Blu-ray Gets Another Voice

[Tekman]

In the nascent world of high-definition packaged media, a smattering of Web sites (www.digitalbits.com and www.allthingshidef.com) and numerous online bloggers attempt to educate and sway a largely indifferent consumer.

Enter Hollywood in Hi-Def (www.hollywoodinhidef.com), which launches today, catering to the premise the format war is a foregone conclusion and the winner is Blu-ray Disc.

Backed by ardent Blu-ray studio supporters Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, among others, the consumer site’s editorial gatekeeper is industry veteran Scott Hettrick, former editor in chief at Video Business.

Despite the bravado, Hettrick acknowledged it would take time for consumers to warm to high-def packaged media. He admitted that among 10 people on the street, eight or nine of them have probably never heard of Blu-ray or HD DVD.

“There can’t be too many voices [talking about hi-def],” Hettrick said. “This is not something you can overkill.”

He said the biggest obstacle to widespread consumer adoption of next-generation optical media is education.

“To a large degree, people are not dissatisfied with their DVDs,” he said. “So you have to get the message out there why they need this next generation format. That’s a process.”

To help build Blu minds, the site would feature third-party reviews of Blu-ray software and hardware underscoring the format’s advances in picture, sound clarity and interactivity, according to Hettrick. It will also act as aggregator of news, interviews and information relating to the format.

“I will be giving my take and analysis on various issues as they come up,” he said. “And I’ll be raising issues.”

Asked whether the format war was helping or hurting consumer adoption of hi-def packaged media, Hettrick said he doubted the format war was undermining consumers due to their relative lack of awareness about either format.

“If we still have a format war two years from now, it will be definitely hurting everyone,” Hettrick said. “Now, it is creating more talk and buzz because there is this battle, which makes for good media, panel discussions and conferences. In that way it does raise the profile of the overall market.”
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/new...ticle_id=10877

[j_rocca42]

thanks for the read!

[dakota81]

Funny, the guys over at AVS just posted another rumor that in their eyes says Disney is going format neutral.

[nhaase]

Originally Posted by dakota81

Funny, the guys over at AVS just posted another rumor that in their eyes says Disney is going format neutral.

Can you copy and paste that here please? I need a good laugh. Less than two months after throwing an extravaganza for the POTC movies on BD, and announcing Narnia as a future title on BD, why would they switch gears? Especially when the Since Inception ratio just bumped UP to 60/40. I wish I had glasses that rosy.

[GasCat]

The link didn't work is the new site down?

[kaliraver]

Originally Posted by nhaase

Can you copy and paste that here please? I need a good laugh. Less than two months after throwing an extravaganza for the POTC movies on BD, and announcing Narnia as a future title on BD, why would they switch gears? Especially when the Since Inception ratio just bumped UP to 60/40. I wish I had glasses that rosy.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=873392

[Manco]

Originally Posted by GasCat

The link didn't work is the new site down?

There's an error in the posters link. Look at the URL in your browser. There is a ")" after ".com". Remove the ")" char.

If you fix the URL however, you get challenged for login credentials. Evidentally, the site is currently password protected and not for public viewing.

[Shin-Ra]

Nice clean design, very easy on the eyes.

[nhaase]

Originally Posted by kaliraver69

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=873392

Thank you much.

EDIT: I just read this from that thread:

Microsoft is not helping HD DVD , but now we can also see that Disney is not helping Blu Ray either.

So the POTC movies don't help Blu-ray? Does the Liar's Dice game not show its interactivity, which HD DVD has been trying to trumpet. You know, I just read that anti-depressants are the most prescribed drug in the country. Not that HD DVD supporters are the reason for sheer numbers (there just aren't that many HD DVD supporters), it's just that they're getting so many pills to try and make the news easier to take.

[dialog_gvf]

The site looks amazing.

But, isn't it cheating to put out superior quality releases, superior hardware with better selection, AND promote the heck out of the format?

C'mon, you're supposed to cut player prices, put out mediocre releases, and have Microsoft personnel run around the net slandering the competition. That's how it's done.

Gary

[babyBlu]

Originally Posted by dakota81

Funny, the guys over at AVS just posted another rumor that in their eyes says Disney is going format neutral.

Blu-ray spreads facts, HD DVD spreads lies, misinformation, and outlandish rumors. That is what this "war" has become.

[BLu-Balls]

Man those guys are dumb

[Amon37]

I'm surprised they list HD-DVD's in the hotlist, where are they pulling that from?

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Amon37

I'm surprised they list HD-DVD's in the hotlist, where are they pulling that from?

Press "Read more".

Source: Home Media Research

You can't claim you're winning unless you show how the competition is doing too.

Gary

[Titan]

When you do press read more below the hotlist it shows all the sells for BD and HD-DVD and shows you how much BD is winning by in disc sells. It's cool to see it broken down several different ways. You all should check it out. Also if you scroll all the way to the bottom below where it shows you all of the release dates of all of the BD movies it shows you all of the BD games out and all of the CE drives and software out as well.

[GarettP]

Seems the HD-DVD fans are not to impressed about the site, especially with the comments about the Death Blow to HD-DVD article!

[GoldenRedux]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

The site looks amazing.

But, isn't it cheating to put out superior quality releases, superior hardware with better selection, AND promote the heck out of the format?

C'mon, you're supposed to cut player prices, put out mediocre releases, and have Microsoft personnel run around the net slandering the competition. That's how it's done.

Gary

lmao

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by GarettP

Seems the HD-DVD fans are not to impressed about the site, especially with the comments about the Death Blow to HD-DVD article!

I'd give this site about as much credence as I do "thelookandsoundofperfect.com"

Id rather discuss these issues with the folks at the "street level"

[GoldenRedux]

I wish they could breakdown the sales by number of units sold on each format, instead of those percentage scales.

[PaulDubya]

Originally Posted by Manco

There's an error in the posters link. Look at the URL in your browser. There is a ")" after ".com". Remove the ")" char.

If you fix the URL however, you get challenged for login credentials. Evidentally, the site is currently password protected and not for public viewing.

I just went to this site, and i was not challenged by any password or login credentials.The site is very informative and they are all for Blu-ray so of course this site was just saved in my favorites category.