HD-DVD / Blu-Ray War Nearly Over....

[rowjimmy]

It's the last draw!

[thechad]

Better?  :roll:

[rowjimmy]

Better?  :roll:

It's not as fun when you get it right.

That said, I think it's great news that a winner is emerging.

[thechad]

It's not as fun when you get it right.

I had  hoped that a couple of days would be enough.  :-)

[jephrey]

glad another blow to HDDVD goes through.  I liked bluray for the last 3 years when I heard it was backed by Apple among others and HDDVD was more of a M$ thing.  It's a nice win for Sony as well... after the whole beta debaucle.  Maybe they'll pick it back up for their low-end stuff.

Tom Petty

[PhishJY]

Another nail in the coffin....

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/15/technology/wal-mart_blu-ray/index.htm?cnn=yes

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- National discount retailer Wal-Mart announced Friday that it had decided to only sell Sony's Blu-ray hi-definition movie discs, and will phase out Toshiba's competing HD-DVD formatted discs over the next several months.

Wal-Mart said that by June, its 4,000 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores would sell only Blu-ray discs and Blu-ray hardware players. Blu-ray and Toshiba's HD-DVD format are not compatible.

"We've listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases," said Gary Severson, Wal-Mart's Senior Vice President of Home Entertainment in a statement.

Wal-Mart said it would continue selling HD-DVD products, but over the next 30 days, customers will see a significant shift in emphasis to Blu-ray in both brick-and-mortar stores and online. The retailer said it will continue to sell DVDs and standard-definition hardware.

Wal-Mart is the latest movie vendor to choose Blu-ray over HD-DVD. Earlier this week, online movie rental company Netflix (NFLX) announced its support for Blu-ray, and said it would phase out HD-DVD as well. Video publishers Walt Disney (DIS, Fortune 500), Sony's Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s (NWS, Fortune 500) Twentieth Century Fox, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have all endorsed Blu-ray.

In a rivalry that mirrors the Betamax-VHS dispute of the 1970s, Sony (SNE) and Toshiba have been battling each other to define the industry's hi-definition video standard. The winner will see a boost in the sale of hardware needed to play the hi-definition discs.

[Guyute]

I was just going to post that.  Blockbuster went all BluRay last year as well.  HD is officially done.

Blockbuster to Support Blu-ray
The video retailer will not carry HD DVDs in 1,450 stores.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (June 17, 2007) -- Video rental giant Blockbuster will only rent HDTV DVDs in the Blu-ray format in 1,450 stores next month when it expands its high-def service.

That's according to an exclusive report today from the Associated Press.

The retailer has tested both formats in approximately 250 stores for the last several months. But Blockbuster officials say 70 percent of the high-def rentals are Blu-ray.

"The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing," Matthew Smith, Blockbuster's senior vice president of merchandising, tells AP.

Blockbuster is expected to announce the decision to favor Blu-ray over HD DVD on Monday, AP reports. However, the retailer will continue to carry HD DVD titles in the original 250 test locations.

Smith said that Blu-ray titles are outpacing HD DVD rentals because there are movies available in the format. Four of the eight major film studios are backing Blu-ray exclusively with only one (Universal) supporting HD DVD exclusively.

"When you walk into a store and see all this product available in Blu-ray and there is less available on HD DVD, I think the consumer gets that," Smith said, according to the AP.

Blockbuster's decision could be a serious blow to HD DVD in the high-def format war. But one HD DVD backer said Sunday that Blockbuster is acting on limited information.

"I think trying to make a format decision using such a short time period is really not measuring what the consumer is saying," said Ken Graffeo, co-president of the promotional group for HD DVD.

[tet]

looks like M$ was smart not to include HD-DVD as the built-in drive for the 360.  they held off a long time doing it, going against rumors as well a frequently requested feature... and still made a nice profit selling optional external HD-DVD players for $180 while they "pondered" other options.  glad i waited on buying one - i'm sure an external Blu-Ray option is coming soon! 

Apple pledged to Blu-Ray over 2 years ago, but hasn't made a move on it yet.  i have a feeling that's coming in the next few months.

[messengerbird]

That sucks for all those people who bought HD DVD players and HD DVD's. It somehow just doesn't seem right.

[tet]

people who bought sony lost out for much longer with betamax, so good karma is paying back their supporters now i guess....

[messengerbird]

people who bought sony lost out for much longer with betamax, so good karma is paying back their supporters now i guess....

I guess if you look at it that way.

[mattstick]

That sucks for all those people who bought HD DVD players and HD DVD's. It somehow just doesn't seem right.

There was a "war" going on - I don't know anyone who doesn't have money to burn that went all-in on one format or the other.

[rowjimmy]

Yep. I've been waiting this one out, myself.

My father who backed the wrong pony in the VHS/Beta war has been asking me for updates in this one for a while...

[Guyute]

people who bought sony lost out for much longer with betamax, so good karma is paying back their supporters now i guess....

I guess if you look at it that way.

I held out.  Whenever 2 emerging, competing, technologies come out you wait to see who reigns supreme.

[tet]

i did, that's why i switched to Mac in '96  :mrgreen: