New Line Shifts to Blu-ray Exclusivity

[L3thal Veteran]

:blink:

HD DVD "rings" better than "Blu-Ray", IMO

Being a part-time worker at a retail chain, people are more curious about Blu-Ray Disc than HD-DVD. The different name makes it sound like its something superior to HD DVD. I mean, HD DVD, to the average consumer, makes it sound like its a DVD but in higher quality. Blu-Ray sounds like something for the next-gen and far superior to HD DVD. Its no surprise that Blu-Ray is beating up HD-DVD in sales. Having the letters "DVD" in their name loses appeal because that word has been around for years and everyone knows what a DVD is, but not a Blu-Ray disc.

[Bhav]

Being a part-time worker at a retail chain, people are more curious about Blu-Ray Disc than HD-DVD. The different name makes it sound like its something superior to HD DVD. I mean, HD DVD, to the average consumer, makes it sound like its a DVD but in higher quality. Blu-Ray sounds like something for the next-gen and far superior to HD DVD. Its no surprise that Blu-Ray is beating up HD-DVD in sales. Having the letters "DVD" in their name loses appeal because that word has been around for years and everyone knows what a DVD is, but not a Blu-Ray disc.

(Y) This is how I felt and what I would have expected.

[Guest]

If Paramount go Blu-Ray at CES, then that seals the deal for me.

I'm off to buy a Playstation 3.

[Raa]

If Paramount go Blu-Ray at CES...

Let's see a source first. ^unfounded Rumors otherwise.

[Julius Caro]

If Paramount go Blu-Ray at CES, then that seals the deal for me.

I'm off to buy a Playstation 3.

I doubt paramount, but universal? We don't know what type of contract universal has, but we kinda know that paramount has a 18-month exclusivity deal.

[Ayepecks]

Being a part-time worker at a retail chain, people are more curious about Blu-Ray Disc than HD-DVD. The different name makes it sound like its something superior to HD DVD. I mean, HD DVD, to the average consumer, makes it sound like its a DVD but in higher quality. Blu-Ray sounds like something for the next-gen and far superior to HD DVD. Its no surprise that Blu-Ray is beating up HD-DVD in sales. Having the letters "DVD" in their name loses appeal because that word has been around for years and everyone knows what a DVD is, but not a Blu-Ray disc.

One of my brothers works full-time at Best Buy (well, as "full-time" as you can get in high school -- he works probably around 6 hours a day; don't need anyone's negative input on that if they care to share any, thanks ;)), and he's had similar comments, but drastically different reasoning behind them. People ask what a "Blu-Ray" is, whereas they already can figure out that a "HD DVD" is a high-definition DVD. When people are informed that they're essentially the same thing, their responses tend to be 'Well what's with the stupid name?', to which they're informed of the blue laser for reading, and which they simply don't comprehend why you would name a disc after the laser that's used.

But you're exactly right -- everyone knows what a HD DVD is, and not everyone knows what a Blu-Ray is. But, my question is this -- how on earth is that an advantage? I've never seen (and, from his comments, neither has my brother) anyone indicate that "Blu-Ray" sounds like a higher quality. It just sounds different.

[wolfie]

Well this makes the Netflix and LG set top box look even better. For those of us that don't watch a movie but once (or maybe on HBO later) it is best we don't buy either format. This will also kill video streaming to other TV's in your house because DRM and copy protection in Blue Ray will not let this happen. Also since Sony is part of Blue Ray if you plan on watching HD movies on your computer then you are in for "rootkit" hell. I look for streaming movies via cable or DSL to take off now. If they lower the prices per movie and increase the time allowed to watch the movie it will kill the the format war anyway. Cable companies and DSl companies have been enjoying this war and making out like crazy.

[Joni_78]

LOTR on Blu-Ray :). They would have had to split extended ecdition into two disc with HD DVD.

[Julius Caro]

One of my brothers works full-time at Best Buy (well, as "full-time" as you can get in high school -- he works probably around 6 hours a day; don't need anyone's negative input on that if they care to share any, thanks ;)), and he's had similar comments, but drastically different reasoning behind them. People ask what a "Blu-Ray" is, whereas they already can figure out that a "HD DVD" is a high-definition DVD. When people are informed that they're essentially the same thing, their responses tend to be 'Well what's with the stupid name?', to which they're informed of the blue laser for reading, and which they simply don't comprehend why you would name a disc after the laser that's used.

But you're exactly right -- everyone knows what a HD DVD is, and not everyone knows what a Blu-Ray is. But, my question is this -- how on earth is that an advantage? I've never seen (and, from his comments, neither has my brother) anyone indicate that "Blu-Ray" sounds like a higher quality. It just sounds different.

They've been hyping "blue laser" dvds since 2002 or something like that. A lot of people know there is something new, and that it uses blue laser. Blue laser, blu ray... it makes HD-DVD look as if it didn't use the same technology

[L3thal Veteran]

But you're exactly right -- everyone knows what a HD DVD is, and not everyone knows what a Blu-Ray is. But, my question is this -- how on earth is that an advantage? I've never seen (and, from his comments, neither has my brother) anyone indicate that "Blu-Ray" sounds like a higher quality. It just sounds different.

It doesn't sound like its higher quality, it sounds more next-gen and new. Remember, consumers love new things and I don't know about you, but choosing to name their next-gen format HD-DVD is like beating a dead horse (the dead horse being the word DVD). That is similar to them creating a format 15 years ago named HD-VHS. When something new comes out, people begin to ask questions and in all honesty, they believe its a better product because nearly every retail store promotes Blu-Ray more than HD-DVD and they demonstrate Blu-Ray demos more than HD-DVD.

[TruckWEB]

If you buy a movie on DVD from Sony (or anything related to Sony), you get a nice add about Blu-Ray included in the DVD box and also a big Blu-Ray promotion before the preview....

That's marketing. If you did not know what Blu-Ray was, you sure know after that.

I have yet to notice any kind of add like that on a DVD to promote HD-DVD.

[TDQuiksilver]

If you buy a movie on DVD from Sony (or anything related to Sony), you get a nice add about Blu-Ray included in the DVD box and also a big Blu-Ray promotion before the preview....

That's marketing. If you did not know what Blu-Ray was, you sure know after that.

I have yet to notice any kind of add like that on a DVD to promote HD-DVD.

Exactly! This is where HD-DVD is also faltering. I've yet to see any, if much, advertising at all. Be it posters, pamplets or on television. Hell, I've even seen Blu-ray advertisements before movies at the theater.

[Julius Caro]

Oh man, some people just crack me up

Courtesy of someone at Blu-ray.com!

[sn00pie]

This is the way I've always seen it. HD DVD is known MOSTLY among the nerded out crowd like us, and BD is known by even your average Joe.

[Ayepecks]

It doesn't sound like its higher quality, it sounds more next-gen and new. Remember, consumers love new things and I don't know about you, but choosing to name their next-gen format HD-DVD is like beating a dead horse (the dead horse being the word DVD). That is similar to them creating a format 15 years ago named HD-VHS. When something new comes out, people begin to ask questions and in all honesty, they believe its a better product because nearly every retail store promotes Blu-Ray more than HD-DVD and they demonstrate Blu-Ray demos more than HD-DVD.

Your comparison is apples and oranges. Why would you name a format HD VHS when it obviously was not? We're talking about the same physical type of format (discs), whereas DVD was a physical change from VHS. You can't compare the two in the least bit.

[DrCheese]

Oh man, some people just crack me up

<snipped>

You know I'd actually like to see that film in Hi Def >.< (Titanic that is)

HD VHS

Speaking of which, lets forget this stupid format war and go with D-VHS(Hi def on VHS)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-vhs

[L3thal Veteran]

Your comparison is apples and oranges. Why would you name a format HD VHS when it obviously was not? We're talking about the same physical type of format (discs), whereas DVD was a physical change from VHS. You can't compare the two in the least bit.

I wasn't comparing it; it was more of an analogy, albeit a bad one, I'll admit. I think my point was proven since a few people understood it and agreed.

[TDQuiksilver]

This is the way I've always seen it. HD DVD is known MOSTLY among the nerded out crowd like us, and BD is known by even your average Joe.

Now I'm confused. Weren't the HD-DVD backers on this very forum stating "HD-DVD is the easiest for your average joe to catch onto due to the name" ... could have swore I read that multiple times?

Blu-ray nutheads can be nerds too. :p

[Argi]

So people actually like region encoding?

[kak]

Considering it is an issue with a minority of consumers [very, very, small minority] yet it is an issue with the vast majority of distributors, it makes sense that they would want to back a format that included region coding [for new releases]. I fail to see how this is an issue for debate because it really doesn't affect 90% of consumers.

[Argi]

Everywhere outside the US is a "very,very small minority"?

[Julius Caro]

So people actually like region encoding?

I don't, so all my BDs are region free.

[EnzoFX]

new line is part of warner, so this is to be expected of course

[TruckWEB]

So people actually like region encoding?

We don't, but New Line seems to like them. If you read the articles, New Line say that it's because of the lack of region coding that they did not put out many HD-DVD title...

You can have Rush Hour 3 on Blu-Ray, but it's not on HD-DVD.... And it's from New Line....

[kak]

Everywhere outside the US is a "very,very small minority"?

Those who care to import - Yes.