RIP HD-DVD

[Lazybones]

Looks official

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSL1643184420080216?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews

[Mr. Analog]

Ha-hah, I feel sorry for anyone who bought into the HD-DVD format. Sony must be losing their minds with pleasure right now...

[Darren Dirt]

Anytime that business decisions result in Sony having a monopoly, TTHW.


PS: methinks this was the final coffin-nail for Toshiba:

The exclusive backing of Microsoft Corp was also put in doubt when the software giant said in January that it could consider supporting Blu-ray technology for its Xbox 360 video game machine, which currently works only with HD DVD.

[Melbosa]

Well if it is true, it is a sad day indeed.  I just hate seeing Sony gain any monopoly, as they have proven themselves to be very untrustworthy and unforgiving.  I just don't trust the company at all!

[Mr. Analog]

I feel good about it, with a Sony monopoly the current generation of "Hi-Def" DVD formats will wither and die.

[Cova]

PS: methinks this was the final coffin-nail for Toshiba:

The exclusive backing of Microsoft Corp was also put in doubt when the software giant said in January that it could consider supporting Blu-ray technology for its Xbox 360 video game machine, which currently works only with HD DVD.

And I think everyone seems to have a REALLY bad memory.  When they originally announced the HD-DVD addon, they said if they wanted to they could also make an external blu-ray addon - at the time they were trying to prove that an external addon-drive was better than a mandatory internal drive.  Then for all of the time between then and now, they continued to state that they always could make a blu-ray drive, but they didn't want to.  And suddenly now  them saying they "could consider supporting blu-ray" is news?

Nothing against you Darren - you just had the bad luck to be the one that posted the MS quote.  It's the stupid media always trying to spin everything that I think should all be shot.

[Cova]

Good summary article on the last year of the HD-DVD vs BluRay war posted up over at Doom9 today.

http://www.doom9.org/no_choice2.htm

[Mr. Analog]

Good summary article on the last year of the HD-DVD vs BluRay war posted up over at Doom9 today.

http://www.doom9.org/no_choice2.htm

Excellent article, good find Cova.

[Darren Dirt]

Bottom line, video quality wise, if properly done (starting with a good master, and ending in a proper encode), I remain unconvinced as ever that 50GB are a necessity.

says it all, doesn't it...



and also...

With HD DVD folding, there's just Blu-ray remaining as high definition disc format. Well, there's HD VMD but can you take that seriously?

High definition download solutions have taken on some steam in the meantime, but they still face the same issues: incompatibilities, lack of available bandwidth into people's homes, ISPs throttling traffic, and so far those services are only 720p.

So, back to Blu-ray, I doubt anybody minds 2/3 more capacity regardless if it is put to good use as well as the improved bandwidth, regardless of whether you can really see the difference. And having movies from all major studios on the same format most definitely will not hurt. Having a more scratch resistant coating also won't hurt, especially if you're not a careful person (I'm anal about handling optical discs so I don't need scratchproof.. I just don't give out my discs to other people) or if you hand out discs to careless people.

And then there's the but that just had to come. Blu-ray may have won the war against HD DVD, but that doesn't automatically make it the successor of DVD.

:sigh:

In the end that way lead to Warner's defection which triggered a chain reaction which in turn eventually lead to Toshiba pulling the plug. And you cannot argue that paying off studios (keep in mind that I said the same thing when Paramount went HD DVD exclusive) gave us any choice.

Now we have a format that brings back region coding and prevents us from doing with the discs what we like (BD+ still uncracked despite Slysoft's best efforts), and that's considerably less choice than the other format would've offered. And the potential (viability to be determined) alternative - downloads - is just as DRM encumbered and thus choice limited.

The only choice (and not really one if you've seen the difference) would be going back to DVD (and battle the structural protections once more) - or limit your movie intake to the movie theater.

[Melbosa]

So there are reports now that Sony and Microsoft are talking about Blue-Ray for the 360: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ca6017de-eba6-11dc-9493-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fca6017de-eba6-11dc-9493-0000779fd2ac.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fve3d.ign.com%2F&nclick_check=1

Truth behind it I don't know.

Here is the whole article for those not registered:

Sony is in talks with console rival Microsoft about offering a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360, according to a senior executive.

The Japanese electronics maker has until now touted Blu-ray as an advantage its PlayStation 3 holds over Microsoft?s console. Microsoft has backed Toshiba?s HD-DVD format and offered an HD-DVD drive that can be plugged into the 360.

But after Sony?s victory last month in the high-definition DVD format war, Stan Glasgow, Sony Electronics US president, said the two sides were now talking about Microsoft adopting Blu-ray.

A Blu-ray drive in a 360 would make Microsoft more competitive with the PS3, but it would also mean extra revenues for Sony?s electronics division. It would also add further cost to the 360, meaning a premium edition of the console could be necessary.

Now I doubt very much Microsoft would offer Blue-Ray as a new console sale, being that the HD-DVD drive never was, and Microsoft has always stated that they want the modular style for the 360 to be one of it's strengths.

[Cova]

So there are reports now that Sony and Microsoft are talking about Blue-Ray for the 360: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ca6017de-eba6-11dc-9493-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fca6017de-eba6-11dc-9493-0000779fd2ac.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fve3d.ign.com%2F&nclick_check=1

Truth behind it I don't know.

Here is the whole article for those not registered:

Sony is in talks with console rival Microsoft about offering a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360, according to a senior executive.

The Japanese electronics maker has until now touted Blu-ray as an advantage its PlayStation 3 holds over Microsoft?s console. Microsoft has backed Toshiba?s HD-DVD format and offered an HD-DVD drive that can be plugged into the 360.

But after Sony?s victory last month in the high-definition DVD format war, Stan Glasgow, Sony Electronics US president, said the two sides were now talking about Microsoft adopting Blu-ray.

A Blu-ray drive in a 360 would make Microsoft more competitive with the PS3, but it would also mean extra revenues for Sony?s electronics division. It would also add further cost to the 360, meaning a premium edition of the console could be necessary.

Now I doubt very much Microsoft would offer Blue-Ray as a new console sale, being that the HD-DVD drive never was, and Microsoft has always stated that they want the modular style for the 360 to be one of it's strengths.

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9445&Itemid=2

And once again, MS denies it.

But a Microsoft rep said in a phone interview with Next-Gen that that is "not at all" the case

As I said earlier in the thread, MS has the advantage of using external drives for their HD disk playback - they can do HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, or some future format that's not even out yet.  And I won't believe that they're putting out any of them till I hear MS say it.

[Melbosa]

LOL, man Internet News... its all true isn't it?

[Cova]

Interesting article on HD-DVD's activity on eBay since Toshiba dropped the format:

http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/8002/hd-dvd-ebay.html

And I agree - for many people now is a good time to be buying a HD-DVD player for cheap on e-bay.  If you're shopping for a regular DVD player anyways (say your old one died), for the same price you can now get a HD-DVD player that'll upscale your DVD's, and a few HD movies.  Makes me wanna go on a e-bay HD-DVD disk shopping spree.

Or I suppose my other option would be to see what I can get for my 360 HD-DVD drive + small movie collection, and use that to bring down the price of a PS3 - though I hate the idea of giving sony any of my $.

[Lazybones]

Walmart was marked down their Venture HD-DVD Player to $69.

The problem with HD-DVD players vs a Upscaling DVD player is that I haven't seen a single HD-DVD player that supports DivX or any sort of extras for the DVD format.

[Melbosa]

The problem with HD-DVD players vs a Upscaling DVD player is that I haven't seen a single HD-DVD player that supports DivX or any sort of extras for the DVD format.

I have a DVD player with the options for a wack of other CODECs beyond the standard MPEG stuff (you guys bought it for me ), but it went out of date very fast, as it's version is way behind.  Updating the CODEC on it isn't simple either (at least now) as samsung no longer (and hasn't since about a year after purchase) provides updates for it.  So when it comes to players with those options, I find they aren't worth it in the end anyway.  As long as it plays DVDs/HD-DVDs and upscales the DVDs well, then I would say it is good enough, IMO.