerings in 47- and 55-inch models. The products, which offer 6,000:1 contrast ratios, will roll out first in Korea, and then hit the U.S. and Europe in Q3. The company says the TVs will cost only 10% more than their 720p counterparts.



    Yet another manufacturer joining in Blu-ray exclusivity.



    I've read the posts above from those who think the PS3 is not going to be a factor in the current format war, and while I think this as illogical and shortsighted, if you choose to ignore that impact, surely you will see it from the likes of all these CE manufacturers who are all exclusive to Blu-ray--Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Sharp, Pioneer, and now LG exclusively--and IT manufacturers (HP, Dell, & Apple).



    As for HD DVD being claimed as more forward looking, all I have to say is, huh? LED's have little to do as to whether a format is forward looking or not. Furthermore, the "betamax" agrument has been shown to be a poor one countless times on this thread, so I'll just refer you to read past posts.



    As for the theory of downloadable HD content, well, in time we may be downloading full length movies in full HD resolution at 25GB to 50GB a pop, but I don't think it will be any time soon.
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  • Reply 1040 of 2106
    kupan787kupan787 Posts: 586member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by marzetta7

    Yet another manufacturer joining in Blu-ray exclusivity.



    Quote:

    No word on when an LG-branded Blu-ray deck may ship in the U.S.



    Sounds more like they have no plans at all. They went from Blu-ray, to hybrid, to no plans now. So if they are exclusive to anything, it is exclusive to nothing.



    Quote:

    and IT manufacturers (HP, Dell, & Apple).



    Apple is not exclusive as evident in the hd-dvd authoring they currently provide, and the fact they have NEVER claimed to be exclusive.



    And HP is not exclusive either (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/pr...5/051216a.html)



    Quote:

    As for the theory of downloadable HD content, well, in time we may be downloading full length movies in full HD resolution at 25GB to 50GB a pop, but I don't think it will be any time soon.



    I agree with you here. The guy comparing the next gen dvd format to a typewriter is insane. So what were DVDs, quill pens and paper? pressed media isn't going away anytime soon. This next gen format (who ever wins) will be around for 5 years minimum. The US blows ass in broadband, and really needs to step it up. But that will only happen if the government does something about the local monopolies the cable and phone companies have. But that is a discussion for a whole other thread.
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