Blockbuster to support Blu-ray

Kingslaw - dgrycan is a Bluray pimp. He thinks that forking over extra money to Sony for that extra 10 bits of data really makes a huge difference.

:-)

BTW I haven't decided what format to pick.

It is the codec and the care in getting the most out of it that matters most in either Bluray or HD-DVD.

For instance Planet Earth is both a Bluray and HD-DVD release and identical in picture and sound quality because they use the same source.

So you can watch the same pristine quality HD for cheaper with HD-DVD.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by go

Kingslaw - dgrycan is a Bluray pimp. He thinks that forking over extra money to Sony for that extra 10 bits of data really makes a huge difference.

:-)

BTW I haven't decided what format to pick.

It is the codec and the care in getting the most out of it that matters most in either Bluray or HD-DVD.

For instance Planet Earth is both a Bluray and HD-DVD release and identical in picture and sound quality because they use the same source.

So you can watch the same pristine quality HD for cheaper with HD-DVD.

---

That is false. Amazon has them priced exactly the same. In fact, certain titles like The Departed and Superman Returns are cheaper on Blu-ray because of the HD DVD and Standard DVD combo. What is it with this whole, "HD DVD is cheaper" thing anyway. From what I've seen, it's not true at all. At least, not the discs. If you're talking about the players, then ok, but I've heard a lot of people say the discs are cheaper too. Am I missing something here?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NastiMarvasti

That is false. Amazon has them priced exactly the same. In fact, certain titles like The Departed and Superman Returns are cheaper on Blu-ray because of the HD DVD and Standard DVD combo. What is it with this whole, "HD DVD is cheaper" thing anyway. From what I've seen, it's not true at all. At least, not the discs. If you're talking about the players, then ok, but I've heard a lot of people say the discs are cheaper too. Am I missing something here?

---

I think he was talking about the players themselves not the movies. I've seen the movies cost the same first hand, except like you said the dual format discs like The Departed. He is saying that if the movies cost the same then go with the cheaper player.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsctaz

I think he was talking about the players themselves not the movies. I've seen the movies cost the same first hand, except like you said the dual format discs like The Departed. He is saying that if the movies cost the same then go with the cheaper player.

---

That's what I thought he meant too, NM. But if in the end, HD DVD goes away, what's the point? So you can have 15-20 movies that you can watch as long as you have a player that works? I guess you can stock up on a couple of extra players when they cost $100 next year. You know. Have a couple of extras on stand by when one player breaks, you'll have another one on hand to replace it. ;)

Like dgrycan said earlier, the reason the HD DVD players are cheaper is that Toshiba HAS to put them out there at those prices due to lack of studio support. And who else is making HD DVD players besides Toshiba? Oh, yeah. So, they also lack other manufacturers making HD DVD players. Other than LG's combo player, which is just a converted Blu-ray player with incomplete HD DVD features. But at $1200, you're better off buying a standalone player for each format ($300 for the HD DVD and $500 for the Blu-ray) and spend the rest of the cash on movies. I don't know about you, but $400 bucks goes a long way in my house. :)

Look, I flip-flopped between formats about a year ago. I was gung-ho BR early on strictly for capacity sake. Based on what I had seen, the video and audio quality was solid on both formats, so for me, the storage limitations of HD DVD turned me to BR.

But in time, through channels I have at work, I heard that BR will never hit the consumer market. (This was in May 2006.) This infor came from a "high-up" Sony guy talking to one our "high-ups." At the time, I thought it was weird considering Sony had just announced the PS3 availability and pricing 3 days earlier at E3. As time went on, and the delays and issues for BR began to surface, it seemed as if this may turn out to be true.

When the HD DVD camp announced the first "big" HDi feature was going to be a PiP commentary on M:I3, I thought "Wow. That would be cool." Not so much for Cruise and Abrams, but I saw the potential of this feature. Other than that, and the lack of key studio support, I was easily swayed back to what some deem The Dark Side.


Here we are a year later. HD DVD's studio support is still the same, and the BR camp has not been able to pull Uni out of HD DVD's grip. But HD DVD's hand is getting sweaty and it's losing it's grip. Now, it's just a matter of time before they let go and Uni falls into Blu-ray's arms.

For folks out there with HD DVD players, I'd hold off on buying any movies for a while. There maybe a price blowout in the near future. It may be a year from now, so if you really need that 1080p version of Billy Madison, by all means, don't let my words stop you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsctaz

I think he was talking about the players themselves not the movies. I've seen the movies cost the same first hand, except like you said the dual format discs like The Departed. He is saying that if the movies cost the same then go with the cheaper player.

---

It's not that simple. You have to factor in studio support. HD-DVD SHOULD be cheaper, because they have the least amount of studio support.

BTW . . . as much as go likes to through labels around, I am not a Blu-ray pimp. I waited a long time and did a lot of research as a self-described "early adopter" and made the decision bases on value - not just price. I bought the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market, which just so happens has more features than a similarily priced HD-DVD player.

go's real problem is that he feels that Blu-ray = Sony and Sony alone. This is not correct. While obviously the biggest benefactor of the war, Blu-Ray has a much broader support in both studio AND hardware manufacturers. Toshiba has been the real bully in this war. They are the only company selling HD-DVD players right now, and by trying to undercut Blu-ray to save their format, they've done nothing to encourage new companies to enter the marketplace now that there's no profit to be made. Universal, HD-DVDs only major exclusive studio is currently in a PR tailspin thanks to poor performance at the box office, and now they're pumping out substandard discs every week. They are consistently rated near the bottom on average picture and audio quality on a number of review sites.

I am for the BEST POSSIBLE quality in HD video. As it stands, Blu-ray offers it, and HD-DVD doesn't. (And the rumored expansion of multiple layer HD-DVD discs indicate that they might not be playable on any currently manufactured HD players.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsctaz

I think he was talking about the players themselves not the movies. I've seen the movies cost the same first hand, except like you said the dual format discs like The Departed. He is saying that if the movies cost the same then go with the cheaper player.

---

I stand corrected. However, there are some people I run into at work who say the discs are cheaper too. Maybe they're just idiots.:)

No they are cheaper because they are cheaper to manufacture.

Remember, the father of the Playstation was fired yesterday too. Er I mean he retired.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NastiMarvasti

I stand corrected. However, there are some people I run into at work who say the discs are cheaper too. Maybe they're just idiots.:)

---

If they're saying that HD DVD movies are less expensive, then they're misinformed and need to stay off Aint It Cool. ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by go

No they are cheaper because they are cheaper to manufacture.

---

What are you talking about? The movies or the players?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by go

Remember, the father of the Playstation was fired yesterday too. Er I mean he retired.

---

Which has ZERO to do with the format war.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Unfiltered

What are you talking about? The movies or the players?

---

The players obviously. I thought my point was obvious since we all are informed in here.