Comments on: HD DVD's ship is sinking fast

The latest data from NPD reveals that Blu-ray has grabbed 92.53 percent of hardware sales in the high-def disc-player market from January 5 to 12.

[sommer182]

$100 or less for a player and I'm in!

Toshiba might as well get it over with and waive the white flag, but I doubt Microsoft will give in that easy. HD-DVD might well survive as a computer storage medium, but days are growing short for the home theater crowd. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I purchase an HD-A2 at Wal-Mart during the $99 sale. But the only movies I have purchase new for it have been dual format films. Unless Sony and Company can come out with a $99.99 player and movies that play on BOTH Blu-Ray AND standard DVD (for my laptop, portable DVD and in-car systems), then I'll continue to sit out the games and just buy all my movies in $10 standard DVD format. Good luck to both camps. The best thing about the whole war being over will be not having to read all the idiot posts about one format being better than the other!

[BuzzillionsEmma]

Blu-Ray Reviews

The Blu-Ray has been getting both positive and negative reviews, people who have purchased say that while the quality of picture is great and is easy to set up and use, the cons are that it's slow to power up and there's no memory. Here are reviews left by people who are verified to have purchased it:

http://www.buzzillions.com/prd-260217-sony-blu-ray-disc-player-reviews/

One guy said "Great design gives it a sleek look. When turning it on, it takes longer than a minute for the tray to open up. I have heard this before so it may be common for these types of DVDs. With the HDMI connection, the picture is very sharp! I definitely noticed a difference in DVDs to HD Blue Rays.
Disadvantage on all HDMI connection is that you don't get closed captions signal through it. If the DVD doesn't have subtitles, then you need to use a different connection and the quality reduces, big time.
The manual section on hook-up is confusing a little on the variety of choices. HDMI is too simple and yet the manual shows to many wires with options that won't make sense to some users. You need to figure out the settings if you want PCM audio, mix-down, etc. You need to know which quality is better.
First couple of days on using it, it locked up once watching a movie. I had to unplugged it from the back to restart it. It could be a dirty DVD but it hasn't happened again.
My biggest peeve is when you turn off the DVD and want to continue watching where you left off next time, you at the beginning of the DVD again.
Not so sure about improvement on audio quality because I can't imagine audio sounding better than regular DVDs."

[BCF1968]

It's called a PS3

PS3s don't have these issues.

And don't blame Sony because Sony doesn't make the stand alone players that have these issues.

[Dashkatt]

I Have A Long Memory

Many moons ago, this very thing happened concerning VCR's. The flap was whether VHS or Beta would survive. As usual, the public backed the wrong horse and Beta was put out to pasture. Regardless of the fact that the Beta version was far superior to the quality of the VHS, the public was duped into going with the VHS. One reason was a total ignorance of sales people in the retail stores who were being asked by customers "which one is best?" All the sales persons knew was the VHS recorded longer. I hope we're not looking at another mis-intelligence war over HD players.

I may take the plunge for $99 bucks on an HD machine. But I damn sure won't pay $300 for a Blue Ray.

[TrackStar1682]

Sony Schmony! I'm getting my HD-DVD tomorrow!

I really don't care if HD-DVD's sales have been a little down compared to Blu-Ray. The fact is that HD-DVD is a standard that has been finalized and that anything I buy now, or in the future should it arrive, will play on the same player I'll be getting in the morning. Blu-Ray is like a product that's still in development, and the only player guaranteed to actually work in the future is the PS3. Sure, my PC's Hi Def drive will support both formats, but it's not because I really want both, it's more of a safeguard in case the lousy Blu-Ray format wins.

Don't get me wrong, Sony has a good idea with Blu-Ray, but it's horribly implemented. It might as well be called Blu-Beta.

[BCF1968]

What are you going to watch on it?

Only 25% of movies will be on HD-DVD. And all that other crap you spouted off about. It's well crap. Nothign wrong with blu-ray. Oh I'm sorry I'm so glad HD-DVD has the ability to spam me after my movie is over. big deal.

All I( and 95% of everyone else ) wants out of player is TO PLAY MOVIES. We don't care about commentary, mini-games or buying merchadise pertaining to the movie.

[jpaul4]

Driven by Industry Politics, Not Consumer!

Despite Hollywood's claim that they are endorsing BluRay over HD-DVD because of demand, which was already tilted by Sony's play in film and hardware, it is really Hollywood driving the market with their endorsements. It appears the debate on quality and pros/cons was tilted in HD-DVDs favor, but in the soon to be end, it was really Hollywood endorsements that decided the war's outcome. I wouldn't totally count out HD-DVD though; I suspect if Microsoft has its way, which they usually do, we will see HD-DVD stronger in PCs which will ultimately lead to dual drives similar to DVD+/- format.

[mwooge]

Conspiracy theories

Boy, all sorts of plaots to make Blu-Ray win?

Here's one with some actual evidence: VHS didn't beat Beta because of Hollywood plots or anything like that. VHS won becasue it could record an entire movie. People wanted to set their timer-recording for an entire two hour movie and come home to watch it. With Beta, you'd have to get back in time to put in a new tape.

[RRosal]

Blu-Ray? HD-DVD?

Forget all this nonsense, my 8-track tapes with Skynard still KICK! ;-)

[scythie]

Bad news before it even happens.

Congratulate yourselves for posting obituaries when something isn't dead yet.

I think the Blu-ray jump can be attributed more to the extensive amount of bad news for HD-DVD, declaring it dead long before any results pointed to such conclusions, rather than Warner's decision itself.

[pedmart]

both formats are losing....

i'm about to buy an hd-dvd just for the high def and the low price, great sound, and the best upconverter of regular dvds, at the end, i believe blu ray and hddvd will lose and a new format will come, probably digital download, now apple is into renting, the big consoles allow you to do the same, you get 1080 cable signal, soon, you won't need to buy big disc, and have the extra box. i think my purchase will be good for what i already have, and will wait for the new generation.

[cyde01]

Apple will win in the end

I agree that Hollywood along with consumer electronics giants are dictating the format war rather than consumers. In the end, both formats will lose out big time because of all the mistakes they made in starting the format war in the first place. Standard def DVDs are still more popular than either, and soon HD movie downloads will put the nail in the coffin of both. It's only a matter of time before iTunes opens up its crippled and limited HD service or a new and better download service starts up. If HD downloads take off in the next 2-3 years, blu ray and HD-DVD will have missed their short window of opportunity to make profit, and Apple will have scored another coup. Companies that make products like the Apple TV will be raking in all the dough while Toshiba and Sony will be relegated to just making drives and burners for computers, and Apple will be that much closer to its goal of world domination. While I don't like the idea of Apple controlling not just music but also the movie industry, it'll be better for the consumer than blu ray or HD-DVD.

[Scott Gardener]

Hype-fulfilling prophesy

The more we say that "HD-DVD is dead," the more we kill it. If media buzz declared that Blu-Ray was "dying" some three months back, when HD-DVD was the first to offer a $99 special, then the sales figures today would probably look a bit different.

I still don't see why so many people are adverse to the idea of having both kinds of player. Yes, it's expensive and confusing to the easily confused, but so is Windows, and that hasn't stopped its sales.

[HI-Def88]

I am a PS3 owner and bought the PS3 for Blue Ray.

I love this machine it is the hub of my HD entertainment system,and yes sales is what matters I have a total of 66 blue ray movies,and I am a hardcore gamer and yes gamers decide what format the general public adopts because,we see HD movies
for 20$ bucks on amazon and we spend at least 60$ for a game in HD,so if you look at the trend gamers spend more money on games and movies than the general public.If you don't trust me take Halo3 as a example 60$ for the regular game 120$ for the collector's edition I think gamers spend more money on TVs and general electronics than anybody,and the game industry just past the movie industry in $ made last year in retail sales alone were over 18 billion and thats not including down loadable content from the big 3,so sorry if we upset the general public but I guess if you want something you have to spend the money for it,as did 6.6 million PS3 sold to date and thats not including stand alone BD players so sorry hd dvd you were already dead before you started.

[BCF1968]

Stop talking about digital downloads

Ok first of all 50% of Americans either have no internet or have dial-up. This number isn't going down much in the near future. They aren't downloading crap. Half the people that do have broadband have 2 Mbps or less. That is NOT conducive for digital downloading. You really need 10 Mbps or better and maybe 10% have that right now. Maybe in 5 years that goes up to 25%-35%

Also let's compare digital downloaded "HD" to blu-ray and HD-DVD. Blu-ray bit rate 40 mbps, HD-DVD 28 mbps. Xbox Live HD download 6.8 mbps. Apple Itunes HD download 4 mbps. Hell regular DVDs have a bit rate of 8 mbps. A regular DVD up converted to 1080p will look as good or better than these supposed "HD" downloads. Anyone that tries to tell you that a HD digital download is the same as blu-ray or HD-DVD is ignorant. In 2015 we'll still be talking about how digital downloading will take over in the "near" future.

[forkboy]

Already obsolete?

While I don't know this with any certainty, I have a strong opinion that we aren't far away from 3D data storage (as seen in articles on CNET and elsewhere), which means HD DVD and Blu-Ray may already be obsolete.

I don't know about anyone else, but I cannot afford to convert my DVD collection to High Def just to convert it again to whatever else comes along in the next 2-5 years.

[ylla]

Oh look...the weekly format flame inducing topic!

Only 7 more days now till "HD-DVD - Does it cause cancer?"

[Card Shark]

Blu Ray Will Be Outdated Before it Surpasses DVD

Yes HVD will be the next format or so it appears now. Its a Holographic Video Disc. And stores data in three dimensions and doesn't have to spin either. I have heard that this can go up to something like 2.9 terabytes or something.

I bought an HD DVD player before Christmas and got a hell of deal plus the 10 free movies so I don't have a problem with it but don't know if I will buy a Blu Ray or not for awhile.

The discs are too expensive and not enough catalog titles are out now. I don't buy regular dvds anymore either since Hi Def is the only way to go now either way. But I cannot rent the Hi def discs around here anywhere yet. So I just rent dvds and if I like them alot I burn them. So I don't see blu ray catching DVD for along time to come and by them most likely HVD or something will be breaking out also. So it looks like neither is really a wise investment for the future. But if you have to have HD now I guess its Blu Ray but for how long???????

[sk8flawzz]

yea..um..don't be fooled

a little research shows that these are the numbers from JAPAN.
and that the majority are PC drives and burners, NOT players.

[ylla]

You're using logic

"a little research shows that these are the numbers from JAPAN.
and that the majority are PC drives and burners, NOT players"

Don't use logic and facts; it's not conducive to staring flames - not what the topic creators want. ;-)

[Notjub]

NPD does NOT research Japan.

These are sales in the US.

If this were Japan...well, there'd be no point to it, HD-DVD has been dead long ago over there. Thanks for the research though...

[Mikeybabes]

Defiant 'til the end. The world is not flat...

The HD camp is defiant until the end. Instead of bowing out graciously Toshiba and it's fanboy boys are going down fighting and who can blame them. They've all taken a huge hit. The numbers speak for themselves. The article clearly says US, stand-alone players. If you have facts to the contrary and not some nihilistic rant, then post them.
What they must surely realise, that with their desparate tactics, cut price players (probably at a loss), rantings of "we're still neck and neck", they are going to take innoncent new HD entrants - who don't have a clue and listen to their advise - down along with them.
If you want to save HD-DVD fine, go out spend like mad and buy players and movies at such incredible quantities that the movie studios execs everywhere will say "Hang on we've made a mistake, let's go back to HD-DVD". Of course we would think you a fool, when your HD player packs in and Toshiba announces discontinued support, and obviously nobody would be stupid enough to pay licensing to Toshiba for an obsolete format to make dual-players - and then you will be left with a massive pile of tea costers packaged in fancy boxes. Do that if you wish, but for God's sake don't makeup foolish rants like some religious extreme fundamentalist zealot looking for fellow martyrs to your doomed cause.