Blu-Ray dies in its sleep.

#1

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_pa ... w&aid=8051

Japanese giant "open to discussions" over update to DVD platform

In a bid to prevent a repeat of the Betamax versus VHS battle, Sony has announced that it is prepared to negotiate with other technology firms to agree on a standard format for the next generation of DVDs.

Until now, Sony has stood firmly behind the Blu-ray format. Blu-ray discs can store 50GB of data and the format is also backed by Philips, Apple, Hitachi, Panasonic, Matsushita, LG, Pioneer, Samsung, Sharp and Thomson.

However, Blu-Ray has been somewhat slower to begin roll-out than HD DVD - and although HD-DVD discs can only store 30GB, the format is backed by Toshiba, NEC and Sanyo. More than 80 films from studios including Paramount, Warner Bros and Universal are slated for release on the format later this year.

Both Blu-Ray and HD DVD use blue lasers which enable data storage at higher densities. This is because they have a shorter wavelength than the red lasers currently found in DVD equipment.

Sony recently announced that games for its next-generation PlayStation console would be produced on the Blu-Ray format, and Microsoft was at one point expected to hit back by supporting HD DVD for Xbox 360 titles, although it's now thought to have decided to stick with the existing DVD format.

Now the Japanese giant has told Reuters that it may be willing to reach an agreement with its competitors to put an end to the format war before it begins.

"From the point of view to provide the best service to the consumer, one format is better than two. We're open to discussions," said Yukinori Kawauchi, the general manager heading up the next-gen DVD project at Sony's Video Group.

However, Sony has yet to put a set of plans for the single format on the table: "There's no visible progress to do that [create a single standard]," said Kawauchi.

The first mass-market next-gen DVD players and recorders are slated to go on sale by the end of 2005. At present the DVD equipment market is worth $10 billion annually, and $33 billion of published DVD products were sold in 2004. Forecasters say this will rise to $77 billion over the next four years.

#2

This, of course, is good news for everyone...But in this day and age, format wars are useless, as someone will find a way to develop a super drive that can read and write both, and that's that...Sounds like the DVD-R and the DVD+R wars to me...

Although, from a data perspective, I must say that the 50 GB promised by Blue Ray seems more attractive to me, but I'm sure HD-DVD would have compensated somehow...

#3

QUOTE(AYHJA @ Dec 20 2006, 12:53 PM) This, of course, is good news for everyone...But in this day and age, format wars are useless, as someone will find a way to develop a super drive that can read and write both, and that's that...Sounds like the DVD-R and the DVD+R wars to me...

Although, from a data perspective, I must say that the 50 GB promised by Blue Ray seems more attractive to me, but I'm sure HD-DVD would have compensated somehow...

The war will be over compression, not the capture format. As it is, they can now build lasers that can put more info on a regular cd, than a blu-ray. And it seems Standford University may actually be able to do it for cheap.

Hate sound like a broken record, but after Sony's luck with Betamax, LazerDisk endorsement, UMD format for the PSP - you would be a fool to count on Sony winning a "format" war.

turner Entertainments endoresement of holographic strage will put a 300 gig disk in your hands for fifty bones, and you can get a 1 Terabyte disk for about 120. WHEN and IF it comes out.

Drool on this: http://www.computerworld.com/hardwareto ... 88,00.html

#4

Actually raum, both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are dead - nobody cares about either format at the moment..

And we've seen those holographic discs to be just in 'production stage' many times over the last 5-10 years..

I'm just waiting for something novel - until then, I've got my HDD arrays.. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

#5

QUOTE(WAI @ Dec 20 2006, 07:20 PM) Actually raum, both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are dead - nobody cares about either format at the moment..

I wouldn't say they are dead, I would say they are not really established yet, and no one is sure if they will establish themselves. Sharp just announced they are going to begin production of Blue lasers, good for both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats (and others). They are going to make their own players. Samsung said they are going exclusive blu-ray, but Sony has been on board forever.

QUOTEAnd we've seen those holographic discs to be just in 'production stage' many times over the last 5-10 years..

I'm just waiting for something novel - until then, I've got my HDD arrays.. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

I know, WAI. That's why I said QUOTEWHEN and IF it comes out.. It was meant to be a comment on the promise to release it. Like if I mention how awesome Duke Nukem Forever will be. Actually, I think file compression will win out over any disk war.

But this article is relevant because Sony is a big-wig in the blu-ray society, and to date, the Blu-Ray crowd has been far more insistent about the result of the format war. And to see Sony backing down from exclusivity is a significant sign that the efforts of the Blu-Ray supporters are just not going to drive market demand.

More than anything, this is a comment on two things:

1. People on this forum thinking about getting a betamax player, um I mean UMD, um I mean blu-ray player may want to hold off. Would hate to see the waste of money from someone I know.

2. The Blu-ray market share Sony hoped to pick up with the PS3 is shot to hell, and thus the blu-ray player inside, one of the most expensive components to the unit, is not justified for the price point, if the blu-ray format is not exclusively used for Sony Pictures. Especially when Sony is going to start selling downloads of movies and no disk reader is needed at all.

#6

Thank you for the advice Charlie, as I am in fact will soon be in the market for a new DVD player. My el-cheapo Conia DVD player from Wow Sight & Sound has done pretty well for me over the last few years (good that it can read Region 1 DVDs despite the big Region 4 sticker), but over the last few months the tracking has become unbearable, keeps skipping, so I wanna chuck it.

I was never really impressed by all this Blue-Ray hype, and the news presented here backs that up. I think I'll just get another cheapie to last a year or so, it'll do the job.

#7

DEAD TO BLUE-RAY...

W HD-DVD