HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray: I think we have a winner.

[Polygon]

As I have been saying all along, if one was going to win it would be the cheaper format. Well, Wal-Mart plans to have sub $200 HD-DVD players by Christmas.

http://news.digitaltrends.com/talkback184.html

I really think that this could decide which format survives.

[DarkFox142]

I think that the one that will win *like you said* will be the cheaper format. or the one that is most wanted.

[sickcallawayc12]

Eh, technology is too new for me to buy the "wal-mart" version. I'm comfortable going the extra dollar for quality name brand electronics.

[dave92cherokee]

It's no contest between the two formats they will both be around for a while to come. The HD DVD will be around for those people that have a complete hd setup including plasma tv's and true hd dvd players and such. The blu ray format will stick around for use in the new playstation 3 and ability to also hold hd movies. If either format wins a contest it will be the blu ray technology as it can work for dvd players, ps3, and high end computers.

[Polygon]

Originally Posted by dave92cherokee

It's no contest between the two formats they will both be around for a while to come. The HD DVD will be around for those people that have a complete hd setup including plasma tv's and true hd dvd players and such. The blu ray format will stick around for use in the new playstation 3 and ability to also hold hd movies. If either format wins a contest it will be the blu ray technology as it can work for dvd players, ps3, and high end computers.

Ehh, I think you need to rethink that.

[BeZerK2112]

The cheaper will always win. you have to understand that most people just want a new format to put their new HD movies on. Thats all most consumers are concerned with in this battle. Blu-Ray can hold more but is so expensive it will never take off.

Yes computers can use them for data storage but it is already hit with the same challage DVD has run into. Size. Even though they hold a lot of data most users exceed it's limit. For instance i have 80+ gigs of data to backup. It is more cost effective to backup to another drive then buy a blu-ray burner and disks for that matter.

The formats are so different that producing a duel reader is extreamly expensive. DVD + or - were similar enough in fasion to allow it's duel use production.

GO HD+DVD!

[drunken monkey]

Originally Posted by BeZerK2112

The cheaper will always win. you have to understand that most people just want a new format to put their new HD movies on. Thats all most consumers are concerned with in this battle. Blu-Ray can hold more but is so expensive it will never take off.

the market for these things is actually slightly more complicated than that.
if it were that simple, then no manufacturer would even sniff at blu-ray machines. As it is they are going for it because they are trying to create the market. Fact is, young people (by which I mean proffessionals) have never had so much disposable income and have never had so much technology to buy so easily. These people want things because they are "the best" and cheap isn't the image they're after. This is the real market where the real profits are made. Not the average family. Sure, there are more family households than single young working professionals but the family household isn't likely to buy a brand new machine when it comes out. If cheap always wins, then no one would be buying things like the Nokia 8800 phone or Kitchenaid toasters.

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

the market for these things is actually slightly more complicated than that.
if it were that simple, then no manufacturer would even sniff at blu-ray machines. As it is they are going for it because they are trying to create the market. Fact is, young people (by which I mean proffessionals) have never had so much disposable income and have never had so much technology to buy so easily. These people want things because they are "the best" and cheap isn't the image they're after. This is the real market where the real profits are made. Not the average family. Sure, there are more family households than single young working professionals but the family household isn't likely to buy a brand new machine when it comes out. If cheap always wins, then no one would be buying things like the Nokia 8800 phone or Kitchenaid toasters.

Don't know what planet you living on, but I'm guessing its the same one the Sony execs are on.
They tried the same thing in the 80s, used exactly the same theory to justify Beta, and why it would be more popular than VHS.


The simple fact is that despite the large number of young people with high disposable incomes in the world today, they still make up such a small percentage that the winner will goto who ever is able to mass produce the most units and sell them at the lowest price to the largest number of consumers. And right now the largest number of consumers really don't care about the differences, they only care about how much it costs.

[drunken monkey]

I live on the same planet as you do; except i'm in London, which I've said before, probably does account for a lot of the differences in what I see around me.
I'm also a Chinese guy who works in an architects office, hangs around a lot of IT and Investment Banking people. Pretty much everyone I know has one of everything and has been getting a new one every year.

Everyone goes back to betamx as the definitive example of cost driving markets. At the time, betamax was arguably the better format but yes, the cheaper one won because it because it was the one that people ended up buying.
How does that explain dvds then? It was way more expensive than both vhs and regular vcds but again, like the betamax format more expensive but better quality.
How many here have heard of svcds? Cheaper than dvds but offering better than vhs/vcd video quality.

My point is, what people end up buying isn't as simple as "the cheapest one always wins". The biggest determining factor here and now is who/what gets more market focus. Considering that back then, they were more or less still inventing the home entertainment market and that now, they are "simply" marketing a new and improved format, you have to admit that with Sony and the Playstation brand being so ubiquitous, it'd be daft to say outright that hd-dvd will win because it's cheaper. I can't help but wonder how much help the PS2 gave to the DVD market when it was released.
Put it this way, in the UK (London again...) i've not seen a single advertisement for a hd-dvd film, whereas we're being bombaded with blu-ray.

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

How does that explain dvds then? It was way more expensive than both vhs and regular vcds but again, like the betamax format more expensive but better quality.

DVD's were successful because the players were cheaper, produced in larger numbers by a larger number of manufacturers, and a wider range of films and other software, games etc, was released on them.
There is also the fact that DVD could be used for a wider variety of media etc.


I'm not going to try and work out which will win, HD-DVD or Blu Ray.
Here in NZ its HD-DVD that is getting the bulk of the marketing push, but that could change very quickly.

I actually have a suspicion that both formats will take off, and both see equal use, causing media to be released on both formats were possible (the movie companys will break their deals with sony etc, very quickly if they have to).
Then, in a few years, something bigger and better will come out and wipe them both out completely, sending them both the way of VHS.

[eversio11]

DM, you're forgetting about DVD vs Laserdisc. Ask any video junkie which he prefers and you'll hear laserdisc about 95% of the time. Of course, we all know who won the consumer war.

[sickcallawayc12]

Originally Posted by eversio11

DM, you're forgetting about DVD vs Laserdisc. Ask any video junkie which he prefers and you'll hear laserdisc about 95% of the time. Of course, we all know who won the consumer war.

Touche. My pop uses both Laserdisc and DVD (he's got a Pioneer player that plays both formats) and prefers Laserdisc.

[imtheoneandonlyD]

I just purchased the HD-dvd add on for the 360 at bestbuy due to gettin king kong, 300, and 5 more freee hd dvds. I also heard that paramount dropped blu-ray.

[00accord44]

How ironic, my old roommate just text me asking if HD DVD or Blu Ray would win. I open the tech forums here and this thread is right at the top. He also is buying a 360 with HD attachment.

[imtheoneandonlyD]

Originally Posted by 00accord44

How ironic, my old roommate just text me asking if HD DVD or Blu Ray would win. I open the tech forums here and this thread is right at the top. He also is buying a 360 with HD attachment.

If he can purchase it at a bestbuy. Or i think i heard of amazon having a nice movie deal. Either way you get 5 free from xbox.com