HD-DVD is dead!

[Carlos_E]

Netflix Goes Blu-Ray Exclusive

Blu-ray Disc The popular online video rental service Netflix has announced that they have decided to support Blu-ray exclusively for high definition movie rentals. Pointing to the Warner Brothers exclusivity announcement as the main reason for the shift, Netflix will no longer purchase movies in the rival HD DVD format, and once the life cycle for those discs has ended, they will no longer stock the format for rent.

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix commented, "The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition. We are now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly."

While only a small percentage of Netflix users rent high definition movies, the majority of those who do take advantage of the services are renting Blu-ray. They expect that the shift to a single format will ultimately allow Netflix to provide a better service to those high definition customers.

[Lexed]

its like when the dvd took over the video cassette

[Carlos_E]

I should have directed this thread to Script factory. I remember him ragging on me about how HD DVD was so much better and would win the format war. Unfortunately, WRONG!

[yourmom]

You were right. I thought for sure hd-dvd was going to win, but it looks like it'll be gone before the next holiday season. Bill Gates was supposed to talk about hd-dvd in his key-note speach, but dropped it at the last moment. Then an insider told us at a meeting that M$ has been in talks with Sony concering some deal that had to do with a form of media. We all knew what they were saying without saying it. I knew then, it was doomed. (but then again, there is more to this story)

[Carlos_E]

You were right. I thought for sure hd-dvd was going to win, but it looks like it'll be gone before the next holiday season. Bill Gates was supposed to talk about hd-dvd in his key-note speach, but dropped it at the last moment. Then an insider told us at a meeting that M$ has been in talks with Sony concering some deal that had to do with a form of media. We all knew what they were saying without saying it. I knew then, it was doomed. (but then again, there is more to this story)

I'd think an external Blu-ray player for the Xbox 360.

[Odpierdol_sie!]

hmmm, good to know!

[yourmom]

The news that was supposed to break at CES in the key-note was that they were putting in a hd-dvd, and calling it the 'ultimate'. That was removed from the speech. Over the week they lowered the price of the external to $119 with 5 movies. Personally, I would rather have a external player, I'm a big gamer, and my ps3 seems to have some noise issues, because the kids play movies on it. The 360 on the other hand is still going strong. I think they will strike a deal regarding the format. I found it rather ironic, that at CES everyone from Microsoft was using Sony laptops. LOL

[Carlos_E]

Best Buy to Recommend Blu-ray as the Customer’s Digital Format Choice

February 11, 2008 03:31 PM Eastern Time

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is taking a step forward in addressing consumer confusion about high-definition formats. Beginning in early March, the leading consumer electronics retailer will prominently showcase Blu-ray hardware and software products in its Best Buy retail and online channels in the United States.

“Consumers have told us that they want us to help lead the way. We’ve listened to our customers, and we are responding. Best Buy will recommend Blu-ray as the preferred format,” said Brian Dunn, Best Buy’s president and chief operating officer. “Our decision to shine a spotlight on Blu-ray Disc players and other Blu-ray products is a strong signal to our customers that we believe Blu-ray is the right format choice for them.”

Dunn continued, “Best Buy has always believed that the customer will benefit from a widely-accepted single format that would offer advantages such as product compatibility and expanded content choices. Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products.”

“With the explosion of HDTVs, customers are hungry for quality, high definition content. We believe our move to feature Blu-ray should help consumers feel confident in their hi-def content choices,” said Mike Vitelli, Best Buy’s senior vice president, Home Solutions. “Best Buy is excited by the next generation of digital products and we know our customers are too. We are excited about helping customers find the right mix of products and services to make the next generation of high definition entertainment technology come alive for them. We believe that Blu-ray is the right solution for consumers.”

Best Buy currently carries a wide array of Blu-ray hardware and software products. The company noted that it will continue to carry an assortment of HD-DVD products for customers who desire to purchase these products.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) operates a global portfolio of brands with a commitment to growth and innovation. Our employees strive to provide customers around the world with superior experiences by responding to their unique needs and aspirations. We sell consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services through nearly 1,300 retail stores across the United States, throughout Canada and in China. Our multi-channel operations include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com, BestBuy.ca and BestBuy.com.cn), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com and GeekSquad.ca), Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers (PacificSales.com), Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com), Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co. (Five-Star.cn) and Speakeasy (Speakeasy.net). Best Buy supports the communities in which its employees work and live through volunteerism and grants that benefit children and education.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...00618&vnsId=33

[firmechicano831]

I don't have any yet, but was thinking about getting one. I think this is good and bad news at the same time.

[Carlos_E]

I don't have any yet, but was thinking about getting one. I think this is good and bad news at the same time.

How so? Good news for blu-ray and bad news for HD-DVD?

[goodcents]

Anyone have a blueray right now? is it that much better?

[novastepp]

i remember the thread about which one would prevail. looks like blu-ray is running away with it. thanks for the info carlos.

[Psychotron]

I love streaming HD to my PS3 from my PC aswell as watching blu-ray. I just ordered my new receiver, Sony STR-DA5300ES! Thing sounds amazing.

[firmechicano831]

good news for blueray and bad news because I was going to get the hd one for my xbox 360.

[Carlos_E]

Anyone have a blueray right now? is it that much better?

I have a blu-ray player and it looks much better than up-converted DVDs. Do you have an HDTV?

[novastepp]

how does it look in comparison to HDTV Carlos? my dad has a very nice wide screen HDTV and HD looks incredible.

[sphincter]

ya.. I don't watch TV. So much so, I have a 50" plasma HDTV, Klipsche Reference Audio system, Denon DVD player and BUNNY EARS for signal!!!!

I have totally been waiting for a format to win out so I could get better quality video for my setup.. upconverted DVD's are O.K. but I know HD content is so much better there really is no comparison.

[goodcents]

I have a blu-ray player and it looks much better than up-converted DVDs. Do you have an HDTV?

No Thinking about getting a flat screen.

[Carlos_E]

No Thinking about getting a flat screen.

Get one man. If it's a cost issue you can get a very nice set for $1,000 or under. Look at Vizio and Westinghouse for nice budget HDTVs.

http://www.vizio.com/
http://www.westinghouse.com/

[swingbatta]

After the Warner Bros announcement I went out looking for a blue ray player. I actually ended up getting a PS3 after reading some reviews. The picture is incredible... as it should be for that much damn money. You definitely see the difference. Carlos have you seen the Planet Earth series yet?

[bcaasdirty]

SWEET

my dad owes me a hundred bucks

thanks c-los

[Carlos_E]

After the Warner Bros announcement I went out looking for a blue ray player. I actually ended up getting a PS3 after reading some reviews. The picture is incredible... as it should be for that much damn money. You definitely see the difference. Carlos have you seen the Planet Earth series yet?

I have it man. It looks awesome.

[shifty_git]

After the Warner Bros announcement I went out looking for a blue ray player. I actually ended up getting a PS3 after reading some reviews. The picture is incredible... as it should be for that much damn money. You definitely see the difference. Carlos have you seen the Planet Earth series yet?

Love to see that on blu-ray!

I have it man. It looks awesome.

With your set up - you lucky %^&^$*£

Bet thats stunning.

[Carlos_E]

Love to see that on blu-ray!



With your set up - you lucky %^&^$*£

Bet thats stunning.

We have an employee sale going on at work. 52" XBR for $2,000.

[SL63]

We have an employee sale going on at work. 52" XBR for $2,000.

This is BS. I just bought this TV (What an awesome picture) for $3300 in Canada... Our dollar is pretty much the same too

[shifty_git]

We have an employee sale going on at work. 52" XBR for $2,000.

thats full on 1080p at 52" isnt it?

let me wipe the dribble from my chin!!

$2k!!!! a feckin sony 40" lcd bravia is that in this country!

[Kratos]

I give blue-ray the middle finger

[Carlos_E]

thats full on 1080p at 52" isnt it?

let me wipe the dribble from my chin!!

$2k!!!! a feckin sony 40" lcd bravia is that in this country!

That price is our employee discount plus a sale on top of the discount.

[Carlos_E]

I give blue-ray the middle finger

I take it you have HD-DVD?

[Kratos]

I take it you have HD-DVD?

Nah, I own neither. HD DVD and Blu-ray both face a similar uphill battle; consumers are not itching to replace or upgrade their current DVDs or DVD players. Yeah, it looks like sony won this format war but neither tecnology could end up being embrassed by consumers. With the growing industry of downloadable media through places such as Apple's iTunes Music Store or Amazon.com's UnBox, physical discs are no longer as vital. I see media gradually moving completely to the Internet, and movie collections being simiilar to an mp3 collection. Also, consumers interested in high-definition movies need to have a high-definition television. According to Nielsen Research, only 13.7% of households had an HDTV set as of Oct. 30. I'm not spending any money until there is a clear shift away from DVD's.

[Renesis]

well my computer came with blueray so im happy

[Carlos_E]

Nah, I own neither. HD DVD and Blu-ray both face a similar uphill battle; consumers are not itching to replace or upgrade their current DVDs or DVD players. Yeah, it looks like sony won this format war but neither tecnology could end up being embrassed by consumers. With the growing industry of downloadable media through places such as Apple's iTunes Music Store or Amazon.com's UnBox, physical discs are no longer as vital. I see media gradually moving completely to the Internet, and movie collections being simiilar to an mp3 collection. Also, consumers interested in high-definition movies need to have a high-definition television. According to Nielsen Research, only 13.7% of households had an HDTV set as of Oct. 30. I'm not spending any money until there is a clear shift away from DVD's.

I agree and disagree. I have an Apple TV and just updated to Apple TV Take 2. I scanned some of the HD movie downloads and they look good. The only problem, all current HD movie downloads are rental models. You have 30 days to watch the rental and 24 hours to complete the movie once you start it then it deletes after. If you want to OWN an HD movie your only option is HD media. Blu-ray.

For a quick HD movie I want to watch once I will use the Apple TV. But for films I want to own I will buy a blu-ray disc.

[Doc M]

Hmmmm...All of the back and forth hype is exhausting. I bought a Blu Ray player about 8 months ago and it was a gamble of course. Luckily I chose the right one, but it all gets to be such a pain in the ass.

My take is this: A BluRay player coupled with a Sony 1080p television is nothing short of spectacular. I've watched about 10 different movies on the player and it really is an awesome viewing experience.

My wife bought me a Bang & Olufsen BeoVision7 integrated system for our family room and it is also pretty amazing to watch BluRay on and to play my PS3- not that I really have the time to do that. I do have to give my nod to the Sony television though (just fyi) over the B&O system. Sony is the prominent t.v. in our home and I think we are up to around 9 t.v.'s with varying sizes.

Carlos, correct me if I'm wrong, but my local Best Buy geek told me that watching Bluray is the only way to experience 1080p (full HD). I have 3 HD cable boxes and they all switch to 1080i when I'm watching HD channels but he explained it that the cable carriers are not yet supporting full HD (1080p). Does that sound correct to you??

Doc M

[Kingweb50]

Doc M

When I bought my blu ray player the guy at best buy told me the same thing about the hd cable compared to bluray being the only 1080p experience.

[Carlos_E]

Carlos, correct me if I'm wrong, but my local Best Buy geek told me that watching Bluray is the only way to experience 1080p (full HD). I have 3 HD cable boxes and they all switch to 1080i when I'm watching HD channels but he explained it that the cable carriers are not yet supporting full HD (1080p). Does that sound correct to you??

Doc M

That is correct. HD cable is 1080i not 1080p. You'll get 1080p from HD media (Blu-ray) and some HD downloads. XBox Live and Apple TV both are 720p. Vudu offers 1080p downloads but I've never used the service so I don't know how it looks.

[Carlos_E]

Toshiba to axe HD DVD in weeks?

Toshiba may be ready to pull the HD DVD format entirely after suffering a series of key defeats, says a claimed source of Hollywood Reporter. A tip reportedly from a person close to the HD DVD faction says Toshiba has not seen the expected surge in player sales from large-scale price discounts instituted for its movie players to compete with Blu-ray -- a decision which may have cost "several hundred dollars" per unit -- and is reportedly reeling from its format being marginalized at retailers such as Best Buy. The losses are such that Toshiba is said by the source to be announcing a complete withdrawal of HD DVD in a "matter of weeks."
Publicly, Toshiba continues to maintain support for HD DVD and has often issued statements touting the "value" of the format, though in recent releases it has shifted attention to its devices as upscaling DVD players rather than high-definition playback.

HD DVD's troubles began when movie studio Warner Bros. said it would drop HD DVD from its releases starting from June, effectively handing a clear majority of HD movie releases to Blu-ray. The decision had an almost immediate impact on HD DVD sales that has largely been sustained since and has led to moves by Best Buy and other retailers to either downplay HD DVD or sell Blu-ray alone. Several smaller, more regional movie studios have since opted for Blu-ray exclusivity as well, including ADV Films and National Geographic.

The succession of losses may also have led to damage at Microsoft, the Reporter adds. Having been Toshiba's closest non-studio supporter, the company and its chief HD DVD evangelist Kevin Collins have reportedly been inaccessible for comment on the alleged HD DVD shutdown. The Windows developer has often been heavily involved in promoting the standard but last week cut its Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on price to $130 to mirror Toshiba's cuts.

Aside from Toshiba, most computer builders have not followed Microsoft's endorsements, either offering Blu-ray drives as options alongside HD DVD equivalents (as with HP) or relying on Blu-ray alone as the sole HD disc reader format, as with Dell and Blu-ray's primary supporter Sony. Apple, Lenovo, and other larger computer builders have largely refrained from committing to any HD disc format with their systems.

[Carlos_E]

Wal-Mart Goes Blu-ray Exclusive in June

Wal-Mart is going Blu-ray exclusive by June. While Netflix and Best Buy pulling Blu were hard blows to HD DVD, when the world's largest public corporation won't stock your products, you're basically doomed. Wal-Mart is the avenue to the unwashed masses, and, as an emerging format, if you're not rolling on it, you've effectively fallen off the radar of millions of people. It's probable Toshiba already knew this, hence the rumors of it finally pulling the plug. If they weren't considering it before, it's gotta weigh heavy on them now.

http://gizmodo.com/357024/wal+mart-g...lusive-in-june

[novastepp]

Wal-Mart Goes Blu-ray Exclusive in June

Wal-Mart is going Blu-ray exclusive by June. While Netflix and Best Buy pulling Blu were hard blows to HD DVD, when the world's largest public corporation won't stock your products, you're basically doomed. Wal-Mart is the avenue to the unwashed masses, and, as an emerging format, if you're not rolling on it, you've effectively fallen off the radar of millions of people. It's probable Toshiba already knew this, hence the rumors of it finally pulling the plug. If they weren't considering it before, it's gotta weigh heavy on them now.

http://gizmodo.com/357024/wal+mart-g...lusive-in-june

ouch!

[Carlos_E]

ouch!

I love this photo. A stack of HD DVD Players. They should label it Please Buy Me!

[novastepp]

I love this photo. A stack of HD DVD Players. They should label it Please Buy Me!

honestly i thought HD-DVD would win because of the familiarity with the name DVD. my dad has been wanting an HD DVD or blu-ray player but we both decided it would be better to wait until we saw which one would be more prominent. looks like blu-ray takes that category.

but... don't they make hd-dvd camcorders? i could be wrong but i thought there was a way to video record in hd dvd format? do they have that technology in blu-ray...or should i say yet?