That it works for you is great. That the numbers state it ought to work is great. The reality is that there are still a lot of legacy DSLAMs and DLCs out there doing DSL that really aren't going to do a very good job with video.
So lets see what happens in 3-6 months with Apple, once they get the AppleTV 2.0 out. If no one is renting/buying movies from them so be it. But I would wager that it will be pretty popular, with few or little fuss coming up. I'm not predicting an overtaking of optical formats this year. But, as I've said in the past, HDM will not have the same ride that DVD did. In 5 years time, online distribution will be king of the hill. Thats not to say that HDM wont exist, but it will be niche compared to VOD.
Here is my question to everyone here: Lets say, ideal world, we all have fat pipes with no congestion. You have the option of cheap VOD rentals with instant playback at 1080p ($3-4 bucks a pop), HDM rentals from Blockbuster/Netflix (monthly subscription of $9-$19), or Blu-Ray purchases ($15-$20). Which would you rather have? Which would you see yourself using more?
Personally, I like the idea of sitting down, picking a movie, and watching it immediately.
Please stop that crap about giving away 20k units. You know it isn't true.
Well, I'm just summing up what was written in the article. So, which part of the article is crap, again? For the week of Jan. 12th, the 20k+ blu-ray player units were given away as part of the promo offers with HDTV purchases.
So what went on the week ending January 12 that led to such high numbers in Blu-ray standalone player sales? Bundling deals with HDTVs, explained Baker. Sharp Blu-ray players accounted for over 30% of sales, as they were offered free to buyers of the company's LCD televisions.
Sony -- also accounting for one-third of sales -- had a similar $400-off deal for Blu-ray players when buying a Sony HDTV.
Panasonic, like Sharp, offered a free Blu-ray player and made up for the remaining third of units sold. Samsung Blu-ray sales were almost non-existent, as the company did not offer any special deals to TV buyers.
If you were to watch a DVD on a 32" SDTV it would look better than on a 42" HDTV (not upconverted). It would be a crisper picture, the words wouldn't look as blurry either (anything with text looks like ass compared to HD).
Of course SD content looks better on a smaller screen; the bigger the screen the more obvious it's limited resolution becomes. A standard definition television also hides a lot of imperfections in the content which becomes apparent on a clearer, higher resolution HDTV. You'd get the same "better" picture if you watched SD on an HDTV with your glasses off
Of course SD content looks better on a smaller screen; the bigger the screen the more obvious it's limited resolution becomes. A standard definition television also hides a lot of imperfections in the content which becomes apparent on a clearer, higher resolution HDTV. You'd get the same "better" picture if you watched SD on an HDTV with your glasses off
I was responding to a post stating the opposite. You don't have to tell me, tell that to solipsism.
If you were to watch a DVD on a 32" SDTV it would look better than on a 42" HDTV (not upconverted). It would be a crisper picture, the words wouldn't look as blurry either (anything with text looks like ass compared to HD).
I have a 53" Hitachi and it looks better. Do you run it progressive scan? However yes it looks soft when compared to an HD picture. But it looks better than when played on a SD set which is what I thought we were talking about.
Well, I'm just summing up what was written in the article. So, which part of the article is crap, again? For the week of Jan. 12th, the 20k+ blu-ray player units were given away as part of the promo offers with HDTV purchases.
Do you really think that Sony who sold almost as many players as Toshiba in December didn't sell one single player in January?
And please remember that the article is Betanews' own conclusion based on the numbers. Betanews who also claimed that 1.1 and 2.0 BDs wouldn't play in 1.0 players.
So without "free" deals like TV bundles and built-in Playstations, nobody is buying Blu-Ray players.
Yes they are. What you're reading in that article is Betanews making their own conclusions.
This is what NPD actually said:
"The facts are that during the week that is being singled out, both Blu-ray disc players and software were being given away for free with the purchase of 1080p TVs."
It doesn't say that all players were given away for free, but that the deals made the numbers higher than usual.
So without "free" deals like TV bundles and built-in Playstations, nobody is buying Blu-Ray players.
And this is the supposed WINNER of the HDM war. This is actually quite pathetic.
Maybe J6P wasn't waiting for the winner, they really may have decided that DVD is good enough.
No, what is pathetic is the the still oft, illogical thinking that the winner of the HDM war is "supposed."
Get over it already. This game is done. Blu-ray has won and is gaining mass acceptance. Both sides provide promotions. They'd do it even without the other format. It is called marketing, and in all honesty, the manufacturers are still making a profit in that what is "free" ain't really free, simply hidden in the cost of the actual HDTV.
As we reported yesterday, Sonic Solutions has announced that their Professional Products Group will now focus its research and development on the creation of applications for Blu-ray authoring. Sonic will now work to create new tools to make use of BD-Live interactivity. Previously, Scenarist had support for HD DVD authoring as well, but will now cease sales of that product line.
Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic's Professional Products Group commented, "Our professional authoring customers are actively engaged with expanding their services in advanced interactive and online content creation. With a focus on Blu-ray Disc, we're able to meet this demand with new technologies and applications that leverage the growing-capabilities of the robust BD format to deliver dynamic entertainment experiences that consumers not only want, but have also come to expect from today's connected-content platforms."
Additionally, Sonic will offer customers who purchased their Scenarist HD DVD authoring applications a special promotion to exchange their current software for the Blu-ray system. Those who choose to keep their existing HD DVD software will continue to receive customer support.
Sonic Scenarist is a widely used set of video authoring tools used by consumers and professionals alike. This shift in policy on amplifies the huge swing in support the Warner announcement has garnished in only a few short weeks. You can read the entire press release by clicking here.
I have not disagreed with the former, but your latter point lacks any kind of evidence.
The BetaNews story seems to openly question whether anybody is the mass market is taking HDM seriously, without getting it free or at a heavy discount.
I think this is a case of people becoming accustomed to sub-$100 disc players, and deciding that they will jump on the bandwagon much later than in past tech rollouts.
I have not disagreed with the former, but your latter point lacks any kind of evidence.
The BetaNews story seems to openly question whether anybody is the mass market is taking HDM seriously, without getting it free or at a heavy discount.
I think this is a case of people becoming accustomed to sub-$100 disc players, and deciding that they will jump on the bandwagon much later than in past tech rollouts.
Yeah, you're right.
If you mean "mass" acceptance as in, the majority of the people in the niche category, maybe.
But mass overall consumers? Way too many people don't even know anything about Bluray. I'll agree that they've won, but there's still a lot to do before it's considered "mass" acceptance.
"Mass Market" and HDM shouldn't be in the same sense unless one is doing heavy prognostication.
Frank777 is right. HD DVD only sold because the price was decreasing rapidly and Blu-ray only sold because it was packed in a game console. Failure to see the obvious is myopia. Time and time again we see that the trend swings with what heavy discount is going on. Naturally this is the natural ebb and flow of commerce but the sales of HDM and players isn't rising all that fast when sales are not going on.
That being said I look forward to just getting this mess over with. My future certainly will be obtaining entertainment from a variety of sources. Hell I still buy CDs and I use iTunes. There's no reason I cannot duplicate the same physical vs virtual paradigm for movies.
I think once Blu-Ray hits around $200 and discs drop $5, you can expect it to take off a bit. I think the salesman needs to do a better job educated the customer on HD players when they get a TV. My buddy (who is not technically inclined) has been using an old (non-upconverting) dvd player with his 42" Panny since purchase. He just recently saw Blu-Ray playing on HD at Futureshop and realized there is a massive difference. If a salesperson SHOWS you DVD and Blu-Ray side by side on an HD TV, people will understand better and be more inclined to get one at the time of TV purchase or sooner rather than later.
This thread isn't about THAT war. Leave that out of this.
I couldn't disagree more. This thread is precisely about "THAT" war because it's all one big battle.
It is impossible, or at least futile, to look at the future of next-gen formats without consideration of the current standard. When consumers are in the store figuring out which player to buy, they aren't just choosing between HD-DVD and blu-ray.
I couldn't disagree more. This thread is precisely about "THAT" war because it's all one big battle.
It is impossible, or at least futile, to look at the future of next-gen formats without consideration of the current standard. When consumers are in the store figuring out which player to buy, they aren't just choosing between HD-DVD and blu-ray.
We all KNOW it is now Blu-ray vs. DVD. If you want to talk about the REAL war, go make a Blu-ray vs. DVD (2008) thread.
I have not disagreed with the former, but your latter point lacks any kind of evidence.
The BetaNews story seems to openly question whether anybody is the mass market is taking HDM seriously, without getting it free or at a heavy discount.
I think this is a case of people becoming accustomed to sub-$100 disc players, and deciding that they will jump on the bandwagon much later than in past tech rollouts.
I use the term "mass" loosely on this one. It is gaining mass acceptance, albeit slowly, but that is due to the confusion and mess HD DVD has caused on the HDM market as a whole. With HD DVD assuredly going by the wayside, the evidence, already being seen this month will continue throughout the year. True, it will be some time before Blu-ray numbers will rival that of DVD, but all next generation formats take time to fully replace the last generation media format. So I think patience is key here...not even DVD supplanted VHS overnight.
Comments
That it works for you is great. That the numbers state it ought to work is great. The reality is that there are still a lot of legacy DSLAMs and DLCs out there doing DSL that really aren't going to do a very good job with video.
So lets see what happens in 3-6 months with Apple, once they get the AppleTV 2.0 out. If no one is renting/buying movies from them so be it. But I would wager that it will be pretty popular, with few or little fuss coming up. I'm not predicting an overtaking of optical formats this year. But, as I've said in the past, HDM will not have the same ride that DVD did. In 5 years time, online distribution will be king of the hill. Thats not to say that HDM wont exist, but it will be niche compared to VOD.
Here is my question to everyone here: Lets say, ideal world, we all have fat pipes with no congestion. You have the option of cheap VOD rentals with instant playback at 1080p ($3-4 bucks a pop), HDM rentals from Blockbuster/Netflix (monthly subscription of $9-$19), or Blu-Ray purchases ($15-$20). Which would you rather have? Which would you see yourself using more?
Personally, I like the idea of sitting down, picking a movie, and watching it immediately.
Please stop that crap about giving away 20k units. You know it isn't true.
Well, I'm just summing up what was written in the article. So, which part of the article is crap, again? For the week of Jan. 12th, the 20k+ blu-ray player units were given away as part of the promo offers with HDTV purchases.
http://www.betanews.com/article/prin...nth/1201203983
So what went on the week ending January 12 that led to such high numbers in Blu-ray standalone player sales? Bundling deals with HDTVs, explained Baker. Sharp Blu-ray players accounted for over 30% of sales, as they were offered free to buyers of the company's LCD televisions.
Sony -- also accounting for one-third of sales -- had a similar $400-off deal for Blu-ray players when buying a Sony HDTV.
Panasonic, like Sharp, offered a free Blu-ray player and made up for the remaining third of units sold. Samsung Blu-ray sales were almost non-existent, as the company did not offer any special deals to TV buyers.
Samsung Blu-ray sales were almost non-existent, as the company did not offer any special deals to TV buyers.
Ouch.
So without "free" deals like TV bundles and built-in Playstations, nobody is buying Blu-Ray players.
And this is the supposed WINNER of the HDM war. This is actually quite pathetic.
Maybe J6P wasn't waiting for the winner, they really may have decided that DVD is good enough.
If you were to watch a DVD on a 32" SDTV it would look better than on a 42" HDTV (not upconverted). It would be a crisper picture, the words wouldn't look as blurry either (anything with text looks like ass compared to HD).
Of course SD content looks better on a smaller screen; the bigger the screen the more obvious it's limited resolution becomes. A standard definition television also hides a lot of imperfections in the content which becomes apparent on a clearer, higher resolution HDTV. You'd get the same "better" picture if you watched SD on an HDTV with your glasses off
Ouch.
So without "free" deals like TV bundles and built-in Playstations, nobody is buying Blu-Ray players.
And this is the supposed WINNER of the HDM war. This is actually quite pathetic.
Maybe J6P wasn't waiting for the winner, they really may have decided that DVD is good enough.
Bullseye
Of course SD content looks better on a smaller screen; the bigger the screen the more obvious it's limited resolution becomes. A standard definition television also hides a lot of imperfections in the content which becomes apparent on a clearer, higher resolution HDTV. You'd get the same "better" picture if you watched SD on an HDTV with your glasses off
I was responding to a post stating the opposite. You don't have to tell me, tell that to solipsism.
If you were to watch a DVD on a 32" SDTV it would look better than on a 42" HDTV (not upconverted). It would be a crisper picture, the words wouldn't look as blurry either (anything with text looks like ass compared to HD).
I have a 53" Hitachi and it looks better. Do you run it progressive scan? However yes it looks soft when compared to an HD picture. But it looks better than when played on a SD set which is what I thought we were talking about.
Well, I'm just summing up what was written in the article. So, which part of the article is crap, again? For the week of Jan. 12th, the 20k+ blu-ray player units were given away as part of the promo offers with HDTV purchases.
http://www.betanews.com/article/prin...nth/1201203983
Do you really think that Sony who sold almost as many players as Toshiba in December didn't sell one single player in January?
And please remember that the article is Betanews' own conclusion based on the numbers. Betanews who also claimed that 1.1 and 2.0 BDs wouldn't play in 1.0 players.
So without "free" deals like TV bundles and built-in Playstations, nobody is buying Blu-Ray players.
Yes they are. What you're reading in that article is Betanews making their own conclusions.
This is what NPD actually said:
"The facts are that during the week that is being singled out, both Blu-ray disc players and software were being given away for free with the purchase of 1080p TVs."
It doesn't say that all players were given away for free, but that the deals made the numbers higher than usual.
Ouch.
So without "free" deals like TV bundles and built-in Playstations, nobody is buying Blu-Ray players.
And this is the supposed WINNER of the HDM war. This is actually quite pathetic.
Maybe J6P wasn't waiting for the winner, they really may have decided that DVD is good enough.
No, what is pathetic is the the still oft, illogical thinking that the winner of the HDM war is "supposed."
Get over it already. This game is done. Blu-ray has won and is gaining mass acceptance. Both sides provide promotions. They'd do it even without the other format. It is called marketing, and in all honesty, the manufacturers are still making a profit in that what is "free" ain't really free, simply hidden in the cost of the actual HDTV.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=907
As we reported yesterday, Sonic Solutions has announced that their Professional Products Group will now focus its research and development on the creation of applications for Blu-ray authoring. Sonic will now work to create new tools to make use of BD-Live interactivity. Previously, Scenarist had support for HD DVD authoring as well, but will now cease sales of that product line.
Rolf Hartley, senior vice president and general manager of Sonic's Professional Products Group commented, "Our professional authoring customers are actively engaged with expanding their services in advanced interactive and online content creation. With a focus on Blu-ray Disc, we're able to meet this demand with new technologies and applications that leverage the growing-capabilities of the robust BD format to deliver dynamic entertainment experiences that consumers not only want, but have also come to expect from today's connected-content platforms."
Additionally, Sonic will offer customers who purchased their Scenarist HD DVD authoring applications a special promotion to exchange their current software for the Blu-ray system. Those who choose to keep their existing HD DVD software will continue to receive customer support.
Sonic Scenarist is a widely used set of video authoring tools used by consumers and professionals alike. This shift in policy on amplifies the huge swing in support the Warner announcement has garnished in only a few short weeks. You can read the entire press release by clicking here.
Blu-ray has won and is gaining mass acceptance.
I have not disagreed with the former, but your latter point lacks any kind of evidence.
The BetaNews story seems to openly question whether anybody is the mass market is taking HDM seriously, without getting it free or at a heavy discount.
I think this is a case of people becoming accustomed to sub-$100 disc players, and deciding that they will jump on the bandwagon much later than in past tech rollouts.
I have not disagreed with the former, but your latter point lacks any kind of evidence.
The BetaNews story seems to openly question whether anybody is the mass market is taking HDM seriously, without getting it free or at a heavy discount.
I think this is a case of people becoming accustomed to sub-$100 disc players, and deciding that they will jump on the bandwagon much later than in past tech rollouts.
Yeah, you're right.
If you mean "mass" acceptance as in, the majority of the people in the niche category, maybe.
But mass overall consumers? Way too many people don't even know anything about Bluray. I'll agree that they've won, but there's still a lot to do before it's considered "mass" acceptance.
Thus, it is more accurate to say HD-DVD is a "loser", than to say that blu-ray is the "winner".
(Laser disc beat other VHS replacements but isn't generally considered to have "won")
Frank777 is right. HD DVD only sold because the price was decreasing rapidly and Blu-ray only sold because it was packed in a game console. Failure to see the obvious is myopia. Time and time again we see that the trend swings with what heavy discount is going on. Naturally this is the natural ebb and flow of commerce but the sales of HDM and players isn't rising all that fast when sales are not going on.
That being said I look forward to just getting this mess over with. My future certainly will be obtaining entertainment from a variety of sources. Hell I still buy CDs and I use iTunes. There's no reason I cannot duplicate the same physical vs virtual paradigm for movies.
If there is a winner at this point, it is clearly SD DVD. By a long, looooooong margin.
Thus, it is more accurate to say HD-DVD is a "loser", than to say that blu-ray is the "winner".
(Laser disc beat other VHS replacements but isn't generally considered to have "won")
This thread isn't about THAT war. Leave that out of this.
This thread isn't about THAT war. Leave that out of this.
I couldn't disagree more. This thread is precisely about "THAT" war because it's all one big battle.
It is impossible, or at least futile, to look at the future of next-gen formats without consideration of the current standard. When consumers are in the store figuring out which player to buy, they aren't just choosing between HD-DVD and blu-ray.
I couldn't disagree more. This thread is precisely about "THAT" war because it's all one big battle.
It is impossible, or at least futile, to look at the future of next-gen formats without consideration of the current standard. When consumers are in the store figuring out which player to buy, they aren't just choosing between HD-DVD and blu-ray.
We all KNOW it is now Blu-ray vs. DVD. If you want to talk about the REAL war, go make a Blu-ray vs. DVD (2008) thread.
I have not disagreed with the former, but your latter point lacks any kind of evidence.
The BetaNews story seems to openly question whether anybody is the mass market is taking HDM seriously, without getting it free or at a heavy discount.
I think this is a case of people becoming accustomed to sub-$100 disc players, and deciding that they will jump on the bandwagon much later than in past tech rollouts.
I use the term "mass" loosely on this one. It is gaining mass acceptance, albeit slowly, but that is due to the confusion and mess HD DVD has caused on the HDM market as a whole. With HD DVD assuredly going by the wayside, the evidence, already being seen this month will continue throughout the year. True, it will be some time before Blu-ray numbers will rival that of DVD, but all next generation formats take time to fully replace the last generation media format. So I think patience is key here...not even DVD supplanted VHS overnight.