[Eug]

Originally Posted by exca1ibur 

This is my whole point. Moving forward. They don't have to replace the DVD format in a few years. My point is a transition. If every manufacture sold Blu-ray only players right now, that is still can hit 100% of the DVD media market. There is no difference compared to people running out now and picking up an HD-DVD device now to play only DVDs. My point is If the price is right in the next few years, are you saying you would buy an upscaled DVD player, instead of a Blu-ray player? This is more or less what I see happing, this has nothing to do with the optical media itself as it won't affect it at all. You can still buy DVDs, plus Blu-ray movies. Once the hardware is there the transition would be of no risk to the consumer for either format. At that point it's up to the studios on which way they want to go. At that point it wouldn't screw over the consumer at all. You can still keep your 150+ plus DVD collection and, can moving forward to Blu-ray by doing nothing more than buying the media at this point.

Your original suggestion was that companies could drop DVD player manufacturing in 2 years.

Originally Posted by you

Being backwards compatible, within a few years of having everyone making players and competition dropping prices, why bother making standalone DVD players in the next two years or so?

My point is that although I might buy a Blu-ray player if the price is right, not everyone is willing to spend even just $200 for that player. It may not be "risk", but for some people spending that $100-150 more would just be a waste of money. My mom has a DVD player which is fine for her. If it breaks in 2010, I'd recommend to her to buy another one, for $39, or maybe $59 to get DVD upscaling.

[exca1ibur]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Your original suggestion was that companies could drop DVD player manufacturing in 2 years.

They can, will, they... who knows? It's is possible as it doesn't affect anything as far as media. It's still a 100% media coverage for DVD no matter what happens. Since the money is made on the movie sales it doesn't kill anything but streamline the process of manufacturing one player vs two.

My point is that although I might buy a Blu-ray player if the price is right, not everyone is willing to spend even just $200 for that player. It may not be "risk", but for some people spending that $100-150 more would just be a waste of money. My mom has a DVD player which is fine for her. If it breaks in 2010, I'd recommend to her to buy another one, for $39, or maybe $59 to get DVD upscaling.

Which is why I just said depending on the price, at that point. The manufacturing price isn't going to be high for the entire lifetime of the format, I'm sure we can both agree. Also in 2010, I'm sure the majority of the market will be high definition, getting a hi-def player at that point has a lot more value then that it does now.

[TETENAL]

Chinese no-name manufactures will continue to make cheap DVD players for Walmart's rummage table, but the brand manufactures will only make BluRay players by the end of 2009. There is no money for them to make in the $40 segment.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

Chinese no-name manufactures will continue to make cheap DVD players for Walmart's rummage table, but the brand manufactures will only make BluRay players by the end of 2009. There is no money for them to make in the $40 segment.

That's why they sell in the $99 segment of course.

Or do you actually think that name brand Blu-ray players will be commonplace in 2009 with an MSRP of $99? Note that ALL new Blu-ray players must support at least Profile 1.1.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

IGN: Toshiba and Sony Get Friendly

3 things HD DVD coulda, shoulda done to be a contenda

[icruise]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

3 things HD DVD coulda, shoulda done to be a contenda

Funny how that article hits on all the things that we've been saying for months.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

IGN: Toshiba and Sony Get Friendly

Toshiba helped design the Cell chip in Sony's PS3, and is Cell's manufacturer already. Such collaborations are quite commonplace, and have little to do with the hi-def war.

3 things HD DVD coulda, shoulda done to be a contenda

I disagree with all three points.

1) According to statements by various insiders, only one studio was pushing for the extra DRM, and that was Fox.

2) The studio reps told us directly. They didn't want to make all discs combos because of consumer confusion. Whether it was true or not (and it WAS probably true), the believed that combo discs would cause some consumers to be confused. And plus combo discs cost more to make.

What would have been nice would have just been to price HD DVD software cheaper (instead of making combo discs cost more), but of course the studios didn't want to do that either.

3) MS already said they had no desire to WAIT for HD DVD drives to be put into the Xbox 360, only to increase cost. The technology was not quite ready for volume production at Xbox 360 levels in 2005, so this was a non-starter.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Eug 

1) According to statements by various insiders, only one studio was pushing for the extra DRM, and that was Fox.

FIne. But acording to all the rumors Fox went blu exclusive because of this and because Fox went blu Warner followed.

So at the end of the day the "less DRM" that gomac kept pushing as a plus might have been the tipping point that ended all this.

[Brien]

Originally Posted by Eug 

That's why they sell in the $99 segment of course.

Or do you actually think that name brand Blu-ray players will be commonplace in 2009 with an MSRP of $99? Note that ALL new Blu-ray players must support at least Profile 1.1.

Maybe by 2010 I could see this happen. We might see them start to cripple the DVD versions of movies, if they really want to push BD.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

FIne. But acording to all the rumors Fox went blu exclusive because of this and because Fox went blu Warner followed.

Um, no. The rumors say that Fox was going HD-DVD in January until they received an additional payoff.

Looks like DRM wasn't all that important in the end for Fox. Money seemed to be the deciding factor.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Brien 

Maybe by 2010 I could see this happen. We might see them start to cripple the DVD versions of movies, if they really want to push BD.

Unlikely. DVD is the big cash cow for the foreseeable future.

The studios are VERY hesitant to do anything to jeopardize DVD sales. Even by 2010, the installed base of Blu-ray will be small compared to DVD. To put it another way, even if new player sales are tipped in Blu-ray's favour by 2010 (and I think that's unlikely), most players in people's homes will still be DVD, not Blu-ray.

In fact what I expect over the next several years for big disc releases:

Basic ("crippled") DVD version + Special edition DVD + Blu-ray - 3 separate SKUs for one movie release.

Originally Posted by goMac 

Um, no. The rumors say that Fox was going HD-DVD in January until they received an additional payoff.

Looks like DRM wasn't all that important in the end for Fox. Money seemed to be the deciding factor.

Well, what I had heard was that Fox was considering going HD DVD for a Toshiba payoff, but then talked to Blu-ray who gave them a payoff to say Blu. Who knows how serious that consideration was though (assuming the rumour isn't totally false to begin with). It could have been a ploy to leverage more cash out of the Blu-ray side.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by goMac 

Um, no. The rumors say that Fox was going HD-DVD in January until they received an additional payoff.

Looks like DRM wasn't all that important in the end for Fox. Money seemed to be the deciding factor.

"The public backing by Fox comes amid wavering support from the computer industry due to Blu-ray's restrictive copy-protection scheme."

"But Fox and other studios like the strict technology that will prevent consumers from utilizing future movies as freely as current DVDs. HD DVD employs more lax copy controls and ensures support for streaming movies to different locations throughout the home.
"We believe that Blu-ray not only has the superior technology and backing in terms of strength to market but also the superior content protection," Fox Filmed Entertainment co-chairman James Gianopulos told attendees "

[Chongo]

Question, Blade Runner. I hve both players now. which to buy, BD or HD? Both are the same price.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Chongo 

Question, Blade Runner. I hve both players now. which to buy, BD or HD? Both are the same price.

They are the same so I don't see why you would want the one that will have zero resell value.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

FIne. But acording to all the rumors Fox went blu exclusive because of this and because Fox went blu Warner followed.

So at the end of the day the "less DRM" that gomac kept pushing as a plus might have been the tipping point that ended all this.

They *originally* went exclusive because of the DRM. But they were considering a switch to HD DVD until a Sony payoff came. That's what caused the Warner switch.

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

They are the same so I don't see why you would want the one that will have zero resell value.

I don't know about you, but I don't buy movies based on their future resale value. If they're the same price I'd go with the Blu-Ray now, but if you can get a significant discount on the HD DVD version I'd say go for it.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by jokell82 

I don't know about you, but I don't buy movies based on their future resale value. If they're the same price I'd go with the Blu-Ray now, but if you can get a significant discount on the HD DVD version I'd say go for it.

Since the question was clearly based on "they are the same price" what answer could have I have given that would satisfy you? Should he go up to the cash and say "I hear HD is dead can I get a "significant discount"?