Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I just moved into a new apartment and have been reading about all of the new power strips out there, especially the green ones. I was wondering if you had any suggestions about which "green "power strips are out there with decent joules ratings. And when I say green, I mean power strips that have the remotes or switches to turn off all electricity flowing to certain plugs and with at least 2 plugs that are always on. I was looking specifically at sub $50 because I will need two, but if that is not possible I could be convinced otherwise. Thanks!"
It's pretty obvious what's going to happen in 2008.
The same Chinese manufacturers that currently sell huge numbers of nice inexpensive upscaling SD DVD players (way more than both high def formats currently do combined) are going to switch to selling huge numbers of those nice inexpensive upscaling DVD players that also happen to play HD DVD very well that they are licenced to.....and for much the same kind of money too (sub $100).
Blu-ray simply have no answer to this.
Movie disc prices will fall thanks to a move to Twin discs and the vast production numbers that will mean when the separation between SD DVD & HD DVD movies vanishes.
Again (besides further ruinous subsidy) Blu-ray has no answer to this.
That's when HD DVD moves into the mass-market in a big way and begins to take the mainstream a/v mass-market.
Inexpensively, easily and seamlessly, just how the vast bulk of regular people want it to be.
Blu-ray will simply get left behind as another failed game console format (with a relatively minute amount of PC burner and standalone activity tacked on).
Last year laid the groundwork and seemed fairly boring because of it but things will absolutely not be the same by this time next year.
HD DVD will be obviously the winner.
Blu-ray will be well on the way to being the stagnate console format that never really lived up to what was once imagined to be it's potential that it is, even if it does have at least a potential market of several millions worldwide.
The new UMD, no less.
Wow. You're pretty sure of yourself there. I doubt all of the current Blu-Ray owners will agree with your analysis. I don't see me buying yet another player, just because it's cheap. I don't think most of the other PS3 owners would take this route either.
On a similar note, I'm still surprised there are so many purple people. If either format loses, you lose. It just still doesn't make sense to me.
"I'm still surprised there are so many purple people. If either format loses, you lose. It just still doesn't make sense to me."
Nice pessimistic approach... how about, if their format wins, you win. I have a HD-A2 and a BDP-1400 and I am enjoying HD media with an investment of $400... not bad, I remember when DVD players cost that much.
The only thing I am worried is that I will need to buy new players in the future with the stupid profile switches for BD and the god damned DTS-HD formats for HD audio. FFS! Use whats standard and already in use! Im looking at you Profile crap and studios that DTS.
I don't think I'm being a pessimist at all. The only way someone buying both formats "wins" in the long run is if both formats survive. I'll admit it could happen, but I doubt it. Now on the other side, if I pick a format and I chose wrong, then I totally lose. I'd still watch the movies I have until my player died, but that would most likely eventually happen.
Truth Teller, were you dropped on your head as a baby? Seriously, how can you, with a straight face, look at the current sales figures and think that HDDVD is going to somehow pull it out of the crapper? How on earth can you justify Warner going HDDVD other than they just are in love with the format and say "to hell" with our money maker?
You seem to base everything thing on faith that HDDVD is just going to win the hearts and minds of the consumer because it is cheap??? I can buy a VCR real cheap but what for? The movies that most people want to watch are on Blu-ray, I don't care what you say, unless Disney, goes neutral HDDVD doesn't have a chance because like it or not, middle class families will most likely make up the largest consumer base for HD media and what do families like to buy for family viewing? Disney movies. Cheap players only get you so far, you have to have something worthy to watch on the cheap player to make it stick.
Also, blu-ray is killing HDDVD in advertising, again I think this is the biggest blunder of HDDVD. They have the name that should stick but they lost that advantage being arrogant and now blu-ray is being seen on the big HD channels on TV and not even an HDDVD commercial to be found of late. Blu-ray even advertises on Universal HD which is really ironic...
There is absolutely no sound reason why or how HDDVD could pull it out. Even if Warner goes HDDVD, it still would not end Blu-ray unfortunately for you and probably the reason behind your delusional fantasy scenario of Warner going HDDVD exclusive, if Warner goes blu-ray exclusive, that will mean the death of HDDVD.
Bluray has the:
* more blockbuster movie titles
* Disc Capacity for future HD media
* Manufacturer and studio stupport
* Sales lead by a comfortable margin
* Managed to make its name known as HiDef DVD even when HDDVD had that built into its name
What does HDDVD have?
* Features that roughly 9% of the market cares about
* lower capacity discs
* fewer blockbuster titles
* slightly cheaper players
* fewer players period (no spin numbers)
* consistently lower sales numbers for titles
So how is HDDVD going to win? Cheaper players? That's it? With all the cheap players and features in the world, HDDVD still will not have the title selection needed to make a difference. The hits are just not there.
And I've noticed that you're not boasting so much that Warner is going HDDVD exclusive at CES, is that still your "inside" information or are you not so sure now?
Blu Ray prices are falling and already close to parity with Toshiba players. There will be so many players released this year from so many manufacturers that your argument will simply fall apart. And you can bet that Chinese manufactures don't give a damn whether they're churning out HD DVD or Blu Ray players so you can't even hope that some no-name A3 clones are going to have much impact because chances are Blu Ray will have similar devices.
No, this war will not be won with hardware. It falls down to content, and it's easy to see scenarios where it could go either way. Microsoft is not averse to bribing companies and that may well be the way HD DVD wins, if it wins. Or it may be that Blu Ray hang onto their studios while the prices drop and then sheer weight of releases combined with wide availability of players will ensure its game over for HD DVD.
So now that WHV has gone Blu, what say you?
"HD DVD will be obviously the winner."
Dewey defeats Truman!
"Truth Teller"? More like "Truth 'Tard".
trueth teller you have finaly lost it.warner has now stated it will go blu ray exclusive, blu ray is outselling hddvd on the software front, there is now a huge user base of ps3 owners and if only 10% of these buy blu ray discs thats still a lot. Download movies will only be any good when we have a system fast enough that we dont have to wait for hours before we can view the film and as more people use download the slower the system of downloading will become. Hddvd has no wher to go now that 70% of movie studios support blu ray. Sorry for the bad news but just look at the evidence in front of you, yes there will be a lot of very cheap hddvd players soon as the manufacturers try to ofload them before the crash and if you dont believe me just look back a the price cuts betamax had before it fell from grace. The only thing that matters is the software and if you have the majority of the film companies on your side you will win.