HD-DVD Dead?

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Daz

I imagine for a long time the most cost effective way to get a BR player will be the PS3, as it has been currently. They're slowly starting to put together a really appealing set of features with the PS3, especially if you have a PSP. Not sure if it's life yet but they were adding the ability to pop a BR movie into the PS3 and have it (legally) rip the movie to your PSP for remote viewing. Plus Play-TV freeview recording and streaming to the PSP, UPNP media player, install your own Linux OS, and the list goes on.

Eventually it'll be an appealing games platform too (both in terms of cost and game library). Quite a turn around really considering where they were 12 months ago.

I can see your point there. The combination of the BR player with the games console makes more sense (I don't own a DVD player, I use the 360). However, I'd need a fair bit of convincing before I shell money out on a PS3. Initially, I will probably get a BR drive for the PC and use that until I am convinced that the PS3 is good value for money - which at the moment, I'm not.

[Will]

I only ever saw a bluray video a year or so ago in my old job on a top range projector and tv, it looked good but not enough of a difference to make it worthwhile IMO. however technologies have changed somewhat from then. at least there's a "standard" now. not fussed about it for the moment. it's not as if i'm going to have to replace thousands of pounds worth of dvds!!

[Marmoset]

I've got a PS3 and the difference between upscaled DVD playback and Blu-ray is much bigger than I was expecting. I bought it primarily as a Blu-ray player and I'm hugely impressed. The PQ is just outstanding.

I'm not a Sony fanboy at all - I was waiting to see which way the HD format war went before deciding what kind of player to get. From everything I read there simply isn't a better Blu-ray player for the money than the one in the PS3 so that's why I bought it.

The rumours of Toshiba dropping HD-DVD haven't yet been confirmed AFAIK.

[Daz]

Seems fairly certain though - both Sony and Tosh stock have risen this morning, suggesting the shareholders are for it.

[Marmoset]

Originally Posted by Daz

Seems fairly certain though - both Sony and Tosh stock have risen this morning, suggesting the shareholders are for it.

Cool.

Countdown to Blu-ray add-on for the 360 boys...

[Daz]

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44760

Rumours were circulating today that Microsoft is set to dump HD DVD and bring out a Blu ray Xbox 360 by as early as May 2008. The move will allow the Company to go head to head with the Sony PS3 gaming console which has been credited with being one of the main reasons that retailers have preferred Blu-ray over Toshiba’s HD DVD.
Insiders at Microsoft in the USA have told SmartHouse that Microsoft has already configured a standalone Blu-ray player that can be connected into an Xbox 360 and that subject to internal marketing and sales approvals the model could be on sale within 3 months.

It is GDC this week, so something could be announced. I think an external BR drive is certain now, not sure about one built into the console.

[Desmo]

External would be the way to go...I can't see them fitting an internal one due to the same problem with fitting an internal HD-DVD drive.....they can't spin DVD games fast enough.

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Daz

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44760


It is GDC this week, so something could be announced. I think an external BR drive is certain now, not sure about one built into the console.

I'll have one of them o/

[Garp]

Originally Posted by Feek

I'm just happy that one of the formats is going, I really didn't care which survived and I think that the sooner it happens the better for everyone. Well, except those who spent a lot of money on HD-DVD but it's not as though the stuff they've got will stop working.

Likewise. I've been interested in High Def but its been a complete and utter waste of money for me until one or other of the formats took noticeable dominance. HD-DVD may be cheaper, but they failed to hit the market. Back in the days of VHS vs Betamax, and indeed with the old cassette tape market there were a few factors that resulted in the particular formats dominance:
Price & Availability of Media.

Everyone knows that Betamax was the technological superior of VHS but when it costs all that much extra it doesn't matter two hoots.

The Cassette market was similar. Other platforms out there were superior, but Phillips absolutely flooded the market with players, and more importantly media. You could buy tape cassettes dirt cheap almost from platform introduction which is what won them the market.

The whole Blue-ray / HD-DVD thing has been an unmitigated disaster from square one. The electronics market has changed over the years, and the average early adopter is far more knowledgeable about these things than they ever used to be. Tack in that the platform is going to be used for more than just video playback and you have to wonder quite what was going through the heads of the consortium's when they decided that they would rather produce competing products rather than compatible. They could have walked away from this both winners. Sure the slice of the profits would have been slightly less, but what's demonstrating the most stupidity choosing a sure thing or a highly dubious thing.

Toshiba hoped to push the market by making HD-DVDs cheap, but they needed more than the players to be cheap, they needed the media to be cheap too, but they never quite succeeded in persuading the other media companies to adopt that policy. HD-DVDs are cheaper to produce than Bluray disks are, but if you can't get the people producing them to sell them at any price point significantly different from BluRay (after all, its extra profit, right?), what can you do? To the end consumer, for the most part, media price was the same as BluRay, which meant they had no significant advantages. Add in that one of the best and most flexible BluRay players also happens to be a next gen games console for very little extra cash... and HD-DVD just had nothing to offer. It's a technically inferior brand and the only thing going for it was cheaper players but not cheap enough, soon enough to make the difference.

[Daz]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/kotaku/fu...with-your-life
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/02..._drops_hd_dvd/

Ding ding! Dead.

Also in the news: Gamestop in the states will be refusing trade in for HD-DVD discs and drives tomorrow, which means our Game will likely follow suit soon (same company iirc) if anyone was thinking of getting rid.