Phil Harrison says Putting Blu-ray in PS3 is the smartest decision we ever made

[7th lutz]

http://www.dailytech.com/Sony+Putting+Bluray+in+PS3+is+Smartest+Decision+We +Ever+Made/article6308.htm

Enough with the him doing pr for sony. I think I heard enough from him and sony's mangement for a while. The truth is the ps 3 having blu-ray is causing customers not to get a ps3 due to the price. Sony is selling systems in America, it is helping the blu-ray in terms of getting the format established. The thing is it seems like every store has a good number of ps 3 systems in stock and the store has a difficult time to sell the ps 3 systems. At the same time the cost of using blu-ray as a format has helped people to decide on buying a 360 over a ps 3. It is not smart move, due to the fact it is not helping the system in Japan besides have some ps 2 owners looking at buying a 360 or a wii.

What sony is doing is trying to win the format war for watching movies at home, but sony is hurting the people who want to buy a game system just to play games, not movies.

Sony is 2 or 3 years early on having a new media format in a game console like the blu-ray. There is a reason why game sucessful game companys wait 4 or 5 years before a gameconsole maker uses a format for games and that reason is the cost of the format.

[njiska]

Everytime i hear Phil Harrison speak i get the urge to start reading Catch in the Rye and polishing my revolver.

[heybtbm]

Everytime i hear Phil Harrison speak i get the urge to start reading Catch in the Rye and polishing my revolver.

The proper authorities have been notified and are on their way.

[jajaja]

Its so much focus on Sony lately hehe. Its still too early to say anything if it was a smart move or not.

[Push Upstairs]

No, the smartest decision would be to put the James Bond movies on Blu-Ray.

Then that stuff would sell.

But i'm not sure why I care, I don't even have 5.1 let alone HD.

[Steve W]

And meanwhile, Blu-Ray movies and HD-DVD discs start piling up on store shelves, unsold. It should be kind of fun when the big clearance sale hits like what's happening with UMD movies at some stores lately.

[Half Japanese]

I didn't read the article, but how exactly is it not a smart move? At the very least, it's fairly neutral. For one thing, it's given Sony their first format that's ever had a fighting chance. Game consoles have been inching closer and closer towards 'all-in-one' boxes as the past few generations of consoles have transpired, so I really don't see what the fuss is about. Sure, it drove the price up somewhat, but let's face it: people that wanted the PS3 knew it was going to be expensive in the first place, and the few I personally know who have bought one were actually kind of excited to get into HD movies with the same box. For Sony it was either put Blu-Ray in PS3s or piss away R&D costs they spent developing the technology as the very comparable and much cheaper (hardware-wise) HD-DVD ran circles around it. It's still anybody's game, but without the PS3, almost NO ONE would be buying Blu-Ray movies.


And meanwhile, Blu-Ray movies and HD-DVD discs start piling up on store shelves, unsold. It should be kind of fun when the big clearance sale hits like what's happening with UMD movies at some stores lately.

Apples and oranges. UMDs offer an experience that can be duplicated with a little ingenuity and a decent memory stick. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray aren't so easily pirated and while one of these formats will probably eventually occupy clearance bins, one of them will stick around and take over. There IS a market for them and they ARE selling, unlike UMDs, which are not an upgrade to anything and are pretty much relegated to novelties.

[Anthony1]

I just got done watching Black Hawk Down on Blu Ray, on a 131 inch 16:9 screen, and I'm inclined to agree with Phil at this point, lol. Seriously. That movie was absolutely SICK on Blu Ray. UN FRICKING BELIEVABLE. So far, Ice Age 2 and Black Hawk Down are the 2 best Blu Ray movies I've seen so far, from a pure picture quality standpoint. I'm absolutely loving my PS3 for it's Blu Ray capabilities, but I understand that I'm the exception to the rule. Blu Ray is extremely impressive on very large High Def screens, and very few people have a very large High Def screen, so to them, Blu Ray is a waste. I can understand how they feel,.... totally, I would feel the same way if I didn't have a HDTV, or even if I had a HDTV, but a smaller one.


But goddamn. Put a Blu Ray movie like Black Hawk Down or Ice Age on a ginormous HDTV screen, and prepare to be absolutely blown the frick away. No shit. I'm not easily impressed when it comes to this stuff, trust me. Most of this crap doesn't impress me in the least.


Of course, getting back to the PS3 as a game machine, and in regards to Blu Ray for a game machine, well, I'm sure Blu Ray isn't really that necessary, but at the same time, did you know that Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 comes on like 3 or 4 DVD's? Yep. Blue Dragon for 360 is on like 3 or 4 disks. That fact pretty much validates Blu Ray use for game machines. It shows that 9.4 gigs does have it's limitations. I don't think the storage factor between dual layered DVD's (9.4 gigs) and Blu Ray (25 or 50 gigs) is going to be a major issue until a few years from now, but I'm sure at some point it's going to be obvious that Blu Ray was a great move by Sony. Assuming the fact that the $200 bump in the price of the PS3 because of it doesn't kill it's viability first. :)

[chrisbid]

Of course, getting back to the PS3 as a game machine, and in regards to Blu Ray for a game machine, well, I'm sure Blu Ray isn't really that necessary, but at the same time, did you know that Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 comes on like 3 or 4 DVD's? Yep. Blue Dragon for 360 is on like 3 or 4 disks. That fact pretty much validates Blu Ray use for game machines. It shows that 9.4 gigs does have it's limitations. I don't think the storage factor between dual layered DVD's (9.4 gigs) and Blu Ray (25 or 50 gigs) is going to be a major issue until a few years from now, but I'm sure at some point it's going to be obvious that Blu Ray was a great move by Sony. Assuming the fact that the $200 bump in the price of the PS3 because of it doesn't kill it's viability first. :)

is having a game without multiple disks really worth spending an extra 200 dollars? all things equal, yes, i would prefer one disk. but the price threshold for such a minor feature is pretty low.

[FantasiaWHT]

is having a game without multiple disks really worth spending an extra 200 dollars? all things equal, yes, i would prefer one disk. but the price threshold for such a minor feature is pretty low.

Yeah, I'm not really convinced of the value of that either. The printing cost for disc-based media is negligible.

[Gamereviewgod]

It was smart. Since the PS3 release and the console started ending up in people's homes, Blu-Ray sales have finally surpassed HD-DVD. In the long run, assuming the format does take off, it just handed Sony a few billion in the bank. The whole point wasn't for mass storage and games regardless of PR spin. It was to win a DVD war that will lead to unreal profits.

I'm not a Blu-Ray person and I prefer HD-DVD, but anyone should be able to see why the Blu-Ray inclusion was a brilliant one regardless of cost from a buisness standpoint.

[njiska]

It was smart. Since the PS3 release and the console started ending up in people's homes, Blu-Ray sales have finally surpassed HD-DVD. In the long run, assuming the format does take off, it just handed Sony a few billion in the bank. The whole point wasn't for mass storage and games regardless of PR spin. It was to win a DVD war that will lead to unreal profits.

I'm not a Blu-Ray person and I prefer HD DVD, but anyone should be able to see why the Blu-Ray inclusion was a brilliant one regardless of cost from a buisness standpoint.

You just made one of the most common mistakes. Short term returns mean nothing in the long run. For the moment including Blu-Ray in the PS3 has increase Blu-Ray sales. But it did not win the war.

Though Blu-Ray appears to have the edge now there's no telling if that will change or not. If at anytime Blu-Ray does not become incredibly successful, or significantly more successful then HD DVD and Sony loses gamers over BD, then the idea is still a bad one.

The jury is still out on this move, look for a verdict in a years time.

[walrusmonger]

Blu Ray was a great idea to include in the PS3, otherwise I know I wouldn't have bought one. I own 10 blu ray movies and 2 (which I'm selling one of them) ps3 games at the moment. I use my ps3 every day despite finishing resistance for it months back, but turn my 360 on (which I have 10 games for) 2 times a week at most.

People can hate on the ps3 all they like, they are not hating the machine but rather the people behind it. If it had come out without any of the stupid marketing as "super awesome god+3" then I think people would have liked it a little more.

[Nebagram]

La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la!

I think maybe he's pinning his hopes on the European launch. Three weeks ago I was told by a GAME employee that he expected PS3 pre-orders to have gone within a couple of days. 3 weeks later, they still haven't. Perhaps blu-ray does look better on screens the size of Dusseldorf. As one of the 98% of the population who have yet to join the HD revolution, I honestly couldn't give a toss. :)

[Anthony1]

is having a game without multiple disks really worth spending an extra 200 dollars? all things equal, yes, i would prefer one disk. but the price threshold for such a minor feature is pretty low.


Well, if all Blu Ray provides for gaming is the opportunity to play games on a single disk, then no, of course not. But I think ultimately, Blu Ray will be more than that from a gaming standpoint. One thing that people never mention about Blu Ray, is the fact that the extra storage allows developers to use uncompressed PCM sound in video games for the first time. Resistance: Fall of Man is one of the first games to feature this, and with the right Receiver, I've heard it sounds absolutely stunning. Resistance features 7.1 lossless PCM sound. Of course to hear this improved sound quality, you need a compatible receiver, but as time goes by, more and more receivers will offer this functionality. If we fast forward 4 years from now, when lossless PCM sound is the new standard in sound quality, the PS3 will be looked upon as very forward thinking at the time. The Xbox 360 is uncapable of using lossless sound in their games unless they start putting games on HD-DVD's and a HDMI 360 really does come out.

Also, the ridiculous storage space of the PS3 allows developers to not have to compress their textures as much, and allows them to have tons of High Def quality cut scenes and FMV. Just imagine the Night Trap remake on PS3. 1080p Night Trap with 7.1 lossless sound, lol.

[Gamereviewgod]

You just made one of the most common mistakes. Short term returns mean nothing in the long run. For the moment including Blu-Ray in the PS3 has increase Blu-Ray sales. But it did not win the war.

Though Blu-Ray appears to have the edge now there's no telling if that will change or not. If at anytime Blu-Ray does not become incredibly successful, or significantly more successful then HD DVD and Sony loses gamers over BD, then the idea is still a bad one.

The jury is still out on this move, look for a verdict in a years time.

Oh, I know that. Kinda the same thing that happened with UMD. Sales spike and then nothing. However, the sales of HD-DVD players themselves have also fell behind, not even counting the PS3. In the end, this is still a smart move by Sony to push the tech into people's homes.

If MS was smart, they'd start forcing the companies to push out the combo HD-DVD/DVD discs with every release and stop with standard discs completely. Get the HD discs in the home, which is the best way to let people know and understand the new tech.


That's way off topic though... carry on.

[mezrabad]

You just made one of the most common mistakes. Short term returns mean nothing in the long run. For the moment including Blu-Ray in the PS3 has increase Blu-Ray sales. But it did not win the war.
--------
The jury is still out on this move, look for a verdict in a years time.

Sometimes short-term returns lead to long term returns, but I agree that it is too early to "tell" and that 'ol Phil is just doing his job as a PR guy. I find it very difficult to contemplate the purchase of a $600 PS3. (or a $400+$100 360)

I personally think that the format that will win will be the format that has the first end-user burner available for a reasonable price. If it becomes possible for Joe Consumer to burn their own content onto a either type of disc then that disc will win the war.

[Trebuken]

HD-DVD was king until just after Christmas. Than Blu-ray took over and it looks like blu-ray will remain on top at least through May; twice as many blu-ray are titles scheduled for release. I personally believe the blu-ray releases have been superior on average thus far, but HD-DVD will be putting oout there 51GB discs soon, which could explain the light release schedule (everyone is wainting for the larger capacity?).

I think we need to wait for the holiday season before we'll see things really heat up.

The PS3 also needs to be upgraded for upconversion before it can replace my HD-DVD player...

There have been rumors of a PS3 price cut, which would be consistent with the drop in price of the standalone blu-ray players. It seems the blue-diode issues are resolved, and that might be reducing costs. I hope they are able to do it this summer to get more systems sold.

I think the winner in the format war will be the one that can offer the better price on discs. $39.95 for a newly released movie is absurd...

[njiska]

Oh, I know that. Kinda the same thing that happened with UMD. Sales spike and then nothing. However, the sales of HD-DVD players themselves have also fell behind, not even counting the PS3. In the end, this is still a smart move by Sony to push the tech into people's homes.

If MS was smart, they'd start forcing the companies to push out the combo HD-DVD/DVD discs with every release and stop with standard discs completely. Get the HD discs in the home, which is the best way to let people know and understand the new tech.


That's way off topic though... carry on.

I seem to remember you foolishly appologizing for what you said about UMD. only to be correct in the end.

[portnoyd]

LOL @ Sony, again. This is getting to be a weekly occurance and I will miss it when they either get their act together, or I can get a 20gig for $100.

Blu-Ray is the smartest thing they put in... if they win the HD movie war, assuming anyone wins period. Otherwise, it was a retard move.

[chicnstu]

people who want to buy a game system just to watch games...

That seems to be the reason why people are buying games nowadays.

[Bronty-2]

Blu-Ray is the smartest thing they put in... if they win the HD movie war, assuming anyone wins period. Otherwise, it was a retard move.

There it is, in two sentences.

[jajaja]

I wouldnt say that. BR isnt only for movies. Even if it crash and burn on movies it will still be used for games, meaning millions of BR discs being made. Its the same with PSP. Movies om UMD failed, but still the games uses it. What other media could they have used that supports hundreds of mb and that are cheap to produce?

[SaturnFan]

Does anyone know if porn movies come in Blue-Ray?

[Push Upstairs]

I thought I heard that there would be no Blu-Ray porn movies...ever.

Sony wouldn't allow it or something.

[jajaja]

True, Sony wont allow it, but it can still come. They "just" need to find another manufacturer of BR discs.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/bluray-porn-update-not-getting-it-on-230134.php

[RegSNES]

Who allows this man to speak? He needs to have his vocal cords cut out and throw into a volcano. Seriously, just because you have a mouth, that doesn't always mean you should open it.

[jajaja]

Whats wrong with saying this? Its not a lie or anything, its just their opinion and of course they do anything trying to sell. They must speak good about their own products, trying to convince people that their product is the best. Nothing unusual about this.

[esquire]

I personally believe the blu-ray releases have been superior on average thus far

There have been some very good Blu-ray new releases lately such as "The Departed" and "The Prestige", not to mention "Casino Royale" which is coming soon. I also hear "Crank" on Blu-ray is supposed to be awesome, but I can't seem to find it anywhere (none at local Best Buys at least).

I think the key here is getting new releases such as these onto Blu-ray as that's where the most $ will be spent by the end user. Many movie fans, such as myself, are reluctant to re-buy movies they already own on another format, esepcially since the studios have been screwing us over for years with their "Director's Cut", Special Edition" and "Anniversary Edition" reissues over the years. Sure, Blu-ray is a better format than standard DVD, but for the time I am going to spend my money on movies I don't already have, and for the moment, Blu-ray seems to have more and better new releases over HD-DVD. (BTW, I have both formats - PS3 Blu-ray and 360 HD-DVD).

With the advent of LG's new combo player and Warner/Paramount releasing combo Blu-ray/HD-DVD discs of their movies, none of this may soon matter as non-gaming consumers may not have to make a decision over which format to use.

[Iron Draggon]

Of course, getting back to the PS3 as a game machine, and in regards to Blu Ray for a game machine, well, I'm sure Blu Ray isn't really that necessary, but at the same time, did you know that Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 comes on like 3 or 4 DVD's? Yep. Blue Dragon for 360 is on like 3 or 4 disks. That fact pretty much validates Blu Ray use for game machines. It shows that 9.4 gigs does have it's limitations. I don't think the storage factor between dual layered DVD's (9.4 gigs) and Blu Ray (25 or 50 gigs) is going to be a major issue until a few years from now, but I'm sure at some point it's going to be obvious that Blu Ray was a great move by Sony. Assuming the fact that the $200 bump in the price of the PS3 because of it doesn't kill it's viability first. :)

that only proves that MS was stupid to not include an HD-DVD drive in the 360... which is the main thing that makes Sony's decision to include a Blu-Ray drive in the PS3 a smart move... otherwise it was a stupid move for the PS3 as a game console... so it only shows that Sony is less stupid than MS

[mailman187666]

I think BR at the moment may not seem worth it to most people right now because most people don't have an HD set. But if you go into any Sears, Best Buy, Tweeter, whoever sells TVs, All they really have now are HD sets which means within' the next 5+ years, they will be the norm. When they are the norm, Blue Ray will be more significant in our lives. I'm not sure on this or not, but is it HD-DVD max res 1080i and BR max res 1080p or are they both 1080p?

There may not be a true format winner either. Even if they had 65% user base for HD-DVD and 35% user base for BR, I'm sure they would still continue to sell Blue Ray disks if there were profits to be made on selling them. Say that those were the figures in 2 years for install base, they would most likely drop the cost on Blue Ray all together, granted they are still profiting from it. Which in turn would eventually raise the user base and create a higher demand for the blue ray format. If you think about it, in the history of movie formats, there have never been 2 formats that equally carry their own weight. There could be a possibility that the time has come for that, but then again I could be way off, but I'm just saying that is one possibility.

[njiska]

I think BR at the moment may not seem worth it to most people right now because most people don't have an HD set. But if you go into any Sears, Best Buy, Tweeter, whoever sells TVs, All they really have now are HD sets which means within' the next 5+ years, they will be the norm. When they are the norm, Blue Ray will be more significant in our lives. I'm not sure on this or not, but is it HD-DVD max res 1080i and BR max res 1080p or are they both 1080p?

There may not be a true format winner either. Even if they had 65% user base for HD-DVD and 35% user base for BR, I'm sure they would still continue to sell Blue Ray disks if there were profits to be made on selling them. Say that those were the figures in 2 years for install base, they would most likely drop the cost on Blue Ray all together, granted they are still profiting from it. Which in turn would eventually raise the user base and create a higher demand for the blue ray format. If you think about it, in the history of movie formats, there have never been 2 formats that equally carry their own weight. There could be a possibility that the time has come for that, but then again I could be way off, but I'm just saying that is one possibility.

Both formats store the movie in 1080p. Both formats have the exact same video file in the case of many new releases that on both formats. HD DVD has higher Mandatory audio requirements then Blu-Ray.

All HD DVD players are required to be able to decode Dolby True HD in player and output it over the multichannel out. Currently the PS3 is the only Blu-Ray player to do Dolby True HD. HD DVD Players by toshiba currently only output at 1080i but the movie is still on the disc in true 1080p.

[projectonestar]

I agree 100%. Let's let the dev teams come out with some content for this system before we start trash talking it. I work for a video game retail store and I can safely say, in my store at least, that Sony has made just as much money as Nintendo has while selling physically less consoles. Obviously so, but my point is that they do move. Let's see where it ends up. =)

[njiska]

I agree 100%. Let's let the dev teams come out with some content for this system before we start trash talking it. I work for a video game retail store and I can safely say, in my store at least, that Sony has made just as much money as Nintendo has while selling physically less consoles. Obviously so, but my point is that they do move. Let's see where it ends up. =)

The funny thing about that statement is that while sony has recieved as much money as Nintendo on few consoles, Nintendo has most likely made more profit. Gotta love how that works. :)

[projectonestar]

Old technology > new technology. As far as profit margins are concerned. =P

[jdc]

I think that people tend to forget something VERY important about the Sony PS3. It's a PLAYSTATION, THE most popular videogame console in the world, with the largest install base. The juggernaut will be unstoppable once it picks up steam......and it will eventually. There will come a time when the average household DOES have a PS3 and since it plays Blu-Ray, they will most likely buy Blu-Ray media in droves. The PS3 is destined to do well with consumers based on the track records of it's predecessors. All that matters is that Sony stays with the Blu-ray format for it's own machines.

[FantasiaWHT]

I think that people tend to forget something VERY important about the Sony PS3. It's a PLAYSTATION, THE most popular videogame console in the world, with the largest install base. The juggernaut will be unstoppable once it picks up steam......and it will eventually. There will come a time when the average household DOES have a PS3 and since it plays Blu-Ray, they will most likely buy Blu-Ray media in droves. The PS3 is destined to do well with consumers based on the track records of it's predecessors. All that matters is that Sony stays with the Blu-ray format for it's own machines.

Problem is, that was the argument that it would automatically do well right from the start. I'm not sure name brand loyalty can survive all the negative press and attention and substantially-slower-than-the-competition start.

[Trebuken]

Many movie fans, such as myself, are reluctant to re-buy movies they already own on another format, esepcially since the studios have been screwing us over for years with their "Director's Cut", Special Edition" and "Anniversary Edition" reissues over the years. Sure, Blu-ray is a better format than standard DVD, but for the time I am going to spend my money on movies I don't already have, and for the moment, Blu-ray seems to have more and better new releases over HD-DVD.

hehe...it seems The 5th Element is going to get a relrelease on blu-ray, likely by the end of the year.

[jajaja]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=813105&page=1&pp=

[Sph1nx]

Honest to god, there's something wrong with me.

I thought this thread was titled "Paris Hilton says......".

[kainemaxwell]

What Sony should do is offer the PS3 with and without the Blu-Ray, but I doubt that'll ever happen.

[Daltone]

What Sony should do is offer the PS3 with and without the Blu-Ray, but I doubt that'll ever happen.

The problem happens when games start to fill Blu-Ray discs, doesn't it? Half your users couldn't play them because their non Blu-Ray PS3s don't have the right drives.

Maybe.

[Ed Oscuro]

Everytime i hear Phil Harrison speak i get the urge to start reading Catch in the Rye and polishing my revolver.
Awesomesauce.

Hmm...I don't really think there was a choice for Sony: Blu-Ray or regular DVD only, which one would they choose?! They have been pushing to make a set-top box that does everything entertainment-wise since the Mickey Schulhof days in the early 90s, so at best this is really a re-iteration of their stated purpose.

DRM-ridden, odd architecture (non-unified memory, ugh), wierd controllers...aside from that, they are still on track.

At the end of the day people are going to look at the PS3 once it has come down to their price range, and if the games are there and hold up to the competition it will be a success.

From a personal consumer rights perspective, Sony's model of business doesn't concern me that much; it's no worse than Vista (for example). It's still not what I'd like, but I have my choice of buying into it or not.

I'd lean towards saying these comments aren't helpful because they bring out the cynic in everybody, but there's trouble in that because I've just been reading stuff that's anti-Sony anyway. Looking at it in an optimistic fashion, he's instilling confidence in people that Sony's format will succeed. It is funny to hear these statements come up over and over, though.

P.S. from a developer architecture, I think Microsoft's system is more attractive for the time being. The system seems easier to develop for and the discs give you a reason to make like Bethesda (or Valve, in a way) with the episodic content (for The Elder Scrolls games, you can get the main game and buy the rest on the 'net). With a PS3 disc you and your customer are paying for content they might not get around to seeing, and that increased price for a game that might not excite the player is a potential turnoff (especially right now while things are expensive). For the time being it seems like a DVD is roughly the sweet spot for the amount of content anybody wants to release for an episodic release, although with Bethesda and the other developers I know of nobody seems to be doing disc releases of episodic/expansion content outside of PC gaming yet.

[rbudrick]

I've never seen Phil Harrison, but I found a picture of him:
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39039000/jpg/_39039093_sahhaf_203bodyap.jpg



True, Sony wont allow it, but it can still come. They "just" need to find another manufacturer of BR discs.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/bluray-porn-update-not-getting-it-on-230134.php


You can buy BD-Roms now and burn your own Blue Ray Movies. They sell burners already. Of course, the porn industry will just go HDDVD rather than do that, which may be the factor that allows HD to win.

-Rob

[jajaja]

You can buy BD-Roms now and burn your own Blue Ray Movies. They sell burners already. Of course, the porn industry will just go HDDVD rather than do that, which may be the factor that allows HD to win.

-Rob

True, but it will only be homemade porn hehe :D Big porn companies needs to get their discs pressed, not burned. Burning takes too long and i belive the media is expencive that way. I dont think the porn industry has that much influence now compared to back in the VHS/BETA days, but that is another discussion :) We'll see what happends.

[RetroYoungen]

Oh, I know that. Kinda the same thing that happened with UMD. Sales spike and then nothing. However, the sales of HD-DVD players themselves have also fell behind, not even counting the PS3. In the end, this is still a smart move by Sony to push the tech into people's homes.

If MS was smart, they'd start forcing the companies to push out the combo HD-DVD/DVD discs with every release and stop with standard discs completely. Get the HD discs in the home, which is the best way to let people know and understand the new tech.


That's way off topic though... carry on.

That's probably the best idea I've heard so far. It's the same basic concept as making the PS2 backwards-compatible with PS1 games, as it allows for the consumer to not only enjoy their new technology, but still have a net to fall back on if they don't want to upgrade juuuust yet. They can watch their older films, they can watch the newer ones on the new format, and eventually upgrade to the level that they can get just about everything out of their new format.

People have asked me at my work which one I honestly think will win in the long run, and I'm honest with them. I think HD-DVD will do the trick for everybody. I personally don't see Blu-Ray as a significant enough step up (at the moment anyway) for movies; as a computer disc format, I do, just because of the amount of raw data that can be pressed into the disc. It's still incredible to me to be able to get 50 gigs on a single side... but I just, for whatever reason, can't see it lasting in the long run as a movie format.

Though I've also said, if studios are going to release television shows on BR (as I've heard it can push about 9 hours of uncompressed, straight video), and cuts down the number of discs needed for a season and, ultimately, saves the consumer more money than the amount of discs needed for HD-DVD versions of the same episodes, BR could make a real charge.

[Griking]

I wouldnt say that. BR isnt only for movies. Even if it crash and burn on movies it will still be used for games, meaning millions of BR discs being made. Its the same with PSP. Movies om UMD failed, but still the games uses it. What other media could they have used that supports hundreds of mb and that are cheap to produce?

How are all the people whop paid $600 for a PS3 because of its superior movie playing capabilities going to feel if BR fails as a media format. Especially when 99% of the games that they're going to play of them could have been released on 1-3 DVDs instead for a whole lot less.


With the advent of LG's new combo player and Warner/Paramount releasing combo Blu-ray/HD-DVD discs of their movies, none of this may soon matter as non-gaming consumers may not have to make a decision over which format to use.

So if everyone buys dual format players I assume that the format war will ultimately be decided by the studios who will most likely not support two different formats.

[Push Upstairs]

Though I've also said, if studios are going to release television shows on BR (as I've heard it can push about 9 hours of uncompressed, straight video), and cuts down the number of discs needed for a season and, ultimately, saves the consumer more money than the amount of discs needed for HD-DVD versions of the same episodes, BR could make a real charge.

Somehow I doubt the price of season sets are going to drop because they are contained on a smaller number of discs.

Music rights alone drive the price up on some TV series.

[dgdgagdae]

LOL @ Sony, again. This is getting to be a weekly occurance and I will miss it when they either get their act together, or I can get a 20gig for $100.

Blu-Ray is the smartest thing they put in... if they win the HD movie war, assuming anyone wins period. Otherwise, it was a retard move.

On a completely unrelated note...what is that .gif in your signature? I've been laughing at that for months and I have no idea why.

[jajaja]

How are all the people whop paid $600 for a PS3 because of its superior movie playing capabilities going to feel if BR fails as a media format. Especially when 99% of the games that they're going to play of them could have been released on 1-3 DVDs instead for a whole lot less.

With fail, you mean like losing the movie "war"? If BR should be the underdog it wont happend over night, it will take along time. And i doubt people would really think about the $600 they spent years ago. Would you be pissed and sad if you spent $600 2-3 years ago and you cant find as many movies then as now? I remember paying like $450 for my GF3 card. 2 years later i could get it for under $100 and it sucked for gaming then. Of course i wasnt pissed for using $450 2 years ago, that would be a total waste of energy. I enjoyed it while it lasted. So i doubt people who buys a PS3 now will even care if they spent $600 back then if movies stops to get out on BR in 2-3 years, if that happends that is. At that point, standalone players will be very cheap anyway. But if people are afraid of it, dont buy a BR player or a PS3, or enjoy it while it lasts. I dont worry about stuff like that now.

Using multiply DVDs for all games is pretty much out of the questions. If its a few games, thats ok, but when it comes close to every game people wont stand for it. It will be damn annoying to swap discs all the time. Many also talk like PS3 is going to cost $600 for years. The price will drop eventually.