HD Disc Format War Not Over By a Long Shot

[DaViD Boulet]

DVD appears "good enough," for a lot of people. This is a far more serious problem than overcoming a "format war," for BD's future.

So now that we have one HDM format, the real battle with SD DVD can begin.

I hope that at AVrev we're all on the same side of this new battle (hint, it's the high-def side).

[Vinyl Rules!]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

So now that we have one HDM format, the real battle with SD DVD can begin.

I hope that at AVrev we're all on the same side of this new battle (hint, it's the high-def side).

Sony could help their cause and drive faster acceptance of the Blue Ray format for movie buffs if they do TWO things:

(1) Add a standard DVD layer to Blue Ray (they have the room) so they are backwardly compatible with existing "regular" DVD players; and

(2) Price these discs the same as regular DVD's.

The benefits?

(1) Retailers don't have to stock dual inventories.

(2) We now have a "universal" disc that will play on either player.

(3) Both the video aficionados who hang here and Joe and Susie Sixpack are happy - They only have to buy one disc.

Sony has already established this precedent with dual-layer SACD and Redbook CD's.

Sony, are you listening?

[kennyt]

Originally Posted by Vinyl Rules!

(2) Price these discs the same as regular DVD's.

I buy my Blu-rays from Amazon and have spent ~$18 each for them. This is the same price as if I went to BB or CC and bought a standard DVD off the shelf, so I find the software price to be comparable.

Sure, if I bought it in BB, it would be $30, which IS too high, but a simple google search will find you all kinds of deals and sales that make them similarly priced to SD DVD's.

[1shotstudios]

Originally Posted by kennyt

I buy my Blu-rays from Amazon and have spent ~$18 each for them. This is the same price as if I went to BB or CC and bought a standard DVD off the shelf, so I find the software price to be comparable.

Sure, if I bought it in BB, it would be $30, which IS too high, but a simple google search will find you all kinds of deals and sales that make them similarly priced to SD DVD's.

I have also purchased my disc through HALF.COM and you will save a lot there too.

[DaViD Boulet]

Sony could help their cause and drive faster acceptance of the Blue Ray format for movie buffs if they do TWO things:

(1) Add a standard DVD layer to Blue Ray (they have the room) so they are backwardly compatible with existing "regular" DVD players;

We both agree on the advantages of dual-format discs. So I'm on your side from a desireability standpoint.

I'm not sure if BD hardware could handle this properly. I seem to recall that certain BDA companies were investigating something like this a year ago but nothing ever materialized. If it was possible and was feasable, I would have assumed we'd have it like we got Combo HD DVD/DVD discs. Dual-sided (flipper) solutions aren't the answer however as consumers wouldn't like it... you'd need a dual-format solution that has both a 50GB BD and dual-layer DVD accessed from the same side of the platter with silk-screen art on the other side.

(2) Price these discs the same as regular DVD's.

But the discs would cost more... a *lot* more to make versus standard DVDs.

If software providers can't make money selling something, why would they make and sell it?

BD replication costs will continue to fall and should eventually approach DVD prices (though probably never meet them). However, a dual-format disc is a 4-layer structure that will always cost more to manufacture than a standard DVD or BD.

[Vinyl Rules!]

Originally Posted by kennyt

I buy my Blu-rays from Amazon and have spent ~$18 each for them. This is the same price as if I went to BB or CC and bought a standard DVD off the shelf, so I find the software price to be comparable.

Sure, if I bought it in BB, it would be $30, which IS too high, but a simple google search will find you all kinds of deals and sales that make them similarly priced to SD DVD's.

$18 is a great price and you are doing well to get them at this price.

Problem is, I'm a cheapskate when it comes to buying DVD's, and I refuse to pay more than $14.99 for one, and I wouldn't pay more than this for a Blu Ray.

I'm patient and I've discovered that virtually anything I want, except special collectible releases and box sets, eventually end up within 18 months or so in a CC, BB or Wal-Mart $10 or less bin. And I used some coupons Border's emailed me after Christmas to buy Season 6 of "24" for $24.95 when BB and CC wanted $49.95 for it.

But I'm using a 42" 720p plasma I'm happy with so I can't see paying more particularly since I sat out the hi-rez DVD war. And if I do decide to buy a Blu Ray player (I'm going to wait and see how many titles end up actually being released - A huge amount of good vinyl recordings never got released on CD, so I'm wary) I will give the Blu Ray Oppo a hard look when it comes out this summer.

Everyone priorities are different, of course, and for me, the audio experience is personally more important than the video experience, as long as the video is of decent quality. I'm happy with my current video display and friends who visit are figuratively (and sometimes literally) astounded by the sound from our 5.1 system. But it did take me almost a year to get the sound system optimized for the room we have it in.

I recognize that for others the video is just as, or more important, and that's OK: Some people like Rocky Road whilst others prefer Pecan Butter Crunch.