HD-DVD is dead, Blu-Ray is king
Toshiba, the leading manufacturer and proponent of the HD-DVD format, announced today that they will cease manufacturing HD-DVD players, officially ending the high-def format war. The announcement was expected, as HD-DVD had suffered a huge series of setbacks in recent weeks. Early last month, Warner Brothers, one of the three studios that were backing HD-DVD (Paramont and Universal being the other two), announced it was switching to Blu-Ray. This was followed by announcements from Netflix and Blockbuster, two of the three leading video rental companies in the U.S., that they were going exclusively Blu-Ray. Mega-retailer Wal*Mart had also announced the decision to switch exclusively to Blu-Ray.
HD-DVD looked like it had a good start; its players were cheaper and were selling better than Blu-Ray. However, cheaper did not win out in this generation, as it had during the VHS/Betamax battle a generation ago. Sony, the major backer of Blu-Ray, ends a long string of failed media formats (including Betamax) with the success of Blu-Ray, but it now must face competition from the emerging digital download market.
In any case, if you haven't chosen a high definition player yet, Blu-Ray is the way to go. And if you, like me, bet on HD-DVD well, you can still upscale your regular DVD's using that now deprecated Toshiba player. Now to go watch Transformers on HD-DVD and cry into my popcorn.
all hail Sony, monopoly of the electronics industry. In this case, Sony literally bribed the movie studios into using the Blu-ray format.
Posted by: john | Feb 19, 2008 2:02:58 PM
perhaps hegemony, instead of monopoly. That's more fair.
Posted by: john | Feb 19, 2008 2:03:28 PM
Both formats are wayyyyyyy overpriced.
Posted by: Marty West | Feb 19, 2008 2:07:37 PM
New things are always expensive, same was true of DVD.
Posted by: David K. | Feb 19, 2008 2:11:05 PM
Now to go watch Transformers on HD-DVD and cry into my popcorn.
Megan Fox in HD? Mmmm.
(Of course, by "Mmmm," I am referring to the tastiness of popcorn. What else could I have meant? Hi, Becky.)
Posted by: Brendan Loy | Feb 19, 2008 2:31:06 PM
I have no idea what youare talking about Brendan, i totally got the HD version for the special effects...oh wait, i'm NOT married, screw it i got it for Megan Fox! She's smoking in HD!!! ;-)
Posted by: David K. | Feb 19, 2008 3:06:29 PM
That's nice and all, but could you stop putting two spaces after a period, your are not using a bloody typewriter.
Posted by: dcl | Feb 19, 2008 4:29:26 PM
Given my lack of caring about grammar in general, the odds of my not using two space after punctuation? Pretty low. In fact. Very. Very. Low. . . :D
Posted by: David K. | Feb 19, 2008 4:37:48 PM
Can you turn down the resolution for porn? Who wants to see razor burn and scars?
Posted by: JT | Feb 19, 2008 5:57:52 PM
Generally speaking, it's best to avoid typographical mistakes when attempting to chastize others for their stylistic choices which aren't actually wrong, but merely a matter of personal preference.
Posted by: Mike | Feb 19, 2008 9:49:18 PM