Blu-ray vs. HD DVD: Round Two

[zombie]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/feature..._roundtwo.html

[marzetta7]

Most underrated codec...H.264/MPEG4

I won't be suprised if it's blowing the socks off of critics when implemented and becomes increasingly used for BD's.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

Most underrated codec...H.264/MPEG4

I won't be suprised if it's blowing the socks off of critics when implemented and becomes increasingly used for BD's.

Definitely agreed on that. We barely even read about it or hear about it.

[ethan]

I agree. Lately I read a lot about H264, I think it might take some time to perfect the encoding, it has a lot of parameters available and the encoders are not yet optimum. I remember the quicktime H264 encoder improved a lot between versions, I can only imagine those of authoring systems. Hopefully, they can use that quicktime experience to tweak the encoders, after all, Apple is fully on board with bluray. H264 has the most potential yet "in theory". I mean even if the first release are simply on par with VC1, they still have a lot they can improve on the encoder side.

About the article, I have to give it a thumb down.
More specifically :

Price Matters More Than Ever
One thing hasn't yet changed, however -- Blu-ray hardware and software is still generally more expensive than HD DVD. Sure, we early adopters are used to paying big prices for our new toys. But when even a comparatively"cheap" $500 player and $29 discs makes the average consumer balk at HD DVD, what do you think their reaction is going to be when Blu-ray sticker shock sets in? That $1000 price tag for the Samsung is pretty steep even for diehard tech-heads, not to mention those upcoming $40 discs from Fox and MGM.

Nice spin about the price of the discs, the price comes from the studios, blurays and hddvds from the same studios are the same price. How much are those Fox and MGM movies on hddvd? Oh right, they are bluray exclusives. But in the event that bluray disappear, they would be 40$ on hddvd.

His example of betamax is another funny spin. There are MANY reasons betamax lost against VHS. Ironically, one reason was that there was only ONE company making beta decks, and another reason was that the beta recording length was shorter.

A better reference would be the DVD launch. My first DVD was the sony 7000, 1200$ and by far the most expensive, there were 500$ dvd players available then. THe sony 7000 was by far the best seller, MOST early adopters had the Sony, some had the toshiba (which was around 800$) and very few bought the 500$ player. But the sony was the best DVD player.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the same thing happenning with the panasonic and/or the pioneer coming out next month (hopefully next month). It won't happen with the Samsung, but it's not because of it's price, it's because it apparently sucks.

[JTK]

One thing about this price argument that HD-DVD zealots try to wave around and I've shot down since day one with this simple statement that drives them nuts:

You get what you pay for.



Take it from me.

As an HD-DVD owner of five weeks, who loves the software and the PQ and yet I'm getting rid of the player because I can't stand it. I refuse to keep something where I have to feel LUCKY when/if it works right. It doesn't MATTER how good it looks and sounds if it doesn't work right.


Take my word for it. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Thank God I'll get most of my money back. It's a glorifed rental situation for me when it's all said and done.


I can guarandamntee everyone here that even the PS3 will be a better machine than these HD-DVD players are, to say nothing about the forthcoming standalone players from the big boys.

[Psiweaver]

I can't wait for the machines from the big boys to come out. THe pioneer is going to be rock solid and I personally think is going to be a good deal at 1500 because it will have very nice upconversion of dvds support the streaming of content over a network to the unit and to top that all off it'll be a blu-ray player.

[PurpleAardvark]

Originally Posted by JTK

You get what you pay for.
As an HD-DVD owner of five weeks, who loves the software and the PQ and yet I'm getting rid of the player because I can't stand it. I refuse to keep something where I have to feel LUCKY when/if it works right. It doesn't MATTER how good it looks and sounds if it doesn't work right.
Take my word for it. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
Thank God I'll get most of my money back. It's a glorifed rental situation for me when it's all said and done.

Been there before it sucks don't it. I have said it all along HD would be better off with out the P.O.S. company Toshiba. At least their dvd players are Consistent at one thing, not working right.

[phloyd]

Originally Posted by ethan

His example of betamax is another funny spin. There are MANY reasons betamax lost against VHS. Ironically, one reason was that there was only ONE company making beta decks, and another reason was that the beta recording length was shorter.

Well, iirc Sanyo also made Beta decks... aren't they also supposed to be HD DVD makers?

[JTK]

Originally Posted by phloyd

Well, iirc Sanyo also made Beta decks... aren't they also supposed to be HD DVD makers?

Supposed to be but even they haven't bothered to step up yet.