Members the stranger Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 On February 14, 2008, rumours surfaced that Toshiba, the leading manufacturer of HD DVD players and one of its largest supporters, would soon abandon the HD DVD format due to changes in studio and retailer affiliations, including Wal-Mart's decision to phase out HD DVD by June 2008[3][4]. The rumours strengthened on February 16 when NHK and Reuters also reported, from a source at Toshiba, that they had begun to prepare to cease production of HD DVD equipment[5], though they would still support existing products. On February 19, 2008, Toshiba made an official announcement to no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders, ending the Blu-ray Disc versus HD DVD format war. [6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_DVD Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_definition_optical_disc_format_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-Ray_disc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bbach Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Yea, it looks like this time Sony was on the winning end of the format battle as opposed to their betamax format.The power moved to Blu Ray when Time Warner threw it's weight behind that format.Well, now at least I don't have to buy both hd and blu ray machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cowbell Fever! Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Doesn't Sony own Toshiba? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TimOBrien Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 It had to come down to one anyway. I remember the gnashing of teeth when (technically superior) Betamax was dropped, leaving lots of users with very very expensive doorstop machines. ...nothing new here, kids.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rabid Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Doesn't Sony own Toshiba? Nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rabid Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Yes, this has been all over MSN and it looks like most of the major movie studios moving to Blue Ray made the difference. Now I wonder when Microsoft and the other few HD-DVD companies will concede? I'm glad that I did not buy one of the 1 million HD-DVD players Toshiba sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kerouac Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 At this point it's largely unimportant to me since I don't have a TV that could utilize it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 A key factor behind the scenes is that after a couple of years of non-cooperation, Blue Ray disc duplicators began working with adult content providers. It is a good thing if the competing standards are no longer battling, but in this case the bad guys won. Not because of the superiority of either format, but because the HD-DVD standard was developed by a committee (a successor to the committee that developed DVD-video) including several manufacturers. Sony ignored that non-proprietary effort and developed their own competing format. I hate to see such behavior rewarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Super 8 Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 So which one was really the best format? At this point it's largely unimportant to me since I don't have a TV that could utilize it anyway. I do, but I'm content with standard DVD's. When I can get a Blu-Ray machine for 90 bucks, then I'll make the jump. I won't be replacing my collection of DVD's though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kerouac Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 I do, but I'm content with standard DVD's. When I can get a Blu-Ray machine for 90 bucks, then I'll make the jump. I won't be replacing my collection of DVD's though. I still have VHS of a lot of things that I like but don't want to drop $20 on just for some better picture and sound when I already have a perfectly good copy. Plus, it would be REEEEEEEEEEALY expensive if i was going to replace all of my current collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 I don't have a very large DVD collection, so my main interest in blu-ray is for storage. I believe they can hold 50 G, according to Wikipedia, although Sony is apparently developing an 8-laer 200G version (this from an old 2004 article I found on the net), from my understanding. Anybody confirm this or deny it or say, "Nope, you're out to lunch?" Blu-Ray burners look like they are coming down in price a bit, as are some under $300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jon Gnash Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 A key factor behind the scenes is that after a couple of years of non-cooperation, Blue Ray disc duplicators began working with adult content providers.It is a good thing if the competing standards are no longer battling, but in this case the bad guys won. Not because of the superiority of either format, but because the HD-DVD standard was developed by a committee (a successor to the committee that developed DVD-video) including several manufacturers. Sony ignored that non-proprietary effort and developed their own competing format. I hate to see such behavior rewarded.Cheer up. At least Microsoft doesn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 I predicted somewhere (maybe here, maybe in print?) that Blu-Ray would win because it had a cooler name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dean Roddey Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 blu-ray is the superior product with the longer term potential. So it's appropriate that it won, IMO. With blue laser technology, it'll have longer legs and not be obsoleted so soon. Data sizes will grow to take whatever capacity is available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members echoshock Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 I'm thinking (and other investors have said) that neither format will 'win' long term as more consumers move toward digital downloads. Even Netflix is growing their online download user-base. And the average consumer doesn't see the benefit of upgrading to a high def player to play the same movies at higher prices in a sharper format that some people don't even notice. I'm still amazed by people who don't see the difference between a regular station and a high-def TV station. (they are usually women. lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dean Roddey Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 It won't happen overnight, but more than enough people now have HD capable displays that will make good use of HD content, and people are seeing more and more of it via cable and sat. So it'll take over eventually. The movie industry has good reasons to move forward as fast as possible, since the huge size of these formats make them undesirable for download. Netflix also rents HD discs, so that will help make them more accessible at low cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lancaster Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 I'm thinking (and other investors have said) that neither format will 'win' long term as more consumers move toward digital downloads.... And the average consumer doesn't see the benefit of upgrading to a high def player to play the same movies at higher prices in a sharper format that some people don't even notice. I Some guy on TV says that Blu Ray has 3-5 years before downloading takes over the market. And apparently surveys are showing that the average DVD owner has no desire or percieved need for Blu Ray anyway.The average viewer thinks the quality of regualr DVDs is just fine. I count myself among that number. Though "I dont care" sums it up better. It seems Sony learned something from the Betamax period. I hear they outspent the HD DVD folks by a 10-1 margin on marketing ,courting movie studios and retailers and whatever else was necessary. For the sake of those who do care, and for the day when I can cheaply backup 50 GBs on one DVD, I'm glad it's settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dean Roddey Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Some guy on TV is always saying something, but as is often the case, it's mostly just talk, as it would be in that case. That ain't remotely going to happen in that short a time. It was years after DVD came out that DVD finally really hit in a significant way, and that was with a huge jump in physical convenience. I was telling my family about DVDs back when there were a handful of titles and they had no clue why anyone would care. They got a player when they became Cracker Jack box type commodities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Do you think, like me, there'd be others who are primarily interested in Blue-Ray primarily for storage (data)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jon Gnash Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Some guy on TV is always saying something, but as is often the case, it's mostly just talk, as it would be in that case. That ain't remotely going to happen in that short a time.It was years after DVD came out that DVD finally really hit in a significant way, and that was with a huge jump in physical convenience. I was telling my family about DVDs back when there were a handful of titles and they had no clue why anyone would care. They got a player when they became Cracker Jack box type commodities. We might also want to consider the possibility that there is more money to be made (for everyone in the game except the consumer) by renting and selling the DVDs than by downloading them. Even if/ when downloading becomes otherwise more efficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rudolf von Hagenwil Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Bye bye region free, bye bye Linear PCM, bye bye lossless Dolby True HD, bye bye Dolby Digital Plus, bye bye DTS High Definition Master Audio, bye bye HD DVD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gearmike Posted February 19, 2008 Members Share Posted February 19, 2008 Bye bye region free, bye bye Linear PCM, bye bye lossless Dolby True HD, bye bye Dolby Digital Plus, bye bye DTS High Definition Master Audio, bye bye HD DVD Pretty sure all these other than region free are availble on Blu-Ray players... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jon Gnash Posted February 20, 2008 Members Share Posted February 20, 2008 Bye bye region free, bye bye Linear PCM, bye bye lossless Dolby True HD, bye bye Dolby Digital Plus, bye bye DTS High Definition Master Audio, bye bye HD DVD Dorothy: [to Linear PCM] I think I'm going to miss you most of all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted February 20, 2008 Members Share Posted February 20, 2008 Do you think, like me, there'd be others who are primarily interested in Blue-Ray primarily for storage (data)? Count me in that camp. I mean, Blu-Ray DOES look better...as if I had enough time to watch movies anyway, so the point is kind of moot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 20, 2008 Members Share Posted February 20, 2008 Yeah, I've got several movies that I still haven't gotten to after a year. Why did I use the word "primarily" twice? This is what happens when I post at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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