How long does Blu-Ray have?

[McKellars]

I have some newb questions here. I just want to know how long Blu-Ray has until something new takes over. First it was VHS, then there was DVD which was 10 times better than VHS, now there is Blu-Ray which is better than DVD but nothing like VHS to DVD was.

Will DVD's become obselete like VHS has? I really can't imagaine DVD's ever going away. So many people own them and they are cheaper than Blu-Rays.

Is it worth it going out and stocking up on expensive Blu-Rays? Or just wait until the next big thing to come out in however many years it may be.

Will we see everything that is out on DVD find it's way onto Blu-Ray? I like alot of old 70's and 80's cartoons and shows that I would like to see come to Blu-Ray soon.


Should I go back to DVD? I like selection and Blu-Ray does not have a very strong selection of movies at the moment.

What type of plans does Blu-Ray have? Do they plan on them being the future on home entertainment, or is there something else on the rise?

Any answers would be well appreciated.

[pacificvibes]

WOW there are so many threads like this. You cant predict the future of how long Blu-ray will last. If you just wait till the next big thing comes out, you will never buy anything because of the thought that "there will be something better later on."
Its hard to give you a straight answer but you will be alright for the next decade and probably longer with Blu-ray technology.

[Sussudio]

bluray is essentially the next wave of consumer video. the way it becomes adopted by the public is by the phasing out of dvd over time, which will happen just like vhs was phased out when dvd entered the market. as prices of players and bluray media go down, more people will (and are) picking it up. yes, it is the next format. yes, it is here to stay.

and in regards to the prices, there are bluray players for 150 now. 150. thats absolutely incredible. as for the movies themselves, they are at a similar price point on initial release days that dvds were when they first came out. they will drop in price over time as dvds have, and more and more deals will emerge as more titles are released and as the format becomes more and more adopted by consumers. go out and start bluraying it up, you won't regret your decision.

[quexos]

10 years at least is a fair reckoning for Blu. It could be a little more too. But if you don't get a format just because something new will come after it, you'll never get any format because every technology is eventually superseded by a better one.

[McKellars]

I'm glad to hear that a good estimate is about 10 years because I thought that DVD's came and appear to be going out really quickly. The only problem I have right now is lack of selection and prices. I bought a Sylvania player for $150 on Black Friday and since then only 3 BD Disc purchases. Although, I am glad to see some very good upcoming releases in the future.

[JJ]

DVDs came about, what, in 1997? It's been 11 years for them, and they're still not going anywhere, hard as we try.

[Siri]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

DVDs came about, what, in 1997? It's been 11 years for them, and they're still not going anywhere, hard as we try.

Unfortunately

If you don't want to buy a lot of movies, there is always Netflix...sure you will have to wait longer for new releases

I just prefer owning them, personal preference.

[Disky76]

Blu-Ray has some years in it. It's a worthwhile investment if you want High-Def video and audio, and you have an HDTV. And Blu-Ray could stay for a while, too, as the medium of choice for the most premium video and sound.

But it's not going to shut down DVD, at least not anytime in the near future.

What I expect will replace DVD, and the wave of the future is High-Def streaming of video content to a High-Def receiver (like a HDTV). DVD took over the rental market, and that's how it made VHS obsolete...also because there was such a jump in quality from VHS to DVD. A special TV (like an HDTV) is not required to experience DVD's quality jump (unlike Blu-Ray - an HDTV is needed, or else, what's the purpose of the extra money?). Blu-ray could have been a market changer, like DVD, and become the rental first-choice had HD Video streaming not been on the horizon. But it needs an HDTV to really show the full-effect, and you would be surprised at how many households do not have HDTV's.

I predict that, once TV goes digital, that the digital set-top boxes that provide HD will replace DVD. The convenience of having practically any movie at your fingertip, and unlimited streaming for one monthly fee, could be the wave of the future. Blu-Ray may always stay around for its superior quality, but imagine being able to watch any movie you want, anytime, at the touch of a button - in high definition? Sounds pretty interesting to me.

Once its perfected, though, it will be interesting to see. The era of instant movie downloads, 1080p quality, a database of movies, is not that far off. I am speaking from an industry insider's perspective.

[Uniquely]

I'm going to go with 8 years. That's my bet. Who's holding the cash until we figure out who the winner is?

[Disky76]

I would say longer than 8 years. Blu-Ray already has a little more of a following in addition to the previous Laserdisc adopters, thanks to PS3, but may not get much more than that. But Laserdisc held on for about 20 years. While HD video streaming could replace DVD, it would be difficult for it to replace Blu-Ray, because Blu-Ray will be a favorite of collectors...and that's who is adopting Blu-Ray right now - the hardcore movie fans and the collectors - the same group that kept Laserdisc alive for so long.

[Siri]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

I'm going to go with 8 years. That's my bet. Who's holding the cash until we figure out who the winner is?

I will!

[Clark Kent]

Realistically Blu-ray has nine to ten more years as a viable format.

[Sussudio]

keep in mind bluray will continue to evolve and improve over the years. compare a dvd in 1997 to a dvd now and there is a noticeable difference in both PQ and AQ, not to mention comparing an old dvd to a superbit. blurays are already an improvement and they're only going to get better

[McKellars]

I ran across this today and thought I'd share it with you all.



http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/...ffset=0&page=1

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by McKellars

I ran across this today and thought I'd share it with you all.

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/...ffset=0&page=1

word to the wise: don't post articles on this website that talk about the demise of the format. this website was created to help promote bluray, the official next generation consumer video format, and these types of articles are very much frowned upon.

[iceman]

The title is incorrect, the proper question should be: How long does DVD have? Why buy a soon to be extinct format that is only 640x480, compared to BD that is 1920x1080 and lossless 7.1 audio?

There have recently been a large amount of paid articles like this, because Blu-ray is quickly growing and some companies do not like that at all.

Blu-ray is here to stay and is also very likely to be the last optical disc/physical format. The world is going HD, US is going digital in 2009 and BD is already larger than DVD in Japan... the latest Nielsen numbers are 16:84 (BD/DVD) and it should really be very easy to see where this is going.

The article is also quoting Rob Enderle, who has 0 credibility and is as biased as one can be, he is getting paid to write negatively about BD.

Thread locked and please do not post any more paid "articles" like this.