Consumer confusion, format war over HD DVD

[Quinthoopachiefy]

Great article over at Hollywood reporter. Take a Hint Toshiba no one wants your cheap SH#t around anymore.

Sept 7, 2007

AMSTERDAM -- The hot-button topic of Blu-Ray Disc and HD DVD helped kick off the conference portion of the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) Thursday in Amsterdam.

Jim Bottoms, co-founder of media research firm Understanding & Solutions, told his audience that consumer confusion and the format war were the biggest obstacles in industry adoption of an HD format. He said, "We will not have a successful market for packaged media until this confusion is resolved--as well as the format war."

He encouraged education to consumers so that they have a better understanding of new home entertainment formats and services.

As to the format war, Bottoms suggested that the weight of the industry is leaning toward Blu-Ray and that before Paramount's recent decision to support HD DVD, he was predicting that consumer confusion on this topic would likely resolve itself in Q4 of this year. He added, "The Paramount announcement prolonged that."

Addressing those who still question if an HD packaged media format is needed, when consumers seem to be happy with today's DVD, he emphasized that an HD media is required. "The world is going HD," he said, citing broadcasting, TV sets, online services and games. "(An HD format) is a piece of the jigsaw."

[Rumar 4U]

If you go to an auto dealer and they sell you a Bike for the price of a BMW or Benz, whos to blame, The Seller ? or You by not making sure what you were buying ??

Legally every buyer its held responsible for their purchases so everyone should not wait and get always educated in what youre buying... Dont you think ?

Go Blu

[Quinthoopachiefy]

It's Really the studios Fault. They are greedy and I find ignorant to the consumers. Take Warner Brothers for instance. Neutral stance, Double dip. They think they can make money from both adopters right now, but what they don't realize is there is alot of consumers......ALOT! of consumers Fence sitting not jumping in and buying either format Roger Ebert for example. If Warner Brothers were to go with Blu Ray exclusive titles they have to know it would turn the tide and this Format War would end Very Shortly 6 months later and they would have more people jumping in with there money and more people buying there movies than they have know with both formats. Yes, of course I am sure alot of those fence sitting consumers are still buying standard dvd's but that it isn't the point.

[Quinthoopachiefy]

Unaware Consumers an Uneducated Consumers will buy whatever Companies can cram down there throat. So yeah it would be nice if Consumers would really look at the whole picture and educate themselves before buying but that just isn't gonna happen with those Toshiba HD player sitting on an End Cap at the local Walmart for 199.99. I just think Toshiba, Universal, and now Paramount/Dreamworks are trying to capitalize on consumer ignorance and it should be outlawed. HDDVD is the in between of DVD and Blu Ray they want to soak the dollars out of the consumer one more time before they actually take some time and put it on a format that is superior and really the Future of Home entertainment.

[Quinthoopachiefy]

Ken Graffeo of Universal even said it himself, basically if this thing doesn't work out consumers can still upconvert their basic dvd collections. WTF?

[Proteus]

If Warner, or any studio for that matter, wanted to start making money, they would simply go Blu-ray exclusive with only an allowance for legacy support for HDDVD. Not like people paid much for those players anyway (well, most people didn't).

The war ends and the billions of dollars start rolling in.

[Quinthoopachiefy]

Thank You, Exactly

[Rumar 4U]

So youre saying... Because of the companies wanting to make more money by supporting Both or single format are wrong ? If Epert dont want to support a side its cause he maybe doesnt know (maybe he dont cares) about PQ or SQ or technical stuff, a lot of folks dont care, they just want HD media at all without knowing the Specs, just the movie itself.

Maybe he only cares if it sounds good and sees good (perhaps his illness dont let him buy all da' stuff he wants) like HD

I stick with my beliefs thanks... If a consumer wants something extra he should first get the facts, numbers, brands, service etc... not just go and buy whatever is the first thing is in front of them... Dont you think ?

If not, he has whats called a buying sickness ill specially with HD stuff which its not cheap.

The companies are there, the formats are there, the money its out there...
So its time for US to spread the word and educate those ones who dont know crap (including the salespersons) Go Blu

[ground chuck]

is it any different than me selling a $10 cd on ebay for $20. if the consumer is willing to pay $20 so they don't have to get off their lazy ass, what's wrong with that. most people will say screw that for $20, i can go to the store and get it for $10.

the format war will capitalize on the former of the two, not the latter.