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Posted by Derek Janssen on 11/18/05 21:44
Kimba W. Lion wrote:
>>It's funny to think this was all-too-typical of laserdisc fans'
>>predictions for DVD at the time.
>
> The key point that was missed in that discussion, I think, is that LD was
> never more than a niche format that attracted technology geeks (like me).
> DVD's small size and low price managed to break through to the VHS market,
> which is where the majority of people were. All the tech issues, some of
> which were (and are) valid concerns, didn't matter to people who
> thought recording 3 movies on one tape was a pretty cool thing to do.
> Size and price did matter.
Also, the key issue that has sunk many another new A/V format to a
watery grave: Nobody had to buy new equipment.
Only niche HT geeks went out and paid $600 for the big Sony players--
The first non-LD people to discover the "big deal" about DVD's and
spread the word were computer techies who could play the movies on their
desktop disk-drives, and the gamerz who could play them on their
PlayStations. (Remember those disk labels on kids/anime titles that
said "PlayStation compatible"?)
Hence the lesson that most companies forget when trotting out new
technologies:
MOST people are cheap, and don't spend money on things they don't know.
Derek Janssen (and okay, who wants to quote the traditional "Third Rock"
joke?)
djanss@charter.net
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