As promised,
Toshiba is giving its
HD DVD a push into the mainstream by including drives in its more pedestrian laptop models. Today Toshiba has the
Satellite P205, Satellite X205,
Qosmio F45 and Qosmio G45 getting that special treatment, with prices ranging from $1,449 to $3,199 -- not quite "cheap," but it'll do for now. The Qosmio G45 also has the special distinction of being the first US laptop to
include a writeable HD DVD drive. All of the laptops run 17-inch screens except for the 15.4-inch F45. The P205 is the only one of the bunch to leave out HDMI. Just for kicks, Toshiba is also tossing in Dolby Home Theater sound in the Qosmios and the X205, while a bunch of other models, including the P205, are getting Dolby Sound Room tech. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for fall to get the rest of the specs and pricing info. Hopefully HD DVD is
doing a little better in the format war by then.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DAZA @ Jun 19th 2007 10:34AM
For me, storing data on a DVD is far more important and useful than a DVD-Video.
The same will probably hold true for HD DVD, and if prices of H DVD-R writers fall, or become implemented in notebooks, HD DVD might really take off.
I have about 5 DVD-Videos at home. I have about 5,000 DVD-Rs. Whoever (Blu-Ray or HD DVD) gets a leg up in the recordable area will probably 'win' this silly war. By that I mean, cheap writers and media. And of course, if it's already in your notebook, you have an even better chance of using one format over the other.
Ashley Jones @ Jun 19th 2007 11:10AM
Blu-ray already has a leg up.
Overall storage capacity.
Also price now. I recently got a BWU-100A for $280 and I've been buying media. I've managed to get 22 25GB blu-ray disks around $7 a piece. Still to expensive though, with DVD+R DL going for around $.95 a disk. I plan to use the blu-ray to record the football games this year in high def.
I don't see why anyone who cared about storage would consider HD-DVD. The best price I've found was $11 for a 15GB and haven't found any 30 GB.
MDB @ Jun 19th 2007 1:03PM
Sorry, DAZA, but I find it hard to believe that whichever HD media type gets a let up in the recordable media industry will make even a dent in the overall impact of the format war. Recordable media is an afterthought. Toshiba and Sony care about two things only: Player sales and movie sales. People keep saying how much of a small percentage of people are interested in either format, and it's an even smalelr percentage that's interested in recording on either format.
Blu-ray may have the lead in sales, but think about this:
Blu-ray has many more times the amount of players than HD DVD, mostly because of the PS3. Yet, they are not that far ahead in terms of movie sales. It seems that those who invest in HD DVD, on average, buy more movies than those who invest in Blu-ray. This also may be because of people inadvertantly buying a Blu-ray player (PS3) when they're buying a conolse, however. An interesting stat nevertheless.
WL @ Jun 22nd 2007 8:49AM
I think the war is far from over. Even more important than recordable media I think which ever side has the cheapest and readily available players at the time when HD becomes the standard and not the goal will win the war, or it could go on until both are pushed out of the way by something else, who knows?
I don't think foreign markets will have any effect on which format wins here we all know the U.S. isn't always in sync with the rest of the world.
Personally as a consumer I would feel more comfortable with a format put out by the DVD Consortium, than one which is solely controlled by the Sony Pictures/Electronics conglomerate which seems to be doing a better job this time around a forcing a format onto consumers, anyone remember atrac3?
Frankenstein Black @ Jun 19th 2007 10:36AM
IMHO I think its to late for HD-DVD now. Yesterday's blockbuster by Blockbuster was, well, a blockbuster! Not to mention other stats regarding the format warz...
http://www.dvdempire.com/Content/Features/hidef_wars.asp
Peter @ Jun 19th 2007 10:50AM
Blockbuster is really a small player. What about Netflix, Wal-Mart, Target, Beat Buy and all the other video retailers? What happens when you go to Blockbuster and try to rent a movie that isn't available on BR? This is a long, long way from over. Dual format players should arrive soon and then it won't matter.
Blackster @ Jun 19th 2007 10:59AM
funny that you'll ony see the us-market.
but you know that there's more than that, do you? ;)
Stewie Griffin @ Jun 19th 2007 1:05PM
You know the format war in Europe never even started, it's been Blu-Ray from the outset...
My local Blockbuster has never stocked anything but Blu-Ray, Borders only stock Blu-Ray. HMV is 90% Blu-Ray. Virgin is 70% Blu-Ray.
Sorry, the war in US is lost, and Toshiba are desperatly hoping to spin the fact that Americans never travel, so they can BS you about Europe being pro HD-DVD. It's lies...
Adam Daniel @ Jun 19th 2007 11:24AM
Journalists are taking a quick look at this for a zippy headline, but Blockbuster's press release and a subsequent CNBC video interview with their COO tell a more "shades of gray" story.
http://blockbuster.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=727
"The Company will continue to offer both Blu-ray and HD DVD titles through its online rental service, http://www.blockbuster.com/, and will continue to offer both formats at its initial 250 stores that currently carry both high-definition formats."
"While it is still too early to say which high-definition format will become the industry standard, we will continue to closely monitor customer rental patterns both at our stores and online, so we can adjust our inventory mix accordingly and ensure that Blockbuster is offering customers the most convenient access to the movies they want, in the format they want."
"Obviously, when customers are ready we can expand the Blu-ray offering into more stores and add HD DVD to more locations if that's what customers tell us they want. We'll continue to work with the movie studios to ensure we have the right assortment of products."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=383736735&play=1
"This is a nano-second in time..."
"We need to wait for this to play out over the next 12 to 18 months..."
"This decision does not preclude us from rolling out HD DVD..."
On another point, respectfully disagreeing with the above contention that "it won't matter" once dual format players are more common, I think the event that will really make these early zig-zags of a niche market academic will be the introduction of players with a truly mass-market price.
Stewie Griffin @ Jun 19th 2007 12:19PM
Nice, but who in earth wants HD-DVD in a laptop? It's a dying format for movie watching, and compared to Blu-Ray, a crap format for data backup... Of course, if you are unlucky enough to end up with a laptop with a doomed HD-DVD drive, you can't simply swap it out for a Blu-Ray drive, like you can in a desktop...
LJKelley @ Jun 19th 2007 12:51PM
Call me crazy or a fanboi... but my next laptop will have a HD DVD drive (or hopefully a burner). I like the choice and prices of HD DVD, and think its wrong of any studio/company to force consumers to decide. That is why my message to Disney and MGM are that until your movies are on HD DVD I will not buy them in any HD Format. Long live DVDs and upscalling!
And lastly... I will never be Blu-ray. I will never own any piece of that technology!
LJKelley @ Jun 19th 2007 1:17PM
You sound like a Sony advert bot and totally glossed over the fact that I as a consumer not Sony or Disney should choose what format I want. This has more to to do with prices, competitiveness, and stopping cartells than anything. Funny, Sony & Toshiba came to a compromise over DVD but Sony was very greedy this time and Blu-ray is not technically better only has higher capacity.
HD DVD triple layer for example has 51GB, and all players are required to have Internet Connectivity so they can update the firmware (unlike Blu-ray players). HD DVD including the amazing HDi is finalized, as of today Blu-ray is not 100% finalized as a format (for example its Java Interactive Content). Universal has the movies I want, but even though I do think it should have been a free for all and let consumers decide.
And your wrong, its not only Toshiba but RCA and Okoyo (sp?). Funny thing is I am writing from a Sony Vaio, I guess I'm just sick and tired of propiatary formats and expensive prices from Sony. Its a beautiful laptop and has a MemoryStick Reader, but I would have benefited so much more from a SD Reader or 5in1 Reader... Its all about choice, and lets face it Sony is only about Sony.
Stewie Griffin @ Jun 19th 2007 1:02PM
People have to be crazy to actually believe the spin that HD-DVD is better...
Blu-Ray has 50GB vs 30GB (50GB = less compression, lossless audio and longer movies, or more extras)
Blu-Ray has loads more bandwidth (54Mbit/sec vs 31Mb/sec). Don't like MPEG pixellation? then don't buy HD-DVD. I already have Blu-Ray movies that exceed the bandwidth that HD-DVD is even capable of (the train scene in Casino Royale for example).
Studio suport. If you buy Blu-Ray, you only miss out on Universal, and then only until Toshiba's money runs out (as Toshiba are subsidising Universal to stay exclusive). If you buy HD-DVD, there are many studios you miss out, and there are no back handers here, these studios are selling their goods, and want to be on the Blu-Ray side, or split.
Hardware Support. Well, if you buy HD-DVD, you are tied to Toshiba, and the mythical vaporware Chinese players that will be here next week/nextmonth/when the war is over. If you buy Blu-Ray, you have Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Philips and almost every other hardware manufacturer onboard.
Hmm.....
MDB @ Jun 19th 2007 1:08PM
Stewie, your points are certainly meritorious. But remember, the "best" format doesn't always win (see Betamax vs. VHS). Yet, sales are still doing better for Blu-ray, so it's hard to argue with your logic.
LJKelley @ Jun 19th 2007 1:22PM
Oh... I totally forget to add that Bandwidth is totally irrelavant as both specs provide for 1080p video within those specs. But even if it did matter to the quality of a film you should recall that CDs were originally released at a certain speed and bandwidth for listning to Music but now today from the computer you have speeds upto 52x that obviously increase the bandwidth and for example let your rip an entire CD in the fraction of time it would take to listen to the whole thing!
Mak @ Jun 19th 2007 3:57PM
Your comments show a total technical understanding of everything it seems....
I would stick to restocking store shelves...
gangstified @ Aug 11th 2007 12:26PM
yeah i would stick to restocking 2. and who would burn at 52x anyway? its col but if ur really quality counscious no one burns that fast. You try burning a dvd (altho they cant yet? ) at that speed and see how it turns out.