Recent Convert

[Capmaster]

Hi, I'm Capmaster. I'm new
I run a discussion forum (since Feb 2005) called The Conversation Pit. I used to be a moderator on the forum at Videohelp.com before that, and have been in the DVD game since 2002. I also have an internet business called Cap's Video. I do video editing, authoring and VHS-to-DVD transfers.

But enough about me. I'm here to discuss Blu-ray.

I admit it - I was an HD-DVD fanboy. I saw great things for it. The fact that it can be made using existing fab equipment, unlike Blu-ray, had me convinced. Media would likely be cheaper, too, although the capacity is lower.

I was convinced of HD-DVD's success after I got wind of Walmart's deal with a mainland Chinese company to produce 2 million blue laser HD-DVD player cores. Last I checked that was still on. Correct me if I'm wrong.

But the last few months show what can happen when the wrong company is pushing it for the wrong reasons. In this case, Toshiba.

Toshiba was the early developer and champion for the HD-DVD format, as you all know. Then, somewhere along the line, the dark side won them over and they saw nothing but dollar signs for themselves.

Toshiba makes truckloads of money from their laptops. They saw HD-DVD as a mere marketing tool for their own benefit. Witness the announcement last year that they would be making a laptop HD-DVD burner. Very strange. Usually in the PC world a desktop burner is announced first, then it is scaled down for laptops. It's very rare for a new technology to debut in a laptop. But Toshiba didn't announce a desktop burner, the SD-H903A, until Jan 07.

That should have given it away for me and raised the red flags. But I had hope - I don't personally care for Sony or their draconian DRM "studios over customers" gestapo-like tactics (remember their wishes to implant a destructive virus in anyone's PC who would <gasp> download an MP3 without paying royalties?), and I saw this whole format war as another opportunity for them to repeat their Beta gaffe, and get kicked to the curb by HD-DVD. And I would be the first to laugh at them

I used to be a huge Sony fan before that whole DRM mess.

But it seems Toshiba is dropping the ball on an even larger scale. And HD-DVD is quickly fizzling. Studios are jumping on the Blu-ray bandwagon with regularity. Blu-ray is doing the kicking now, and HD-DVD is doing the curb-kissing.

So I must set aside my hatred for Sony and embrace Blu-ray. I'm chomping at the bit to get started using it, now that HD-DVD is fading.

I'm now waiting for the media to drop. It's still about 10 bucks a pop. When it gets to 5, I'm off and running