I agree that HD DVD needs to double the numbers, but to say it's impossible is unwarranted. Why?
It's simple, if we look at how DVD was adopted we can see the same trend with HD DVD. If the trend continues as it did so far, we can very well see up to 4 million dedicated HD DVD players by the end of 2008 especially considering the price that will most likely be less then $100 by the end of 2008.
Here to make things simple in 1997 when DVD took off, by the end of 1997, DVD sold 315k dedicated players. In 1998 they sold 1 million dedicated players and by the end of 1999 they sold over 4 million players. If we use history to make some logical conclusions we can see that PS2 actually did nothing for DVD integration. Numbers continued rising with standalones completely independent from PS2 as we can see that because PS2 was introduced in 2000 and prior to PS2 introduction DVD already had sold almost 8 million dedicated players.
HD DVD is doing just fine as far as dedicated player sales go and this is the only thing that counts really. PS3 will not be able to hold lead in numbers and HD DVD standalones will eventually catch up as they already are. It is a huge jump from 400k or something in summer and 750k HD DVD players now. That's almost double. If we see doubling we can expect 1.5 million players by approx March/April 2008 and around 3-4 million by year's judging by the trends we've seen so far.
Sure, Blu-Ray has standalones, but it's absolutely no match for HD DVD. A player at $500 and a player at $100-$150 that play same quality of video and audio and the cheaper one actually gives more makes for no discussion at all. The marketing methods of smudging consumers eyes as something that offers no benefit eventually always gets discovered.
PS3 and Blu-Ray hold advantage because there's a lot of gamers that buy PS3 as it provides value with the high-def player, but there's only so many gamers and people who see benefit in PS3. Numbers show that quite clearly. Right now, the advantage is there, but as time passes by, the standalone numbers will overtake PS3 numbers quite easy. Blu-Ray profiles, $500 standalone players have no real chance of fighting HD DVD unless they do not fall in the $250 range AT LEAST. Without that, not only that there's no doubt that HD DVD will catch up with numbers but it's a guarantee.
PS2 sold 130 million units during it's lifetime, DVD players numbers are almost a billion! It's pretty obvious what will happen.
HD DVD strategy was always the right one, follow the DVD model and everything will fall in place as we see that it's going actually quite well. Not only with hardware either, studios are actually utilizing all of the best things about HD DVD and with the same prices now too.
Latest Warner release - Harry Potter HD DVD version outshines Blu-Ray version in everything (interactivity, online features, it's a combo (both SD and HD versions)) and all that for the same price as Blu-Ray version. It really shows you where things are.
Nfinity said: "It's simple, if we look at how DVD was adopted we can see the same trend with HD DVD. If the trend continues as it did so far, we can very well see up to 4 million dedicated HD DVD players by the end of 2008 especially considering the price that will most likely be less then $100 by the end of 2008. "
There is no way you can compare these formats, especially hd-dvd to dvd figures in any way. Please keep in mind that the DVD format had support of all movie studios, which makes this a very different story. We are in a new era, advanced electronic times, and stand alone players are not the only means of watching movies at home anymore, times are changing, and the PS3 is going to show that. I have had mine for only one week and think it's the most awesome piece of electronics I have seen in a long time.
Nifinity, your posts are hilarious, please keep posting like you do, hd-dvd fanboys who feel so threatened like you are just a kick to watch.
I think you've missed a class. Take a look at det BD-advantage in Europe and Japan. Toshiba its so called HD only wants to sell their s%#?! instead of throwing it in the garbage without getting at zero dime for it.
Jeez.. people needs to open their eyes. Go!Blu Wuhu!
You stated that HD-DVD went from 400,000 SA players this summer to 750,000 SA players now & that was an accomplishment.
HD-DVD didn't do that at all.
All they did was change the term from SA players to Dedicated players and added the existing 300,000 XBox HD-DVD add-ons to their total. Add the $98.97 HD-A2 Firesale and what has really been accomplished?
Nothing more than damage control.
You really talk down to a lot of people but it is you who are deluded, delusional & in denial.
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I agree that HD DVD needs to double the numbers, but to say it's impossible is unwarranted. Why?
It's simple, if we look at how DVD was adopted we can see the same trend with HD DVD. If the trend continues as it did so far, we can very well see up to 4 million dedicated HD DVD players by the end of 2008 especially considering the price that will most likely be less then $100 by the end of 2008.
Here to make things simple in 1997 when DVD took off, by the end of 1997, DVD sold 315k dedicated players. In 1998 they sold 1 million dedicated players and by the end of 1999 they sold over 4 million players. If we use history to make some logical conclusions we can see that PS2 actually did nothing for DVD integration. Numbers continued rising with standalones completely independent from PS2 as we can see that because PS2 was introduced in 2000 and prior to PS2 introduction DVD already had sold almost 8 million dedicated players.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/cemadvdsales.html
HD DVD is doing just fine as far as dedicated player sales go and this is the only thing that counts really. PS3 will not be able to hold lead in numbers and HD DVD standalones will eventually catch up as they already are. It is a huge jump from 400k or something in summer and 750k HD DVD players now. That's almost double. If we see doubling we can expect 1.5 million players by approx March/April 2008 and around 3-4 million by year's judging by the trends we've seen so far.
Sure, Blu-Ray has standalones, but it's absolutely no match for HD DVD. A player at $500 and a player at $100-$150 that play same quality of video and audio and the cheaper one actually gives more makes for no discussion at all. The marketing methods of smudging consumers eyes as something that offers no benefit eventually always gets discovered.
PS3 and Blu-Ray hold advantage because there's a lot of gamers that buy PS3 as it provides value with the high-def player, but there's only so many gamers and people who see benefit in PS3. Numbers show that quite clearly. Right now, the advantage is there, but as time passes by, the standalone numbers will overtake PS3 numbers quite easy. Blu-Ray profiles, $500 standalone players have no real chance of fighting HD DVD unless they do not fall in the $250 range AT LEAST. Without that, not only that there's no doubt that HD DVD will catch up with numbers but it's a guarantee.
PS2 sold 130 million units during it's lifetime, DVD players numbers are almost a billion! It's pretty obvious what will happen.
HD DVD strategy was always the right one, follow the DVD model and everything will fall in place as we see that it's going actually quite well. Not only with hardware either, studios are actually utilizing all of the best things about HD DVD and with the same prices now too.
Latest Warner release - Harry Potter HD DVD version outshines Blu-Ray version in everything (interactivity, online features, it's a combo (both SD and HD versions)) and all that for the same price as Blu-Ray version. It really shows you where things are.
Nfinity said: "It's simple, if we look at how DVD was adopted we can see the same trend with HD DVD. If the trend continues as it did so far, we can very well see up to 4 million dedicated HD DVD players by the end of 2008 especially considering the price that will most likely be less then $100 by the end of 2008. "
There is no way you can compare these formats, especially hd-dvd to dvd figures in any way. Please keep in mind that the DVD format had support of all movie studios, which makes this a very different story. We are in a new era, advanced electronic times, and stand alone players are not the only means of watching movies at home anymore, times are changing, and the PS3 is going to show that. I have had mine for only one week and think it's the most awesome piece of electronics I have seen in a long time.
Nifinity, your posts are hilarious, please keep posting like you do, hd-dvd fanboys who feel so threatened like you are just a kick to watch.
Hmm... Nfinity where do you get your facts?
I think you've missed a class. Take a look at det BD-advantage in Europe and Japan. Toshiba its so called HD only wants to sell their s%#?! instead of throwing it in the garbage without getting at zero dime for it.
Jeez.. people needs to open their eyes. Go!Blu Wuhu!
@ NFinity
You stated that HD-DVD went from 400,000 SA players this summer to 750,000 SA players now & that was an accomplishment.
HD-DVD didn't do that at all.
All they did was change the term from SA players to Dedicated players and added the existing 300,000 XBox HD-DVD add-ons to their total. Add the $98.97 HD-A2 Firesale and what has really been accomplished?
Nothing more than damage control.
You really talk down to a lot of people but it is you who are deluded, delusional & in denial.
Your perception of the PS3 factor is ridiculous
In June, HD-DVD had 150k standalones and another 150k in add on players.
DVD did not "take off" until 2000 or 2001. It may have been introduced in 1997 but that's a different matter.