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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: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Blue Ray


121 posted on 06/18/2007 9:27:51 AM PDT by Revolting cat! (We all need someone we can bleed on...)
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To: George W. Bush

Just be sure you go with an HDMI 1.3a system. The Onkyos seems to be the first, quality brand. In fact, pretty much the only right now.

I’ve had my Onkyo since 2000, and it’s worked like a fantastic trooper. They are the highest of the ‘mid-range market’.. IE, below $4k per component. I think they are better than Pioneer Elite which are the main competition in that area of market.


122 posted on 06/18/2007 9:35:26 AM PDT by Tolsti
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To: bmwcyle

I have been using the Blockbuster $10 a month plan and I average about 10 movies a month. Love that deal.

I agree with you. The movies Hollywood is producing really stink. I get one or two good ones out of 10. At least my son (21) now knows who John Wayne is.


123 posted on 06/18/2007 9:46:00 AM PDT by AGreatPer
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To: Darkwolf377

The new Sony player is supposedly pretty good. The prices on the players will probably be 300$ or so by Christmas though.


124 posted on 06/18/2007 9:53:59 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: puroresu

As everyone has said, yes.

The bonus is if you get a PS3 it’ll upscale them also and will let you lay most PS2 games with upscaling and surf the web on your TV too.


125 posted on 06/18/2007 9:56:37 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: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I will not buy all my movies... AGAIN


126 posted on 06/18/2007 9:59:03 AM PDT by McCloud-Strife (John McCain: great American, poor Senator, Horrible Republican)
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To: McCloud-Strife

You won’t have to heh..

DVD’s will play on Blu-ray. That’s something that everyone small and big needs to know.

They’ll play at 1/6 the resolution, which is the best they can do, but they will play.


127 posted on 06/18/2007 10:00:40 AM PDT by Tolsti
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To: mvpel
You don’t have long to wait - Sony’s first-to-market BluRay player, which premiered at $999, is now $799, and they’ve added a low-end unit that’s selling for $499 at Circuit City, which is the lowest price among the competing BluRay units.

Thanks Mike. I didn't realize they had pushed the price point that low. I suppose that is partially a response to the competing device sold by Samsung. I've seen the X-Box add-on HD-DVD priced at $168 at Sam's Club last week. I'm partial to BluRay for the higher capacity and the inclusion of uncompressed audio for best quality.

128 posted on 06/18/2007 10:00:44 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: LibLieSlayer

So you got D-VHS and had once had HD DVD equipment. You don’t by any chance love Laurence of Arabia, do ya? You just remind me of someone on another forum.


129 posted on 06/18/2007 10:03:21 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: cbkaty
My money says Sony will do everything necessary to win the Blu-Ray vs HD-Dvd war.

Already done to the tune of over a billion dollars in losses, which is what their gaming division has taken trying to put out the PS3 with its very expensive Blu-Ray player at a loss (about $300 each).

As far as the PS3's possible effect in this new standards war:

May Sales:
Wii: 338,000
XBox 360: 154,900
PS3: 81,600

Nintendo is pretty much out of the equation, except in its place as the dominant console, which may leach any sales from the others. But Microsoft's HD-DVD capable 360 sold over 73,000 more units than the PS3 (and the 360 actually sold about 20K fewer units than April). Given current volumes of regular HD players, this is a huge chunk, even if not everybody gets the HD player for the 360.

130 posted on 06/18/2007 10:25:18 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: George W. Bush; LibLieSlayer; Sue Perkick; patriotspride; RockinRight; Bogey78O

Thanks to all of you!!! That’s good news. I’d hate to have to buy all my favorite movies again. I’m also glad to hear that the players may even be able to upgrade the video quality on regular DVDs, though I’ll be satisfied if they just play them as normal.


131 posted on 06/18/2007 10:26:55 AM PDT by puroresu
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To: LibLieSlayer
When a company slashes prices and gives away their hardware... the signs are easily read for those with open eyes.

Doesn't Sony's incredible loss per unit on the PS3 due to the expensive Blu-Ray diode count?

BTW, I don't have a horse in this race. I'm just going to wait it out until one side wins and buy that. Although theoretically I tend to side with ditching backwards compatibility in order to achieve greater technological advancement (I guess that would be Blu-Ray?).

132 posted on 06/18/2007 10:31:06 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: puroresu

Once you get a good HD big screen, you’ll see how the 500,000 pixel DVD isn’t so great :)

You’ll want that 2 megapixel blu-ray..


133 posted on 06/18/2007 10:35:17 AM PDT by Tolsti
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To: antiRepublicrat

Actually, I’ve see the blue-diode has fallen to $9 in bulk. A lot of companies have really gone all out, especially Sharp.


134 posted on 06/18/2007 10:36:08 AM PDT by Tolsti
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Unless the price comes WAAAY down, I won’t be purchasing either format. I have a Harmon Kardon receiver that upconverts all inputs to HD beautifully, doing a far better job than most up-converting DVD players and virtually all up-converting TV’s on the market.

Last weekend a friend brought his PS3 over to play a few games. Since we’ve been having an argument over straight HD versus upconverted content, he also brought over MI:III, a movie I own in S-DVD and he owns in BluRay. We were both impressed. There WAS a difference between the two, but it was far smaller than he expected and wouldn’t be noticeable unless you were looking for it or watching on a really huge screen. With my normal-sized screen (42” plasma) at normal living room viewing angles, the differences were trivial.

My Harmon Kardon receiver cost me less money than Blu Ray players go for today, AND it up-converts inputs from my Wii, my VCR, my camcorder, my satellite system, and theoretically anything else I can throw at it. Unless the price comes way down, or unless you’re a video purist, I just don’t see any justification for the expense.

By the way, my friend picked up one of the HK receivers at Best Buy yesterday. It impressed him so much that he had to buy one for himself :-)


135 posted on 06/18/2007 10:40:37 AM PDT by Arthalion
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To: HamiltonJay
With all this talk of 1080p, how many here 1) have a TV large enough to make it worth it, and/or 2) sit close enough to said TV to make it worth it.

The human eye can only discern so much resolution. This article shows that watching a 50" TV from 8' away, your eyes can discern no more than 720p of resolution.

As someone said, it's like putting ZR-rated tires on your Prius.

136 posted on 06/18/2007 10:41:20 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: George W. Bush

The MPAA does not want HDMI on computers. I do not think you will see HDMI replaced on Home Theater equipment, at least anytime soon.

LLS


137 posted on 06/18/2007 10:48:45 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Support America, Kill terrorists, Destroy dims!)
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To: antiRepublicrat

Hahah,

Yea, I’ve heard these sorts of arguments before. Reality is, if someone pays for a 1080p television and then you hand him a player that can only do 720p or 1080i, they aren’t going to want it. They paid for the resolution, and no matter what you or others might say, they are going to want that playback... otherwise they wouldn’t have paid the extra money for 1080p display in the first place.

HD-DVD is dead... wal mart is dumping off its 360 HD-DVD add ons for < $80 .... its over. Writing is beyond on the wall anymore... Those that have HD-DVD players will be using them as doorstops shortly.

It was a format war that should have never been, at least in the US. BD clearly had the win in EU where battle had been raging, US largely sitting it out. Thanks to MS for reviving this turd from the dead and conning a bunch of folks out of money for obsolecence.

BD has the studios and the installed base. HD-DVD is dead.


138 posted on 06/18/2007 10:50:57 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: Bogey78O
Hi Bogey,

I love movies. I also love older movies. LoA is not my favorite movie, but I look forward to the latest transfer becoming available. The cinematography is outstanding in that flick. I have enjoyed older Bluray movies like “The Searchers", Cowboys, and Rio Bravo. I really think that John Ford’s work holds up quite well!

I used to post on AVS-MS (microsatan). I no longer participate there.

LLS

139 posted on 06/18/2007 10:55:00 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Support America, Kill terrorists, Destroy dims!)
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To: HamiltonJay
Yea, I’ve heard these sorts of arguments before. Reality is, if someone pays for a 1080p television and then you hand him a player that can only do 720p or 1080i, they aren’t going to want it.

It's not an argument, it's math and physiology. All else being equal, a person with a 50" 1080p display at 8' can't tell the difference between 1080p and 720p content. The eyes just can't pick up the 1080p detail at that display size and distance. You need to sit much closer or get a much bigger display.

IOW, he may not even realize his player isn't capable of 1080p because he can't see the difference.

140 posted on 06/18/2007 10:59:23 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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