HD Dvd & Blu-ray?
Hi, I have 2 main questions…..
1. Who do you think will win the race between HD Dvd and Blu-ray, and why? Who’s winning so far?
2. Why are Blu-ray players so expensive vs. HD dvd players are so cheap?
I just bought an HD dvd player and I hope I made the right choice. Thanks.
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Sorry to say, but Blu-ray Disc is the winning format.
Recently the HD DVD promotional group had a major blow just before the CES 2008, when Time Warner, including Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema and HBO said that they would be supporting Blu-ray Disc exclusively from May 31st 2008.
This means, that Blu-ray Disc has 70% of the market share of Hi-def discs being sold, with HD DVD having only 30%.
For you interest the studios supporting Blu-ray Disc are
Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema, HBO, 20th Century Fox, Buena Vista (Walt Disney, Pixar Animation, Miramax, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures), Sony Pictures (Columbia, Tristar, ScreenGems), MGM and Lionsgate.
While HD DVD has only Universal Studios, Viacom Paramount (Paramount Studios, Dreamworks, Dreamworks Annimation, MTV), and some other minor companies.
Also now, the average sales in the US, since this for Blu-ray is 83% of the market, with recent statistics saying around 93% of recent hardware sales were Blu-ray Disc players, since the Time Warner move, excluding the world’s best, most upgradable Blu-ray Player, the Playstation 3, which many people buy.
Also in Japan 90% of people, are with Blu-ray, and 95% in Australia, and around 80% (I think) in Europe.
Also video rental chains Video Ezy in Australia, and Blockbuster stopped HD DVD rentals, and Target are now also Blu-ray Exclusive. You should see the Blu vs HD clips on Youtube, there was a hilarious based on Hitler, on the fall of HD DVD.
Now, HD DVD is really falling into the Betamax pit, especially, as not many companies endorsed HD DVD, like the Betamax, unlike Blu-ray and VHS, which have a lost of licensies. Although HD DVD has the backing of the DVD Forum, the Blu-ray Disc Association is now equaly as powerful, and large as DVD Forum now, with major electronics giants like Sony, Phillips, Panasonic, Hitatci, JVC, Dell, HP, Sharp, and LG supporting it.
In the Betamax/VHS wars, VHS started it’s winning streak when it had around 70% of the market, which now Blu-ray has since Warner desicision.
Now based on reports, Intel(R) Supports both formats, and Microsoft still hasn’t denyed the possibility of including an external Blu-ray Disc drive for the XBOX 360,instead of HD DVD.
When another major company drops, it will be the final death blow to HD DVD.
"The Future is Blu"
And about the prices of Blu-ray, it’s only expensive as it’s a new technology, like DVD was when it was released. Anyway Blu-ray is a far better technology, and the Blu-ray Disc Association don’t have to rely on cheap players of the mass market adoption of Blu-ray Disc.