Could unfair be the fairest policy in the format war?

[ADWyatt]

HD-DVD advocates have long stated that if their format was given equal studio support with Blu-ray, HD's superior video/audio quality would relegate BD to the Betamax dust bin. Looking at the issue only from their point-of-view, they may be right. But it might be equally true that if Sony enjoyed the studio advantages that it does today, along with access to Universal titles, and had been given the time to fully develop its technology, HD-DVD probably wouldn't have gotten much farther than the drawing board.

Of course, it's all a moot point now. Unlike the disparities of the 1970s tape war, both formats are technologically equal; both provide a stunning 1080p display that should boost the Home Theater experience into the next generation. The differences between both camps now are political, and the winner is the player who knows how to best maneuver behind the scenes. This sounds like an underhanded way to gain decisive dominance in a very lucrative field, taking the decision out of the customers' hands. But I'm beginning to believe now that politics is a second-best solution that is a necessary evil to boost hi-def DVD into the mainstream of public acceptance.

This is easy to understand when you visualize complete equality between the competing formats, meaning equal studio support and hardware pricing. Hi-def DVD might succeed eventually under such a scenario, but the confusion this could cause the average consumer, and the eventual ease of downloading hi-def movies, might instead keep hi-def DVD in the niche class, meaning fewer movies and less quality.

BD clearly has the upper hand in the format war, as of this writing. There are those who feel that Sony's methods of gaining superior support may not have always been the most ethical, but I seriously doubt that any kind of corporate arm-bending was involved; rather, Sony simply presented what studios felt was a better long-term method of presenting and protecting their movie titles. Quite simply, the BD group did a better job of pressing home its advantages than HD did.

HD-DVD bungled its game plan--providing hi-def quality inexpensively for the masses--by releasing costly movies and a $1,000 1080p player. BD rescued its game plan--providing a greater selection of titles in superb 1080p quality--by working hard to overcome its spotty beginning. I see no indication at all that HD-DVD has any sound fiscal plan to compete with BD, and so I feel that it should attempt to find a way to gracefully bow out of the format war (perhaps accepting some kind of payoff from Sony for developmental costs).

Quite simply, Sony stepped on the field to win, at any cost, and Toshiba did not. Unfortunately, that has exacerbated one of Sony's most nagging problems--that many people may see the company as an all-consuming, insensitive giant. Never mind that Sony lost the tape war and also had to compromise in the DVD struggle. Or that an HD-DVD victory would put Microsoft in an even more dominant position throughout the world. The perception rules, and Sony execs don't seem to have done a great deal to allay the public's fears. In this regard, the company really does need to consider an image upgrade. They need to follow Microsoft's example. Microsoft is no stranger to deceptive business practices, but it has perfected the art of appearing to kiss with the kill. If and when BD wins the hi-def war, it certainly wouldn't hurt Sony to grow big lips.