[Kevin]

Originally Posted by jokell82 

I would hope that people don't care THAT much. That would just be sad.

I think you'd be shocked at the great lengths fanboys go when they get an emotional attachment to software/hardware. I've seen it get downright scary. Anyhow, back on topic.

I am planning on buying a new disc player in the next month. And I couldn't really care less about HD or blueray. I just want it to play DVDs. I think that's what most consumers care about.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by icruise 

Of course it's PS3-specific, but the point is that other manufacturers are free to make remotes if they want to. In fact, it should be perfectly possible to make a comination IR/Bluetooth remote that would solve all of these problems. Maybe the demand just isn't there.

It seems to me that maybe Sony just assumed the PS3 would sell craploads, and then 3rd parties would be falling all over themselves trying to get a Bluetooth remote out. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

There are two main types of remotes out there:

1) IR
2) IR + RF

This covers a bazillion types of remotes out there. The Bluetooth remote would just be the PS3, so I guess those companies just figured it wasn't worth it, especially considering the PS3 is selling way less than expected, and most people buy it for gaming purposes anyway.

Originally Posted by jokell82 

My bet is that they just wanted to sell more Playstation Remotes. There really is no other explanation that makes sense.

Could be. It's curious that PS3 bundles with free movies still don't come with a remote.

[icruise]

Originally Posted by jokell82 

My bet is that they just wanted to sell more Playstation Remotes. There really is no other explanation that makes sense.

I think it's far more likely that they wanted to consolidate all of the remotes/controllers with a single interface and didn't see the point in putting IR hardware on every single PS3 when it wasn't necessary for most people. I'm not necessarily saying that it was the right decision. At the very least, they should have an official IR adapter for people who want to use IR universal remotes.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by icruise 

I think it's far more likely that they wanted to consolidate all of the remotes/controllers with a single interface and didn't see the point in putting IR hardware on every single PS3 when it wasn't necessary for most people.

Yeah, and IR ports aren't free either. They're cheap, but they needed to cut costs on the PS3, and it already had Bluetooth.

I'm not necessarily saying that it was the right decision. At the very least, they should have an official IR adapter for people who want to use IR universal remotes.

Yup.

[jokell82]

Originally Posted by icruise 

I think it's far more likely that they wanted to consolidate all of the remotes/controllers with a single interface and didn't see the point in putting IR hardware on every single PS3 when it wasn't necessary for most people. I'm not necessarily saying that it was the right decision. At the very least, they should have an official IR adapter for people who want to use IR universal remotes.

I guess, but if they were going to get rid of stuff that wasn't necessary why would they have the card readers?

[jokell82]

Looks like AVS has shut down all Blu-Ray/HD DVD discussions due to all the crap that both sides fling. Sheesh.

[Eug]

Nah... Price doesn't matter...

Video Business: Toshiba HD-A2 model sells 90,000 over weekend

The HD DVD format significantly pumped its installed base over the weekend, as dueling store clearances sold an estimated 90,000 Toshiba players, according to sources close to retailers.

Within three days, Toshiba corralled nearly as many sales as the best-selling stand-alone Blu-ray Disc player has sold since its launch. Sony’s dominant Blu-ray set-top, the $499 BDP-S300, has shipped about 100,000 since it bowed this summer.

In fact, the 90,000 figure for HD-A2 sales could be even higher, as it doesn’t appear to include all retailer information. The figure does span consumer activity on HD-A2s at Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Circuit City, among others.

Best Buy also shaved $100 off Toshiba’s $299 third-generation player, the HD-A3, Friday through Sunday. At deadline, a Best Buy spokesman did not provide updated sales on the HD-A3.

Originally Posted by jokell82 

I guess, but if they were going to get rid of stuff that wasn't necessary why would they have the card readers?

Yeah, that never made sense to me, especially since you can just plug in a 3rd party USB flash card reader.

Originally Posted by jokell82 

Looks like AVS has shut down all Blu-Ray/HD DVD discussions due to all the crap that both sides fling. Sheesh.

Holy crap!

Originally Posted by AVS Forum

Third, while AVS Forum seems to be the top place this war is being fought, we really do not like how the members are acting as of late. We have until now tried to deal with it as we can, but now it has come to this. We have seen members attacking other members not only in debate, which is the right way, but with physical threats that have involved police and possible legal action.

[icruise]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Nah... Price doesn't matter...

Nobody has said that price doesn't matter. We have said that it's not the most important factor. HD-DVD would be in serious trouble if they didn't sell out of the limited stock they had at these prices. I don't think you can assume that this equals a similar increase in the HD-DVD user base, though. I'm sure many of the people buying the $99 players already owned HD-DVD players, and were getting them as second or third players, and no doubt some of them bought them to use primarily as normal upscaling DVD players. That's not to totally downplay what has been a very successful week. If the $99 price was the actual, normal retail price then I could see it affecting things.

[voodoo]

Is Toshiba the only significant maker of HD-DVD players? Onkyo and RCA certainly aren't. So.

It's Toshiba with support from Microsoft against the world?

Toshiba?

V

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Holy crap!

Do you have a link to one of those threads?

V

[Eug]

Originally Posted by icruise 

Nobody has said that price doesn't matter. We have said that it's not the most important factor.

Price is the most important factor... IMO, and as I've previously said. No, it's not the only factor, but at this stage of the war it's crucial.

Despite all the studio support, it basically took Sony many, many moons to accomplish what Toshiba did in 3 days... because of price.

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Is Toshiba the only significant maker of HD-DVD players? Onkyo and RCA certainly aren't. So.

It's Toshiba with support from Microsoft against the world?

Toshiba?

Yes... With a little help from Venturer this quarter at the low end.

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Do you have a link to one of those threads?

No, I don't know the specific threads they're talking about that lead to the police involvement. All I know is that there are a lot of nasty threads there. There are quite a few HD DVD p!ssheads of course, but it seems the latest events in the war (see above) have really brought out the Blu-ray uber-trolls. It's as if some Blu-rayers are in panic mode now or something, while the HD DVDers egg them on.

I do know there were some really nasty PMs going around though, cuz a few members chose to publish them.

Like really... WTF? We here get pretty animated in our discussions in this humungous thread, but I can't imagine someone threatening another member with physical bodily harm over this. That's just so odd.

[icruise]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if price was the most important factor, HD-DVD would have already won, instead of struggling to catch up with BR. (That said, if the price difference is a huge one and one that is sustainable rather than a limited time promotion, its effects will be much greater. In other words, if HD-DVD players are regularly priced at $99 and BR players are $399, HD-DVD will kick BR's ass.)

[goMac]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Is Toshiba the only significant maker of HD-DVD players? Onkyo and RCA certainly aren't. So.

On the other hand, no one in the Bluray camp is really making significant sales of Bluray standalones.

One could argue that Sony is the only significant maker of Bluray players (PS3).

[voodoo]

The way I see it, this 'format war' hasn't even started yet. There are far too few adopters of either technology.

Apple will choose either format when the time comes and that will be the format of choice. This 'war' will be fought and won on computers. Not consoles and not dedicated players.

Mark my words. Apple is selling more than a million HD capable machines every year. Add the drive and *boom* (/steve) a huuuge installed userbase ready to actually use the drive to watch movies.

On their fancy HD iMacs or MacBooks. The 'war' will last about a year when it starts. Until then, it's just going to be like this. Discussions by overly interested early adopters, hi-fi geeks and console players(!)

The 'war' will begin when *normal* people enter into it.

V

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by goMac 

On the other hand, no one in the Bluray camp is really making significant sales of Bluray standalones.

One could argue that Sony is the only significant maker of Bluray players (PS3).

Perhaps, but I maintain that the 'war' hasn't started yet. Except on nerdyforums. That the evil big faceless corporations are having people fight (voluntarily) on their behalf must surely bring a smile upon their otherwise perpetually frowning faces.

Insane, that's what it is

V

[icruise]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Perhaps, but I maintain that the 'war' hasn't started yet. Except on nerdyforums.

You're probably right, and even places like MacNN (which have higher than average nerdiness quotients) don't seem to be attracting a lot of people who are interested in this conflict. Admittedly, I just added the poll yesterday, but only 33 people so far have voted for all of the options combined.

Insane, that's what it is

It really is. I can't understand how someone can get so personally invested in this.