And so it starts.......

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01...ies_announced/

CES 2005 While games publisher Vivendi Universal was touting its
support for the Blu-ray Disc format yesterday, the movie business in
which it owns a 20 per cent stake, Universal Studios, was announcing
plans to release 16 HD DVD titles in the US.

It was joined by Paramount, which will ship the first titles from its
initial 20-strong list of HD DVD products in Q4 2005, and by Warner
Bros., which plans to lead the field with a catalogue of 50 HD DVD
titles, again commencing Q4 2005.

Warner's line-up includes titles from Lord of the Rings producer New
Line Entertainment - though the studio did not yesterday commit itself
to offering those movies, in either their cinema or extended versions,
on the new format. The 50-title list also include HBO productions The
Sopranos and Angels in America.

All these releases will be pitched at the US home video market. None
of the companies concerned were willing to discuss when European
roll-outs are likely to take place. DVD-style region coding is
expected to be imposed on all future releases.

It's also certain that a premium will be imposed on the new content,
with disc prices only approaching those of DVDs today when the market
matures. So like Super Audio CD and DVD Audio, HD DVD is likely to
start out as a niche product, priced accordingly. Certainly, the
studio representatives speaking to reporters yesterday gave no
indication that price will be used to drive HD DVD into the
mainstream. Instead, they're relying on the level of HD TV ownership
to steer consumers toward the new format.






"Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
-- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
- Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

Allan

"Allan" <> wrote in message
news:...
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01...ies_announced/
>
> CES 2005 While games publisher Vivendi Universal was touting its
> support for the Blu-ray Disc format yesterday, the movie business in
> which it owns a 20 per cent stake, Universal Studios, was announcing
> plans to release 16 HD DVD titles in the US.
>
> It was joined by Paramount, which will ship the first titles from its
> initial 20-strong list of HD DVD products in Q4 2005, and by Warner
> Bros., which plans to lead the field with a catalogue of 50 HD DVD
> titles, again commencing Q4 2005.
>
> Warner's line-up includes titles from Lord of the Rings producer New
> Line Entertainment - though the studio did not yesterday commit itself
> to offering those movies, in either their cinema or extended versions,
> on the new format. The 50-title list also include HBO productions The
> Sopranos and Angels in America.
>
> All these releases will be pitched at the US home video market. None
> of the companies concerned were willing to discuss when European
> roll-outs are likely to take place. DVD-style region coding is
> expected to be imposed on all future releases.
>
> It's also certain that a premium will be imposed on the new content,
> with disc prices only approaching those of DVDs today when the market
> matures. So like Super Audio CD and DVD Audio, HD DVD is likely to
> start out as a niche product, priced accordingly. Certainly, the
> studio representatives speaking to reporters yesterday gave no
> indication that price will be used to drive HD DVD into the
> mainstream. Instead, they're relying on the level of HD TV ownership
> to steer consumers toward the new format.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
> because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable
from
> -- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free
time."
> - Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_

Unless I ever go out and buy a full home theatre system complete with
projector and screen I will never adopt the HD format or spend the money on
a new format. As long as dvd's can be played I will never switch. Why?
Because there will always be better. The reality is is that the dvd format
looks awesome as iti is. The human eye can only appreciate so much. Unless
we want to keep replacing our collections, we have to draw the line
somewhere. There will always be a dvd player to play my discs same as you
can still buy a new turntable (used is another story). As for the new titles
that are HD or blue-ray only, who cares most new films are not worth owning
on dvd anyway.

DB

In article <>,
Allan <> wrote:

> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01...ies_announced/
>
> CES 2005 While games publisher Vivendi Universal was touting its
> support for the Blu-ray Disc format yesterday, the movie business in
> which it owns a 20 per cent stake, Universal Studios, was announcing
> plans to release 16 HD DVD titles in the US.
>
> It was joined by Paramount, which will ship the first titles from its
> initial 20-strong list of HD DVD products in Q4 2005, and by Warner
> Bros., which plans to lead the field with a catalogue of 50 HD DVD
> titles, again commencing Q4 2005.
>
> Warner's line-up includes titles from Lord of the Rings producer New
> Line Entertainment - though the studio did not yesterday commit itself
> to offering those movies, in either their cinema or extended versions,
> on the new format. The 50-title list also include HBO productions The
> Sopranos and Angels in America.

*yawn*

> "Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game
> because they almost always turn out to be -- or to be indistinguishable from
> -- self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time."
> - Neil Stephenson, _Cryptonomicon_
--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people,
and neither do we." - George Dumbya Bush

Black Locust

DB wrote:
> Unless I ever go out and buy a full home theatre system complete with
> projector and screen I will never adopt the HD format or spend the money on
> a new format. As long as dvd's can be played I will never switch. Why?
> Because there will always be better. The reality is is that the dvd format
> looks awesome as iti is. The human eye can only appreciate so much. Unless
> we want to keep replacing our collections, we have to draw the line
> somewhere. There will always be a dvd player to play my discs same as you
> can still buy a new turntable (used is another story). As for the new titles
> that are HD or blue-ray only, who cares most new films are not worth owning
> on dvd anyway.


Amen to that. However, for home entertainment purposes, I can't imagine
why I'd ever want to invest in blue-ray technology since HD DVD is
backwards compatible. With HD DVD I wouldn't have to use my current
collection of DVDs as drink coasters.

JB

Joe Blow

"Joe Blow" <> wrote in message
news:wyJEd.41523$.. .
> Amen to that. However, for home entertainment purposes, I can't
> imagine
> why I'd ever want to invest in blue-ray technology since HD DVD is
> backwards compatible. With HD DVD I wouldn't have to use my current
> collection of DVDs as drink coasters.

Both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players will be backwards compatible with
existing DVDs.

Joshua Zyber

Joshua Zyber wrote:

> "Joe Blow" <> wrote in message
> news:wyJEd.41523$.. .
>
>>Amen to that. However, for home entertainment purposes, I can't
>>imagine
>>why I'd ever want to invest in blue-ray technology since HD DVD is
>>backwards compatible. With HD DVD I wouldn't have to use my current
>>collection of DVDs as drink coasters.
>
>
> Both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players will be backwards compatible with
> existing DVDs.


You're right, my mistake. There was once suggestion by would-be
manufactureres of Blue Ray players that they wouldn't
make the players backwards compatible because the costs would be
too high. This is what I was thinking about.

JB

Joe Blow

"Joe Blow" <> wrote in message
news:_vKEd.57663$.. .
> Joshua Zyber wrote:
>
>> "Joe Blow" <> wrote in message
>> news:wyJEd.41523$.. .
>>
>>>Amen to that. However, for home entertainment purposes, I can't imagine
>>>why I'd ever want to invest in blue-ray technology since HD DVD is
>>>backwards compatible. With HD DVD I wouldn't have to use my current
>>>collection of DVDs as drink coasters.
>>
>>
>> Both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players will be backwards compatible with
>> existing DVDs.
>
>
> You're right, my mistake. There was once suggestion by would-be
> manufactureres of Blue Ray players that they wouldn't
> make the players backwards compatible because the costs would be
> too high. This is what I was thinking about.
>
> JB

And it will happen this way:

1. Gadget guys will buy expensive HD.
2. Enough margin will allow costs to go down.
3. Middle end gadget people will buy.
4. Costs go further down.
5. HD TVs and Recorders are on sale for $130 at Walmart.

Takeover.

Alpha

PS

The time scale is just about generational, so replacing everything is not as
big an issue as most suspect.

Alpha

Alpha wrote:

> PS
>
> The time scale is just about generational, so replacing everything is not as
> big an issue as most suspect.


The thing is that when watching VHS back in the day I never thought to
myself, "Wow...this picture just can't get any sharper." With DVD
and the burgeoning new blue laser media I think to myself, "Should I
care if this picture could be sharper?"

(of course, Blue Ray and so forth will be great for data storage, but
for movies...who cares?)

JB

Joe Blow

"Joe Blow" <> wrote in message
news0MEd.43963$...
> The thing is that when watching VHS back in the day I never thought to
> myself, "Wow...this picture just can't get any sharper." With DVD
> and the burgeoning new blue laser media I think to myself, "Should I
> care if this picture could be sharper?"

Many of us were saying things like that about laserdisc.

We were wrong.

Joshua Zyber