With Netflix going to move exclusively to Blu-ray, Best Buy pushing the format to the front and Warner going exclusively Blu-ray, I can’t see HD-DVD surviving too much longer. While I’m all about this format war being over, I’m sad to see that a Sony-backed product win out. HD-DVDs were cheaper to manufacture (as I think they could be made using basically the same equipment as DVDs while Blu-ray needed new equipment), easier to rip for fair-use purposes (BD+ still hasn’t been cracked yet), and Sony’s been subsidizing Blu-ray folks (sources). What happens when that money goes away? Rental and purchase fees will go up. I’m sure equipment costs will probably drop, but the media cost won’t.
Needless to say, the HD-DVD folks call this an unfortunate decision.
Comments
I completely agree with you, Jake!
Another thing I don’t understand, is why a digital video format that, when following strict pronunciation rules, is pronounced as “blurry”. Though they may insist Blu-Ray is pronounced as Blue-Ray, I will forever insist on calling it Blurry. Pity, really, because you’d expect the new video format to be an improvement over the old one. *rolls eyes*
I’m in no hurry to buy a digital disc player of any kind. Before long the whole technology will be made obsolete by downloadable video anyway. Meanwhile my good old conventional DVD player works just fine.
Well, although some of the reasons you think it’s a pity BD won the format war might be true, the new technology between the 2 is actually Blu-Ray since HD-DVD was only a revamped DVD. Not too surprising to see Blu-Ray take over since the tech specs are much better and gives it more possibilities. If you guys go read a little bit on “Ain’t it cool news”, the creator of the site had gotten a deal to promote HD-DVD on his website, but after awhile, he apologized to the readers because his “opinions” had made many people buy HD-DVD players while he himself switched to Blu-Ray because he found out it was a better format (and that didn’t happen recently when HD-DVD already had a knee on the ground). Michael Bay also ranted on his website about Transformers being available on HD-DVD only because of Paramount, he is another one who switched sides in the format wars after seeing Blu-Ray.
But still, I’m not near buying any new disc player. New technology is giving them reasons to overprice the media itself. I think a Blu-Ray player has a lot more chances to enter my home in the near future if it’s a PS3 rather than just a plain digital disc player.
But a friend of mine does have a PS3 and a HD plasma tv, and after seeing movies on BD on that thing, I really don’t agree on calling it “blurry”. Even though I haven’t compared on my regular tv yet, I’m pretty sure this new video format is an improvement over the old one.