Blu Ray vs. HD DVD
Out of context: Reply #35
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- Boz0
Blu-Ray win might be closer but it's still not there..
Samsung has announced they'll continue releasing HD DVD/Blu-Ray combo players. In fact their latest 5500 model is great and a lot cheaper (still expensive) but it's better at around $500
It's still not over of course..there's quite a bit of content on the HD DVD side, but if Universal or Paramount go neutral it will definitely sound the end of HD DVD theater movies.
The thing is, what people don't understand that there's no mass adoption with $400+ Blu-Ray. As soon as Warner switched, Sony increased the price on their cheapest Blu-Ray player the BDP-300 from $299 to $399. BOGOs (Buy 1 get 1 free) are not going to be available now and we will see movies go back to $30-$40 that's a given and even the CE companeis that announced new Blu-Ray players don't show any sign of lowering the price, in fact they are increasing the prices. Pioneer and Denon announced new $2000+ players, Panasonic announced new models that will cost more then their cheapest $500 Panasonic BD30 player and the only "cheap" BD player will be new $300 FUNAI Profile 1.1 Blu-Ray player.
If you thought you could jump on the HD train you will probably be waiting for a while or at least until 2009 with the prices we are seeing.
Despite the fact that HD DVD can indeed lose this one, Blu-Ray certainly has almost zero chance to replace DVD. With Blu-Ray winning on corporate levels where consumers have not decided but backdoor deals, HDM (hi-def market) is poised to be niche.
Judging by Samsung executive and his recent comments that digital distribution will definitely replace standard definition content, HD DVD remaining still in the cheap PC market with the Chinese support (something that Blu-Ray stays away from because they can't afford $50 players anymore) not all is dark for HD fans.
New technology called xStreamHD will start offering beginning next year FULL 1080p, 7.1 DTS-MA HD service that will reach every home with no restrictions of slower cable connections.
It uses sattelite to stream 80mbps streams to customer's house allowing uncompromising quality. The initial price should be around $300 for a set-top and still unknown monthly Netflix like service (some people are speculating that it might be between $25-$50) with unlimited viewing and three models for enjoying movies (keep em, rent them and another one).
Learn more here:
http://www.xstreamhd.com/Don't worry about your HD DVD collection though. Keep your player, feel free to continue buying HD DVD movies, as if Universal and Paramount decide to continue fighting next to Toshiba and Microsoft, Blu-Ray will still miss a lot of good movies that are scheduled for this year. Of course if that moment approaches where you might not have any more HD DVD support you can always rip movies like I do and store them on your media center PC or something.
Just some of the movies HD DVD still has, of course this is considering that no studio on their side goes neutral. It's enough for these movies to become neutral and HD DVD is definitely done as far as big Hollywood movies are concerned.
2008 HD DVD exclusives:
Zodiac: Director's Cut
The Pianist
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Into the Wild (great movie)
Things We Lost in the Fire
Beowulf (2007)
Bee Movie (pretty good)
Fletch (Hopefully Unverisal doesnt screw this one up)
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Twoplus all the WB flicks through May 2008 which includes:
I Am Legend
The Invasion
The Brave One
No Reservations
Michael Clayton
Appleseed Ex MachinaUpcoming movies HD-DVD has for 2008
Iron Man
Cloverfield
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Charlie Wilsons War (tom Hanks, Julia Roberts)
American Gangster
The Incredible Hulk
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Wanted
Johnny Blaze
The Kite Runner
Indiana Jones 4 (yes Paramount/Spielberg Day and Date are not covered by the contract, only catalog titles)
Sweeny Todd
The Ruins
Kung Fu Panda
Monsters vs. Aliens (Dreamworks Animation)Not to mention just a few huge movies from the (Universal/Paramount/Dreamworks) catalog like:
Shaft
Snake Eyes
Deep Impact
Event Horizon
Titanic
Black Sheep
Braveheart
Beverly Hills Cop series
The Firm
Start Trek movies
Indecent Proposal
Gladiator
American Pie movies
Back to The Future movies
Conan