So Blu-ray won the high-definition format battle, effectively turning HD DVD into this generation’s Betamax.
Personally, this didn’t affect me at all. I managed to stay out of this turf war largely because a clearer picture and movie theater-quality sound are not things I’ve been willing to invest in. (I might think differently if I had a large-screen TV, of course). As long as DVD’s continue to play and my VHS machine still works, I’m good.
Am I alone here? Or am I missing something?
"If all we do is put high-def movies on discs, we're going to have a niche laserdisc business," Universal Home video head Craig Kornblau told Variety. "It's about creating a unique experience compared to the one we have with the DVD player."
Is there a “unique experience” to be had?
Or is Blu-ray just an expensive, slightly improved way to pump up the entertainment economy?
Your thoughts?
Personally, this didn’t affect me at all. I managed to stay out of this turf war largely because a clearer picture and movie theater-quality sound are not things I’ve been willing to invest in. (I might think differently if I had a large-screen TV, of course). As long as DVD’s continue to play and my VHS machine still works, I’m good.
Am I alone here? Or am I missing something?
"If all we do is put high-def movies on discs, we're going to have a niche laserdisc business," Universal Home video head Craig Kornblau told Variety. "It's about creating a unique experience compared to the one we have with the DVD player."
Is there a “unique experience” to be had?
Or is Blu-ray just an expensive, slightly improved way to pump up the entertainment economy?
Your thoughts?
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As far as the experience, HD DVD and Blu-Ray are capable of everything DVDs can do; their interatcivity is just bumped up a notch, since you can call up menus and on-screen scene selection without interrupting the movie. HD DVD also featured picture-in-picture commentary, which I'm sure Blu-Ray will be providing soon, now that they're the last format standing.
So, in a nutshell . . . yes. High def does offer advantages if you're interested in exploiting the full capacity of a visual medium - worthless if you don't have an HDTV, though, obviously. There's the rub.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out if I should take advantage of the fire sale prices on HD DVDs or just cut my losses and buy a PlayStation 3.
If you look at it, Blu-Ray is just starting on expanding space on their disk. Holding 25-50 GB per disk is nothing to laugh at (compared to HD-DVD's 15-30 GB). Ovbiously companies have seen the benefit of more space and the potentional success of this. Better Audio, Video. More content.
Whats next? Complete Star Wars series and Special Commentaries on 1 to 3 Blu-Ray DVDs in 2012 (35 year Anniversry of the first one) with Hi-Def Remastered?