HD-DVD goes the way of betamax and other failed formats...it was probably doomed from the beginning because of the overall lack of industry support compared to Blu-Ray. HD-DVD has gone down in flames quickly in 2008, starting with Warner going all Blu-Ray and then Netflix decided to stop renting HD DVDs, and now the death blow has come as basically the only company that makes HD DVD players has now effectively ended the format. Of course Blu-ray will still have the task of taking over for standard DVDs, but as the players get cheaper in the next few years that should happen by early next decade.

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSL1627196120080216

LOL this sucks big time.  The other day, I was at Best Buy and some guy was buying like 6 HD-DVD movies ;D

I just hope Blu-Ray players will always be DVD compatible, though I would think they'd have to be.  I've invested too much $$ into DVDs to switch over to Blu-Ray.  Plus, alot of movies/tv shows already on DVD may take years to get a Blu-Ray format

that actually makes me happy because there are a lot of films on HD DVD so now I can pick them up cheap...hopefully.

Wow, Sony actually didn't screw something up!  :o

Ooooh, interesting stuff. I heard a short while ago that Universal and other known film distribution companies were backing Blu Ray and was convinced that was the death knoll for the HD-DVD. The format war was interesting while it lasted but glad someone got dealt a knock-out blow sooner rather than later. Anyone buying HD equipment during the format war were really taking a chance.

The twist now is I've heard something bigger is under development that will replace Blu Ray in a couple of years time.

I didn't want to invest in either one until I knew which one would wind up winning. No reason to spend hundreds of dollars on something that could be obsolete within a year. I'm sure i'll probably wind up buying a Blu-Ray player at some point, but I hope the prices really start coming down first. At one point, I think a new BR player cost over $900 :o

HD-DVD goes the way of betamax and other failed formats...it was probably doomed from the beginning because of the overall lack of industry support compared to Blu-Ray. HD-DVD has gone down in flames quickly in 2008, starting with Warner going all Blu-Ray and then Netflix decided to stop renting HD DVDs, and now the death blow has come as basically the only company that makes HD DVD players has now effectively ended the format. Of course Blu-ray will still have the task of taking over for standard DVDs, but as the players get cheaper in the next few years that should happen by early next decade.

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSL1627196120080216
theyu had those players on My Coke rewards

I didn't want to invest in either one until I knew which one would wind up winning. No reason to spend hundreds of dollars on something that could be obsolete within a year. I'm sure i'll probably wind up buying a Blu-Ray player at some point, but I hope the prices really start coming down first. At one point, I think a new BR player cost over $900 :o


Yes, Blu Ray is the more expensive option of the two. As for HD-DVD, now it's lost the war it's obselete as of now really.

I won't even think about Blu Ray for another 6 months at best. Normal DVD is good enough for me right now.  :)

I did some research and found out the new DVD technology that could replace Blu Ray is called HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc). It is under research development now and each disc could hold 3.9 Terabytes of information! This format could be out in the shops in about a couple of years time . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_Versatile_Disc

The twist now is I've heard something bigger is under development that will replace Blu Ray in a couple of years time.


That pretty much comes with the territory.  Years from now, something will succeed Blu-Ray, and then years from then, something will succeed that.  It's really an endless mile :\'(

That pretty much comes with the territory.  Years from now, something will succeed Blu-Ray, and then years from then, something will succeed that.  It's really an endless mile :\'(

What will succeed Blu-Ray?  I think Dr. Timothy Leary was trying to tell us in the 1960s; Blue-Orange-Green-Yellow-Blue-Maroon-Purple-Red-Gray-Black-Not black-Azure-Day-Glo Violet-blue-Metallic pea-Translucent amber-blue-Rainbow white-White rainbow-Bee-vision spectrum-Box of a zillion crayons-Blue-Ray~~~~
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/pinkieone.gif  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/partytime.gif
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/toothy2.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/toothy4.gif
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http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/04/faga7.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/pinkieone.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/partytime.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/multijump.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/01/aazcold.gif                http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/partysmiley.gif
            http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/icescream.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/kermit.gif 
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/11/blob3.gif                    http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/nut.gif
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_sunny.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/14/occasion16.gif
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/happy10.gif http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/hippy2.gif
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/02/butter.gif

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/help.gif

That pretty much comes with the territory.  Years from now, something will succeed Blu-Ray, and then years from then, something will succeed that.  It's really an endless mile :\'(


If the capitalists can't innovate, they don't make money :P

Yes, Blu Ray is the more expensive option of the two. As for HD-DVD, now it's lost the war it's obselete as of now really.

I won't even think about Blu Ray for another 6 months at best. Normal DVD is good enough for me right now.  :)

I did some research and found out the new DVD technology that could replace Blu Ray is called HVD (Holographic Versatile Disc). It is under research development now and each disc could hold 3.9 Terabytes of information! This format could be out in the shops in about a couple of years time . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_Versatile_Disc



It seems like the life span on these home video devices are getting shorter and shorter. VHS stayed at the top for nearly 20 years, DVD for about 10, and now Blu-Ray could be gone in about 5. :-\\

It seems like the life span on these home video devices are getting shorter and shorter. VHS stayed at the top for nearly 20 years, DVD for about 10, and now Blu-Ray could be gone in about 5. :-\\


I've thought about that alot before too. I think the shelf life of technologies are shorter now because we entered another high-tech period around 1999 (and especially like 2004+), so the public interest is getting shorter. The '80s and '90s pretty much shared the same things, like VHS, film cameras, audiotapes and stuff like that.

But as far as the OT, I'm really not surprised about this. I heard they weren't even that good. I think Blurays will co-exist with regular DVDs for quite some time, though.

I've thought about that alot before too. I think the shelf life of technologies are shorter now because we entered another high-tech period around 1999 (and especially like 2004+), so the public interest is getting shorter. The '80s and '90s pretty much shared the same things, like VHS, film cameras, audiotapes and stuff like that.

But as far as the OT, I'm really not surprised about this. I heard they weren't even that good. I think Blurays will co-exist with regular DVDs for quite some time, though.



Another aspect is the fact that now you have to adapt to these things faster than ever before. Like I've said before, alot of people didn't even get there first VCR until the late '80s(my parents included), and even though HDTV's have been on the market for over a decade, there just now really starting to take off. Today, DVD has not too long ago gotten to where VHS was in the mid '90s, in complete control of the market.

I'm sure most people would be willing to buy a complete season of there favorite show on Blu-Ray so they can watch it in HD, but I doubt they will be willing to do it again 3 or 4 years from now when something else takes off.

If the capitalists can't innovate, they don't make money :P

You mean like Bill Gates?  Steal some piece of crap some other guy built and make a hundred billion off of it?
::)

You mean like Bill Gates?  Steal some piece of crap some other guy built and make a hundred billion off of it?
::)


He's the best at what he does.

"Buy him out, boys!"

Well, there was a picture I had in mind to go with that but it's not online...good Simpsons episode though.

It seems like the life span on these home video devices are getting shorter and shorter. VHS stayed at the top for nearly 20 years, DVD for about 10, and now Blu-Ray could be gone in about 5. :-\\


Good point. Lazer discs came out in the mid 90s which were the forerunner of the DVD but were about the physical size of an LP vinyl record, so in 5 years they shrunk that down to a normal CD and over five years after that discs are produced that can hold 4 times more than the DVD. Give it another five years I'll say and then HDV will become mainstream.

Good point. Lazer discs came out in the mid 90s which were the forerunner of the DVD but were about the physical size of an LP vinyl record, so in 5 years they shrunk that down to a normal CD and over five years after that discs are produced that can hold 4 times more than the DVD. Give it another five years I'll say and then HDV will become mainstream.



I agree. I do think that the one thing holding the next generation video players back is the fact that alot of people still haven't upgraded to HD yet. HDTV's are becoming alot more affordable though, so I think over the next 2 or 3 years, as more people start to upgrade to HD, Blu-Ray will start to overtake DVD.

I agree. I do think that the one thing holding the next generation video players back is the fact that alot of people still haven't upgraded to HD yet. HDTV's are becoming alot more affordable though, so I think over the next 2 or 3 years, as more people start to upgrade to HD, Blu-Ray will start to overtake DVD.


Almost all new TVs are HD except for a few bottom of the barrel no name sets, so when people are getting new TVs there isn't really any reason to get anything else. I think ~40-45% of households now have a set capable of HD, though a smaller amount actually watch HD. It will go up with time though especially with the upcoming changeover to digital.

I agree. I do think that the one thing holding the next generation video players back is the fact that alot of people still haven't upgraded to HD yet. HDTV's are becoming alot more affordable though, so I think over the next 2 or 3 years, as more people start to upgrade to HD, Blu-Ray will start to overtake DVD.


Yes, I agree with Brian. HD is pretty much compatible with almost every tv now and, in 12 months, I have seen a huge price difference in LCD HD TVs. You would have trouble getting a 40" tv for about 1,500 pounds ($3000 ish) about a year ago but I recently have seen them going for as little as 550 pounds ($1100 ish) in the catalogue.

Another reason the next generation is being held back is SKY/Cable haven't progressed very far with their HD capabilities, making people keep hold of their old tv sets a little longer. You can only get select channels in that format.

I would only purchase a Blu-Ray player if it becomes the norm. For now, I'll stick to my regular DVD player.

Yes, I agree with Brian. HD is pretty much compatible with almost every tv now and, in 12 months, I have seen a huge price difference in LCD HD TVs. You would have trouble getting a 40" tv for about 1,500 pounds ($3000 ish) about a year ago but I recently have seen them going for as little as 550 pounds ($1100 ish) in the catalogue.

Another reason the next generation is being held back is SKY/Cable haven't progressed very far with their HD capabilities, making people keep hold of their old tv sets a little longer. You can only get select channels in that format.



Yeah, HGTV's are alot more affordable now than they were even a year ago. In fact, my parents finally got one a few weeks ago, which I honestly thought would never happen.

One thing to consider is that the price of a Blu-Ray player is still fairly expensive, which I think is also holding sales back a bit. Of course, it's possible that the fact the Playstation 3 has a built in Blu-Ray player could help the format out a little bit, even though the PS3 sales aren't nearly as good as sales for the Playstation 2 when it helped DVD overtake VHS back in 1999 and 2000.