Blu-ray about to win format war ?

I own a PS3, which I bought mainly for use as a Blu-Ray player, and the picture quality is great, especially on films like Crank and The Descent; even The Searchers looks fantastic. Animated films look especially nice as well, with high levels of detail.

As for HD-DVD, I've not been too impressed by the PQ on the titles I've seen. Nowhere near as sharp as BR films.

I have a feeling that Universal will start releasing movies on BR by the end of 2007, considering that they are missing out on additional money from BR owners (like me).

I don't see why there's still a war going on since TotalHD combines both formats onto one disc. Why not just go with that?

I'm not thrilled with having to buy a disc with a format I'll never use (much like those HD-DVD/DVD combo discs out now), and I'm sure that pricing will be higher as well, just like the previously mentioned combo dvds.

And I guess that means extra rack space for all Warner/NewLine/HBO THD discs at retailers. I don't know how much support the Best Buys, Circuit Citys, etc will give to a "3rd" format taking up room, especially since it's from essentially one studio.

But if Total HD discs can do 50GB on the Blu-Ray side, then that's a big plus.

Give me a combo-player and I'll bite.

Give me one format with lower prices and a blow job, then I'll bite.

I own a PS3, which I bought mainly for use playing videogames. Since they only have like one good game, which I completed multiple times months ago, I've been using it as a Blu-ray player. I've only bought Crank and Prestige (and rented Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Monster House), which both looked pretty damned nice. Though with the huge amount of space they have on the discs I'm still waiting for these companies to do something cool beyond great picture and sound. I've heard about this In-Movie experience thing (which is on the HD-DVD of Batman Begins I guess, which still isnt out on Blu-Ray) but haven't seen it on a blu-ray yet. Plus they are far too fucking expensive. I've seen that some movies are only 20 bucks, which I'd call reasonable, but both titles I purchased rang in at 30 bucks. Nearly twice as much as the standard. What is really funny is when you open the Prestige dvd it has a little slip that says "if this disc came out after your bluray player was manufactured theres a chance not everything will work." Hilarious!

And as someone who owns both format, I'd say you need to check out more HD DVD discs. The quality is basically equal, it just depends what titles you're looking at.

I ain't making that leap for another 5 to 10 years. I'm happy with the picture I got and I see no reason to pay $10 more per disc for nothing.

I expect the entire industry to move toward a download-rental model within the next few years. A new disc-based format is a waste of time and money. People aren't ready to replace their movie collections.

That is sure to happen (in fact such services are already available), but it's hard to predict the timetable. Could be 5 years, could be 10.

I think it'll be more like 10 years. I doubt a majority of homes will have a home theater setup that's broadband-capable within the next five years; probably 10% of households at the most. Plus, average consumers still want that product they can physically hold in their hands.

While I did mainly buy it for the Blu-Ray movies, I do use it for Games. I own Resistance (love it, but right now I'm at a point that's seriously pissing me off), and I bought MLB 2K7 last night. I only have 6 B-R's (Crank, Departed, Descent, Monster House, The Searchers, Talladega Nights) at this point with more on order, but there are a bunch of games coming out in the next few months that I'll be picking up, top of the list being Spider-Man 3. There's a good chance I may end up owning nearly as many games as movies by year's end.

I bought the PS3 for games.

I researched and found that the three best Blu-Ray movie releases so far are Mission Impossible III, Superman Returns and Nightmare Before Christmas. Well, I figured the first one I should buy was one I already owned on DVD, so I could put them both in and flip back and forth and compare them.

The faces are more defined and it looks really good, but I don't see that big of a differance between Blu Ray and DVD to jusitfy the $10 differance in price.

My TV is a 37inch, LCD - so I have what is needed, I am just not impressed with the Blu Ray Discs.

Now the differance between Madden 2007 for the PS2 and Madden 2007 for the PS3 is amazing.

I'll stick with regular DVDs for now. I really don't want to replace my 900+ DVD collection.

Get Crank. It looks amazing.

I am at such a fucking digital impasse at the moment. I bought a PS3 for...well, a little of both. I am not much of a gamer, but I love me some Madden. Now, on my weekly pilgrimage to Best Buy, I have to debate whether to go standard or Blu-ray, with the caveat being that I have only one Blu-ray player, and it is in my bedroom (my antiquated living room is saddled with a standard definition projection TV, whereas the Bravia currently resides in the bedroom).

So now I have to figure out if I want to buy a movie in a format that limits me to my bedroom in top tier clarity, or opt for the version I can watch anywhere. I am still tending to err on the side of caution and go regular DVD more often that not, But I end up second guessing myself the whole time I am standing on line.

I was sure the fact that the porn industry being forced to use HD-DVD was a blue-ray killer

From http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...=4698&Itemid=2

Well, here's an article that states Sony itself is claiming it is only up by about a 1000 units, from February 7, 2007. I wouldn't count any side the winner in this format war yet.

I myself own a 360/HD-DVD unit, but I would be willing to bet that the numbers won't really matter at all until a combo player is put on the market for an affordable amount.

Also, the actual disks themselves need to go down in price for the average consumer to take any notice in them. The only place I go to buy HD-DVD's is Wal-Mart, which selection sucks. They're typically at least $5 to $10 less than anywhere else. However, if I don't get a disc the first or second day it comes out, I'm usually shit out of luck.

I don't think that either side is going to win big, at any rate. I don't expect this new format to get any bigger than laserdiscs did. The average consumer doesn't care that much about picture quality, and only about 25% of households currently have HDTV. This is a film geek technology.

And of course, if the combo players do take off, that's only going to hurt the PS3, since it only plays one of the formats.

Well, HD tvs are already going down in price, and will continue to because the FCC wants to initiate this all digital broadcast thing, set now for 2009 though its always getting pushed back. There's going to be a point soon when a larger majority of the population have HD quality TVs. The people that still can't afford one at that point... should the companies really care about them?

Won't the companies manufacturing these combo players need the approval of the companies who manufacture the media? Has Blu-Ray given support to these? If Blu-ray keeps outselling HD-DVD (and with Casino Royale coming out today Blu-Ray is taking an ever bigger lead) I'd wager Universal is gonna pull their exclusivity with HD. Then all there is for HD is Weinstein, and what do they have? Clerks 2? Who cares. The Rodriguez films, and probably future Tarantino films (by the time he has another new film after Grind House there will already be a successor to both formats)? By then they'll go to Blu-Ray too.

As I think I said earlier, the only things I'm buying right now on Blu-Ray are new titles that have at least the same special features as the regular dvd (didn't buy Departed on Blu-ray for this reason.) Right now I've got Crank, Presige, the free Talladega Nights, and today I'll be picking up Casino Royale. Right now the TV i have my ps3 hooked to (A Sharp 27" or something in my room) only goes up to 720P, so I know I'm not seeing as great a picture as I should, but it still looks pretty good. I can tell the difference between it and standard DVD. Do I think its worth paying 10-15 bucks more for the movie? No. That's why I've not gone crazy and bought a bunch (the selection isn't that great yet anyways, just like when DVD first started). But in a year or so, I predict this will be over, blu-ray will most likely be victorious, and there will be better releases.

Somebody (I think Greg David) already said it, but download will finish them both before either can replace regular dvd.

Plenty of folks are willing to take a slight sound quality hit for the convenience of downloaded music, and movies will follow. Someone will successfully mass-market a tv with wireless download capability (or that docks with something like an ipod) and it'll be on like neckbone.

The problem is that there are an awful lot of people out there (more than you'd think) who just have a TV to watch TV, and don't particularly care about the advanced picture quality. So while HDTV is going down in price, these people still aren't going to buy one, since they don't have the desire to upgrade. Eventually, HDTV's will be the standard, so anybody who replaces their worn-out TV's will end up with one. But considering that there are still working TV's from the 60's and 70's in people's homes, that could be a good, long while. I wouldn't count on the majority of American homes being HD-equipped for at least another ten years, and probably longer.

Another issue here is that most people didn't convert from VHS to DVD because of the dramatic increase in picture and sound quality. They liked the convenience of it; it's on a disc, doesn't need to be rewound, has chapter stops, takes up less space. And since Blu-Ray/HD-DVD don't offer any dramatic upgrades in convenience factor, I don't see the general public getting excited about them.

I know the fact that I can download HD movies on my XBox 360 makes me much less likely to invest in either of these new formats. And really, I don't see every household in the US having Internet capability as being any less likely than every household in the US having HDTV.

The Last Starfighter is coming to Blu-ray before years end.

God damn it. Did I not just say I'm trying not to get into Blu-Ray? Why would you go and tell me that?

Crap.

Just curious but what's your source for that info? THE LAST STARFIGHTER is a Universal release and unless something changed today, they're still HD-DVD exclusive. Or did something change today?

I was at a Best Buy today, and the line was THICK with folks who, I'd bet a finger, weren't looking at buying an HDTV for quite some time. But they were each and every one of them dropping $60 on shitty new releases. I think you might be underestimating the Big Box (Best Buy, CC, Target, Wal-Mart) junkies who get a fix from buying shit, and especially on sale shit, but can't afford a larger purchase, or at least give a crap about getting a widescreen monitor to consider it.

The Best Buy has been DUMPING a shit ton of titles for about half what they were a short time ago, though.

Answer him, Zod!!!! Answer him now!!!!!

No one orders Zod around. No one. You thin-skinned little cuntwaffle...

I'll do whatever I'd like, you urine soaked, diarrhea filled chimp diaper.

Why do you say this? When you know he will kill you for it? You festering zit on Fabfunk's tranny-licked cheek...

This thread is taking a turn. I'm not sure in which direction yet. I shall observe further before rendering a verdict.

You herpes-infested cumbubble.

You Cock-douche...trying it out