Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD was a 3 front war

[AAM]

The HD-DVD camp didn't realize that the format war was on three fronts untill it was too late.

War Front 1: Movie Player - Blu-ray managed to win by taking more movie studios.

War Front 2: Gaming Console - Blu-ray included as standard in the PS3, HD-DVD not really in the game.

War Front 3: Computer Media - Blu-ray provides higher capacity and higher read/write speeds.

I personally thought the primary front was going to be in the computer media area. I did not expect everyone to argue about the formats for playing movies as the same quality output is seen on the screen. In computing media, there are huge differences. You can find 4x (144 Mbps) recordable Blu-Ray media in stores while you can only find 1x (36 Mbps) HD-DVD media. Blu-ray stores more with 50 GB vs. 30 GB disks currently produced and has the higher potential with 200 GB disks successfully tested vs. HD-DVDs 51 GB future disks. It suprised me greatly that these computing differences were not in the news when comparing formats.

[ryoohki]

The problem is.. there's no HD DVD WRITER ANYWHERE lol.. the media is there.. but the Writers are MIA!... never saw one...

[Maxell]

I discussed this with a co-worker one day. We did agree that hddvd would've done better if they had either packaged or created a hddvd 360 (not just the addon).

But there is also a fourth front: Manufacturer support. It does look better when more reputable manufacturers support blu-ray.

[Blubaru]

Originally Posted by ryoohki

The problem is.. there's no HD DVD WRITER ANYWHERE lol.. the media is there.. but the Writers are MIA!... never saw one...

Correction. Never saw one that worked

There was a writer but it wasn't fully functional. Toshiba shipped it to the consumer that way lol

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Blubaru

Correction. Never saw one that worked

There was a writer but it wasn't fully functional. Toshiba shipped it to the consumer that way lol

HD DVD-ROM pushes the realm of possibility to the bleeding edge. That's why a simple thing like the bonding layer of two halves of a combo can throw it out of tolerance.

I'm not surprised HD DVD-R has never worked quite right.

I find it funny when people say "recordables were never important to HD DVD". Tell them that in Japan, faced with BD having 95% of the HD recordable market. And recorders being the main standalone form sold.

Gary

[actionhank]

Originally Posted by AAM

War Front 2: Gaming Console - Blu-ray included as standard in the PS3, HD-DVD not really in the game.

Meant that blu-ray wasn't going away anywhere in the near future. Even if blu-ray movies fail we were still gonna have PS3 games on BDs. It's not like the game makers were gonna go "Oh blu-ray lost the format war, we're not gonna make Gran Turismo 5 or God of War 3 anymore"

HD-dvd had to destroy not just the blu-ray movies camp but also the PS3. The PS3 had to go the way of the Dreamcast for them to win.

[Carmien]

Originally Posted by AAM

<SNIP>

I personally thought the primary front was going to be in the computer media area. I did not expect everyone to argue about the formats for playing movies as the same quality output is seen on the screen. In computing media, there are huge differences. You can find 4x (144 Mbps) recordable Blu-Ray media in stores while you can only find 1x (36 Mbps) HD-DVD media. Blu-ray stores more with 50 GB vs. 30 GB disks currently produced and has the higher potential with 200 GB disks successfully tested vs. HD-DVDs 51 GB future disks. It suprised me greatly that these computing differences were not in the news when comparing formats.

That's a great point. As a business analyst in an IT business unit I can completely relate. The reason I'm not surprised - the majority of consumers are technologically illiterate. They simply don't know better.

I'm not saying it's a GOOD reason, but the focus of press and advertising will go where the money is. And to be honest, optical media still isn't your best bet as an IT decision making strategy. Sure' it'll sell to a small IT shop with a young analyst that thinks it's cool. But solutions like SANs, tape, and other off-site type DRP (disaster recovery planning) strategies are where the big bucks lie when it comes to backup and recovery of data.

And so, the computing difference is certainly notable, but only to a slim minority (and to those like you and I that think it's cool)

[ScarredLungs]

Originally Posted by AAM

The HD-DVD camp didn't realize that the format war was on three fronts untill it was too late.

War Front 1: Movie Player - Blu-ray managed to win by taking more movie studios.

War Front 2: Gaming Console - Blu-ray included as standard in the PS3, HD-DVD not really in the game.

War Front 3: Computer Media - Blu-ray provides higher capacity and higher read/write speeds.

I personally thought the primary front was going to be in the computer media area. I did not expect everyone to argue about the formats for playing movies as the same quality output is seen on the screen. In computing media, there are huge differences. You can find 4x (144 Mbps) recordable Blu-Ray media in stores while you can only find 1x (36 Mbps) HD-DVD media. Blu-ray stores more with 50 GB vs. 30 GB disks currently produced and has the higher potential with 200 GB disks successfully tested vs. HD-DVDs 51 GB future disks. It suprised me greatly that these computing differences were not in the news when comparing formats.

Originally Posted by ryoohki

The problem is.. there's no HD DVD WRITER ANYWHERE lol.. the media is there.. but the Writers are MIA!... never saw one...

With this kind of information and stats it just makes me feel good once again that i am blu and not dead red

[dalejrfanfreak]

Originally Posted by AAM

War Front 2: Gaming Console - Blu-ray included as standard in the PS3, HD-DVD not really in the game.

It's kind of funny how the PS3 having Blu Ray is what made the format successful. On many other sites I've bragged that PS3 owners would put HD-DVD is it's grave, and as long as the good news keeps rolling in it looks like I'm going to be right. What i'm looking forward to, however, is to see whether or not a blu ray victory could turn sales up a notch for Sony's PS3. Obviously consumers are going to want the technology that will last them for many years, and the PS3 being the best current blu ray player can offer that.

[AAM]

I've heard of some folks buying the PS3 for a movie player only. Probably will see less of that now that stand-alone Blu-ray players have come down in price...there will still be some effect though since a PS3 is less costly than buying a stand-alone player and a gaming system separately.