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Did Sony's CEO Dig Blu-Ray's Grave?

The format war has been ongoing for over a year, and despite the fact there is no clear winner, Blu-ray has gone so far as issuing press releases in the past to declare itself victorious.

But it seems Sony has now realized it's not in the ring with a push-over, and winning the format war is not going to be as simple as the cocky Blu-ray camp has boasted it to be.

Going into the all-important holiday season, Toshiba has been hawking its players for as low as $200 in the U.S., while the cheapest Blu-ray players are twice as much.

Furthermore, Sony seems to be suffering from, er, Blu-balls, after Paramount Pictures announced it was going to put out to HD DVD exclusively.

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BIoodmask - contributor
Published: 772 days 15 hours ago | Article | Industry News | Tech

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Meus Renaissance - 772 days 15 hours ago

1 - Brush it off

Simple answer is no. Honestly, you'd think HD-DVD was selling like the Wii from reading these headlines on N4G. Blu-Ray is selling just fine. I don't dismiss HD-DVD but to make it appear that its winning the format war, when all these articles imply a case of neutrality, is stretching it.

These headlines won't cause people here to go out and buy the cheap HDDVD players. In fact, how many here who "support" HD-DVD actually go out and buy movies on that format?

I support Blu Ray and buy Blu Ray movies. What I am dismissing is the bias towards HD-DVD without even owning the player/movies. We know about console fanboys but alteast they own their console of choice and hence have the right of word to make a case for their purchase. And yet we call THEM pathetic?

Now watch the "Blu Ray is dead" sentiments roll in, because obviously the daily media bashing of the PS3 is drying up recently. I guess "the others" are now focusing on the movie format war, searching for anything that isn't positive towards Blu-Ray (and hence the PlayStation 3)

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Action Bastard - 772 days 14 hours ago

1.1 -

Meus:
How do you keep your composure and write such logical, thought provoking comments? I, for one, have strained in the past trying to do just that. I owned a 360, a Wii and currently own a PS3. 360 was unreliable so I got rid of it, Wii just wasn't a good fit for me (my daughter, yes) and the PS3 is, well, the PS3. I too support Blu-ray. Not because I own a PS3, but rather, because I owned HD DVD. Picture was nice, but the lack of content is why it is no longer in my house. BD offers more, not just a movie format, and will continue to dominate.

EDIT: When I say "lack of content", I am speaking in terms of my personal preference. I like the Pixar flicks, I like Spiderman, I like Simpsons, I like James Bond, I like Pirates and on and on. When I had HD DVD, I owned Batman Begins and King Kong. To go into a store and want to buy the HD version of movies I just listed, the choice was obvious. HD DVD DOES have movies, no one could argue otherwise. Just not ones I want in HD.

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Baron79 - 772 days 14 hours ago

1.2 -

Lack of content? You must not be taliking about HD-DVD's IME , which is the $hit.
Bluray has 406 movies
HD-DVD has 372 movies
As far as the movies go it is total prefrence. No bashing intended but HD-DVD has the more adult movies IMO, plus the IME, you could argue Blueray is lacking content.

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ruibing - 772 days 13 hours ago

1.3 - @Baron79

Yeah, every family man bought a next gen player for hi-def porn just to share with his family...

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Ju - 772 days 13 hours ago

1.4 -

Well, one cheap offer made me go out and buy that A2. But because it was $99. I wouldn't have done it for $199, though. And I still take BD first and get HDDVD if I can't get the BD version. I haven't had the urge to get to many HD-DVDs, yet. Almost everything is available on BD, some SiFi series I gotta get on HD later, I think (but have seen them all, so no need to rush).

But I kindof agree. If you have BD, there is not much content, which you would miss. Actually I was pretty disappointed and was close to regret my purchase. I have yet to justify it, but currently its more like I try to get some movies to not let that thing idle around.

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OmegaKulu - 772 days 13 hours ago

1.5 -

I don't care about movie format, I don't buy movies, but since i own a ps3, i do rent blu-ray from time to time. However, I do prefer blu-ray when it come to PC format, there are time I want hard copy of data, the data per layer make more sense on blu-ray(since at this moment both burner and blanks cost about the same).

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Baron79 - 772 days 12 hours ago

1.6 - @ruibing

Get your mind out of the gutter man , I wasn't talking about those adult movies! I'm taliking about movies rated R and with more adult themes. Movies that don't have a Rat or Bear or a talking Car in them.

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enzobot24 - 772 days 9 hours ago

1.7 - @Baron79

Yeah... Black Hawk Down, Closer, American Psycho and (soon) Sin City. Yup, I guess Blu-ray is only for kid's movies. Let's do some calculations here:
Disney supports Blu-ray. It's obviously that Disney makes kid-oriented films.

So what? Are PG movies bad for some reason? Is Star Wars a bad movie because it's PG? Is Ratatouille a bad movie? You're really splitting hairs, man... and I smell desperation.

On a side-note: Stop with the silly, HD DVD is the "movie-lover's" format crap. I highly doubt that Spielberg, Coppola, and Scorsese care about PIP and HDi. If anything, Blu-ray's higher storage allows for better video and audio... making it the "movie-lover's" format.

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Baron79 - 772 days 8 hours ago

1.8 - @enzobot24

Star Wars is awesome! Who said anything about PG movies sucking? I am sorry I am not interested in Ratatouille, like I said in my previous post, it is about preference. I smell defense-full-ness. About IME , Blueray wishes it had it. It is the profile everyone is waiting for , No? The mythical 1.1 to support PIP\IME.Where is it? It is obviously important to someone as no BD player from here on out can be made without it. Another reason why HD-DVD is the true format for Movie Lovers, IME has been working on HD-DVD since day one. And stop with your silly "higher storage" crap , space has NEVER been an issue, my HD-DVD's look and sound incredible!

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ruibing - 772 days 7 hours ago

1.9 -

You have to love how analysts are just looking at standalone player sales and Paramount's switch, but not the sales. If you look at the recent chart of sales ratio, it has been increasing in BD's favor in spite of the spike in HD-DVD player sales.

All I know and care about is that the Ocean's trilogy and a bunch of Pixar movies just came out this week, so I won't run out of movies to watch in the BD camp anytime soon.

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2 HarryEtTubMan | 772 days 15 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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hitthegspot - 772 days 14 hours ago

2.1 - I can't wait to see what happens in Q1

In Q1 you will all see what Sony truly thinks of you. The truth will become clear when Blu-ray 1.1 movies start to enter the market and no PS3 update. At that point you will reflect on the message that Sony is greedy and released a spec before it was ready.

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WAR_MACHINE77 - 772 days 12 hours ago

2.2 -

you do realize that any device that plays bluray sold after oct 31 has to have profile 1.1, and this includes the PS3. So why don't you explain to the class why exactly you believe sony is not going to update the firmware on existing PS3s.

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-_-_-_-_-_-_- - 772 days 15 hours ago

3 -

Why don't they make these CEOs a bit prettier? They certainly have enough money for some plastic surgeries or genetic manipulations.

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4 AnalFace | 772 days 15 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Mr PS3 - 772 days 15 hours ago

5 - Did you get an

Erection bloodpiles when yet again you found a little negative news about the PS3!! Your desperate give it up

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thereapersson - 772 days 15 hours ago

6 - Meh

Bored this morning, eh Bloodmask?

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Real Gambler - 772 days 14 hours ago

7 - No matter how you shake it, hd-dvd is still loosing : )

First line: "The format war has been ongoing for over a year, and despite the fact there is no clear winner..."

Hmmmmm, no clear winner, but twice the sale for Bluray... A would say there's at least a clear looser, and it's the poor hd-dvd...

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8 happyjimmy | 772 days 14 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Baron79 - 772 days 14 hours ago

9 - He's right

It is an honest question. For months Sony has been nothing but arrogant, claiming victory on like 3 occasions. So this is a big change for the CEO to be talking like this. Maybe he knows somthing? Maybe , WB is leaving BD soon, I doubt it but who knows? There is a long way to go in this format war but, even Blueray fans must admit this CEO's comments did not sound good for Sony or Blueray.

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IntelligentAj - 772 days 14 hours ago

10 -

There are alot of things I don't agree with in this article. The one that stands out the most is the assertion that sales of the console are awful when compared to the Wii. Newsflash:Both consoles are falling behind against the Wii and it shows no sign of slowing up. In it's first year it already sold 12 million consoles!!!!What is going to compete with that? Also admitting reality is not a sign of weakness. Very little people doubt that Sony was reaching when it said the war was over(High Def Sales account for a fraction of DVD sales)since neither format has been widely adopted yet. And people on both sides are forgetting something vital: If something is only for Blu-Ray and not HD-DVD, you can still get the DVD(which isn't going to stop selling anytime soon)

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11 marcdz1 | 772 days 14 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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jaja1434 - 772 days 13 hours ago

11.1 -

And what if you don't want to play games? Such as my parents, even though the PS3 might be the better value they are still not going to get one because of the simple fact that all they want is something that plays movies. So really your the idiot here for thinking everyone would even want a gaming machine.

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Action Bastard - 772 days 13 hours ago

11.2 -

They probably shouldn't get a DVD player since it plays music cds. You just want a movie player, right? Lame excuse is a lame excuse. Set the PS3 to Disc Auto Start and call it a day. You wouldn't even know it played games. Hell, no one knows it plays games now. ZING!

EDIT: From the man that compares Vipers and Civics to BD/HD DVD you have a problem with CD playback being thrown in the equation? Please. The added cost of something doesn't change the functionality you are looking for. If you want something to play movies and only movies, then playing CDs would be an issue, wouldn't it? Don't back pedal on your own lame ass comment. Just read, learn and do better. Oh yeah, and CD playback being a byproduct shows you are stupider then I expected. Stop spending your money on HD DVDs and game consoles and buy a book. You did go to school, didn't you?

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jaja1434 - 772 days 9 hours ago

11.3 -

Wow thats just well one stupid as hell rebuttal. For one the CD playback is just a byproduct of being able to play a DVD, and one that very few people take advantage of.

Second if you only wanted CD playback them you would probably buy a CD player, not a DVD player.

Third, CD playback does not add on 200$ to a DVD player.

All in all you really need to work on your arguments because if this is really the extent of your debating skills then well, you might want to get that checked out.

Oh yea and to the people who disagreed with my previous comment. I suppose that means you think the PS3 is a bad value, as I made sure to make note that it is indeed a terrific value.

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sanderFVCKINcohen - 772 days 14 hours ago

12 - Who did Mr. Stringer think he was up against...???

Did he not know that Microsoft is supporting this format??? THIS IS MICROSOFT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, YOU DONT GIVE THESE BASTARDS A CHANCE......he should of asked Steve Jobs on any hints on how to take down Microsoft together, since his part of the Blu camp.

MICROSOFT=Fiscal Wizards

SONY=Japs with there head up there azzezz

Without there BluRay we would have naturally went from DVD2HDDVD, and I would have had my 3rd Playstation right now. Believe me I hated Microsoft's Xbox, but since im a gamer I get a console dedicated to GAMES.

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12.1 happyjimmy | 772 days 14 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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Action Bastard - 772 days 13 hours ago

12.2 -

When Microsoft backs something, it does more harm than good. Only thing MS brings to the table is $ and today, today it takes more than $.

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Merritt - 772 days 14 hours ago

13 -

I think the main point in that story is: There are 10 other companies left on the fence not making any money because stand alone BR-DVD players aren't selling because of the cost. Sony is the only company profitting from this (actually they are losing tons). That doesn't bode to well for the rest of the companies with BR-DVD hardware.
Why support a product you're not moving?

The Wal-Mart effect is huge and to a lesser extent the K-Mart effect. Both huge huge things for HD-DVD.

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Ju - 772 days 11 hours ago

13.1 -

That's a good comment. And let me add, in the HD-DVD camp, nobody makes any profit anymore (not since the $99 special and the $199 players).

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demolitionX - 772 days 14 hours ago

14 - EDIT!

Sony's CEO already dug a mass grave, but it's not for blu-ray!

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achira - 772 days 14 hours ago

15 -

xbots have nothing better to do than posting bs. very poor. i thought you have so many games on your rodd box why dont you play games ? tired of shooters ?

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whoelse - 772 days 14 hours ago

16 - HD-DVD Bye-Bye

It doesnt matter how you try, Blu-ray is winning. If it really does start going the other way, BLu-ray can just pay Universal or Warner to go BD exclusive.

People forget that.

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Baron79 - 772 days 12 hours ago

16.1 - @whoelse

Blueray doesn't have the money to pay anyone. Paramount??? Did you forget that?

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TheExodus - 772 days 14 hours ago

17 -

If you think Blu-ray is winning you obviously didn't listen to Stringer when he said Blu-ray was in a stalemate with HD-DVD. Had Toshiba said that HD-DVD was in a stalemate with Blu-ray it would mean there was nothing else Toshiba could do to win the game, but it was Sony who declared Blu-ray to be in a stalemate with HD-DVD which means there's nothing that Sony can do to win the game (aka. Blu-ray is dead.)

"But Blu-ray is outselling HD-DVD by X:1," you say. Really? I suspect Stringer has better numbers to base his opinion on than we do.

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ForROME - 772 days 14 hours ago

18 -

Had MS\Toshiba not giving out money which Im not against, business do what they gotta do, this would be pretty much over. HD DVD is a thorn and it will soon be gone, thorns and splinters eventually fall out naturally, HD DVD will eventually fall out and go away, time is time folks. Blue Ray is the winner, random headlines are the only thing holding HD DVD in the news these days

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jaja1434 - 772 days 13 hours ago

18.1 -

Perhaps about the giving out money, but Sony had its own tactic by the virtue of owning 2 of Major studios. So its all fair in my book.

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kurnlx - 772 days 14 hours ago

19 - Tis' Folly

BR hasn't a chance. I'm counting the days until absolute victory. I love the smell of HD DVD's in the morning.

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cdzie1 - 772 days 14 hours ago

20 -

It would seem to me that HD DVD is one big move away from winning this thing and Sony is more than happy to focus on its video game division and leave the money-draining format war behind.

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ParaDise_LosT - 772 days 14 hours ago

21 - Isn't it funny that

Most of the supporters of the Format Wars only have 1-3 bubbles
Freaky eh?

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jaja1434 - 772 days 13 hours ago

21.1 -

Well thats what you get when you troll around saying "insert formate" is dead. Though I personally prefer HD because its cheaper, I have no delusions that BR is doing better at the moment. And also even if it doesn't take in the movie market it will still be around for a long time for the PS3.

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ElementsUnknown - 772 days 13 hours ago

22 - Is Sony's arrogance their downfall?

Pride come before a fall, hopefully Sony has wised up and started to adopt a more humble attitude towards consumers and developers. I don't really care about the format war, I am just content to sit back and see who wins so that I know which format player to buy in 2-3 years when I give a crap.

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pshizle - 772 days 13 hours ago

23 - i bought my hd dvd

for porn lol jk

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Eimmij - 772 days 13 hours ago

24 - pissin me off

man is it hate on sony year wtf i like blu-ray and sony. i have a 360 so i aint no fanboy but this BS is getin old xbots and haters r gonna make me one. peeps think that cheap ass hd dvd player thats out has won the war. it aint even full hd from what i hear and what the hell makes peeps think if you aint got the cash to buy a blu-ray player you got mad cash to buy hd dvds all day. wow im lost look stop hatein on sony ok let the best format win

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Antiomo - 772 days 13 hours ago

25 - why do ppl come up with this crap

If blu-ray is going to DIE, which i dont think it will, hd-dvd will die first.

The only place hd-dvd is SElling is in North America.... and still blu-ray is doing better.

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26 marcdz1 | 772 days 13 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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kurnlx - 772 days 13 hours ago

27 - Happy Holidays

To those who would question HD DVD's inevitable victory by throwing numbers around, then I would ask you to check out HD DVD stand-alone unit numbers vs. BR's at the end of the year (PS3's don't count). Numbers won't lie. It's the most...wonderful time...of the year!

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Ju - 772 days 10 hours ago

27.1 -

PS3 doesn't count. My a$$. I am a bit sick of this argument. Just because people mention that over and over again doesn't make it true. PS3 DOES count. Even if 60% (which I doubt) of PS3 owner don't know about BD movies, that leave 40%(*) of now 6Mio owner who do know it plays. The next argument you'll bring up, is the BD attach rate is low. Then, well, maybe somebody gives me a crash course in theory of relativity, because somehow math doesn't apply here any more. Why the heck does BD movies sales still outsell HD-DVD if there are no players out, hah ?

(*) 40% of 6Mio is about 2.4Mio. Good luck selling that Toshiba.

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aba - 772 days 13 hours ago

28 - howard stringer....

is a fugly lookin freak.

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romemac7 - 772 days 12 hours ago

29 - WRONG

its stunning to still see people saying hd-dvd is wining lol or ps3 don't count as blu-ray player lmao come on people. all i keep seeing is how hd-dvd player are cheaper($200)and how people are buying them up but where the number that support that because as far as i can see blu-ray still wining in sale number lol. so i guess all them people with ps3 must be buying blu-ray movie, ooo wait i forget most of them don't know ps3 can play blu-ray movie right lol give me a fu@king brick, then who buying all the blu-ray movie then lol sony. the number i keep seeing just reaffirms that people that have ps3 know that they play blu-ray movie unlike same would have you thing(Microsoft)and that they are buying blu-ray movie.

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