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Topic: HD DVD is dead
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Adrian Simmonds
Film Handler
Posts: 49
From: Dudley, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted February 26, 2008 08:08 AM
This is a page that I wrote for our up coming Film For The Collector mag - due out in March:
Is the Hi Definition format war finally over ??
This time last year the so called high definition format war between HD DVD and Blu ray Disc had become so entrenched that the buzz at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in the USA was around possible combo players and/or discs, like LG's “Super Multi Blue” and Warner Bros.' “Total HD” format.
People hoped for a manageable truce that would stop scaring consumers from choosing a side, which is of course exactly what it did do.
“It’s the old VHS / Betamax war all over again” people were saying, but actually it was worse than that, because as a collector, it meant that you had to buy both machines as only certain titles were available on each format, so manufactures and studios starting talking about some kind of ‘dual format’ device to kick start Hi Definition.
Neither combo players nor the dual-format discs really took off however. And 12 months later the predictions are not of which side will emerge the victor, but exactly how hard Blu ray backers are laughing all the way to the bank.
Convincing Warner Bros. in January to give up its stance as neutral partner to both, in favour of throwing all of its Hollywood heft behind Blu-ray was a major coup for the Sony-backed format.
Before the announcement from Warner Brothers (craftily 2 days before USA’s biggest consumer show) the figures from America showed that Blu Ray and HD players for the year were selling at 49% each, with the remainder being combination machines.
However the week after Warners announcement the results make incredible reading:
90% Blu Ray, 7% HD and 3% for combo players.
2 weeks later (up to Jan 19th) the results still look gloomy for HD supporters — 63% for Blu Ray and just 33% for HD, and this with Toshiba selling HD machines in the States for as little as $99.
Of all the major Hollywood studios, there are now only 2 — Paramount and Universal still backing HD exclusively, whilst all of the others—Disney (who now own Pixar), Warner Bros, Sony (Columbia Tristar, MGM United Artists) Pictures are all backing Blu ray. There is also a very strong rumour doing the rounds that Paramount have a ‘get out’ clause in their contract with HD—which only runs till the end of the year anyway, and it is also strongly rumoured that Paramount have asked Toshiba (the biggest manufacturer of HD machines) to supply them with the first quarters sales figures of HD machines, and it will then make a decision on which format to support.
Of course, this can only be good news for everyone.
After all, we only ever wanted one system didn’t we?
And we have some cracking deals on Sony Blu Ray players and Blu Ray discs (starting at just £9.99) —
call now for our latest prices.
Kind regards,
Adrian
(Derann)
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted February 29, 2008 10:30 PM
Very good point Paul ...
What I plan on doing is having the Sears sales person hook up seperately, the regular DVD player to the HDTV first; observe the picture carefully ...
... and then,
Hook up the DVD upconverter player to the same HDTV, and see the difference in picture, if there will be a difference.
Even in standard DVD players, I have noticed a difference in DVD quality in playback. Within a year of DVD first being out, I bought a Phillips/Magnovox DVD player, (for 399.00), when there was only a couple hundred DVD's out there to buy, (my first video? "Bean: The Movie").
To this day, that first DVD player still works quite well, but is a little tired these days, so I bought a Coby DVD player
(brand new ... 24.00) and the picture is visibly better in quality.
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006
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posted March 01, 2008 11:22 AM
Just my opinion, but personally, the one time I have seen an improvement in 'regular' DVDs has been when there is, in fact, more data on the disc.
The "Superbit" discs jettisoned all the extras in favor of more room for the film, thus lowering compression ratios and giving a better picture.
I have 'Das Boot' both as a Superbit 'Director's Cut' and as the full-length TV series on regular DVD, and even on a regular TV, you can see the improvement. Much like with film, on DVD, the laws of physics don't lie.... ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Best,
Claus.
--------------------
"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)
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