Format wars are over, HD-DVD's history

[Doombrain]

lol innit. we have a top of the line sammy BR player and it takes forever to load a disk up whereas the PS3 will do it almost instantly.

[R00k]

The PS3 is the only BluRay player which is expected to be fully compatible with the future specs. I think the general consensus is that the PS3 is one of the top BluRay players you can get.

Which, in all honestly, is my only gripe about BluRay winning out. Sony screws up and makes a terribly overpriced console, then gets rewarded for it by paying off movie studios to use their PS3-exclusive technology.

The longer it takes for a good non-PS3 player to come out, the more it makes them look like they're gaming the system and getting away with it.

[+JuggerNaut+]

except it's not overpriced. strictly for a gaming console yes, but for a gaming console + hi-def player, no.

[Doombrain]

i have no idea why you would think the PS3 is over priced. it simply isn't.

[R00k]

except it's not overpriced. strictly for a gaming console yes, but for a gaming console + hi-def player, no.

That's kind of my point though. As a gaming console, it's overpriced. As an HD player it may not be overpriced, but that's because the consortium that Sony leads has made sure it's the only viable player. If Sony hadn't had such a large hand in the process, I'm sure there would be cheaper players out that are just as good as the PS3 -- just like there are plenty of perfectly good HD-DVD players.

In real market competition, the consumer wins. In this kind of competition, the result has been less choice for consumers, to Sony's benefit.

[Tsakali_]

can someone shed some light on the history of format standards? I am under the suspicion that standards recycle faster as time goes by...in the future it can create consumer chaos.

[R00k]

i have no idea why you would think the PS3 is over priced. it simply isn't.

Compared to the price of its competitor, it is and has always been overpriced. Winning the format wars aside, what does the PS3 have that the 360 doesn't, that makes it worth so much more? Are you saying it's that much better a console than the 360?

The only reason it isn't considered overpriced these days is because Sony has strong-armed the HD market, and the BR player is now considered valuable.

[Tsakali_]

lol I never thought it would come to this but it looks like i will be owning a ps3 in the near future... and what the heck I might use it to play some games i heard it can do that too

[Doombrain]

i have no idea why you would think the PS3 is over priced. it simply isn't.

Compared to the price of its competitor, it is and has always been overpriced. Winning the format wars aside, what does the PS3 have that the 360 doesn't, that makes it worth so much more? Are you saying it's that much better a console than the 360?

The only reason it isn't considered overpriced these days is because Sony has strong-armed the HD market, and the BR player is now considered valuable.

Who said anything about which is a better box?

rook, if you want the 360 to be fully HD you have to BUY another drive. If you want wifi you have to BUY the adapter. that's almost another £200 + £300 = £500 for the same shit you get with a PS3 40gig, which is £279.

What does that =?

[R00k]

Point taken then, I didn't know the accessories were so expensive.

Even so, the PS3 couldn't have had nearly the success of its competitors without the BluRay arm working for it, and Sony has had a big hand in manipulating that market.

If viable BluRay players come out soon then my complaints will be unwarranted. But if the BR technology development drags on for months to come with confusion preventing other manufacturers from topping the PS3 as a player, then Sony will have benefited unfairly.

Time will tell how it plays out. I'm not making any predictions - it's just that Sony's past actions don't leave me with a lot of confidence in their ability to operate in an open, competitive manner. I hope that's not the case though, and we see some cheaper alternatives to the PS3 player soon that are just as good.

[Don Carlos]

It is

HD DVD specs were finalised when it was released - blu ray is still being worked on, hence all the first and second generation players wont play features from the new films. Nice work Sony.

that's the only thing i'll agree with you on.

Also little things like Bluray only just getting picture in picture, something that HD had from the start. Nice to look at different angles that have been filmed.

lol, i've looked at different film's angles a handful of times on dvd. boring and unnecessary if you ask me.

Sony put out a half baked product and won because of the PS3. A smart move.

HD DVD was as strong as a regluar DVD where as a company had to develope a protective layer for Bluray films (did you ever see a bluray disk in a "cartrige" format??) This pushes production costs right up.

not sure what that has to do with anything now.

The better format lost unfortunatly.

Least it is over now and I dont have to worry about what format I buy in.

Higher production costs = more expensive for us sir.

$3 a film on blu-ray to $1.86 on HD DVD

[bitWISE]

This whole blu ray ps3 situation is starting to sound really shady...

[MKJ]

100% official now

http://kotaku.com/357959/hd-dvd-is-dead ... -your-life

Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses

19 February, 2008

Company Remains Focused on Championing Consumer Access to High Definition Content

TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.

[bitWISE]

We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop

I bet they did.

[Dr_Watson]

prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

[+JuggerNaut+]

http://gizmodo.com/360054/microsoft-xbo ... continued/

obviously no surprise, but i wonder how cheap they can manufacture an add-on for the 360.

[Tormentius]

Finally. IMO it would have been better if HD-DVD won but at least theres one format now.

[Scourge]

The PS3 is the only BluRay player which is expected to be fully compatible with the future specs. I think the general consensus is that the PS3 is one of the top BluRay players you can get.

Which, in all honestly, is my only gripe about BluRay winning out. Sony screws up and makes a terribly overpriced console, then gets rewarded for it by paying off movie studios to use their PS3-exclusive technology.

The longer it takes for a good non-PS3 player to come out, the more it makes them look like they're gaming the system and getting away with it.

Now that BluRay is on top it shouldn't take long for more ps3 equal quality players to start coming out I would think.

[+JuggerNaut+]

The Japanese electronics retailer Edion is deeply ashamed it sold its customers HD DVD gear. So ashamed they that they're allowing buyers to swap in Toshiba HD DVD boxes for Blu-ray players. A little more investigation reveals that the trade must occur during March, and consumers only need pay the price difference.

wow, talk about customer appreciation.

http://gizmodo.com/360011/insanely-grea ... or-blu+ray

[Turing]

Well fuck. I guess I now have a very expensive upconvert DVD play.

Is anyone surprised by Gramps investing in failure?

[Transient]

The Japanese electronics retailer Edion is deeply ashamed it sold its customers HD DVD gear. So ashamed they that they're allowing buyers to swap in Toshiba HD DVD boxes for Blu-ray players. A little more investigation reveals that the trade must occur during March, and consumers only need pay the price difference.

wow, talk about customer appreciation.

http://gizmodo.com/360011/insanely-grea ... or-blu+ray

That's pretty damn cool.

[Tsakali_]

a sweet taste of a perfect world

[tnf]

Is it true that the PS3 represents the best Blu-Ray player out there as of now?

[Massive Quasars]

The only one guaranteed to work when Bluray is finalized.

[+JuggerNaut+]

Is it true that the PS3 represents the best Blu-Ray player out there as of now?

overall, yes. and it has nothing to do with what MQ posted.