Originally Posted by GDK:
“It's funny how HD-DVD supporters still cling to this false distinction of gamers and movie buyers. A disk sale is still a sale. I agree that gamers don't buy as many disks as movie fans, but the disks they do buy still count towards the 3:1 Blu Ray advantage. If you've got Blu Ray in the house because you're a gamer, you're very unlikely to go and buy an HD-DVD machine.
How long do you expect the studios to wait for HD-DVD to give them the sales figures they need to justify keeping on making them? I believe the key decisions will be made after this Christmas sales figures are in. If HD-DVD hasn't overturned Blu Ray by then, it will be history or a stalemate at best.
”
Probably because it makes me feel better
Seriously though you know that since the PS3 has well over 6 million units (probably closer to 7 with the price cut) it still hasn't been able to kill off the HD DVD format. If every PS3 sale meant HD movie sales then the contest would indeed be over right now but when stating simple userbase the disk sales per unit have to mean something to the studios who have no direct link to the hardware revenues.
Not to mention that good old BOGOF offers dilute the revenues and hence while great for the consumer and PR people it effects the overall value of disk sales data.
Granted the average punter doesn't care that that standalone HD DVD players outnumber Blu-ray standalones and certainly the Blue camp are never going to bring that up when the huge headline can read Blu-ray outnumbers HD DVD by 7:1 in player terms yet even if you accept the "restricted outlet" Nielson figures the disk sales are still only 3:1 for this one period of time.
Ok forget all that, it is really all talk for talks sake and it would far easier to trumpet Blu-ray since it's hard to argue that at least on the surface HD DVD stands no chance of becoming the only HD format.
I honestly just don't think Blu-ray has done enough to kill HD DVD off and now has little chance since HD DVD has the price point and studio support needed to be around all through 2008 regardless of the BD camp can do.
That said something we've agreed on is that the holiday season is important, HD DVD is selling well in hardware terms thanks to cheap players but Blu-ray still has the disk sales sewn up.
If Warner (the only real mainstream studio not pinned down) went Blu-ray then I think the war could be over by the end of 2008, if they went HD DVD well that would be interesting.
Quote:
“I totally agree on the region free point. I wish Blu Ray was region free. I'm hoping that eventually there will be "third party solutions" to that problem - just like DVD.”
Hand on heart I don't understand why Blu-ray launched without the basics the PS3 has by design, the price point crippled the standalones as well and region encoding was the final nail.
I was Blu-ray all the way from the initial announcement to literally months before I bought my XE1, it's "failings" pushed me towards HD DVD and the content lineup was perfectly acceptable and still is despite drooling over some Blu-ray movies
For everything I have said I can see myself buying a Blu-ray player within 18months perhaps less if there is a good dual player released. The point I think many would agree with is that not many Blu-ray owners would be saying the same about a HD DVD player purchase although a dual could still be viable if the stalemate continues.