Non-technical thoughts on BD vs HD-DVD

[Mr_Sukebe]

I've seen all the arguments for and against each system, and frankly the biggest difference appears to mainly be cost at the present time. Assuming both end up using VC1, there's no massive reported picture quality advantages to either system, and chances are that BD won't make full use of it's extra storage capability.

So, I thought I'd have a look on amazon.co.uk at what I can actually buy.
Oh dear, doesn't look great, though it's better than it was.
More importantly, I couldn't help but think that there was nothing on HD that I haven't already got on SD and actually want.
Vice versa, there were quite a number of BD disks that were unavailable on HD, which would be enough to tip me towards BD.

Just please remember that I have no axe to grind here. I don't own either system yet and have never owned a video console in my life. So I have no active reason for promoting either.
More to the point, I see that the Samsung BD player is now not much more expensive than the bigger Tosh european HD unit, so the price difference has nearly evaporated.

Hmmm, maybe I will be looking more closely at BD shortly...

[Rasczak]

Ultimately which format has titles that you want is the factor that should drive your initial purchase - you can see a list of released titles for each format over at High Def Digest:

Look here for HD DVD releases to date and look here for BluRay releases to date.

Future releases can be found listed here for HD DVD and here for BluRay.

...in the long run though - given that studio support is split and both formats have exclusive studios - I should imagine the vast majority of people will want to own both formats.

[welwynnick]

Originally Posted by Rasczak

- I should imagine the vast majority of people will want to own both formats.

Really ?!?!

My attitude to the format war is to make like a chicken, sit on the fence and wait until one side starts to take studios off the other.

But given the fantastic performance and reasonable prices available from so much HW & SW right now, I can quite understand why so many people want to short-cut the wait, take their sides, and jump in early. Some of the folks round here also want to hedge their bets and get into both formats from the outset. That's fine, it just needs more resources, but I get the impression that it is only a few people that will do that.

I reckon the vast majority of people will want to see how the format war pans out before they commit themselves. Let the stupid CE companies take all the risks, rather than the Rest of the World. Incidentally, for those reasons, I am starting to think that forums like these are likely to influence the final outcome, as the attitudes debated by the early adoptors will begin to start shaping other people's opinions.

Nice to have a thread where people aren't trying to forcetheir opinions down other people's throats, though....

Nick

[Rasczak]

Originally Posted by welwynnick

But given the fantastic performance and reasonable prices available from so much HW & SW right now, I can quite understand why so many people want to short-cut the wait, take their sides, and jump in early. Some of the folks round here also want to hedge their bets and get into both formats from the outset. That's fine, it just needs more resources, but I get the impression that it is only a few people that will do that.

I think as prices drop more people will consider buying both. Alot of people on the forum brought HD DVD because it offered what they wanted at a price they were prepared to pay (sub-£300 in many cases). It won't be long before BluRay enters this bracket - I seriously doubt all buyers who adopted HD DVD so eagerly at that price will then refuse the same package when BD arrives.

And as prices drop more and more people will do the same - we have seen large scale (on the forum) adoption of the Xbox 360 drive because it is so cheap. I should imagine the same people will buy into BD when a £130 solution is available.

All in all then I think it's just a question of players coming down to user's own personal price points rather than any reluctance not to buy into both formats. I'm sure most will not be concerned about the format war - even if one does loose you still have movies encoded in 1080/24p that will look superb for many years to come.

[gandley]

Originally Posted by welwynnick

Really ?!?!

My attitude to the format war is to make like a chicken, sit on the fence and wait until one side starts to take studios off the other.

But given the fantastic performance and reasonable prices available from so much HW & SW right now, I can quite understand why so many people want to short-cut the wait, take their sides, and jump in early. Some of the folks round here also want to hedge their bets and get into both formats from the outset. That's fine, it just needs more resources, but I get the impression that it is only a few people that will do that.

I reckon the vast majority of people will want to see how the format war pans out before they commit themselves. Let the stupid CE companies take all the risks, rather than the Rest of the World. Incidentally, for those reasons, I am starting to think that forums like these are likely to influence the final outcome, as the attitudes debated by the early adoptors will begin to start shaping other people's opinions.

Nice to have a thread where people aren't trying to forcetheir opinions down other people's throats, though....

Nick

From an average consumer standpoint this is true, they wont buy both formats unless its part of a universal machine. if poeple on these forums feel buying both is not ideal then the average punter will just stick with DVD untill there is one format or said unversal decks.
DVD in there minds is Aok, HD not a must have like it is for some of us.

So no, if were talking the full consumer base then they wont buy both formats if that involves two seperate players.

[sanderton]

Agreed, regular folk will never buy two players.

[Rasczak]

Originally Posted by sanderton

Agreed, regular folk will never buy two players.

By the time regular folk buy into a format their will be dual format players.

[sanderton]

Possibly. I'm increasingly coming to the opinion that the winner here will be regular DVD combined with broadcast HD. The number of people who care enough about HD is just too small to support two formats, and a format war simply stops most people getting involved at all.

[Rasczak]

Originally Posted by sanderton

The number of people who care enough about HD is just too small to support two formats, and a format war simply stops most people getting involved at all.

I agree the format war puts a few off - but I would say there are enough AV fans to make the formats viable. Laserdisc didn't do too badly (in the US) did it? And as far as AV fans go we will buy both won't we. How many of us have a whole stack of AV kit - one extra player isn't going to make a great deal of difference is it?

[gandley]

well with laser disc, what was the other option? VHS

DVD In the publics view is good enough. i have had alot peeps round to my house to check out HD-DVD and many while they see the difference arent that phased. its not a must have to them. its more of a "yeah i'll get it oneday if my dvd player breaks."

we are theexception to the rule, be 1-2 years yet before it goes mad like DVD did, I said yonks ago 2008 will be the year for Hidef discs. but with all the delays. format war it could take a little longer, but that gives time for HD set to infiltrate peoples homes

[pythagoras]

Differing music formats have coexisted for years.

How many here didnt own a vinyl deck, cassette deck and cd deck at the same time?

In the video world I owned a vhs and dvd decks for years.

I dont see this being over within the next 12 months.

Regards

John.

[Duncan Harvey]

Originally Posted by sanderton

Possibly. I'm increasingly coming to the opinion that the winner here will be regular DVD combined with broadcast HD. The number of people who care enough about HD is just too small to support two formats, and a format war simply stops most people getting involved at all.

which is precisely why its best to go for US options - the niche over there is sufficiently large to make it all viable.

[Pincho Paxton]

None technical... hmm HD-DVD because the name includes the DVD abreviation which people will just understand.

[Duncan Harvey]

except they will already have bought "hi def" DVD players from Currys which upscale SD only...

[Pincho Paxton]

Originally Posted by Duncan Harvey

except they will already have bought "hi def" DVD players from Currys which upscale SD only...

Well my first impression was that upscaling players might win the customers, but the thread was BD vs HD-DVD.. so I ignored it.