Here's some "controversy":
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/02/17/micro ... d-to-fail/
http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/15/swit ... nts-discs/
Microsoft wants both Blu-ray and HD DVD to lose. You see, before Microsoft and Intel backed HD DVD, Toshiba was just about the only major consumer hardware brand backing HD DVD. Now, since Microsoft and Intel have hopped on to the HD DVD bandwagon and at least dragged HP part of the way there, HD DVD has become a much more viable option
Microsoft knows that even with its and Intel's support, the standard isn't strong enough to beat Blu-ray in the marketplace per se. However, with them on board, HD DVD is just strong enough so that there's a good chance that neither standard will be able to claim a clear victory..."
"How is that good for Microsoft?
Microsoft really has nothing to gain from either format winning. Just listen to any of Gates' recent interviews and how he talks about discs as a necessary evil until the world is ready for media-free distribution. That said, Microsoft has much to gain from both formats losing. Think back to the format war between DVD-Audio and SACD. Both formats lost and it was a computer company that stepped in to become the new center of the digital music universe
Sadly, it makes sense because frankly, nothing else does anymore.
It just sounds like MS, doesn't it?
Microsoft has a nice software codec in the form of their VC-1 codec.
A few months ago, even Sony stopped saying "hell no!" at the prospect of using it somewhere down the road.
Like 'em or lump 'em, usually MS put themselves in a position where they can't lose. Originally I thought VC-1 was their true endgame and frankly, it should be.
A split market means less money for everyone. A combined market under one format that everyone can count on and 100 percent studio support means more money for everyone, including MS. You'd have certain studios using VC-1 and cranking out discs with it and that means easy royalty money in MS's pocket.
^^ That's more or less the way MS usually works.
Makes sense right?
But not this time!
This whole MS vs. Sony thing has become irrational and completely lacking any common sense.
I realize most of you around here have pretty much already declared HD-DVD the winner, even though nothing could be further from the truth. No one has won anything yet.
Proof?
Culver City (CA) -
According to figures released by Nielsen VideoScan, recent Blu-Ray sales are trouncing HD-DVD by a 2 to 1 margin.
The figures add up sales from retail registers, along with some websites, and cover the second week of January 2007. According to Nielsen, Blu-Ray has also closed the gap in total sales since inception from 14% to 7%.
If the trend continues, Blu-Ray should overtake HD-DVD in less than a month.
The most popular Blu-Ray disc during the reporting perod was Crank with Black Hawk Down as a distant second. Batman Returns was the most bought HD-DVD disc with Mission Impossible III following behind.
One easy explanation for Blu-Ray's rise is the included player inside of all Sony PlayStation 3 consoles.
Millions of consoles have been sold and most include a voucher for money back on a Blu-Ray disc purchase.
http://www.tgdaily.com/2007/02/01/blura ... d_nielsen/
I guess the format war ain't over yet is it?
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/hd-dvd ... ayers.html
http://www.hometheatermag.com/playstati ... index.html
^^ Looks like another crowd besides gamers is in play after all. $500-$600 is nothing to that crew.
Anyways:
Be that as it may, try and be objective and step back and look at the big picture for a moment:
It just doesn't make any sense, at least not until you read articles like the above.
HD-DVD would be dead today right now if MS simply stepped back and said: "We're neutral. We're out of this thing."
There's certainly no way Toshiba could hold this thing up by themselves. They already divested themselves of the SED project last month over to Canon due to financial constraints, so it's not hard to connect the dots on this thing.
Proof:
http://gear.ign.com/articles/755/755742p1.html
40 percent studio support and one lone exclusive in the form of Universal can only get you so far.
The other side of the MS coin goes something like: "If we can't have it, no one can." People familliar with the PC market know what can look like coming from them.
It's nothing new.
That is what it's starting to look and feel like: Keep the market deliberately split and keep customer confusion and apathy up.
As a home theater and AV enthusiast, I'm one of many that groaned when we realized that somehow the MS vs. Sony console gaming war was going to tread into our neck of the woods.
Except this isn't just MS vs. Sony and Blu-Ray is not solely a Sony venture by a longshot.
Panasonic/JVC's parent company arguably has more to do with Blu-Ray's inception than Sony does.
So where does this all lead?
Digital downloads.
Andy and I were talking about this in another thread, but I'll say it again here: If MS or anyone else thinks they can strongarm and try and force everyone to their DRM controlled digital downloads, guess what?
Until you can get a FIOS like setup out in the boonies and up into the mountains and have it cost less than $50 a month? Forget about it! Digitial downloads are a nice, niche item at best.
The other x factor is: Lots of people prefer to have something concrete to show for their money.
