Backporch Beer - WE'VE CLOSED! THANKS FOR YOUR PATRONAGE!

Weighing On Blu v Red

You think I’m starting political discourse and you are only partially correct. I am simply putting to bytes the thoughts I have expressed verbally to anyone willing to listen (or who feels some obligation to pretend to care about my opinion) on the subject of Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD. As a healthy consumer of electronics I feel my ideas on the matter might carry some weight (as opposed to KMc whose trip to MacWorld is practically wasted, I tell you!.)

Before CES I held the line that the market would support two platforms. Take a look at the video game market which may have wider margins but has a smaller market. There are currently three very active platforms, only one of which is struggling but appears to be approaching profitability. That competition has held for over a decade and three big players have stayed committed. In the more populated home video market there is plenty of room for two formats.

Now that CES 2008 is history, it is easy for the armchair consumer to predict the Blu-Ray victory. Take a look through the Engadget posts about the format war (paying close attention to the CES timeframe, January 7-10). During that time two studios (albeit from the same mega-conglomerate parent company) ceased their relationship with HD-DVD, several rumors had to be contractually denied, and if booth attendance is an indicator then the war is over. Of course, Engadget may be biased like some movie pundits who gave away HD-DVDs on their birthdays…

I think the format war will drag on for another year, but come next Christmas I bet it will be clear that Blu-Ray is dominant.

p.s. I admit that I went Blu — with a PS3 purchase — before I went Red — with an HD-DVD add-on for my XBox 360 — and even though both are game platforms, they were purchased for the primary purpose of movie-watching.

3 Responses to “Weighing On Blu v Red”