ARCHIVIO Format war: HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray

[.:|Physalis|:.]

10 Reasons Why High Definition DVD Formats Have Already Failed

[highdefintionDVDwar1]I'm not typically a doom and gloom kind of guy – really, I'm rather optimistic. But this pending format release/war is simply the most ridiculous thing I've seen in a long time. The hype machine is entirely enthusiast-created and since that day I realized Steve Jobs could sell a fart provided he sued a public Mac forum for talking about it before its release, I began to understand the power of public mania.

There are a number of reasons why the new high definition DVD formats have already failed and I'll gladly go over some of them in this article. I am not a soothsayer, but I do study the industry – and at times, sit back and take assessment of what's happening from both a consumer and manufacturer perspective.

Without any further ado, here are the reasons HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc will never turn into the dominant formats for digital media viewing:

   1. Nobody likes false starts
      With the debut of HD DVD at an underwhelming 720p/1080i, coupled with a buggy interface and a transport that makes boiling water seem like a speedy event, the entrance of high definition DVD into the mainstream came out of the starting gate lame and hobbled. For Toshiba to release a player that didn't support true HD at 1080p (even though the software does), and with no lossless audio format to accompany the video track, the high definition wave was more of a ripple. Add to this the delay of HDMI 1.3, lack of market penetration and supply, and a dearth amount of software titles and you have a very unimpressive product launch.

   2. Format Wars Don't Sell Players
      The only reason Sony's Playstation, Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube can sell so well simultaneously is because of the prevalence of excellent software titles. People want to buy the hardware just so they can play the software. This is not a format war – it is choice, just like Chevy and Ford (and just like the gaming systems, some people have one of each). The high definition DVD formats, however are really just the same source material packaged in two different wrappers- not to provide choice, mind you, but because the two camps simply are too greedy to combine forces, and not innovative enough to drive two truly separate products successfully. Take careful note – a format war is NOT competition, it is a hindrance and the bane of high definition DVDs.

   3. HD DVD and Blu-ray are NOT Quantum Leaps in Technology
      Consumers came over in droves when CDs were released back in 1982. The new format offered not only a new digital media, but also a way to instantly access tracks across an entire "album". Convenience, not technology, drove this format to almost instant consumer adoption. Fast forward a bit to 1997 when the first DVD player was released. Again, convenience, not technology, drove people to the market en masse. Unlike VHS tapes, the new DVD format was smaller, easily navigated and would not wear down over time like existing tape-based formats. Heck, the concept of a shiny plastic disc was new – and quite frankly, it was the coolest thing to hit the technological shelf since solid state technology. In comparison, the high definition DVD formats, save the color of the business side of the disc, look exactly the same... and consumer confusion will surely follow.

      What do the new high definition DVD formats offer consumers over DVD? Technology and more storage. Is this enough? Not on your life. Consumers, most of whom rarely know how to properly configure their players or home theater systems, are perfectly content with their current DVD players (and indeed some have just jumped on board to DVD in the last several years). While the potential for more extras and alternate endings exists due to increased storage on the new media, there is no compelling reason for consumers to migrate over to the new high definition DVD formats in large numbers.
   4. Studios are Conservative, Greedy and Unmotivated
      Studios are so conservative in their practices as to consistently miss out on market advances – even those that can make them money (ie. Why is a computer company running the world's most successful online music store?) The studios are not jumping on board the high definition DVD bandwagon just yet – and you can see the lack of titles to prove it. If the movie studios decided that HD DVD or Blu-ray (or both) was to be the next dominant format, it need only to flood the market with software titles and present a plan to roll back on DVD production over the next 10 years. Even though this would grant them the secure format that they seem to want (HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs promise to be much harder to rip or duplicate) there is no indication in the industry that this is taking place or even in the works. The studios are making money hand over fist with DVD they cannot seem to bring themselves to seriously initiate a new, unproven technology – even if it saves them from some other copyright headaches.

      Add to this the fact that new titles are coming out at $30 a pop (and this down from an initial $35/title) and you have a really hard sell for consumers who are used to $15 titles at Wal-mart and the large electronics chains.
   5. Playstation3 Cannot Save the World
      We have consistently heard it said that the Playstation3 will "jump start" the market by flooding it with millions of gaming systems capable of handling Blu-ray Disc software. The problem with this theory is that the PS3 is not being marketed as a home theater component and, if current installations prove the rule, most will not be situated in the average consumer's living room. The result is that the PS3 will primarily be a *gasp* gaming system. Maybe I have a more traditional group of parents in my association of friends, but, taking into account #4 above, I do not think that Blu-ray will make any major leaps forward in market penetration as a home video format – at least not anytime soon.

      History is bearing this out, as the HTPC market, though driven hard by such manufacturers as Microsoft, Dell and HP, has struggled to find a place in the living room. Nearly every gaming system of the past: PS2, Xbox, and even the legendary 3DO system have been touted as "set-top boxes" but in reality find themselves situated in more "gaming-centric" environments playing... you guessed it, games.
   6. Those Who Ignore History...
      For years we've heard about the evils of MP3 and illegal downloading. All the while the RIAA and music industry had two formats that could have prevented any illegal copying – at least for all but the most dedicated crackers: DVD-Audio and SACD. These formats proved to be higher quality than CD, presented much enhanced copy protection schemes and were easily used as alternative formats to CD. Yet both formats failed miserably to achieve any significant market penetration. Why? Without an artificial "shove" from the record industry – which never materialized – technology alone is never enough to push a new format into the hands of consumers. In terms of convenience and ease of use, DVD-Audio and SACD offered nothing to consumers. In fact, they made listening to music more complex, since most hardware was unable to correctly decode and provide adequate bass management for the new formats.

      Could these formats have succeeded? Absolutely. If the recording industry had presented a plan to phase out CDs and the "format war" had been avoided (simply by the industry picking one format over the other) we would all be using DVD-Audio players and illegal downloadable music would be mostly confined to analogue rips or older music. Is this a stretch? Perhaps, but only because history shows us that corporate greed causes most companies to miss the long term economical gains over a short term loss of licensing revenues.
   7. People Want Technology that's 15 Minutes Ahead of Its Time
      For many people, getting into HDTV is all about the widescreen and being able to see their DVDs with more clarity than ever before. When Billy Bob comes home with his new high definition 720p display, the difference between that and his older SD TV is amazing – at least when he's watching DVDs. You see, that's the problem – and it's two-fold. While most consumers are still getting into the HDTV craze, they're already impressed. And the difference between SD TV and HDTV is more amazing than the difference between 480p DVDs and 1080i downrezzed high definition discs.

      The other side of the coin is the lack of HD content available on TV – and this is a biggie. While Billy Bob is impressed by his DVD player, he is dumbfounded by his cable TV – which actually looks worse than it did on his old set (mostly because it's bigger). You see, nobody told Billy Bob that he'd have to get an antenna or subscribe to HD service from his cable/satellite provider. He was also not told that most of his favorite shows (Billy likes sitcoms and the Sci-Fi Channel) aren't yet available in HD, regardless of technology or service provider. As a result, many Americans are underwhelmed or feel like they got burned by HDTV. The last thing they're going to do is rush out and buy the next greatest thing.
   8. Enthusiasts Are Getting Tired (and Smarter)
      While some home theater audio- and videophiles have the money and inclination to rush out and buy the latest and greatest toys as soon as they are available, many more are becoming more cautious. Burned by 8-track, laserdisc, SACD, and DVD-Audio (and possibly soon non-HDCP HDTV) – these war-weary consumers are going to think long and hard before jumping onto any new technological bandwagons. This leaves a shrunken market of even the bleeding-edge consumers, and that means even less sales to early-adopters.

   9. A Skeptical News Media Doesn't Help
      I'll admit it, we're part of the "problem" (though I'd like to think we're saving consumers from making the next big mistake). An increasingly skeptical news media isn't buying into the hype of HD DVD and Blu-ray, especially not after wasting millions of editorial words on DVD-Audio and SACD, only to watch the software and technology dwindle into obscurity. Even after almost 6 years, most consumers continue to proffer puzzled looks when these audio formats are mentioned. The new DVD formats are getting plenty of press, mind you, but with the Toshiba flop and lack of software, the fact that the Emperor has no clothes (at least not yet) is hard to avoid.

  10. Broadband and IPTV to Compete?
      With Verizon, AOL, Time Warner and others jumping to provide HD on-demand services for the consumer it is a very likely event that high definition DVD will be something that isn't relevant in a service-directed marketplace. Add to this Apple Computer's recent push for video downloads and we may find that consumers are far more interested in quantity, portability, and ease of use over high quality source material. Even with respect to high definition formats, downloadable files burned to consumer-supplied media may make data high definition DVDs more significant than the retail formats. This consumer model is being readied for testing in South Carolina's head-end for Time Warner Cable this year.

[Turrican3]

Fiuuuu... letto tutto

Trovo ragionevoli molte osservazioni, ma parafrasando l'autore dello scritto devo dire che la storia mi ha insegnato a diffidare della... ehm... schizofrenia delle masse. Il loro comportamento a volte è del tutto imprevedibile e pertanto al momento non ho la più pallida idea di come andrà a finire: qualsiasi scenario mi sembra verosimile. :boom:

[.:|Physalis|:.]

La mia opinione personalissima è che il DVD deve ancora dare il suo massimo e maturare. E' presto per i nuovi formati.

[Turrican3]

E' presto per i nuovi formati.

Su questo sono d'accordissimo, lo dissi più volte quando parlammo del rapporto tra le console next-gen e HD-DVD/BR.

Per quel che mi riguarda ne faccio anche una questione di costi, anche non tenendo conto del prezzo di lettore + HDTV, trovo che il prezzo dei film nel formato ad alta risoluzione sia un po' troppo alto: è di certo destinato a scendere, ma da relativamente poco abbiamo la fortuna di poter usufruire di un buon catalogo a disco singolo che porti a casa con 8/10€ e per ora non mi va di andare oltre questa cifra (che risulterebbe triplicata con HD-DVD/BR )

[.:|Physalis|:.]

Go HD DVD Go!!! 



Blu-Ray and HD DVD have been locked in battle for supremacy in the next-generation optical disc wars, but it has so far been difficult to compare the merits of both technologies in head-to-head tests. Both had rocky product launches, and when the first players were finally released, each had problems. Toshiba's HD DVD was crippled by long load times (now improved), while the Samsung Blu-Ray player was also no speed demon, and had some scaling issues to boot.

Until the same disc was released in both formats, though, accurate comparisons weren't possible. Now that Warner has released three titles on both formats, comparisons have begun in earnest. High-Def Digest was one of the first sites to take an in-depth look at Training Day, Rumor Has It..., and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Their conclusion? The nod goes to HD DVD.

An unusual issue appeared right away. Training Day had cropping problems, with the Blu-ray version of the movie showing an estimated three to four percent less detail at the edges of the picture. The problem also "cropped up" in the other two films. With only one Blu-ray player available, it is impossible to say whether the problem is caused by the transfer process or by the player itself.

But Blu-ray's problems didn't end there. Occasional compression artifacts and brightness issues also led the site to crown HD DVD the winner. "In our first head-to-head comparison, we found the HD DVD to be superior," wrote Peter Bracke. "The unfortunate cropping of the Blu-ray image, coupled with more noticeable compression artifacts and an overall darker cast, can't compete with the more consistently pleasing presentation of the HD DVD."

Both formats are capable of exceptional picture quality; the differences mentioned appear to be minor and might not even be noticed by the average consumer. Still, early adopters who purchase expensive hardware are unlikely to be "average consumers" and may well care about such nuances.

[Giulo75]

Il fatto e' che PS3 montera' il Blu-ray e fara' sicuramente da sprono.
Ricordiamo poi la guerra dei formati VHS che fu vinta dal piu' economico ma qualitativamente peggiore VHS(contro Betamax e Video200).


Io punto pero' sempre sull'HD-DVD per una questione di piu' facile introduzione nel mercato e costi di produzione inferiori.

[Kiwi]

Blue Ray sicuramente, spinto da PS3

[Sirio]

La PS3 e' un bel vantaggio per il BR ( + importante di questo fattore e' secondo me il come accoglieranno le due nuove tecnologie il popolo dei PC )  ma secondo me non sufficente a decretarne il successo sull HD DVD . LA diffusione capillare/ di massa di queste nuove tecnologie avverra' solo quando i prezzi saranno realmente molto bassi ( e la PS3 non lo e' , cosi' come non essendo un lettore specifico non tirera' le vendite dei film in proporzione alle sue vendite ) tipo quelli degli attuali DvD/Dvx player che trovi nei supermercati ( da PC e da tavolo ) , solo in quel momento si potra' realmente valutare quale sara' il supporto del prox futuro , o magari i supporti . Fino a quel momento , per i prox 3 anni ( come minimo IMHO ) il DVD REGNA !

[.:|Physalis|:.]

Ricordiamo poi la guerra dei formati VHS che fu vinta dal piu' economico ma qualitativamente peggiore VHS(contro Betamax e Video200).

Non è che ci sia da rallegrarsi.

[Turrican3]

C'è poco da fare paragoni per ora, i primi BR sono usciti con codec MPEG2, direi di aspettare l'uscita di edizioni un po' più curate dal punto di vista tecnico.

Per il resto quoto il discorso di Sirio in generale, queste sono tecnologie che prendono piede quando diventano veramente accessibili a tutti. Sicuramente PS3 sarà un bell'incentivo alla diffusione del formato grazie al costo ridotto rispetto ai player dedicati, ma come ho detto spesso dubito che gli appassionati di HT la preferiranno a un lettore stand-alone.

[Giulo75]

Non è che ci sia da rallegrarsi.

Appunto. 
E' un mio timore che anche questa volta il formato qualitativamente "peggiore"(allo stato attuale il Blue-ray), ma con una campagna marketing sicuramente piu' aggressiva, possa comunque prevalere...

[.:|Physalis|:.]

HD DVD outsells Blu-ray at lower revenues


HD DVD players posted a more successful launch than its Blu-ray rival, at least in terms of the number of players sold. Home Media Retailing quotes an NPD study that found that HD DVD player outsold Blu-ray players by 33% during their first six weeks after launch. HD DVD sales began in April, while Blu-ray players followed in June; the only Blu-ray play currently offered is Samsung's $1000 BD-P1000, while HD DVD players are offered from multiple vendors for prices as low as $450.

The higher price allowed Samsung alone to capture higher revenues that all HD DVD player manufacturers combined. According to NPD, the BD-P1000 achieved 42% more revenue than HD DVD players during their first six weeks.

Overall high-def players are still playing an insignificant role of all disc player sales in the market. NPD said that HD DVD and Blu-ray players accounted for only 0.4% of all disc player sales. DVD players came in at 86.2%, DVD recorders at 13.4%.

[.:|Physalis|:.]

LINK


A look at the status of the HD war and the propaganda used to convince the consumer to buy in. Who just talks and who delivers?

With the launch of HD-DVD back in April and Blu-ray in June, we have since seen the first battles in the HD format war.

We have also seen something else that is very common in war: Propaganda. Both sides have told us again and again why they are superior and unbeatable.

The slogan used for Blu-ray has been "Beyond High Definition." One might think that this meant that you would get "more" with Blu-ray compared with other HD alternatives, including HD-DVD.

So the world held its breath when the first Blu-ray discs and hardware were launched in June. It was time for the format to speak for itself and show once and for all that it was "Beyond High Definition," and that HD-DVD was just a bump in the road before world domination.

What happened is very much another story. The reviews for Blu-ray have been mainly negative, and the format's biggest sales argument--storage--is not yet a reality. Sony just can't get the technology to work properly, and currently Blu-ray has less storage than its competitor, HD-DVD.

When asked by "Video Business" about the problem, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment worldwide president Ben Feingold said, "Sony will release at least two Blu-ray disc titles on higher-capacity 50GB discs this year." We have heard this before so forgive us for being a bit skeptical about the claim. Sony and others have been working on Blu-ray since the dawn of DVD, making sure they where ready with a new format when DVD was close to retirement. Strange that after ten years of development, they still can't get it to function outside the lab. However, it is a great way to buy some time for the company and keep the press busy writing about things that are coming instead of things that are. You can't help thinking that this is much like what Microsoft has been saying about VISTA for the last three years, and we are still waiting for that one.

While Toshiba's HD-DVD has had problems, especially in the beginning, the company has been more effective in getting problems solved. Today, Toshiba and HD-DVD have hardware that works and discs that play.

So it is hard not recommend HD-DVD over Blu-ray at the moment. A person can buy an HD-DVD player for as low as $449; yet you have to pay $999 for the Blu-ray player. HD-DVD offers amazing picture quality and sound that is often better than current Blu-ray releases. It also offers a vast selection of extras on many discs, including new features like the in-movie experience, something we have not seen on Blu-ray, where you often get bare-bone releases.

If the Blu-ray camp don't want to lose this thing before it gets started, they have to deliver and they have to deliver soon. I for one am starting to get tired of empty promises on how the technology should work. As an example, on the official page for the high-priced PlayStation 3, you find Sony saying that Blu-ray can hold 100GB of storage on a four-layered disc. My advise to Sony: Spend your money on getting your dual-layered discs working before advertising about theoretical four-layered discs. Stop the hype and let the product speak for itself. We are waiting patiently...but not forever, because there is another guy in town, and he actually delivers on his promises.

[.:|Physalis|:.]

Sento una vocina che dice "scaffaleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee........." :matto:


LINK


Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive to cost £199


With 360 bundles planned rather than pre-Christmas price cut

The Premium Xbox 360 won't benefit from a price cut this Christmas - but instead a HD-DVD and console package is due, spearheading a marketing drive of console bundles available from November.

Retail sources have indicated to GamesIndustry.biz that Microsoft is currently planning to price the standalone HD-DVD drive at GBP 199 (293 Euro), and to package it with two HD-DVD movies. The sources also suggested that Microsoft will bundle the Premium console and next-generation movie player together for under GBP 400 (589 Euro) – and that the price could even be as low as GBP 375 (552 Euros).

Next-generation movie support is considered a unique selling point of the PlayStation 3, but Microsoft's HD-DVD bundle could retail around GBP 50 (74 Euro) cheaper than Sony's machine, which features the rival Blu-ray movie format.

UK distributor Gem is already offering Premium Xbox 360s with a copy of Project Gotham Racing 3 and two wireless controllers for GBP 299.

It's expected an official Premium bundle will be made available in early November, with a newly released triple-A third-party title included.

Microsoft recently reduced the price of the Xbox 360 Core package, after many retailers had already taken a similar intiative.

With the pressure to compete with Sony over the Christmas market no longer a threat for Europe, Microsoft looks set to capitalise with a range of SKUs to help grow its installed base in the region.

Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment.

[Turrican3]

Mah, sarò sicuramente "strano" io ma l'alta definizione perlomeno in ambito home video (leggi: BR / HD-DVD) per adesso mi interessa pochissimo.

PS: stasera invece ho visto dei bundle 360 premium (onestamente non sono sicuro che i prezzi si riferissero alla premium, ma di Core non ce n'era nemmeno una esposta ) interessanti al mediaworld, e per qualche istante ho temuto di crollare...