Blu-ray v. HD DVD: Where do we stand?

Of the 1.5 million Blu-ray players sold in the U.S., 1.4 million are PS3s, according to the Digital Entertainment Group, which promotes both formats.

[THAMMER1]

http://news.com.com/2300-10...

This chart shows that stand HD DVD alones are out selling Blu Ray 3 to 1. The PS3 Blu Ray feature is boosting Blu Ray to the front so it would seem Blu Ray is leading buy a mile right now.

[Real Gambler]

If like most people, you do a search on the web before you buy any expensive piece of hardware, you'll find out that if you're looking for the best BluRay player, it's still the PS3!!! No fanboyism at all. All the main web sites reviewing BluRay players still give the highest rating to the PS3 (And trust me, those sites could not care less about gaming!). So let me guess... After all that, you would still buy a more expensive standalone player, instead of buying one that is highly rated as a player, but can also play games, surf the web, store all your pictures, movies and so on. Well, not me : )

Turn this around if you will!!! If Toshiba would come out with a HDDVD player that would be the cheapest but the best rated by independant web sites, and it would allow you to surf the web, play games, store your pictures and movies, would you not count it because it can play games??????? I don't think so.

In fact, the same article claim that Target is still selling HDDVD players because it is selling the HDDVD addon for the 360. So, a player is player my friend. If fact, if HDDVD is such a great product, why aren't those HDDVD 360 addons selling like hotcakes?????? With 11 millions 360 in the world, if only 10% would buy the addon, then you would see the tide change... If 50% would buy the addon, then I guess some fans would just start saying that it's a game player and it should not count : )

[PS3n360]

One thing that would make the PS3 bluray player better that you dont hear much about is the possibility to update it via the internet. this is a feature i dont believe is standard on other b-ray players but will be soon as it is standard on HDDVD. If I was gonna buy a bluray player the PS3 would win for me hands down.

[rushbd]

Latest sales records suggest that 6 million Ps3 has been sold globally. (source IGN) And thats not shipped systems . That is actual count of PS3 that are sold. Why does the article suggest there are only 1.4 million PS3s out in the world ??

300K HDDVD vs 6.1 million Blu-ray.

i dont need any other explaination

[xmod]

@rushbd: total ps3's sold globally is 4.48million not 6 million. the 1.4million the site uses might be just US numbers (and outdated numbers at that).

[Mr Murda]

I bought a PS3 for a blu-ray movie player, and I'll eventually get some games for it besides Motorstorm and Resistance.

[Mandangoof]

Uhhh...no.
BR vs HD-DVD movie sales is now 75-25

No one cares that HD-DVD has more standalones, nor that it may have a higher tie ratio. People care about what movies they can watch, and studios will put movies on the winning format to end the war.

Give it up HD-DVDroids. HD-DVDead is, as the name implies, gone forever.

[WilliamRLBaker]

so you mean the movie studios only care about movies sold and not how many people have the ability to watch said movies?

thats like saying mc donalds only built 100 locations cause they sell 1m burgers a day from those and could sell even more if they had more locations but feel they dont need more locations, by the way the definition of "dead" is no longer alive, not breathing, in sales it means......0 sales.....and hd dvd is selling very well has anyone noticed that over 80% of proponents of blu ray have never seen a bluray film and only support it cause its ps3?

[Mu5afir]

@ WilliamRLBaker

Most of the movie studios have stock on Blu-Ray format, that is why they support it more. It's not just Sony who has a big chunk of the pie, but a lot of the other major movie studios.

[Lord Anubis]

bubble for you desperado. What matters is the number of movie sold. Blu-ray has more players simply because PS3 has a blu-ray player. Those that don't have an HDTV and do have a PS3 will automatically start buying Blu-ray movies. I know I did. I start buying Blu-ray movies as soon as I got my HDTV and others will do the same. As more PS3s are sold the numbers will increase for blu-ray.

With all the latest announcements about blu-ray. There shouldn't be a doubt blu-ray will win very soon.

[the worst]

its doesnt matter 1.4million to 300k
hey hey soon 2 be more

[Bloodmask]

the PS fanbase to do a mass market forced push of their Blu ray format. Which caused the PS3 fans to absorb the added costs in the high pricepoint of PS3 and blindside the install base.

And how do the fanboys react to this trickery?

With thundering applause.

And for everyone that disagrees, I would like to hear your rebuttle. I guess the only rebuttle you have is pressing that (-) feedback button.

Why do all PS3 owners even care? I could care less who wins the format war.

[ReBurn]

Although the fanboys are sure to flame you, I happen to agree with you. Sony used the PS3 as a way to push Blu-ray into the market and secure their investment in the technology. Some portion of the added cost of the PS3 was certainly the result of putting Blu-ray in the box, but nobody knows for sure how much of the cost can be attributed to Blu-ray and how much belongs to other technology. Early adopters were certainly the guinea pigs, but it seems to have worked out well.

I own a PS3 and I love it. Blu-ray playback is awesome. But I didn't buy the PS3 for Blu-ray. With the latest firmware releases and DVD upscaling over HDMI I sure don't regret it.

[tethered]

****Sony used the PS fanbase to do a mass market forced push of their Blu ray format. Which caused the PS3 fans to absorb the added costs in the high pricepoint of PS3 and blindside the install base.

And how do the fanboys react to this trickery?

With thundering applause.

And for everyone that disagrees, I would like to hear your rebuttle. I guess the only rebuttle you have is pressing that (-) feedback button.

Why do all PS3 owners even care? I could care less who wins the format war.****

OK, here is my rebuttal. Ready?
Sony didn't force this on us.
As Sony supporters, we still had options.

Option "A":
Buy a 360.

Option "B":
Hold off for a Wii.

Option "C":
Hold off for a PS3.

Option "D":
Buy nothing at all.

Those options were there for us but we chose to go with option C.
Even with the higher price point.
Even with the year wait.
Even with the lack of games when it first came out. (it will soon get very good)

Do you want to know why we chose the PS3?
Well here it is.

The reason people like myself don't mind paying a little more for a very well made product is that the Original PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 gave us hours upon hours of enjoyment. Hours and hours of games that really stuck with us all these years. The PlayStation brand has really treated us well over the years.

You also have to remember that a huge number of people that started gaming on the Original PS, back in 1995, (lets say they were 10 at the time would now be 22) are now at the age where $300.00 more (now its $200 more) than what they paid for the PS2(7 years ago) isn't really a whole lot of money when they remember how much enjoyment they got out of those two systems.

Also take into consideration what other hi-end gadgets are going for in todays world.
The iphone is selling for:
Price - $499 4GB, $599 8GB
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/...

I'm really happy with my purchase of a $600.00 game system, HD movie system, computer system (if I really wanted to make it one)

There really are a lot of things going in favor of the PS3 right now.

I will say nothing bad about the competition, MS and Nintendo, because they are both really nice systems and a lot of people are enjoying them.

I had the choice to buy those systems and I still do have the choice.
I still might buy into both those systems someday, but why would I want to leave a great thing?

So there you have it.
My take on it.

And no I was not one of the people that disagreed with you.

[BaMYouRDeaD]

I do not wish to start a flamewar with you, I only wish to state why I disagree with your comment. Even before I had a PS3, I supported Blu-ray. I believe in the better technology. I guess people who have a PS3 care who wins the format war because their system uses Blu-ray and they'd like to see the format of their console succeed.

I myself think Blu-ray should have been put in the PS3, because eventually it will be needed for games. I guess you could use multiple DVD's, but usually doesn't work with open-ended games like Oblivion. (Yes I know Oblivion fits on a DVD, I'm just using it as an example of an open-ended game).

That will be all.

[DJ]

I doubt Sony would have included it in their PS3 system; in fact, they probably would've gone with HD-DVD instead. The storage capacity was needed for games, but they needed additional mass market functionality in order to both offset costs in the near future, as well as guarantee the viability of said format.

Had they pulled a Nintendo and solely chosen a format that could only be used for games, they would be portrayed as stupid and forcing their customers to adopt an expensive technology that they didn't necessarily want to buy into. Blu-ray however has the benefit of being superior to HD-DVD in storage capacity (thus higher quality audio and/or video depending on each title) as well as having the support of 90% of the industry. People complaining about Sony 'forcing a format' onto us seem to magically forget that every Nintendo console up until the Gamecube used proprietary storage formats. In fact, it seems to be that no matter what other companies do, it's Sony that ends up getting the flack.

But no matter. Consumers deeply appreciate the added functionality of their Playstation 3s, and it is this feature that is pushing PS3 titles far and above the accomplishments of titles on rival platforms. Heavenly Sword is over 18 GB. Lair is 25 GB. Even Konami's PES multiplatform title is 18 GB on the PS3, featuring many more stadiums, players, and commentary. Stranglehold even includes the full 1080p version of Hardboiled on the same disc as the game; that's just insane.

[Mu5afir]

A win for the Blu-Ray format well undoubtedly mean great success for the Ps3. If Blu-Ray is the format of choice, the Ps3 will be the most desirable Blu-Ray player out on the market. Sony has taken a risk, but the rewards for this risk is turning out to be a BIG bonus.

Keep in mind, unlike the other two consoles, the Ps3 is the only console that will support the Blu-Ray format. M$ won't support it, or can't support it because of complications with it's HDMI (1.2) profile etc.. And even if they do, it won't appeal to consumers. After forking up $200 dollars on HD-DVD who wouldn't.

Casual gamers looking for a next gen video player, along with a gaming console will undoubtedly buy the Ps3. In a year, I expect at least 10% of all Ps3 sales to be coming from "non-gamers."

It's a big risk, but you have to admit they are going to get some big rewards.

[ReBurn]

I don't think that a true videophile is going to run out and buy a PS3 to anchor their setup just because of the way the box looks. Someone who wants a high-def player as the centerpiece of their A/V rig is going to buy a standalone player that has the features they want with a more traditional player-type look. The PS3, with its curves and shiny finish doesn't look like it belongs in an upscale A/V rig. It looks like a video game console.

High-def DVD isn't quite ready for prime time, and it won't be until the new format is clear. It's getting there, but its time has not quite come.

[Mu5afir]

The Ps3 is a very sexy looking beast, no one can deny that.. and it's probably the best looking Blu-Ray player on the market. As for futures, that is the very point I was making, the Ps3 has tons of futures that other stand along players don't have.

From the ability to store pictures / video / audio and stream video / pictures etc.. from you PC to the simple ability to play games on one system.. the amount of "futures" on this system in unrivaled.

The Ps3 is the best looking console, no denying it.

[gano]

Bloodmask y indicate how sony produce a system that sony fans
like... cause they know quality, and say they fell for a ploy
if u don't care? As oppose to this is good for xbox cause
they can knock ps off if they land the digital prop. It wouldn't
even matter.

[Bloodmask]

But what you fail to realize is that Microsoft could have done the same thing with HDDVD. And Blu ray would have been crushed. It isn't that anybody really picks Bluray it is just bc they buy PS3.

I buy my console to play games. I could care less about HD movies. And I would be pissed if the 360 cost $600 bc it had an HDDVD drive. Bc DVD9 is doing just fine for games.

All games have been on 1 disk so far. And the few that aren't are RPGs. Out of all the 360 games released I'm sure less than 1% are multidisk. Why is multi-disk a thing of the past? Oh I forgot bc Sony said it was.

I guess Sony should tell that to the PC market then. It is bound to fail bc of the lack of Blu ray. Just think of how stupid that sounds for a second.

And thanks for fixing the bubble system N4G. Before I made this comment I had 7 bubbles. We'll see how many I have when this thread is done.

Viva la Sony.

[DJ]

than DVD-8.5 allows for, then explain how almost every PS3 title is over 8.5GB. Explain how multiplatform titles are consistently larger on the PS3 and adding countless new features that didn't fit on the 360 version? Hey, I'm sure CDs and Cartridges are perfectly fine for storing games, but you wouldn't get much out of it since developers would be severely limited.

It's important to not get so defensive over your console of choice. We understand that you like it, and that's fine, but wasting your time to convince people that purchasing better technology is somehow wrong seems...well...

[tethered]

@ Bloodmask.

I have a question for you.

Why, up until now, has every generation of game systems updated their media storage?

Sony is the only one that has done it this generation.
Seems kinda strange to me that MS wouldn't want to upgrade to bigger storage. Also whats with putting out a 360 with no HD? They took a step back with those two things in my opinion.
----------------------------- ------------------------------ - ------------------------------ - ------------------------------ - -------------------
@ Bloodmask below,
You stated:
"Wrong tethered
Only Sonys new systems have an upgraded media. Bc they always stand to gain from it. PS2 with DVD..bc Sony had a stake in DVD."

Hahaha!
You are wrong.
Look through this and tell me that video game systems that were out long before Sony didnt update their storage with every new generation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...
Pay extra close attention to the "Media" section.

1. Cartridges

2. Cards

3. Magnetic media

4. Optical media

5. Internet distribution

See?
Hahaha!
Talk about "the blind truly are blind"
Pot-Kettle-Black?

[Bloodmask]

Only Sonys new systems have an upgraded media. Bc they always stand to gain from it. PS2 with DVD..bc Sony had a stake in DVD..

And now with PS3 with Blu ray. Sony has the biggest stake in Blu ray and the most to gain.

And DJ I don't give a rats @ss what system anybody buys. And your whole argument is null and void bc Stranglehold for 360 could have released the movie on a second disk, as well as the PES6 content and everything else you named. You named a few games just like I said. Less than 1 percent.

And if you are stupid enough to think you will get a 50 Gig game with that much content it will cost you. I would think that about 6 times the content would cost you 6 times that $60 price tag. With 6 times the development cycle.

Sometimes the blind truly are blind. All more memory is going to get you is sloppy coding with lack of compression. And 10 times as many CG or in game cut scenes.

There was a game system of gamings past that was notorious for lack of compression. It was called the NEO-GEO. It had 512 Meg cartridges. When Genesis and SNES had around 16meg. Do you remember how that went?

[xmod]

@DJ, good post.

[truebego]

bluray = sony,panasonic,samsung,philip ..etc.
vs
hd dvd =toshiba, 20% MS

the winner is bluray
nuff said

[FunAndGun]

actually in stand alone units HD DVD has sold 150,000 players the other half of the 300,000 is from xbox add ons. so there are only 50,000 more stand alone HD DVD players sold over Blu-ray's 100,000. but this "war" is not going to be won with stand alone players. 1.5 million units that are able to play Blu-ray vs 300,000 units able to play HD DVD is proof enough where this "war" is heading. add on top of that the studio support, exclusivity sold at Target, suport from Blockbuster, and the higher sales of Blu-ray discs over HD DVD discs. while this "war" may not be officially over there is a strong indication of Blu-ray coming on top in the end.

[ChronicOsmosis]

I'm a big Xbox fan but i will admit i'm tempted to get a ps3 just for the blu-ray player. I do believe anyone who owns a hd tv wants to watch movies in hd and i for one wont buy HD DVD because it will lose this war in the end. The longer MS drags its heels on bringing video marketplace to europe the more tempting the PS3 gets.

[ReBurn]

The video marketplace isn't that good. I've downloaded a couple of movies, but the time it takes to download just isn't worth it in my opinion. I don't think the bandwith is there yet for digital distribution.

[Jrome]

Well traditional people who would want a traditional looking player, are also looking for a complete entertainment system. The fact that PS3 offers blu-ray player, dvd-upconversion, pictures, web-browser etc will draw a lot of people to buy one.

Don't blame Sony for knowing how to sell a format, they've been in the "wars" a long time now they know for the most part what they are doing and how they need to do it. Microsoft sells HD-DVD addon for 360 so you could say the are pushing their format too, just sony pushed it a little harder. If it was switched and microsoft was pushing a little harder, I bet a lot of people would change tone.

And winning a war really isn't about what one has over the other, it's about who has more support, more market share, more promotions. It's about which format is being pushed the most. Right now that is blu-ray. Apple's Ipod for example, there are many better players than the ipod, but because of it's large market most people know of no other player and go with the ipod.

So, right now blu-ray is taking the market, and will probably win, because when you're winning the "war" w/e hd-dvd has over blu-ray, blu-ray could simply just improve their player.

[Marty8370]

HD DVD is dead.PS3 has seen too that.lol

[atlys]

it's still way too early to call a winner yet. the blue-ray format hasn't even been standardized yet, and there are a lot of big name hd-dvd's coming this fall. no matter what happens, dlc will win when enough bandwidth becomes available.

[specialguest]

It would take the mercy of the Zues to grant HD-DVD second life. Ever since the Block Buster announcement about aborting HD-DVD, there seems to be a similar trend going on among retailers. With this critical trend and the growing numbers of PS3s as the months sneaks by, the ominous cloud of defeat looms near and it looks grim for HD-DVD.

[s8anicslayer]

if this post is true, that is an incredible feat for the ps3

[Shaka2K6]

Not just for HD flicks but also video games.

Blu-ray FTW!

[NextGen24Gamer]

HD DVD currently is outselling blu ray "Stand Alones" 3 to 1. And even more so in Europe.

If thats not enough for you. Even with the Ps3's selling in the few million.....The overall Movie sales are Even thus far. With HD dvd pulling ahead over the last 2 months. Here is a link from a couple months ago showing that the total amount of HD dvd and Blu ray movie sales were wihtin a couple thousand of eachother.

The format war is far from over....Obviously the millions of Ps3's vs a few hundred thousand stand alones.....Is equal in regards to Movie sales.

http://gear.ign.com/article...

http://www.dvdtown.com/news...

[DJ]

and current Disc sales show that HD-DVD is only achieving half of what Blu-ray is accomplishing, and often quite less. HD-DVD standalone players and HD-DVD add-ons combined are used by the HD-DVD Association's public stats, yet they refuse to acknowledge the other 4.5 million Blu-ray players produced by Sony. This is just sloppy PR and wishful thinking on their part because Movie studios couldn't care less about how much hardware they have 'supposedly' released on market; they care about how many titles They sell.

HD-DVD Association can twist and skew the charts all they want. Unfortunately, all that hard work put into making a dying format look superior is ultimately futile. It's seems like every other day a new retailer is choosing to exclusively support Blu-ray, and it's obvious that they're doing so due to consumer demand for that format.

[Mu5afir]

You have to remember the HD-DVD addon for the 360 is also considered a "stand alone" player.

[Shaka2K6]

@EliteGamer

$200 players with no movies are not gonna save a dead format trust me.
just give it up already its a done deal now.

[NextGen24Gamer]

I know you wish it was a done deal. I have both formats....Why is it if there are no movies...I have 150 HD dvd movies and 65 Blu ray movies?

Why is it that over the last 2 months when I go to best buy to buy New Release HD/Blu ray movies....There are much more HD dvd releases than Blu ray?

Why is it that the only studios that are releasing on Blu ray and NOT HD dvd is Disney and of course SONY?

You can't say FOX...Because they have decided not to release movies until a winner is more clear to them.

So while I understand why you are so anxious for the war to be over and favor the format you have chosen....Its far from over. All you have to do is look at the numbers.

1. Total Movie sales

2. Stand alone player sales

3. Price of players

Sorry if it makes you feel insecure about the Ps3...But it is what it is buddy.

I personally choose HD dvd over Blu ray because of the features and the quality of the video is typically better.

But at the same time....I could care less which actually ends up winning. Just as long as I don't miss out on any HD movies in the process...

We all know that Sony won't go down without a fight. They buy end caps at Target and make deals with BlockBuster....But Target still sells HD dvd's and still sells the HD dvd add on. Which will be 179 with 5 free movies.... AT TARGET...lol.....and every other store.

The Blockbuster deal is hilarious to me...Why? Because Blockbuster video is a very very very minute part of MOVIE SALES....sure they rent movies....but the major money comes from Movie Sales not rentals....lol....

But its a valiant effort by Sony to aggressively push their format. And they have to do that. Because they have invested a ton of money in Blu ray and they are counting on its success. They need blu ray. If it fails....Sony will be adversly effected....

You'll see buddy. You'll see. Watch this christmas how HD dvd and Blu ray does. It will be the first signs of things to come.

[macalatus]

@Elite Gamer,

First and foremost, I respect your opinion why you prefer HD-DVD more (yes, I got your "I have both formats" part). After all, preferences and beauty, as the proverbial saying goes, lies in the eyes of the beholder.

I respect your arguments, BUT (don't take it as a personal offense either) the evidences you presented are vague at best and are riddled with questions.

"150 HD dvd movies and 65 Blu ray movies"
1. Were you buying HD DVD movies (using your HD-DVD add-on) before the PS3 came out? Another set of questions is what kind of movies? Were they movies from the big studios? What's the proportion of big name movies in HD-DVD and Blu-Ray? If that so, then that may help explain why you have more HD-DVD movies. The only way your argument would be valid is if you have the SAME movies in BOTH formats.

2. "Why is it that over the last 2 months when I go to best buy to buy New Release HD/Blu ray movies....There are much more HD dvd releases than Blu ray?"
These seems to be a quick conclusion based on informal observation. This would also be a fallacy as it is a conclusion based on "what we wanted to see", and I'll tell you why. Sure, that (I say "that" because it only represents one store instead of the entire Best Buy chain) Best Buy store may have (as we speak) more HD-DVD selections than Blu-Ray? It's far too easy to say that there are "more HD-DVD than Blu-Ray", but have you considered other factors as well, aside from the obvious more HD-DVDs. Was it because more people are buying Blu-Ray which would explain the lesser selections? Were those movies low-budget movies, old movies converted to Hi-Def, or big name movies (both old and neew)? Did you thoroughly check (please answer this question with all honesty) the aisles containing both formats? As you can may probably see, as person's bias can subconsciously (and unwittingly) alter once's perception and make conclusions based on that perception. I myself is a Blu-Ray supporter, and if I were to walk to my local Best Buy, I can very informaly make conclusions based on what "I wanted to see".

3. "The Blockbuster deal is hilarious to me...Why? Because Blockbuster video is a very very very minute part of MOVIE SALES....sure they rent movies....but the major money comes from Movie Sales not rentals....lol...."
Sorry, BUT it does have some effect, both psychological and economic, to a regular consumer who isn't into technology like us. In today's world where 85% of the movies releases just plain suck, people would rather wait for DVD releases instead of paying $10 and suffer the guilt trip along with the humiliation from friends (who also spent $10 each) whom they dragged along to see the movie. From the looks of your post, renting doesn't seem to make sense to you, since you would rather own them. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't like the idea of buying a $25 movie and enjoy it for a couple of hours, so renting is a much more preferable thing to them. Now, back to the topic. If Regular Joe (the non-techie consumer) walks into Blockbuster and sees nothing but Blu-Ray discs, his INFORMAL (see, I like that word) observation would lead him/her to conclude that Blu-Ray is the only hi-def format. Later on, when his friends would ask him/her for advice, he/she would tell them to go get a Blu-Ray player as only Blu-Rays (aside from DVD) could be found in Blockbuster. And it exponentially grows from there. End result would be more people owning Blu-Ray players, with a minority (people like you) of them actually buying brand new Blu-Ray movies. So yes, even though Blockbuster only does renting (not including their brand new movies), it can have a greater effect on the format war.

4. Last but not the least, numbers don't mean a thing unless you closely look into many possible factors. This means taking into account the technology illeterate consumer (which, IMO, account for the vast number of consumers) and the technology-savvy cosumer (which is the vast majority of people in this site).

[tk]

"I personally choose HD dvd over Blu ray because of the features and the quality of the video is typically better. "

So a VC1 file is better on HD-DVD than a VC1 file on a Blu Ray?

Or wait - compressed file is better quality than uncompressed? Nothing beats a native uncompressed file - but for that you need space - lots of it.

Get with the facts kid. There are only two parameters that can change. transfer speed and space. Blu-Ray wins on both. For the rest - its 0's and 1's on a slap of metal / alloy / crystals / plastic etc. The 0's and 1's are interpreted by a thingie called a program - and they get updated. The functionality you see is a function of the program - and as with the firmware with new features every release, gets updated.

The format gives you two things - space and speed. Both of which HD-DVD is the loser.

[electricnemesis]

who cares,who care, who cares! I thought this was news for gamers?

[pshizle]

in the end its all about the standalone player and the price

you honestly think that everyone is going to have a ps3 to play bluray

NO THEY WONT

the average person wants a standalone player

you dont see everyone using a ps2 for a dvd player now back when it came out yes though but in the future its all about the standalone player

so far HD DVD has the lead in standard players over bluray but...people who have a ps3 will most likley disagree with me

[tethered]

No its really all about what Hollywood wants to push.

By that I mean the studio support for each format.
Blu-ray has the most support by Hollywood.

Blu-ray is slowly gaining support at stores (Target) and movie rental shops (Blockbuster).
These are the first two places to go Blu-ray.
Because of those two going Blu-ray exclusive, others will follow generating more news articles in the media for the general public to read about.

This is the start of a snowball affect. It has started rolling.

----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----------

One last thing:

When people say this type of thing,
"wow alll you people are retarded"
It never looks good.
Attacking people because they disagree with your point of view appears to be very immature.

Just thought you would like to know.

[tk]

maybe they bought their PS3 for watching movies as well. They should know - since they bought it.

Why is it that HD-DVD fans try to tell PS3 owners that they did not buy their PS3's to watch BR movies as well? PS3 owners say so, who should I believe? The nun giving sex lessons?

[power of Green]

Over ten million 360 owners and some with HDTV's, $179 HD add-on with 5 movies!, every 360 owner with a HDTV will buy an add-on as soon as this news hits the streets. Its obvious 360 HD ready gamers out number the BR supporting PS3 owners by far.

Only a fool would think this battle's over many studios will have no choice but to support the base having the most players. Kind of foolish to depend on a game console when the mass market out numbers gamers by a number thats so ridiculous its funny studio's even bought it.

[tethered]

Thats all good and well, but as I recall, most 360 owners use their 360 for games and not HD movies. Well thats what most 360 owners were saying on this site anyway.

You remember that don't you?

Don't you remember them saying they don't need 1080p or HDMI because the 360 was only used for games?

Now a $25.00 (or whatever it is) price drop is going to change all that?

I'm not so sure.

To POG bellow:
You state "Current BR movies sales due to bored PS3 owners has created a type of smoke and mirrors effect"

My answer.....
What if all these mid 20's and early 30's.... hell lets go into late 30's as well because thats where I'm at, what if they all buy 3 or 4 or even more Blu-ray movies to watch on their PS3 because they like to watch HD movies with their Hd player (the PS3)?

That is what is driving the HD market at this time.
That has nothing to do with stand alone players at all.

You have to remember that people between the ages of 25 and 40 are more than willing to spend money on HD movies to play on their PS3.

I have a few myself and I plan on getting more in the near future.

That is the deciding factor. People with money to spend and that age group is the one that will do it.

[power of Green]

No snowballing going on BR-players sales are sad compared to HD-DVD its the PS3 that has the studio's supporting the format and PS3 is carrying the format pulling its weight. They were wrong in looking at PS2 success as proof they would win the format war by joining Sony in another format war.

Current BR movies sales due to bored PS3 owners has created a type of smoke and mirrors effect the proof is in BR not being able to kill HD-dvd. U-Control and the very name "DVD" plus price will slowly kill BR's edge.

[Trick Nolte]

Blu Ray

[Shaka2K6]

Sony makes movies.Sony made Spidey 3.
microsoft and toshida dont.

nuff said.

[Figboy]

*HOW are Sony fans falling for a ploy?

i bought a PS3 precisely *BECAUSE it's the best Blu Ray player on the market, with constantly improving features because of the Cell processor inside.

i bought a PS3 precisely *BECAUSE it rolls the functionality of a gaming console, HD movie and DVD player, PS1, PS2, wireless networked, internet browser, Linux support all into one convenient package.

i wasn't hoodwinked, had, or bamboozled.

i knew *EXACTLY what i was purchasing when i purchased it.

you're speaking as if you're smarter than the millions of people out there that bought PS3's.

like the majority of us simply purchased the Playstation 3 because it was the successor to the PS2.

here's a shocking truth for you: we *DIDN'T.

for me, personally, before i decided to get a PS3, i looked at the following conditions, and made my choice accordingly.

1.) Software lineup: initial software was slim outside of Resistance on day one, so i looked ahead, judging the titles slated to release during the first year of the console's life, and beyond, and then taking into account titles that haven't been confirmed, but are certain to be on the way (ie, God of War 3, Sly Cooper PS3, etc). the Playstation 3 lineup for the rest of this year (August through December), and for early next year (MGS4, Infamous, White Knight Story, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet, etc), i decided that the PS3 has quite a few titles that i deem must play for *ME.

2.) Added value: the built in Wi Fi, Memory Stick readers, Linux support, compatability with *ANY 2.5" SATA HDD in case the standard 60gig isn't enough, Internet browser, data streaming, PSP combatability, USB compatability with Keyboards, mice, external HDDs of *ANY size, cameras, bluetooth support, HDMI output, and, of course, Blu Ray playback, simply pushed me over the edge and into the PS3 camp.

oh yeah, and backwards compatability with my PS1 and PS2 games and saves, so i don't have to keep my PS2 hooked up so i can finish that game of Rogue Galaxy and FFXII i've been meaning to do all year.

see, not all of us are blindly following the leader. some of us actually have a desire to have all of these features rolled into a fairly priced box.

now that i've had my HDTV for two months, i've been gobbling up as muc HD content as i can, from games to movies. there is *NOTHING like playing a game on a 40" HDTV, and i just can't go back to my 19" standard def TV. you may not think the difference would be significant, but it *IS. oh how it is.

point is, don't lump all PS3 owners into the category of blind fanboy, who is completely oblivious to the machinations of corporate powerhouse Sony.

do you think i didn't *KNOW that they were using the PS3 to piggyback Blu Ray onto so they could establish it as the next gen HD format of choice?

i'll tell you this, i certainly wouldn't have had a DVD player if it wasn't for the PS2. i was content with DVDs until i picked up my PS2, then i was hooked.

as for HDTVs, well, i was planning on getting a new TV for a long time now, and it certainly wasn't going to be another 19". so i figured, "well, if i'm going to buy a new TV, might as well put some money into it and get a *GOOD tv." so i bought a 40" Samsung LCD, 720p. second best purchase i've made all year (the first was my PS3).

the PS3's current, and main problem, is it's lack of exclusive killer titles. Resistance, Motorstorm, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma are good starts, but they need more.

thankfully, we've seen the upcoming PS3 roster, and it's looking *GOOD, and *BETTER for next year.

it's all a matter of taste.
you don't like Sony or the PS3, i understand that, but just because a lot of us *DO happen to enjoy our Playstation 3s, and dare i say, even Blu Ray, doesn't make it a wrong choice, anymore than someone choosing the 360. thank god for personal preference.

as for Blu Ray; it's not surprising that it's taking the lead.

the PS3 has helped put 4.5 million Blu Ray players into people's homes, and the Blu Ray format has the support of 7 out of the 8 major motion picture studios, while HD DVD only has the support of 4, and one exclusively.

being an informed consumer, i'd go with the format that has the most support, and therefore, the most content.

The Star War Saga
Indiana Jones Trilogy
X Men Trilogy
Spider-Man Trilogy
Pirates of the Carribean Trilogy
Pixar movies

will *ONLY be available on Blu Ray, as the studios that make each of those films are Blu Ray exclusives. these films are not any to scoff at, and have tremendous followings, as well as being *EXCELLENT fodder for the high definition treatment.

Blu Ray is the smart choice, if you're in the market for High Definition movies.

and don't get me started on the gaming angle. the history of gaming has taught us that each generation of consoles has *REQUIRED a higher storage medium to push the industry forward.

the SNESes move to a larger cartridge made games like Pilotwings and Castlevania IV possible.

the Playstation 1's move to CD, made games like Driver and FFVII possible.

the Playstation 2's move to DVD made games like GTAIII and Shadow of the Colossus possible.

we are barely into the "next generation" of gaming, so we have yet to see a next gen game that will break the DVD barrier, though Blue Dragon is on *THREE dvds.

and remember: the PS2 didn't make games on DVD standard for a while. as games like Lego Star Wars 1 was on a CD, but Lego Star Wars 2 was on a DVD.

a higher capacity disc, whether it's the 30gig limit of dual HD DVDs, or the 50gig limit of dual layer Blu Rays, is a *NECESSITY for true next generation gaming. logic, and gaming trends dictate this.

a lot of people are reluctant to accept this (like the inevitable move from standard, analog signals in television, to all digital and high definition), because the 360 only has a built in DVD drive, and owners don't like to think that they'll be left behind when games begin to break the 9gig barrier.

the 360 and PS3 may be on even terms for now when it comes to their power, but that DVD drive in the 360 is going to end up causing it more harm than good in the long run.

imagine if Sony hadn't gone with DVDs in the PS2, and kept it on CDs. MS probably would have followed suit, and only had a CD drive in the original X Box as well, and games like Oblivion wouldn't have been possible at all.

*THINK logically, and take off the blinders.

[ApocalypseShadow]

by buying hd-dvd movies,it would somehow help the cause.IT DIDN'T.

all that talk he was spewing at us before ps3 launched was the real(deal)smoke and mirrors.bluray and ps3 came out later and the sales have been whooping toshiba's @ss.

you can spit numbers of stand alones sold.but the REAL(deal) numbers are that bluray movies are selling more than hd-dvd movies overall.and that's with a HIGHER PRICED game system and HIGHER PRICED stand alone on the market.

these fools can spin numbers all they want.but in the end,bluray is smoking hd-dvd.if there are more hd-dvd stand alones,movies sales would reflect that.BUT IT'S NOT.

in the end sony won a convert.elite gamer BOUGHT A PS3.AND BOUGHT BLURAY MOVIES.

THANKS elite gamer for helping bluray become the number one hd movie format.

[Bloodmask]

boys ever contemplated the fact that Bluray can fail? All of your confidence in this unproven format.

HD media makes up 5% of the DVD market. The other 95% are still buying good old DVD9. The saturation of HDTVs hasn't even reached mass market yet.

Yes, what if it does fail? That would pretty much mean the end of the PS3. Unless Sony only pressed BD disks for PS3 games and not movies.

It's one thing to use an industry standard such as DVD, or CD which I am fine with. But for sony to develop a loyal fanbase for the PS brand and use them to push a format on the market that the market isn't ready for is just wrong anyway you spin it.

What about the HDDVD fans who were buying DVD players and movies a year before PS3 came out? What if they spent 1000s on the media and are also PS fans?

Sony should have just fought fair with Toshiba and released BD players and held off on the Blu ray in PS3. Because any product can fail even Blu ray.

The fact is that Sony has lost every format war to date. This is just their way of screwing over the competition to ensure victory. Kind of like the way Windows is pre installed on almost every PC you buy. A pseudo-monopoly if you will. That is one of the reasons why I don't like Microsoft and Blu ray is one of the reasons why I don't like Sony. No company is perfect but these are very shady business tactics.

Slant it however you want, but it is true.

[achira]

seriously you are a moron. "sony lost every format war", lol. where did you live ? in your fantasy world ? use wikipedia for more info of the "real" world. and even when blu ray fails, that is no problem, games will use it. but when hd-dvd fails, and it fails, you have bought sh!t for 200 bucks + 400 bucks for the other crap.

[THAMMER1]

The HD DVD support groups are saying that they can guarantee that Stand alones are for HD movies alone. HD DVD has sold the most stand alones. (FACT)

The Blu Ray support groups are saying that stand alones to not truly count. BLU RAY has sold less stand alones but is supported by Sony's PS3. (Fact)

The DVD commission is a backer of HD DVD. The European Commission appears to be most interested in why movie studios have generally accepted the Blu-ray standard over HD-DVD, wondering "whether improper tactics were used to suppress competition and persuade the studios to back [Sony's] format." There's no word on what the "improper tactics" might be, but it doesn't come as a surprise that the European Union's executive body is looking into the legitimacy of the format battle.

So there are people asking why have movies studios chosen to back Blu Ray exclusively. They are also asking for Blu Ray and HD DVD reps. to be appointed by Hollywood to handle this matter.

My personal opinion is that it seems HD DVD has been black balled and consumers who have chosen HD DVD are being some what ignored by movie studios who will not print their movies on HD DVD. Although HD DVD has the stand alone market by 3 to 1. It can not be determined if people bought PS3’s for games and Blu Ray yet. But movie studios have chosen to back Blu Ray with out clear evidence that HD DVD would not be adopted faster. Blu Ray movies sell better because of the PS3, but is this a bad thing? People are still buying stand alone HD DVD players regardless of PS3’s sales position.

I agree with blood mask this business practice from the Blu Ray commission is not very diplomatic. It is still yet to be seen if it will pay off in the end. It has only been one year.

[achira]

come on you are a xbot. what should you say in such a situation ? yeah, the best thing you can do is being "diplomatic" and twisting the facts. accept it blu ray will win, a fanboy like will not change that, even when you buy 10000 hd-dvds, this only prooves that ppl like you are ill.

[THAMMER1]

The PS3 has no games but you defend it like it gave you life. I am being diplomatic unlike you. You only insult me because you can not give a mature and intelligent remark. I'm only saying it is too early to claim a victory on either side. I never mentioned buying 1000 HD DVD's. What is wrong with you?

[felidae]

who says the ps3 has no games?

i mean look at the start line-up, it's 10 times better than anything the 360 had at this stage. it's just because some people already played them on the 360. how many good games does the 360 have right now besides some shooters? not that much.

[Antan]

"It can not be determined if people bought PS3’s for games and Blu Ray yet".

Took the words right from my mouth. I bought mine for both, i have a good selection of games and blu-rays. Ill never buy a regular dvd from now on thats for sure!

[DaEnforcer]

Didn't xbots say they don't care about movies? So why they care which format wins? Why do they post on format articles if they doesn't care about it? Haha that's just too funny and sorry xbotx, but Blu can't fail. I'm saying it since months and I'll say it again: Even if Blu wouldn't win the format war, it still wouldn't fail, as no movie studio would give up on the million big PS3 user base. Truth is most gamers also watch movies, only a very small percentage of the gamers plays 24/7 and doesn't do anything else. Xbots are trying to sell people another story, but well if xbots only enjoy games, so well, let them enjoy just games.

[cloud360]

Excellent news, i see people know its better to get a ps3 with a blu ray player cheaper. than getting a blu ray player itself. they know what to buy... so thay wouldnt waste money.

by the way am not a 360 fanboy

[stonedog]

Blu-ray has been claiming victory for what seems like forever. Yes they have got exclusive deals with Blockbusters (BB) and Target, however it is the consumer who really count; although I suppose if you monopolize the trade channels the consumer will be denied choice. However I think that would be illegal.

DVD only became ubiquitous when it hit the sub $100.00 price range and gained real momentum when a machine could be got for less than $50. Neither are formats are even close to that yet. BB will count when nearly all they are renting is blu-ray, not when they have a small section devoted to Blu ray irrespective of whether HD is absent. Besides what is happening with the online DVD services is far more significant than what BB

The adoption rate of HD-TV is quite good now; however many of those TV do not have HDMI so there is no point in having blu-ray b/c the blu-ray machine will not output HD on your tv without HDMI. HD is an option in this instance only if you have an xbox 360 with HD drive; this remains a very expensive option if you do not play games. So another impediment in the marketplace is why buy a new format DVD player which requires you to replace a HD-TV that you got less than 2 years ago.

If one format wants to win they need to hit the $100.00 or less target. At that point consumers will probably say why not. Till then we will have endure the daily claims of victory by both camps; remember as one nasty tow rag once said "if you repeat the lie often enough people will believe it" and marketing is essentially propaganda.

[GameHero]

I want blue ray, The fact is blue ray holds up to 50gb of "UN-COMPRESSED" data, HD-DVD holds 9gb, now when the compress or go dual layer they can squeeze more data than just 9gb, however this leads to quality loss! Do we need all that space you ask? "Hell yea" I would rather have too much than not enough. Games are becoming more and more advanced...and movies have cult followings, which leave people with wanting more out of a movie than just watching it for 2 hours. Hence the "Special features".

[NextGen24Gamer]

Go to Wikipedia.com and look up blu ray and HD dvd. You are sadly misinformed my friend. I won't bash you. I will just uplift you with the means for you to inform yourself buddy. Its cool.

[NextGen24Gamer]

New Line Cinema

Universal

Dreamworks

Paramount

Warner Brothers

Fox Lorber

BBC Home Video

Miramax

MTV

and so on....

Thats just from me glancing over some of my HD dvd's in my collection. So yes there are many movie studios supporting HD dvd. And if you look at the release lists over the past few months and the next few months....HD dvd has more releases but with a couple less studios...Mainly Sony and Disney.

Total Movie sales are about equal according to numbers from 2 months ago.....

Sony is trying desperately to buy end caps and rental exclusive rights from stores.

I can understand why they are doing it. They absolutely need blu ray to win.

But I have said it once and I will say it again. When either camp gets a player for under 200. Thats when "Average" Joe's will pick them up and make that transition to HD.

Its a good point to say that owners of the xbox 360 buy their consoles for the best games on the market.

But if they have an HD TV already....its an easy and painless step to jump into the HD movie relm if they "WANT". Under 200 dollars with 5 free movies to jump start their collection. So far the HD dvd add on is the most popular accessory for the 360.

Its great that 360 owners have that option. I believe that with the price drop and with the 5 free movies....for many of the 12 million current 360 owners.....its an easy choice to make. Couple that with the surging growth of the HD TV market...and you have a formula for success.....

[Da Ghostdog]

I buy a console for games. Not to watch movies!! Fact is I do have a It doesn't matter which format wins to me. If HD-DVD or Blu-Ray wins, I'll buy the Hybrid Blu-Ray/HD-DVD player. So, I'll win regardless.

Fact is DVD9 is still "King" of movie media. Blu-Ray & HD-DVD has a long way to go. So, based upon these numbers of Blu-Ray & HD-DVD players out now, 95% of them are gaming consoles & add-on's and not "Stand Alone" players?! What about the "Non-Gaming" consumer?!! Are Movie Studio's considering this question?!! Are they going to let "Game Console's" decide which format is best for everybody?!! Even if HD-DVD was leading now, I'll say the same thing. So, if the PS3 had not the Blu-Ray and MS had not HD-DVD, which format would you choose?!

Also remember this, it's what people can afford that will sell. Some of you brought a PS3 not only because of games, but it was the "CHEAPEST" Blu-Ray player you can afford. Just the same with the HD-DVD add-on for the 360. It is the "CHEAPEST" 1080p HD-DVD on the market (for now). Hell, half the movies in 1080p are not worth buying anyway.

IMO, some of you sound like cackling *****es arguing off and on about this "Format War".

"NONE OF YOU CANNOT PREDICT WHO'S WILL WIN OR FAIL"!!!!

[THAMMER1]

No one knows at all. People can only play things by ear. And yet we have fanboys all over this site claiming false victories. It is way to soon to tell. The VHS BTEAMAX war was like 3 – 4 years long.

[cloud360]

People know its a better idea to get a ps3 with blu-ray in it coz its cheaper.so they aint go for blu ray player

simple as.......

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

GO DLC!!! HD ON DEMAND BABY!!!

[hikikimori]

Your right there, eventually down loadable content will be the way of the world. Look at cd sales. They are DEAD. (thank christ, we have been getting ripped off for years by music industry)
But it will take a VERY long time for this to take hold everywhere. I say give it 20 years and no one will buy a movie in physical form anywhere in the world.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

I can go download my HD content now, maybe 20 years for the HD DVD/Blu-Ray owners but for those wired in it's now not 20yrs. My freaking Iphone (yep got one) can play movies. I just dont see the delusional things you guys see, IPTV this fall and DLC now not in a year, 10 years or 20 "NOW" What part of NOW is you guys see anyway the "NO" part? put that "W" at the end guys.

[hikikimori]

No, I meant that about 20 years for discs/chips and such to be obsolete.
Just data floating around. Take your head from out of your Ms ass and learn to read.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Don't try backing out of it, I know exactly what you were saying. It's not my fault you took it hard, are you a gamer then get grow hard skin bro. Your lucky becasue I usualy am a real big pr!ck, I was actualy being nice.

[hikikimori]

Hey Bloodmask, Neo Geo was fu(king great! Kicked ass, some of the best fighting games to this day are Neo Geo.

[Chava]

unfortunately

[deadeyes99]

LOL @ PPL WHO BUY THIS CRAP

[laurentinodepaz]

out of the vhs/betamax war,who help decide that win? porn on vhs. and thats whats going to happen with this war.and sony already said they didn't want to do anything with them.and betamax was by sony.

[Mandangoof]

Also Thammer, PS3 has plenty of exclusive games coming out this Fall and next year (more than XBox 360). To say it has no games is ludicrous, and proves your illness.

I mean look at EliteGamer's rubbish which he spews. It's disgusting and truly saddening to see that mental illness has taken over his mind.

[THAMMER1]

O.K. mr. 3 bubbles in two days.

Look man things are what they are. Just because you guys can group up on N4G and talk B.S. don't mean you right or that the rest of the world shares your views. I suggest you calm down and stop acting so desperate. You do not know me and calling me out in multiple comment sections makes you look like a B!T#C. I do not appreciate that at all. Show some respect.

[bill00]

To the guys that think video rental doesn't matter: What've you guys been smoking? You do realize that people don't go buy every movie that coming out, right? Average people only buy what they really want and they rent the rest, and nope, they can't rent HD DVD at Blockbuster. With a HD DVD player, you can only watch whatever you own (or maybe what your friends own. Naturally, people would go for Blue-ray since they can watch a lot more (movies they buy and movies they rent). So yeah, Blockbuster does matter, matter a lot, actually.