this bluray thread will go-on till HD-DvD is dead

[rad2689]

Blu-ray slaps HD DVD in the face

Target decides to go Blu-ray exclusive over the Christmas period

Retail chain Target has said it will only carry only Blu-ray DVD players over the all-important Christmas shopping season. Good news for Sony, but not Microsoft.

While the whole Blu-ray vs. HD DVD issue is a bit like the early stages of a round of Tug-O-War, we are seeing a few more stories popping up in the favor of Blu-ray at the moment.

Target's move to Blu-ray begins in October and will tie in with the promotion of Sony's $500 BDP-S300 player. It's the second major retailer in as many months to throw its weight behind Blu-ray.

The battle's still far from over though, especially as HD DVD is holding its own across Europe
Hawk-eyed reader Thomas Würgler came across Microsoft's Major Nelson saying this isn't true. "I had an interesting discussion with some of the HD DVD folks last night at the 300 event here at Comic-Con," said Nelson.

"It turns out that the Target 'exclusive' for Blu Ray is *not* an exclusive. Sony bought some end aisle placement (normal in retail) and just called it exclusive. Target WILL continue to carry HD DVD products. I am told to expect a comment from Target next week."

www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=20070731153957880032&releaseId=20060314115917309058

[HundredProofSam]

Disney Confirms 'Lost: Season 3' Blu-ray Release

After months of speculation, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has confirmed a December 11 release date for 'Lost: The Complete Third Season - The Unexplored Experience' on Blu-ray.

Rumblings of a high-def debut for 'Lost' first began back in May, when a December arrival date surfaced on various retailer websites. However, only days later Disney would officially deny the rumors, saying it had no plans to release any seasons of the series on high-def.

Then, early last week, listings for a Blu-ray version resurfaced on top retailer sites, including Amazon.com -- a strong indicator that the series would be hitting high-def after all.

Now, after all the twists and turns in the 'Lost' Blu-ray saga, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has finally confirmed that the third season of the hit series will indeed debut day-and-date on DVD and Blu-ray December 11 in a deluxe box set dubbed 'The Unexplored Experience.'

Though final specs have not yet been released, look for a six-disc set sporting all 23 third-season episodes in full 1080p and uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround.

Among the extras will be audio commentaries with cast and crew (on select episodes TBA), five making-of featurettes, deleted scenes and bloopers.

Disney has set a $124.99 list price for the set.

We've added the latest specs for 'Lost: The Complete Third Season' in our Blu-ray Release Schedule, under December 11. A full press release from Disney is expected in the coming days, so watch this space for final details and box art.

www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disney/TV_on_High-Def/Disc_Announcements/Disney_Confirms_Lost:_Season_3__Blu-ray_Release/834



peace

[HundredProofSam]

The Format Wars are Over... Blu-Ray Wins?

A ver interesting read....anyone interested in the BR-HDDVD battle peep this

news.digitaltrends.com/talkback204.html


Some interestinf excerpts:


"Not surprisingly, industry pundits quickly lined up to predict that it was just a matter of weeks (if not days) before HD DVD caved and Blu-ray emerged as champion. I've been observing the consumer video industry for more than a while, yet I still get a kick out of how quickly the bandwagon fills with wannabe prophets spewing "gut reactions" as to how such things will play out). I'm not saying I disagree with the conclusions of these zealots, but I am saying that what is lacking from this discussion is well-reasoned, dispassionate reflection - the zealots, prophets, and evangelists have dominated the conversation, which is too bad for all concerned. We could benefit from a detached consideration of the facts."

"Blu-ray has a 5-to-1 advantage over HD DVD in terms of the number of units in use. However, of the 1.5 million Blu-ray players in use today, 1.4 million are PS3s; only 100,000 are true stand-alone non-gaming DVD players. In other words, those arguing that the format war is over are basing their opinion on the early pull of a handful of extreme hard-core gamers that were willing to lay down $500-$700 on a new game console."

"Recent TDG research found that among those that own a game console that supports DVD playback, less than 40% are actually using the consoles for viewing DVD movies (and in most cases infrequently). Then what are they using these next-gen consoles for? Take a breath, for you won't believe the answer: PLAYING GAMES!"

"To date, US consumers have purchased less than 3.5 million high-def discs: 1.4 million HD DVDs and 2.0 million Blu-ray discs, implying that the 1.5 million Blu-ray owners have purchased on average 1.3 Blu-ray discs. Among the 300,000 HD DVD owners, the attach rate is much higher - 4.7 to be exact."

"Forces which could easily shift the battle lines have yet to weigh in - specifically, PC OEMs. HP, Gateway, Acer and Toshiba will be pushing out PCs featuring HD DVD drives, while Dell, Sony, and Apple will include Blu-ray drives. We're not talking about two million units here, folks - we're talking about tens of millions of units"

"Blockbuster's decision to support Blu-ray in their brick-and-mortar stores was premature. Blockbuster simply doesn't have the firepower to define next-gen formats (remember that Wal-Mart owns 45% of the DVD sell-thru market, followed by Best Buy and Target - Blockbuster is but a blip on the radar). If Wal-Mart and Target made a similar move, matters might be different."

"Blu-ray is outspending HD DVD 10-to-1 in terms of public relations and marketing, so it is not at all surprising to see that Blu-ray has achieved an early advantage while HD DVD is relying on guerilla tactics and face-to-face meetings to stake its claim."



peace

[invictus]

look for a six-disc set sporting all 23 third-season episodes in full 1080p and uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround.

Six discs of blu ray

[KC]

HD DVD: Fight or Quit (Preferably Quit)
www.tvweek.com/blogs/james-hibberd/2007/08/hd_dvd_fight_or_quit_preferabl.php

Let’s take a moment to push for the end of the pointless war that nobody wanted; the costly quagmire that’s drained resources and consumed the media with its constant, bloody scrimmages.

In the past few weeks, Sony’s Blu-ray next-generation DVD format has enjoyed several victories over Toshiba’s rival HD DVD: Target will sell only Blu-ray players this holiday season. The East Coast chain BJ’s Warehouse Club will exclusively sell Blu-ray titles. Steven Spielberg announced he will release his first movie in a high-def format, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” on Blu-ray. The Japanese porn industry has embraced Blu-ray. Even thieves robbing a Seattle store cleaned out its stock of Blu-ray discs, leaving HD DVD titles behind (how sad, chortle the bloggers, HD DVD movies are not even worth stealing).

Coming shortly after Blockbuster’s announcement that the chain will mainly stock Blu-ray titles, the headlines paint a portrait of pending HD DVD doom. All that's left is a period of Toshiba desperately hanging on. The face-saving final efforts. The company’s fingers slipping from the edge of the format-war cliff and blissfully falling into Betamax oblivion.

Trouble is, rooting for a Sony win feels like cheering for a fighter throwing low blows when the referee’s not looking. Sony stuffed 4 million overpriced PlayStation 3 units with similarly overpriced Blu-ray players and leveraged its relationship with studios to monopolize distribution of key DVD titles.

Just as important, but little noticed, is that Sony has been wildly effective at generating headlines declaring Blu-ray victories—even when the triumphs are modest. BJ’s Warehouse Club? Japanese porn? “Close Encounters”? Minor accomplishments that are killing HD DVD. When consumers think Blu-ray has won, it has.

This isn’t to say Blu-ray isn’t winning in less superficial respects. See this big brick wall of blue? That’s how often Blu-ray titles topped HD DVD in a variety of sales categories on Amazon.com. The week of July 22, Blu-ray captured 74 percent of high-def disc sales to HD DVD’s 26 percent, according to Nielsen VideoScan. Not good.

Toshiba has sold more stand-alone players, mainly because Blu-ray players cost $999 earlier this year and are still currently overpriced at $479. HD DVD players have dived to $243, and Xbox 360’s add-on HD-DVD units now sell for $179. Many consumers are snapping up Toshiba’s reasonably priced high-def player to accompany their new HDTV set without realizing the carnage-filled battlefield they’re stumbling onto.

“Every time Sony pulls a press prank, HD DVD counters with a price drop,” smartly notes one of many HD DVD fans on AVS Forum. But Toshiba is nearing the bottom for DVD player pricing, while Sony has a long way to go.

Recently a research company predicted the high-def format battle will continue well into 2012, with both sides evenly splitting the market. This nightmarish conclusion ignores the real sentiment driving the war’s end game: Studios don’t want two formats. Retailers don’t want two formats. Consumers don’t want two formats.

And when studios almost entirely align under Blu-ray, retailers begin exclusively stocking Blu-ray products, customers prefer Blu-ray titles, and the press writes stories of Blu-ray victories … then HD DVD really is wasting time hanging on the cliff’s edge.

Toshiba needs to start generating some victory-lap “press prank” headlines of their own—or let go.

[Solid_Snake]

so it it bye-bye HD-DVD!!??

[markettantrik]

" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO "

* rushing to check if I can cancel my 300 HD-DVD pre-order. *

[HundredProofSam]

like that article said, HDDVD isnt out of it yet....Blu Ray is winning because of the PS3 and the massive PR work....the real test begins with the entry into the PC peripherals segment.....blockbuster doesnt mean shit....walmart, target and best buy control the DVD market.....its still a wait and watch



peace

[XëÑØ]

blu will surely take pace in india as ppl will missinterpret da 'blu' startin wid somthin else

[HickEnd]

lol...

[carboncore]

markettantrik said:

" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO "

* rushing to check if I can cancel my 300 HD-DVD pre-order. *

HD-DVDs will continue to play in HD-DVD players even after the format is dead

[vee-en]

electronbotxeon said:

blu will surely take pace in india as ppl will missinterpret da 'blu' startin wid somthin else

hahha...!! real smart man...!! im sure the ppl at palika will have no trouble selling this then....!!

[markettantrik]

carboncore said:

markettantrik said:

" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO "

* rushing to check if I can cancel my 300 HD-DVD pre-order. *

HD-DVDs will continue to play in HD-DVD players even after the format is dead

Looks like you failed to detect the faintest hint of sarcasm I tried to incorporate into the post. Of course, I'm not gonna cancel my preorder. Its a combo disc so I can watch the standard DVD version in any normal DVD drive and as and when I get a next-gen DVD drive (preferably a HD-DVD/Blu-Ray combo) I'll watch the movie in its Hi-def glory on that.

BTW, anyone know where to get the Xbox 360 HD-DVD addon drive in India?

[carboncore]

lol, I knew you were not serious, I was just being sarcastic about your sarcasm ;D. BTW, the HD-DVD add on was never officially released here. So its difficult to find it. And HD-DVD/Blu-Ray combos are just way too expensive. I remember seeing Toshiba standalone HD-DVD player for about 7k in Vijay sales. Thats your best bet I guess.

[arjun™]

7k ? really??