PlayStation 3: The HD-DVD Killer?

[Dave]

News Analysis
PlayStation 3: The HD-DVD Killer?
http://www.tvpredictions.com/ps3102006.htm


New game console will include a Blu-ray DVD player.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (October 20, 2006) -- The buzz is building.

Sony yesterday showcased its Play Station 3 video game console at a press party in San Francisco. The device, which will be launched in North America on November 17, left some journalists shaking their heads in awe.

Commenting on the eye-popping graphics in NHL 2K7, a pro hockey game, CNET's Daniel Terdiman wrote: "I focus on the stellar graphics, the realism of the ice, and I have to remind myself that this is not a televised hockey game."

PS3's graphics better be realistic -- with some analysts calling its price tag unrealistic ($500 or $600, depending upon the size of the hard drive.) But yesterday in San Francisco, the consensus seemed to be that Sony will have no trouble selling its new console.

"At the end of the day, Sony still has tremendous brand loyalty here and they'll sell millions," said P.J. McNealy, an American Technology Research analyst.

And that's great news for backers of Sony's new Blu-ray high-def DVD format. The PS3 will play Blu-ray discs; in fact, Sony is including a free Blu-ray copy of Will Ferrell's Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with the first 400,000 units.



To date, Blu-ray -- and its format rival, HD-DVD (backed by Toshiba) -- has been a disaster. Remembering the Beta vs. VHS format war of the 1980s, consumers are hesitant to buy the new high-def DVD players because they fear they will pick the wrong format. No one wants to buy a player that could soon be obsolete.

But millions of gaming enthusiasts will want PS3 -- and many of them will give Blu-ray a try because they have nothing to lose. If they like the Blu-ray DVD picture, which can display 1080p high-def if connected to a 1080p HDTV, they will likely purchase or rent some Blu-ray discs.

Consequently, PS3 could suddenly give Blu-ray a big boost in its battle with HD-DVD.

While it's true that Microsoft will soon sell a HD-DVD adapter with its XBox 360 console, the high-def DVD player will require a separate purchase ($199). But PS3 comes with Blu-ray regardless of whether you want it or not.

PS3's hefty price tag might still give some shoppers pause. But if the analysts and journalists are right, the video game console could be the big hit of 2007 -- giving Blu-ray a huge advantage in this format war.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/ps3102006.htm

[Kenshiro]

Yes you could call it that.

[partridge]

However, and this is a tiny story really, but Play.com - a hugely popular online DVD retailer in the UK - report that pre-orders for HD-DVD's outweigh those of blu-ray by 3 to 1.

The article reckons it is likely down to the massive price difference on the hardware, with Toshiba's player going for £450 and the Samsung blu-ray player at £950

HD-DVD could be in for a good Christmas with another 5 months before the PS3 arrives on these shores. Overall I doubt it makes a scrap of difference, HD-DVD players will likely sell in hundreds of units while the PS3 will be in hundreds of thousands come March next year.

But it is very clear that price is a big factor. Why are blu-ray players so much more than HD-DVD players? Is it simply the technology involved?

[iceman]

Originally Posted by partridge

However, and this is a tiny story really, but Play.com - a hugely popular online DVD retailer in the UK - report that pre-orders for HD-DVD's outweigh those of blu-ray by 3 to 1.

Not 16:1? Sorry, just had to

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by partridge

HD-DVD could be in for a good Christmas with another 5 months before the PS3 arrives on these shores. Overall I doubt it makes a scrap of difference, HD-DVD players will likely sell in hundreds of units while the PS3 will be in hundreds of thousands come March next year.

But it is very clear that price is a big factor. Why are blu-ray players so much more than HD-DVD players? Is it simply the technology involved?

Your estimates are way off. The PS3 doesn't offer much over what a HD DVD enabled Xbox does.

Blu-Ray players are more expensive because its design eschews the common structure that we use for DVD. Thus we have a new disc structure and lens assembly that doesn't utilize existing hardware parameters. HD DVD can easily share a compact lens assembly that supports DVD easily and it's disc structure is common so pressing discs can happen on a retrofitted replicator.

As for the "OMG it's teh PS3 and it roooolez"

http://www.dvdfuture.com/features.php?id=2

The "Emotion Engine" also includes the ability to recreate complex physics environments, allowing 3D characters in games to have clothing and hair which can react to environmental variables like wind. Coupled with the central processing unit is a graphics chip capable of handling 75 million polygons per second. What this means is that the display to the screen will never be bogged down by the graphics chip, so the full 67 million polygons per second can be displayed without any slow down. To give an idea of the graphical prowess of their new system, Sony claims it is capable of rendering the movie "Toy Story" in real time.

To date I've NEVER seen a PS2 game that looked anywhere close to Toy Story. I'd take what these people say with a large grain of salt. We've heard it all before.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Your estimates are way off. The PS3 doesn't offer much over what a HD DVD enabled Xbox does.

Unless you count HDMI and SACD support and the massive library of films that will be exclusive to BR over the next 24 months and the PVR and the ability to save certain oft-played games in the HD and load them in seconds, and the web browsing.

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Unless you count HDMI and SACD support and the massive library of films that will be exclusive to BR over the next 24 months and the PVR and the ability to save certain oft-played games in the HD and load them in seconds, and the web browsing.

Does a person care if it's HDMI if they're viewing acceptable HD content on their TV?

SACD is dead

You actually believe that in 24 months we'll see the same studio exclusives?

Xbox 360 will offer the same. Remember its a Media Extender and the previous Xbox was hacked to do all kind of cool things.

My point isn't to bash but to point out the sever myopia that these boards create. The PS3 isn't without an equal.

At $500 I have options

Dedicated HD-A2 HD DVD player.
Xbox 360 with HD DVD addon
Playstation 3

Those options "will" expand on both sides in the future.

[Chris Beveridge]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

To date I've NEVER seen a PS2 game that looked anywhere close to Toy Story. I'd take what these people say with a large grain of salt. We've heard it all before.

Actually, the claim has been misconstrued over the years, like the Al Gore inventing the internet claim, and it's something that MS actually said as well. This was covered in detail during one of the AVS threads as someone always seems to bring it up.

[partridge]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Your estimates are way off.

"My" estimates?

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10...more_on_hddvd/

I tend to use facts. You seem to prefer opinion.

I've read a few of your posts recently and they have a very heavy anti PS3 slant. That's fine, it's an open forum, but back up what you say with links, etc, or the rest of us will quickly ignore and dismiss your posts.

Opinion isn't fact.

I've yet to see a console add-on that became a must have item. My opinion is that there is no chance of the hd-dvd add on posing any kind of threat to the PS3.

Oh, and that tired old "toy story" tale?

"One of the basic premises of the Xbox is to put the power in the hands of the artist," Blackley said, which is why Xbox developers "are achieving a level of visual detail you really get in 'Toy Story.'"

Microsoft said it about the Xbox:
http://netscape.com.com/Microsoft+go..._3-250632.html

Hmm, and the 360 as a media extender? So I have to have my PC on just to watch my movies, photos, listen to music, etc? Why not have it in one single unit? Like, the PS3?

[WriteSimply]

If, and at three weeks away is still a big if, the PS3 delivers on its primary promises of great HD graphics on top of great replayable games, it'll be a winner. The rest of the stuff is gravy for gamers.

For part-time gamers and AV enthusiasts, the other things are most important: BD-movie playback and media platform functionality.

Even if MS move to include a HD-DVD drive inside the 360 but only for HD-DVD playback, the first critics would be the gamers. They'd want pre-rendered 1080p HD cut-scenes, more levels, more details and 1080p. If the 360 supreme (I think the 720 moniker is just too silly - spinning around twice will make you dizzy) is to be launched, it better match PS3 in the basic specs.

Three weeks to the day folks! And news report on Japanese gamers?


fuad

[partridge]

Microsoft have shot themselves in the foot with this add on, it's a halfway measure to try and rival the PS3's HD movie playback. But it comes nowhere near matching the PS3's playback features.

MS, in my opinion, can never put the drive inside the machine - the flack they would get from their existing userbase and the gaming media would be huge. But if they did put one inside, there would be a call for the format to support games too, and that would really make the existing userbase mad! They'd end up having to re-release the add on so it supported HD-DVD games, etc.

I can't see it ever happening, what I can see is the add-on being phased out as HD-DVD gives way to blu-ray.

There is only one console that is 100% equipped for the High Definition age, and it ain't the Xbox360 or the Wii.

[Ascended_Saiyan]

Originally Posted by partridge

Microsoft have shot themselves in the foot with this add on, it's a halfway measure to try and rival the PS3's HD movie playback. But it comes nowhere near matching the PS3's playback features.

MS, in my opinion, can never put the drive inside the machine - the flack they would get from their existing userbase and the gaming media would be huge. But if they did put one inside, there would be a call for the format to support games too, and that would really make the existing userbase mad! They'd end up having to re-release the add on so it supported HD-DVD games, etc.

I can't see it ever happening, what I can see is the add-on being phased out as HD-DVD gives way to blu-ray.

There is only one console that is 100% equipped for the High Definition age, and it ain't the Xbox360 or the Wii.

I think Microsoft will do it, because they realized that the PS3 is the way to go for the best in next-gen abilities. The Xbox 360 fanboys will say support Microsoft no matter what (cause they really want a PS3 anyways). They are probably just lying about what they want because they don't have it. It is the way they make themselves feel better about their stand on the matter. Well, that's just my opinion on the matter.

[Blackraven]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

If, and at three weeks away is still a big if, the PS3 delivers on its primary promises of great HD graphics on top of great replayable games, it'll be a winner. The rest of the stuff is gravy for gamers.

For part-time gamers and AV enthusiasts, the other things are most important: BD-movie playback and media platform functionality.

Even if MS move to include a HD-DVD drive inside the 360 but only for HD-DVD playback, the first critics would be the gamers. They'd want pre-rendered 1080p HD cut-scenes, more levels, more details and 1080p. If the 360 supreme (I think the 720 moniker is just too silly - spinning around twice will make you dizzy) is to be launched, it better match PS3 in the basic specs.

Three weeks to the day folks! And news report on Japanese gamers?


fuad

Too bad though that our PS3 won't be on sale till March of next year.

On the bright side though, you can get a 1080p TV from Sony next month. (if you had the money to do so)

The Bravia X-series will be launched in Singapore/Malaysia/Philippines by November this year. This would serve as Sony's BEST LCD TV in the region (before the SXRD Bravia units)

[PeterTHX]

(before the SXRD Bravia units)

SXRD is a projection technology only.

Do you mean XBR2/3s?

[dobyblue]

Is there a release date on the XBR3 line? Will it support HDMI 1.3?

EDIT - referring to the SXRD rear projections

[WriteSimply]

The SXRD 1080p units are already here. The other day I saw the 55" one. Too bad I'm not rich. I take solace with the fact that I'm quite happy.


fuad