Best Buy true story...(good read)

[BTBuck1]

So today I'm at work (Best Buy) i'm standing at my answer center pretending to look up numbers or inventory screens (in reality i'm trolling the boards, lol) and I can hear a conversation going on over my right shoulder it went something like this....

Customer- So, My tv is 1080p, my HDDVD player only outputs 1080i so how do i get 1080p? is there a differance? Is it noticeable? etc. etc. etc.

Then I hear my coworker start backpeddling not knowing how to answer:

Employee- Uhh...let me ask Brian "He might know the answer to this question better"

I then spun around and introduced myself, began asking the customer what equipment he had (DLP 60" 1080p & Tosh HD-A1) I explained to him how the source material is encoded at 1080p and that his TV is 1080p and that although the player doesn't output 1080p that he wasn't losing any detail...after going over it with him 3 or four times he finally understood and was settled in.

This is where things got bad...

He then asks how I know so much about the HD-A1 and such, I explained that I owned the player and we talked a little bit about firmware etc and I reccomended he upgrade (he said his disc was in the mail on its way)

He then asks me, as if looking for re-assurance on HDDVD "so whats the scoop on Blu Ray?" I go into the benefits of the Blu Disc format, only really touching on Studio support from Everyone but Universal and I could see the gears turning in his head and before you knew it the obvious question came out of his mouth "so what do you think is better?" I said quite honestly I think right now they are pretty much tied...theres some better software on HDDVD but it did have a near 3 month headstart to retail and Blu Disc is gaining fast and has 90% studio support and all the major CE companies backing it. I explained that I enjoyed both technologies. He then asked..."who I thought would win" I turned and said...based on what I told you, what do you think? He said..."it doesn't look good for HDDVD"

When he answered me, he said it in a tone like I told him I ran over his dog with my car. He had this dissapointed look on his face like he was gonna cry almost and I had to reassure him that his purchase of the HD-A1 was gonna be okay!

what was even worse was that provenflipper was kinda standing around eves dropping and chimed in that his HDDVD player will provide him with hours of enjoyment and no matter what format wins, it wasn't as if his player & movies would evaporate.
He seemed disturbed with his purchase at that point and almost entirely ready to wipe his hands of the HDDVD format and jump aboard blu disc. He asked what to do and I reccomended enjoying what he had for a few more months (do netflix etc) and then come back after the holidays to re-evaluate things.

My whole point of this thread is to show you that the overwhelming support BD has over HDDVD is going to be a major hurdle for HDDVD to overcome. When the average consumer is faced with the choice of 50% or 90% support, and then the same kinda of percentages of players available to choose from, it's going to be a tough journey ahead for HDDVD. He seemed to rest his faith in the future of the format based on the percentages...and honestly, who wouldn't?

HDDVD has had a pretty good following so far with the informed AVS crowd adopting it and staying loyal...but mass adoption is going to require more than codecs (avg customers wont know or care about this) and more than Toshiba backing it's cause & more than Uni/WB & Paramount. And a heck of alot more than the internet blogs wild with HDDVD fanboism!

Giving up Sony pictures, Buenavista, Lionsgate and Fox which combined make up for like what 10 or more studios? I don't think the avg consumer is going to do that if the information is available to them.

Anyways...this is my thoughts I thought it interesting to see his face go from happy about HDDVD (bought it based on the name i think) to (Damn is this item returnable?) in less than 3 minutes of chatting.