Warner Bros goes Blu-Ray exclusive

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: vrbaba
Having just Blu-ray will definitely NOT lower the prices.

If that was true, how on earth did we get $29 DVD players? DVD had to compete against VHS, and manufacturers competed against each other, to produce cheaper players and media.

Blu-Ray still has to compete against DVD. Blu-Ray has multiple hardware manufacturers with competing players, which will drive down prices.

isn't the equipment to play Blu-Ray players much more expensive than HD-DVD to manufacture?

That plus Sony's higher royalties. It wil be a long time before they crack $200 let alone $100.

 

[Jeff7]

Is this going to wind up like the DVD-R vs DVD+R wars? Both sets of companies duke it out with their own greed as the motivating factor, sides are chosen among other companies, then eventually dropped, and the market becomes a mish-mash of either format, ultimately driving up prices of players (slightly), because they have to support both formats?
Can't we all just get along?:Q

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Is there such a thing as a Blu-ray combo disc like there is with HD-DVD? I like the fact that I can buy a combo disc and watch it in HD in the living room, but still watch it on any other DVD player in the house as well.

Yes, but it's uber expensive.

Text

 

[vrbaba]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: vrbaba
Having just Blu-ray will definitely NOT lower the prices.

If that was true, how on earth did we get $29 DVD players? DVD had to compete against VHS, and manufacturers competed against each other, to produce cheaper players and media.

Blu-Ray still has to compete against DVD. Blu-Ray has multiple hardware manufacturers with competing players, which will drive down prices.

You get $29 DVD players after 15+ years of existence (i think). Blu-Ray does NOT compete against DVD. All movies are released in DVD. blu-ray competes against HD for people adopting hi-def.

It will be years before everyone is adopting a HiDef format, and since blu ray might be the only option, its not going to reduce to 50 bucks for a player. Thats why selling HD players for about 100 bucks on deals was an awesome move on HD-DVD's part.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: yllus
Don't believe so, but I could be wrong. HD-DVD pulls it off because both DVD and HD-DVD use red laser technology.

HD DVD uses a blue laser with rare exception. You can in theory author a red laser / traditional DVD in HD format, but it only stores 85 minutes at most (on a dual layer disc).

I thought there was some software suite out there already that burned HD content to regular DVDs... I seem to recall a thread on it recently.

I wonder if you are talking about the tivo thread, where I posted that you could to this using ulead moviefactory? It's not a common feature in DVD authoring software (yet).

 

[Slick5150]

I've said it from the beginning, but neither of these formats were ever going to "win", simply because neither will ever have the marketshare near what DVD has achieved before something better comes along. Its like asking who was going to win the format war between DVD-Audio and Super Audio-CD.

Even if Blu-Ray does come through as the "winner" of the two, its always going to be a laserdisc like niche market.

I have a Toshiba HD-A3, but only because I didn't pay anything for it. I'm far more intrigued by Netflix's idea of getting the HD content to you online. Physical media's days are numbered.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Is there such a thing as a Blu-ray combo disc like there is with HD-DVD? I like the fact that I can buy a combo disc and watch it in HD in the living room, but still watch it on any other DVD player in the house as well.

Yes, but it's uber expensive.

Text

No, combo disc, not combo player. I have the latest Harry Potter as an HD-DVD/DVD flip disc.

 

[Special K]

I got in on one of Amazon's deals awhile back and bought my HD-A3 + 10 free HD-DVD movies for $150. I also got the Matrix Trilogy in HD-DVD for Christmas. If worst comes to worst, I'll have to keep the player around to play those few movies.

Considering I did not previously own a standalone DVD player or any DVDs and was planning on spending $100 for a regular upconverting DVD player anyway, I won't feel too bad about the $150 I spent if HD-DVD loses.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Is there such a thing as a Blu-ray combo disc like there is with HD-DVD? I like the fact that I can buy a combo disc and watch it in HD in the living room, but still watch it on any other DVD player in the house as well.

Yes, but it's uber expensive.

Text

No, combo disc, not combo player. I have the latest Harry Potter as an HD-DVD/DVD flip disc.

Oops, my bad. I thought you meant a device that plays both Blu-Ray and HD DVD.

 

[KLin]

Since New Line Cinemas and Warner Bros. are both subsidiaries of Time Warner, does this mean that LOTR will eventually only be released on BluRay?

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: dainthomas
That plus Sony's higher royalties. It wil be a long time before they crack $200 let alone $100.

Blu-Ray players were $269 a couple weeks ago.

They'll be under $200 by summer 2008.

The only reason HD-DVD players cracked $100 was because of ONE Wal-Mart fire-sale, which in hindsight, was a good move to dump excess inventory during the holidays prior to Warner's format-killing announcement.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: vrbaba

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: vrbaba
Having just Blu-ray will definitely NOT lower the prices.

If that was true, how on earth did we get $29 DVD players? DVD had to compete against VHS, and manufacturers competed against each other, to produce cheaper players and media.

Blu-Ray still has to compete against DVD. Blu-Ray has multiple hardware manufacturers with competing players, which will drive down prices.

You get $29 DVD players after 15+ years of existence (i think). Blu-Ray does NOT compete against DVD. All movies are released in DVD. blu-ray competes against HD for people adopting hi-def.

It will be years before everyone is adopting a HiDef format, and since blu ray might be the only option, its not going to reduce to 50 bucks for a player. Thats why selling HD players for about 100 bucks on deals was an awesome move on HD-DVD's part.

You do not need two competing formats for competition to exist. Blu-Ray or HD-DVD will follow the same path DVD followed in terms of pricing, even with only one format. Having two competing formats won't lower prices, but it could serve to make each format better by exposing their flaws. And it did that. But the time for that is past, and we don't need two formats anymore.

 

[jandrews]

Originally posted by: vrbaba
Announced recently on TV ...

Being a recent owner of HD-DVD Player(s), this blows. However, I am still hopeful that studios will start releasing in both formats as a compromise soon(er).

EDIT: http://www.cnbc.com/id/22507036

lmao, why would they distribute in both formats as a compromise? What a waste of money, I dont own either because I have the patience to wait until things are cooled down. IMO HD-DVD should win, its cheaper and non-proprietary but all things considered it looks like blu-ray is going to come out on top with blockbuster only renting blu-ray and more studios agreeing to blu-ray as well.

 

[FoBoT]

still waiting


wait for it, wait, wait wait

 

[jpeyton]

And no, digital downloads will not overtake physical media as the market leader.

A physical player + physical media is available to 100% of the population. A fast 24/7 broadband connection plus sufficient storage for purchased media is not.

What will happen to transfer rates when every house on your block is streaming high-definition media for 8 hours a day? Your service provider will have to compress the hell out of the source and reduce sound quality to basic 5.1 surround for that to even be possible.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: Special K
I got in on one of Amazon's deals awhile back and bought my HD-A3 + 10 free HD-DVD movies for $150. I also got the Matrix Trilogy in HD-DVD for Christmas. If worst comes to worst, I'll have to keep the player around to play those few movies.

Considering I did not previously own a standalone DVD player or any DVDs and was planning on spending $100 for a regular upconverting DVD player anyway, I won't feel too bad about the $150 I spent if HD-DVD loses.

That was my rationale as well ... I was debating between a new upconverting DVD player for roughly $100 & instead went for an A30 ... hopefully HD-DVD will hang around for awhile, but if not I won't lose all that much.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: dainthomas
That plus Sony's higher royalties. It wil be a long time before they crack $200 let alone $100.

Blu-Ray players were $269 a couple weeks ago.

They'll be under $200 by summer 2008.

The only reason HD-DVD players cracked $100 was because of ONE Wal-Mart fire-sale, which in hindsight, was a good move to dump excess inventory during the holidays prior to Warner's format-killing announcement.

Aren't those the crippled profile 1.0 players?

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: dainthomas

Originally posted by: IAteYourMother

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: vrbaba
Having just Blu-ray will definitely NOT lower the prices.

If that was true, how on earth did we get $29 DVD players? DVD had to compete against VHS, and manufacturers competed against each other, to produce cheaper players and media.

Blu-Ray still has to compete against DVD. Blu-Ray has multiple hardware manufacturers with competing players, which will drive down prices.

isn't the equipment to play Blu-Ray players much more expensive than HD-DVD to manufacture?

That plus Sony's higher royalties. It wil be a long time before they crack $200 let alone $100.

Link to royalty figures for each format?

 

[HombrePequeno]

I'll just wait for LG's combo player to come out and come down in price.

 

[JasonCoder]

Come on Netflix download service!!! Come on xBox Live service... ink some deals with some studios!!!

Format wars should be meaningless.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Captante

Originally posted by: Special K
I got in on one of Amazon's deals awhile back and bought my HD-A3 + 10 free HD-DVD movies for $150. I also got the Matrix Trilogy in HD-DVD for Christmas. If worst comes to worst, I'll have to keep the player around to play those few movies.

Considering I did not previously own a standalone DVD player or any DVDs and was planning on spending $100 for a regular upconverting DVD player anyway, I won't feel too bad about the $150 I spent if HD-DVD loses.

That was my rationale as well ... I was debating between a new upconverting DVD player for roughly $100 & instead went for an A30 ... hopefully HD-DVD will hang around for awhile, but if not I won't lose all that much.

My only worry would be what happens if the player breaks and HD-DVD is no longer supported.

 

[Jugernot]

Am I the only person who thinks online download will NEVER overtake traditional media? How do you let a friend borrow a movie if it's on your 360 on through Netflix? How do you rent movies if you're on a business trip without your 360/computer/internet? Why wait 2 days for a movie to download on slow internet to watch it when you can go rent it in 10 minutes? Why limit yourself to a computer or a internet connected appliance (I have a tv/dvd in my garage that isn't anywhere near my internet).

WHY is streaming better?

 

[RESmonkey]

*Looks at profile 1.1 and upgradeable PS3*
*smiles*

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: Jugernot
Am I the only person who thinks online download will NEVER overtake traditional media? How do you let a friend borrow a movie if it's on your 360 on through Netflix? How do you rent movies if you're on a business trip with your 360/computer/internet? Why wait 2 days for a movie to download on slow internet to watch it when you can go rent it in 10 minutes? Why limit yourself to a computer or a internet connected appliance (I have a tv/dvd in my garage that isn't anywhere near my internet).

WHY is streaming better?

I don't know about everyone else, but I was using Hulu and it was pretty sweet to just sit down and start streaming a movie/TV show in good quality, with no delay.

Sometimes the weather sucks and I don't want to head out to the rental place and Netflix seems overpriced to me (plus I don't want to have to decide what I want to watch in advance), so streaming seems like a viable alternative to me.

KT

 

[adairusmc]

Originally posted by: JasonCoder
Come on Netflix download service!!! Come on xBox Live service... ink some deals with some studios!!!

Format wars should be meaningless.

:thumbsdown: