blueray / HDDVD -
Comments
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cheddar wrote:Like I said, I think HD-DVDs are cheaper because of competitive pricing pressures. When a $25 HD-DVD fish tank disk rounds out your top 10 at DVDEmpire for weeks, you've got no choice but to go low.
Edit: Oops, it's only $21 and it dropped to #16 this week...but that's still pretty sad when that's the competition you have to outsell...
HD-DVD's (but not the combo discs) have been less expensive all along because they are less expensive to produce than Blu-Ray discs. The DVD Forum supported HD-DVD because manufacturing of the discs is easily accomplished on the same production lines as standard DVD's. Blu-Ray manufacturing processes require an entirely new production line, which is why the format was slower to get off the ground than HD-DVD and why production difficulties cause Blu-Ray title release dates to be pushed back lately. Likewise, HD-DVD players are cheaper to produce than Blu-Ray players because HD-DVD drive mechanisms are less complicated to produce and have fewer failure rates during the manufacturing process. The price of discs may equalize further down the road as more production capacity comes on-line for Blu-Ray discs. Or it may not. If one format "wins", it's likely the price for the discs on that format will be at a hefty premium compared to current prices because standard DVD will continue well into the future.
Fewer than 2 out of every 10 of my friends and co-workers even have TV's that take advantage of the improved resolution of HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Without a display larger than 40", DVD is perfectly fine. To most people the "format war" never even got started and likely never will, just as the SACD vs DVD-A conflict was a non-event for most people.
The studios, regardless of which one, are interested only in selling the same product over again as many times as they can. They've run out of reasons to persuade buyers to dip into their wallets for the third of fourth time to buy the same "Ultimate Edition" movie, hence the "need" for another format. As long as they are making money for their studio, the two high definition formats will co-exist. -
Emlyn wrote:HD-DVD's (but not the combo discs) have been less expensive all along because they are less expensive to produce than Blu-Ray discs. The DVD Forum supported HD-DVD because manufacturing of the discs is easily accomplished on the same production lines as standard DVD's. Blu-Ray manufacturing processes require an entirely new production line, which is why the format was slower to get off the ground than HD-DVD and why production difficulties cause Blu-Ray title release dates to be pushed back lately. Likewise, HD-DVD players are cheaper to produce than Blu-Ray players because HD-DVD drive mechanisms are less complicated to produce and have fewer failure rates during the manufacturing process. The price of discs may equalize further down the road as more production capacity comes on-line for Blu-Ray discs. Or it may not. If one format "wins", it's likely the price for the discs on that format will be at a hefty premium compared to current prices because standard DVD will continue well into the future.
Fewer than 2 out of every 10 of my friends and co-workers even have TV's that take advantage of the improved resolution of HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Without a display larger than 40", DVD is perfectly fine. To most people the "format war" never even got started and likely never will, just as the SACD vs DVD-A conflict was a non-event for most people.
The studios, regardless of which one, are interested only in selling the same product over again as many times as they can. They've run out of reasons to persuade buyers to dip into their wallets for the third of fourth time to buy the same "Ultimate Edition" movie, hence the "need" for another format. As long as they are making money for their studio, the two high definition formats will co-exist.
You make some interesting points. I certainly agree with you that studios will follow the maximum profits wherever they may be. Which is why I think the format war has artificially pressed HD movie prices very near their DVD counterparts considering what happened in the past with video tape and DVD at launch.
As far as HDTVs, they continue to sell well and with prices coming down and video signals going all digital in a few years, I'm not too worried about HDTV penetration in the US. Probably more to worry about as far as europe is concerned, but not here.
And it's the format that wins that will eventually bring down the costs of the players not an initial slight advantage at the beginning. When costs of components were added up, Toshiba was losing money on the first players they sold. If they are really so easy to produce, why not sell into as many markets as they can as blu-ray is doing? Instead of diverting your production here.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/home-theatre/hooray-for-bluray/2007/02/15/1171405337968.html?s_cid=rss_technology
That's how to get economy of scale.
And your primary point of the cost differential is just not the case for large bulk orders:
http://wesleytech.com/blu-ray-vs-hd-dvd-replication-costs-revealed/111/
The more prevalent 30 gig dual layered HD-DVD disks are actually more expensive to produce than the 25 gig single layer Blu-ray disks and the dual layer blu-rays are actually quite close. Definitely not enough to be such a deciding factor on price. It's more likely that the blu-rays are priced higher because in the current market they can be. Much more in line with your last point about the studios only being in it for the profits...;)
And as far as I know, only Fox has pushed back a few of their titles for release. My guess is that they are getting out of the way of the Casino Royale release date and using the extra time for features and mastering on their titles. I think Fox pushed back about as many as all the new hd-dvd titles in the pipe. Again, economy of scale seems to be on blu-ray's side.
