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[ChaoticBlue]

i'm surprised microsoft has not stepped in and moneyhat those studios.

 

[Fafalada]

Your $650 DVD burner wasn't an early burner, either. I remember someone I know mentioning how "cheap" his office's $5,000 DVD-R burner was since the previous model was $15,000. This was in early-'99.

Yep - first generation of DVD burners retailed for 15k+(and that was 97/98 IIRC).
DVD-/+R only got to Sub-1000$ numbers few months AFTER sub 500$ DVD-RAM burners came to market - in case of burners the 3way(well, mostly 2way really) format war drove the prices down really fast.

 

[xsarien]

i'm surprised microsoft has not stepped in and moneyhat those studios.

Because even they know when to quit.

 

[Ashhong]

Teh Trainspottin' people are behind this movie? Awesome.

I've never seen that but i've heard it's good? Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, I think weeks later? mmmm cant wait. FYE.com has it for about 25, and amazon has it for about 28.

 

[SolidSnakex]

i'm surprised microsoft has not stepped in and moneyhat those studios.

They didn't moneyhat because its not their fight.

 

[tjhooker]

Stick a fork in it:

 

[justjohn]

:lol

 

[Pristine_Condition]

I wonder what the execs at Toshiba are doing right now, everyone seemed to have bailed out on them, not ONE WORD of support from either Universal, Paramount or Microsoft, they didn't even TRY to fake a commitment.

I've read a bunch of news stories today. Basically, the only word has been from Paramount, who, when asked, simply states they are still supporting HD DVD. No surprise ther, since they are locked in by a contract.

Universal has been strictly in the "no comment" and "executives declined to comment" zone in all these reports. If they aren't under contract, I suspect they'll be gone soon. They aren't even trying to do the most basic damage control here. Odd to be so silent, IMO, if they weren't seriously considering bailing out.

I didn't expect anything from MS. They don't care. They never wanted HD DVD to win. They didn't want any disc to win.

 

[Schrade]

ROFL. I love Doom9.org but Doom9 himself sure does have a hard on for hating Sony due to some of their divisions' DRM stances. (Hey, I hate DRM too...)

He's been hating on Blu-ray for forever in his news postings and his most recent one made me laugh at how much bitter tears he has.

http://www.doom9.org/

Even though the Blu-ray camp's press conference is only taking place later today, an interesting player has already been announced: Funai's NB500 is a sub $300 Blu-ray Profile 1.1 player that should be released in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Disney has reiterated that we'll see their first BD-Live (AKA Profile 2.0) titles later this year - so hopefully those Profile 2.0 players will be announced (and affordable) later today or you'd be stuck either being unable to make full use of certain upcoming movies, or having to resort to a noisy gaming console or PCs as playback devices.

Noisy Gaming Console? Methinks he is talking about Xbox 360 and not the PS3. I can never hear my PS3 unless I put my ear right up to it.

Last but not least, Toshiba apparently won't let HD DVD die without a fight: at their CES press conference they mentioned that the format has died many times over (according to statements by various members of the Blu-ray camp) and despite all that, they're still here.

Not for long, ROFL.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Last but not least, Toshiba apparently won't let HD DVD die without a fight: at their CES press conference they mentioned that the format has died many times over (according to statements by various members of the Blu-ray camp) and despite all that, they're still here.

Not for long, ROFL.

Yeah, and with their stock price dropping to a nine-month low today, Toshiba's shareholders might be asking the question "So why are we still here?"

 

[xemumanic]

ROFL. I love Doom9.org but Doom9 himself sure does have a hard on for hating Sony due to some of their divisions' DRM stances. (Hey, I hate DRM too...)

He's been hating on Blu-ray for forever in his news postings and his most recent one made me laugh at how much bitter tears he has.

http://www.doom9.org/

Noisy Gaming Console? Methinks he is talking about Xbox 360 and not the PS3. I can never hear my PS3 unless I put my ear right up to it.


Not for long, ROFL.

That little whiny (insert expletive here) has been whining and complaining with outright lies and half truths about the format war since the beginning. It's guys like him that made me laugh when I heard about Warner.

 

[George Claw M.D.]

Whoah! Sony put out a 27" OLED TV at CES!

Good lord I had no idea it was so far along!

A million to one contrast ratio is like a burning sun!

Nice! Though, you're confusing contrast ratio with brightness. Contrast ratio is only a comparison between the brightest white and darkest black. OLED technology is capable of achieving very deep blacks. Near-absolute black would mean a contrast ratio approaching infinity at any brightness, but does not automatically imply a very bright picture.

 

[Eteric Rice]

I thought once you got above like 6000:1 it wasn't really noticeable anymore.

 

[bluheim]

Near-absolute black would mean a contrast ratio approaching infinity at any brightness, but does not automatically imply a very bright picture.

QFT !

When black levels become perfect, contast will disappear from the spec sheets.

 

[Vaandaviii]

Nice! Though, you're confusing contrast ratio with brightness. Contrast ratio is only a comparison between the brightest white and darkest black. OLED technology is capable of achieving very deep blacks. Near-absolute black would mean a contrast ratio approaching infinity at any brightness, but does not automatically imply a very bright picture.

Yes. Anyways, who wants a "burning sun" TV?

All I want in a TV is natural colors, absolute blacky blacks and no ghosting/trails. I don't need my retina to get burned with some exagerated illumination.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Yes. Anyways, who wants a "burning sun" TV?

All I want in a TV is natural colors, absolute blacky blacks and no ghosting/trails. I don't need my retina to get burned with some exagerated illumination.

Who said anything about exaggerated illumination with OLED? OLED doesn't even have a backlight, which is the cause of most exaggerated illumination problems.

 

[DrXym]

Stick a fork in it:

This graph is bullshit and I say that as a blu ray supporter. Amazon have a buy one get one free offer on Blu Ray at the moment and until it ends you can't tell what is happening on Amazon let alone elsewhere. Another size called eproductwars.com also tracks Amazon sales over a longer period of time and you can see from it that lines were entirely reversed when HD DVD was enjoying a similar deal.

Maybe that precipitous fall over the last few days does indicate something though, but it's hard to say until the deal ends. It certainly looks a bit ominous and might suggest a slump but lets wait and see.

 

[cedric69]

Noisy Gaming Console? Methinks he is talking about Xbox 360 and not the PS3. I can never hear my PS3 unless I put my ear right up to it.

Well, the 360 is noisier by far. But PS3 is not silent at all. I've had it for some days now and it's definitely noisier than my HTPC is.
This can be acceptable in console-land, but in the CE space I'm not suprised people would like something more quiet.

 

[Loudninja]

This graph is bullshit and I say that as a blu ray supporter. Amazon have a buy one get one free offer on Blu Ray at the moment and until it ends you can't tell what is happening on Amazon let alone elsewhere. Another size called eproductwars.com also tracks Amazon sales over a longer period of time and you can see from it that lines were entirely reversed when HD DVD was enjoying a similar deal.

Maybe that precipitous fall over the last few days does indicate something though, but it's hard to say until the deal ends. I certainly have no doubt that HD DVD is going to have at least a temporary and rather large slump but these graphs don't necessarily show it.

So what is it bullshit? it still show sales

 

[itsgreen]

Stick a fork in it:

Also nice to see that at one point the entire bluray top 100, was the actual top 100.

 

[DrXym]

So who is it bullshit? it still show sales

It shows sales during a Blu Ray buy one get one free sale. The dip at the end *might* be due to recent news or it might simply be due to Amazon's ranking system. And the lines went the other way when HD DVD had a similar sale.

Understand?

I have no doubt that HD DVD might suffer a slump but I do not trust this graph to show it until the offer disappears and the lines can normalise again.

 

[bluheim]

Well, the 360 is noisier by far. But PS3 is not silent at all. I've had it for some days now and it's definitely noisier than my HTPC is.

Which version of the PS3 ? The 40GB is virtually silent (even the Gamecube, with no game inserted, is louder than this baby).

 

[spwolf]

It shows sales during a Blu Ray buy one get one free sale. The dip at the end *might* be due to recent news or it might simply be due to Amazon's ranking system. And the lines went the other way when HD DVD had a similar sale.

Understand?

I have no doubt that HD DVD might suffer a slump but I do not trust this graph to show it until the offer disappears and the lines can normalise again.

wasnt the year 6x:3x? Paramount and $99 players did not help HD-DVD, I kind of doubt Warner deal will .

 

[SolidSnakex]

I have no doubt that HD DVD might suffer a slump but I do not trust this graph to show it until the offer disappears and the lines can normalise again.

Calling what's about to happen to HDDVD sales a slump is a huge understatement.

 

[cedric69]

Which version of the PS3 ? The 40GB is virtually silent (even the Gamecube, with no game inserted, is louder than this baby).

60 GB, PAL version.

 

[Rolf NB]

ROFL. I love Doom9.org but Doom9 himself sure does have a hard on for hating Sony due to some of their divisions' DRM stances. (Hey, I hate DRM too...)

He's been hating on Blu-ray for forever in his news postings and his most recent one made me laugh at how much bitter tears he has.

http://www.doom9.org/

Noisy Gaming Console? Methinks he is talking about Xbox 360 and not the PS3. I can never hear my PS3 unless I put my ear right up to it.


Not for long, ROFL.

Omg Blu-ray drive for XBox 360 just about confirmed!

 

[liquidspeed]

Calling what's about to happen to HDDVD sales a slump is a huge understatement.

QFT

ROFL at the previous posters commnets LOL. like someone on ps3forums.com said:
" buying into HDDVD is like buying a ticket for the Titanic AFTER it hit the Ice burg"

 

[indie85]

Maybe that precipitous fall over the last few days does indicate something though

DING DING DING!

 

[supermackem]

Calling what's about to happen to HDDVD sales a slump is a huge understatement.

Can i borrow your crystal ball after your finished, i want to know the lotto numbers and if sunderland are going to stay up this season thanks.:lol

 

[indie85]

Can i borrow your crystal ball after your finished, i want to know the lotto numbers and if sunderland are going to stay up this season thanks.:lol

Are you actually retarded? How is predicting the death of HD DVD sales in ANY way not a certainty? You dont have to be mystic meg to predict it.

 

[LowParry]

Can i borrow your crystal ball after your finished, i want to know the lotto numbers and if sunderland are going to stay up this season thanks.:lol

That sounds like your typical ****spot responce. You sure you're in the right forums there champ?

 

[kay]

HD DVD is doing just fine people, relax.

 

[natureman3]

HD DVD is doing just fine people, relax.

:lol

 

[SolidSnakex]

Can i borrow your crystal ball after your finished, i want to know the lotto numbers and if sunderland are going to stay up this season thanks.:lol

Uhh ok. I'm not exactly sure what else has to happen for you to see that this is over with. At CES Sony even said that their marketing is no longer going to be about "our format is better than their format" and its now shifting to showing people why its time to switch from DVD to BR.

 

[kaching]

It shows sales during a Blu Ray buy one get one free sale. The dip at the end *might* be due to recent news or it might simply be due to Amazon's ranking system. And the lines went the other way when HD DVD had a similar sale.

Understand?

I have no doubt that HD DVD might suffer a slump but I do not trust this graph to show it until the offer disappears and the lines can normalise again.

The BD BOGO has been on for a week or so, why would the HDDVD rank just start to really slump right on the day Warner happens to announce they're going BD exclusive? The numbers are indicative but Amazon by itself is not enough to gauge the severity of the effect and that's all you really should have said.

 

[DrXym]

DING DING DING!

I know HD DVD will probably tank. I also hope Blu Ray will win. I just don't trust a graph based off some mysterious ranking calculation when one format is in the middle of a 1/2 price sale. That dip at the end certainly looks ominous though.

Let's see what happens when the sale is over shall we? Call me cautious but I hate it when people produce a graph or chart which is deliberately broken one way or the other.

If you want my own opinion, I think HD DVD is slumping but will level off until either:

1. May rolls around and Warner content disappears. Possibly before if Warner starts holding back good titles.
2. Toshiba throws in the towel
3. Another studio jumps ship
4. Stores panic and just stop stocking players or movies

Whichever happens first. Then it'll take a terminal dive and that's it. It'll be firesales a-go-go from then on.

I don't think it's much to wait until the BOGOF offer is over to confirm it though.

 

[TheDuce22]

QFT

ROFL at the previous posters commnets LOL. like someone on ps3forums.com said:
" buying into HDDVD is like buying a ticket for the Titanic AFTER it hit the Ice burg"

I still think its a good value. I got 7 HD movies and an extra USB port for Rockband for 180. I also look forward to the massive discounts on movies when they finish it off.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Well, the 360 is noisier by far. But PS3 is not silent at all. I've had it for some days now and it's definitely noisier than my HTPC is.
This can be acceptable in console-land, but in the CE space I'm not suprised people would like something more quiet.

If you hang out in home theater boards, you'll find many people talking about the 20/60GB PS3 fan levels, especially with the latest firmwares. It simply is not quiet by home theater standards. But of course it's way quieter than a 360, especially with the disc spinning.

 

[Metalmurphy]

*nm*

 

[kaching]

Let's see what happens when the sale is over shall we?

There's always going to be overlapping variables.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

HD DVD is doing just fine people, relax.

:lol

i miss him

 

[SolidSnakex]

Interesting.

One last note this evening: That idea I floated yesterday, that the BDA should offer an olive branch to HD-DVD consumers? I mentioned it to senior BDA executives this evening, and I think you can safely say that they're going to move forward with something along these very lines in the weeks ahead. We'll post more when we can, but the idea was definitely warmly received. In fact, plans are already in the works. We'll post more on this as things develop.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Great move if they do it.

 

[tanod]

Stick a fork in it:

Holy crap!

 

[smurfx]

Interesting.



http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Great move if they do it.

wonder if it's going to be warner offering to exchange people's titles for blu ray titles. wonder if they are going to give people a big discount if they trade in their hd-dvd players for a ps3 or another blu ray player.

 

[tanod]

Interesting.



http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Great move if they do it.

If the story is even true.

 

[SolidSnakex]

wonder if it's going to be warner offering to exchange people's titles for blu ray titles. wonder if they are going to give people a big discount if they trade in their hd-dvd players for a ps3 or another blu ray player.

His suggestion was to allow them to exchange WB titles for the same title in BR. Doing the HDDVD for PS3/BR play would be interesting though. I'm not sure they'd go that far although it'd certainly help grow their market fast. And its not like they'd have to give out many discounts anyway.

 

[DeadGzuz]

Well, the 360 is noisier by far. But PS3 is not silent at all. I've had it for some days now and it's definitely noisier than my HTPC is.
This can be acceptable in console-land, but in the CE space I'm not suprised people would like something more quiet.

My 60GB is quieter than my HTPC, which was built to be as quiet as I could make it without spending a ton of money. Last night I put Bourne Ultimatum in the 360 HD-DVD drive to watch with my wife. She says "it's sounds horrible" (the 360 noise). I was thinking something was wrong, it was! The game was spinning full speed while watching a movie, I had to take it out. WTF MS, why are you spinning up the game DVD while a HD-DVD movie is playing?

 

[Davidion]

So what is it bullshit? it still show sales

LMAO, of one vendor. I can't speak for games, but anyone using Amazon as a gauge for overall DVD/Hi-def sales is a disingenuous moron.

 

[Beer Monkey]

My 60GB is quieter than my HTPC, which was built to be as quiet as I could make it without spending a ton of money.

I don't have an HTPC in my rack, but my 60GB is louder than my firstgen Tivo, my Scientific Atlanta DVR, my Xbox 1, and my Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player, all of which have fans.

It is quieter than my PS2 phat, my Dreamcast, and of course the 360.

 

[GauntletFan]

Posted?

"Bill Gates Unplugged" - Speaks on the Warner decision

http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2008/01/07/bill-gates-unplugged/

Warner Brothers said last week it was backing Blu-ray exclusively. Will Microsoft remain committed to the HD DVD format even if it appears that the media companies are backing Blu-ray?

BG: Certainly we supported both Blu-ray and HD DVD as Windows peripherals. The last announcement was Paramount opting for HD DVD and now this one is going the other way. I still think a format battle is going on there. Our contribution is the HDi Interactive format piece has been really well received. We hope to see that used broadly. I think the real competitor in the long run is digital (video) download. Just like in music, it is going to be the biggest of the three.

You kind of sound agnostic about the formats.

BG: No, not really. We have definitely worked with HD DVD in a very strong fashion. Our codecs and HDi are available on the other format and we are a leader in digital download so we have some involvement in all three approaches. In the long run, people don’t want physical media. You don’t say to yourself, what’s the format battle after CD. If someone tried to introduce a new music format, you’d laugh and say ‘well isn’t that my phone, my iPod and my Zune?’ And you’d be right