Woolworths (yes, it still exists) has become the first UK retailer to drop HD-DVD from its shelves, leaving Blu-ray as the sole hi-def format on sale in its shops.
The decision was made by Woolworths bosses after Blu-Ray outsold HD-DVD by ten-to-one at its shops over Christmas, which it says is mainly down to the success of the PlayStation 3.
Warner Bros. bailing out of the later format probably had something to do with it as well, we reckon.
"Sales figures clearly show that the market is moving towards one format of high definition DVD," said Woolworths DVD buyer Steven McGunigel.
"The main reason is the success of Sony's PlayStation 3 machine. Because it plays Blu-ray discs, there are over three quarters of a million homes in the UK that can view the new high definition format. There is nowhere near that number of HD-DVD players around.
"Switching to Blu-ray only will provide one clear offer to customers in the format they want to watch high definition movies in."
Woolworths will continue to sell HD-DVD online, but if you want to buy them in the shops you'll have to walk next door... to HMV.
It's not a massive blow for the increasingly bleak-looking format, but if other retailers follow Woolworths' lead it could get even worse for them that bought Xbox 360 HD-DVD players.
UPDATE: Toshiba's European Consumer Products GM, Olivier Van Wynendaele, has offered his comments to CVG:
"We have been hugely successful in expanding the number of consumers owning HD DVD players. UK consumers can now pick-up an HD DVD player for less than £150, around half the cost of other HD formats. Even before pricing reached this level, HD DVD represented more than 60% of the overall standalone high definition market.
"Just as importantly for movie retailers, HD DVD has always enjoyed greater software sales per player than any other HD format. In fact, HD DVD owners have already bought around 3.5 movies each, compared to less than one movie sold per Blu ray device.
"While we're disappointed by Woolworths' decision, it is extremely early to spot which format will eventually win. As the figures I mention show - where consumers have a choice, they choose HD DVD. We're confident that HD DVD's affordability, fantastic choice of movies, great consumer experience and upcoming promotions will help it continue to strengthen its share of the market."
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
Seriously who actually buys their HD films from a Woolworths?! Hands-up people....it won't be a lot, my local one only stocks the odd chart title if they can be bothered to put it up, when i asked last november if they were carrying harry potter hd, they didnt know so they looked it up on their computer and said its not out until mid december do you want me to order you one! i nearly laughed in there face, so i went to my next town bought a copy and on my way home i went in and showed it to them...its no wonder they have no clue, the selection is worse than whsmiths and thats saying something...anyone with enough sense buys HD movies online because of cost..sure it won't help HD but its certainly not the end of the world.....
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
You sound like an idiot. As an 360 owner I am very happy that I was able to view HD discs on my console for only ÂŁ100 extra outlay, several months before PS3 was released over here and not having to buy an expensive dedicated player. HD DVD has arguable had the better selection of films so far and as the format will now be all but dead and burried by the end of 2008, all the films released so far will be dirt cheap! I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities because there really aren't many games that appeal that aren't coming to 360, but my HD DVD drive has served me well. If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job. At the moment my main disappointment is that Sony have phased out the full blooded 60GB PS3 with BC and left me with no choice but to buy a watered down, far less useful version.
I will continue to sit on the fence until the battle is won by one format. I couldn't care a less who wins i dont think it will have an impact on the console "war". Microsoft have already said they will provide what the consumer wants, if that is Blu-Ray then so be it.
Two things, firstly none of the Woolies I've been in have had HD-DVDs, only a meagre few Blu-Rays, and secoundly, if it wasn't for the PS3 there would be no market at all for High-Def discs. So not really a succes story after all.
Two things, firstly none of the Woolies I've been in have had HD-DVDs, only a meagre few Blu-Rays, and secoundly, if it wasn't for the PS3 there would be no market at all for High-Def discs. So not really a succes story after all.
100% have to agree on this. there are so few films out in any hd format i wonder when it's properly even going start. i havent even seen one in the likes of Tesco or Adsa etc, which by the way although Asda are the smankiest shop on the planet their PS3/360 games are Ł12.00 cheaper than most high street shops. just make sure you park your car at the far end of the car park so 1. your mates dont think you shop at Asda and 2. the chavs don't scratch it when they open their door of their chavmobile
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job.
You've totally missed the point. When most people buy in to a new piece of technology, they expect it to have some use for at least a couple of years. You've bought the HD-DVD add-on, and as you've said yourself, by the end of the year they will probably be completely redundant.
Now either you have no ability to be patient and wait, or you yourself are the idiot, buying a hundred pound add-on for a console, knowing full well you'll be buying a PS3 with bluray capability in the near future.
I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities
If you knew you'd end up getting a PS3 (as you said mostly for HD movies), and are aware the 360 add-on could in all likelihood be obselete by years end, what was the rush to run out and buy the thing?
Now heres the question I present to you, to answer in your own time...
Are you a loaded nerd who has nothing better to spend his money on, forcing you to knowingly buy things you know will have no purpose in the near future?
OR
Are you an impatient fool who wants HD movie playback so badly, you'll throw away cash just to be the first on your road to watch Transformers in High Def?
I wouldn't have been like this normally, but your pretentious and arrogant attitude in your post annoyed me rather a lot.
Depending on circumstance, a hundred pounds can mean a lot to some people. I'm aware there are others on the boards who own a lot of HD movies, warchief springs to mind as one, and that's fair play, if you can afford to have an HD movie collection, great.
But you don't need to question peoples earnings and status as a defence to you needlessly buying something that'll be obselete in a few years.
Like i said, it just smacks of arrogance, and makes you sound an idiot.
EDIT: I sprang to mind? Well gee wizz Moby, I'm honored to be in one of your posts, even if the below now sort of covers much of the stuff you were talking quite negatively about. Though as I say I didn't rush out to buy anything with the motive of being the first to watch Transformers in HD, I just wanted to maximize enjoyment of the large investment I'd made in buying a HDTV. Anyway, original post...
No market for high-def discs without the PS3? Not sure about that. What about HD TVs? Back when I had the Xbox 360 and wasn't even considering a PS3, I couldn't wait for the HD DVD drive. I bought my first HD TV (a pretty poor 720p-only 50" plasma) specifically for use with the 360, and I felt I wasn't getting the best value from it because all I was seeing in HD was games - something I could do on my PC already. Sky HD and it's handful of channels is a pointless upgrade, especially since I never watch TV - so a HD movie format was exactly what I wanted. Since then I've completely embraced both formats, with 15 or so HD DVDs and close to 60 Blu-Rays. I even upgraded my TV to a 55" SXRD because I wanted to have a full HD 1080p set to get the most from my HD films - most games run at 720p or less so my old TV was fine for gaming. The upgrade was purely film-motivated, as was my upgrade to a 360 Elite for 1080p via HDMI. The PS3 has definitely expanded the market hugely, but I'd say there lots of people like me who were already in the market for HD films before the PS3 showed up, especially over in the U.S.
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
You sound like an idiot. As an 360 owner I am very happy that I was able to view HD discs on my console for only ÂŁ100 extra outlay, several months before PS3 was released over here and not having to buy an expensive dedicated player. HD DVD has arguable had the better selection of films so far and as the format will now be all but dead and burried by the end of 2008, all the films released so far will be dirt cheap! I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities because there really aren't many games that appeal that aren't coming to 360, but my HD DVD drive has served me well. If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job. At the moment my main disappointment is that Sony have phased out the full blooded 60GB PS3 with BC and left me with no choice but to buy a watered down, far less useful version.
there i was trying to be nice, and sincere, instead of laughing at the 360 ( again ). and then i get a c*nt like you calling me an idiot. as for money, i just put a deposit down on a bmw 135i M sport, with 7 grands worth of extra's. i will pay in cash upon delivery in march. i happen to work from home, for myself, as a private investor. unlike you, i dont have to work for money, i make money work for me. so when you go into work in the morning for your minimum wage, please think about how i will be sitting in the comfort of my home, laptop in hand watching my money grow. now, why dont you think before you speak, if you can understand the principles of someone being genuinly sorry for you and commenting as such that is.
HD DVD hasn't got a hope in hell. It never did. I refer to my countless other posts against it. It has no game support (a must for an attachment which requires a games console to be useful), movie studios keep dropping support, the player is too expensive on top of the console, and it has significantly less storage space than Blu-ray.
If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job.
You've totally missed the point. When most people buy in to a new piece of technology, they expect it to have some use for at least a couple of years. You've bought the HD-DVD add-on, and as you've said yourself, by the end of the year they will probably be completely redundant.
Now either you have no ability to be patient and wait, or you yourself are the idiot, buying a hundred pound add-on for a console, knowing full well you'll be buying a PS3 with bluray capability in the near future.
I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities
If you knew you'd end up getting a PS3 (as you said mostly for HD movies), and are aware the 360 add-on could in all likelihood be obselete by years end, what was the rush to run out and buy the thing?
Now heres the question I present to you, to answer in your own time...
Are you a loaded nerd who has nothing better to spend his money on, forcing you to knowingly buy things you know will have no purpose in the near future?
OR
Are you an impatient fool who wants HD movie playback so badly, you'll throw away cash just to be the first on your road to watch Transformers in High Def?
I wouldn't have been like this normally, but your pretentious and arrogant attitude in your post annoyed me rather a lot.
Depending on circumstance, a hundred pounds can mean a lot to some people. I'm aware there are others on the boards who own a lot of HD movies, warchief springs to mind as one, and that's fair play, if you can afford to have an HD movie collection, great.
But you don't need to question peoples earnings and status as a defence to you needlessly buying something that'll be obselete in a few years.
Like i said, it just smacks of arrogance, and makes you sound an idiot.
thankyou for fighting my corner, you can obviously see the point i was making. he was was a c*nt in response to me, however, after reading how diplomatic you were about the whole thing i feel a bit bad about my post above lol ^^.
( i dont react well to people trying to walk over me, i am not a doormat lol )
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
You sound like an idiot. As an 360 owner I am very happy that I was able to view HD discs on my console for only ÂŁ100 extra outlay, several months before PS3 was released over here and not having to buy an expensive dedicated player. HD DVD has arguable had the better selection of films so far and as the format will now be all but dead and burried by the end of 2008, all the films released so far will be dirt cheap! I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities because there really aren't many games that appeal that aren't coming to 360, but my HD DVD drive has served me well. If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job. At the moment my main disappointment is that Sony have phased out the full blooded 60GB PS3 with BC and left me with no choice but to buy a watered down, far less useful version.
there i was trying to be nice, and sincere, instead of laughing at the 360 ( again ). and then i get a c*nt like you calling me an idiot. as for money, i just put a deposit down on a bmw 135i M sport, with 7 grands worth of extra's. i will pay in cash upon delivery in march. i happen to work from home, for myself, as a private investor. unlike you, i dont have to work for money, i make money work for me. so when you go into work in the morning for your minimum wage, please think about how i will be sitting in the comfort of my home, laptop in hand watching my money grow. now, why dont you think before you speak, if you can understand the principles of someone being genuinly sorry for you and commenting as such that is.
i'm with BoilHawk. i own a seven bed 5 bath farmhouse worth over a million! can i have a go at this t**t as well. if you think a hundred quid isn't a lot of money then you are a bigger t**t than your posts make out. thank you.
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
You sound like an idiot. As an 360 owner I am very happy that I was able to view HD discs on my console for only ÂŁ100 extra outlay, several months before PS3 was released over here and not having to buy an expensive dedicated player. HD DVD has arguable had the better selection of films so far and as the format will now be all but dead and burried by the end of 2008, all the films released so far will be dirt cheap! I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities because there really aren't many games that appeal that aren't coming to 360, but my HD DVD drive has served me well. If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job. At the moment my main disappointment is that Sony have phased out the full blooded 60GB PS3 with BC and left me with no choice but to buy a watered down, far less useful version.
there i was trying to be nice, and sincere, instead of laughing at the 360 ( again ). and then i get a c*nt like you calling me an idiot. as for money, i just put a deposit down on a bmw 135i M sport, with 7 grands worth of extra's. i will pay in cash upon delivery in march. i happen to work from home, for myself, as a private investor. unlike you, i dont have to work for money, i make money work for me. so when you go into work in the morning for your minimum wage, please think about how i will be sitting in the comfort of my home, laptop in hand watching my money grow. now, why dont you think before you speak, if you can understand the principles of someone being genuinly sorry for you and commenting as such that is.
i'm with BoilHawk. i own a seven bed 5 bath farmhouse worth over a million! can i have a go at this t**t as well. if you think a hundred quid isn't a lot of money then you are a bigger t**t than your posts make out. thank you.
If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job.
You've totally missed the point. When most people buy in to a new piece of technology, they expect it to have some use for at least a couple of years. You've bought the HD-DVD add-on, and as you've said yourself, by the end of the year they will probably be completely redundant.
Now either you have no ability to be patient and wait, or you yourself are the idiot, buying a hundred pound add-on for a console, knowing full well you'll be buying a PS3 with bluray capability in the near future.
I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities
If you knew you'd end up getting a PS3 (as you said mostly for HD movies), and are aware the 360 add-on could in all likelihood be obselete by years end, what was the rush to run out and buy the thing?
Now heres the question I present to you, to answer in your own time...
Are you a loaded nerd who has nothing better to spend his money on, forcing you to knowingly buy things you know will have no purpose in the near future?
OR
Are you an impatient fool who wants HD movie playback so badly, you'll throw away cash just to be the first on your road to watch Transformers in High Def?
I wouldn't have been like this normally, but your pretentious and arrogant attitude in your post annoyed me rather a lot.
Depending on circumstance, a hundred pounds can mean a lot to some people. I'm aware there are others on the boards who own a lot of HD movies, warchief springs to mind as one, and that's fair play, if you can afford to have an HD movie collection, great.
But you don't need to question peoples earnings and status as a defence to you needlessly buying something that'll be obselete in a few years.
Like i said, it just smacks of arrogance, and makes you sound an idiot.
thankyou for fighting my corner, you can obviously see the point i was making. he was was a c*nt in response to me, however, after reading how diplomatic you were about the whole thing i feel a bit bad about my post above lol ^^.
( i dont react well to people trying to walk over me, i am not a doormat lol )
Like this guy I also bought a HDDVD player for my 360 and in a few months time I will probably buy a PS3 for nothing other than BluRay. Ł100 isnt much for the great experience I've had with my HDDVD player but that doesn't mean im not annoyed that HDDVD is going bust. I don't see why people want BluRay to win anyway. I would much rather import all my movies from America getting them sooner and cheaper than anyone with a BluRay player could (which are not region free).
In the end everyone has lost. The people who bought a HDDVD player since it is going bust and the utter idiots who supported BluRay and its non importing ways. The one chance we had at easily importing films for our next gen movie format and you clowns blew it. WELL DONE!
im all for both formats as the dual players are hitting the market now, but i really dont think we will see a winner until players drop alot weather you get free discs or not. weather woolies sells blu ray or hd-dvd isnt really a problem cant remember the last time i bought one from a shop.
Bluray will win the war against HD dvd, but it'll still struggle to make as much of an impact as standard dvd has. With over half of the UK still owning old CRT type tv's, bluray was never going to be that popular.
In a few years with super fast internet about, it'll all be digital movie downloads. Even apple said recently that they've sold more movies online than HD DVD and Blu-ray combined.
Digital downloading is the future, we all know it. Bluray beating HD dvd will certainly help shift some ps3's though(sony needs all the help it can get).
Not just Woolworths - WHSmith and ASDA are the same.
Funny, I bought Transformers on HD-DVD from ASDA yesterday.
Also worth pointing out is that Blockbusters are starting to stock HD-DVD, when they certainly used to be exclusively BluRay.
I don't care which format wins, I own both. Anyway, all players are going to be dual format in the near future in the same way nobody knows/cares who won the writable DVD format wars. I wouldn't expect this to extend to the PS3 due to hardware design, but Microsoft could quite easily release a dual format drive for the 360 which would play your HD-DVD collection should BluRay win out.
Warner Brothers and Woolworths have both screwed up on that one.
I suspected that the attach-rate for HD-DVD players was a lot higher, as a large chunk of the Blu-Ray market right now is being driven by curious gamers, while early-adopting movie enthusiasts seem to be going for HD-DVD. (Or both, if they can afford it.)
Now, go check the electronics charts on play.com Here's a link for you.
Last I checked, there were two HD-DVD players in the top-ten alone, which means that HD-DVD players are still selling well. (Even out-selling iPods at that retailer at least.)
If the market for HD-DVD is as big as reports are telling, it means that HD-DVD is still too big a market for at least certain studios to ignore, which means that HD-DVD is a long, long way from dying off.
The way it's looking at the moment, we're either going to end up with two dead formats, or a console-style dual format for movie goers to pick from.
Either way, it's bad news for consumers. If only Warner Bros. had gone with HD-DVD, I reckon this would have all been over a lot sooner.
(And we'd be able to watch discs from anywhere in the world, instead of being forced to buy the stripped-down UK versions, w00t.)
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
You sound like an idiot. As an 360 owner I am very happy that I was able to view HD discs on my console for only ÂŁ100 extra outlay, several months before PS3 was released over here and not having to buy an expensive dedicated player. HD DVD has arguable had the better selection of films so far and as the format will now be all but dead and burried by the end of 2008, all the films released so far will be dirt cheap! I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities because there really aren't many games that appeal that aren't coming to 360, but my HD DVD drive has served me well. If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job. At the moment my main disappointment is that Sony have phased out the full blooded 60GB PS3 with BC and left me with no choice but to buy a watered down, far less useful version.
there i was trying to be nice, and sincere, instead of laughing at the 360 ( again ). and then i get a c*nt like you calling me an idiot. as for money, i just put a deposit down on a bmw 135i M sport, with 7 grands worth of extra's. i will pay in cash upon delivery in march. i happen to work from home, for myself, as a private investor. unlike you, i dont have to work for money, i make money work for me. so when you go into work in the morning for your minimum wage, please think about how i will be sitting in the comfort of my home, laptop in hand watching my money grow. now, why dont you think before you speak, if you can understand the principles of someone being genuinly sorry for you and commenting as such that is.
As if you were ever trying to be sincere! It was a sarcastic comment taking another jealous swipe at the 360 from an obvious PS3 fanboy. Now I didn't call you an idiot, I just said you sounded like one but by your reaction to this it is clear that it must be closer to the truth than I had thought! This seems to be borne out by the fact that you resorted to childish swearing and name calling in your defence; nice touch.
By the way, all the stuff you say about your new car and your job where "money works for you" make you sound like the pretentious individual I'm sure you know you are. You ask "why don't you think before you speak" but you obviously don't listen to your own advice because I don't think I ever mentioned what I do for work did I? All I shall say is my earnings are a far cry from minimum or even an average wage. You know what, I do go to work in the morning and I really enjoy my job, but when I come home I can escape from work completely; something I doubt you can do if your home and workplace are one and the same. Maybe this is why you seem so angry.
Now to recap for those that didn't understand my original point: I bought the 360 HD DVD add-on knowing full well that the format could well fail in the next year or so because Ł100 for even a year's worth of viewing does not seem like a lot of money when you consider a lot of the pointless stuff people spend money on. Some of you seem to forget that even if the format does become obsolete, it doesn't mean that the hardware suddenly becomes useless! Are all my HD DVDs suddenly going to turn to dust the second the format is dropped? It was the cheapest and most convenient way of getting into the HD film market and I'm no AV fanatic so I wasn't going to miss the features it omitted. Even if I had known HD DVD was to be the losing format I probably would still have bought the drive because there are a lot of great films out on HD DVD which will not come out on Blu Ray for a long while even once the studios do all switch sides. As HD DVD films will soon all be less than half price if I buy even 10 more after that time then I will have saved the cost of the drive.
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
You sound like an idiot. As an 360 owner I am very happy that I was able to view HD discs on my console for only ÂŁ100 extra outlay, several months before PS3 was released over here and not having to buy an expensive dedicated player. HD DVD has arguable had the better selection of films so far and as the format will now be all but dead and burried by the end of 2008, all the films released so far will be dirt cheap! I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities because there really aren't many games that appeal that aren't coming to 360, but my HD DVD drive has served me well. If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job. At the moment my main disappointment is that Sony have phased out the full blooded 60GB PS3 with BC and left me with no choice but to buy a watered down, far less useful version.
there i was trying to be nice, and sincere, instead of laughing at the 360 ( again ). and then i get a c*nt like you calling me an idiot. as for money, i just put a deposit down on a bmw 135i M sport, with 7 grands worth of extra's. i will pay in cash upon delivery in march. i happen to work from home, for myself, as a private investor. unlike you, i dont have to work for money, i make money work for me. so when you go into work in the morning for your minimum wage, please think about how i will be sitting in the comfort of my home, laptop in hand watching my money grow. now, why dont you think before you speak, if you can understand the principles of someone being genuinly sorry for you and commenting as such that is.
As if you were ever trying to be sincere! It was a sarcastic comment taking another jealous swipe at the 360 from an obvious PS3 fanboy. Now I didn't call you an idiot, I just said you sounded like one but by your reaction to this it is clear that it must be closer to the truth than I had thought! This seems to be borne out by the fact that you resorted to childish swearing and name calling in your defence; nice touch.
By the way, all the stuff you say about your new car and your job where "money works for you" make you sound like the pretentious individual I'm sure you know you are. You ask "why don't you think before you speak" but you obviously don't listen to your own advice because I don't think I ever mentioned what I do for work did I? All I shall say is my earnings are a far cry from minimum or even an average wage. You know what, I do go to work in the morning and I really enjoy my job, but when I come home I can escape from work completely; something I doubt you can do if your home and workplace are one and the same. Maybe this is why you seem so angry.
Now to recap for those that didn't understand my original point: I bought the 360 HD DVD add-on knowing full well that the format could well fail in the next year or so because Ł100 for even a year's worth of viewing does not seem like a lot of money when you consider a lot of the pointless stuff people spend money on. Some of you seem to forget that even if the format does become obsolete, it doesn't mean that the hardware suddenly becomes useless! Are all my HD DVDs suddenly going to turn to dust the second the format is dropped? It was the cheapest and most convenient way of getting into the HD film market and I'm no AV fanatic so I wasn't going to miss the features it omitted. Even if I had known HD DVD was to be the losing format I probably would still have bought the drive because there are a lot of great films out on HD DVD which will not come out on Blu Ray for a long while even once the studios do all switch sides. As HD DVD films will soon all be less than half price if I buy even 10 more after that time then I will have saved the cost of the drive.
i was actually being sincere. all of my friends have a 360, im the only one with a ps3, and they havent got the cash to update or get a ps3, so genuinly i did mean that i feel for those who have splashed out. however when a fanboy calls me an idiot, which you clearly did, you spoke rhetorically, i react, and i dished out what i thought best at the time. my next comment came after i had had time to reflect, and i feel i let myself down by rising to your name calling. at the same time, if you dont like it, dont dish it out. im very happy with my life, work and situation. and you say you're the same, so why call people an idiot for something you wrongly perceived as sarcasm?
In the end everyone has lost. The people who bought a HDDVD player since it is going bust and the utter idiots who supported BluRay and its non importing ways. The one chance we had at easily importing films for our next gen movie format and you clowns blew it. WELL DONE!
It's hardly the "one chance". If you've got a PC powerful enough to play high def movies, you simply buy yourself a Blu-Ray drive (they can now be found for around Ł100), and then download AnyDVD (it's crippleware, but the crack's easily found). Bingo, you're done. Next!
(And if your huge HD TV doesn't have any DVI inputs, all you need is a DVI to HDMI cable; you can buy them off Amazon for less than a tenner.)
To be honest I think a lot of people saw Blu-Ray winning the HD movie war a mile off - and we'll see this year full with news of online retailers, high street shops, film publishers, film studios pulling out of HD-DVD.
As for Dual players, I think they wont last long either as there will be no need for them if Blu-Ray is the only HD film format and chances are that Blu-Ray players will come down further in price.
Also While Im on the players subject, did anyone else think Sega Mega CD when they first saw the 360 HD-DVD drive add on? I mean you would of thought that Microsoft would of learnt from Sega's mistake that big money console add-ons dont sell. Sega 32X, Mega CD, Saturn Video card, etc.
I'd like to raise the point that Blu-Ray films will take quite a bit more time to really take off. Probably by mid 2009 they will be a bit more common place. You know it did take DVD quite a few years to finally take VHS off the shelves, and Im sure that Blu-Ray and DVD will be able to co-exsist in shops for many years.
And lastly, online HD downloads? Not any time soon my friends! Im sure Blu-Ray will run its course before that becomes fesable. At this moment in time we are using 25gig Blu-Rays even if you have 12meg cable Broadband now thats gonna take some time to get. So somthing like Planet Earth which is 5x 25gig Blu-Rays is just not going to happen. In the future? Can you see the telephone companies ripping up all the old phone lines and giving everyone cable as standard? I cant see that happening, so the best you can hope for is something like a 28meg ADSL line which drops to about 16meg when it hits peak times by that time we want 4x50gig Blu-Ray box sets and IT JUST WONT HAPPEN! Well maybe by 2020 but if Blu-Ray lasts untill then, well Sony done well!
In the end everyone has lost. The people who bought a HDDVD player since it is going bust and the utter idiots who supported BluRay and its non importing ways. The one chance we had at easily importing films for our next gen movie format and you clowns blew it. WELL DONE!
I think you need to do a search on google for "Region All Blu-Ray" there is a site that lists hundreds of Blu-Rays that dont even have region protection. I think you are panicing over nothing as I've brough Blu-Rays in Region 1 and they work fine on my UK PS3.
I also remember people saying the same stuff about DVD players only playing films from what ever region you brought it in. We got over that pretty quick! Im sure the region lock-out on Blu-Ray will be hacked and a think of the past soon!
If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job.
You've totally missed the point. When most people buy in to a new piece of technology, they expect it to have some use for at least a couple of years. You've bought the HD-DVD add-on, and as you've said yourself, by the end of the year they will probably be completely redundant.
Now either you have no ability to be patient and wait, or you yourself are the idiot, buying a hundred pound add-on for a console, knowing full well you'll be buying a PS3 with bluray capability in the near future.
Initially when I bought my 360 I had no intention of buying a PS3 for a while (not least because it wasn't even going to launch for more than a year at the time) because I bought the console for games only, not owning an HDTV at the time, however I knew that sometime in the future I would upgrade to HD. I bought a fairly modest 32" 720p HDTV soon after the HD DVD add-on had been released for the 360 and as falloutwarchief said, it made sense to buy the drive to get more value out of the TV. I probably shouldn't have started my first reply by saying the other guy sounded like an idiot but his comment was just the sort of thing you'd expect from a PS3 fanboy; opportunistic Microsoft bashing like many idiots partake in (and not just regarding their XBOX gaming division). Now I'm in no way Microsoft's biggest fan and they have made some very bad decisions and some very bad software over the company's lifetime but 95% of people who slate them at the drop of a hat are just jumping on the bandwagon and have no informed opinions on the matter.
I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities
If you knew you'd end up getting a PS3 (as you said mostly for HD movies), and are aware the 360 add-on could in all likelihood be obselete by years end, what was the rush to run out and buy the thing?
Now heres the question I present to you, to answer in your own time...
Are you a loaded nerd who has nothing better to spend his money on, forcing you to knowingly buy things you know will have no purpose in the near future?
OR
Are you an impatient fool who wants HD movie playback so badly, you'll throw away cash just to be the first on your road to watch Transformers in High Def?
I wouldn't have been like this normally, but your pretentious and arrogant attitude in your post annoyed me rather a lot.
Depending on circumstance, a hundred pounds can mean a lot to some people. I'm aware there are others on the boards who own a lot of HD movies, warchief springs to mind as one, and that's fair play, if you can afford to have an HD movie collection, great.
But you don't need to question peoples earnings and status as a defence to you needlessly buying something that'll be obselete in a few years.
Like i said, it just smacks of arrogance, and makes you sound an idiot.
When I bought the 360 HD DVD add-on the HD film market was split down the middle and this didn't change until the recent Warner Bros announcement. I never said that I thought in likelihood HD DVD would fail as a format, in fact I hoped that it would prevail as it seemed to have more merit than Blu Ray, however I was prepared for the fact that it was about 50/50 that it would fail in the next couple of years.
If I have to class myself based on your limited criteria for why one would buy such a piece of hardware than I would say that I fall somewhere between your two suggestions. I am a bit of a nerd who likes to spend some of his disposable income on new technology and I am somewhat impatient when it comes to the uptake of this technology. If no one buys into new technology then the progress of that technology becoming marketable and affordable for the masses will take much longer. I would not spend hundred of pounds on hardware that was untested but that was not the case with the HD DVD add-on: the technology was fairly mature (having been derived from standard DVD technology unlike Blu Ray) and the price was great for something that was relatively cutting edge (having been available as a format for less than nine months). In my opinion (would this have helped in my first reply?) Ł100 is not a lot of money in relative terms for this device when all factors are considered and I know many people would agree with me. I agree with you that I shouldn't have used a person's level on income as a defence for me buying this device but then I wasn't trying to defend my purchase, just justify why it was stupid for someone to call it "money down the toilet".
My contact at Toshiba has advised that Toshiba will not be backing down.
They have started a price war now by dropping the price of their players and offering 7 Free films.
I doubt this will be enough though to gain the user base back from Blu-ray.
When they have been offering that many free films they should be disappointed that the attach rate is only 3.5. Personally I think it's just a clearance sale now to offload all their stock before every man and his dog know the format is truely dead and the value of the players completely tanks. I would be interested to know if the HD-DVD manufacters areup production levels to match the bullish-ness of these statements.
If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job.
You've totally missed the point. When most people buy in to a new piece of technology, they expect it to have some use for at least a couple of years. You've bought the HD-DVD add-on, and as you've said yourself, by the end of the year they will probably be completely redundant.
Now either you have no ability to be patient and wait, or you yourself are the idiot, buying a hundred pound add-on for a console, knowing full well you'll be buying a PS3 with bluray capability in the near future.
Initially when I bought my 360 I had no intention of buying a PS3 for a while (not least because it wasn't even going to launch for more than a year at the time) because I bought the console for games only, not owning an HDTV at the time, however I knew that sometime in the future I would upgrade to HD. I bought a fairly modest 32" 720p HDTV soon after the HD DVD add-on had been released for the 360 and as falloutwarchief said, it made sense to buy the drive to get more value out of the TV. I probably shouldn't have started my first reply by saying the other guy sounded like an idiot but his comment was just the sort of thing you'd expect from a PS3 fanboy; opportunistic Microsoft bashing like many idiots partake in (and not just regarding their XBOX gaming division). Now I'm in no way Microsoft's biggest fan and they have made some very bad decisions and some very bad software over the company's lifetime but 95% of people who slate them at the drop of a hat are just jumping on the bandwagon and have no informed opinions on the matter.
I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities
If you knew you'd end up getting a PS3 (as you said mostly for HD movies), and are aware the 360 add-on could in all likelihood be obselete by years end, what was the rush to run out and buy the thing?
Now heres the question I present to you, to answer in your own time...
Are you a loaded nerd who has nothing better to spend his money on, forcing you to knowingly buy things you know will have no purpose in the near future?
OR
Are you an impatient fool who wants HD movie playback so badly, you'll throw away cash just to be the first on your road to watch Transformers in High Def?
I wouldn't have been like this normally, but your pretentious and arrogant attitude in your post annoyed me rather a lot.
Depending on circumstance, a hundred pounds can mean a lot to some people. I'm aware there are others on the boards who own a lot of HD movies, warchief springs to mind as one, and that's fair play, if you can afford to have an HD movie collection, great.
But you don't need to question peoples earnings and status as a defence to you needlessly buying something that'll be obselete in a few years.
Like i said, it just smacks of arrogance, and makes you sound an idiot.
When I bought the 360 HD DVD add-on the HD film market was split down the middle and this didn't change until the recent Warner Bros announcement. I never said that I thought in likelihood HD DVD would fail as a format, in fact I hoped that it would prevail as it seemed to have more merit than Blu Ray, however I was prepared for the fact that it was about 50/50 that it would fail in the next couple of years.
If I have to class myself based on your limited criteria for why one would buy such a piece of hardware than I would say that I fall somewhere between your two suggestions. I am a bit of a nerd who likes to spend some of his disposable income on new technology and I am somewhat impatient when it comes to the uptake of this technology. If no one buys into new technology then the progress of that technology becoming marketable and affordable for the masses will take much longer. I would not spend hundred of pounds on hardware that was untested but that was not the case with the HD DVD add-on: the technology was fairly mature (having been derived from standard DVD technology unlike Blu Ray) and the price was great for something that was relatively cutting edge (having been available as a format for less than nine months). In my opinion (would this have helped in my first reply?) Ł100 is not a lot of money in relative terms for this device when all factors are considered and I know many people would agree with me. I agree with you that I shouldn't have used a person's level on income as a defence for me buying this device but then I wasn't trying to defend my purchase, just justify why it was stupid for someone to call it "money down the toilet".
well i see your point, and i'll take what you said as much of an apology as i'll get. i have already said i feel i let myself down by what i said in return, and you can take that as an apology, both are indirect admissions of wrong doing so thats fair / even. as for the money down the toilet line, that was a gag, a quip, a joke. i thought it very funny / witty. i dont hate microsoft. far from it, im using their product as we speak to write this very piece. i am no fanboy, i just happen to own a ps3 over a 360. i am like you in the fact i like my technology, lets let this be the end of our handbags ;0)
If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job.
You've totally missed the point. When most people buy in to a new piece of technology, they expect it to have some use for at least a couple of years. You've bought the HD-DVD add-on, and as you've said yourself, by the end of the year they will probably be completely redundant.
Now either you have no ability to be patient and wait, or you yourself are the idiot, buying a hundred pound add-on for a console, knowing full well you'll be buying a PS3 with bluray capability in the near future.
Initially when I bought my 360 I had no intention of buying a PS3 for a while (not least because it wasn't even going to launch for more than a year at the time) because I bought the console for games only, not owning an HDTV at the time, however I knew that sometime in the future I would upgrade to HD. I bought a fairly modest 32" 720p HDTV soon after the HD DVD add-on had been released for the 360 and as falloutwarchief said, it made sense to buy the drive to get more value out of the TV. I probably shouldn't have started my first reply by saying the other guy sounded like an idiot but his comment was just the sort of thing you'd expect from a PS3 fanboy; opportunistic Microsoft bashing like many idiots partake in (and not just regarding their XBOX gaming division). Now I'm in no way Microsoft's biggest fan and they have made some very bad decisions and some very bad software over the company's lifetime but 95% of people who slate them at the drop of a hat are just jumping on the bandwagon and have no informed opinions on the matter.
I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities
If you knew you'd end up getting a PS3 (as you said mostly for HD movies), and are aware the 360 add-on could in all likelihood be obselete by years end, what was the rush to run out and buy the thing?
Now heres the question I present to you, to answer in your own time...
Are you a loaded nerd who has nothing better to spend his money on, forcing you to knowingly buy things you know will have no purpose in the near future?
OR
Are you an impatient fool who wants HD movie playback so badly, you'll throw away cash just to be the first on your road to watch Transformers in High Def?
I wouldn't have been like this normally, but your pretentious and arrogant attitude in your post annoyed me rather a lot.
Depending on circumstance, a hundred pounds can mean a lot to some people. I'm aware there are others on the boards who own a lot of HD movies, warchief springs to mind as one, and that's fair play, if you can afford to have an HD movie collection, great.
But you don't need to question peoples earnings and status as a defence to you needlessly buying something that'll be obselete in a few years.
Like i said, it just smacks of arrogance, and makes you sound an idiot.
When I bought the 360 HD DVD add-on the HD film market was split down the middle and this didn't change until the recent Warner Bros announcement. I never said that I thought in likelihood HD DVD would fail as a format, in fact I hoped that it would prevail as it seemed to have more merit than Blu Ray, however I was prepared for the fact that it was about 50/50 that it would fail in the next couple of years.
If I have to class myself based on your limited criteria for why one would buy such a piece of hardware than I would say that I fall somewhere between your two suggestions. I am a bit of a nerd who likes to spend some of his disposable income on new technology and I am somewhat impatient when it comes to the uptake of this technology. If no one buys into new technology then the progress of that technology becoming marketable and affordable for the masses will take much longer. I would not spend hundred of pounds on hardware that was untested but that was not the case with the HD DVD add-on: the technology was fairly mature (having been derived from standard DVD technology unlike Blu Ray) and the price was great for something that was relatively cutting edge (having been available as a format for less than nine months). In my opinion (would this have helped in my first reply?) Ł100 is not a lot of money in relative terms for this device when all factors are considered and I know many people would agree with me. I agree with you that I shouldn't have used a person's level on income as a defence for me buying this device but then I wasn't trying to defend my purchase, just justify why it was stupid for someone to call it "money down the toilet".
well i see your point, and i'll take what you said as much of an apology as i'll get. i have already said i feel i let myself down by what i said in return, and you can take that as an apology, both are indirect admissions of wrong doing so thats fair / even. as for the money down the toilet line, that was a gag, a quip, a joke. i thought it very funny / witty. i dont hate microsoft. far from it, im using their product as we speak to write this very piece. i am no fanboy, i just happen to own a ps3 over a 360. i am like you in the fact i like my technology, lets let this be the end of our handbags ;0)
personally i think that Blu-Ray, will win hands down, but now they are both being intergrated into computers, so now we have computer manufactuers battling it out, with Dell on Blu-rays side, and Toshiba on the HDDVD camp. great.
ALSO, Gamestation have just decided to stop stocking HD DVD's.....not that it really matter's heh. So be on the lookout for cheap HD DVD's in Gamestation as they will be trying to get rid of the stock
A couple of weeks ago when I heard about the blow to HD-DVD I was seriously considering abandoning my plan to get an Xbox 360 and just get a PS3 instead for the Blu-Ray support. This weekend I took the plunge and bought myself a shiny new HDTV, but had a spur-of-the-moment change of heart in the shop and went for the Xbox 360 (mostly because of a rather nice deal the manager gave me to sweeten the purchase).
Then I found out about the 5 free films offer with the HD-DVD drive. At about Ł15 each, that's Ł75-worth of free films (luckily there were 5 on the list that I actually liked ) for a Ł100 drive, that will also let me watch Batman Begins and Transformers in hi-def. I thought long and hard over the weekend about this, and noticed that a large number of my favourite films are still only available on HD-DVD. I really don't care if the format is obsolete by the end of the year - I've easily got one year's worth of value for money out of this combo.
So, yeah. I know it's going to die relatively soon. I still don't feel like an idiot for buying something I know I'm going to enjoy until it does. Even then, I'll still have the films I already own. I fail to see the problem.
as a ps3 owner i genuinly feel for those who bought an HD-dvd drive for their 360. i dont know how much they cost, but its basically money down the toilet, or as i prefer to call it, microsoft.
You sound like an idiot. As an 360 owner I am very happy that I was able to view HD discs on my console for only ÂŁ100 extra outlay, several months before PS3 was released over here and not having to buy an expensive dedicated player. HD DVD has arguable had the better selection of films so far and as the format will now be all but dead and burried by the end of 2008, all the films released so far will be dirt cheap! I was always going to buy a PS3 at some time, mostly for its HD film playing capabilities because there really aren't many games that appeal that aren't coming to 360, but my HD DVD drive has served me well. If ÂŁ100 is a lot of cash to you maybe you should get a (better?) job. At the moment my main disappointment is that Sony have phased out the full blooded 60GB PS3 with BC and left me with no choice but to buy a watered down, far less useful version.
To be honest with you though, you could have spent that 100 quid on something else, and lets really speak the truth here, there IS more (good) films on blu-ray now, so you can't really go into that, but then if you knew you were getting a ps3, why by the hd-dvd add on in the first place. Personally, if i wasn't a ps3 owner the only reason i'd be glad blu ray won is because it's quicker to say.
1. There shouldn't be any competition at all. Blu-Ray is better than HD-DVD. It just simply is. 50GB or 25GB? Hmm. 2. Blu-Ray coming with the PS3 is a big help.
3. Toshiba are clutching straws, but I don't see what they ahve to lose, aren't they involved heavily with Blu-Ray?
Now, I don't own a PS3, I own a 360. Why the f**k did the bloke from Toshiba say that Ł150 for a HD-DVD player was good? Is he f**king stupid? I woulnd't pay Ł150 for anything that makes me spend Ł30 on the films. I don't buy films at that price.
Microsoft would've done better making the 360 have abuilt in HD-DVD player, but it doesn't and i didn't, because of costs.
Blu-Ray will win this format "war" and I hope it puts an end to all format "wars" because they're just sad as f**k and people need a clear format to choose.
1. There shouldn't be any competition at all. Blu-Ray is better than HD-DVD. It just simply is. 50GB or 25GB? Hmm. 2. Blu-Ray coming with the PS3 is a big help.
3. Toshiba are clutching straws, but I don't see what they ahve to lose, aren't they involved heavily with Blu-Ray?
Now, I don't own a PS3, I own a 360. Why the f**k did the bloke from Toshiba say that Ł150 for a HD-DVD player was good? Is he f**king stupid? I woulnd't pay Ł150 for anything that makes me spend Ł30 on the films. I don't buy films at that price.
Microsoft would've done better making the 360 have abuilt in HD-DVD player, but it doesn't and i didn't, because of costs.
Blu-Ray will win this format "war" and I hope it puts an end to all format "wars" because they're just sad as f**k and people need a clear format to choose.
First point: A disc format is a lot more than just its capacity. Second point: Where on earth do you buy your discs from?
1. There shouldn't be any competition at all. Blu-Ray is better than HD-DVD. It just simply is. 50GB or 25GB? Hmm. 2. Blu-Ray coming with the PS3 is a big help.
3. Toshiba are clutching straws, but I don't see what they ahve to lose, aren't they involved heavily with Blu-Ray?
Now, I don't own a PS3, I own a 360. Why the f**k did the bloke from Toshiba say that Ł150 for a HD-DVD player was good? Is he f**king stupid? I woulnd't pay Ł150 for anything that makes me spend Ł30 on the films. I don't buy films at that price.
Microsoft would've done better making the 360 have abuilt in HD-DVD player, but it doesn't and i didn't, because of costs.
Blu-Ray will win this format "war" and I hope it puts an end to all format "wars" because they're just sad as f**k and people need a clear format to choose.
First point: A disc format is a lot more than just its capacity. Second point: Where on earth do you buy your discs from?
You made absolutely no point at all. Help me out, here, what was your point?
I'll try outline mine again:
1. I perceive that Blu-Rays bigger discs will be better than the HD-DVD discs in the long run. DVD's started at about 3GB, I think, and are now easily up to 9GB's. If the same happens for this "4MAT WARZ" then it'll still see Blu-Ray out on top. Capacity isn't everything? No? Why? What on earth could a disc half the size offer me?
2. Last lot I saw was in Tesco and they were about Ł20 per film. No thanks.
I, myself, am one of these people on a tight budget, but I want all the latest s**t. For my HD viewing capabilties I have myself a decent PC. I've got a 20" Samsung monitor doing 1680x1050. Not quite 1080i/p, but it does the trick. I own a 360, because I just couldn't afford Ł500 for a PS3. In the next year or two, I'll buy a nice HDTV and a PS3 (specifically when I just cannot put off playing MGS4 any longer)
What I cannot stand is this mindless favouritism over f**k all. Blu-Ray or HD-DVD? I used my unbias opinion and said "f**k HD-DVD, it may be cheaper but Blu-ray is both innovative and better in terms of spec" and from taht point forward I've maintained that opinion. You're welcome to try and change that opinion, but unless you know some gritty insider detail that basically states taht in fact, HD-DVD will be able to out perform Blu-Ray, then you're talking to a wall.
I do not agree with charging over Ł100 for a movie player. At all. Therefore, f**k it, I'll wait.
A spokesman for the consortium manufacturing flat planets today dismissed the growing popularity of round planets.
"It's too early to tell whether flat or round planets will end up the most successful", he said. "Our research shows that most people would prefer to live on flat planets than round ones given the choice. I am highly disappointed that various galaxies have opted to drop the flat planet format at this point".
HD DVD is dying and probably was from the beginning. Shame really as someone already pointed out:
1. HD DVD - region free 2. HD DVD - cheaper movies
However Sony has:
1. Better marketing - those boys definitely know how to market their stuff 2. Creating a market - by giving away a free Blu-ray player with the PS3 3. Studios jumping ship - from HD DVD (which is quite annoying really) 4. Greater capacity discs - capacity does matter (aside from the stupid penis size jokes that will probably come out) people will always go for the big numbers regardless (well maybe not price tags ).
I'm not actually bothered that much by who wins (but cheap import region-free movies is really nice! ), but someone better and soon! Patience people just let the dumbasses do the spending for us! Lol
HD DVD is dying and probably was from the beginning. Shame really as someone already pointed out:
1. HD DVD - region free 2. HD DVD - cheaper movies
However Sony has:
1. Better marketing - those boys definitely know how to market their stuff 2. Creating a market - by giving away a free Blu-ray player with the PS3 3. Studios jumping ship - from HD DVD (which is quite annoying really) 4. Greater capacity discs - capacity does matter (aside from the stupid penis size jokes that will probably come out) people will always go for the big numbers regardless (well maybe not price tags ).
I'm not actually bothered that much by who wins (but cheap import region-free movies is really nice! ), but someone better and soon! Patience people just let the dumbasses do the spending for us! Lol
Yup you are absolutely right, just look how well they marketed their PS3 and PSP all the way to last place. Well done lads.
The problem is that unless one of the other two exclusive studios abandon HD-DVD it isn't really going anywhere. I read a report that since the Warner news, sales of HD-DVD players and films have barely fluctuated. Whether that turns out to be true, the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of people out there holding out on buying HD Format films or players.
I myself have a PS3 and own 2 BluRay films/collections, one of them is the Planet Earth series which is a great example of HD. While two formats exist and even if HD-DVD does fail, it is damaging Sony every second it stays in the fight. If behind the scenes Toshiba have admitted defeat, then they can damage Sony as much as possible by simply holding out on announcing its failure. Long term, I really do believe that both formats are doomed to failure, with the final result being two very short lived disc formats.
Until there is a single format, I won't be investing my money into BluRay or HD-DVD. Even if there was a single format there is still the uphill struggle to convince the average Joe Bloggs to trade in his DVD player and non HDTV.
^ I disagree with short lived. People will always want a hard copy =D I know I will.
Also, I don't understand HD-DVD as an argument at all. When I first heard about Blu-Ray I was like "oh wow, imagine the entire Futurama collection on just one disc!"
I now realise that they wouldn't do that, because that'd SD (standard definition) and they're really bumming the living f**k out fo the HD format right now. Which, I don't see the point. If I wanted to see the hairs on the nipples poking trhough my favourite actresses shirt, I'd become a rapist and stalker.
^ I disagree with short lived. People will always want a hard copy =D I know I will.
Also, I don't understand HD-DVD as an argument at all. When I first heard about Blu-Ray I was like "oh wow, imagine the entire Futurama collection on just one disc!"
I now realise that they wouldn't do that, because that'd SD (standard definition) and they're really bumming the living f**k out fo the HD format right now. Which, I don't see the point. If I wanted to see the hairs on the nipples poking trhough my favourite actresses shirt, I'd become a rapist and stalker.
Yer i will never have a downloaded dvd collection
A) i want something to hold and own B) you cant resell a pants download C) by the time the formats take flight 1080p tvs will be norm and a new higher res will be around D)high def discs are just a rip off - they have no extras on some and transfer rates are poor to warrant a price E)i love lamp
The new format that will replace current High-Def 720/1080p standards already exists, and is known vaguely as '4K'.
Most movies are being mastered (and remastered) at 4K before being converted to 1080p, and prototype screens are being built and shown as we speak. (And they're fsuking huge!)
As for the argument about formats, HD-DVD have been prototyping their new 51GB discs, so ner BD-50GB. (Although there are rumours that Blu-Ray will reach up to 100GB, in time.)
I wasn't implying that people will not want a disc format. However I am implying that BluRay/HDDVD are arriving too soon.
The number of HDTVs sold is rising, but it will be years before HDTV broadcasts are the norm. In a survey a large number of people who were questioned thought that they were seeing HDTV broadcasts on Freeview because they had a HDTV.
The lack of understanding from the general public is both formats major hurdle.
As for people not wanting download only versions, that statement is not true. The younger generations are growing up with IPods and accepting ITunes for your music purchases. CD sales are falling, I want CDs I will always buy CDs because I want something in my hand for my money not some license to download a poorer quality version.
The problem is that downloads from the internet, especially as speeds increase are becoming more acceptable. I think in 10 years disc formats might be looked upon in a different light. It is an unstoppable force, downloads will be pushed more and more as profits can increase when you cut out the manufacturing and distribution channels we have now.
You made absolutely no point at all. Help me out, here, what was your point?
I'll try outline mine again:
1. I perceive that Blu-Rays bigger discs will be better than the HD-DVD discs in the long run. DVD's started at about 3GB, I think, and are now easily up to 9GB's. If the same happens for this "4MAT WARZ" then it'll still see Blu-Ray out on top. Capacity isn't everything? No? Why? What on earth could a disc half the size offer me?
Capacity isn't everything, that's the point. I don't believe either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray are particularly better than the other, but to limit an analysis of their pros and cons to capacity is somewhat short-sighted. You have codec support, regionalisation, standard interactive menu support, requirements for connectiviy - in many of those respects, Blu-Ray is (or was until recently) the one playing catchup. If HD-DVD provides enough capacity for a high definition film then the extra capacity of BluRay isn't a cover-all advantage. It's simply an advantage. It has advantages in other areas, but we're still yet to fully explore those.
2. Last lot I saw was in Tesco and they were about Ł20 per film. No thanks.
Erm, that's not Ł30, and many discs are less than that online. That's my point.
I, myself, am one of these people on a tight budget, but I want all the latest s**t. For my HD viewing capabilties I have myself a decent PC. I've got a 20" Samsung monitor doing 1680x1050. Not quite 1080i/p, but it does the trick. I own a 360, because I just couldn't afford Ł500 for a PS3. In the next year or two, I'll buy a nice HDTV and a PS3 (specifically when I just cannot put off playing MGS4 any longer)
What I cannot stand is this mindless favouritism over f**k all. Blu-Ray or HD-DVD? I used my unbias opinion and said "f**k HD-DVD, it may be cheaper but Blu-ray is both innovative and better in terms of spec" and from taht point forward I've maintained that opinion. You're welcome to try and change that opinion, but unless you know some gritty insider detail that basically states taht in fact, HD-DVD will be able to out perform Blu-Ray, then you're talking to a wall.
I do not agree with charging over Ł100 for a movie player. At all. Therefore, f**k it, I'll wait.
Sorry, I'd assumed from the tone of your post that I quoted the first time that you were simply bigging up Blu-Ray, but the points highlighted above were the points I was trying to make.
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Though as I say I didn't rush out to buy anything with the motive of being the first to watch Transformers in HD, I just wanted to maximize enjoyment of the large investment I'd made in buying a HDTV. Anyway, original post...
) for a Ł100 drive, that will also let me watch Batman Begins and Transformers in hi-def. I thought long and hard over the weekend about this, and noticed that a large number of my favourite films are still only available on HD-DVD. I really don't care if the format is obsolete by the end of the year - I've easily got one year's worth of value for money out of this combo.
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