Comments on: Can anything save HD DVD?

Not likely, but there's a very slim chance that the rapidly decreasing cost of HD DVD could lure consumers to buy equipment.

[s5rf5ng]

HD-BlueRay--who cares-both dead soon

The real issue is that all DVD's will be dead soon--all movies will come off the net. Blu rays greater capacity cannot match net download capacity,

[zgreenwell]

Suggestions For HD-DVD

An idea I had for HD-DVD would be to create units that, since they are required to have an ethernet port anyway, work as a stand-alone media streaming hub. Toshiba could also build in an 80GB hard drive and set up some way to record your HDTV to the hard drive and then use the included HD-DVD drive to burn your recordings to disc. If they could get them out fast enough and at a low enough price, say $299 or less, then I think they might have found their nitch. I don't think that is going to happen, and if it did it would probably still be the longshot, but it might be enough to turn things around for some.

[beanert]

Hi Def wars

Shame on all of you that have taken the attitude that one hi def format shoud
win over the other format. If we as consumers continue to allow ourselves to
be manipulated to the point that we really don't choose the best option, we
give up our power as consumers.

Hey it just goes to show you that we as consumers really don't understand
the concept of market and the power that we actually hold. And so here we
go again with an inferior format which ever way you choose because both are
still in their infancy as technologies.


Whoever is writing to this or any other forum going YEAH should really stop
and look at what has been won. Yeah more storage for those computer geeks
out there (although there are far superior storage formats out there).

YEAH for those that bought an early version of BR players before they found
out that they wold not be able to play the new content.

YEAH for the HD DVD player that bought a player they could afford only to
find out that there was not support for the format because certain studios
decided to play corporate politics!

Oh ya and why don't we fight amongst ourselves and set up all sorts of
forums and websites where we can show the industry just how silly the
collective consumer body is.


WOO HOOO HI DEF is here!!!!!

[photog_7]

HD-DVD would win a serious price war against Sony

If Sony wins, HD-DVD's entire investment goes down the toilet. The HD-DVD camp has nothing to lose at this point. The smartest thing for HD-DVD to do would be to slash prices to the point that we all know they should eventually go to--the same price as standard DVD. I don't believe Sony would be willing to drop their prices anywhere near that low, so HD-DVD would win. Who wouldn't buy an HD-DVD recordable drive for their PC for, say, $69.99? Who wouldn't buy an HD-DVD recordable stand-alone player at the same price as a standard DVD recordable player? This would only work if the recordable media was affordable, and much cheaper than Blu-Ray. But, if they were smart and brave, they could still win it all and cut their losses!

[rjonanln]

HD DVD vs Blue Ray

The debate (more like a war) reminds me of the time when the Beta Max came out and was followed by the VCR format.

As everyone knows (well not everyone) the VCR format won. The reasons the VCR format won--Beta Max was VERY expensive. However, Beta Max was far superior to the VCR format.

Does this mean that "**** won out over Shinola"? Or., vise versa?

Times were very different back then. Since Sony was the creator of the Beta Max, they had a "strong-hold" on the market. However, the VCR format ended up being a boon for many companies. Everyone and his brother started making the VCR blanks. Practically all the technology mfg started making the VCR machines. Everyone (except Sony) was happy.

Moving to 2008, we have the same situation between the HD DVD vs Blue Ray. Actually, the war is between Sony and Toshiba. Not only is the Blue Ray machine more expensive (just like the Beta Max--BTW have you ever seen anything made by Sony less expensive than anything else?), but they control the share of the industry that produces the DVD's. By putting pressure on the companies that produce the DVD's, then they can manipulate the market. Then it becomes a "supply & demand" issue where people will think that since one company is no longer producing their DVD's in the HD DVD format and going to Blue Ray, then the HD DVD format is dead.

Well, in 2008 we have the major US Presidential race and everyone is sparked up for a battle. Why not have a battle between the two DVD formats? Who really wins? All the Internet Reviewers get to have a full page for their content and thus stirs up the readers. The retail stores get to have increased sales because the American Public is so gullible they will purchase both formats just to be the first to be able to say, "I won!". It's sort of like being able to purchase all the tickets in a Lotto contest and be able to say "I won" at the end.

And, OH! Did I mention the people who really win out? Toshiba and Sony will be laughing all the way to the bank.

It's sort of like we vote a President who we KNOW is backed by big oil and we are surprised that oil prices go up. Now he's in his last year and he wants to leave a legacy. Why didn't he institute the "Green" philosophy when he got into office? Nah! He couldn't because he had to "cow-tow" to the Big Oil cartel who put his illiterate body into office. Nothing like the Presidency being the puppet for the large corporations.

And, we the people are the puppets for Sony and Toshiba.

[AVSYSTEMS]

That battle has a winner

The battle between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD has a winner: The consumer who now is able to buy an inexpensive product. If Sony or Toshiba were alone in the market, probably you would have to pay more than US$1,000.00 for each piece of equipment. Now, you can find the Toshiba players for as much as US$126.00 at Amazon. In a few days, that price will run below US100.00. Ins't that good for consumers? Who then is the real winner? If an HD-DVD will cost the same price of a DVD player who cares about format war?