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[mrklaw]

How niche was DVD in its first year?

bluray is selling faster than DVD at the same point since its launch.

 

[Gio_CoD]

DVD is a pretty different beast. I think the extra features (deleted scenes, commentaries, behind the scenes stuff, chapter skips) as well as the fact that rewinding became obsolete had just as much to do with the success of DVD as the increase in visual quality did. The HD formats don't really do anything different. I guess you have that HDi thing now (which does sound kind of cool), but other than that, you're asking people to pay a significant amount of money for a player, and then significantly more for each individual title for what amounts to a relatively small increase in quality. I think Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are going to be relegated to the "hardcore" AVafiles for quite some time.

 

[teiresias]

DVD is a pretty different beast. I think the extra features (deleted scenes, commentaries, behind the scenes stuff, chapter skips) as well as the fact that rewinding became obsolete had just as much to do with the success of DVD as the increase in visual quality did. The HD formats don't really do anything different. I guess you have that HDi thing now (which does sound kind of cool), but other than that, you're asking people to pay a significant amount of money for a player, and then significantly more for each individual title for what amounts to a relatively small increase in quality. I think Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are going to be relegated to the "hardcore" AVafiles for quite some time.

I have a High Definition capable display (projector). I've completely given up on buying DVDs, and in fact I did so months ago since I knew I'd have a high def player of some kind within the year. People that actually realize what they're high definition displays can do are generally willing to jump into one of these formats, and as the HD penetration increases the market for these will increase (with the caveat about how something ridiculous like nearly 50% of people that actually own HD sets don't even watch anything HD on it and don't even realize it). However, I'm glad the development of technology isn't dependent on idiots in the world.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

I think Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are going to be relegated to the "hardcore" AVafiles for quite some time.

I disagree. DVDs didn't reach mass market until late 2000. That's 3 years into the format. I think you'll find out when this war's over how the sales jump. There are many people on the fence but don't want to lose money.

 

[Gio_CoD]

I have a High Definition capable display (projector). I've completely given up on buying DVDs, and in fact I did so months ago since I knew I'd have a high def player of some kind within the year. People that actually realize what they're high definition displays can do are generally willing to jump into one of these formats, and as the HD penetration increases the market for these will increase (with the caveat about how something ridiculous like nearly 50% of people that actually own HD sets don't even watch anything HD on it and don't even realize it). However, I'm glad the development of technology isn't dependent on idiots in the world.

Agree to disagree then. I have a 56 inch 1080p DLP set, and DVDs look fantastic on my set. I have an upscaling player, so maybe that has something to do with it, but I'm still massively impressed by the quality. I won't jump into the HD pool until the format war gets sorted out, the players drop down to 200 bucks, and the movies cost the same as DVD.

 

[teiresias]

Agree to disagree then. I have a 56 inch 1080p DLP set, and DVDs look fantastic on my set. I have an upscaling player, so maybe that has something to do with it, but I'm still massively impressed by the quality. I won't jump into the HD pool until the format war gets sorted out, the players drop down to 200 bucks, and the movies cost the same as DVD.

I have an upscaling DVD player too (Oppo) and the difference in quality is readily apparent to me, not to mention the prevalent inclusion of uncompressed soundtracks is another bonus in the HD optical format's column.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Agree to disagree then. I have a 56 inch 1080p DLP set, and DVDs look fantastic on my set. I have an upscaling player, so maybe that has something to do with it, but I'm still massively impressed by the quality. I won't jump into the HD pool until the format war gets sorted out, the players drop down to 200 bucks, and the movies cost the same as DVD.

HD movies will never cost the same as DVDs. The studios are in this to make money. The prices you see now will remain the same for a long time - which is to say $5-10 premium over DVD. The HD formats have been around for about a year. What has happened? The prices of hardware came down. Software MSRP? No. Ever wonder why?

I assume you have the Samsung. Fact: You're stretching a 720x480 image on a 1920x1080. Fact: It's going to look nowhere close to what a HD DVD or Blu-ray will look. I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with him about. If you prefer to wait until it's all sorted out, then cool.

My uncle has the JVC 56" 1080p Rear Projection that he bought from Future Shop. I took my PS3 to his house so that I could see what Blu-ray looks like on his set. His Kids wanted to see X3 so I put that on. My uncle has seen X3 many times on his set (he has a Panasonic upconverter) and he went "Wow".

 

[Gio_CoD]

HD movies will never cost the same as DVDs. The studios are in this to make money. The prices you see now will remain the same for a long time - which is to say $5-10 premium over DVD. The HD formats have been around for about a year. What has happened? The prices of hardware came down. Software MSRP? No. Ever wonder why?

I assume you have the Samsung. Fact: You're stretching a 720x480 image on a 1920x1080. Fact: It's going to look nowhere close to what a HD DVD or Blu-ray will look. I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with him about. If you prefer to wait until it's all sorted out, then cool.

My uncle has the JVC 56" 1080p Rear Projection that he bought from Future Shop. I took my PS3 to his house so that I could see what Blu-ray looks like on his set. His Kids wanted to see X3 so I put that on. My uncle has seen X3 many times on his set (he has a Panasonic upconverter) and he went "Wow".

Prices will come down. The format will never take off if they don't. I remember buying DVDs for 25 bucks a pop back in the day too, now I get a little miffed if I can't find a new release for 15 bucks. I won't pay over 20 bucks for a DVD unless it's some kind of "special edition" for a movie that I'm in love with.

I have a JVC 56fh97. I'm completely aware that my DVDs are being upscaled to HD resolutions. I'm also not one of those people who claims they can't tell the difference between HD and SD. Of course I can tell the difference, and yes, it can be very impressive. All I'm trying to say is that it's not a big enough difference to make most people pay the "premium" associated with HD content right now. GAF is different. GAF is full of people with 7.1 DTS surround systems hooked up to 1080p LCDs. GAF will spend $500-600 on a movie player without blinking an eye. I don't think the general public will. If there was one HD format, I could find a player for $200, and the movies cost the same, I'd be buying HD movies exclusively right now. It really wouldn't make sense not to. Unfortunately, that's not even remotely the case, and I think until it becomes the case, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will remain relegated to the hardest of the hardcore in videophiles and audiophiles.

I think the success of DVD was due in large part to the many conveniences it offered (like the fact you don't have to rewind, the chapter skips, the commentaries, etc...) as opposed to just a general increase in image quality. The HD formats only really offer an increase in audio and video, and for that matter, the vast majority of people out there still can't take advantage of those advantages anyway. When DVDs came out, EVERYONE could benefit. All you needed was a player. You didn't need to buy a new TV or a receiver that could decode lossless audio formats. If you had any TV, you could see an immediate increase in visual fidelity, and you had all the new features of a disc-based format.

Of course HDTV adoption rate is going to grow as people replace their TVs, but it won't be a big enough increase any time soon to really have people clamoring for HD movies that cost a shit load of money to watch.

 

[jjasper]

My copy of Bond shipped today, Boyeah

 

[djkimothy]

My copy of Bond shipped today, Boyeah

WTF? Checks futureshop account... No change.... Still "pre-ordered"

 

[MickeyKnox]

Prices will come down. The format will never take off if they don't. I remember buying DVDs for 25 bucks a pop back in the day too, now I get a little miffed if I can't find a new release for 15 bucks. I won't pay over 20 bucks for a DVD unless it's some kind of "special edition" for a movie that I'm in love with.

I have a JVC 56fh97. I'm completely aware that my DVDs are being upscaled to HD resolutions. I'm also not one of those people who claims they can't tell the difference between HD and SD. Of course I can tell the difference, and yes, it can be very impressive. All I'm trying to say is that it's not a big enough difference to make most people pay the "premium" associated with HD content right now. GAF is different. GAF is full of people with 7.1 DTS surround systems hooked up to 1080p LCDs. GAF will spend $500-600 on a movie player without blinking an eye. I don't think the general public will. If there was one HD format, I could find a player for $200, and the movies cost the same, I'd be buying HD movies exclusively right now. It really wouldn't make sense not to. Unfortunately, that's not even remotely the case, and I think until it becomes the case, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will remain relegated to the hardest of the hardcore in videophiles and audiophiles.

I think the success of DVD was due in large part to the many conveniences it offered (like the fact you don't have to rewind, the chapter skips, the commentaries, etc...) as opposed to just a general increase in image quality. The HD formats only really offer an increase in audio and video, and for that matter, the vast majority of people out there still can't take advantage of those advantages anyway. When DVDs came out, EVERYONE could benefit. All you needed was a player. You didn't need to buy a new TV or a receiver that could decode lossless audio formats. If you had any TV, you could see an immediate increase in visual fidelity, and you had all the new features of a disc-based format.

Of course HDTV adoption rate is going to grow as people replace their TVs, but it won't be a big enough increase any time soon to really have people clamoring for HD movies that cost a shit load of money to watch.

you are also ignoring the fact that movie companies will decide when they want to force everyone to upgrade. Once a winner is declared (when Universal goes neutral) it is only a matter of time before studios only release new films on hd format and start the slow killing off of dvd. This will happen when players are more affordable, even if you don't have an HD set you will have to buy an hd player and hook it up to your sd tv if you want to keep watching home versions of new films.

 

[Gio_CoD]

you are also ignoring the fact that movie companies will decide when they want to force everyone to upgrade. Once a winner is declared (when Universal goes neutral) it is only a matter of time before studios only release new films on hd format and start the slow killing off of dvd. This will happen when players are more affordable, even if you don't have an HD set you will have to buy an hd player and hook it up to your sd tv if you want to keep watching home versions of new films.

DVD will eventually die, but if you think it's going to be any time remotely soon, you're delusional.

 

[teiresias]

DVD will eventually die, but if you think it's going to be any time remotely soon, you're delusional.

I think you may be surprised. Will it be within the year, no, but the studios are absolutely itching to move to a format where they can increase their margins - they're really not happy with the low-ball prices DVD prices have fallen to in the past few years.

 

[methane47]

Prices will come down. The format will never take off if they don't. I remember buying DVDs for 25 bucks a pop back in the day too, now I get a little miffed if I can't find a new release for 15 bucks. I won't pay over 20 bucks for a DVD unless it's some kind of "special edition" for a movie that I'm in love with.

I have a JVC 56fh97. I'm completely aware that my DVDs are being upscaled to HD resolutions. I'm also not one of those people who claims they can't tell the difference between HD and SD. Of course I can tell the difference, and yes, it can be very impressive. All I'm trying to say is that it's not a big enough difference to make most people pay the "premium" associated with HD content right now. GAF is different. GAF is full of people with 7.1 DTS surround systems hooked up to 1080p LCDs. GAF will spend $500-600 on a movie player without blinking an eye. I don't think the general public will. If there was one HD format, I could find a player for $200, and the movies cost the same, I'd be buying HD movies exclusively right now. It really wouldn't make sense not to. Unfortunately, that's not even remotely the case, and I think until it becomes the case, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will remain relegated to the hardest of the hardcore in videophiles and audiophiles.

I think the success of DVD was due in large part to the many conveniences it offered (like the fact you don't have to rewind, the chapter skips, the commentaries, etc...) as opposed to just a general increase in image quality. The HD formats only really offer an increase in audio and video, and for that matter, the vast majority of people out there still can't take advantage of those advantages anyway. When DVDs came out, EVERYONE could benefit. All you needed was a player. You didn't need to buy a new TV or a receiver that could decode lossless audio formats. If you had any TV, you could see an immediate increase in visual fidelity, and you had all the new features of a disc-based format.

Of course HDTV adoption rate is going to grow as people replace their TVs, but it won't be a big enough increase any time soon to really have people clamoring for HD movies that cost a shit load of money to watch.

So you're basically saying that DVD's will remain the most popular format until HD-DVD/Bluray takes over as the Most popular format... and Only then will people be clamoring for HD movies?

Wow... that was my "Duh" moment for today...

 

[MickeyKnox]

I think you may be surprised. Will it be within the year, no, but the studios are absolutely itching to move to a format where they can increase their margins - they're really not happy with the low-ball prices DVD prices have fallen to in the past few years.

yep, especially since they can now re-sell the same films they already did on dvd without much effort.

 

[Gio_CoD]

I think you may be surprised. Will it be within the year, no, but the studios are absolutely itching to move to a format where they can increase their margins - they're really not happy with the low-ball prices DVD prices have fallen to in the past few years.

It doesn't matter if they're happy about it or not at this point. You aren't going to "force" the hundred million or so DVD owners out there to spend hundreds of dollars on new tech and then 10 bucks more a movie. They will simply stop buying movies and move on to another hobby. Once players get below 200 bucks, you can start a gentle push, but I don't foresee HD taking over in the sales charts until 2012 or so.

 

[methane47]

It doesn't matter if they're happy about it or not at this point. You aren't going to "force" the hundred million or so DVD owners out there to spend hundreds of dollars on new tech and then 10 bucks more a movie. They will simply stop buying movies and move on to another hobby. Once players get below 200 bucks, you can start a gentle push, but I don't foresee HD taking over in the sales charts until 2012 or so.

I think you're in for a suprise..

 

[Gio_CoD]

So you're basically saying that DVD's will remain the most popular format until HD-DVD/Bluray takes over as the Most popular format... and Only then will people be clamoring for HD movies?

Wow... that was my "Duh" moment for today...

In context, I was really expressing my amazement that there are Blu-Ray and HD-DVD fanboys out there that follow this format war so closely when, right now, both formats are big losers.

 

[The Elite]

I think you may be surprised. Will it be within the year, no, but the studios are absolutely itching to move to a format where they can increase their margins - they're really not happy with the low-ball prices DVD prices have fallen to in the past few years.

Honestly, I expect the switch to happen in about 3 to 4 years. I have jumped in with Blu-Ray but you can't ignore the vast amount of average consumers who have just finally made the switch to DVD in the past couple of years. Yes, there are plenty of these people out there.

If the studios start forcing another format on them now; they WILL backlash. It doesn't matter how good the next format is because some of these people still don't have an HDTV. So not only do you have to get an HDTV in their homes you also have to get one of two competing HD formats. This is going to be a long process.

Your average consumer doesn't want this much confusion when purchasing a product.

 

[methane47]

In context, I was really expressing my amazement that there are Blu-Ray and HD-DVD fanboys out there that follow this format war so closely when, right now, both formats are big losers.

I totaly understand... But the thing is... They(consumers and businesses) are investing on the future... So it doesn't matter that they are big losers now... What matters is the installed base in the future...

 

[captive]

woot my Casino royale shipped from Amazon.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

Huh? Link?

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/storage/display/20070311213306.html


if i can get one of those or later models with that capability as a base it wont matter which format wins the "war" ill buy whatever format cheaper/available.

 

[Gio_CoD]

I totaly understand... But the thing is... They(consumers and businesses) are investing on the future... So it doesn't matter that they are big losers now... What matters is the installed base in the future...

I understand that too. If you've got the money to spend, and you really like being the "first on the block", then go for it. I'm particularly hesitant about this one though because we still don't know who is going to win. It could easily swing either way at this point, so I'd be too scared to drop 500-600 bucks only to have a Betamax player in a year or two.

 

[distantmantra]

woot my Casino royale shipped from Amazon.

Mine is still "shipping soon." I'm guessing it will go out sometime today, though, since the delivery estimate is this Wednesday.

I understand that too. If you've got the money to spend, and you really like being the "first on the block", then go for it. I'm particularly hesitant about this one though because we still don't know who is going to win. It could easily swing either way at this point, so I'd be too scared to drop 500-600 bucks only to have a Betamax player in a year or two.

I had no interest in the whole HD format war, I refuse to buy either one of the expensive players, but since I recently purchased a PS3 and I've got an HDTV, I didn't see anything wrong with taking advantage of the Blu Ray player and buying new releases on BD that I was already interested in getting on DVD...

 

[mckmas8808]

How can blu-ray be a big loser right now? It's just getting started. Wouldn't it at least be in a neutral postion?

 

[Squeak]

I don't see why people still discuss this. HD-DVD is dead and has been since Sony announced Bluray in PS3.
Even in the very unlikely event that PS3 should come in 3rd in the console war, it will still sell more than enough units to insure that Bluray will get a vastly larger installed base than HD-DVD.
HD-DVD is deader than dirt, get over it.

 

[Dazzla]

I received Casino Royale today, shipped to the UK from DVDWorldUSA. Quality is stupidly good, sound is stunning. I like the pop-up menu feature, you can access any of the discs content without leaving the film (I've not noticed if it's in any of my other discs.

Plays flawlessly on my PS3, although the fans step it up a notch after a while (PS3 for ya).

Wonder if I can blag a free copy of Casino Royale by logging in my UK account on March 23rd

 

[mrklaw]

I have a High Definition capable display (projector). I've completely given up on buying DVDs, and in fact I did so months ago since I knew I'd have a high def player of some kind within the year. People that actually realize what they're high definition displays can do are generally willing to jump into one of these formats, and as the HD penetration increases the market for these will increase (with the caveat about how something ridiculous like nearly 50% of people that actually own HD sets don't even watch anything HD on it and don't even realize it). However, I'm glad the development of technology isn't dependent on idiots in the world.

me too. Also sold about 200 discs that I'd plan to rebuy in the future on HD. Although I can live with DVD on my projector, after seeing HDDVD/bluray at 8ft wide, DVD doesn't cut it anymore.

I think its something you don't appreciate until you've seen quite a lot of HD, then switch down to DVD. If you just watch DVD I'm sure you *think* thats good enough.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

If I click on Haleon's posting history, will I find a lot of posts in Xbox threads?

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Not especially. My prejudice revealed.

 

[Zaptruder]

I understand that too. If you've got the money to spend, and you really like being the "first on the block", then go for it. I'm particularly hesitant about this one though because we still don't know who is going to win. It could easily swing either way at this point, so I'd be too scared to drop 500-600 bucks only to have a Betamax player in a year or two.

It's because you haven't kept up with the news, indeed deride the people following it, that you're ignorant about the prospects of either.

Suffice to say, BD has had the definite advantage that is only now just been realised.

There's little risk in buying a BD player at this point in time.

Alternatively, you could be here to tote the luddite/hater line of; it looks so uncertain its better to wait.

No. It looks relatively certain, and very certain if you know what you're looking at.

 

[Frankfurter]

It's because you haven't kept up with the news, indeed deride the people following it, that you're ignorant about the prospects of either.

Suffice to say, BD has had the definite advantage that is only now just been realised.

There's little risk in buying a BD player at this point in time.

Alternatively, you could be here to tote the luddite/hater line of; it looks so uncertain its better to wait.

No. It looks relatively certain, and very certain if you know what you're looking at.

Sounds a bit too optimistic if you consider that the HD-DVD has a marketshare of up to 85% in some countries in the HD market.

 

[Y2Kev]

Sounds a bit too optimistic if you consider that the HD-DVD has a marketshare of up to 85% in some countries in the HD market.

Is the PS3 available in these markets?

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Sounds a bit too optimistic if you consider that the HD-DVD has a marketshare of up to 85% in some countries in the HD market.

That share will drop to 10% in ONE DAY!

Did you look at the total sales? It's nothing.

 

[sonycowboy]

Amazon Update
Blu-Ray Bond is at #12 in Top selling DVD
#10 Blu-Ray is at 191 in top selling DVD
#1 HD-DVD (Departed) in at 177 in top selling DVD

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Amazon Update
Blu-Ray Bond is at #12 in Top selling DVD
#10 Blu-Ray is at 191 in top selling DVD
#1 HD-DVD (Departed) in at 177 in top selling DVD

http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/versus.aspx

A link is probably best.

I expect Casino Royale to hit 10 tomorrow. It hit #11 today. Getting the top 10 is massive.

 

[Petrarca]

Latest DVDEmpire data

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Amazon Update
Blu-Ray Bond is at #12 in Top selling DVD
#10 Blu-Ray is at 191 in top selling DVD
#1 HD-DVD (Departed) in at 177 in top selling DVD

Casino Royale actually hit #11 at some point today. That's a Blu-ray title scratching at the Top 10 of all DVD sales. That's impressive.

 

[OokieSpookie]

Sounds a bit too optimistic if you consider that the HD-DVD has a marketshare of up to 85% in some countries in the HD market.

People seem to like to play that card until they have to admit that the ps3 has not released in those countries.

 

[Mrbob]

Hardware and software go hand in hand.

Don't know why people expect hardware to fly off the shelf when it doesn't have nearly the same software catalog as the competition.

 

[heavy liquid]

My two cents:

I have an HDTV and I care about the HD media. I don't care which wins, and will not buy either media until there is a clear and solid winner. Blu-Ray is looking good now, but I can wait. It's not like the sales numbers for either format holds a candle to DVD, and the disc prices are still about double that of DVDs.

Records were around from the late 1800's. Cassettes were around for about 20 years. VHS was around for about 20 years. In those cases, people were ready to upgrade. Most average Joes just rebought their movie collections in 2000/2001, and I don't think they will want to re-buy them again five or six years later. In addition to having just rebuying their collection, the upgrade isn't as significant as VHS to DVD was.

Blu-Ray / HD-DVD will probably end up being a supplement format to DVD, much like Laserdisc was to VHS. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. I had a Laserdisc player from 1992+ and loved it. Movies were WAY more expensive, but much better considering the alternative (VHS). I think the same will hold true for the HD format. They will be more expensive than DVD, but will be able to hold their own with the audiovideophiles until a true successor comes along in about 10 years. Just like VHS --> Laserdisc --> DVD.

When there's a clear winner, I'll invest in the HD format, even though I know it will be more expensive. At least it won't be as bad as Laserdisc, where I would routinely pay anywhere between $40-$100 per movie (Criterions and special editions were at the top end of the price range).

 

[DarkJediKnight]

My two cents:

Blu-Ray / HD-DVD will probably end up being a supplement format to DVD, much like Laserdisc was to VHS.

I will bet the last ounce of my mother's blood that will not be the case. 1920x1080p is going to be the HD standard for at least a decade if not more. Not because higher res isn't producable in the future, but that it's difficult enough to get people to invest in HD to begin with.

The winner of this format war will be THE definitive home media disc in a few years. That's why the fight is so heated and why Toshiba didn't want to lose the royalty that will be gained from it.

Laserdisc, DVHS, were all stop-gap solutions but completely unpractical.

 

[OokieSpookie]

I will bet the last ounce of my mother's blood that will not be the case. 1920x1080p is going to be the HD standard for at least a decade if not more. Not because higher res isn't producable in the future, but that it's difficult enough to get people to invest in HD to begin with.

The winner of this format war will be THE definitive home media disc in a few years. That's why the fight is so heated and why Toshiba didn't want to lose the royalty that will be gained from it.

Laserdisc, DVHS, were all stop-gap solutions but completely unpractical.

Honestly yeah, the major studios all want dvd to go away fast because of how easy it is to grab a dvd copy these days.
There will always be people who are slow, I still get calls daily at work from people who are still using windows 98 and see no reason to change any time soon.
It is honestly not even a watch to see when bluray will beat HD, now it is just a waiting game until Universal gives in and at least supports both.

 

[DCharlie]

me too. Also sold about 200 discs that I'd plan to rebuy in the future on HD. Although I can live with DVD on my projector, after seeing HDDVD/bluray at 8ft wide, DVD doesn't cut it anymore.

yeah as a projector user, i'm extremely happy with Bluray.

I just need more movies now (although i seem to have bought about 14 so far - and Bond is on the way ! woooo ! )

 

[heavy liquid]

Laserdisc, DVHS, were all stop-gap solutions but completely unpractical.

Why were they impractical? Because Laserdisc was bigger than a VHS? DVHS started right when DVD started and never really stood a chance. DVD did everything they did but better.

Laserdisc was a solid step up both in audio and visual. How was it impractical? Because it was a large 12" disc? Most people (including myself) were able to forgive that in lieu of the benifits of the format.

The winner of this format war will be THE definitive home media disc in a few years. That's why the fight is so heated and why Toshiba didn't want to lose the royalty that will be gained from it.

"in a few years"? :lol As I said, I am certain that whatever format "wins" will not be the "definitive" format, and it will be another 10 years before there is a true successor to DVD. We'll see. I'll bookmark this thread and see where we are in 2 years.

Honestly yeah, the major studios all want dvd to go away fast because of how easy it is to grab a dvd copy these days.

There will always be people who are slow, I still get calls daily at work from people who are still using windows 98 and see no reason to change any time soon.

And DVD will go away why? You're reinforcing why DVD will stay. Prices are good which is why people are buying buckets of DVDs. And as you say, people are slow. My parents still have trouble with DVD menus. :lol Do you think they care about the other features of Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

 

[SRG01]

HD adoption will probably ramp up exponentially soon because of a few reasons:

a) Studios will be eager to push the new formats because of DRM
b) When, not if, Universal decides to go Blu-Ray. Personal prediction is by Christmas, but note that it's a personal prediction.
c) HD sets are progressively cheaper. 720p sets are at a reasonable price nowadays with 1280p close behind. It's clearly not worth it to buy a SD TV at the moment.
d) Blue shift in optical media. We can't stay in the red/infrared optical range forever.


edit: To give you an idea, I just saw HD sets in the sub-$2000 CAD range over the weekend. I said wow.

 

[Zaptruder]

Why were they impractical? Because Laserdisc was bigger than a VHS? DVHS started right when DVD started and never really stood a chance. DVD did everything they did but better.

Laserdisc was a solid step up both in audio and visual. How was it impractical? Because it was a large 12" disc? Most people (including myself) were able to forgive that in lieu of the benifits of the format.



"in a few years"? :lol As I said, I am certain that whatever format "wins" will not be the "definitive" format, and it will be another 10 years before there is a true successor to DVD. We'll see. I'll bookmark this thread and see where we are in 2 years.



And DVD will go away why? You're reinforcing why DVD will stay. Prices are good which is why people are buying buckets of DVDs. And as you say, people are slow. My parents still have trouble with DVD menus. :lol Do you think they care about the other features of Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?

Not that I haven't already argued multiple times in this very thread against view points like yours... but I'll do it again, because it's probably too far back to bother finding

1. HDTV adoption growing
2. BD adoption growing
3. BD adoption growing faster than DVD was
4. in 5 years when critical mass for BD and HDTVs are reached people will be interested about getting the two together, especially when the prices will be reasonable
5. in 5 years, prices for both HDTV and BD will be at commodity levels; 100-200 range for the player, 300-1000 for HDTV depending on size.
6. BD backwards compatible; players can still play and even upscale old DVDs, so that entire collection will not have to be repurchased (if you don't want to).
7. BD will have a wide selection of titles in 5 years.
8. Technically, DVD did not exceed VHS in households until earlier last year. Obviously, the sales far outstripped VHS midway into its lifespan though.
9. HD standard has been costly, difficult to create. But more importantly, is more than technically adequate for 99.9% of users needs. The next standard we create will be a 3D standard.

 

[heavy liquid]

nevermind.

 

[Brofist]

Why were they impractical? Because Laserdisc was bigger than a VHS? DVHS started right when DVD started and never really stood a chance. DVD did everything they did but better.

Laserdisc was a solid step up both in audio and visual. How was it impractical? Because it was a large 12" disc? Most people (including myself) were able to forgive that in lieu of the benifits of the format.

LD size was only one factor. multidisc movies, having to get up and change sides to continue watching, price of movies ($100 plus for many movies). LD was NOT a mainstream friendly format in any way.

 

[heavy liquid]

LD size was only one factor. multidisc movies, having to get up and change sides to continue watching, price of movies ($100 plus for many movies). LD was NOT a mainstream friendly format in any way.

There were players that would auto-switch LD sides. I have one.

Casino Royale Blu-Ray's MSRP is $38.96. Good luck with the mainstream.