Is SONY conceding standalone market to HD-DVD?

[GJN]

Recent delays in Blu-ray film releases suggest to me that Sony is focusing on PS3 buyers rather than on buyers of standalone players. Movies that are released or heavily publicized seem to be directed at buyers with PS3 demographics; these include action films, horror films, and comic book adaptations. Movies that would appeal to film buffs (a group most likely to buy expensive standalone players) are the ones that are postponed, unreleased, or released only on SD DVDs. These are films like Lawrence of Arabia, Glory, Guns of Navarone, Winged Migration, Caine Mutiny, and Gandhi.

The HD-DVD alliance, on the other hand, has thus far captured the standalone player market and has been keeping film buffs happy with films like The Sting, Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, Brokeback Mountain, Deer Hunter, Forbidden Planet, Spartacus, Mutiny on the Bounty, and Seabiscuit.

If the Blu-ray and HD-DVD groups are actually focusing on different demographic groups as their movie release patterns suggest, then we're likely to have two HD formats indefinitely, each with its own group of adherents and with the group differences increasing over time.

[Josh]

Big Fish does not fit your Thesis.

[Iceman_II]

I wouldn't say "concede", but it's all about volumes and market share, the format that most successfully saturates the market will become the standard.

Look at the numbers of players sold, and you can see where the film buffs as you call them are vastly outnumbered by what you refered to as the "PS3 Demographic" However, don't delude yourself, the PS3, while a gaming system, is in truth a media system... the HD-DVD fanbois always throw out how the PS3 owners will not be buying movies, because they are gamers... that is a load of crap. I would venture to say that only the most hard core gamers went out and got PS3s... why?

1) Because as of yet, there are NO KILLER APPS! The game titles are for the most part still in development

2) Its so much more expensive than comparable gaming systems - if a gamer wanted a system, they were going to get a wii

Now, when you examine the PS3 against other stand alones (I say other, because regardless what you may have heard, it is, in of itself, a damn fine standalone, it just happens to also have a gaming system attached) The price point makes it VERY competitive, to the point where people (like ME) bought it primarily as a stand alone player, hell, its 400 cheaper than the next option.

Lastly, titles... again, its all about the dollars and market saturation... is there a market to see "7 samaris" on BD, hell yes, is it as large as the market that wants to see underworld probably not. Both camps are jockeying to become pre-eminent... you don't get there by investing time and money in art-house films, you cater to that market once the standard has been decided.

[dobyblue]

Neither does The Searchers, Dances With Wolves, The Lake House, Chicago, Casanova, The Tailor of Panama, Failure to Launch, Winged Migration, The Devil Wears Prada, etc.
What about postponed releases like From Hell and RoboCop?

You're way off base.

[dialog_gvf]

A current demographic bias is probably a fair assessment. Sony and other BD studios would be pretty stupid not to maximize the interest in Blu-ray right now, and draw as many PS/3 owners into watching discs, wouldn't you agree?

Until recently, as PS/3 became more easily available, it was difficult for A/V enthusiasts to actually get one, further skewing the demographic.

Also, I think it is fair to say from The Fifth Element release, that Sony really didn't have the processes in place to deal with older titles. And MGM is transitioning to Fox production and distribution. Warner has come to the next-gen with the ability to extract spectacular quality out of older films. And, of course, this benefits us all.

For this to be a format issue, it would have to be shown that the BD studios generally never intend to release classics. Otherwise, it is just another transitory issue (like codec choice, price, PiP, and audio decoding) being presented as a reason for choosing HD DVD now.

And what is it about "true" film buffs that make them froth at the mouth about spending a bit more for a player? And do you think that the Xbox add-on helps the HD DVD situation in any way?

Gary

P.S. How is the thread title connected with the content? Seems more like: Are the BD studios selling mostly to PS/3 owners?

[Longshot]

Numbers show the BDA CE's sold 25,000 players last year. Considering the Panasonic was not available until October and the Sony December and the Samsung had terrible reviews almost immediately which torpedoed sales; 25,000 is not bad. Especially with the price points of these units.

In 8 months Toshiba sold 75,000 units and had to heavily subsidize the A1.

Prices will come down quickly over the next 6-8 months on BD players. Sony showed 2nd generation prototype players at CES. My guess is they will be available after June 1st to conform with BD live?

So, no Sony is not conceding the standalone market.

[dialog_gvf]

And since the Sammy dropped under $600 in many places, I'm seeing a heck of a lot people saying they picked one up.

Lots of Sony's. The Panasonic seems deliberately difficult to find. And Pioneer just launched their's.

The G2 Sammy I suspect will sell very well. It has great specs, and it will street under $700 pretty quickly.

Gary

[Maximus]

Simple answer, no.

Complicated answer, definitely not.