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HD-DVD: What went wrong?24 January 2008 Back in 2006, when the format wars between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray were well underway, it appeared as though the former was likely to emerge victorious. At the time, image quality was of a greater standard, prices were substantially lower, and there were more titles available to choose from. And with the DVD brand already established, it seemed logical that people would upgrade with a tried and tested method.
However, fast-forward two years, and it seems as though the complete opposite has unfolded. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Blu-Ray received a significant boost when Warner announced that all of the latter’s forthcoming titles would be available exclusively on their format. Whilst this seemingly placed Blu-Ray in an insurmountable position, it may not necessarily all be doom and gloom for HD-DVD just yet.
Just days after Warner’s declaration, Blu-Ray’s victory party came to a rather abrupt halt. With three generations of their player already available - 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0 - it seems as though purchasers of the early versions have drawn the short straw. The main complaint would be that due to swift technological updates in the system, the latest titles are already too complex to be played on their systems; something that is simply unacceptable, despite consumers knowing of the risks beforehand.
Alastair Upham, editor of DVD Review, commented: “One of the big problems with the Blu-Ray format when launched, and something which gave the HD-DVD camp ammunition, was that Blu-Ray wasn't finished - they hadn't agreed on a standard. And that problem means that an early adopter of Blu-Ray could have spent £1,000 on a player only to find he potentially can't play newer releases.”
With other confusion arising as it relates to other firmware and software updates, it seems as though you and I would be best off with the more consistent HD-DVD. Less flashy, perhaps - but ultimately, it performs to an outstanding level whilst offering you peace of mind, knowing that it’s a worthwhile investment for years to come. Blu-Ray may be in control for now, but they’d best be looking over their shoulder.
For those of you not convinced by either of these platforms, Michael Bay’s stance may be the answer. The film director recently proclaimed, “Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about.”
- Simon Rowley Contact Details and Archive...Most Viewed Articles... |
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