The battle is about to begin between
HD DVD and Blu-Ray. If you aren't familiar with these technologies you should be because this summer they will represent the future of home cinema. Basically information is written on these new discs using a blue laser as opposed to a red laser which current DVD discs use. This blue laser allows for more information to be written on discs, between 15 and 100 GB. This additional space is the perfect method of creating high definition movies for home cinema. The only problem is that there are 2 competing technologies, much like Beta and VHS, and different corporations are lining up behind each technology. Toshiba created HD DVD which is less expensive and easier to produce, whereas Sony created Blu-ray which is more expensive and more difficult to produce, but has more possibilities. Who will eventually win, no one knows. However this Heffernan is betting on HD DVD.
3 comments:
As an avid reader of Digital Bits, I will announce that the battle is already over. Blu-Ray has won, but it will still take 2 or 3 years for HD-DVD to be completely beaten down.
1) Every major studio is supporting Blu-Ray except Universal. So why buy HD-DVD if you can't watch 75% of movies? A telling sign is that several studios who initially supported HD-DVD recently announced they will support Blu-Ray too.
2) PS3 will play Blu-Ray. DVD players that play either format will cost around $1000 in 2006. A PS3 will cost about $400, and millions of people are dying to buy it. That will put millions of Blu-Ray machines in homes first. XBox 360 still uses regular DVDs, and "may" support an HD-DVD add-on.
HD-DVD only has 2 advantages. It will be released first (March). Also, it seems to have the support of Microsoft, thus will be used in PCs first. I think a Microsoft backlash will end up hurting it though.
Anyway, I will most certainly NOT be buying either until I move into my next house and have some money to spend on a home theater.
The studio issue is a non-factor because almost every studio will support both formats. All the studios care about is which format has better DRM, and apparently right now that is HD-DVD.
The PS3 issue is a non-factor because that mofo won't be out for another year at least. Momentum is a big killer.
My money's on HD-DVD for three(3) reasons:
1) Better name. Goofy reason, but people will see the 'DVD' in HD-DVD and think 'what I have now, but better', while Blu-Ray means nothing to them.
2) Microsoft backs HD-DVD. If people get on board HD-DVD because it's in their computers, then they're more likely to keep buying it for their entertainment centers. Especially since PCs are crossing over into the entertainment realm more every day.
3) Sony sucks at marketing new technology. I love Sony, don't get me wrong, but they have any uncanny knack for creating awesome new technologies that get buried by inferior competitors. Anyone remember Betamax or MiniDisc. Both were far superior to VHS and CDs, respectively, but for some reason (cost?, forcing consumers to user proprietary players?) they never caught on. I'm guessing it will be more of the same with Blu-Ray.
I'd love to see just one standard so the market doesn't fracture, and I'd love that standard to be Blu-Ray because it's obviously the better technology, but we'll have to wait and see.
Either way, I won't buy anything until they cost less than $1200 and I have something better to watch them on than my 27" Sony CRT television.
Another reason for HD-DVD:
Lord of the Rings Trilogy -> HD-DVD
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