Don't competing standards cost US more in the long run?

[davidtu]

I've been in a hole (probably) for a while as I've just discovered there are now two HD DVD formats: HD DVD and Blu ray. Some movies will only be released on one or the other. DVD players cannot play both, so now you have to choose. Other than the Beta vs VHS, where there was a physical difference in size & shape, I can't think of another case where this head-to-head has benefited either side. It seems to me that as with DVD -RW vs DVD +RW we end up with machines that have to handle both. This can't cost us less, can it? How about DTS vs Dolby. I'm sure you can think of other examples. How long before we have players that play both HD DVD and Blu ray? Here we go again!

[Sam Conder]

And we're about to see the fallout of Sirrius vs. XM...

[LinuxRandal]

I think I have seen ONE player that did both, but it wasn't cheap.

The problem here is there is NO standard, there are competing standard wantabe's. I find this really annoying in the software world, I SHOULD be able to watch the woodworking channel on my pc.

[whitecobra]

And Mac and PC and Microsoft and Linux

There are lots of "no standards"

But remember it is not about us as consumers making out good it is all about us as INVESTORS making out good

Dr D

[JR]

Alternatively, you could have the ITU set standards for you. They do a great job of protecting the consumer - but...

It takes years to get a standard through the process and they come out the other side looking like bloated sausage. Anyone remember the OSI suite, X.25, X.75, X.400, X.500, etc.? What an unwieldy mess that was.

The best method is the IETF. They either do what Cisco says, or in lieu of firm direction from Tasman Drive, some really smart guy rams an RFC through the process, and presto-changeo you've got a new standard. That's how things like IP, TCP, UDP, SMTP came to dominate the world.

JR

[Kristofor]

SMTP may not be the standard to tout seeing how everyone receives nearly a hojillian spam emails each week, but in general that process more or less works.

The thing about competing standards is really that the consumer (and their $$) have a chance to talk. People liked the longer recording time on VHS even though it was lower quality. Additionally, they liked the lower price point since they didn't have to pay the royalties that Sony was looking for on BetaMax.

DTS vs. AC3/Dolby Digital was another capacity (data rate) vs. quality debate. The vast majority of consumers seem to have decided Dolby was good enough for what they wanted. Would they have chosen differently if it wasn't the standard format for DVDs with DTS as an alternative? My guess is that most consumers would be happy with either and ultimately would 'select' whichever version was standard.

Pepople are still arguing the pros and cons of HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, but again there are capacity and royalty concerns which work against the two options, plus studio loyalty to a single format on the content side. There are multi-mode players, but those will be more expensive.

This is also not the end-point of any of these technologies. If you bought all your favorite movies on VHS and still watch them you've probably converted to DVD. Eventually you'd want the remastered HD version, then the Super-HD version, then the 3D release, then the HD-3D release, then HD-3D with force feedback and so forth.

I think the best plan is simply to avoid 1st and maybe 2nd generation equipment unless you're pulling seven figures, have a rich dead aunt, win the lottery or the like. By the time the 3rd gen rolls around either one standard will dominate, or they will both be supported on the mainstream devices.

[JR]

An recent article in the LA Times indicated that the porn distributors may turn the tide in one direction or the other for the BluRay v HDDVD argument.

This coule be an opportunity to stimulate a strategic consumer choice. Buy porn and lots of it!

JR

BTW - whatever you may think of porn, pornstars, porn producers, etc., it's VERY big business in these parts. The San Fernando Valley is funny. There aren't many strip clubs to speak of, but hardcore porn is being filmed or distributed on every other block.

[whitecobra]

I read an article the other week on either Newsweek or MSNBC and they talked about ALL audio and video decisions were NOT made by the companies who manufacture them but they were ultimately decided by the Porno industry

Beta went out SIMPLY because the Porno industry said "we are going to use VHS so die Sony"

Same thing is happening with Blueray and HDDVD

Whatever the Porno industry uses since it sells far more end products then the "regular" video world does is ultimately what directions is taken as the "norm"

Dr D

[burrellski]

Who knew the porno industry was so influential? I read another article talking about the challenges HD-DVD / BluRay is creating for the industry. They have things showing up in the finished product they never had to deal with before, i.e. stubble/razor bumps in some private areas, etc...

[crokett]

Where do you think the push for video on the web came from? And what companies do you think the best web programmers work for? I'll take porn companies for 100 Alex.

[LCHIEN]

first of all, what rock have you been hiding under, david?

The industry tried to reach a concensus for over a year but the camps could not agree so we have two standards. There are royalty and loyalty issues as well as quality and monetary issues that divided the two camps.

Blue ray has more proprietary (read license fees) content, requires more and expensive new equipment (HD-DVD is partially compartible with existing DVD mastering equipment). BR has greater capacity (50GB vs 30-something for HD-DVD vs 9.4 for DVD).

Competition is a double edged sword. The two formats will create a long, expensive delay as they duke it out and people wait for a winner. Some company (I think LG, in Korea) has come out with dual format players for over $1000 and some studios are planning releases of disks with BR on one side and HD-DVD on the other.

But in the end this lack of a clear standard is causing a delay and there will be a lot of orphaned disks and players (like BetaMax) when one wins out. Meanwhile its eating into everyone's sales.

One prediction has it that internet content delivery will succeed and relegate both formats to the obsolesense bin before they catch on.

[Russianwolf]

I have a Laserdisk player and about a dozen movies if someone wants them.......


Any takers? Please?

[sacherjj]

The format that makes the most sense for me is HD resolution DivX files on regular DVD. However, this doesn't have the proper DRM capabilities for Hollywood. Only both BluRay and HD-DVD are now cracked and being released as HD DivX files now.

[TheRic]

Slightly off topic: I'm new to the High Def world. Just got my first HDTV, but have not seen HDTV on it yet. I take it that regular DVD are Standard Def? And that you need a special DVD player AND a special DVD to see High Def (other than broadcast)?

More on topic: I think competition is good. Yes, there may be two different versions of something out there. But you get a choice, AND you get a choice a lot sooner.

If only one company is working on something it might be a while till something is released. But if you know you competition is working on something similar, your going to try your darnest to get yours out first, or at relatively the same time. If not your out $$$$$$, and may not be able to cash in on it at all.

[LCHIEN]

Slightly off topic: I'm new to the High Def world. Just got my first HDTV, but have not seen HDTV on it yet. I take it that regular DVD are Standard Def? And that you need a special DVD player AND a special DVD to see High Def (other than broadcast)?

More on topic: I think competition is good. Yes, there may be two different versions of something out there. But you get a choice, AND you get a choice a lot sooner.

If only one company is working on something it might be a while till something is released. But if you know you competition is working on something similar, your going to try your darnest to get yours out first, or at relatively the same time. If not your out $$$$$$, and may not be able to cash in on it at all.

Yeah, good points about competition.

As for HD...

The best source right for HD now is an ATSC tuner to receive the over-the air tranmmitted HD programming from the local network stations.

A usual DVD player puts out 480 lines, what they like to call ED or extended def.

A number of "upconverting" players will interpolate and covert the 480 line DVD source to 720 or even 1080 lines. Also usually the HDTVs, if faced with 480 line input will also attempt to interpolate to use the lines it has (either 720 or 1080).

The good upconverting DVD players do a better job than the TVs, using special algorthims and chip sets to reduce motion and jaggies artifacts.
But the catch is you have to have a HDMI interface to do this. The HDMI can scramble the signal and the motion picture industry has insisted on this scrambling so that a Hi def image can't be captured off the cable and recorded without thier permission.
So a Hi def TV with component or DVI cables only (most made before last year) won't be able to take advantage of a upconverting DVD player.

Confusing, eh?