HD DVD Survey results

[Cholly]

Here are the results of a consumer survey regarding preferences of the two competing formats:
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2006/07/hd_dvd_research.php

[LtMunst]

The results of this survey are silly. How could anyone make a "value" judgement on HD-DVD vs BlueRay when BlueRay isn't even readily available and priced yet?

[DonLandis]

Lt- I thought the same thing. This is a pure and simple marketing ploy! "silly" is an excellent word to describe it as a survey.

[Cholly]

The results of this survey are silly. How could anyone make a "value" judgement on HD-DVD vs BlueRay when BlueRay isn't even readily available and priced yet?
Not true --Circuit City, Fry's, Best Buy, and other retailers have Blu-Ray players by Samsung and Sony, priced at $999. OTOH, Circuit City has an HD-DVD player for $499. The survey shows that Joe Average will choose price over quality, just as he did with VHS over Beta.

[LtMunst]

Not true --Circuit City, Fry's, Best Buy, and other retailers have Blu-Ray players by Samsung and Sony, priced at $999. OTOH, Circuit City has an HD-DVD player for $499. The survey shows that Joe Average will choose price over quality, just as he did with VHS over Beta.


The Blu-ray players just hit the market. HD-DVD had more than a 6 month headstart. When the 1st HD-DVD players appeared they were around $999 also. Blu-ray will be included in the Sony PS3 which also is said will be $499.

Not saying HD-DVD will not win (even though Blu-ray is clearly superior). But polling consumers on comparitive value at this stage is meaningless.

[Nick]

The vast majority of, if not all nextgen DVD buyers will purchase only one or the
other of the two formats, not both. How then can they make a comparison and
form a useful opinion based on their use of only one of the formats?

Opinions are like noses -- everyone has one, and most of them are fairly obvious.

Barring some obvious shortcoming, consumers will almost always voice preference
to their particular brand or format if only to reinforce their choice. That's why people
tend to recommend those products they have already purchased, whether they took
the time to do the research, or not.

The foolish ones, IMO, are those who, without doing their due diligence, make their
purchase first, then go around asking others if they made the right choice.

[ibglowin]

There was a Cnet poll just a few days ago that showed an overwhelming 60% of folks waiting to buy until a clear winner emerged. Since the movie houses are lining up if different camps it makes no real sense to buy (at the moment) if you can't purchase a new release in either format.

[Mike D-CO5]

Both formats should have worked together to come to a combined format that does the best of both formats. IT is stupid to expect the public to buy anything till they settle on one format. Till then I will settle for my dvd player that upconverts to hd and my dvd recorder that upconverts to hd.

I got lucky when I bought my first vcr. It was a Panasonic top loading vcr that cost me $650.00 back in 1981. It worked for years and I got my moneys worth. I won't spend a cent on anything new till they settle on the format and I am sure most of the public won't either.

[Chris Blount]

The Blu-ray players just hit the market. HD-DVD had more than a 6 month headstart. When the 1st HD-DVD players appeared they were around $999 also. Blu-ray will be included in the Sony PS3 which also is said will be $499.
Um, that is not quite accurate. HD-DVD hit the shelves in April and they were $499. Blu-ray was released just a few weeks back and they are $999.

The problem with Blu-ray right now is that many early adopters are complaining about the PQ on some releases thus, players are getting returned. You see, right now Blu-ray is using the old MPEG-2 codec. HD-DVD uses VC-1 which is a newer and more robust way to compress video.

Sony is shooting themselves in the foot with Blu-ray. Not only is the price too high, but the quality is not any better and sometimes worse than HD-DVD in some cases. The Blu-Ray format is all about greed and Sony is leading the way as usual.

[ntexasdude]

I'd have to agree with most of the posters thus far. I won't spend a friggin dime until the dust settles and a winner pokes it's head out. I think (from what I've read) the difference in PQ is miniscule but the real issue is capacity. At the rate of technological advancement in optical storage it's entirely possible (if not probable) both formats will be obsolete before the ink on our cotton bills dries.

And Chris, you are correct, with Sony it's about greed and selfishness. They could have owned the world had they chosen to liscense out their superior beta format.

[Chris Blount]

At the rate of technological advancement in optical storage it's entirely possible (if not probable) both formats will be obsolete before the ink on our cotton bills dries.


I agree. The future is either a "flash drive" type delivery system or most likely the internet will be the prime place to get everything. I read an article back in 97 and many of the experts agreed that DVD will most likely end up being an interim format until internet technology catches up.

[DonLandis]

I think history will repeat itself when we have two formats-

First wave of buyers of the players will be the one that comes out first and has movies and is lowest cost, regardless of minor PQ issues. Right now that is HD DVD.
The second wave will be the first format that offers HD recording capability for the new consumer HD HVR camcorders. This is a ways off yet but recording on HDTV DVD format will be the final thrust into market dominance.

Internet- Not for a long while as the technology infrastructure has to be upgraded on many levels. IN addition, the MPAA has to grow up!

I did hear that Sony as puilled out of the first release of Blue Ray due to technical problems but Samsung is still ready to sell product that works. Samsung also wanted to sell a dual player for both but I heard they were stopped by Sony. IMO< Sony is the fly in the ointment here. Blue ray is only a superior format because it can offer more data storage. But, until they can demonstrate record capability, I will probably hold off too. The latest offerings of DishNetwork in their HDTV channels will keep me satisfied for a long time, at least a year. :)

[Chris Blount]

Internet- Not for a long while as the technology infrastructure has to be upgraded on many levels. IN addition, the MPAA has to grow up!

I agree with you somewhat but I really don't think it's THAT far off. We are already seeing services like Cinemanow (http://www.cinemanow.com) popping up that fulfill and definite nitch. After internet speeds reach acceptable levels, all it will take is a simple set top box with large amounts of memory to service the non-technical consumer. I really honestly think that whatever company makes it easy for the consumer and has the MPAA blessings, DVD will be dead.