Is the format war really a bad thing?

**bruceames** · 02-26-2007, 09:01 AM

History seems to show that format wars a the rule rather than the exception. I can't helping thinking that the competition drives down prices faster than if their were one format. I don't think HD DVD and BD would have had $500 players on the market if it weren't for the format war. Also, I believe the quality would have been lower, too and Toshiba wouldn't have been so forthcoming with the firmware updates.

In this case, as in previous format wars, the consumer wins because of the intense competition for their attention. Worry warts such as Blu Bill should chill and let the war run its course for the benefit of the consumer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Format_war

Superman · 02-26-2007, 09:05 AM

If there were no format war Id still expect to see a $500 or $600 PS3 for the simple reason there is a console war being waged at the same time.

**bruceames** · 02-26-2007, 09:09 AM

I don't believe that Sony would have BD-enabled the PS3 if there were no format war because they could have launched it concurrently with the 360 for the same price. There would've been no need to risk the Playstation franchise.

Superman · 02-26-2007, 09:15 AM

Yeah, I suppose that may be plausible. Still, it was a shrewd business move on Sony's part to force feed BD with the PS3. At current player prices, BD would take years for it to become mainstream because BD is still competing with DVD. They could still market it the same way they are doing now and probably sell just as many. The only difference being their bottom line wouldnt being suffering as much. But the potential of BD players in homes could possibly speed up widespread adoption much faster than it would without it.

**bruceames** · 02-26-2007, 09:23 AM

That's true, but both formats are bottle-necked by HDTV entry into the market. A year or two later would have been the perfect time to "force feed" the BD format via the PS3 and the standalones would've been out just like now. And that's the problem with the PS3: the "force-feed" is happening too soon.

Superman · 02-26-2007, 09:32 AM

Yeah, I agree with that. Personally, Im tired of the war. Im tired of seeing people bitch about Universal or other studios. Im tired of the Sony fanboys and their thread jerk-offs about the PS3. Im tired of trying to figure out the truth behind the statistics and weeding through the BS of a biased article to get the real scoop. Im tired of saying "Wait and see" when BD guys talk about VideoScan numbers or Amazon sales charts.

I just want to watch HD movies at an affordable price. That is why I went with HD DVD. I don't know why there is a release dry spell for HD DVD, although I have some opinions. Whether by weakness or sheer bad luck, HD DVD has squandered away a good lead. I'm very curious to see what the situation is this time next year. If we are still rehashing the same arguments, points, and defenses, I'm going to assume HD DVD is on its way out and use my wallet accordingly.

Lee Stewart · 02-26-2007, 09:34 AM

Bruce:

I believe the war is both good and bad:

The good is as you have stated, prices are falling faster for an HD DVD player than they did for an SD DVD player. This bodes well for the early adopter as HE starts the marketplace . . . without the EA -product fails almost immediately.

The bad is once you pass the EA stage and move on to AJ (Average Joe). The confusion of which to buy . . . the mistakes of buying the wrong movie for his player. . . the confusion of 720P vs 1080i vs 1080P. You see what I am getting at . . . confusion.

Have you ever asked a friend, relative or neighbor (who is NOT HDTV savy) about the format war? Hell, look at all the confusion in the AE segment.

It's almost a case of too much too soon.

HDTV is a whole new system. Nothing is backwards compatable to the NTSC system except the interlacing feature.

New shaped displays, new cables and hookups, new audio formats, etc.

02-26-2007, 09:01 AM	#1
bruceames Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Rafael, CA Posts: 10,170	Is the format war really a bad thing? History seems to show that format wars a the rule rather than the exception. I can't helping thinking that the competition drives down prices faster than if their were one format. I don't think HD DVD and BD would have had $500 players on the market if it weren't for the format war. Also, I believe the quality would have been lower, too and Toshiba wouldn't have been so forthcoming with the firmware updates. In this case, as in previous format wars, the consumer wins because of the intense competition for their attention. Worry warts such as Blu Bill should chill and let the war run its course for the benefit of the consumer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Format_war

02-26-2007, 09:05 AM	#2
Superman HD makes my pants tight Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 35 Posts: 2,603	If there were no format war Id still expect to see a $500 or $600 PS3 for the simple reason there is a console war being waged at the same time. __________________ Samsung 56" 720p DLP HDTV Olevia 42" 1080p LCD HDTV Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver Onkyo TX-SR606 Receiver Velodyne CHT Front Row 5 piece speakers Sony SS-SR305 for 7.1 surround sound BIC H-100 subwoofer RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player Samsung BD-UP5000 BD/HD DVD Player Xbox 360 Pro PS3 60 gig My own personal AV/HD forum

02-26-2007, 09:15 AM	#4
Superman HD makes my pants tight Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 35 Posts: 2,603	Yeah, I suppose that may be plausible. Still, it was a shrewd business move on Sony's part to force feed BD with the PS3. At current player prices, BD would take years for it to become mainstream because BD is still competing with DVD. They could still market it the same way they are doing now and probably sell just as many. The only difference being their bottom line wouldnt being suffering as much. But the potential of BD players in homes could possibly speed up widespread adoption much faster than it would without it. __________________ Samsung 56" 720p DLP HDTV Olevia 42" 1080p LCD HDTV Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver Onkyo TX-SR606 Receiver Velodyne CHT Front Row 5 piece speakers Sony SS-SR305 for 7.1 surround sound BIC H-100 subwoofer RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player Samsung BD-UP5000 BD/HD DVD Player Xbox 360 Pro PS3 60 gig My own personal AV/HD forum

02-26-2007, 09:32 AM	#6
Superman HD makes my pants tight Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 35 Posts: 2,603	Yeah, I agree with that. Personally, Im tired of the war. Im tired of seeing people bitch about Universal or other studios. Im tired of the Sony fanboys and their thread jerk-offs about the PS3. Im tired of trying to figure out the truth behind the statistics and weeding through the BS of a biased article to get the real scoop. Im tired of saying "Wait and see" when BD guys talk about VideoScan numbers or Amazon sales charts. I just want to watch HD movies at an affordable price. That is why I went with HD DVD. I don't know why there is a release dry spell for HD DVD, although I have some opinions. Whether by weakness or sheer bad luck, HD DVD has squandered away a good lead. I'm very curious to see what the situation is this time next year. If we are still rehashing the same arguments, points, and defenses, I'm going to assume HD DVD is on its way out and use my wallet accordingly. __________________ Samsung 56" 720p DLP HDTV Olevia 42" 1080p LCD HDTV Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver Onkyo TX-SR606 Receiver Velodyne CHT Front Row 5 piece speakers Sony SS-SR305 for 7.1 surround sound BIC H-100 subwoofer RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player Samsung BD-UP5000 BD/HD DVD Player Xbox 360 Pro PS3 60 gig My own personal AV/HD forum Last edited by Superman; 02-26-2007 at 09:35 AM.

02-26-2007, 09:34 AM	#7
Lee Stewart Behold - the future! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Albuquerque, NM Age: 58 Posts: 25,190	Bruce: I believe the war is both good and bad: The good is as you have stated, prices are falling faster for an HD DVD player than they did for an SD DVD player. This bodes well for the early adopter as HE starts the marketplace . . . without the EA -product fails almost immediately. The bad is once you pass the EA stage and move on to AJ (Average Joe). The confusion of which to buy . . . the mistakes of buying the wrong movie for his player. . . the confusion of 720P vs 1080i vs 1080P. You see what I am getting at . . . confusion. Have you ever asked a friend, relative or neighbor (who is NOT HDTV savy) about the format war? Hell, look at all the confusion in the AE segment. It's almost a case of too much too soon. HDTV is a whole new system. Nothing is backwards compatable to the NTSC system except the interlacing feature. New shaped displays, new cables and hookups, new audio formats, etc. Last edited by Lee Stewart; 02-26-2007 at 09:38 AM.

02-26-2007, 09:09 AM	#3
bruceames Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Rafael, CA Posts: 10,170	I don't believe that Sony would have BD-enabled the PS3 if there were no format war because they could have launched it concurrently with the 360 for the same price. There would've been no need to risk the Playstation franchise.

02-26-2007, 09:23 AM	#5
bruceames Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Rafael, CA Posts: 10,170	That's true, but both formats are bottle-necked by HDTV entry into the market. A year or two later would have been the perfect time to "force feed" the BD format via the PS3 and the standalones would've been out just like now. And that's the problem with the PS3: the "force-feed" is happening too soon.