HD-DVD Debut Gearing Up for a SNAFU...?

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-03-07 05:09am

Courtesy of The Digital Bits:

Finally, Video Business has a good story up today on the so-far sketchy launch of the HD-DVD format, which is supported to make its big debut on 3/28. Toshiba's first two players, the HD-A1 ($499.99 list) and HD-XA1 ($799.99), are expected on that day. A number of titles from Warner are expected on 3/28 as well, but... despite the press releases to the contrary... there's been little to no retailer confirmation of the titles so far. There are a grand total of ZERO details about the HD-DVD titles up on WHV's studio retailer site, this with less than three weeks to go before they're supposed to street (by comparison, in-depth details of most standard DVD releases are announced to retailers on the studio site months in advance). Toshiba's nation-wide HD-DVD promotional tour continues this week (click here for the latest dates and locations from Toshiba's official format site - you'll also find them in this PDF file), but I'm told by those who have seen it that the only thing Tosh reps have to show is a demo disc of movie trailers - no final product HD-DVD software is ready yet.

On that front, I've spoken with a number of my contacts within the industry - at various production and authoring houses, as well as the studios - and nearly all of them expect that the titles will end up getting delayed. I'm told that the authoring is just a mess right now - the format is being pushed to launch too quickly, and there are many problems getting the movies to work properly. Part of the problem is that the software used to author discs is still in the beta stage - not surprising given that the AACS portion of the HD-DVD spec was only finalized last month. Even IF Toshiba and Warner are able to get both hardware and software titles out on 3/28, they'll basically just be ports of existing DVD releases, with HD video and maybe a few new special features at the most. The iHD interactivity isn't really going to be a factor on the software releases until later in 2006 (after the authoring software is finalized and functioning, and HD-DVD check discs can be vigorously tested on actual player hardware). We'll have more on all this soon.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa116.html#osc

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-03-07 01:33pm

What, no comments? Come one, this is big stuff, man!

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2006-03-07 01:58pm

There's a huge amount of "couldn't care less" surrounding HD-DVD at the moment, because the majority of people

a) Don't have the TV for it.

and/or

b) Are going to wait for the format war to shake itself out.

or

c) Are Joe Q Moron, and can barely spell HDTV, let alone know what it does.

I'm betting that only around 50% of people here max actually have a HDTV right now, and we're geeks, prime early adopter territory.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2006-03-07 02:05pm

Spank I think it has to do with general apathy. No one gives a shit because its a format that's not really needed right now and we can wait for all the bugs to shake themselves out before going out and making a purchase. A HD-DVD player for $500? Yeah, OK, I can get a DVD player for $100 and even a cheap knock off for $49 so what's my rush or anyone else's that has DVD players.

For me there's only a certain point where pretty pictures warrants big money. HD-DVD ain't doing it for me right now. And for the record I own a HD Ready TV so I use my cable company's HD box to give me HDTV service. I rarely go to the HD channels.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2006-03-07 02:11pm

Stravo wrote:Spank I think it has to do with general apathy. No one gives a shit because its a format that's not really needed right now and we can wait for all the bugs to shake themselves out before going out and making a purchase.

I'd contest the "format not needed" bit. There is a massive difference in image quality between HD-DVD and standard DVD, and it really does make a difference to the spectacle value and viewer immersion of movies, as much as it does to games.

The problem is that the content isn't there, and there's a format war to be fought.

I'm not going to be getting a HD-DVD player because of those things, and I also have a HDTV (For my Xbox 360 mainly). I'm waiting for the format war to shake out, or more likely for multiformat players (LG have already announced one, for example).

andrewgpaul · Post by **andrewgpaul** » 2006-03-07 03:15pm

Have you seen the difference between an upscaled DVD and an HD-DVD? I'm honestly curious as to how much better a proper HD-DVD is.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-03-07 03:18pm

andrewgpaul wrote:Have you seen the difference between an upscaled DVD and an HD-DVD? I'm honestly curious as to how much better a proper HD-DVD is.

Suprise, a topic by yours truly about this, comparing.

andrewgpaul · Post by **andrewgpaul** » 2006-03-07 03:35pm

Pretty impressive. Is it as obvious with a moving image?

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-03-07 03:36pm

The other reason very few people care about HD-DVD, and Blu-ray, is cost of entry, which Stravo touched on. The cheapest HD-DVD player is $500. The cheapest Blu-ray player (non-PS3) that I've heard of is $1800. Now tack on a format war on top. And lets add in the fact that I need to get a new AV receiver so I can get the HDMI ports for viewing HDCP contect from my set-top box and the HD-DVD/Blu-ray player. The Yamaha RX-V 2600 that I've looked at costs ~$1200.

I'll care about HD-DVD/Blu-ray when:
- Prices fall
- The format war is resolved or cheap hybrid players come out
- When the super-get-all-6-episodes Star Wars HD special edition comes out, if it comes out (hell, I'm half convinced that Star Wars alone will resolve the format wars)

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-03-07 04:06pm

Well while initially reading the piece, I was thinking that if HD-DVD really does end up fucking itself up enough to trip at launch, there's the chance that it could more or less end the format war before it really began, giving another edge to the already expected winner, Blu-ray.

Icehawk · Post by **Icehawk** » 2006-03-07 04:52pm

At this point I don't think it really matters whether the launch goes well or not. Only rich video nuts would be willing to shell out the cash for it anyways, regardless of the number of titles available.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-03-07 06:11pm

The only equipment I have or am even interested in purchasing that could display high-definition content is my computer, and I don't foresee HD-DVD drives coming any time in the near future, so big whoop.

Loner · Post by **Loner** » 2006-03-07 11:38pm

The only reason Blu-Ray is being called the winner, is due to a lot of studios getting behind it. However, those studios went with blu-ray because they figured it'll dominate HD-DVD due to the PS3. But seeing as how the PS3 is being delayed with not a likely U.S. release to 2007, that gives HD-DVD an advantage to being first, and being around for a long while.

Equinox2003 · Post by **Equinox2003** » 2006-03-10 11:52am

So I was wondering, say 10 years from now when HD or Blu-Ray was won, and everybody has all thier fav titles on the new format. What then will become of the countless DVDs that make up everybodys collection now?
Or for that matter whatever happened to the old VHS tapes?

Lost Soal · Post by **Lost Soal** » 2006-03-10 11:59am

You buy VHS tapes and films for ~20p from car boot sales, assuming you've got a machine which plays them, and DVD sell for what VHS is today, along with the increasing rareity it mainstream shops like HMV and Virgin

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-03-10 01:21pm

All players for either format also play current DVDs.