Other Format Wars

[Mikeblu]

I thought it would be interesting to ask: What other format wars have you been in and what format did you support? ex. Laserdisc

[atomik kinder]

Well, I wasn't involved in VHS/Beta. We didn't get a player until VHS was pretty much all that was offered. You really only had the option of renting and buying blank tapes ($2 to $3 each). There were very few tapes you could purchase because the new movies were over $100. That is why I got into Laserdisc. You could get new release movies at $35 to $45 each (so people *****ing about how expensive BDs are seems a little rediculous to me.) I first heard about DVD,(I don't think it had a name yet) A couple years before it was actually released. I was pretty heavily into LD at the time and I just thought whatever, it didn't pertain to me since it wasn't even coming out yet. But when it did, I remember a few of our customers, and myself included were pretty upset. And yes, there was a lot of FUD going around about DVD at the time too, like it wouldn't play for more then five minute with out it pixilating. Supposed it was bad, but I never saw anything like that. The funny thing is when the players finally arrive in my area, about July of 1997, I think, I would frequently go to the local electronics store and check out what they had. I didn't feel too confident in it. There were only a few movies out and it seemed like Warner was pushing it hard. I remember standing and looking at a player and a salesman walked buy and said. DVD, yeah, that will never take off. Shows how wrong he was.
The store that I worked at got a player and all the movies that were available for rental and they pretty much sat there. The real videophiles that were customers bought into DVD quickly. Funny how the prices of these machines were about the same as BD players when they were first released. I paid over $600 for my player. I am not entirely sure, But I think it was Warner and maybe someone else releasing movies. How could DVD survive if only a couple studios were releasing movies? But slowly, over the months, studios started joining in. When I heard the announcement that Disney was going to be releasing DVDs, I bought my first DVD before I bought my player and then became excited about DVD and purchased my first player. In fact that player still works, but it does have issues with Columbia Pictures DVDs. Funny if you think about it because it was a Toshiba. I gave it to my sister a while back and she still uses it.
I don't really consider if a format war because LD had been out for many years before DVD. Most people didn't know about it or even cared. It was more like a gradual phase out of LD as people started to buy DVDs.

Hope that wasn't too long and boring.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by Mikeblu

I thought it would be interesting to ask: What other format wars have you been in and what format did you support? ex. Laserdisc

Laserdisc vs. ?


Didnt realize there was a format war with Laser Disc. (although I use to love going to the local mom and pop video store and renting Laser Disc's. Back then they were cooler'n shit...looking back I laugh though)

[Mikeblu]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

Laserdisc vs. ?


Didnt realize there was a format war with Laser Disc. (although I use to love going to the local mom and pop video store and renting Laser Disc's. Back then they were cooler'n shit...looking back I laugh though)

laserdisc didn't go into a format war they just got eradicated, but I've always been intrested in laserdisc (although never owning one myself) since i saw a friend of mines player.

[Blu As Hell]

Originally Posted by Mikeblu

I thought it would be interesting to ask: What other format wars have you been in and what format did you support? ex. Laserdisc

I fought in the DVD Vs. Divx war, and in the DVD Vs. VHS war, and my wallet has the scars to prove it!!!LOL!!! I supported DVD through both and, of course, I was right and once again...I'm right. Now I must go and ready my troops (check card and Blu-Ray) for the battle against my old ally DVD!!!!!

[npanzeca]

I was in the VHS/Beta war and was on the winning side as I was the first person I knew to have a VHS player in spite of the $800 price tag.

[Camulus]

As far as VHS vs. BETA, I was 4-5 when VCRs first came out and don't remember much about it. LD was on it's way out when I got interested in home video. I clearly remember DVD vs. Divx (the other Divx http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIVX ). I remember reading on newsgroups about how Circuit City was pushing DIVX and I never made much sense. DVD quickly eradicated DIVX and I don't remember the war going on that long. I was a sweet victory. I was on the DVD side BTW

[Galley]

I bought a Technics Digital Compact Cassette deck in '95, but I used it as a cheap digital mixdown deck in my recording studio.

[Clark Kent]

I participated in the DVD vs. DIVX war and was on the winning side from the beginning. Unfortunately I didn't survive the SACD vs. DVD-A war as all participants were wiped out on both sides.

[GregBlu5]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

Laserdisc vs. ?


Didnt realize there was a format war with Laser Disc. (although I use to love going to the local mom and pop video store and renting Laser Disc's. Back then they were cooler'n shit...looking back I laugh though)

Laserdisc vs CED (Capacitance Electronic Disk) from RCA. CED died a quick death in the early 80's. There's a whole Web site devoted to RCA's SelectaVision. They had over 1700 titles, but the device worked like a record player. Laserdisc won the early disk wars and stayed around until they produced the last disc titles in 2000 when DVD finally put them to rest. But you can still get a laserdisc/DVD combo player from Pioneer.

-Greg

P.S. I had both systems and still have laserdisc. But I wasn't about to invest in two disks systems this time and that's why I never bought into HD DVD. Been there; done that.