"Blu-ray Disc" vs. "HD DVD": Neither Is Winning

[Jerry Jones]

No matter how much you jump and shout and write your little catch phrase: Dead as DISCo.

Yes, "HD DVD" and "Blu-ray Disc" are, of course, as dead as disco.

However, I can see you sitting in front of your obsolete "Blu-ray Disc" player five years from now... listening not to a disco tune... but instead to the Information Society hit of the 1980's: "What's On Your Mind."

I'm reminded of the opening lyrics to that particular song...

"Here I am in silence..."
"Looking 'round without a clue..."
"I find myself alone again..."
"All alone with you..."

Tee-hee.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Hulk]

Yes I have "On Demand" digital cable right now. But there are still plenty of movies, I repeat PLENTY of movies I'd like to see that are not available.

But guess what? Many of them are available on HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.

And the "On Demand" service locks up sometimes, it not responsive to FF and RW, sometimes doesn't start when paused for a bathroom or popcorn break, etc... Whereas optical discs obey my every command.

And if cable goes down as is sometimes the case on a stormy night when you sit down for a nice movie then NO MOVIE FOR YOU!

Optical discs on the other hand will always be there waiting for me!

Optical discs will be around for quite some time to come. Eventually there will be a transition to streaming but that's quite a few years off.

It ain't happening now Jerry. No matter how much you jump and shout and write your little catch phrase: Dead as DISCo.

Since you are the leader of your cause I must ask Jerry? How much of your family room movie viewing is downloaded movies and how much is DVD?

I know you won't answer that directly because it doesn't fit your template. Just like my other questions about where the HD download beef? Doesn't fit your catch phrase. You can degrade the discussion to a catch phrase but you can't deny that just about the entire world is hooked on DVD's at this point in time. Yes, actually buying, renting, and playing good old optical discs.

The catch phrase isn't supported by the fact that there is little or no HD content to download, none to stream, and everybody is still using DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray.

Generally when one has lost a discussion one reverts to a simple catch phrase to repeat over and over. It's an old trick.

Give it up buddy you lost!!!!

Thank you for your time and good night.

I'm going to watch a nice optical disc and enjoy the pits and bits.

[Jerry Jones]

I want some good HD movies to download.

Ever heard of TiVo HD?

http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivohd/index.html

TiVo® HD combines the clarity of high definition with the smart, easy-to-use TiVo Service. It works with any cable set-up. It connects to any home network for the best of both broadcast and broadband content. It downloads movies from the Internet to your living room. It can pause, rewind, and slow-motion with razor-sharp HD clarity. Plus, TiVo HD connects to virtually any cable service via CableCARDs1, so it replaces your existing cable box.

Record movies in HD. With TiVo HD, you can record shows in standard or high definition. Plus, you can pause or rewind HD instant replays without sacrificing the original razor-sharp HD resolution.

Download movies from the Internet. Don't see any great movies in your cable program guide? You can easily select a classic or new release from the world's largest movie library, order them with a click of your remote control, and have them downloaded directly to your TiVo box.*

$299.99.

TiVo HD FAQ at the following link:

http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivohd/faqs/index.html

"Blu-ray Disc" and "HD DVD?"

Dead as disco, baby.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

http://marketnewsblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/blu-ray-and-hd-dvd-versus-hd-downloads.html

“We have seen widespread use of the Internet as an electronic delivery medium for video content over the past couple of years,” said Kurt Scherf, Parks Associates’ Vice President and principal Analyst. “Certainly, the availability of higher-quality content and a significant base of products like the iPod that allow for more seamless content-to-device linkages have provided a boost to the online video space.”

That’s a healthy jump in the market, and will motivate content companies to work on bringing High Definition downloads to the consumer, and Internet service providers to increase the size of the pipe coming downstream to consumer’s households.

So, looking forward, does this make the struggle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD for consumer acceptance pointless? Some people think so. The professional prognosticator and CNBC favourite, Paul Kedrosky quipped last March that the format war was: “Two dog packs fighting over a decomposing bone.”

Hmmmmm.

"Two dog packs fighting over a decomposing bone."

Not bad.

I'll have to remember that one.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Hulk]

It's brutal.

I want some good HD movies to download/stream and Jerry can't point me to anything but those 71 movies from the cinema-whatever site with like landscape flyovers, stuff I saw at NAB 2005.

How about some movies that people actually watch Jerry. As I said there are over 350 Blu-Ray alone available on Netflix. And they are 4 and 5 star movies that I and most people would actually want to watch.

How about it Jerry. Where are they?

I don't see them?

Come on where are the downloadable HD movies?

How about those classic Star Trek episodes in HD-DVD? Surely you can point me to a link to watch those in HD right?

I'll take any Star Trek in HD for that matter.

You still there? Are you going to show me a few hundred HD movies that are downloadable?

They must be there is optical is dead right?

But where are they?

Come on you talk the talk but you can't walk the walk?

Still waiting for the link?

[Mehen]

Is this thread still going?

Still?

[Jerry Jones]

Whoa!

Here's a brand new movie and TV show download Web site:

http://www.axiom.tv/products.cfm

It's called Axiom.TV.

Let the downloads begin!!



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Jerry, that will never happen

It's happening now, baby!

1. There are a total of 71 downloadable high definition titles on 8 CinemaNow Web site pages so far starting on this page:

http://www.cinemanow.com/CinemaNow-HD/1010,1,5,,5,2,0/

2. APPLE’s iTunes store has a wealth of standard definition titles with HD titles on the way:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/movies.html

3. Axiom’s Web site features a wealth of standard definition downloadable titles:

http://www.axiom.tv/

4. MovieLink’s Web site features a wealth of standard definition downloadable titles:

http://www.movielink.com/store/web/home/home.jsp;jsessionid=LPHV521LPYIECCQ2M5SSAOQ?_requestid=53508

5. A wealth of high definition movies are now available for download to Xbox 360 hard disks:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/marketplace/moviestv/looneytunes.htm

6. Amazon unbox offers thousands of standard definition titles:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?&node=16261631

7. Guba offers a wealth of content for download here:

http://www.guba.com/

Elie, try it; you'll like it!



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Elie]

I stand by my assertion.

"Blu-ray Disc" and "HD DVD" are as dead as disco.

Had the two sides dropped prices sooner, they might have gained some significant traction by now.

They haven't.

Now downloading of HD and SD content is upon us.

High definition optical disc formats are now obsolete.



Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Jerry, that will never happen, looking at the big picture and not what the press and other companies speculate, many people simply don't have the capacity, technology or the bandwidth to download HD content and view it on their TV, maybe that will happen 7 years from now (for the masses) but not today.

people will still go to HMV, best Buy, Blockbuster and buy/rent HD-DVD or BluRay or even DVD's as they always have, and based on that as well as price, one of the two formats will win.

The internet cannot sustain that kind of bandwidth demands if everyone started streaming or downloading HD content.
Also you think everyone has a PC capable of playing back HD at home? You will require a TV set-top box that has Ip connectivity in order to stream the content to your TV, and even if such technology is available, your TV or internet provider has to have their network ready for such bandwidth, and if I were the provider I would want the best possible HD signal sent to my clients which is minimum 18Mbps.

So streaming/download HD content is not a viable alternative, I don't care what anyone/reporter says. Discs will not go the way of the dodo just yet or ever, I personally like to own the media I purchase, also for the extra content included in the DVD's HD/Blu whatever.

Regards,
Elie

[Jerry Jones]

http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13506_1-9746691-17.html?tag=blog.1

For years, we have been under the impression that the only way to get movies into our homes is to use hardware. And while that may have been true years ago, that idea is a bunch of hogwash now.

This brilliant online writer is also joining the chorus of consumer voices chanting the mantra that "HD DVD" and "Blu-ray Disc" are as dead as disco.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Here's a Web page on AMAZON that explains how Amazon's unbox downloads work:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/help/faq.html/002-8429221-3480035?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1JE221X6618B55Q95WC0&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=298517001&pf_rd_i=16261631

Thousands of titles.



The selection of online titles will expand in a very significant way within the next (6) six months as increasing numbers of consumers grasp the irrefutable truth that "HD DVD" and "Blu-ray Disc" are as dead as disco.

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

Luckily I know Jerry doesn't mean what he is preaching. He's just having fun with us.

I stand by my assertion.

"Blu-ray Disc" and "HD DVD" are as dead as disco.

Had the two sides dropped prices sooner, they might have gained some significant traction by now.

They haven't.

Now downloading of HD and SD content is upon us.

High definition optical disc formats are now obsolete.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Jerry Jones]

1. There are a total of 71 downloadable high definition titles on 8 CinemaNow Web site pages so far starting on this page:

http://www.cinemanow.com/CinemaNow-HD/1010,1,5,,5,2,0/

2. APPLE’s iTunes store has a wealth of standard definition titles with HD titles on the way:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/movies.html

3. Axiom’s Web site features a wealth of standard definition downloadable titles:

http://www.axiom.tv/

4. MovieLink’s Web site features a wealth of standard definition downloadable titles:

http://www.movielink.com/store/web/home/home.jsp;jsessionid=LPHV521LPYIECCQ2M5SSAOQ?_requestid=53508

5. A wealth of high definition movies are now available for download to Xbox 360 hard disks:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/marketplace/moviestv/looneytunes.htm

6. Amazon unbox offers thousands of standard definition titles:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?&node=16261631

7. Guba offers a wealth of content for download here:

http://www.guba.com/

And online downloading of movies and TV shows has only just begun.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Hulk]

This was taken from the download of Caligula, a Hollywood blockbuster, on one of the download sites you recommended. How can you possibly pretend that this is good quality when it is 1/5th the size of a DVD and 1/20th the size of HD-DVD? Get real! I'll still buy my films on DVD, thank you very much!

Exactly right Brian. That is the truth no matter how many cherry picked quotes get posted. There is no way to spin the fact that there are basically NO HD movies available for download and even SD is limited by number and quality.

This is all due to the inherent restriction in bandwidth of the internet. Manufacturers know this and are treading carefully in the download arena.

Jeez. For $10/month you can have a Netflix account (at least in the US) and rent just about every SD title you can imagine, plus a decent and growing catalog of HD content.

Saying optical is dead is quite premature since millions of people of using optical media. As Brian said VHS is essentially dead. But even with that statement you can make the argument that lots of people have a few machines hooked up to their TV's and still use them to record shows now and then. I know I do. Luckily I know Jerry doesn't mean what he is preaching. He's just having fun with us.

[Jerry Jones]

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9804619-7.html?tag=nefd.only

Let's be honest with ourselves: at this point, who really cares which format is outselling the other? After each report of higher sales, the backers of the opposing format come out and proclaim their own dominance due to factors a and b. Once that's complete, the winning victor (in this case, Blu-ray) comes out and cites those sales figures just one more time.

Suffice it to say, I'm just plain tired of this war.

Dead as disc-o, baby.



Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net