Blue-Ray or HD DVD

[IrishJedi]

Oh, make no mistake. If Wal-Mart is truly intending on making a big HD DVD push and these $100 players take off Blu-Ray is in a huge world of hurt. Once the mainstream market takes hold of a single format, the other is all but doomed.

Like I said before, had Microsoft decided to include HD DVD out of the box on the Xbox 360 ala Sony with Blu-Ray on the PS3 this format war would already be over.

And word has it that Warner Bros may soon announce exclusivity to HD DVD. If that happens, Sony is fooked, because it wouldn't take long for Fox and Disney to jump ship leaving Sony all but alone as Blu-Ray exclusive.

The tide has turned in this war and HD DVD clearly has snatched the momentum at this point.

 

[MadCow]

Oh, make no mistake. If Wal-Mart is truly intending on making a big HD DVD push and these $100 players take off Blu-Ray is in a huge world of hurt. Once the mainstream market takes hold of a single format, the other is all but doomed...

It made me buy one this morning. While i'd love Blu-Ray due to their catalog, I can't afford $400+ just for a player...

 

[UTtoyfan]

So that's what was going on at Walmart this morning. Every single person had a Toshiba HD-DVD player in their shopping cart. And there I was looking for toys

 

[King Darkness]

This will help out HDDVD very much, dont know if its enough to sawy the hold BD has just yet, but its gonna impact it for sure.

I talked to a lady at my WalMart last week and she said they had plans to yank all their BD titles because they do not carry a BD player.

 

[MadCow]

So that's what was going on at Walmart this morning. Every single person had a Toshiba HD-DVD player in their shopping cart. And there I was looking for toys

And when I went to get mine, NO ONE was buying a player. They were all waiting in line for the cheap Laptop. And since the player was already marked on sale I just grabbed it, a copy of Transformers and checked out. All before 8am.

 

[My Lord]

My first ever successful doorbuster score!

I strolled into my nearest Wal*Mart at 8:15 and already 20+ people in line for the player by 8:30 ALL GONE, the eventual customer moaning ensues.

Walked into a second Wal*Mart at 8:45 expecting to be sold out for sure, but lo and behold managed to get one of the last three on the shelf.:chew

 

[darthviper107]

Remember that Best Buy is price matching the player and the select HD-DVD's.

 

[IrishJedi]

Remember that Best Buy is price matching the player and the select HD-DVD's.

Ooh! Is that just for today? I wouldn't mind picking up all three of those HD DVDs, actually.

 

[MadCow]

Remember that Best Buy is price matching the player and the select HD-DVD's.

My Best Buy was OOS...

 

[darthviper107]

Ooh! Is that just for today? I wouldn't mind picking up all three of those HD DVDs, actually.

I think the DVD deal is for more than just those ones, but I expect it is just for today. They're kind of doing a pre-black friday thing.

 

[Jair]

Oh, make no mistake. If Wal-Mart is truly intending on making a big HD DVD push and these $100 players take off Blu-Ray is in a huge world of hurt. Once the mainstream market takes hold of a single format, the other is all but doomed.

Like I said before, had Microsoft decided to include HD DVD out of the box on the Xbox 360 ala Sony with Blu-Ray on the PS3 this format war would already be over.

And word has it that Warner Bros may soon announce exclusivity to HD DVD. If that happens, Sony is fooked, because it wouldn't take long for Fox and Disney to jump ship leaving Sony all but alone as Blu-Ray exclusive.

The tide has turned in this war and HD DVD clearly has snatched the momentum at this point.

I'd like to hear some real news on Warner's jumping ship, they just invested a bunch of money into the new blue ray spec dvd's, Id be really surprised if they pack up and go. Disney is also doing a huge Blue Ray push at Walmart in Decemeber, I saw the displays come into Walmart the other day. Even with the huge Transformer HD sale they still couldn't take the monthly sales lead from Blue ray.

As much as people want one side to win over the other, this war may take many years, people should just get used to the two types of HD DVD's.


Evan

 

[Darklord Dave]

So should I get the new 40 GB PS3? do the larger capacity ones have any advantages?

 

[Radagaster]

Dave, the 40GB PS3 has no wifi ethernet, that's all. Everything else is the same.

 

[Vader AL]

according to the President of SCEA it has wi-fi but it is missing some other stuff:

https://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=144888

 

[Jair]

So should I get the new 40 GB PS3? do the larger capacity ones have any advantages?

Can't play PS2 games on the 40g hd version as well, to save money they removed the emulation chip and the software emulation...least thats what I have been told.

The 80g hd is really the better deal I think if you are going to use the PS3 to play games.


Evan

 

[El Roranous]

Dave, the 40GB PS3 has no wifi ethernet, that's all. Everything else is the same.

It's not backwards compatible. 60gb is the version to get in my opinion.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

It's not backwards compatible. 60gb is the version to get in my opinion.

this is true. its better than the 80gb because it has the chip built onto the board rather than through emulation like the 80gb. if its the hard drive size you are worried about you can get a 320gb hard drive for it for about $200 now.

 

[darthviper107]

I'd like to hear some real news on Warner's jumping ship, they just invested a bunch of money into the new blue ray spec dvd's, Id be really surprised if they pack up and go. Disney is also doing a huge Blue Ray push at Walmart in Decemeber, I saw the displays come into Walmart the other day. Even with the huge Transformer HD sale they still couldn't take the monthly sales lead from Blue ray.

As much as people want one side to win over the other, this war may take many years, people should just get used to the two types of HD DVD's.


Evan

Actually, the article was that Warner was considering going to one format and that it might actually be Blu-Ray, but I'm not expecting that to happen because they are doing pretty good right now, especially with how they've done pretty well with the stuff they've already released on HD-DVD and then will be releasing some of those pretty soon on Blu-Ray which will probably do really well too.

I think the low prices of HD-DVD will be enough to keep it going for a while, and if they get the 50GB HD-DVD's out and that goes well then that could influence studios to support HD-DVD.

So really, right now if Blu-Ray doesn't lower prices to a competitive level with HD-DVD then they'll be in big trouble in the future. Even with the high sales they've already had.

 

[IrishJedi]

It's not backwards compatible. 60gb is the version to get in my opinion.

What's with this infatuation with Backwards Compatibility?? I want the PS3 for current and future technology, not the old stuff. Plus, if I need to play a PS2 game I still have my PS2. The 40B, non BC version is the best buy, imho.

 

[IrishJedi]

Actually, the article was that Warner was considering going to one format and that it might actually be Blu-Ray, but I'm not expecting that to happen because they are doing pretty good right now, especially with how they've done pretty well with the stuff they've already released on HD-DVD and then will be releasing some of those pretty soon on Blu-Ray which will probably do really well too.

I think the low prices of HD-DVD will be enough to keep it going for a while, and if they get the 50GB HD-DVD's out and that goes well then that could influence studios to support HD-DVD.

So really, right now if Blu-Ray doesn't lower prices to a competitive level with HD-DVD then they'll be in big trouble in the future. Even with the high sales they've already had.

Here's where the Blu-Ray camp is drinking their own Kool-Aid: Their chest-thumping is still based solely on the fact that Blu-Ray discs are out-selling HD DVD discs. This is true. However, mediaphiles know that what will TRULY determine the winner of this format war is Hardware Penetration (i.e., which format sells the most players). And this is where HD DVD is beginning to get such a strong foothold.

Sony & Co. can tout their media all the want but the fact of the matter is... if sales like today's crazy $98 HD DVD player at Wal-Mart results in millions of HD DVD machines in households nationwide, Blu-Ray is all but toast unless they counter with a value-priced player themselves, and fast. Because it would not be long before HD DVD discs vastly outsell BDs. And if HD DVD is selling both hardware and software over Blu-Ray in large numbers what do you think Fox and Disney are gonna do? That's right... they'll bolt for HD DVD in a heartbeat (at least releasing titles on BOTH formats). That with an established HD DVD player base would = format war over.