Questions for those of you going neutral - Blu-ray Forum

ground chuck · 08-22-2007, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cartier

Some topics and comments made on the forums about people going both ways have caused me to become a little confused, some insight would be appreciated. While these questions take into account certain assumptions on my part please feel free to modify them/expand upon them in your answers to reflect your assumptions.

1) Why did you support Blu-ray in the first place?

2) If you did so because you thought it was better why would be so willing to use an inferior technology like HD-DVD?

3) Why not just up-convert the DVD on your Blu-ray player instead of spending money on a format you thought to be inferior just a few days ago?

It seems illogical to buy a $300+ HD-DVD player (I am talking about a 1080p player not the $200 720p/1080i) just to watch a few movies that will also be available on DVD and can be up-converted instead.

4) In saying that you are also getting an HD-DVD player are you saying that the marginal difference between HD-DVD and an up-converted DVD is worth $300+ and the additional cost of buying the HD-DVD movies over the DVD?

5) Lastly, what are you giving up in order to buy this HD-DVD player? In other words what future purchases are less valuable to you than an HD-DVD player today, that were more valuable to you before the Paramount announcement? I'm an economics guy and that is why I ask.

These are just a few questions I have for those of you who are deciding/thinking about going both-ways. Thank you for your input and responses.

my ps3 made me go blu. unlike most of the ignornant f*cks that bought a ps3 and didn't know it had blu-ray play, i knew and i love my blu. i love my blu even more on my 1080p tv. i wouldn't trade it for anything that's on the market right now.

so i re-pose the question to you why the hell would i go neutral to extend a format war. get some stones and throw down some dollars to support the latest technolgy. don't be scared off b/c some corporate monkeys decided to go left when they should have got right.

IMO anyone that goes neutral now, is just prolonging the format war and i hope you spend lots of extra money on a dying format just to have a few movie titles that aren't on BD yet.

moweeis · 08-22-2007, 08:27 PM

Supporters stick around through good AND bad. going neutral for a few movies just shows they weren't a supporter

Croweyes1121 · 08-22-2007, 08:47 PM

I refuse to go neutral for one reason and one reason only: it will only aid in perpetuating the format war even further and hurt the chances of either format coming out a winner in the end. I might get every title I want in the short term, but I'll ultimately be losing out on ANY high definition titles, and I will not contribute to that happening. Trust me, it's very very tempting for me at this point to just say "oh, screw it!" and go neutral and get my Paramount / Dreamworks / Universal titles if I want to see them in hi def and let the studios flip-flop all they want and laugh in their faces - and the faces of those getting pissed off about it - as they do. Thing is, that move is very selfish and it does nothing to stop the war. It just serves to make the split that much more defined and dividing - and damaging - to home video and optical disc media in general. I want high definition optical discs to stick around. It sucks to have to pick a side, but I already picked my side when I bought my PS3 and I'm not going to contribute to the demise of both formats now that the future is less certain or I risk being the CAUSE of it getting even MORE SO in the future. Thing is, IF - and this is a big if - but IF HD DVD wins, then guess what? We're all going to end up with HD DVD players ANYWAY. Are we so spineless and self-serving here at blu-ray.com as a community that we can't hold out on buying movies that - let's be honest - MOST OF US ALREADY OWN until one format comes out of this victorious? Well, that's just sad. And it's exactly what Microsoft wants to happen. And it's exactly why I will not go neutral. Ever. If the tide turns so drastically that we're all watching high definition on HD DVD discs, so be it. I'll be happy as a pig in shit as long as ONE format survives this fiasco. I don't have to watch my hi def movies on Blu-Ray discs to be happy. But going neutral now jeopardizes everything for everyone who cares about HD at home, and I refuse to look back in a year and wish I'd not been a contributing factor to the death of the greatest thing to ever happen to home entertainment.

cartier · 08-22-2007, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ground chuck

so i re-pose the question to you why the hell would i go neutral to extend a format war. get some stones and throw down some dollars to support the latest technolgy. don't be scared off b/c some corporate monkeys decided to go left when they should have got right.

IMO anyone that goes neutral now, is just prolonging the format war and i hope you spend lots of extra money on a dying format just to have a few movie titles that aren't on BD yet.

I am not advocating going neutral. I agree with you. I am a loyal Blu supporter, PS3 owner, owner of a beautiful 60in Sony 1080p TV.

I was trying to understand the thought process of those who are going or thinking about going neutral. After analyzing the situation going neutral is illogical and from what I have read most people seem to be making statements about going neutral for emotional rather than rationalized reasons. Emotional buyers tend to experience buyers remorse, and limit their observations to how it directly affect them and not the negative externalities their actions create.

I hope this answers your question to me, but feel free to send me a message if you would like further clarification on my position or reasoning for posing the questions to the forum.

rsound · 08-22-2007, 09:16 PM

I'm sticking with Blu Ray. I have HBO HD (most of Universal releases are on HBO) and the Universal channel. As far as the Parmount films Showtime shows a lot of them in HD. Not going neut.

JLaSoul · 08-22-2007, 09:36 PM

All I know is that I'm stayin' blu. For one I think it's a better format in all ways, and cause' as much money as I have spent on these movies, I'll be damned if it all goes to waste and would dread to rebuy the movies all over again on the other format cause' I'm one of them folks that have to have it all the same. Stay Blu Homies.

atomik kinder · 08-22-2007, 09:52 PM

I started neutral. Actually I bought the HD DVD player just a couple of weeks before I got the PS3. I only have 3 HD DVD movies and can't see myself buying any more. I had decided I was going Blu-ray exclusive because Blu-ray offered more in terms of movies, and in my opinion it still does. There have been a few exclusive HD DVD titles that I had been tempted to buy, but knowing that the longer this format war continues, the less chance there will be for either format to become mainstream. (neither is mainstream now because most people have never even heard of either, except for maybe in passing in a commercial). I will support Blu-ray and not purchase another HD DVD!

jctash · 08-22-2007, 09:57 PM

I look at it this way.... why go nuetral if I like the bluray product. The movies are generally cheaper than HD-DVD, the player comes with my PS3. I can't justify spending 200-300 bucks just so I can watch transformers on hi def. I'd rather wait for it to come out on HBO HD before I buy something thats 1080i. Transformers is good but not good enough for me to chase my home theater.

The Bus · 08-22-2007, 10:43 PM

I'm a fan of movies, not technology. Anyone who "chooses" a format over the other knowing full well you can't get >75% of movies on any one is a fan of a certain company or technology. And that's fine.

None of these companies are small, and none of them are going to give up. There's going to be a "format war" at least through 2008, if not further. Sony, Toshiba, everyone, has too much invested in this to quit so early in when HD is only a miniscule portion of the market.

Personally, I'd rather watch HD content as soon as possible. Even if one format "fails" it doesn't mean the movies stop working.

More than likely if the "war" is protracted, it will mean that a majority of players will be combo players and you won't have "lost" anything by buying movies in the format that "lost".

The bright side to all this is that as a consumer, the hardware's prices and specs are far beyond what we might have expected if there was only one format.

Now the studios need to release catalog titles at an MSRP of $19.99 so we can get them for $15 or less in stores.

08-22-2007, 08:47 PM	#3
Croweyes1121 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:May 2007 Location:Acworth, GA 4K collection:198 Blu-ray collection:549 DVD collection:113 Digital collection:373 Blu-ray reviews: 11 Trading Score:32	I refuse to go neutral for one reason and one reason only: it will only aid in perpetuating the format war even further and hurt the chances of either format coming out a winner in the end. I might get every title I want in the short term, but I'll ultimately be losing out on ANY high definition titles, and I will not contribute to that happening. Trust me, it's very very tempting for me at this point to just say "oh, screw it!" and go neutral and get my Paramount / Dreamworks / Universal titles if I want to see them in hi def and let the studios flip-flop all they want and laugh in their faces - and the faces of those getting pissed off about it - as they do. Thing is, that move is very selfish and it does nothing to stop the war. It just serves to make the split that much more defined and dividing - and damaging - to home video and optical disc media in general. I want high definition optical discs to stick around. It sucks to have to pick a side, but I already picked my side when I bought my PS3 and I'm not going to contribute to the demise of both formats now that the future is less certain or I risk being the CAUSE of it getting even MORE SO in the future. Thing is, IF - and this is a big if - but IF HD DVD wins, then guess what? We're all going to end up with HD DVD players ANYWAY. Are we so spineless and self-serving here at blu-ray.com as a community that we can't hold out on buying movies that - let's be honest - MOST OF US ALREADY OWN until one format comes out of this victorious? Well, that's just sad. And it's exactly what Microsoft wants to happen. And it's exactly why I will not go neutral. Ever. If the tide turns so drastically that we're all watching high definition on HD DVD discs, so be it. I'll be happy as a pig in shit as long as ONE format survives this fiasco. I don't have to watch my hi def movies on Blu-Ray discs to be happy. But going neutral now jeopardizes everything for everyone who cares about HD at home, and I refuse to look back in a year and wish I'd not been a contributing factor to the death of the greatest thing to ever happen to home entertainment. Last edited by Croweyes1121; 08-22-2007 at 08:56 PM.

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08-22-2007, 08:27 PM	#2
moweeis Active Member Member since:Jul 2007	Supporters stick around through good AND bad. going neutral for a few movies just shows they weren't a supporter

08-22-2007, 09:16 PM	#5
rsound Member Member since:Jun 2007 Location:San Francisco, CA	I'm sticking with Blu Ray. I have HBO HD (most of Universal releases are on HBO) and the Universal channel. As far as the Parmount films Showtime shows a lot of them in HD. Not going neut.

08-22-2007, 09:36 PM	#6
JLaSoul Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Blu-ray collection:219	All I know is that I'm stayin' blu. For one I think it's a better format in all ways, and cause' as much money as I have spent on these movies, I'll be damned if it all goes to waste and would dread to rebuy the movies all over again on the other format cause' I'm one of them folks that have to have it all the same. Stay Blu Homies.

08-22-2007, 09:52 PM	#7
atomik kinder Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Omaha NE 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:-	I started neutral. Actually I bought the HD DVD player just a couple of weeks before I got the PS3. I only have 3 HD DVD movies and can't see myself buying any more. I had decided I was going Blu-ray exclusive because Blu-ray offered more in terms of movies, and in my opinion it still does. There have been a few exclusive HD DVD titles that I had been tempted to buy, but knowing that the longer this format war continues, the less chance there will be for either format to become mainstream. (neither is mainstream now because most people have never even heard of either, except for maybe in passing in a commercial). I will support Blu-ray and not purchase another HD DVD!

08-22-2007, 09:57 PM	#8
jctash Active Member Member since:Jun 2007	I look at it this way.... why go nuetral if I like the bluray product. The movies are generally cheaper than HD-DVD, the player comes with my PS3. I can't justify spending 200-300 bucks just so I can watch transformers on hi def. I'd rather wait for it to come out on HBO HD before I buy something thats 1080i. Transformers is good but not good enough for me to chase my home theater.

08-22-2007, 10:43 PM	#9
The Bus Banned Member since:Aug 2007	I'm a fan of movies, not technology. Anyone who "chooses" a format over the other knowing full well you can't get >75% of movies on any one is a fan of a certain company or technology. And that's fine. None of these companies are small, and none of them are going to give up. There's going to be a "format war" at least through 2008, if not further. Sony, Toshiba, everyone, has too much invested in this to quit so early in when HD is only a miniscule portion of the market. Personally, I'd rather watch HD content as soon as possible. Even if one format "fails" it doesn't mean the movies stop working. More than likely if the "war" is protracted, it will mean that a majority of players will be combo players and you won't have "lost" anything by buying movies in the format that "lost". The bright side to all this is that as a consumer, the hardware's prices and specs are far beyond what we might have expected if there was only one format. Now the studios need to release catalog titles at an MSRP of $19.99 so we can get them for $15 or less in stores.

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