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Format Wars: Blu-Ray Vs. HD-DVD

Posted Sep 17, 2008 by Indelible

Post your Comment (12)

One thing that companies tried to avoid when finding a new format for movies to be sold on was a format war but when Microsoft announced they would be supporting HD-DVD over Blu-Ray, everyone figured out that it was going to end up getting a little ugly.

Over the past 6 months, Toshiba and Sony have been trying to outsmart each other with their respective nextgen formats. Toshiba tried to sell the now-2 year old HD-DVD format as the next generation of media distribution where as Sony got out their Blu-Ray disks and started slinging them like ninjas. Inevitably however, one of them was going to lose.

It seems that this latest in a long line in format wars is now over, as Toshiba have announced that they will disown their HD-DVD format. Apparently, they will stop manufacturing all HD-DVD appliances and will not be selling any at retail by the end of March.

Everyone wins, right? Well, it seems that one mammoth is a little more apprehensive about Blu-Ray and that party is good old Microsoft.

Microsoft has stated that they too will be abandoning HD-DVD but they haven't said that they will be supporting Sony and its Blu-Ray format. It seems the corporate giant may want to start another format war with Sony - Blu-Ray Vs. Downloadable Media! Microsoft seems to think that the Internet is the be all and end all of home entertainment.

So whilst we may have a resolution in as much as Blu-Ray won this round, it seems we may already have another format war brewing in the mists courtesy of Microsoft.

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  • Ravanas said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    This is rather ironic for me since just earlier today I was talking with a friend of mine about this. And during that discussion, we were talking specifically about the next gen of PS vs XBox, and I had mentioned that Microsoft would probably go with DLC instead of physical media. Looks like I was right.

    I had supported HD-DVD due to my Sony hate, but I guess in the next round I'll be supporting Dark Prince Billy once again. This time at least, it won't be just Sony hate.... DLC is ftw.

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  • MForys said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    Woo HOOO!! Let the war begin! looking forward to it ... I want downloadable HD media on demand baby! :-)

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  • speeddi said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    Microsoft does acctually just copy "their" ideas. Take for instance apple, they where the first to wipe the floppy drive, everyone thought it was crazy. And acctually apple just announced their first computer without cd/dvd-drive. (MacBook Air) Everything is supposed to happen via WiFi. So i would say that microsoft follow apple as they use to.

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  • Noend said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    Ya let's go with a company that makes the 360 and it's 30% failure rate. Enjoying d/l again and again when you replace your unit over and over. Download content also has no resale or tradein value.

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  • Indelible said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    DLC in its current form is just a way for companies to cash in on the fact that it only has an inital sale value and nothing afterward. There are a host of problems with DLC that, to me, don't add up and I don't think DLC is going to win a format war with a physical media format like Blu-Ray due to the fact that a lot of people do like to have something in a physical format. I thnk that if this does become a format war neither party will win as both parties are missing the point.

    The future isn't in the ability to download a movie or game from a website. It isn't in things like Direct2Drive. GarageGames are on the ball as far as I am concerned. The BBC are also on the ball, as are major TV networks right across the world. The future is in streaming. I have no doubt that eventually, the only thing PCs will be used for is accessing a "personal" web portal that you can do almost everything from. There won't be any programs or software installed on the PC as it will al be held on servers and it will all be streamed to your PC. The Internet is well on its way to becoming standardized and the above is only a matter of time ;-)

    I think that is the next format war that I care about - DLC Vs. Internet Streaming.

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  • Indelible said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    Microsoft supporting HD-DVD had nothing to do with them wanting HD-DVD to win. They blatantly didn't want either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD to get the top spot this early on. It was an attempt at a delay tactic. MS wanted the two formats to expend so much energy competing with each other, they would not see the real "threat" in DLC. Microsoft could work hard on getting DLC standards up to a point where it could genuinly compete with High Street shopping whilst not having to worry about competition so early on. It worked... until Toshiba backed out and now they have to conceed what they were trying to do all along which IS going to put a HUGE dent in their public profile.. yet again.

    It doesn't really matter though - it's Microsoft. They win.

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  • Appolyon said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    Grats for Blu-ray, I personally think it's the best choice. And although I think DLC is the future, I don't want it anytime soon. Why?
    Well in Belgium we have datalimits whereas most countries in the world can surf on the internet, download demo's, video's, patches, ... as much as they want. I must do it with 10GB a month for 40 EUR.
    Okay, you can choose to take more but it will cost you more.
    And together with another company they rule the internetmarket, and we got to pay loads for the internet that is meant for everyone.
    I hope it wil be abolished soon, because if you download a few demo's you're out of your data and you gotta surf on lowband:'(

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  • onetimesilence said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    DLC not having resale or trade-in value is actually part of the issue, imo.

    If person 1 buys a movie... gets tired of it... sells it to person 2.... Then 1 movie has been sold.

    But if Microsoft let's you download content that is 'locked' (another topic), then that means that person 1 and person 2 will each have to buy their own copy. Which means 2 movies have been sold. PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT !!

    That's what they 'think' at least.

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  • h41fgod said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    That is absolutely insane. I get 15GB per day at 10/10 mbit speed for 19 euro/month, and I still think its absolute shite. Swedens broadband for everyone initiative ftw, you can get 24/1 for half the price you are paying, the only reason I dont is because I live in a studentdorm.

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  • Have91 said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    I doubt streaming nor DLC will be the future IMO. I believe this do to the fact that your internet would have to be atleast 6mbps download for it to not take forever. A 1080p HD movie is usually around 20GB in size.

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  • rescorbic said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:53 AM ()

    Microsoft/Toshiba probably saw that neither Blu-Ray or HD-DVD would beat DVDs. We haven't gotten to the point where there is enough of a difference between the DVD and Blu-Ray/HD-DVD for the common man to spend more money. Blu-Ray/HD-DVD players are very expensive as well.

    I think this a loss-loss for both companies (ie Toshiba and Sony)

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  • Flisher said 
    Tue, Feb 19 2008 9:52 AM ()

    DLC is definetly the future.

    However, many major Internet provider, (wich are also under the same entity than major music/movie producer) in the world start to cut the download quota per month, or change them for excess transfer.

    DLC will be the era where you will pay for DRMed content and bandwith, instead of easy to use content / distribution.

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