Will Warner support Blu-ray?

[Stillmatic]

Didn't see this posted in here so here goes

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000140061740/

Panasonic claims to drastically cut cost of Blu-ray discs


We’re not entirely sure how much credence to pay their announcement, but Matsushita (who you might otherwise know as Panasonic) have announced that they’ve found a way to majorly cut the cost on one of Blu-ray’s biggest drawbacks, the hard surface treatment required by the media. (For specifics on this peep our Blu-ray vs HD DVD: State of the Division guide.) Of course, there are still the nagging issues of equipment production costs, who’ll get to market first, initial media capacities, and, of course, who’s backing whom; but to date, unit cost seemed to be the biggest detriment to the future adoption of Blu-ray. So assuming that’s nixed in time for Blu-ray to hit the streets, it seems there’s a continuously dwindling amount standing in Sony’s way.

I havn't really been keeping up with all this BR, HD-DVD business lately, too much BS to read through.

Might have a read later.

 

[MechanizedDeath]

I don't know what will happen, but I'm not foolish enough to claim things are factual when they are merely speculation.

Toshiba wants it's technology to succeed, that will require aggressive pricing. Does it make sens for Toshiba if payers are $900 and they don't sell any? Think about it.

Anyways, signing off on this thread, let the happy dances resume

They have to recoup investment somehow. Yes, they can commoditize the product from day1, but then winning back their research money will be a lost cause. Competition without hope of turning a profit is what allowed MS to bleed on the Xbox so. I don't see Toshiba ruining their new storage format right out of the gate like that. OTOH, BD in the PS3 is part of a larger business model that is designed to turn profit off software sales, not hardware. The PS3 doesn't commoditize the standard since it's a crippled drive with ROM functionality only. The rest of the BD line will be priced high. BD in the PS3 is more a new storage format with the added bonus of compatibility with movie playback. If BD flops, it doesn't kill the PS3. The rest of the BD business has to still turn a profit though. But the PS3 helps that in that Sony can try making back some money through movie sales on that format.

Toshiba's business model would be more robust if they owned movie studios. Right now, they sell the razors, but others sell the blades. Sony sells razors and blades, so they have multiple paths to profit. Whether or not it turns into the cashcow they hope is another question. But it should prove at least marginally profitable in the long-term. PEACE.

 

[slider]

I wonder if MS including a HD-DVD drive in the 360 would've swayed any studios?
"Probably" is my guess.

 

[London Geezer]

This is from Toshiba's presentation (the one discussed on another thread):

Paramount is purple because now they're backing both.
Warner is eexpected to "turn purple" by the end of the week. Not sure what Universal will be doing, but if Warner signs up, i don't expect them to stay exclusive, it's just silly.

As it stands, even without Warner and Universal, Bluray exclusives are already more than HDDVD (blue versus red). When HDDVD loses its exclusives, i think we should just call it a day.

 

[London Geezer]

I wonder if MS including a HD-DVD drive in the 360 would've swayed any studios?
"Probably" is my guess.

Probably, but they whould have had to delay the X360 quite a bit cause HDDVD drives are still not available, especially not at a good price.

 

[rabidrabbit]

What product do you know comes out fresh and drops 50% in a few months in the tech area?

Nokia NGage

17 days after the system's initial release on October 7, major American retail chains have already begun offering substantial discounts on Nokia's N-Gage handheld. Both the GameStop and Electronics Boutique chains are now selling the cellular phone/game player hybrid online for $199, $100 off its suggested retail price.

 

[Mordecaii]

Ok, I suppose we should change the question to "What hardware comes out in the tech scene and drops its price more than 50% in a couple of months that isn't a failure?"

 

[London Geezer]

Ok, I suppose we should change the question to "What hardware comes out in the tech scene and drops its price more than 50% in a couple of months that isn't a failure?"

Pie? Pie's never a failure. Even 2 month-old pie.

 

[Powderkeg]

In the end, I would expect every studio not owned by Sony to support both formats until a clear leader takes shape. No studio wants to be on the losing end of a format war.

 

[avaya]

In the end, I would expect every studio not owned by Sony to support both formats until a clear leader takes shape. No studio wants to be on the losing end of a format war.

FOX and Disney declaring neutrality opens up the possibility of a format war. This is exactly why they will not be doing it.

The HD-DVD backers are only making their moves becuase they realise that the format is in major trouble.

 

[Powderkeg]

FOX and Disney declaring neutrality opens up the possibility of a format war.

Both have non-exclusive BluRay agreements. While somewhat picking a side, neither has chosen BluRay exclusively, and can still release HD-DVD content.

The only studios who are backing either format exclusively are all owned by Sony.

 

[mckmas8808]

FOX and Disney declaring neutrality opens up the possibility of a format war. This is exactly why they will not be doing it.

The HD-DVD backers are only making their moves becuase they realise that the format is in major trouble.

Correct. And don't forget we won't be seeing any Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, MGM movies, Revolution Studios and any thing else that Sony owns movie wise on HD-DVD.

 

[avaya]

Both have non-exclusive BluRay agreements. While somewhat picking a side, neither has chosen BluRay exclusively, and can still release HD-DVD content.

The only studios who are backing either format exclusively are all owned by Sony.

FOX and Disney have no intention of doing so.

With the way things stand, if there ever was a "war" it would be over pretty quickly. Something major like, PS3 not being a success, will have to happen for both of them to release on HD-DVD. They picked Blu-Ray from the beginning, what reason do they have now to start releasing for HD-DVD? If you compound that with the knowledge that if they did release on HD-DVD it will more than likely extend any format war that erupts.

It would be a very odd decision for them to make.

 

[Powderkeg]

FOX and Disney have no intention of doing so.

And you've spoken with the CEO's of both companies to confirm this, right?

With the way things stand, if there ever was a "war" it would be over pretty quickly. Something major like, PS3 not being a success, will have to happen for both of them to release on HD-DVD. They picked Blu-Ray from the beginning, what reason do they have now to start releasing for HD-DVD? If you compound that with the knowledge that if they did release on HD-DVD it will more than likely extend any format war that erupts.

It would be a very odd decision for them to make.

They will go where the consumer goes, and the consumer usually goes with what is familiar, even if it's inferior. (See the PS2 sales if you need proof.)

So, which is more familiar to the average consumer? The name "Bluray" or something called HD-DVD?


This "war" will be won or lost in end-user sales. In the end, the question is which product will they buy, not which company thinks BluRay or HD-DVD is the best. Right now, there aren't enough HDTV owners out there to make either of these formats a clear winner. DVD will still reign supreme for at least the next 3-4 years as a minimum, and just because a lot of PS3's are sold doesn't mean people will be automatically throwing away their current DVD collection and looking to replace all their movies with high definition versions of them.

It's going to be years before this is settled one way or another, and anyone who proclaims to be able to forsee the winner now must have one hell of a crystal ball, or one hell of a brand-loyalty issue behind their belief.

 

[mckmas8808]

So, which is more familiar to the average consumer? The name "Bluray" or something called HD-DVD?


This "war" will be won or lost in end-user sales. In the end, the question is which product will they buy, not which company thinks BluRay or HD-DVD is the best. Right now, there aren't enough HDTV owners out there to make either of these formats a clear winner. DVD will still reign supreme for at least the next 3-4 years as a minimum, and just because a lot of PS3's are sold doesn't mean people will be automatically throwing away their current DVD collection and looking to replace all their movies with high definition versions of them.

It's going to be years before this is settled one way or another, and anyone who proclaims to be able to forsee the winner now must have one hell of a crystal ball, or one hell of a brand-loyalty issue behind their belief.

Or so that's the new arguement huh? Ok cool.

So now it comes down to who has the cooler name? If you ask me consumers don't now either. And if the war will be won end-user sales then how will HD-DVD sell more if they have less system units in the hands of consumers? Regardless of how many people have a HDTV, we are pretty sure the PS3 will outsell all HD-DVD players in the first year.

And then add to the fact that Blu-ray has more exclusive movies coming out for it, I can't seem to find a way that HD-DVD will sell more software. Can you explain to me how this is possible.

 

[London Geezer]

So, which is more familiar to the average consumer? The name "Bluray" or something called HD-DVD?

Neither. The average consumer thinks "will it work with my iPod? oooh playstationfree!!".

This "war" will be won or lost in end-user sales. In the end, the question is which product will they buy, not which company thinks BluRay or HD-DVD is the best. Right now, there aren't enough HDTV owners out there to make either of these formats a clear winner. DVD will still reign supreme for at least the next 3-4 years as a minimum, and just because a lot of PS3's are sold doesn't mean people will be automatically throwing away their current DVD collection and looking to replace all their movies with high definition versions of them.

Who talked about throwing DVDs away. They work on PS3 and i expect PS3 to have some damn good DVD playback through HDMI - probably upscaled too, like expensive DVD players of today.

It's going to be years before this is settled one way or another, and anyone who proclaims to be able to forsee the winner now must have one hell of a crystal ball, or one hell of a brand-loyalty issue behind their belief.

Obviously, DVD will reign supreme for years. But i think the "next war" will be between DVD itself and Bluray. Bluray is bound to trash HDDVD, what its REAL problem is, it's how to convince people to buy that over DVD, not HDDVD.

 

[Powderkeg]

Neither. The average consumer thinks "will it work with my iPod? oooh playstationfree!!".

Who talked about throwing DVDs away. They work on PS3 and i expect PS3 to have some damn good DVD playback through HDMI - probably upscaled too, like expensive DVD players of today.

If they don't throw their old movies away and upgrade to the new format, then how is either format ever going to "win" this war?

You must have consumer demand. Demand for the player, and demand for the movies. If people don't upgrade their collection, then the only demand is by a very small group of HDTV owners who are buying new releases only. That's not much of a demand, certainly not enough to establish a winner in a format war.

Obviously, DVD will reign supreme for years. But i think the "next war" will be between DVD itself and Bluray. Bluray is bound to trash HDDVD, what its REAL problem is, it's how to convince people to buy that over DVD, not HDDVD.

But, when people want to upgrade from DVD, what will they want? DVD to HD-DVD because they switched from TV to HDTV seems like a logical move for the average under-educated consumer.

Personally, I don't think the PS3 will even matter. By the time either format starts to really show a significant lead, the PS4 will be on the way.

 

[Mefisutoferesu]

One way, that I can think of, is to pull a Windows. Just have all or the majority of the movie studios stop making DVDs and only make blu-ray discs. Movie goers will have no choice, like it or not. Of course, I've no idea how you'd convince the studios to drop DVDs, but assuming they really did want to move on to blu-ray, that's a real simple way.

Another less suicidal way might be to start making bad DVDs... ... well, worse than they are now. So, say, start dropping all the extras that deluxe versions would have from DVDs riddle them with trailers and ads you're forced to watch and then on have all the goodies and none of the BS on the Blu-rays. Of course, because you want to milk the populace for all their worth, after DVD dies you repeat that garbage on blu-ray.

 

[London Geezer]

One way, that I can think of, is to pull a Windows. Just have all or the majority of the movie studios stop making DVDs and only make blu-ray discs. Movie goers will have no choice, like it or not. Of course, I've no idea how you'd convince the studios to drop DVDs, but assuming they really did want to move on to blu-ray, that's a real simple way.

Another less suicidal way might be to start making bad DVDs... ... well, worse than they are now. So, say, start dropping all the extras that deluxe versions would have from DVDs riddle them with trailers and ads you're forced to watch and then on have all the goodies and none of the BS on the Blu-rays. Of course, because you want to milk the populace for all their worth, after DVD dies you repeat that garbage on blu-ray.

THANK GOD you don't work for any of those companies as CEO!!!! That is like.... worst than suicide. People will stage a revolution (excuse the pun) and go back to VHS!

 

[Powderkeg]

Or so that's the new arguement huh? Ok cool.

So now it comes down to who has the cooler name? If you ask me consumers don't now either.

They don't?

I bet they know what HDTV is.

And I bet if you put HD-DVD beside HDTV, they will have a really good guess as to what HD-DVD was.

Now, you put out Bluray, and WTF is that to them?

And if the war will be won end-user sales then how will HD-DVD sell more if they have less system units in the hands of consumers? Regardless of how many people have a HDTV, we are pretty sure the PS3 will outsell all HD-DVD players in the first year.

Having players is only part of the equation, and the lest important part in the format war. Players do no good if there is no demand for movies, and the demand for movies won't be there until the HDTV market is larger than the standard TV market.

And how many HDTV owners do you know that use a gaming console as their primary DVD player? Heck, for that matter how many console owners do you know that don't have a seperate DVD player?

And then add to the fact that Blu-ray has more exclusive movies coming out for it, I can't seem to find a way that HD-DVD will sell more software. Can you explain to me how this is possible.

Ask JVC how a lower quality format with fewer exclusives and less big-name studio support could win a format war. I bet they could give you a good answer.