Sony CEO Stringer Talks Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD and PS3 Momentum
By Chris on Monday, November 26th, 2007 at 6:01 PM PST In Game Companies, Game Consoles, Game Platforms, Sony, Sony
Howard Stringer, as CEO of Sony, is obviously expected to be a major proponent of Blu-ray. That’s why it was so shocking to hear him quoted last week as saying that Blu-ray was in a stalemate with HD-DVD.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, he didn’t exactly take those sentiments back, but instead took the opportunity to say that Blu-ray was better. In the process, he also discussed the PS3 as a Blu-ray player, as it’s one of the cheapest options – mentioning how he could see it eventually being as successful as the PS2 and that the system’s momentum is similar to the PS2’s.
The momentum shift and the energy behind PS3 in time for Christmas is extremely fortuitous,” he said. “It was planned by the PlayStation group, but I think this momentum now — particularly the number of games coming out, including our own as well as third-party — is the same as it was with PlayStation 2.
It’s a truly bold claim to think the PS3 could ever sell as much as the PS2, but if Blu-ray does take off and the PS3 remains one of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market, maybe it’s not so absurd a notion.
via 1UP
So which is gonna be VHS and which will be BETA ? Place your bets folks !
‘maybe it’s not so absurd a notion.’
How is it absurd?
Imo its absurd to think it wont when the last 2 did and this is doing just as well. And dont come back with that BS about there being more competition now because the PS1 and PS2 had competition also. The fact remains that there are over 100m PS2 owners who still haven’t upgraded to a next gen console. Most of them will buy the PS3 because buying a different console would mean kissing goodbye to Metal Gear, Gran Turismo, Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, Wipeout, Killzone, The Getaway, Singstar and all of the other Playstation exclusives they have been playing for years. Why on earth would they choose to go with a 360? They will buy PS3s, its just a matter of when.
Blu-Ray is like BETAMAX in that it is better but Blu-Ray is also like VHS in that it will win the format war.
Blu-Ray = BETA & VHS
HD DVD = garbage
JJ Please save the Fan boy rhetoric unless you can bring ONE shred of actual fact to the table or simply sit back and watch the show like the rest!
Howard Stringer had very good reasons for what he said regarding the format war. He can see the eventuality of things to come. Just stay tuned for the next few major announcements.
I put my bet on Blue Ray. Why?….Because BlueRay is next generation tech. HD DVD in other hand just upgraded DVD.
where Blu Ray wins my heart is with the sound. I have watched identical movies in HD DVD and Blu Ray on my setup and Blu Ray has superior sound quality .. and it’s not just a little better.. it’s a massive difference. If you don’t have surround sound and all that, then it doesn’t really matter.
NumberOne, Do your homework please! HD DVD is so much more than upgraded DVD that it is not funny! Blu-Ray today is more like upgraded DVD. It offers nothing more than DVD today besides bookmarks and a time line! HD DVD offers real interactivity and real PiP and real Internet connected interactivity… DVD never offered this level of capability or options!
William, The sound quality is relative to the title being played. If the title is lossless on Blu-Ray and HD DVD then there should be no appreciable difference in what you hear. I have heard some sound better on Blu-Ray and some sound better on HD DVD. It is subjective and you are not guaranteed to get a consistent experience for every movie regardless of the Disc Format.
and I got my toshiba hda2 for $99!
The_Omega_Man u need to do your homework. You talk stupid,if HD-DVD is better. Then why xbox not equip it? And you think play hidef games on regular dvd and cut corner and sound is better than Bluray? You talk stupid like those peoples work for microsoft. Ahhh compress games and cut corner is better than not compress and full version. Dumd ass, you so stupid. I think u still working at Burger King flipping burgers right?
The_Omega_Man just answer me one question. Which of this two fotmats have more space? More space means more capability. Thu….
kirinle777, I will not even dignify you with an answer, to such questions. “You talk Stupid!” Enough said there, I think! Also, I would refrain from personal attacks, if I were you, as many of the more immature and pimple faced, PS3 having, Blu-Ray fan-boys do. When you grow up and learn to speak in English, with complete and intelligible sentences, give me a ring.
NumberOne, More space for what? Think hard about my question and your answer!
Do you know just how many BR movies are on the BD-50 dual layer discs versus the BD-25 single layer discs?
Answer:
BD25 209 52.91 %
BD50 186 47.09 %
Now how many HD DVDs are produced on HD-30 dual layer discs versus the HD-15 single layer discs?
Answer:
HD15 25 7.49 %
HD30 246 73.65 %
HD15 Combo 25 7.49 %
HD30 Combo 38 11.38 %
Homework assignment Study the information from the sources for the above info:
http://www.hddvdstats.com/index.php
http://www.blu-raystats.com/index.php
So what does this tell you? The last time I checked, 30 was a bigger number than 25! There are more HD-30 movies available today then there are BD-50 movies! Why do you think that is?
Is 50Gig really necessary to produce a great looking and sounding movie? Hmm I think not! If the video and audio are properly compressed..(And yes video is compressed on BOTH formats) then 4+ hours of HD video can be put on a 30 Gig disc!
NumberOne, Please keep in mind the fact that BR was originally designed to be an Optical data storage format for computers. It was modified and submitted to the DVD Forum (and summarily rejected) as a potential replacement for DVD in the packaged (pre-recorded) video space. The accepted DVD replacement, by the DVD Forum is HD DVD!
Sony decided to go it’s own way and force the DVD replacement standard to gain the licensing rights to the new DVD format Billions of dollars in potential revenue, hangs in the balance here.
We can argue tech. specs., which are of no real good unless they are consistently used, but the reality is BR is still playing catch up to HD DVDs capabilities and standards. The A/V quality is subjective but is basically the same. The big differentiating factors are consistently working interactivity, Internet connectivity, Region Coding and Cost!
Bottom line, today HD DVD offers a better overall value than BR!
Case in point:
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Exclusive_HD_Content/Harry_Potter_HD_DVD_to_Feature_First-Ever_Community_Screening_Function/1188
I think the fact that Blu-ray discs are constantly outselling HD-DVD discs, averging 2-1 in the US, up to 9-1 in other large world markets is a key point to consider. HD-DVD has a massive amount of catching up to do. To many, Toshiba’s $99 dollar is a last ditch attempt at keeping in the game, there isn’t anything else they can really do from this point on. Based on the obvious losses Toshiba are incurring on every unit they sell, I doubt many other major manufacturers will be in a rush to join them and market their own players. Microsoft possibly realise that they should have put a HD-DVD drive into the X-box and now they are playing catch up. The next few months is going to be extremely important for Blu-ray as sales of the PS3 start to ramp up and customers become more knowledgable about its Blu-ray capabilities. There’s a long way to go yet of course, and DVD is going to be king of physical media for quite a while yet.
Well Omega, Lee pretty much said it fairly clearly. The problem is not technology both have great technology the problem is in support and disk sales. Onkyo just stopped production on their HD-DVD player all Toshiba did with dumping their first generation players was hurt the other builders. The rest of the builders in the HD-DVD market have zero market shares leaving Toshiba to stand alone. Yes LG and a few others have very small amount of market but that is primarily with dual format players (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray). Sony reduced the costs of usage and provided incentives to lower the costs of the players for their builders helping them not hurting them (they learned this in the VHS vs. Beta-MAX). Example Samsung, Sharp, and Panasonic all have players under the $400 mark (yes some even less), but all are either just at or below the price of the PS3. If you factor in World Wide PS3 sales and take 10% of them as people who will watch movies on their PS3 then you can see why we have a 2 to 1 purchase ratio. The only thing that saved HD-DVD is the Universal being HD-DVD only contract. If all studios would have been dual format from the beginning even with the HD-DVD less costs just the fact that you see 5 different manufacturers making Blu-Ray players makes it more appealing in the public eye.
I really don’t blame either camp for hurting the public perception of HD I instead put the blame clearly on the studios. If they really wanted to just let the public decide they would have been neutral and released on both platforms.
As it stands if you look at builder support, disk sales, and PS3 sales you would say that Blu-Ray will eventually win how long that will take is anyone’s guess. If Universal switches to release on both platforms you can be sure that it won’t take long. You could go the other way and say if Disney and everyone releases on both formats that HD-DVD would tic up, but that just wouldn’t be the same size. You cannot look at this war without factoring in the PS3 units (5.59 Million). Yes you can say you have to factor in the Xbox 360 but that doesn’t come with an HD-DVD drive you have to buy it separately. Yes you can say that Xbox 360 HD-DVD add-ons jumped 1000% (where are they getting this number) real sales numbers that we have seen show that sales are still below 500K units. I hope this is clear and understandable enough for you references can be found on Consumer Reports, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Microsoft and Sony.
One last point on the Harry Potter news Warner doesn’t care for the feature it was not in the original release announcement but at the prodding of the HD-DVD camp it was announced officially. Something we should all look at if you work with Amazon look at the collectors pack and see which one has been pre-ordered more the HD-DVD or the Blu-Ray edition. That would be an interesting number I have not seen it myself but maybe I will drop some emails to see if I can get that from them today.
Here is one more 73% of all HD disk sales in Europe were Blu-Ray.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112700715.html
This is what we are talking about technology is great in both parties but man this is a huge difference.
Big James
The_Omega_Man. Let me tell you couple facts. First, Who is behind Blue Ray format? Almost all production and movie company’s. Second, Who is selling more discs? Blue Ray has 2 in 1 advantage in USA, and 73% sellings in Europe. I don’t even wanna mantion Asia, where is now one knows what HD DVD is.
what kind of losers would all sit in together and use such a stupid feature for a movie. what about blu ray java. the interactive features on blu ray will be just as good as hddvd only hopefully not as pointless
Interesting points all. However, BR Disc sales ratios and format sponsorship have done nothing to solve the single HD media format problem that we all face. In fact BR has gained no ground in this war, it has in fact lost ground. That should tell you all about the strength and resolve of the HD DVD format supporters. Stay tuned as to which welll known companies will also be supporting HD DVD after this holiday season.:wink: But frankly, I do not think it matters much as far as hardware vendors. The Toshiba HD DVD players work great and are priced right! Studio support yes, that makes all of the difference here. However, HD DVD has gained/retained studio support and BR has lost some studio support this year. Like it or not, HD DVD is gaining ground and will be there when the next big thing comes out to replace it. Honestly ask yourself will BR be there too?
bigJames,
Universal has already made their statements regarding potential BR support. interestingly enough, Disney actually voted in the DVD Forum FOR HD DVD’s 51GB Triple Layer disc format. I would say there is a studio to watch. Also Warner did NOT renew it’s contract with BDA this month. That should say loads too. Lastly, Fox was holding out for BD+ on BR and was prodded to release films as fast as possible, when the Paramount/DW announcement happened to try and maintain the coveted 2:1 sales average and one up HD DVD on # of movie titles. All of the move made by the BDA have shown to be acts of desperation of losing the perception, of the possibility to win this war! The BDA has only reacted to every move of HD DVD camp.
“jughead says:
November 27th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
what kind of losers would all sit in together and use such a stupid feature for a movie. what about blu ray java. the interactive features on blu ray will be just as good as hddvd only hopefully not as pointless”
A) I would assume, a large segment of the same folks that would contribute BILLIONS of thier hard earnded collective dollars on this franchise!
Whether this feature is used or not, you must admit that it is an innovative idea and it will be executable NEXT MONTH on HD DVD, not eventually with BR gets its interactive features and enough compatible BR players on the market!
B) Again BR will have to FOLLOW HD DVD’s lead on techinal innovation.
C) BD Java – a derivative is a relatively complex programming language, that requires fairly heavy system resources. As some BR early adopters, have found out the hard way! This is a costly endeavor for movie studios to take advantage of, compared to M$ HDi.
Now does it make any good business sense to you to?:
A) Spend more money to get your discs to market
B) Have inconsistent user experiences due to non-standardized players out there – Tech Support $
C) Have to delay movie releases because of Disc stamp queue delays and now BD-J coding & debugging
It didn’t to Paramount!
Oh and just because something is not important to you does not mean that others feel the same way you do. Did Warner ask you or me for our opinion before deciding to develop and exploit this cool, NEW and innovative feature?
bigJames, Thanks for the link, however, the article you provided talks about the totals not the trends. I would be more interested in the trends (as is the industry as a whole), as far as market sales numbers. Points in time, mean nothing here, other than marketing fodder for either side.
The_Omega_Man. Do you know the word lunatik. I think you are the one. he he… just relax and spend your money wise.
Number One there is no such word as, “Lunatik,” in the dictionary! But if it were a word in the dictionary, I’m sure that you would find a picture of a very pissed early BR adopter, next to the definition! =)
Oh and I have spent my money both wisely and as little of it as possible, on HD DVD! Thanks for caring though!
I wonder if Omega Man works for Toshiba…
HD-DVD is just about non-existent everywhere on the planet except the USA. The backward idiots of the United States are always the last to catch on.
N. America – BD 71% / HDD 29%
Japan – BD 98% / HDD 2%
Australia – BD 92% / HDD 8%
Germany – BD 89% / HDD 11%
UK – BD 91% / HDD 9%
The HD-DVD propaganda machine will have you think differently but in REALITY it’s pretty much a dead issue. Americans will keep buying the cheap non-HD HD-DVD players though. They don’t even play Full HD 1080p. HD-DVD might be the biggest electronics scam of American History. Toshiba & Microsoft propaganda will have all the cheap idiots of America upgrading to Blu-ray in a year. LOL. Morons! Only in America, the land of the dumb.
You all forget one important point coming from a wise man. I am sure everyone has paid the top dollars for there technology & we are sick of getting sucked in to pay more. You all get deceived by prettier picture Blue-ray or HD-DVD. The question you have to ask yourself is, when will you be satisfied with picture & sound. I don’t have Blue-ray or HD-DVD, I am happy enough with DVD & computer video files using TV Out. I will let all those suckers go out & pay the top dollar, while i watch the same thing being happy enough because i have drawn the line with picture & sound. Now when everything is nice & cheap like how DVD’S are now, than i spend $50au for a payer. If Microsoft or Sony think i am going to pay $5000AU for a better tv, cables, a new player & a new library of films than they are joking. I would consider a new TV middle of next year because i think they be a good price. I have spent too many thousands of dollars to start all over again, to watch the same thing with a different paint.
HD is not cheap. Just because you’re cheap, doesn’t make you smart.
What defines being cheap, spending that many thousands of dollars for the same film. You are being sucked in, with this same money i brought a new pc, nintendo wii & many more things for my house. I just dont see the point of spending thousands and we dont know which way the market will go. Imagine spending all this cash & blue ray fails, you feel like a fool. Remember you have to be wise and patient with this one.
@tgh
To answer your question:
I enjoy FULL HD 1080p and Dolby Digital surround sound when watching a film or playing a video game. After researching all of my available options I’ve decided to go Blu-ray. The reasons that I chose BD are 1.BD 100GB capacity BD-R & BD-RW will be available to consumers in Q2 2008 with 200GB BD to follow. This is important to me for future computer PC/Laptop purchases. 2.Movie Studios prefer BD’s copy protect security. 3.PS3 4.HD-DVD is limited to 51GB per Tri-layer disc which is not able to be played in ANY current consumer models because the disc is incompatable with the optical lens. 5.The HD-DVD 51GB disc can not be made to have HD-DVD-R or HD-DVD-RW capabilities. Again, this is important to me for future computer PC/Laptop purchases.
If I wanted to save $200, I would have purchased the $99 HD-DVD player (Toshiba HD-A3). What the HD-DVD propaganda machine doesn’t openly advertise is the fact that the cheapest HD-DVD player the produces a FULL HD 1080p video output signal, currently in production is $399 at BestBuy (Toshiba HD-A30). The Toshiba HD-A20 was 1080p capable for $499 but has since been discontinued.
So, being “Cheap” in this case would be defined as; Trying to save money and being utterly stupid in the process. Anyone who argues on the side of HD-DVD either doesn’t know the true facts of both formats or is being paid by Microsoft or Toshiba. It absolutely make no sense to buy HD-DVD. It is a complete waste of Money.
Blu-Ray is the Betamax of this generation.
Betamax was extremely popular, just like Blu-Ray, it was superior to the VHS in almost every conceivable way just like the Blu-Ray…then the market turned.
You have no idea which way the wind is going to blow Super, it wouldn’t be the first time that the market dropped out on a popular format and it won’t be the last.
Calling Blu-Ray as the winner is premature, and insulting people or a group of people is the idiot’s way of trying to get a point across.
What people chose to buy is there choice Super, calling somebody stupid because of it only shows how crass and immature you are about a rather pointless subject.
This Omega man thinks he knows everything. Why u keep saying stupid thing “In fact BR has gained no ground in this war, it has in fact lost ground.” Stop talk nonsence idiot. You can’t answer my questions and keep talking stupid theory. When r u gonna grow up dude. BR beat HDDVD 2-1 in US, 73% in other regions and u said BR has gained no ground in this war, it has in fact lost ground. God damn u stupid, learn how do your math. You don’t jack about technology, the only thing u know is read and repeat what other news said. So shut the hell up and go play with Wii-Wii
moron. I bet that u don’t have PS3 nor XBox 360. Don’t hate players just the games. 
Sorry dude case close.
High 5 superdynamite.
liss, no I do not work for Toshiba. If I did there would be no reason for this article or a format debate… Rest assured!
superdynamite, unfortunately, you too are misinformed about the actual facts, which is why I take the effort to try an provide some real facts, to hopefully help clear thing up, for the neophytes.
You preach HD DVD propaganda machines, however you neglect (intentionally?) to address the BDA’s HUGE propaganda machine! Was it HD DVD that declared the war over in January of 07′, again in March 07′, again in June 07′, and has sponsored fanatical web sites such as Bluray.com? I think not! There is noting that I have seen on the Internet since it’s inception, like the mass brain washing that goes on at bluray.com! Absolutely Pathetic!
HD DVD has been promoting only itself and has NEVER knocked Blu-Ray in the press! Can you and the BDA honestly say the same for BR camp? Hell, the EU is investigating Sony and the BDA for it’s actions, in this format battle?
Superdynamite, First you state that HD DVD does not do 1080P then you recant and state information about one of the Toshiba HD DVD models, that are available which support 1080p. So you negated your own argument there.
But let’s be clear here! If you bought into 1080p as “Real High Def,” then I now know where the REAL propaganda machine is! (Right Sony? How is that wrist doing by the way?) If you have a 1080p HSTV that de-interlaces properly then having a player that outputs 1080p is NOT (repeat NOT) relevant or necessary. There have been enough AV PROFESSIONALS that have DOCUMENTED this FACT over the last year that all you have to do is Google the subject! Homework, remember!
So you bought into BR for 100GB-200GB size potential future discs? All I can Say is WOW! You do know that Holographic discs and Organic dye discs are going for Terabyte size discs right? So are you waiting for those too?
HD DVD TL-51 disc are in-fact compatible with even the 1st generation NEC made HD DVD drives. Look it up!
Unlike Sony and BDA, Toshiba and the DVD Forum will not release any products that would force all prior product owners, to have to re-invest, just to be able to use their new capabilities! Nor would an HD DVD supporting movie studio, release a film on a new media format, which could not be read or used on the majority of its constituency’s existing infrastructure! Sound like BR FUD to me, so let’s stick with the facts please! This is where the words VALUE and Phrase Total Cost of Ownership come to play! Can’t say that for 1st, 2nd and some 3rd Gen Blu-Ray player owners, now can we! Hell, the early adopters can not even play the new Blu-Ray movies with full the features that the studios are now producing! I have absolutely NO Faith At ALL, that ANY of the current and existing Profile 1.0 players, will be able to play a quad layer 100GB BD disc! So are you ready to RE-INVEST in the “REAL,” next generation High Def Blu-Ray disc players?
Super, I know that it must be tough to acknowledge the fact that you have drank the koolaid and have been brain washed into accepting an UNFINISHED format that was rushed to market before it was ready, and that you have made a capital investment that is basically a waist for the future (unless it was for a PS3). But before you down play the opposition, it is best to have walked in their shoes to understand their perspective. For example I have a PS3. I have compared BR to HD DVD. For my movie watching experience, HD DVD wins hands down ALMOST every time! The Interactivity that I HAVE TODAY, just can not be beat! And the fact that I paid so little and have so much, makes HD DVD a good investment choice as well! I paid a lot for my PS3 as basically an up converting PS2 game machine! Eventually, I’m sure that will get some real GAMING value out of it.
Lastly Super, IMO, if you want to burn very HIGH capacity optical media, then you have WAY too much time on your hands!
Do you really have any idea, how long it would take to burn 30 GB, much less 50-100-200 GB of data to an optical disc? I think not! 
I do respect your opinions; however, your logic regarding those who support HD DVD is flawed! HD DVD fans are all not paid by M$ or Toshiba.
I think that you do need to learn the REAL facts about the formats and the true benefits versus drawbacks, for the average movie watching individual.
The HD game is not cheap….Today! However it is getting less expensive every day! As such, more and more people are getting into it. HD DVD has had the right strategy from the get go.. Make it compatible for easy of acceptance, lower mfg. costs and ultimately, lower cost = mass consumer adoption! Oh and we can give them a consistent user experience and a WOW factor to boot! A, Win, Win, Win strategy to me!
Try not to mistake lower cost with cheap in this CE game, as some do! Contrary to popular believe you don’t always get what you paid for! Look at any AV magazine’s CE equipment reviews, to see what I mean!
Oh and Super, I happen to be an American, and attempting to insult Americans in the manner that you attempted, a) does phase in the slightest, ANY resident of the Greatest country on the planet and b) only shows both your ignorance of Geo-Politics as well as a blatant disregard for those Americans that helped deliver that very technology that you covet so much, at a price point you can afford, within YOUR life time!
We don’t ask for thanks, just a little respect please!
kirinle777, Okay, if you choose to continue with childish name calling and baseless accusations, then I think that you are making it very obvious, as to who the child is here and who the adult is!
I will not respond to personal attacks, nor will I be prodded into similar childish behavior.
When you want to bring some actually debatable facts to the table, in an intelligible manner, then I will respond in kind. Until then….you may want to go shave those palms…again!
P.S. FYI – I do indeed have a $599 PS3-60, that I bought for my 6 year old son to play his PS2 and one day worthwhile PS3 games on.
To be honest, I think that the Wii would have been a better choice for him at this time. 
I bought the PS3 as a Game system not as a Media Center PC or a DVD movie player! That would have been a ridiculous financial investment to make at the time and for that matter even today!
Ok. Let me respond to everyone in one post:
@Averre
Was Beta superior to VHS? YES, You are correct. The difference in the comparison is, Beta never took the lead in sales. NEVER. Not one single day. In 1975 I had a 1″ video tape player that I purchased from Channel 11 in NYC. From that we went straight to VHS. When VHS & Beta came out, it was a landslide from day one. With Blu-ray & HD-DVD the superior format has not only been in the lead every single day, but BD has 70% of the market share in N. America and 94% of the market share in every country besides N. America. That is the difference between VHS/Beta & BD/HDD.
Next…
@The_Omega_Man
Let me repeat; The HD-DVD players that are currently on the market for under $399.99 do not support 1080p video output. ANY HD-DVD player UNDER $399 is NOT Full HD 1080p. see here: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8494499&st=hd-a30&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1186003898849
@The_Omega_Man
The 51GB HDD does not work with any current model HD-DVD player. The specs of the disc were approved by the DVD Forum streering committee the week of Nov 14th 2007. The actual Tri-Layer disc for consumer use is has not even been produced yet. They did say though that the 51GB disc cannot be made to be Writable (HDD-R) or Rewritable (HDD-RW). When asked if the 51GB HDD was compatible with current HD-DVD player models, they declined to answer. They went on further to say that the issues they are confronted with are not firmware issues, but hardware issues due to the optical lens. 1.See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_DVD#Disc_structure 2.SEE HERE:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/storage/display/20071118073411_Enlarged_Triple_Layer_HD_DVD_Finally_Gets_Approved.html
@The_Omega_Man
This is a direct quote from you; “if you want to burn very HIGH capacity optical media, then you have WAY too much time on your hands! Do you really have any idea, how long it would take to burn 30 GB, much less 50-100-200 GB of data to an optical disc? I think not!”
If you’re trying to use the argument that, people should not want high capacity BD-R’s because of the tie it takes to write info, that is completely absurd. The Blu-ray 6X, 8X, 12X, 16X & 24X Read/Write burners will soon be available in PC/Laptops. The premise of your comment is completely ridiculous.
@The_Omega_Man
As for my “Americans” comment. Stand back for one second and look at the format war. HD-DVD is alive in only one country on the entire planet. Why? Because Microsoft prolonged it’s life by paying off Paramount/Dreamworks. If Microsoft wasn’t so hard-up for Sony, this format war wouldn’t even exist. Is America the greatest place on earth? 100%! But the education system sucks. Just read your own comments for proof of that. You have the proof of every aspect of each format right under your nose, yet your comments are borderline moronic. Please do not be fooled by the HD-DVD propaganda machine. You cannot purchase a Full HD 1080p player for under $399. 51GB discs are currently non-existent. 51GB HDD only exist on paper. The “SPECS” were approved, not an actual, tangible disc. Did you know that there are SPECS for a 10 Layer Blu-Ray disc??? Big Deal! It Doesn’t Exist! So please, forget all the crazy HD Format Propaganda. Read between the lines.
I agree.
“Sony introduced the Betamax home video system in 1975 with the LV-1901 Trinitron/Betamax console. It was the most popular video format in 1983, gaining almost a third of the UK video recorder market, while Sanyo’s VTC5000 was the top selling UK video recorder. By 1985, however, the market had turned sharply towards VHS.”
You were saying?
Betamax was very popular outside of the U.S. just like Blu-Ray is now, again to say that Blu-Ray is the top dog is premature at this stage
@averre
Do you live on the planet Earth? Blu-ray has a 70% market share in the USA and a 94% everywhere else. VHS has a 73% market share in the USA. Europe’s market share in the 70’s had absolutely no bearing on the USA. Accessibility to eachother’s formats was nonexistent. Do you just search the Internet for useless information and then spin it so it best fits your argument?
If you must know, Betamax is still used in sound studios and movie studios around the world. Every major studio is equipped with a Beta machine that is used for digital transfer. Of course the machines are more advanced than the ones from the 70’s & 80’s but the tapes are the same.
Bottom line is, the VHS/Beta vs BD/HDD argument is completely irrelevant. There are no similarities other than, there are two formats in competition.
Warner Brothers will choose which format the studio is going to promote in January 2008. If they go Blu, it’s over. If they go HDD, the format war will go on forever.
@Averre
Just so you know, Beta NEVER led sale in the USA. Not for one single day.
The comparison between BD/HDD & VHS/Betamax
Release date:
VHS – 1976
Beta – 1975
BD – 2006
HDD – 2006
__________________________________________________________
N. America Market Share %:
VHS – 70% (1976-)
Beta – 30% (1976-)
BD – 73%
HDD – 27%
__________________________________________________________
Non-N. American Market share %:
VHS – 33% (Before 1985)
Beta – 66% (Before 1985)
BD – 94%
HDD – 6%
__________________________________________________________
Exclusive Studio Support:
VHS – 40
Beta – 12
BD – 14 (Sony Pictures,MGM,Columbia,TriStar,Disney,Touchstone,Miramax,Fox, Warner,Lions Gate,Pixar,Buena Vista)
HDD – 2 (Paramount/Dreamworks[excluding ALL S.Speilberg,Inc.Films],Universal)
__________________________________________________________
Max Capacity in Gigabytes/Hours:
VHS – 10.6hrs
Beta – 5hrs
BD – 25GB/8.5hrs UC(uncompressed), 50GB, 100GB, 200GB/68hrs UC
HDD – 15GB/5.1hrs UC, 30GB/10.2hrs UC, (51GB/17.4hrs UC – NOT FOR USE WITH CURRENT CONSUMER MODELS)
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Exclusive Manufacturer support:
VHS – 14
Beta – 4
BD – 13 Apple,Hitachi,Mitsubishi,Sharp,Sony Dell,Benq,HP,Panasonic, Philips,Pioneer,Samsung,TDK)
HDD – 4 (Microsoft, Intel, NEC, Toshiba)
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Ok, There you have it.
HD -DVD ftw, blu – ray sucks donkey balls in eeurope atm
I agree with shadow. HD-DVD sux. I used an ATM in Europe too and the money was all wrong.