[img align=right width=250]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/268794616478035c6c0147hd_dvd_bluray.jpg[/img] Well, it seems as though the format wars are possibly reaching a conclusion, with Sony's Blu Ray format beating out HD DVD. Depending on how you look at it, either this conclusion is vindication for Betamax or something that you wish mirrored Betamax. So, after years of fighting, bickering, and backhanded deals, the future is looking rather bleak for HD DVD. I guess the question then is- was the future ever looking bright for HD DVD? I don't know if I can say yes. It seems as though one of its principal proponents (Microsoft) seems to be rather preoccupied with its own download service. Do they really care about HD DVD? Perhaps we'll find out soon at CES with their rumored Ultimate Xbox announcement. But, I bet that even if the Ultimate 360 has a built-in HD DVD drive Microsoft will still have its agenda entirely on its download service. I wonder if it even matters any more. Let me tell you why. So, I am not a big, huge, movie buff. I don't find myself in huge need for the "high-def" experience. I watch DVDs, they look great. Am I going to be blown away by a "high-def" disk? I don't know that I would be. Sure it would be greater clarity, but aside from that the experience is the same. But, is it necessary to see every wrinkle on an elderly person, or those little lines in one's iris? I don't think so, and I bet that Joe Shmoe doesn't care either. Do you? So, the next question that comes to mind is the DVD format ready to leave? I certainly don't think that it is. People still buy DVDs like hotcakes, and I imagine that this trend will continue well past the conclusion of the HD format wars. After all, if South Park was originally aired in 480i, does it really matter to have South Park on an HD DVD? DVDs can do high def audio, you know. My setup sounds great. There are a lot more of these examples I can state, but we'll stick to just that one. I am just not convinced that there is really the demand for this high def format that is currently being fought for. But, as I have mentioned before, I am a regular Joe Shmoe on the outside looking in. Perhaps you know better. Lastly, and this is simply a postulation â€" do we know whether or not this high def format is not just a transitional format? How do we know that whatever format that wins won't be gone in two years? I bet big production houses would much rather have digital distributions for their properties, which is something that isn't too far out. There are a lot of perks for these houses to do digital distributions only. Big Brother can be a lot more involved with digital distribution. You also can't bring your digital distributions to your friend's house. So, if you want to watch something you own at a friend's house, your friend will have to buy it. (Proof of concept: Virtual Console) Digital distributions can also easily change encryption, even for old releases. Such a thing would appear to be more difficult for physical releases. Lastly, digital distributions also have very little production costs. Get rid of the retailer space, packing, physical media, sales person, etc- I guess what I am trying to say is that the profit margin for digital distributions has the potential to be huge. So, yeah, there is real reason to just use this format war as a façade for a transition to total digital distributions. Is this a conspiracy theory? Perhaps, but we'll find out in the future. So the question for you is what do you think about the format wars? Will the high-def winner ultimately becomes main stream, will regular old DVDs remain king, or will we see a transition to total digital distributions? Time shall tell, it certainly will, regardless of what any of us think. Disclaimer: David Murnan is the site director for RF Generation, the Classic and Modern Gaming Databases. Given that this said site is a gaming site, the author has no expertise about this high def format war, only regular old observations that may be horribly wrong or perhaps on track. Such is for you to decide. Also, the sky is blue. That is all.[ IMAGE]
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That end bit was hilarious!!! I think that blu ray will win, but dvds will continue to outsell them for at least 2 more years. Then again, (as of now) I'm watching movies and playing games in glorious mono on a 13 inch screen, so I don't care about hi-def right now.
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@logical123:
Well, you are the youngest active member on the site, perhaps in a few years you'll have a job and can afford a new, better TV.
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I think if every movie was offered in both formats, people would probably go HD DVD. But then again I guess it really doesn't matter?
I guess we'll see how bad Microsoft really wants to push HD DVD.
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I hope they both go away. I hardly buy any DVDs as it is and have no interest in going to yet another format.
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I always thought HD-DVD would win out in the end because of the easy-to-understand name and because Sony has had a bad track record with media formats in the past. I don't care who wins, but as you said it might not make a difference in the end anyways.
You're right about the massive profits of digital distributions though. Never thought of how much they would save in material/packaging costs and whatnot. But what I am not looking forward to with downloads is DRM. I hate DRM with a passion 
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I don't really care which one wins. I don't have a HDTV anyway, so I don't think either will look much better than a regular DVD. I'm still happy with VHS tapes. As long as I can tell what's going on in the movie, I'm happy. I don't need "to see every wrinkle on an elderly person, or those little lines in one’s iris".
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Good article. DRM is a pain, but I do think as well that the digital distribution is the future.
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I don't care about either. DVD's are fine by me. I don't think either will when and we will have something new that beats both of them and DVD's.
Also I hope digital distributions never replaces the "old fashion" way. I will be piss and won't buy movies anymore.
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Well, personally, I prefer HD. If Heroes is coming on the HD version of the channel, I'm watching that mess. If a video is available for download in either standard or HD, I'll download the HD. If a video I want to buy (which is rare, but still) is on DVD or in HD, I'll buy the HD (assuming I actually had an HD player).
I'm totally cool with sticking to standard DVD's for a while now. I've got no HD player, I see no reason to get one any time soon, or at least until the wars are over. If I had to stick with a single format, though, it would be HD-DVD, because it's not made by Sony. D:
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I have dozens and dozens of TV season sets, all DVD. The same sets in HD when you can actually find them are $100 or more per season, screw that. I don't need to re-buy all these again just to have them look better than they did when they were on TV. Most players upscale to 1080p anyway.
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Before reading this I completely forgot about HD-DVDs and BRDs.
Although I'm pretty sure I said it in a post way back I predict they will both fail miserably. The DVD was such a radical leap over VHS. Sharp clear picture and sound that didn't deteriorate with constant use. Surround sound instead of just stereo. Smaller, and easier to store. Plus the DVD player can't chew up your disc.
Now go from that to an experience you have to actually pay close attention to even notice a difference. I took advantage of a Blu Ray display set up at a store trying to offer the full experience with the super pricey player, and over priced HD wide screen.... and to be perfectly honest... I wasn't all that impressed. DVDs are here to stay for the forceable future.
As for DRM, it can be a good thing as just as the name suggests it protects the rights of the artist/creators. But it dose depend on the leniency for it to work. With iTunes Apple offers Plus songs completely DRM free, or slightly cheaper DRM songs. I go the DRM way, as Apple gives you the right to use the song on up to 5 computers and even burn the song to disc 7 times over. That's well beyond what I'll ever need. (Plus they let you upgrade your collection to plus versions at any time when you pay the dif). Now let's take the Zune and it's DRM. You send a friend a song from your Zune to theirs. They are allowed to listen to it 3 times, then they too must buy it if they want to ever hear it again. When you have a mind set like that, that is when DRM goes to shit and really helps give it a bad name.
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I'd like to say that if it ever comes down to being forced to pay for downloads, I'll never buy new stuff again.
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I heard on NPR today that the latest thing from CES is the ability to hook up laptops to your TV directly. Which tells me that if people start downloading movies to their laptop and view them on their TV, this whole format "war" will be moot in less than 2 years.
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@phoenix1967: Erm... HTPC? They've been around for years and years.
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In the end i gotta say blue ray. the disc just hold so much more. Also looking at it from a mass media standpoint. be it games, movies, audio or computers... the blue ray is the way to go. I agree that DVD's will be here for 2-3 more years to come. HD DVD Is definately dead or dying. In the end it's all about quality and storage. Yeah you can download hd movies to your pc. but @ 25-50 gigs a piece(50 gig movies are on the way aparently) that takes up alot of space over time. And i think alot of people are like me. they like to keep all thier movies "forever"
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