Video Asylum

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on December 19, 2007 at 15:21:16

In Reply to: RE: Exactly, and as long as there is a format war instead of a clear upgrade path, they never will be NT posted by Jazz Inmate on December 19, 2007 at 14:10:59

My apologies (to Jack) for butting in to challenge your response, but your little doom and gloom rants about the niche status of both formats is just a little premature. If these formats remain niche products it won't be because of the format wars. In fact, I'm pretty sure that things would be no better, perhaps much worse, if only one relatively expensive format were dominating right now. Here are my reasons for asserting this:

1) releasing films in HD, either format or both, is less of an issue for studios than piracy fears (which really isn't an HD issue when you get right down to it), and it's of little concern to consumers since the technologies produce the same PQ (leaving aside Jazz Inmate's all important Capacity Manifesto). Seriously, the only folks genuinely impacted by this format war are brick & mortar businesses such as major appliance stores like Frys, Circuit City & Best Buy and some video rental stores which may feel pressured by the current circumstances to carry dual inventories.

2) competition between the formats have forced hardware prices down, pushed all parties into rapid implementation (not always to the better when assessing various hardware glitches) and will continue to drive the technology. High definition discs are still too pricey to elicit across the board interest from Joe Public, especially when compared to what standard DVDs cost, but prices will drop as HD replication costs decline.

3) As MSRP for up-converting, backwards compatible high definition players are reduced closer to what standard DVD players were several years after their introduction more folks will opt to replace their aging DVD players. However, the clincher should be the dual-format player which makes studio exclusivity deals moot. When combined with plummeting hardware prices the introduction of affordable dual format players should provide the impetus for fence sitters to hop down and climb on board the HD welcome wagon.

4) HDTV and Congressional mandates will force the issue of high definition delivery into the spotlight as more and more folks opt to buy 1080P flat screen sets of various sizes to replace their old analog sets that are scheduled to go away early next year (unless updated with a funky set-top converter box). Standard DVD will definitely NOT be a good enough delivery system on newer digital sets as folks become accustomed to watching HDTV broadcasts of WS films (in 760P, 1080I & 1080P) available for free over the air via antenna and on various premium movie channels via cable or satellite.

So, there you have it. You can argue to your heart's content that high definition on disc is stagnating in niche hell, but it is my considered opinion that one, more likely both, of these formats will not only survive but prevail over the current DVD standard. That doesn't mean that standard DVDs will go away completely because the backwards compatibility and up-scaling abilities wisely incorporated into the new players will only make them more attractive for playing the older standard definition titles folks have or wish to collect.

Cheers,
AuPh

Edits: 12/19/07   12/19/07