There are two high definition DVD formats. Bluray and HD DVD. Of course you knew that. Both formats have been released. There are players. There are movies. And, nobody cares. I don’t see any discussions or reviews online. It’s one big yawn. Bluray fanboys will point to the upcoming PS3 release. That being the Ace up the sleeve of the format. Interestingly enough, PS3 fanboys ‘predict’ that it will be the Bluray format that will help selling the console. A 500 US$ Bluray player disguised as a gaming console might be a cheap Bluray player, if others cost a 1K. But in the consumers mind they have to compete with the 40 US$ DVD player that plays an awfully huge library of movies. Upscaling DVD players cost just a few hundred dollars.
The quality of these next generation formats is certainly superior to DVD. The current discs however have been partially made from sub par telecine masters I have been told. That aside, people don’t understand nor care about quality all that much.
Those two new formats have a better picture than traditional DVD. In order to see it you have to be equiped with a HD set.
Let’s have a look at the last format change. DVD replaced VHS tape. And it was better in the following ways:
- Image quality. Much more resolution. VHS was dreadful.
- Audio quality. They called that CD quality. VHS was dreadful.
- Sourround audio. Five speakers in your living room. No possible before with anything.
- non touch mechanism. VHS is an analog tape. Tape is tricky as it is. Tape and head wear and environmental impact like dust. Analog tape degrades. Every time you use it
- multi angle. yes, is a feature. Nobody used it. Almost nobody.
- multiple audio tracks. Directors commentary or alternative language tracks. Both add great value.
- menu system. Helps with branding and use.
- non linear. Jump to any location is almost instantly. Together with the menu system
- no rewind. Sounds like a stupid thing. Now that you don’t have to rewind anymore. Was major annoyance withVHS and big deal for DVD
- smaller and known form factor. “just like audio CD”
- region code and copy protection. Good for the studios. They thought.
- computer use. I have used a data tape based on S-VHS. Was 75,000 US$.
With DVD there was a format war too. The other one backed by Circuit City and Dreamworks folder almost instantly. It’s “feature” was that the movies were much cheaper, but would expire with in 48 hours. After that they wanted to charge consumers for every view. Greed. Make sure you hide it well, or you will fail like that.
DVD vs. VHS is a pretty substantial list. After a few years it was a done deal.
Bluray and HD-DVD will never build any momentum. They will fail like Super CD or UMD or Minidisc have failed.