There is a war brewing which, if you want to watch a film in High Definition TV in the next ten years, is going to effect you. In fact, it’s going to effect anyone wanting to watch any film at home as this technology will make your normal DVD a thing of the past.
The next generation of DVD players has been developed and perfected by the big electronics players and the result of billions of dollars of research is…….two different formats.
Ladies and Gentlemen, in the blue corner we have HD-DVD. It’s backed by the HD-DVD Forum, which includes Toshiba, Sanyo, Universal, Warner Brothers, Paramount and NEC.
And in the, ahem, other blue corner, is Blu-Ray. This time the backers include Dell, LG, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Philips, Sony, Hitachi…..the list goes on!
So who is going to win this battle of the giants? The fact is, YOU will decide! As in any format war (think VHS vs. BETA!) it is ultimately the consumer who will vote with his/ her wallet. So which will you choose…….well, before you decide, lets have a look at the technology.
Both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray work like your trusty DVD, by a laser reading information from a disc. The difference is that both formats use blue lasers not the current red. This is because blue lasers work at a lower wavelength which means when you can focus the beam tighter which gives you room for more information and accuracy when reading that information back. It all adds up to more data over the same disc area.
HD-DVD can store 30 gigs of data, and Blu-Ray 50. Compare this to a maximum 4.7 on your humble DVD. Further developments will include reading data from different layers of the same disc, only possible because of that blue laser’s accuracy. In test examples, storage is approaching the 100 gig mark.
So, round one, and we have the first score, Blu-Ray lands the first punch because it’s got a 20 gig advantage. Everyone knows that to get definition, extra features and interaction you need more and more data space.
Round two then, and in today’s day and age its content which is king. Just as in the music industry, it’s who owns the material that calls the shots. And if you look back to the opening paragraphs and look who is behind HD-DVD. That’s right, 40% of the big Hollywood movie studios. Remember, these guys not only make the films you see, they own the rights to those films forever. So if you want to watch Casablanca in High Definition, or your movie collection is about classics as well as new, then HD-DVD has the content edge. One – all.
Round three, and again it’s the supporting companies under scrutiny. And once more Blu-Ray sweeps into the lead because it looks like the major electronics manufacturers are backing it. When push comes to shove, those film studios will always licence their content because, apart from box office revenue, they have no other source of income. And if there are 10 Blu-Ray players in the shops to every single HD-DVD, sheer weight of numbers will take its toll.
So it’s two one to the Blu-Ray, a clear winner! Or is it? Because there is one final twist in the tale…..
Remember the video war between VHS and Beta-Max? Well it’s pretty well known that Beta-Max had the edge in terms of technology, quality and durability. It also had the backing of Hollywood and the distributors, and yet it failed. Why? Yes, you have guessed it, price.
The long term price points of both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have yet to be established. And HD-DVD might yet hit the sweet spot in terms of pitching itself at a public who want quality but have become more adept at seeking value. The longer there is confusion about which format will dominate, the more consumers will refuse to be drawn for fear of backing a losing format.
Of course, no one has mentioned online video at this point, but that’s another story……
So, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD? My tip at this stage would be......
| Top Tip: |
| I think Blu-Ray has the edge. Its larger capacity would seem to give it the room to take more information on board which ultimately translates to quality of image and potential for additional content. Its also backed by the massive electronics concerns, which can exert pressure on the content providers. Although you may have to be prepared to see cheaper HD-DVDs flood the market, the depth of backing means it will almost certainly not fail as a format, so you wont be left with a modern equivalent of the Beta-Max |
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