Will Warner support Blu-ray?

[Inane_Dork]

Spidermate: I agree it is flamebait, but it's no more so than this thread started as. And no, I never jumped on the Kutaragi demotion bandwagon. I never thought it meant much, to be honest.

Oh. Well this is the one you partially quoted, correct?

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showpost.php?p=609180&postcount=429

It's called a rhetorical question, Ty.

 

[Ty]

It's called a rhetorical question, Ty.

Uh, sorry but if you quote a particular post and then respond just below it, I think it's safe to assume your response is directed to that particular post.

If you meant to draw a distinction, then simply stating this would have sufficed.

 

[wco81]

Went to the local Tower Records and Video for the first time in a long time. It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest source of DVDs at the retail level, at least around here. Big DVD selection, bigger than I recall FNAC or Virgin Megastore in Paris being.

Was surprised to see a section devoted to UMDs which appeared to be 1/4 to 1/3 the size of their DVD section, which includes box sets, foreign films, concert videos, special interest, documentary, anime, etc.

I knew UMD sales were doing well, even though PSP sales doesn't seem that overwhelming.

You would think the PS3 alone would command at least as much shelf space at a big media retail store as UMDs.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I knew UMD sales were doing well, even though PSP sales doesn't seem that overwhelming.

Haven't Sony sold like 8 or 9 million? That's not too shabby for a first year of console sales, especially for a handheld that's markedly more expensive than the alternatives.

 

[mckmas8808]

Was surprised to see a section devoted to UMDs which appeared to be 1/4 to 1/3 the size of their DVD section, which includes box sets, foreign films, concert videos, special interest, documentary, anime, etc.

I knew UMD sales were doing well, even though PSP sales doesn't seem that overwhelming.

You would think the PS3 alone would command at least as much shelf space at a big media retail store as UMDs.

Hey man the PSP is doing great. Especially being Sony's first handheld. It's great to see UMDs being pushed so hard there. How are the prices compared to DVDs there wco81?

 

[wco81]

PSP has sold well but at US launch, it didn't seem to sell through 100%.

Earlier this year, it looked like on a weekly basis, the PSP was going to beat DS in Japan. But that seems to have reversed with big DS games like Nintendogs?

Anyways, UMDs are priced the same as DVDs, which is a rotten deal since you can only view them on the little screen (although some Taiwan manufacturer is apparently making a screen capture device which outputs to a TV).

You wonder if UMD movies will continue to sell well, as more and more games come out and you figure there will be a good selection of budget-priced PSP games a year from now.

So spend $20-25 on a movie or spend $20 or less on a Greatest Hits PSP game?

 

[mckmas8808]

Anyways, UMDs are priced the same as DVDs, which is a rotten deal since you can only view them on the little screen (although some Taiwan manufacturer is apparently making a screen capture device which outputs to a TV).

You wonder if UMD movies will continue to sell well, as more and more games come out and you figure there will be a good selection of budget-priced PSP games a year from now.

So spend $20-25 on a movie or spend $20 or less on a Greatest Hits PSP game?

Ok so it's the same there as it is here too. I would like to think that once UMDs are out for a while the price will start to fall to a decent price. To me a decent price is $9.99 to $13.99.

 

[Mythos]

HP is threatening to become "neutral" -- support HD-DVD as well as Blu-Ray -- if they don't get MMC and iHD.

http://www.tgdaily.com/2005/10/28/h...-ray_on_hd_dvd/

Meanwhile, it's suspected that Fox doesn't like MMC or iHD.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6279022.html

Hmm, who does the BDA say goodbye to, Fox or HP?

Studio or PC box maker?

Here's an update on the HP thingy...

Blu-ray, HP at odds over high-def DVD launch plan
Reuters
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today confirmed that Mandatory Managed Copy (MMC), which allows users to legally copy discs and transfer the digital files over a home network, will be supported by the Blu-ray Disc format. This was one of two features that HP recently requested be added to the Blu-ray Disc format, the other one was Microsoft's iHD layer for interactivity. "Mandatory managed copy will be part of Blu-ray format, but while HP's request (for interactivity) is being considered, at this point in time, the Blu-ray group is still proceeding down the path of Java," Blu-ray spokesman Andy Parsons told Reuters in an interview. "We are taking their request seriously, but are not willing to delay the launch. I'm not saying we would not implement what they've requested, but it's not going to stop the format at this time."

Link: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsA...01_MCC706561_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-BLURAY-HP.xml

 

[jvd]

Went to the local Tower Records and Video for the first time in a long time. It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest source of DVDs at the retail level, at least around here. Big DVD selection, bigger than I recall FNAC or Virgin Megastore in Paris being.

Was surprised to see a section devoted to UMDs which appeared to be 1/4 to 1/3 the size of their DVD section, which includes box sets, foreign films, concert videos, special interest, documentary, anime, etc.

I knew UMD sales were doing well, even though PSP sales doesn't seem that overwhelming.

You would think the PS3 alone would command at least as much shelf space at a big media retail store as UMDs.

IF you walk into the store i work for (gamestop) it looks like we have almost the same space devoted to umds as dvds .

Then you notice 2 things . One the dvds are racked up thus we can fit 10-15 for every umd we have on the wall and Two we only carry used dvds (we carry new and used umds)

Walk into an electronic store like bestbuy and you will see just how few umds there are to dvd .

 

[PC-Engine]

Just wanted to remind everyone that Tower Records and other music stores used to carry prerecorded MDs too...

My local video rental store used to carry BETAMAX movies too...

 

[Bobbler]

Just wanted to remind everyone that Tower Records and other music stores used to carry prerecorded MDs too...

My local video rental store used to carry BETAMAX movies too...

What does that have to do with anything?

 

[Carl B]

I was thinking about bringing this topic back yesterday but decided to let it slide, but since someone else has might as well heap on some more news on the subject:

TOKYO — Sony Corp. and NEC Corp. signed Thursday (Nov. 17) a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that they would establish a joint venture company in the optical disk drive business, aiming to be the top optical disk drive manufacturer in the world. The as yet unnamed company is due to start operations with the financial year on April 1 next year.

The joint venture will merge Sony's present optical disk business including CD and DVD, which is worth about 150 billion yen (about $1.26 billion), and NEC's DVD disk drive business worth about 70 billion yen (about $589 million). Sony is destined to hold a 55 percent stake in the JV and NEC a 45 percent stake. Sony will designate the president while NEC will designate the vice president of the company.

The two companies are already leaders in the next generation of optical disc systems but find themselves in two different camps. Sony leads the Blu-ray Disc group while NEC has been promoting the HD DVD format with Toshiba Corp.

The joint venture is committed to producing HD DVD drives that NEC has already received orders for, but thereafter that the new company will decide by itself what drives to make, a Sony spokesman said.

NEC will continue to support the HD DVD format and the merger is basically to boost present CD and DVD business, said a spokesman of NEC. And the new company will deal with the both formats of next-generation optical disk drives for customers, he said.

Merging advantages of its respective parents, such as Sony's optical pickups and NEC's system-on-chip LSIs, and creating greater economy of scale should allow the joint venture to take aim at the present top optical disk drive supplier, Hitachi LG Data Storage Inc., which has nearly 30 percent of the market by units and annual sales of over $2 billion.

 

[PC-Engine]

What does that have to do with anything?

UMD ring a bell?

 

[avaya]

Blu-Ray gets mandatory MMC, NEC and Sony hook-up

Is HD-DVD really going to make it to market?

The writings on the wall, I can't seriously believe they will press ahead the way things are going.

 

[PC-Engine]

Blu-Ray gets mandatory MMC, NEC and Sony hook-up

Is HD-DVD really going to make it to market?

The writings on the wall, I can't seriously believe they will press ahead the way things are going.

Did you even read that article?

The joint venture is committed to producing HD DVD drives that NEC has already received orders for, but thereafter that the new company will decide by itself what drives to make, a Sony spokesman said.

NEC will continue to support the HD DVD format and the merger is basically to boost present CD and DVD business, said a spokesman of NEC. And the new company will deal with the both formats of next-generation optical disk drives for customers, he said.

SONY is a NEC customer, that's why NEC joined the BDA. NEC will be designing the LSIs for BOTH next generation optical drives similar to the way Sanyo will be selling OPUs to both HD DVD and BR drive manufacturers.

 

[avaya]

Did you even read that article?

Yeah and I see the loopholes

The joint venture is committed to producing HD DVD drives that NEC has already received orders for, but thereafter that the new company will decide by itself what drives to make, a Sony spokesman said.

 

[Carl B]

Did you even read that article?

PC what article? It's not like HP is pro HD-DVD now. They're just taking a more neutral stance towards the whole thing. I mean I don't even think their support matters much, but that's besides the point.

 

[PC-Engine]

PC what article? It's not like HP is pro HD-DVD now. They're just taking a more neutral stance towards the whole thing. I mean I don't even think their support matters much, but that's besides the point.

You're confused.

HP's BR support is not exclusive anymore. This is a huge blow to BR because the 2nd biggest PC manufacturer will now offer HD DVD equiped PCs as well as BR equiped ones. Spin it however you like.

 

[Carl B]

You're confused.

HP's BR support is not exclusive anymore. This is a huge blow to BR because the 2nd biggest PC manufacturer will now offer HD DVD equiped PCs as well as BR equiped ones. Spin it however you like.

Is it... a bigger blow than the largest studio now supporting blu-ray as well, or a smaller blow? In my mind HP's defection means next to nothing compared to the Hollywood momentum BD has been picking up over the months. Not to mention now managed copy is a part of the story as well.

But hey, spin it however you like.

(By the way I forget, who does the largest PC company support?)

 

[PC-Engine]

Is it... a bigger blow than the largest studio now supporting blu-ray as well, or a smaller blow? In my mind HP's defection means next to nothing compared to the Hollywood momentum BD has been picking up over the months. Not to mention now managed copy is a part of the story as well.

But hey, spin it however you like.

(By the way I forget, who does the largest PC company support?)

Studios will move to whichever format they think they can make money on. Disney used to support Divx.

You will see DELL cave in pretty soon considering Vista comes with HD DVD playback software out of the box.