Out of the two competiting high-definition DVD formats that are coming out, I personally like HD-DVD. Why? It doesn’t have as much DRM-nastiness as the Sony product (or at least isn’t in bed with movie studios), it’s cheaper, and its encryption has already been broken meaning you can now make legal backup copies of your HD-DVDs. That, and I also don’t like Sony, the biggest backer of the Blu-Ray format.
But I have a feeling that the porn industry is going to make the format decision for us. Like it or not, the adult film industry generally sets a lot of the trends out there when it comes to video formats. They were the first to stream video online, first major adopter of DVDs, and they’re embracing the HD-DVD format. Biggest reason? Economics — Blu-Ray costs more to produce. If I remember correctly, HD-DVD discs can be produced in existing DVD factories with minor retro-fitting, while Blu-Ray requires new machines and processes. I personally just hope a format is settled on soon so that customers don’t have to try to understand all this mess.
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You said, ‘I personally just hope a format is settled on soon so that customers don’t have to try to understand all this mess.’
Maybe they won’t, even if both formats go forward. Read these links:
http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/09/20/blu_ray_hd_dvd_hybrid/
http://www.lge.com/about/press_release/detail/PRO%7CNEWS%5EPRE%7CMENU_20311_PRE%7CMENU.jhtml
Yeah, but supporting both formats will not help keep costs down. The dual-format players are supposed to be around $1000. Sure, prices will come down, but that’s not something most people want to pay now, when they are used to $40 DVD players.
I’m sure the industry will figure it out sooner or later, but for now they probably don’t mind getting a few early adopters to shell out big bucks for every format.
I hate Sony. It seems, so far, that HD DVD is winning the format war, and I’m glad. As I write this comment, I find it amusing that there’s a tall ad in your left sidebar for Sony Blu-Ray. 🙂
Oh, I’m well aware of the dual-format disks and dual-format drives/players, but like monkey said, the things are stupidly expensive, and that type of dual formatness is only going to keep the cost up. I can go down to Wal-Mart and buy a $30 DVD player — I don’t think the new formats will ever get below $300 or so if a single standard is not decided upon.