It's the end; The END!

Shades of SACD and DVD-A.....

Remember the VHS-Betamax debacle in the late 1970s when a format war
between two types of video tapes erupted, raging on for years and
sowing confusion among consumers? Get ready for the sequel.

Three decades later, a new duel is brewing over future DVDs, and with
consumers once again in the middle, many look set to wait until a
single format emerges victorious, or a truce is called.

Next-generation DVD technology, under development by two rival groups
headed by Sony and Toshiba, is expected to go on sale later this year,
promising cinematic quality images and new possibilities in
interactive entertainment.

But with the Hollywood studios and computer makers split in their
support for either Sony's Blu-ray or format rival HD DVD, many
consumers are expected to bide their time before upgrading from their
existing DVD players.

"Consumers will not rush to buy either format," said Kazuharu Miura,
senior analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research.

"Mass customers will wait until the prices go down and that is likely
to be the time when compatible hardware arrives on the market," Miura
said.

Browse one of the many online chatrooms and electronic gadget forums
and it does not take long to gauge consumers' feelings about the
failure of the two rival groups to agree on a common format.

"This is just plain stupid! Both sides should understand that
consumers want one product, Why wait for the dollars to decide like
with the VHS/Beta," fumed one disgruntled writer on the PCWorld forum.

"I don't have much of a preference between the two formats, but I WILL
NOT buy either until a standard has emerged," another post complained.

Sony, which is struggling to revive its core electronics business and
has just forecast a loss of 10 billion yen (90 million dollars) in the
financial year to March 2006, has much riding on the success of
Blu-ray.

But analysts say that the latest format war is unlikely to drag on for
as long as the VHS-Betamax battle, which was eventually won by VHS
with Sony's Betamax fading into oblivion.

"I think that a hardware with compatibility for both Blu-ray and HD
DVD formats will become available in the market," said Osamu Hitose,
senior analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Center.

Japanese electronic giants showcased their new technologies at the
recent CEATEC consumer electronics exhibition near Tokyo.

Among the crowd of visitors, many are taking a close interest in the
looming launch of next-generation DVDs, but few seem ready to rush in.

"I hope there will be a single standard format or appliances with both
drives, but the key is prices," said 22-year-old university student
Satoshi Odashima.

IT entrepreneur Manabu Onodera, who owns a software company, is also
optimistic that DVD players will emerge capable of handling both
formats.

"I think technologically it is possible. It's a matter of (company)
politics and stakes among related parties," he said.

Analysts say it may be the motion picture giants who finally settle
the DVD format duel, but so far they are divided in their support for
either group.

US movie giant Paramount Home Entertainment, which had previously
declared its support for HD DVD, last week gave its backing to Blu-ray
as well, becoming the first Hollywood studio to support both formats.

Among other studios, Walt Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment have
previously announced backing for Blu-ray, while HD DVD supporters
include Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers Studios.

Other supporters of the Blu-ray technology include Apple Computer,
Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Samsung Electronics.

HD DVD's backers include US technology giants Microsoft and Intel,
Japanese electronics group NEC, Sanyo Electric, France's Thomson and
Fuji Photo Film.

© 2005 AFP

Rich

Rich wrote on [Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:14:27 -0400]:
> Shades of SACD and DVD-A.....
>
> Remember the VHS-Betamax debacle in the late 1970s when a format war
> between two types of video tapes erupted, raging on for years and
> sowing confusion among consumers? Get ready for the sequel.

VHS/Beta only caused confusion amongst idiots.

Really.

Now, HD-DVD, DVD and Blu-Ray... the discs are all the same size.
Whatever will I do? My wittle bwain hurtses

Justin

<<"Consumers will not rush to buy either format," said Kazuharu Miura,
senior analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research.>>

<<"Mass customers will wait until the prices go down and that is likely to
be the time when compatible hardware arrives on the market," Miura said.>>


I'm not sure what the senior analyst is getting at here. Is he saying that
some people will buy HD disks before there is anything on which to play
them? More likely, he is saying that dual-format HD players will be the key
to mass customer acceptance.

And how can he say that mass consumers will wait for HD disk prices to go
down before we have even seen what the initial prices will be? Have any HD
DVDs been released yet?

I am very comfortable with today's DVD pricing: Most single-movie, new
releases are priced well under $20. Catalog titles seem to float between
$6.99 and $12.99 -- sometimes for movies which were originally released on
DVD for $35. DVD has become a big hit, and people like it just the way it
is. The HD DVD format war will only confuse consumers. Confused consumers
will become apathetic and not buy into either format.

But, for those who are tired of all the horse **** and don't want to wait
any longer for American HD DVDs and players, this article will be of great
interest:

High-Definition DVD: Available Now!

http://www.connectedhomemag.com/Home...rticleID=43123

One-Shot Scot

In article <nvydnSZoOeA54tHeRVn->,
"One-Shot Scot" <> wrote:

> I'm not sure what the senior analyst is getting at here. Is he saying that
> some people will buy HD disks before there is anything on which to play
> them? More likely, he is saying that dual-format HD players will be the key
> to mass customer acceptance.

Even with dual-format players(which are nothing but imaginary vaporware
at this point), I fail to see how it would do anything to considerably
boost acceptance. Even if you had a player that was compatible with
HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, how would the average consumer know which disc to
buy? Say for example, a customer goes into Best Buy in 2010 to buy a
copy of the newly released "Indiana Jones 4" and there's both HD-DVD and
Blu-Ray versions sitting on the shelves next to each other. Which one
does the customer purchase? I'm sure the movie studios would love it if
he/she bought both versions, but obviously that will never be a
realistic option.
--
"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

"Rich" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Shades of SACD and DVD-A.....
>
> Remember the VHS-Betamax debacle in the late 1970s when a format war
> between two types of video tapes erupted, raging on for years and
> sowing confusion among consumers? Get ready for the sequel.
>

Hello Group, Like most people I have an extensive DVD collection along with
my VHS collection. I'm more than happy with it.

I can't see myself, nor too many other people buying into NEW technology. I
think the new formats will go the way of S-VHS, or Betamax.

Starz_Kid...

Starz_Kid

In article <ADk3f.113207$>,
"Starz_Kid" <> wrote:

> I can't see myself, nor too many other people buying into NEW technology. I
> think the new formats will go the way of S-VHS, or Betamax.

At best, I see one of the two HD formats becoming the new Laserdisc. In
otherwords, it will become a niche product for the really high-end
users, just like LD used to be. DVD will simply be the new VHS, which it
of course ALREADY is. Not to say it isn't vastly superior to VHS or
anything.
--
"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