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Blockbuster backs Blu-ray - HD DVD on the ropes?
iTWire ^ | Monday, 18 June 2007 | Adam Turner

Posted on 06/17/2007 10:29:06 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

In another blow to HD DVD, the giant Blockbuster video rental chain has thrown its weight behind Blu-ray in the fight to see which format is the high definition successor to the humble DVD.

After renting Blu-ray and HD DVD titles in 250 stores since late last year, Blockbuster has decide to stock only Blu-ray in its other 1250 US stores. Customers were choosing Blu-ray titles more than 70 percent of the time, reports Associated Press via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The release of Sony's Blu-ray-enabled PlayStation 3 games console was also a factor in the decision, said Blockbuster senior vice president of merchandising Matthew Smith. Smith's comments comes after Microsoft conceded that the Xbox 360 games console may eventually support Blu-ray.

While Blockbuster is following market trends, its backing of Blu-ray as the format winner is possible a self-fulfilling prophesy - with other retailers likely to follow Blockbuster's lead. Blu-ray also has some heavy-hitting backers in Australia, with entertainment retail chain JB Hi-Fi declaring it will only stock Blu-ray.

It's true that Blu-ray players are more expensive than their HD DVD counterparts, but at this point I don't think price is a factor. Early adopters aren't too concerned about price tags. In 12 months time when prices fall and the tag becomes important, it will probably already be too late for HD DVD.    

Things are staring to look grim for HD DVD, but the format war could drag on due to the release of dual format Blu-ray/HD DVD players from the likes of Samsung and LG. While this is might seem to be a good thing, it's just going to delay mass adoption of one format and thus stop hardware and movie prices falling. Blu-ray v HD DVD is a battle to the death, and the sooner one dies the better off consumers will be.


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: blockbuster; bluray; boycottviacom; cbs; hddvd; highdefinition; hitech; media; technology; viacom
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To: Tolsti

“Time to upgrade :)”

Yeah, I probably should. I don’t watch a whole lotta TV, am probably more often on the computer.

Actually, wish I’d get back to reading books like I used to do. I lived for 8 years without TV (and no computer too) some years ago, and think I enjoyed life better then! LOL

Wish I could live without it all again, but so far haven’t been able to do it—or rather have not tried again.


181 posted on 06/18/2007 4:42:48 PM PDT by Cedar
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To: Busywhiskers

They will probably work if you have the right stuff!


182 posted on 06/18/2007 4:46:14 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The DemonicRATS believe ....that the best decisions are always made after the fact.)
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To: Hot Tabasco
Cassette ?? is that something new?

I am perfectly happy with my 8-track, it will be around longer than a cassette!

183 posted on 06/18/2007 4:46:31 PM PDT by Las Vegas Dave (HDTV ping list, please FReepmail me if you would like your name added.)
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To: Las Vegas Dave
I am perfectly happy with my 8-track,

I just threw mine away and upgraded to the cassettes. The player kept eating my tapes........... LOL!

184 posted on 06/18/2007 5:13:18 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco
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To: HEY4QDEMS

Is Blue-Ray made by only one company?

God, don’t you know, its Bush/Cheney and HALIBURTON!!!!


185 posted on 06/18/2007 6:59:57 PM PDT by Holicheese (Zap Razdowler Rules!)
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To: Beelzebubba
Which can be earned back on one blockbuster movie hit.

Movie income is not enough to absorb the PS3 costs for too long.

The diode drove up price. Because of price the PS3 is a distant third in the console wars. Despite solid PS2 performance, the games division lost almost two billion dollars last year. That drove all of Sony into the red last quarter, dropping yearly profits a whopping 1.3 billion from last year, almost 70%.

The outlook looks good to me though, as they've updated the PS3 online to work out some bad initial bugs, and a price drop this year might boost sales. They need some killer games though. The chicken/egg problem and hard development is slowing developer uptake.

I may just get one next year, who knows. Then I'll end up in the Blu-Ray camp.

186 posted on 06/18/2007 9:02:31 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: ReignOfError

You seem to be the guy that knows your stuff.

As someone who does care about region codes and PAL and NTSC ( I travel a bit ) -

I would appreciate knowing if these Blue Ray and High Def machines will play all region codes as well as on both PAL and NTSC TVs. Thanks for your help.


187 posted on 06/19/2007 5:35:00 AM PDT by A'elian' nation (Not all anthuriums are created equal)
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To: A'elian' nation
I would appreciate knowing if these Blue Ray and High Def machines will play all region codes as well as on both PAL and NTSC TVs. Thanks for your help.

I'm not an expert, so don't take my word for anything without verifying it ... but my understanding is that the various HD standards are standards unto themselves, and don't rely on either NTSC or PAL. In a quick search of players sold on Amazon, I couldn't find any Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players whose descriptions referred to NTSC or PAL, or to DVD regions.

What I know indirectly, from online friends who live overseas, is that dual-standard VCRs and multi-region DVD players are quite common in most places outside the US, and they're not that expensive or hard to find in the US if you look. Most Americans don't bother, so the main audience for them is folks who are into niche stuff like anime or martial arts flicks.

A friend who used to work in the movie business explained to me the rationale behind DVD regions. Not everyone has the big movie season at the same time -- all the big summer blockbusters in the US can come out months later in countries where the audience peaks in December. So DVDs were region-encoded so that you couldn't ship in discs from the US before the movie opened in theaters in Hong Kong.

But multi-region DVD players, hackable DVD players, and fast enough Internet connections to make movies downloadable pretty much made the region structure obsolete not long after it was adopted. I wouldn't be surprised if the next-generation players don't even bother with it. And these days, thanks to those developments, the big-budget movies usually open worldwide within a matter of weeks, and are playing in theaters everywhere long before they're available on (legitimate) DVD.

188 posted on 06/19/2007 8:56:22 AM PDT by ReignOfError (`)
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To: A'elian' nation

New TV’s in PAL and NTSC countries use the ATSC standards for 480p/720p/1080i/1080p I believe.

HD DVD hasn’t rgion locked any of its discs. Blu-ray leaves regon locking up to the various studios. Thee are only 3 zones though. US-Japan are zone 1. Europe-Australia are Zone 2. Asia is Zone 3. Most BD’s aren’t locked though IIRC.


189 posted on 06/19/2007 10:02:37 AM PDT by Bogey78O (Don't call them jihadis. Call them irhabis. Tick them off, don't entertain their delusion.)
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To: LibLieSlayer

Looks like a few more dominoes fell today.

Anchor Bay and Starz will only distribute on Blu-ray.


190 posted on 06/19/2007 6:37:54 PM PDT by Bogey78O (Don't call them jihadis. Call them irhabis. Tick them off, don't entertain their delusion.)
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To: Bogey78O

Yep, the writing has been on the wall. MS only backs HDDVD because they want a format war and a failure of Optical HD discs. They want to make money on everything you watch. Their VP amirm, has openly stated that he thinks “downloads” are the future. They DO NOT want you to own any content and they also want you to pay each and every time you watch a movie... even if it’s for the 5th time!

No thanks... I want physical media that I can take with me or watch at 3AM if I can’t sleep! microsatan... they will NEVER change!

LLS


191 posted on 06/20/2007 4:07:28 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Support America, Kill terrorists, Destroy dims!)
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To: capitalist229
I am protesting the 2009 transition to HiDef broadcast through my local Congressman. I won't qualify for one of the free converter box certificates after they shut off the standard definition stations, and that's just unfair.

Not me. I have a Samsung 1080p and will get the Blu-ray player as soon as prices go down. TV is my life!

192 posted on 06/20/2007 4:14:43 AM PDT by ExtremeUnction
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To: Tolsti
What do you think of this Onkyo? Only 2 HDMI inputs though. Something about "HDMI pass-through, need separate audio cable", doesn't sound so good. It does have 3 component inputs, 1 component output. I'm thinking this is kind of a limited box, basic functionality but with Onkyo quality.
Onkyo HT-SR800 Black - $399 + $84 shipping - OneCall.com (also in silver, same price)

193 posted on 06/30/2007 5:34:55 PM PDT by George W. Bush (Rudi: tough on terror, scared of Iowa)
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To: George W. Bush

I’d go with the 605 or 705 or 805 series now, depending on the price you want.

That 800 is pretty obsolete now. These new ones have HDMI 1.3 which helps future proof them.


194 posted on 07/01/2007 4:47:00 AM PDT by Tolsti
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To: Tolsti
That's what I figured. Cheap and Onkyo rarely fit in the same sentence. You want quality, pay for it. Being an Apple guy, I shouldn't complain because other makers of quality goods want a decent return on high-end components. Besides, I don't want a theater-in-a-box anyway. I have a nice set of Fluance speakers that are quite nice.

I'll have to go look at the 605. Never shopped it or seen it. Thanks.
195 posted on 07/01/2007 9:06:07 AM PDT by George W. Bush (Rudi: tough on terror, scared of Iowa)
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To: Tolsti
Some good info here:

Onkyo TX-SR605 Home theater receiver with HDMI switching and video conversion at Crutchfield.com

I like the assignable audio jacks and some of the auto-adjust features. You don't get that on cheap amps.
196 posted on 07/01/2007 9:19:25 AM PDT by George W. Bush (Rudi: tough on terror, scared of Iowa)
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