Next-gen DVD format war frustrates retailers
01-09-2006, 10:40 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: the southwest
Posts: 44,835
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Next-gen DVD format war frustrates retailers
Consumers, confused over the brewing battle between next-generation DVD technologies, are not alone: top U.S. electronics retailers at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas called the war "nightmarishly unfriendly" and "stupid."
Stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and closely held CompUSA may sell millions of devices, either HD DVD or its rival, Blu-ray, and some day one version could be obsolete, drawing the ire of their customers. What's more, many will chose not to buy any device, instead waiting for one format to win.
special coverage
Blu-ray is backed by Sony, and HD DVD is championed by Toshiba. The two technology camps failed to reach a unified technological front, setting the stage this year for a format war like the costly VCR vs. Betamax battle of the 1980s.
"We are frustrated," said Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson on Friday on the sidelines of a panel discussion at CES, the industry's biggest U.S. trade show. "We are going to wind up with some number of consumers probably buying a format that dies, and we are probably going to wind up having to sell it to them. They are not going to be happy with us."
Both Blu-ray and HD DVD backers hope to spark the sagging home video market with new high-definition DVD players and discs, offering greater capacity and interactive features.
"The problem is that what you want is huge penetration into homes as quickly as possible," said CompUSA Chief Executive Larry Mondry. "The Beta-VHS wars lasted 10 years. We are doing it again and we are just stupid as an industry.
"I don't care which way it goes, I just want it to go one (particular) way," he added.
Starting this year, it is likely that electronics retailers are going to have to make space in their stores for sundry devices related to both formats, including DVD players, movies and other programming that play on them, and accessories.
Those boxes will crowd against standard DVD players, as well as digital video recorders, like those made by TiVo, creating many--perhaps too many--choices for shoppers who want to enjoy advanced TV viewing features.
Decisions on what to stock will have to be made by the retailers sooner rather than later. At CES in Las Vegas, Toshiba and Thomson each announced plans to sell in the next few months high-definition DVD player in the United States priced at around $500.
Blu-ray backers such as Philips Electronics, Matsushita and Samsung aim to sell devices this year, as will Sony, whose next version of the popular PlayStation game machine will play Blu-ray disks.
Both camps have lined up Hollywood movie studios to release movies on the new formats, some exclusively on either HD DVD or Blu-ray disks.
"Customers clearly have an appetite for high-quality content. The shame is it is going to take longer than we need it to," to get it to them, Circuit City Chief Executive Alan McCollough said during a panel discussion at CES.
http://news.com.com/Next-gen+DVD+for...l?tag=nefd.top
---------
cliffs: wait for one or the other to die out before making a commitment
my money is on blu ray because of ps3
Stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and closely held CompUSA may sell millions of devices, either HD DVD or its rival, Blu-ray, and some day one version could be obsolete, drawing the ire of their customers. What's more, many will chose not to buy any device, instead waiting for one format to win.
special coverage
Blu-ray is backed by Sony, and HD DVD is championed by Toshiba. The two technology camps failed to reach a unified technological front, setting the stage this year for a format war like the costly VCR vs. Betamax battle of the 1980s.
"We are frustrated," said Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson on Friday on the sidelines of a panel discussion at CES, the industry's biggest U.S. trade show. "We are going to wind up with some number of consumers probably buying a format that dies, and we are probably going to wind up having to sell it to them. They are not going to be happy with us."
Both Blu-ray and HD DVD backers hope to spark the sagging home video market with new high-definition DVD players and discs, offering greater capacity and interactive features.
"The problem is that what you want is huge penetration into homes as quickly as possible," said CompUSA Chief Executive Larry Mondry. "The Beta-VHS wars lasted 10 years. We are doing it again and we are just stupid as an industry.
"I don't care which way it goes, I just want it to go one (particular) way," he added.
Starting this year, it is likely that electronics retailers are going to have to make space in their stores for sundry devices related to both formats, including DVD players, movies and other programming that play on them, and accessories.
Those boxes will crowd against standard DVD players, as well as digital video recorders, like those made by TiVo, creating many--perhaps too many--choices for shoppers who want to enjoy advanced TV viewing features.
Decisions on what to stock will have to be made by the retailers sooner rather than later. At CES in Las Vegas, Toshiba and Thomson each announced plans to sell in the next few months high-definition DVD player in the United States priced at around $500.
Blu-ray backers such as Philips Electronics, Matsushita and Samsung aim to sell devices this year, as will Sony, whose next version of the popular PlayStation game machine will play Blu-ray disks.
Both camps have lined up Hollywood movie studios to release movies on the new formats, some exclusively on either HD DVD or Blu-ray disks.
"Customers clearly have an appetite for high-quality content. The shame is it is going to take longer than we need it to," to get it to them, Circuit City Chief Executive Alan McCollough said during a panel discussion at CES.
http://news.com.com/Next-gen+DVD+for...l?tag=nefd.top
---------
cliffs: wait for one or the other to die out before making a commitment
my money is on blu ray because of ps3
01-09-2006, 12:09 PM
#4
sancho on the sizzide!
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 27,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
beta-max 
h:
h:
__________________
[ASIANDOOOD.COM] [INSPIRE USA] [FACEBOOK] [ENDLESS 8]
F/S: JDM EG9 Parts - PM me for info
[ASIANDOOOD.COM] [INSPIRE USA] [FACEBOOK] [ENDLESS 8]
F/S: JDM EG9 Parts - PM me for info
01-09-2006, 12:23 PM
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Over there
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i agree my bet is on blu-ray as well
:bigok:
Originally Posted by joebenz
my money is on blu-ray too, but i wont buy until a few years after it's decided which one will be more standard
01-09-2006, 12:41 PM
#6
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 21,573
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Grifter
What's more, many will chose not to buy any device, instead waiting for one format to win.
01-09-2006, 12:49 PM
#7
#CustomUserTitle
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: glass case of emotion
Posts: 63,854
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
as a consumer that has no idea wtf is going on ... I'd like to say on pure titles alone, "HD DVD" gets my attention. I know what HD TV is, therefore, HD DVD kicks ass.
