It is interesting to note that the Blu-ray/HD-DVD War actually has parallels with primary process going on in U.S. Presidential election cycle. In my perspective, Blu-ray and HD-DVD were both fighting for hearts and minds of the consumer to see which would be the one to face off with the real opponent, good-ol' standard DVD. With that now decided by a mix of consumer demand, movie studios, and, of course, money, the winner of the "primary", which is Blu-ray, now has to face off with the established incumbent, DVD.
Although Blu-ray definitely has the edge in image quality over standard DVD, unless it can overcome issues, such as high price levels for players and discs, inconsistent disc playback capabilities, and its current three-tiered hardware specifications, Blu-ray could end up remaining a niche product, such as Laserdisc, which held on in the background behind BETA and VHS for 15 years, before the advent of DVD in the final "election".
It is interesting to note that, unlike Laserdisc, Blu-ray and HD-DVD combined, up to now, have actually done better in the marketplace than DVD did in its first two years on store shelves. We forget that the first DVD players were $500 and up, and remained in that general price range for the first couple of years, similar to current Blu-ray disc player pricing.
Also, for those of you have were around during the early days of VCRs, it wasn't uncommon to spend between $300 or more for a basic VCR, and up to $1000 for a HiFi stereo VCR in the mid-1980's. In current dollar value, these prices would even be higher. In other words, even with the higher prices for Blu-ray Disc players over HD-DVD and current DVD players, they are a relative bargain when compared historically to the early days of BETA, VHS, and DVD.
If there was no Blu-ray, I feel that HD-DVD could have easily been the successor to standard DVD. However, that is not the case and now Blu-ray has its chance to take center stage; but it will still be an uphill battle for some time.
Good Luck Blu-ray. Get those player and disc prices down! Get Profile 2.0 standardized across the board!
A Final Note To Current HD-DVD Player Owners
As a final note to current HD-DVD player owners, all is not lost. This might actually be the best time to pick up an additional HD-DVD player for future use and grab as many HD-DVD movies as possible - as bargain prices on both will probably be available in the short run. In addition, the secondary market for both players and discs is sure to be around for some time. Also, after all else fails, in an HD-DVD player, you have a heck-of-a-good upscaling player for standard DVDs.
Another comforting note for current HD-DVD player owners is that Toshiba will continue needed firmware updates and service for existing players for the near future. Toshiba can be contacted directly at: 1-888-MY HDDVD (1-888-694-3383).
As an owner of players in both formats, I will be enjoying and buying HD-DVD movies for a while, as long as they are available somewhere. Heck, I still have two Laserdisc players and about 100 Laserdiscs, which I still watch from time-to-time.
For additional stories related to Toshiba's halt of the HD-DVD format, check out:
Universal Confirms Switch From HD-DVD to Blu-ray (High Def Digest).
LG To Continue Blu-ray/HD-DVD Combo Player Support (Pocket-Lint).
Toshiba: Life After HD-DVD (Sky News/Pocket Link).
Paramount/Dreamworks Follows Universal To Blu-ray (Hollywood Reporter).
