The Official Blu-ray/HD DVD Discussion Thread

I've logged a'lotta Panny flight hours without seeing that 'un. It's been one second events, on rare occasions , for me. My unit has been flawless ever since one of those weird, freezy episodes....and it's seen reg-lar use.

 

I haven't had a single freeze-up. That drop-out was the one and only glitch I've had so far. The Panny is one solid unit.

 

Here's a source for replacement Blu-ray and HD DVD cases, in case anyone needs them:

http://www.sleevetown.com/dvd-case.shtml

 

As much as I like HD DVD, I think it is time for only one HD disc format. It is time for Blu-ray players to be sold that realize the format's potential. It is time for the lone significant studio not releasing Blu-ray to start. It is time for Blu-ray software that realizes the format's potential. It is time for HD DVD to go bye bye. The technical advantages of Blu-ray really don't mean much, HD DVD can be just fine, but the circumstances with lack of studio support and lack of hardware manufacturer support means it can't possibly win the format war, it can only hang around and cause both formats to do poorly. There are way too many consumers that are waiting for one format before buying. I know I haven't helped by buying both formats, but I hope to stop buying HD DVD after now purchasing two discs. It would be a huge surprise if either format can be profitable for the companies involved at this rate of consumer acceptance and software sales.

Chris

 

As tough as it is for me to admit it, I agree with you 100%. I love everything about my HD DVD, but the dual format stuff is more and more nonsensical to me every day. I doubt I will ever buy another dedicated HD DVD player. A combo player would be best for me, but it seems as though BD might take 3-4 gens to get their players fully featured. Which means we're a ways off from a true universal player that has all of the features an enthusiast would expect.

 

I think it's time that the formats talk about merging again, and HD-DVD is just one of the authoring possibilities of Blu-rage. I read today, at AVS, than 30-40, low-priced, HD-DVD models, world-wide, based on a dozen designs are coming. Blu can stille lose.The conflict lives on. Blu cannot truly win as long as these 2 formats are micro formats and vice-versa. The war must go on for now. Is Total HD just some kind of threat? ....could be? Stay tuned....

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"

 

If I was to buy a stand alone HD player at this point, it would be Blu-Ray. I'm good so far with my XBOX player but I wouldn't buy a stand alone HD-DVD player till that format shows some real legs.

The fact that Sony will be releasing an affordable Blu-Ray player real soon to go along with the PS3 is a good move.

 

I have to agree with Chris too.

I have not bought either format yet and don't plan to in the near future.
And I'm someone who cares.
What about all those people who don't?
They'll never buy.

I am NOT a Sony fan but if push came to shove I'd go that route over HD DVD.

This may not count for much in the long run but almost everyone I know has heard of BluRay.
Very few have heard the term HD DVD.
Those who have heard of it see "HD" and assume it's a reference to BluRay.

 

Blair, HD-DVD has stepped up their TV ads here. It's the same ad with the helicopter but the 5 free discs tacked on. Name recognition is gonna rise for both. I gotta believe the height of this war will be this coming holiday season. How many free HD's or BD's will make you bite? I'm curious what wll happen when the ad blitzes hit in ernest. The only place I've seen the Blu ads is on Discovery HD and HD Net, so far. I've seen the HD-DVD ad on the ESPN HD's quite a few times this week while watching the basketball tourney.

 

I've never seen a TV ad for either up here. Our Discovery is slightly different and ESPN is just a dream (on "legal" satellite that is).

The large retailers will advertise it once in awhile in flyers.


I know a lady who works for the company that supplies DVDs to Best Buy and Future Shop. She's in the stores every day checking inventory and setting up the shelves.
In her territory neither disc format is selling well at all. With the demographics of this area one would expect a little more movement.

I'm not knocking either format, they both look great to me.
I think this rumoured $599 Sony will help get things rolling.

 

You're kidding, right? The ad for Casino Royale was running all over the place, and I mean the ad specific to Blu-ray, no mention of DVD whatsoever. This ad ran during 24, Prison Break, and a few other shows on network television in addition to running on HDNet and Discovery HD, and, oddly enough, this ad even ran on Universal HD!

 

There are $400 Blu-ray players coming from the other major CE's in the BDA as well.

 

I wonder how much of the support for HD DVD I read online is based on a dislike or distrust of Sony? If Blu-ray wins and is the only choice for HD discs, it appears the sky will start falling according to so much of the nonsense I read. Sony will have unlimited power and unprecedented control over a market. I see Sony better get their act together and manufacture quality players and discs or Blu-ray will just be another great format without Sony having much chance of recouping their enormous investment. In other words, Blu-ray can succeed without Sony turning around its fortunes. On the other hand, if the market even reaches a third of the DVD market, it could be huge for Sony if they are competitive with Panasonic, Samsung, LG and the other players and other studios. What I can't see is either format amounting to much of anything if both exist for the long haul.

Chris

 

No, I'm afraid I'm not kidding. All the Blu & HD-DVD commercials that I've seen have been on Direc's HD channels. I managed to miss it. I saw Blu's adverts quite a bit back in January. Lately, I've seen a surge in HD-DVD advertising. I've seen the HD-DVD ad about 5 times just lately watching the women's basketball tourney on the ESPN HD's.

The several network shows I watch, I scan through the lengthy commercials. If the Blu ad was there I might have shot right past it.

 

Chris, Blu will live on, no matter what. It has already won in Japan. Winning in the rest of the world, that's not certain. I think both formats can live together if everybody would agree to make uni players. I'm thinking that Warner's Total HD is a threat of uni discs if uni players don't appear....possibly?

Civilians aren't gonna care what format their HD discs are in as long as their deck plays 'em all. I see multiple paths of events. We'll see....

 

No, I'm not kidding.

Up here in Canada we have something called commercial substitution. It's mandated by the CRTC (our version of the FCC).
When an American channel, and Canadian channel, air the same show at the same time (which is most of the time) our cable/sattelite providers must substitute the Canadian feed regardless of which channel we have chosen.
(For this reason we miss out on the SuperBowl commercials every year which is a HUGE issue for football fans).
It's archaic and stupid

Re Casino Royale: today I spoke to the lady I know who stocks DVDs at Best Buy. This title did sell very well.

 

Just read that they shipped 100,000 of copies of Casino Royale on BD and at least 50% of those have sold

http://www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=10441

 

Well, it's the only new HD title that BB has stocked recently so that makes sense. There were no other new releases to choose from.

 

Universal players and/or universal discs sound so expensive that the it has to hurt purchase of players and purchase of discs. I don't know what the extra costs are per disc, $5 or so? I don't like that solution at all. A universal player might happen at a reasonable price, but I can't see it anytime soon and from a consumer standpoint, it isn't the best solution in my opinion.

Chris

 

Lost in Translation HD DVD

I just noticed an HD DVD of Lost in Translation will be released in May. Has anyone heard of other new versions - Blu-ray, DVD + HD DVD, Special Edition DVD?

 

No, but I have the D-Theater tape of it. I knew it would be along on HD fairly soo like so many other D-tapes.

Howdy! Is that stuff all over everything melting yet?

 

Greetings, Big Tape Cat! How's the D-Theater tape's PQ? Then again, I don't think this masterpiece's greatness has to do with PQ to begin with.

The stuff is nearly gone - way too early by the standard timing. One's just gotta LOVE the climate change!

 

Uni players might run up costs some, bad. However, on the software side, I think uni's would be good for consumers. I keep reading that HD-DVD is easier and cheaper to author in. HD-DVD compatiability should mean more selection and less expensive software for us. HD-DVD is cheaper to manufacture and that may turn out to be a long-term advantage too? Lately I've been reading that some Kalafornie replicators just can't make BD-50's, yet. If only Sony can make the bleederes for an extended period, well, that wouldn't be good or economical for us consumers.

After seeing about 100 discs on each format, they both are good. I'm feeling like if ya got a blue laser reader, why cripple it and limit what it reads. We'll see what the next LG combi player is like in the next few months, allegedly. I'm thinkin' that a real uni at an attractive price-point might get a snowball rolling that could turn into an avalanche....or start of a trend. Many CE's are uncommited. Uni sounds like a safe product if you can produce it cheaply enough.

I'm thinkin' that Warner & Universal own substantial intrest in DVD/HD-DVD production lines. I think they're gonna fight hard to extend the live's of these facilities. I'm thinkin', long-term, HD-DVD being included in our players will be good for us. I'm for merger...I'm quite certain Sony is not. Other studios might come around to merger. Sony would proably have to be forced to kicking and screaming! Royalties, royalties, royalties, no wanna share....

I'm for merger. I think that's where Warner is too. Their actions suggest that to me. I see Total HD as a gambit for the uni offense. Check!

 

The 1080i D-tapes hold their own against the new formats. The only title I've seen clearly surpassed by the disc is Rambo's First Blood BD. It appears that was chiefly because of a new and better transfer. IMO, LIT looks about as good as it can look on D-tape. With all the low-light shooting, it's lmited. People will bitch and moan about how it looks on disc. If it doesn't look grainy we'll know it's been altered and filtred.

The D-tapes look very close to the D5 Masters. That was established by demo a few years back. LIT is a grainy, sometimes dark, shadow-y film.

Myself, I'm not very wild about the plot of the film. I just love the images of Japan. I, so, want to go to Japan sometime.

Are ya mowing yet? Global warming is fun in the short-term....it's been over 80 F here lately, 20 above average. I worry about the long-term of changing patterns and possible crop failures. It's so warm and dry here that we better get some rain soon or all the mountains are gonna be on fire....some of 'em are already.

If the weather holds like this, my first water ski is proably gonna be in aout 2weeks....global warming does have it's good points!

 

Universal players did nothing to help the 'format war' between SACD and DVD-A, so I don't know why anyone thinks they would help here and Sony does not control the Blu-ray format alone. Why people insist on making them the focal point of any debate in the argument is beyond me. Go check out all the CE's in the BDA.