Gartner: Blu-ray to win in 2008, HD DVD price cuts are "useless resistance"

[Jeff®]

Gartner: Blu-ray to win in 2008, HD DVD price cuts are "useless resistance"

Posted Jan 28th 2008 5:46AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, HD DVD

Gartner, the fat lady of research firms, is singing HD DVD's swan song this morning.

Hiroyuki Shimizu, Principal Research Analyst in Japan, says in Gartner's Semiconductor DQ Monday Report that, "Gartner believes that Toshiba's price-cutting may prolong HD DVD's life a little, but the limited line-up of film titles will inflict fatal damage on the format."

He goes on to call the recent price cuts "useless resistance" in avoiding the inevitable. What's that, you coyly ask? According to Shimizu, "Gartner expects that, by the end of 2008, Blu-ray will be the winning format in the consumer market, and the war will be over."

With 5 of the 7 major studios now backing Blu-ray exclusively, Gartner's certainty on the subject doesn't appear to be much of a stretch.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/28/ga...

[Jeff®]

Another:

Gartner: HD DVD price cuts only prolong agony

http://computerworld.com.sg/ShowPage...me&issueid=123

[plee]

Looks like retailers are bailing also... CC, Walmart, possibly Woolworths...

[Shaman]

Best Buy's next

[davidPS3]

Until we see it for ourselves AND see it from a company CEO, don't believe it.

[Dave]

This is good one

[blu-backer]

How long before Toshiba comes out with their next canned statement to refute Gartner?

I'm sure some HD-DVD fanbois will say that Gartner is a Blu-shill and doesn't know jack or is being paid by Sony.

[unreal1080p]

Gartner Declares HD DVD Dead, Woolworths Backs Blu-ray Exclusively


Link --> http://www.dailytech.com/Gartner+Dec...ticle10487.htm

[CptGreedle]

The end is nigh

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by davidPS3

Until we see it for ourselves AND see it from a company CEO, don't believe it.

I'd agree with that, but look at it this way.....

I am neutral..... But I think Blu Ray is the better technology.....

Someone I work with was talking to me, and she said her and her husband bought a new 50" Plasma (or something around that) So I asked her if they got a Blu-Ray or HD DVD player, and she said they had neither. I told her, that if it were me, I'd get a Blu-Ray now, because it looks like HD DVD is getting carried less and less by several big-box retailers, and it looks like HD DVD may not be around much longer.

SHE TOLD ME:::::: (edit: this was within the last week or so that this occurred)

"I thought HD DVD was winning the format war"

o.k. obviously she researched, or saw news SOMEWHERE.... she said "format war" I doubt she thinks she coined the phrase, so obviously she was informed enough to know the 'war' existed, but obviously her source, whatever that may be, led her to believe HD DVD was going to be the dominant format.

SO.... I still don't think it's a terrible idea to purchase an HD DVD player if you already have a blu-ray player, but the more negative press HD DVD gets, the more the general, weekend-warrior, average-Joe, uninformed blind consumer (why do the blind want Blu-ray, b/c of the crystal clear sound of course!!! haha... sorry I digress) will begin to see the light...... More bad HD DVD press = Quicker end to the war.

Also, She told me she was waiting for the END of the war before making a decision on formats..... so with the end, will come a flood of new customers, and probably specials on Videos since Paramount, WB, Universal, etc. will try to get a little bit lower to try to get into the pockets of all of these new consumers.......

[UlicBelouve]

I agree that the negative press for HD-DVD needs to keep up. But the word is getting out. Your average joe isn't going to double-check the source of any story, so the more they hear one way or the other, the better it is.

Best to keep this type of news in circulation.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by Shaman

Best Buy's next

I think Dollar Tree and Dollar General will end up selling the last hd-dvd players and discs.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by Jeff®

Gartner: Blu-ray to win in 2008, HD DVD price cuts are "useless resistance"

Posted Jan 28th 2008 5:46AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, HD DVD

Gartner, the fat lady of research firms, is singing HD DVD's swan song this morning.

Hiroyuki Shimizu, Principal Research Analyst in Japan, says in Gartner's Semiconductor DQ Monday Report that, "Gartner believes that Toshiba's price-cutting may prolong HD DVD's life a little, but the limited line-up of film titles will inflict fatal damage on the format."

He goes on to call the recent price cuts "useless resistance" in avoiding the inevitable. What's that, you coyly ask? According to Shimizu, "Gartner expects that, by the end of 2008, Blu-ray will be the winning format in the consumer market, and the war will be over."

With 5 of the 7 major studios now backing Blu-ray exclusively, Gartner's certainty on the subject doesn't appear to be much of a stretch.

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/28/ga...

Resistance is futile.

[partridge]

Well, I guess it's an angle we didn't really consider; what if retail decides to force the format war by withdrawing support for HD-DVD. In the UK it would only take the likes of Currys or Comet to say "we're going blu-ray only to remove consumer confusion" and that would be that; game over.

Retail must be suffering from this; if they can sell hdtv's and then get a follow on sale by pushing a blu-ray player too... But as it is they are most likely obliged to point out that there are two HD formats resulting in the consumer not bothering.

[whippersnapper]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

The end is nigh

Repent Toshiba, repent!

[blu-backer]

Unless the HD-DVD camp can get an article out that touts any positive gains that HD-DVD is making in actual hardware and software sales (not the standard "pie in the sky", "everything's rosy" press releases from their PR people), I find it very hard to imagine how anyone in that camp can think this is reversible.

Less studio backing? <check>
Hardware sales grind to a halt and doesn't seem to pick up even after severe price cuts? <check>
Software sales still lagging behind? <check>
Losing retailer support left and right (here and abroad)? <check>

Do they honestly think that "attach rates", "have we got a deal for you this time" pricing, and "well, they were giving away BD players with HDTVs" arguments will stop this avalanche from coming down on them? Srsly, some of those people need some help getting a clue.

[mkelley]

To paraphrase Eliot (and nothing more apt here) the format war ends not with a bang but a whimper.

While the Warner move might be seen as the "bang" the truth is that as retailers like Woolworth's, Best Buy and Circuit City slowly (or not so slowly) withdraw support we'll just wake up one day and that will be that. Nothing dramatic, no "Toshiba surrenders!" just a realization that no where in retail can you buy either the hardware or software (just by mail order for those niche clients who will continue to nurse their stuff along through the years -- trust me, as a former betamax owner I know how that goes).

This will continue to take place throughout the year and I suspect by summer the posts here will be "just what the @!$@!@ happened to DUD?"

While it would be fairly dramatic the day when Wal-mart stops carrying it, it's still not the "bang" -- trust me, the DUD'ers will continue their whimpering for many months to come...

[victorvondoom88]

Resistance is futile.

No its a ps3 game.

Seriously this great news they should really just concede defeat and go blu.

[TheRealBob]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

SHE TOLD ME:::::: (edit: this was within the last week or so that this occurred)

"I thought HD DVD was winning the format war"

I had the same experience with a friend who is a techie. I made some comment about how it was good that format war was winding down now that Blu-ray had become dominant, and he said the exact same thing, that last he heard HD DVD had it all wrapped up.

I think the last thing a lot of people who don't follow these things heard is that Paramount jumped to HD DVD and that was expected to turn the tide.

[mystiksuicide]

Originally Posted by davidPS3

Until we see it for ourselves AND see it from a company CEO, don't believe it.

I will put a lot simpler than that, has anybody asked Blu-Ray to give it up? Seems the world is now pilling up on hd dvd and yes a few CEO have made public announcements!!