Why HD DVD and Blu-ray Need You To Be an Early Adopter Now

[lifamily]

I absolutely refuse to purchase a Hi Def player at this point. I have already been taken by the SACD/DVD AUDIO format. Having spent good money on proprietary format hardware well before the universal player came on the scene, only to watch both formats die a slow death.

My current Denon does an excellent job at up converting my standard dvd collection, so I am not in any rush to go out and buy a HD player.

I will patiently wait this one out.

[AVB]

If you build it CORRECTLY they will come. Look how fast the CD was accepted or Driectv or the DVD. If you build a product that the buying public knows will survive they will buy it. The list of failures pushed by one company or group is long. Remember the EL-Cassette or DIVX?

Right now I can't and don't recommend either of the two formats to my friends and I'm the type of guy these formats want and need to be successful.

[bobstcyr]

Reasons, NOT to buy now.
Jerry, you stated some concerns in you article. The strongest reasons are; I might layout money on hardware that will eventually become a huge paper weight, the same with software, if I buy software that looses support to the other format I'll have a pile of worthless software. The biggest reason is; consumers need to send the industry the message that they don't seem to get "Stop screwing us over with your industry infighting". Why should I gamble my dollars on which format will become the eventual standard. It costs plenty enough to enjoy this entertainment (and lets keep perspective here that's what it is). Purchasing a big screen, reciever (or preamp and amps) and 5 to 7 speakers along with any needed stands, interconnects along with the monthly fees of cable or satelite and purchase or rental of software titles. I'll save my money for a better bet, untill I'm in an income bracket where $1000 (hardware and software) is throw away money for me.

[weatherbri]

I would love to be an early adopter, however I am very disapointed that these new players for the most part do not support SACD or DVD-Audio with the exception being the Sony PS3 for SACD and the Panasonic DMP-BD10AK for DVD-audio. If the companies who make these new devices would show some respect to the consumers who have bought the previous high resolution format units, and allow the new devices to decode the "now obsolete high resolution formats", I may be more willing to jump onto the bandwagon.

[misterq]

Originally Posted by weatherbri

I would love to be an early adopter, however I am very disapointed that these new players for the most part do not support SACD or DVD-Audio with the exception being the Sony PS3 for SACD and the Panasonic DMP-BD10AK for DVD-audio. If the companies who make these new devices would show some respect to the consumers who have bought the previous high resolution format units, and allow the new devices to decode the "now obsolete high resolution formats", I may be more willing to jump onto the bandwagon.

Amen, Brother, Amen, and HDCD as well.

[mcraghead]

In response to richardl's post:

I disagree almost completely. I do believe in the wait and see, although I also agree with the point in Jerry's article that you can wait too long, but for me, when money is tight I can't afford to take a leap of faith.

SACD and DVD-A failed because both required consumers to upgrade their receivers/pre-processors to one that had inputs for each of the channels as well as buy cables for each of the channels. Basically, they made it too complicated and required a new infrastructure that a lot of people didn't have already. They also didn't do many new titles with either format. Almost everything was a 'classic'.

HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are being driven by the hardware that is already out there; all of the HD sets that are flying off the shelves. People want HD content to see on all of those displays. To go with either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray all you need in addition to the set is the player and an HDMI cable. That doesn't address what's needed to take full advantage of the audio capabilities of either format, but I don't think the audion capabilities are going to play a major role in which format wins or loses. I doubt the average consumer cares about audio and I wonder if the early adopter even lets it be a deciding factor in his/her decision.