June 27th, 2006
Next-Gen DVD Format Battle Rages On
By Chief Gadgeteer, Gizmos for Geeks
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews.
I find it amusing, sad, incredible and simply a bit of a headscratcher that the companies involved in giving birth to the next generation of the DVD format are about to repeat history. The silly, relatively recent history that is the VHS vs Betamax format war. On the other hand, they could very well be aware of it and are thinking that their product is superior and will prevail in the long run. Unfortunately, for us consumers, this just means that we will end up having to swap out equipment a few times before the dust settles. Perhaps this is the price we pay for technological improvements. I would really like to see the companies just get together and agree to put out a common standard for the sake of consumers. Luckily, there is one glimmer of hope in the form of Toshiba, who would like to see a unified format for DVDs. The reality is that this may not happen and Samsung has as much admitted to this as they are mulling over a potential DVD player that supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats.
Source: Gizmos for Geeks.
Bill M says:
I won’t buy anything until the standard DVD format is not available any more. By then I will probably be able to view HD movies less expensively via downloads, so the whole format thing will be moot.
June 28th, 2006 at 4:03 am
Inglix the Mad says:
Toshiba doesn’t care about a unified standard. They just hope that enough of their technology makes it into the unified standard to wash the other side’s patents.
The HD-DVD and Blu-Ray consortiums do not care about consumers, simply profits. Realizing this eliminates the muddy thought process.
June 28th, 2006 at 4:04 am
John Corliss says:
Like Bill M, I too will eschew the newer formats until I have to switch. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice…
And there is, frankly, no compelling reason for me to worry about switching in the first place. What, am I going to start worrying about whether or not a DVD contains more than one movie? The image quality is already good enough for my bleary old eyes.
June 28th, 2006 at 5:25 am
Matt says:
I see no reason at all to go to the new format. With the higher cost and added DRM, no way. I dont have a TV capable of using the imporved picture ether.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:11 am
Ron Ingram says:
Why don’t they just let the consumer deside?
put out all formats on the market and after so many quarters, look at the sales! let the consumer decide which one format is easier/better to use and then just sale that format.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:57 am
Charles says:
Ron, ‘They’ are doing just that. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are two competing formats that are going out into the marketplace. Ultimately, the consumer will decide which one they want, which may or may not be the better technology.
But like everyone else said, why even both buying new hardware until the dust settles and there is a clear leader. The standard DVD format will work just fine for me in the upcoming years.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Bill M says:
Please remember that the format ‘winner’ will be the one with the most popular titles available. Sony makes hardware but they also own rights to a LOT of movies and can persuade or coerce others to release new titles in their preferred format. Most consumers won’t really care, as long as it works fairly well. The whole format thing is about licensing fees and the ability to control a market sector, not technology.
June 29th, 2006 at 5:10 am
thefinger says:
Isn’t there an even more recent format war than the vhs/beta battle? How about the one over 1st gen DVD?
July 3rd, 2006 at 5:04 am
ClapekDodki says:
transessuali
July 16th, 2007 at 6:29 am
ClapekDodki says:
colpi nel culo
July 17th, 2007 at 3:10 am