Warner backs bluray, drops HD DVD support

[Verto]

Originally posted by Sir Og
Nobody has answered the most important question yet.

Is the porn industry sticking to HD-DVD?

How much money does the porn industry make from DVDs? I don't know for sure, but I imagine they are still trying to figure out how to combat the free porn available online.

Either way, the porn companies aren't as important as they were with VHS and Betamax.

[Adagio]

This is not good, I want HD DVD to win

I don't have any HD or Blueray players at the moment (and if I get one it'll be one that plays both formats)... I just like the HD DVD more

Originally posted by Sir Og
Is the porn industry sticking to HD-DVD?

There are a few porn movies released on both formats AFAIK

[Kuciwalker]

Bluray looks like it won simply because the PS3 pushed it into more living rooms faster. Sony lost billions of dollars and their dominant position in the gaming market to "win" this war.

Sounds a bit similar to Microsoft's Xbox strategy...

[Agathon]

Originally posted by LordShiva
But Apple doesn't really support DRM, it's forced to implement it by teh evil content publishers [/Aggie]

Did you notice that Sony/BMG dropped DRM today, the last of the big four to drop it?

That Apple was forced to implement DRM is a fact. The record companies insisted on it as an anti-piracy measure when they licensed Apple to sell their music. In fact, Apple's DRM was much less onerous than that from the record companies own online services. So please get your facts straight.

In fact, Apple is responsible for the record companies dropping DRM. They are pissed that Apple basically controls online music sales, so the rest of them have dropped DRM in order to be able to get online music on to the iPod without going through Apple (and pressure Apple for more flexible pricing). This is good for consumers, since it means that they will no longer have to deal with DRMed music if they want to purchase music legally online.

But it could have been a lot different. What if the iPod had not become the dominant portable audio player? In that case, something like Microsoft's PlaysforSure DRM would have become standard, and we would still be stuck with DRM, because there would be no incentive for record companies to drop it, since there would be a number of online stores that the record companies could divide and conquer, and they could still maintain the anti-piracy protection of DRM.

If you hate DRM, then you owe Apple a thank you, since Apple's refusal to allow non-Apple DRMed music on the iPod eventually forced the record companies to abandon DRM for online music sales. That's a really big win for all consumers.

[Saras]

back to topic - I was reading this the other day, and found the advice to refrain from either HDDVD and BluRay reasonable:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-13817_7-6462511-5.html?tag=nav

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker

Sounds a bit similar to Microsoft's Xbox strategy...

It's only similar in that they were willing to lose money to gain marketshare. It's completely different in that MS didn't release Windows Vista only on the 360, or in other words, sacrifice their bread and butter for the new product.

[Nostromo]

Good news. The sooner this silly war will be over, the better it will get for all of us.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
Did you notice that Sony/BMG dropped DRM today, the last of the big four to drop it?

That Apple was forced to implement DRM is a fact.

Steve Jobs didn't object to DRM at Disney.
Steve Jobs didn't want to license out the DRM to absolutely anyone else.
Steve Jobs enjoys vender lock-in from DRM because it enforces an iPod-specific ecosystem. It's the extact same strategy he's now employing with the players themselves. Accessories are Apple-specific (they've even gone so far as to introduce a new "mangled" headphone jack on iPhones so you need iPhone-specific head phones) and they all must pay Apple a licensing fee for the privilege of making accessories for the iPod. Similarly, the new iPods and iPhones are encrypted such that you have to use iTunes and iTunes alone to interface with them.

How can you possibly defend the above as pro-consumer? And further, how is what they're doing above any different from their strategy to lock iTMS content only to Apple players -- and thus, try to ensure people who bought music on iTMS at any point can only buy Apple players in the future.

In fact, Apple is responsible for the record companies dropping DRM.

You are so delusional, it's hilarious.

Not only can Apple do no wrong, everything they do is AWESOME.

They ship you a broken computer? It was AWESOME because they replaced it! YAY APPLE!

They threaten to sue a 9 year old child for writing in what they wanted to see in the iPod? It was AWESOME because that child was clearly a psychopath!

They force every business out of business that made Mac-compatible PCs to get rid of competition in the market. It was AWESOME because I LOVE APPLE!!!

Record companies going DRM-free on competing sites (initially Universal, EMI), forcing Apple to let them go DRM-free on iTunes as well and it's all because of Apple that they're going DRM-free!

GO APPLE GO YAYYYYY!!!! Please sir, may I have another.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Nostromo
Good news. The sooner this silly war will be over, the better it will get for all of us.

I don't consider it good news. I'm terrified of the Bluray DRM and lack of managed copy. I'm pissed off that Bluray still doesn't have features HD DVD has, such as standard ethernet port and network connectivity.

When buying players, consumers had chosen HD DVD. The fact that Sony got as many bluray players out there by bundling it with the playstation is the only reason Bluray had won, and consumers are going to get screwed by the aggressive DRM on Bluray.

Of course, Agathon is oblivious to the fact that Steve Jobs was one of the backers of the more extensive Bluray DRM given that he was on Disney's board and that's the entire reason Disney backed Bluray, and the entire reason Apple backed Bluray was their relationship with Disney.

The entire reason this "war" happened was the Bluray companies could not agree with the DVD consortium (HD DVD, DVD) because they wanted to use their more expensive disc technology, solely for the reason it was far more lucrative in royalties (equating to potentially billions of dollars).

[Nostromo]

Well, its not over yet. And I'm not convinced that PS3's sold count as much as standalone players sold. Afterall, most PS3 owners bought the console for the games, not the movies. Most of them either don't care about or are not aware of Bluray. HD DVD sold a lot more standalone players than Bluray. So I'm willing to bet that HD DVD has a higher attach rate than Bluray.

BTW, is Criterion still sitting on the fence on this? They're small, but if you like cinema, they do have the best collection, IMO.

EDIT: Here's the official Criterion statement:

Will Criterion be releasing its catalog in Blu-Ray or HD DVD?

We know this is a concern for many of our customers, but we honestly don’t think consumers should have to take a stand in a format war. That said, we know how good our films can look in high definition because we’ve been doing all our mastering and restoration in HD for years. But the format war has as much to do with patent licenses and pressing plants as it does with putting gorgeous images on your screen. At this point, any solution that would let consumers upgrade with confidence would be a step in the right direction, and as soon as that solution emerges, we’ll be there.

[Wiglaf]

You are so delusional, it's hilarious.

Not only can Apple do no wrong, everything they do is AWESOME.

They ship you a broken computer? It was AWESOME because they replaced it! YAY APPLE!

They threaten to sue a 9 year old child for writing in what they wanted to see in the iPod? It was AWESOME because that child was clearly a psychopath!

They force every business out of business that made Mac-compatible PCs to get rid of competition in the market. It was AWESOME because I LOVE APPLE!!!

Record companies going DRM-free on competing sites (initially Universal, EMI), forcing Apple to let them go DRM-free on iTunes as well and it's all because of Apple that they're going DRM-free!

GO APPLE GO YAYYYYY!!!! Please sir, may I have another.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by Asher

Never claimed that at all. I said I preferred HD DVD and it makes more sense, which was true and still is true.

Bluray looks like it won simply because the PS3 pushed it into more living rooms faster. Sony lost billions of dollars and their dominant position in the gaming market to "win" this war.

**shrug** If Blu-ray "wins" (and that looks very likely now), then Sony will regain its strength. Short-term loss in exchange for the very real possibility of long-term gain.

Gatekeeper

[Asher]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper


**shrug** If Blu-ray "wins" (and that looks very likely now), then Sony will regain its strength. Short-term loss in exchange for the very real possibility of long-term gain.

Gatekeeper

Gain in one market leads to a direct loss in the other here.

Bluray isn't going to help the PS3 win, especially since dedicated players are dropping in price at a far faster rate than the PS3.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
Asher used to claim HD DVD was the clear winner and Blu Ray was dead.

And yet clueless people on here still continue to believe what he says...

It would be easy to make a fortune on the sharemarket simply by betting against his idiotic predictions.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon


And yet clueless people on here still continue to believe what he says...

It would be easy to make a fortune on the sharemarket simply by betting against his idiotic predictions.

I never made that prediction at all. This has already been clarified. Though your desperate character assassination attempt is noted and brushed aside...

Here's an idea. Instead of ignoring what I post, which handily dispatches all of your arguments on a regular basis, and instead of "making **** up" and making attacks on my character like you do here, why don't you reply to the arguments made?

The reason you don't is clear to everyone, and it's because you know I outclass you in these threads. I'm in a whole 'nother league, baby, and you know it -- precisely why you don't even try to counter my arguments. Know your role, Aggie.