tOfficial Blu-ray vs. HD DVD discussion thread

[Fish1988]

Originally Posted by hexydes

Just as an aside (displaying more Sony shenanigans), apparently Sony (among two others) is so proud of the quality of their games, they refuse to send reviewers who have given them negative reviews in the past, copies of new games to review.

Journalism: 3 Companies Bar EGM From Coverage Following Poor Reviews

But other than that...and the rootkit...and using copy-protection on DVDs that breaks their playback on some players...and exploding laptop batteries...they're basically a good company. I don't see why anyone SHOULDN'T trust them to make something consumers would like.

Since I loved my Playstation and my subsequent Playstation 2, and still really enjoy my PS2, why wouldn't I trust them to make something I like.

[misterorange]

Originally Posted by hexydes

Just as an aside (displaying more Sony shenanigans), apparently Sony (among two others) is so proud of the quality of their games, they refuse to send reviewers who have given them negative reviews in the past, copies of new games to review.

Journalism: 3 Companies Bar EGM From Coverage Following Poor Reviews

But other than that...and the rootkit...and using copy-protection on DVDs that breaks their playback on some players...and exploding laptop batteries...they're basically a good company. I don't see why anyone SHOULDN'T trust them to make something consumers would like.

Oh please. M$ got a guy fired after he reviewed Kand and Lynch. M$ was gonna pull **** from Gamestop if they didnt do anything about it. Sorry but Sony isnt the ONLY villain in the world. Jeff Gerstmann is the guys name if you wanna look it up.

[Adrock]

Originally Posted by misterorange

Oh please. M$ got a guy fired after he reviewed Kand and Lynch. M$ was gonna pull **** from Gamestop if they didnt do anything about it. Sorry but Sony isnt the ONLY villain in the world. Jeff Gerstmann is the guys name if you wanna look it up.

Not that I want to defend M$, as we all know what their business practices are like, but that was the publisher of the game (Eidos) not M$ that leaned on Gamespot, after they had Gamespot's site completely skinned with ads for that game...and they threated to pull future ads. Not to mention that mediocre game in question (Kane and Lynch) is multi-platform, and also available for PS3 and PC...it wasn't some big 360 exclusive or something.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by scimini

Those numbers were at the beginning, as the price of the components come down as the current $399 sales price did bring in over 1 Million sold during the holidays so I doubt the real price point is around 150-200.

Sorry, I've read this three times, but I can't quite grasp what you're saying here. Are you saying that Sony isn't losing much money on the PS3 anymore? I really find that hard to believe...

According to Sony they will no longer lose money on every console sold during this year.

According to Sony, they PLAN and HOPE not to be losing money...of course, that is assuming they don't have to cut the price in half to make PS3's affordable as Blu-Ray players.

Also, Microsoft is now profitable with each 360 sold, and the Wii has been from day one. If Sony drops the price of the PS3, Microsoft and Nintendo will immediately follow suit.

I saw one corporate rep. (Panasonic?) say somewhere that they thought the price-point where Blu-Ray players would get traction is $299, but I just don't believe that. It wasn't the case with VCR's, and it wasn't the case for DVD players (both adjusted for inflation). All signs indicate that movie players simply aren't attractive to consumers at large until they at least go sub-$200. Microsoft can afford to put the 360 out for $199. Nintendo could drop the Wii to $149 today and still make money. I don't see a realistic scenario where Sony can put the PS3 out for anything less than $299 ($349 being more realistic), and that just isn't enough.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by misterorange

Oh please. M$ got a guy fired after he reviewed Kand and Lynch. M$ was gonna pull **** from Gamestop if they didnt do anything about it. Sorry but Sony isnt the ONLY villain in the world. Jeff Gerstmann is the guys name if you wanna look it up.

Originally Posted by Adrock

Not that I want to defend M$, as we all know what their business practices are like, but that was the publisher of the game (Eidos) not M$ that leaned on Gamespot, after they had Gamespot's site completely skinned with ads for that game...and they threated to pull future ads. Not to mention that mediocre game in question (Kane and Lynch) is multi-platform, and also available for PS3 and PC...it wasn't some big 360 exclusive or something.

Heh. Good try Mr.Orange.

[Fish1988]

Looks like the retailers are happy

CES: Retail chiefs on the economy, HD DVD - MediaFile

Shapiro: Will the next-gen DVD war go on now that Warner Bros. has sided with Blu Ray?

Schoonover: We are very excited to see progress of any type and we see this as significant progress.

Brad Anderson, Best Buy CEO: It makes it a lot easier to see the likelihood that we get to one format, and it makes it easier for us as retailers to help push it to that one format. It’s time to get that (problem of movies not being on one format or another) solved.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by Fish1988

Looks like the retailers are happy

CES: Retail chiefs on the economy, HD DVD - MediaFile

Well if the CEO for Best Buy likes it, it must be good for me!

[Fish1988]

Originally Posted by hexydes

Well if the CEO for Best Buy likes it, it must be good for me!

Yep

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by Fish1988

Yep

I worked at Best Buy for a month. Trust me, what Best Buy wants of you is most assuredly NOT in your best interest...

[Trevor Barnes]

Originally Posted by hexydes

I worked at Best Buy for a month. Trust me, what Best Buy wants of you is most assuredly NOT in your best interest...

I shouldn't buy that kickass Bose speaker system at the front of the home theater section?

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

I shouldn't buy that kickass Bose speaker system at the front of the home theater section?

Not without the three-year Best Buy "Performance" Plan you shouldn't!

[Trevor Barnes]

Sources say Universal and Paramount are both going Blu - Engadget

Rumors just won't stop about the future of HD DVD, and while we try not to post all of them, some seem too believable to pass up. Our friend Bill Hunt, at the Digital Bits, -- still waiting on those permalinks, Bill -- is reporting that his "second to none" sources informed him that both Universal and Paramount are in the process of going blu. But don't bother asking 'em, because the same contracts that prevent them from switching now, prevent them from confirming the rumor. In addition, Bills sources tell him that while Paramount could make an announcement any day now, Universal's won't come until February -- at the earliest -- because "their contract period with the HD-DVD camp expires at the end of January."

[Spartan Superiority]

Originally Posted by hexydes

Blu-Ray will lose this war. Mark my words.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

Sources say Universal and Paramount are both going Blu - Engadget

"Apple iPhone to be delayed by six months!"

- Engadget

Not that is is true or not, but both companies said they had no plans to switch. That'd be pretty tacky to announce that publicly, and then a few days later retract it.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by Spartan Superiority

I should probably update that post to say, "If Blu-Ray wins, it will be the catalyst to the PS3 dragging Sony under."

[Spartan Superiority]

Originally Posted by hexydes

I should probably update that post to say, "If Blu-Ray wins, it will be the catalyst to the PS3 dragging Sony under."

no chump edits, take it like a man

[Trevor Barnes]

Originally Posted by hexydes

In other news: I will never buy another Warner movie again.

Sorry, you picked the wrong one Warner. Meanwhile, players for HD-DVD are at an all-time low, and the discs cost $10 less across the board.

Blu-Ray will lose this war. Mark my words.

Originally Posted by Spartan Superiority

Originally Posted by hexydes

"Apple iPhone to be delayed by six months!"

- Engadget

Not that is is true or not, but both companies said they had no plans to switch. That'd be pretty tacky to announce that publicly, and then a few days later retract it.

Public perception by writers and in comments at almost every tech blog this week is that HD DVD is . Sometimes perception is reality when it comes to consumers. It's only a matter of time before Paramount and Universal switch.

[Trevor Barnes]

Originally Posted by hexydes

I should probably update that post to say, "If Blu-Ray wins, it will be the catalyst to the PS3 dragging Sony under."

Sony will make a bundle on Blu-ray media, regardless of whether the PS3 catches the 360 or not.

[ctspartan]

Thanks to tRCMB, I sadly returned my fab $250 HD-DVD player today.
I asked the BB guy when Blu-Ray players would get under $250 and the guy laughed at me.

[Fish1988]

Originally Posted by ctspartan

Thanks to tRCMB, I sadly returned my fab $250 HD-DVD player today.
I asked the BB guy when Blu-Ray players would get under $250 and the guy laughed at me.

Well, if you look above in a couple of posts, Funai says they'll have one out in the 2nd qtr that'll be under $300, so they're getting there.

[ctspartan]

Originally Posted by Fish1988

Well, if you look above in a couple of posts, Funai says they'll have one out in the 2nd qtr that'll be under $300, so they're getting there.

yeah, funai, that sounds like a brand I would trust. Parts manufactured by janjaweed in Darfur and assembled by Best Buy employees on break in their open-box room in the back.

[WCS]

Originally Posted by ctspartan

Thanks to tRCMB, I sadly returned my fab $250 HD-DVD player today.
I asked the BB guy when Blu-Ray players would get under $250 and the guy laughed at me.

Actually, they are under $250 right now...here's how...

Price of new Blu-Ray Player (priced at 499.99 or less) - $250 you get back on return = $249.99 or less.

[Jim in Atl]

Originally Posted by Trevor Barnes

Guess you'll never buy another movie from a majority of studios. You may want to reassess your stance.

This graphic is the best one I've seen yet on how this is shaping up. The writing on the wall. Blu-ray was reportedly outselling HD DVD even before Warner went to Blu-ray only even with its higher price point.

Based on movie marketshare for each studio....

This does not demonstrate how one format outsells another format. This just shows the deals that have been made between the manufacturers and the studios. Number of titles and actual sales are another piece of data all together. Besides, its not like consumers have been able to line up and compare the two formats. Basically Blu appears to have the biggest marketing budget.

Regardless of the fact that Warner Bros and their false claim that consumers decided, I am afriad this may be the end. There is some truth that two formats will keep the volume point of lower cost players further out there, although the HDDVD players are reasonable and I own one. When another studio follows suit you know its over.

[hexydes]

Originally Posted by ctspartan

yeah, funai, that sounds like a brand I would trust. Parts manufactured by janjaweed in Darfur and assembled by Best Buy employees on break in their open-box room in the back.

QFT. And I thought considering an "Insignia" piece of electronics was scary.

Nice to know that in six months though, you might be able to get the lowest-quality Blu-Ray player out there for $50-$100 more than you would have been able to get an HD-DVD player for, starting a month ago. I am definitely starting to see why it would be a good thing for Blu-Ray to win.

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by hexydes

Not without the three-year Best Buy "Performance" Plan you shouldn't!

BB Employee- "Would you like to add the 3yr Best Buy Performance Plan to your $400 bluray player?"

Customer- "How much does that cost?"

BB Employee- "Well it would bring your total to lets see.......$799 but for that extra money you could try your bluray player down the stairs and we will gladly exchange it for a new one"