The end of the HD DVD / Blu-ray format war has
been declared again, but from a most unlikely source. Recently
Warner patented an all-in-one disc to contain a movie in both competing formats plus DVD, and now New Medium Enterprises has followed that up by claiming it's patented a technology capable of actually manufacturing it. Making its claim even more incredible is the fact that NME is the architect of a third competing format,
Versatile Multilayer Disc (VMD), that already consists of multiple DVD layers. It claims the discs will cost 9 cents apiece to make, compared to 6 cents for standard DVDs -- of course that doesn't include the potential licensing cost for three versions of a movie and three different disc formats, along with the new players NME indicates you may also need to read these multilayer discs. The company still hasn't gotten its
100GB VMD to market after many exhibitions, but with prototypes slated for availability in the first quarter of 2007, we should find out soon enough if this is just hype or if we can finally buy high-def DVDs without picking the next Beta.
posted Sep 26th 2006 3:08PM
the only winners will be those providing movie downloads, even in dvd quality, comsumers chose convienience over quality with music, and they will do so again with video. it will take at least 1 - 2 years for either of these formats to take off in ernest, by then we will all have video streamers and multimedia computers of sorts, or just plug our ipods into whichever tv we want to watch out movie on. anyone paying for these writers / readers for anything other than back-up or if they are wealthy is stupid. phew - sorry about that lol
Why does this seem like a good idea to anyone? So now i will be forced to buy a single disc with the same movie on it in 3 formats? What is the point? The disc will end up costing more and in the end the average person will watch 1 version and move on. I cant see myself sitting through 2+hours of a movie at HD-dvd quality, only to replay the Bluray version after to see if i can spot a quality difference.
I say stop trying to combine these new technologies, let them battle it out. I think a lot of people are happy with dvd's still at this point and can wait a couple of years to see if one new format comes out dominant.
What about the players? Is there a player, available for purchase today, that can play both formats? I know they have been researched and announced, and then pushed back and researched some more, but is one actually out yet?
I still say that it is all a galactic waste of money until I see it. Sucks that electronics stores don't know how to set up the pricey electronics that they try to sell me. If I have to endure standard definition analog cable split by a shitty splitter to 100 HDTVs one more time I might just take a plasma hostage and stab it. :P
Honestly, why? why? why? why? There is no way in hell this will ever come to anything but a techno-antique.
I thought the problem was that some movies would only be released on one HD format? If the movies is available on both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray wouldn't the consumer only need the format for which ever HD player they have? Maybe I'm just thinking outside the box... Back in my cage now.
Seriously though, did anyone pay double for those dvds that you could flip over and get widescreen instead of regular format? Those were two movies on one disc.
For those of us that don't hold on to dvd/hd/bluray forever as if it's a desktop display of our identity, it makes them much easier to unload. Also, it's good for renting, can anyone say netflicks?
Dual formats? Hmm, sounds like a $55 disc to me. If Toshiba is at $40 or so for their dual DVD/HD-DVD and Sony wants a peice of the pie this will get ugly before it blows up in everyone's face. Sadly the consumers who aren't quite early adapters but more educated than J6P lose out.
I have a Samsung DVD Player via HDMI output to my Panasonic 42" Plasma and it looks fine the way it is + I get great compliments during my movie parties I throw each month. Especially: the latest DVD titles, they look sharper too. Theres no way I'm buying a $1000 player and wasting $30 per movie title.
if you need a special player for this doesn't it kind of DEFEAT THE ENTIRE PURPOSE?
Beta/Blunder-Ray just needs to die, end of problem.
How will this solve anything. It will just confuse the hell out of consumers. One format needs to come out on top and sooner better than later.
I think its primarily for the movie distributers, not consumers. It may cost a little more to produce the multi-format disk, but this has to be balanced against the risk of producing too many of too few disks in one of the three formats (HD-DVD, Blue-ray, and regular DVD) and either missing out on sales or ending up worthless stocks of disks in whatever format eventually loses. Also it might result in fewer returns of disks by clueless consumers who buy the wrong format for their machine. I can certainly see why there is interest in such a multi-format.
HD-DVD is already outselling Blu-Ray 11:1 and has far more titles available now for purchase or pre-order (go check out the stats at www.thedvdwars.com). The players don't cost $1000, I got my HD-DVD player for $360 and the picture it produces is amazing, far better than upconverted DVD or low bitrate downloaded video from iTunes.
Too bad Sony is so hard headed with Blu-Ray shoe horning it into the PS3 and making the price ridiculous. Anyone know how well UMD is doing? That's probably the future of Blu-Ray, niche product for people with a Playstation.
Can anyone explain why using MPEG 4 (DivX, Xvid & WMV)compression to compress a HD movie that can use a standard DVD disc and player is not a safer and cheaper way to solve the problem. Many DivX compatable DVD players are already on the market (some video cameras offer this type of compression) and for "free" you can download the DivX codec to play HD DivX DVD on your computer (my computer outputs to a HD 40" LCD). This is not a challenge, just an honest queation to anyone who is familiar enough with MPEG 4 & DivX HD Compression AND with competing BluRay and HD DVD to offer an explanation or suggest a web site with the answer.
This reminds me a lot about Betamax and vHS war. The big difference here is that the companies that have the best names in quality are backing Blu-Ray while the companies with money are just throwing money to back HD-DVD.
I'd personally go with Blu-Ray myself, as HD-DVD is supported by and even a lot of the specs created by Micros**t! Every standard they've helped created or tried to make their own is nothing but a mess and doesn't work, plus costs a fortune to license -- OLE, Windows, etc. And they plan on releasing Windows Vista in January 2007, even though they admit it's security has more holes than swiss cheese, but that they'll just patch it afterwards.
Still thing will happen with HD-DVD. Put it out, make lots of money, and who cares about consumers. We might get around to updating and fixing any problems if we feel like it.
Besides, don't they say you get what you pay for?? You put out as little money as possible, you get crap. You willing to put out more money, you get quality.
Army of Darkness is out in a DVD/HD-DVD format. $23.95
Fast Times at Ridgemont High DVD/HD-DVD $23.95
The Break-Up DVD/HD-DVD $27.95
Dazed & Confused DVD/HD-DVD $23.95
You put the disc in a DVD player and it plays it as a DVD. You put it in a HD-DVD player and it plays as an HD-DVD.
It has DVD and HD-DVD does it look like the licenses for both made it $50? The answer is NO.
When another format is added (Bluray) then you'll be able to play the disc in a standard DVD player, HD-DVD player, and Bluray player like these combo discs of DVD/HD-DVD that exist currently.
Get it?
Re: killploki: "I cant see myself sitting through 2+hours of a movie at HD-dvd quality, only to replay the Bluray version after to see if i can spot a quality difference."
You don't watch the movie over and over, you watch it once treating it like any DVD you are used to. The difference? You just put it in your player be it Bluray OR a HD-DVD player, not having to choose a separate disc in the store at purchase, the same disc works in both. Play it over and over to compare? That's not the point.
Re: TechGeek: "they plan on releasing Windows Vista in January 2007, even though they admit it's security has more holes than swiss cheese"
No they did not 'admit' that, and Vista compared to Windows XP? Stealth spyware installs in the background in XP compared to blocked and a warning popup in Vista. One of MANY things you just need to look up on your own before making comments like this.
The video quality is amazing and the same goes for the sound. It was a treat to watch the high quality video in full screen
PatHaugen seems to be the only informed person on this whole list. The Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD controversy not only combines the problem of VHS vs. Beta, but also DVD vs. VHS. New Medium is also solving the current high price issue with HD DVD players.
Blu-ray DVDs won't play in HD-DVD and visa versa. Also, old DVDs won't play in either of those units. The VMD player from New Medium is a single player that plays their patented VMDs and our older non-HD DVDs. Plus, the price is supposed to be around $200 or under for the player compared to $1,000 for Blu-ray or HD-DVD. The other price issue that everyone is complaining about is the cost of VMD DVDs. The production cost per VMD is .09 compared to .06 for a regular DVD. I really don't think recording multiple formats on one VMD is going to jack the price up as much as people think. Let's be real.
Do you wonder why they call it blu-ray? It is because Blu-ray and HD-DVD uses a blue laser instead of red. Blue laser technology allows for increased storage, but an inferior wavelength or frequency of 405Nm compared to red laser, 650 Nm. The reason the price is so high on HD players using blue lasers right now is because the production lines had to be changed and there is also a new raw material in the blue lasers. It bucks all of the current technology. New medium has created the best solution. It uses existing technology currently in production. They have one disc that can hold multiple formats for all the suckers that jumped on the HD bandwagon and didn't buy a VMD player. They also play the old non-HD DVDs. As another great commerical slogan goes...."BRILLIANT!" I'm saving $800 this holiday season, waiting 'til January, and picking up my VMD player for $200. HO! HO! HO!