Posted by L Leed on 04/21/06 15:26

http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/#film2

Consumer electronics writers have begun to weigh in on the new HD DVD
players distributed by Toshiba this week, and most are unimpressed.
Several cite an intolerably long boot-up period, a confusing menu
system, and incompatible sound. But nearly all express disappointment
in the picture. On smaller sets, the writers agree, the difference
between HD DVD and a conventional DVD is virtually undetectable.
"Bottom line is that HD DVD is great, but will you notice?" asks Ben
Drawbaugh on HDBeat.com. Writing in the Los Angeles Times David Colker
remarked that on larger screens he could detect a subtle difference. He
added: "I tested my perceptions by switching between the two formats. I
asked a colleague to close his eyes while I chose a version, then had
him open them and guess: DVD or HD DVD? He got it right only about 75%
of the time. So, yes, it's better. But don't expect the dramatic leap
in quality that came with the transition from VHS to DVDs in the
1990s."


asj wrote:
> Research firms (e.g. Forrester Research) note that Blu-ray will most
> likely win in the format war:
>
> "Blu-ray has several advantages that will help it win the day, Schadler
> said. HD DVD is a one-trick pony for video playback, but Blu-ray is
> also designed for games and computers, he said. Indeed, its inclusion
> in millions of Sony's next-generation video game consoles is a factor.
> And when former HD DVD loyalist Paramount endorsed Blu-ray, it shifted
> the movie studio momentum. Finally, although Blu-ray manufacturing will
> cost a little more initially, it offers more capacity and employs a
> proven technology, Java, for interactive features."
>
> http://www.cnet.com.au/desktops/storage/0,39029473,40057660,00.htm
>
> Informal Polls show same:
> http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=451395
>
> I have informally talked to people as well. They note Sony lost betamax
> because it did not license it out. In this case, Blu-ray is supported
> by a large number of vendors. This is not just Sony. This is Panasonic,
> and Disney, Warner, Fox, and Sun, and IBM, and.....
>
> Also, people wondered why they would buy the much smaller Toshiba disc
> when the Blu-ray can hold so much more data.

[Back to original message]