Why I might be going format neutral soon and might start buying HD DVD movies

[DrinkMore]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Since the BLU-RAY format does not have 100% studio support then Universal HDTV dual format players is the only solution. In a way every BLU-RAY player is a dual format player since it plays standard DVD’s and BLU-RAY discs. So every BLU-RAY owner already owns a dual format player. Yes if I choose a dual format HDTV player the format war will be over for me and I can just start collecting movies again.

Why are all your posts in some weird font? It drives me crazy!

[patrick99]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

Why are all your posts in some weird font? It drives me crazy!

I thought it was just me that felt that way.

[JTK]

It's a shame to see that one little piece of bad news after endless months of nothing but nonstop good news before and since, combined with a healthy dose of FUD and "marketing" leads to cage rattling reactions like what we're seeing in this thread.

That's really a shame.

[DrinkMore]

Originally Posted by patrick99

I thought it was just me that felt that way.

Nope. I have been meaning to say it for a while now. It's annoying to see his posts all weird.

[The Shrike]

Originally Posted by patrick99

I thought it was just me that felt that way.

Seriously, it makes his posts look like spam.

[Fozziwig]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Since the BLU-RAY format does not have 100% studio support then Universal HDTV dual format players is the only solution. In a way every BLU-RAY player is a dual format player since it plays standard DVD’s and BLU-RAY discs. So every BLU-RAY owner already owns a dual format player. Yes if I choose a dual format HDTV player the format war will be over for me and I can just start collecting movies again.

Nope. A consequence of the format war is that studios will be slow to release the deep catalogue rarities true movie fans would love to see in HD. The focus will be on recent catalogue and day/date titles. You will be suffering the effect of the format war as long as you are helping 2 formats to exist.

If you want to buy into HD DVD that's your call, but don't think the studios will start churning out titles from the 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's just because you have helped to keep HDM a minority sport. Two formats = customer confusion and failure to make HD disc a mass market format. Limited market = limited resources available to remaster & press HD titles.

Support Blu-ray as the one HD disc format! That way you are more likely to see a HD disc catalogue that will deliver the deep catalogue rarities (and Criterion will start to release on Blu-ray too).

Just remember, every time you buy a HD DVD title, to tell yourself "I am helping to prolong the format war and helping Microsoft achieve their HD-lite download ambitions". Maybe that will bring you (and others doing the same) to your senses.

[thehappyman]

HD = Heavy Dung

[blurayforever143]

Another good point would be this, why spend $500 on HD-DVD support if you truly do love movies? $500 is on average around 22 Blu Ray discs or 30-50 regular DVDs: you're much better off promoting the new standard [Blu-Ray] or continuing to enjoy the current standard [DVD]

As for HD-DVD? Why don't you go out and buy a cassette player instead? There's a lot of good records out there on casette that need a good home. And at least cassette players are still good for recording and listening to the radio.

[johnnyd1]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Since the BLU-RAY format does not have 100% studio support then Universal HDTV dual format players is the only solution. In a way every BLU-RAY player is a dual format player since it plays standard DVD’s and BLU-RAY discs. So every BLU-RAY owner already owns a dual format player. Yes if I choose a dual format HDTV player the format war will be over for me and I can just start collecting movies again.

Nice SPIN. You work in DC ?????

[thunderhawk]

Originally Posted by johnnyd1

Nice SPIN. You work in DC ?????

*sigh* Look, any replies like these aint gonna bring him come back on his decision. Please...

[johnnyd1]

Originally Posted by thunderhawk

*sigh* Look, any replies like these aint gonna bring him come back on his decision. Please...

????

[Teazle]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Why I most likely will be going format neutral soon and might start buying HD-DVD movies

In the 4th quarter of 2008 (perhaps sooner) we should start to see a flood of Universal dual format combo players on the market for under $500 that play both BLU-RAY and HD-DVD discs. One of these days I might be tempted to upgrade all my DVD players to working dual format players since the BLU-RAY camp does not have 100% studio support.

This possible will be the next HDTV player I will own in November.
http://www.abtelectronics.com/images/products/PDF_Files/BD-UP5000_specs.pdf

Just a polite suggestion ... Since the expected flood of players will come in Q4 08, why not simply postpone your decision til then? What's the hurry to buy an HD-DVD-capable player this November?

Addendum: By that time the market may have changed ...

[DrinkMore]

Supporting both formats is like..

Putting 22" rims on one side of your car and 16" rims on the otherside.

How cool is that? NOT

[jtconnolly]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

Supporting both formats is like..

Putting 22" rims on one side of your car and 16" rims on the otherside.

How cool is that? NOT

LOL! Good Analogy

[movies3]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

Supporting both formats is like..

Putting 22" rims on one side of your car and 16" rims on the otherside.

How cool is that? NOT

lol!

[TJandBLU-RAY]

Originally Posted by DrinkMore

Supporting both formats is like..

Putting 22" rims on one side of your car and 16" rims on the otherside.

How cool is that? NOT

Horrible analogy.

Supporting both formats just means you have the money for both, and the love of movies for both.

This tiresome 'war' will be over one day, sooner then later, and either BD will have won, and those with HD-DVD players (or combo players), will still enjoy their movies, or both formats will have lost due to average Joe's not giving a crap, and keeping with standard DVD, or the third, and most likely option, downloading of movies will have taken off, (like downloading music), and no one will give a crap about little shiny discs.

I personally, over the last few days, have begun to think it's the third option that will ultimately prevail, given the idiotic nature of most consumers, that don't recognize quality in the first place; SACD anyone? I mean, let's look back...BETA lost. Heck, even further back, Quadraphonic sound lost, or how about something a bit more modern, Mini Discs lost as well. All were better formats (with Mini Discs clearly having advantages over CD'S), and yet all lost.

It's not a matter of BD winning, or HD-DVD, it's a matter of High Def winning, and I just don't think that it will. It seems the same people that think that downloading music, and listening with crappy ear buds, are the same sort of people that are content with watching videos on tiny little screens (video iPods), and prefer pan and scan.

We are the minority when it comes to demanding better audio and video, and we will be unless something radical happens.

[phil]

Agreed COMPLETELY with the ABOVE, It's like I said I'd rather buy an HD DVD over a standard dvd, nothing more, nothing less.

It had nothing to do with me saying HD DVD was greater or better then Blu Ray.

[BigB88]

Going neutral simply prolongs the nonsense. BluRay is superior technology, BluRay still has significant support with movie distributors as well as Computer manufacturers and CE manfacturers. Blu Ray is dominating everywhere else in the world, including North America (2:1). So your going out and "wasting" money just so you can see a couple of movies offered on one format vs. another? This lacks all sense of logical thinking. This is still a niche market, it needs time to grow, but it can only grow with ONE format. If you like HD-DVD and have a player then go with it. If you like BluRay and have a player then go with that, but to go with both simply defeats the HDM medium, gives Microsoft a clear victory (one way or another - codec licesning or HD download) and keeps the consumers confused. It's a TIE!! Like kissing your sister!!! No one like ties, they like winners.

[Teazle]

After a bit more thought ... OK, your main beef with BD is that there isn't full studio support -- you can't have all the movies. I agree that it would be intolerable _never_ to be able to watch Universal and Paramount movies on HDM at home. But suppose you wait a year or 18 mo. before deciding whether or not to invest in a HD-DVD-capable player. Then there are two cases.
At that time either:

a) the format war is over or almost over. Universal is neutral, BD is on the cusp of victory. No point in buying HD-DVD hardware then: you picked the winner out of the gate and saved some coin and a lot of hassle.
b) the war still drags on. OK, in this case admittedly it appears that it's either buy those HD-DVDs or maybe you never get them on HDM ever. So then go dual-format. At this point the players and the discs will be cheaper than they are now, so again you saved some coin.

Either way, you still get all the movies eventually.

Given that you already have Blu-ray, the only thing you stand to gain by going dual-format _now_ is a handful of extra movies in the short term at relatively large expense. Talk about diminishing returns. You already have the better type of player and access to lots of HDM movies (actually the majority of them) and with better picture and sound.

Whereas if you simply wait, you will eventually get the movies you want, no matter what. And you help speed the end of the war by not supporting HD-DVD. And save some coin. That's the way I see it at any rate.

[monkyman]

I don't even see the point of posting this here on the Blu-ray forum, unless it is a cry for help. If I were to buy an HD-DVD player, I certainly wouldn't post it here.

Personaly do what you want, but in this war, your supplying bullits to one side and guns to the other.