BD SWOT Analysis: Will BD win the format war?

[bdfan]

Hi guys i'm new to this thread ans i just wanted to get your opinion on BD through a SWOT analysis.
What do you guys think are the strenghts and weaknesses of BD.
I think the Strengths include:

• BD's data capacity
• industry support

I think the weaknesses include:

• price
• Sony's downward spiraling reputation

In addition, what do you think are the opportunities and threats for BD?
I think the opportunities include

• the ability to capitalize within the computer market.
• hybrid players and discs

• BD inclusion within the PS3

I think the threats include:

• Apple TV
• HD DVD

• the lack of content protection (good for us but no good for them)

I am really intrested to know what you guys think.
I am hoping that BD will prevail but at this moment in time I can't think about any particular reason that BD will win.
Hopefully you guys can help me out and give me more hope

thanks guys
xoxo
bdfan

[nhaase]

You now have to include the PS3 with the strengths. The number of PS3s sold greatly enhances the number of people with access to a blu-ray drive, just like the PS2 did for DVD. Also, having the first high-def DVD to ship over 100,000 units is strength, especially for advertising since it did so faster than regular DVD. Also, I don't think Toshiba owns a major studio, so they don't have automatic HD-DVD releases. Universal signed with them, while Sony Pictures inherently would release on BD

Weaknesses (other than yours): Current lack of supplement technology, i.e. BD-J and PiP. Although they will come soon, it's an advantage HD-DVD has right now, especially when you see that some titles are held back from BD release because of this. Also, name recognition. With each big release on the format (Casino Royale) this goes away slightly, but HD is a buzzword now, and HD-DVD has that in its name, along w/ "DVD," which people automatically know. I don't think this is too big a deal, since most places sell these side by side, so someone going to look at HD-DVD will see the "blue cases," ask what they are, hear that they're a competing technology, and if they have sense they'll do some independent research on it.

Opportunities: The recent launch of the PS3 in Europe (not a week old over there, yet). Look at what it did for BD here in the US, that's why BD surpassed HD-DVD and keeps climbing, so more of them in the world can only help. Another opportunity: Microsoft said that if BD wins the format war, they will produce a solution for it. Microsoft is the Goliath of companies, and although they back HD-DVD, we now know they have a price.

Threats:

I don't really perceive AppleTV as a real big threat. Yes, you can get movies off iTunes, but you can't really take a movie over to a friend's house to watch it. There are other technologies like this out on the market (slingbox), and while I'll acknowledge that Apple has a built-in base, download times are still long enough that you could probably drive to the store, buy the movie, and pop it in while it's downloading.

HD-DVD is still a threat, but they have to make a U-turn fast.

Another threat: DVD-player prices. They're so low that this would slow the progression. Look at digital TV signals. Originally the mandate for them to be the native signal was 2006, now it's 2009. That will happen, though, since the government announced you can get money from them to by the box to convert digital to analog. In 2006, people just had not bought digital TVs, so it wouldn't work.

[Ascended_Saiyan]

That was a good response, IMO. I just would like to make it clear that it is just the PiP functionality that is not currently up to snuff for all BD players. Chicken Little is a good example of BD-J working well. There is a Galaxa type Java game on that BD title. The real test will be on Pirates of the Caribbean. They will have a seperate 25GB disc (seperate from the 50GB feature disc) loaded with BD-J functionality.

[bdfan]

Originally Posted by Ascended_Saiyan

That was a good response, IMO. I just would like to make it clear that it is just the PiP functionality that is not currently up to snuff for all BD players. Chicken Little is a good example of BD-J working well. There is a Galaxa type Java game on that BD title. The real test will be on Pirates of the Caribbean. They will have a seperate 25GB disc (seperate from the 50GB feature disc) loaded with BD-J functionality.

Wouldn't that be another weakness: the fact that there has to be another disc for BD-J.
Does HD DVD's iHD need another disc as well.
Having two disc isn't a big deal but i heard that it turns some consumers off.

[Scorxpion]

You should watch BD first then compare it to HD-DVD...then decide by urself who is better than the other.
If Pirates of carribean has been released on HD-DVD too not only they are going to need 2 discs but 3 maybe.

Unless they compromise the lossless sound on HD-DVD as they are going to do with lord of the rings,they are going to excluded DOLBY THD whereas BD alone can have PCM soundtrack and Higher bit rate for PQ if you paid attention to the new tread post it meanwhile ago.

[ProvenFlipper]

Originally Posted by bdfan

Wouldn't that be another weakness: the fact that there has to be another disc for BD-J.
Does HD DVD's iHD need another disc as well.
Having two disc isn't a big deal but i heard that it turns some consumers off.

The second disc isn't because of BD-J, it's because Pirates is a 2.5 hr movie, and Disney is probably going to give us 24-bit PCM. In order to give us the best possible quality for audio and video, they are going to put the extras on a separate disc. Chicken Little has BD-J on the same disc as the movie, as does the Guardian. HD-DVD's HDi doesn't need a separate disc either.

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by ProvenFlipper

The second disc isn't because of BD-J, it's because Pirates is a 2.5 hr movie, and Disney is probably going to give us 24-bit PCM. In order to give us the best possible quality for audio and video, they are going to put the extras on a separate disc. Chicken Little has BD-J on the same disc as the movie, as does the Guardian. HD-DVD's HDi doesn't need a separate disc either.

I totally agree with this statement, you said it better then what I said. Sorry I posted my comment above before reading yours.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by bdfan

Wouldn't that be another weakness: the fact that there has to be another disc for BD-J.
Does HD DVD's iHD need another disc as well.
Having two disc isn't a big deal but i heard that it turns some consumers off.

From where do you concludes BD-J has to be on another disc? Because on that release they dedicated the full BD-50 to the movie for max quality? Don't Chicken Little has a little BD-J too? it's a single disc..

[Longshot]

Bd's biggest weakness is Bd. In other words every problem associated with Bd is there own doing. Pathetic launch, no fully functioning players for advanced audio codecs or PIP. How many more disks do you think would be sold for BD if Warner had released Batman Begins, V for Vendetta, Troy etc.

The fact is Sony, Disney and Fox haven't even tapped into the mega blocbusters from their back catalogues and yet Bd disc sales have zoomed past HD DVD in just a few months. If the big three can organize a coordinated release this fall and xmas of the films we all want (too many to list) this "war" will be over by this time next year. No matter what you hear from the HD DVD zealots they have no answer if the above stated comes true. Universal and cheap Chinese players be damned.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by Longshot

Bd's biggest weakness is Bd.

you meant Bd's biggest weakness is itself/theBDA/theBD studios.

[GoldenRedux]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

you meant Bd's biggest weakness is itself/theBDA/theBD studios.

Yep, and, as he said, even with all of that, BD zoomed right past HD DVD in a matter of weeks and has continued to maintain that lead even with Warner giving us the shaft whenever they can, and still no players outside of the PS3 fully compliant with all of the BD features.

[HDTV1080P]

The reason Disney is using a 50GB disc and a 25GB discs is because to offer the best picture and sound quality Disney has decided to not to squeeze everything on a 50GB disc. I am all for having a second disc for extra’s to keep the quality very high.
In the future we should be seeing several movies from other companies that have BD-J on the same disc.

[Scorxpion]

Agreed and i like more Buena Vista and sony of what are doing lately with their releases, they are giving us the potential power of BD to its maximum.I dont mind at all to have another disc for BD-J and the main feature it will optimise for PQ And SQ on a single BD-50.Even this is true and we can obtain BD-J in one single disc like Chicken Little its another reference title which should everyone have a look.

[AlexKx]

I thought that Blu-Ray were going to be able to keep increasing their size? Why not just wait a year or two before that with releases that would otherwise be two discs? Unless you all think it would just help with the format war, eh?

[jorg]

to me the reason why blu-ray is holding backk the mega block busters is becuase of bd-j i do not think untill profile 1.2 or so will be maditory then will we see the real power of blu-ray and i think then we will se the mega movies

[mcy_999]

Originally Posted by bdfan

I think the weaknesses include:

• price
  

If you evaluate the price comparison based on the PS3, price is actually the 'strength' of BD. The PS3 20G costs $500. For the same features you get from that PS3, you have to pay over $1,000 for Xbox 360 and Toshiba XA2. Besides you get 5-year online service for Free while you have to pay $300+ for MS Xbox 360 online service. Wait till this coming X'mas season, you would see plenty 2nd generation BD players priced in the $300-$500 range. Price is definitely NOT the weakness of BD.