What would you do if HD DVD simply does NOT die?

[tron3]

I'm not trying to FUD. It's obvious BD is ahead, but as we have seen this past August with the Paramount / Dreamworks deal, anything can happen out of the blu.

After this Christmas we would be lucky if Warner goes BD exclusive. Face it, HD DVD has a strong showing and growing. It is obvious that consumers will continue to buy HD DVD as long as it is being supported. The war can be won on the studio level over night. Fighting on the consumer level can last indefinately. The infestation is just too great. Natuarlly, either side will see the competition as the infestation.

Personally I see us as having a two stage waiting process. Stage one is to wait until the Christmas 2007 season is over and see what Warner does. Hopefully, Universal follows suit. Stage two is to wait until Christmas 2008 to see if HD DVD gets smeared as Paramount nears the end of the exclusive contract.

Anything can happen - anything. While it would not slow down the sales of PS3 as a gaming system, the sale of players will crawl. Same for HD DVD. If X-box 360 includes the HD DVD player in a new box set, the war stale mates indefinately. Fighting fire with fire. No one will stop supporting HD DVD if there is only a 25% differential in sales. The numbers are still strong.

At that point, with both sides marketing through gaming systems, the playing field is leveled. No victory for anyone, just endless bickering. Consumer adoption could slow down due to frustration. People will be undecided on what to buy, and most simply would not buy both. Solution? They stick to DVD because it truly is "good enough". Again, both formats slowly grow and movie sales will never meet expectations as DVD back in the day.

Personally, I loath the idea of having to go HD DVD. I'm not getting a 360 and the idea of a second player is just more money I don't want to pay. What is my option at that point, DVD? Puh! Either I pay the money for both formats, or give up my movie habit all together and go on to the next thing in my life.

Ultimately ALL FORMATS will suffer. DVD sales slow as people wait for a format to emerge victorious. The HMD formats suffer slow adoption rates, and could ultimately stop. I don't care if Europe is 80% BD. This is America and the war is here - not there.

[tiger roach]

For me giving up on high-def is not an option, and I bet lots of people who have seen a high-def movie in all its glory feel the same way.

If at some point it were to become clear that both formats are here to stay, I guess I would have to go neutral. *shrug*

[SNAP]

Tiger's right......Regular DVD would be a step back..........not good...........It has to come to the point where no one buys DVD anymore regardless of which HiDef format is left.

[SS316SRV]

I truthfully don't see movie sales or studio neutrality as the reason for HD DVD to die or linger. It is the adaption into other areas that will cause HD DVD to die. HD DVD is a movie format first and foremost. It is for movies almost exclusively. Blu-ray can go into other places. Try this just for fun, go in to Best Buy, walk into each department and try to put Blu-ray in them. Car audio as blu-ray players in the dashboards. Computers has laptop drives, blank media, software, and storage. Digital cameras will have camcorders that will record to blu-ray discs. Movies, music and games obvious. Home Theater - obvious. Try to see HD DVD in as many places. HD DVD may sell as many movies, but it won't be used for as many things. That is why HD DVD will fail.

[bhampton]

Options 1 and 3 appear to be the same to me.

I would vote for one of those.

There's more then enough Blu Rays for me and they constantly release more. I have no use for HD DVD. If universal's films remain HD DVD exclusives then I'll not be upgrading my current DVD versions of some of my favorites.

-Brian

[Sonny]

In truth there are alot of titles on Uni, that I want FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY I LOOKED at the HDdvd section , & CASINO,FEAR and LOATHING in Las Vagas were there & many other titles ,I could go = at any time ,I have been very good with only being for the BLU team , but another year or so , its gunna be tuff to say the leastSNAP know's what im talkin about , Best of Both

[tron3]

Originally Posted by tiger roach

For me giving up on high-def is not an option, and I bet lots of people who have seen a high-def movie in all its glory feel the same way.

If at some point it were to become clear that both formats are here to stay, I guess I would have to go neutral. *shrug*

It is that reasoning which scares me. I was afraid of creating this thread and poll for that reason. The numbers don't lie. Armed with this knowledge, HD DVD will know they are not in any danger and stick around for the hell of it.

Retailers will be pissed because now they might have to stock both formats. If it creates a rift at the retail level, they can only retailiate by saying they will only carry blu-ray players and movies, and force this war to an end. Don't under estimate the power of Walmart, Best Buy, and Circuit City if they join forces.

Xbox 360 with HD DVD player would start the 10 year war. It is the key to locking the door of progress into an indefinate stale mate. At that point, hybrid players may be the only solution. Considering the cost of a hybrid or buying both, adoption rates will plummet. I really see this as the virtual end of home video. D/L would truly become the only real option left.

Not to fear monger, but the industry needs to step up. Don't let your arrogance make you believe it can never happen. 9/11 happened and the plot read like a movie script. Anything is possible.

[Need0fMany]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Options 1 and 3 appear to be the same to me.

I would vote for one of those.

There's more then enough Blu Rays for me and they constantly release more. I have no use for HD DVD. If universal's films remain HD DVD exclusives then I'll not be upgrading my current DVD versions of some of my favorites.

-Brian

There is a difference between 1 and 3. I'm option 1. I buy Blu-ray only, movies that are not on Blu-ray for now I just wait until they come on one of the premium channels in HD and then use an HD DVR to record it. True I don't own it, but I don't have to forgo the movie or settle for DVD. If it's good, I'll get it eventually when it comes out on Blu-ray.

To capitulate now or early would become a self-fulfilling prophecy and actually allow HD-DVD to survive.

[SNAP]

Tron,

Concerning WalMart......my WalMart here in Piscataway, NJ sucks. They have an A-3 and a BDP-S300.....no HD movies and 4 Blus: Dejavu, The Departed, Nip & Tuck and Training Day...........1 of each title............PATHETIC.....I dont know what it's like in other Wal Marts but I hope it's better than this.

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by SS316SRV

I truthfully don't see movie sales or studio neutrality as the reason for HD DVD to die or linger. It is the adaption into other areas that will cause HD DVD to die. HD DVD is a movie format first and foremost. It is for movies almost exclusively. Blu-ray can go into other places. Try this just for fun, go in to Best Buy, walk into each department and try to put Blu-ray in them. Car audio as blu-ray players in the dashboards. Computers has laptop drives, blank media, software, and storage. Digital cameras will have camcorders that will record to blu-ray discs. Movies, music and games obvious. Home Theater - obvious. Try to see HD DVD in as many places. HD DVD may sell as many movies, but it won't be used for as many things. That is why HD DVD will fail.

exactly...Blu-Ray does not have only ONE market it has Many..if Microsoft put out a new xbox360 WITH A HD DVD drive built in but with software not being able to be published on the HD DVD format for xbox360 games.THAN THAT WOULD BE A WASTE.that is what the add on is about those XBOX360 owners that wanted to play HD MOVIES above normal standard DVD.

If Microsoft allowed SOFTWARE for the xbox360 IE: games to be published on the HD DVD format on top of the movies than that would prolong the so "called format war" if Microsoft sticks to their Guns and keeps xbox360 SOFTWARE off of the HD DVD format than it still would not change anything.

thats the problem HD DVD faces right now..its not going to replace DVD with out doing that. but does the HD DVD company's that back HD DVD realy care that DVD get replaced...?

[docjan_uk]

Untill the beginning of July 2002, my internet connection speed was 33.6 Kbps down and 28.8 Kbps up.

This is a snapshot of a test I took when my upload got upgraded a few days back:


If this war were to stretch on forever, in a few years time, say five... how much faster do you think my internet connection would be?

I think what I'm trying to say is that I could just get the highest quality 1080P content straight through the wire and burn it to blu-ray if I have to... assuming that there aren't super high end downloads by then that dwarf BD copies .

[SNAP]

They dont care Joe because they're still making regular DVDs which are outselling both formats combined right now and I dont see that changing for a while.

Originally Posted by joeorc

exactly...Blu-Ray does not have only ONE market it has Many..if Microsoft put out a new xbox360 WITH A HD DVD drive built in but with software not being able to be published on the HD DVD format for xbox360 games.THAN THAT WOULD BE A WASTE.that is what the add on is about those XBOX360 owners that wanted to play HD MOVIES above normal standard DVD.

If Microsoft allowed SOFTWARE for the xbox360 IE: games to be published on the HD DVD format on top of the movies than that would prolong the so "called format war" if Microsoft sticks to their Guns and keeps xbox360 SOFTWARE off of the HD DVD format than it still would not change anything.

thats the problem HD DVD faces right now..its not going to replace DVD with out doing that. but does the HD DVD company's that back HD DVD realy care that DVD get replaced...?

[Sonny]

IF M$ puts ouy a xbox with a built in HDDVD drive wifi dual hdtv tuners it will be hard not to get one(as long as it does not die in the first week)there relieability sux and i would think (HOPE) they would change the problems the old one had. Time will tell I guess , but this would be the way I would end up with HDdvd

[tron3]

Originally Posted by Need0fMany

...

To capitulate now or early would become a self-fulfilling prophecy and actually allow HD-DVD to survive.

Thus why I said it is a two stage waiting process. Christmas 2007 & 2008. If only one; Universal, Warner or the WB cross over it would be a great victory.

[plee]

Originally Posted by tron3

Face it, HD DVD has a strong showing and growing. It is obvious that consumers will continue to buy HD DVD as long as it is being supported.

Where did you get this information? Transformers has been their only "big" win to date...

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by tron3

Thus why I said it is a two stage waiting process. Christmas 2007 & 2008. If only one; Universal, Warner or the WB cross over it would be a great victory.

If Uni. came over I would never touch an hddvd

[SNAP]

LIAR

Originally Posted by Sonny

If Uni. came over I would never touch an hddvd

[vw mofo]

Originally Posted by SS316SRV

I truthfully don't see movie sales or studio neutrality as the reason for HD DVD to die or linger. It is the adaption into other areas that will cause HD DVD to die. HD DVD is a movie format first and foremost. It is for movies almost exclusively. Blu-ray can go into other places. Try this just for fun, go in to Best Buy, walk into each department and try to put Blu-ray in them. Car audio as blu-ray players in the dashboards. Computers has laptop drives, blank media, software, and storage. Digital cameras will have camcorders that will record to blu-ray discs. Movies, music and games obvious. Home Theater - obvious. Try to see HD DVD in as many places. HD DVD may sell as many movies, but it won't be used for as many things. That is why HD DVD will fail.

Actually, even though I have yet to see any hardware and as far as I know, HD DVD has Blu-ray beat so far in automotive applications. Shinco who makes a TON of portable DVD players announced back at IFA or Cedia (they were so close together, I can't remember which) that they would be making portable HD DVD players. Alpine also announced at one of those conferences that they would begin to manufacture HD DVD head units. Now, I don't know about blu-ray, but I know there is at least one music only title on HD DVD already. link

Blu-ray's biggest and most important advantage outside of movies is the use for optical data storage and even then with the cost of blank media and writeable drives I really don't see it gaining mass adoption either.

[TheTenth]

Prolonging the war with no winner / loser can only lead to kill the physical HD format in the long term. I fear that more than all, because Microcrap would eventually win with their digital download bullcrap.

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by SNAP

They dont care Joe because they're still making regular DVDs which are outselling both formats combined right now and I dont see that changing for a while.

exactly...if you look at both sides and the companies that back HD DVD and Blu-Ray look at the Markets each of the formats are branched out into. the big indication is HD DVD is a format is meant to slow the ADOPTION of A REPLACEMENT FORMAT FOR Standard DVD. Blu-Ray was meant to REPLACE DVD completely. does both HD DVD and Blu-Ray offer DVD backward compatability...

Thats the PROBLEM with HD DVD its not directed to REPLACE Standard DVD in all markets only in ONE..MOVIES,Blu-Ray is set already to replace DVD in other Markets. if HD DVD is so much better than DVD in the Movie markets why is it not better than DVD in other markets too.

IF you back a format Back it. thats the problem with HD DVD in my OPINION the backer's do not care to replace DVD with a better format . they do not want to progress the format forward, Blu-Ray is .

When One of the MAJOR backers of your format does not want even Physical formats to be the distribution method of MEDIA anymore AND THEY ARE one OF THE MAIN BACKERS OF YOUR optical format that has no real interest in progressing the format forward. something is wrong.