HD-DVD Officially Dead


ryder
Blu-ray is the superior format over HD-DVD, although not measured in the same way as Beta vs. VHS.

Sony already has a working prototype Blu-ray disc with 100GB capacity. In fact, they had it more than a year ago. More capacity means greater "headroom" for evolution of the technology over time.

Capacity is everything! That is what took them more than five years after high definition hit the streets to move forward with hi-def movies. Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray had to work out the bugs with "Blue" laser pickup technology. That's why we wound up with two formats to begin with. Two powerful and well-backed associations spent a great deal of resources overcoming specific, technological challenges and didn't want to just give up on their specification.

With 100GB of room, Blu-ray will provide us with more content, improvements in audio to 7.1 and beyond, as well as upgrades we haven't even thought of yet (Yamaha already has an 11.2 receiver - RXZ11).

Imagine, for the first time in movie reproduction history we'll be able to hear a movie soundtrack in lossless, studio-quality audio. With more room on the disc, I can imagine a time when we'll be able to buy a Blu-ray disc movie, that will include an Original Master Recording quality stereo/SACD soundtrack as well!!!! You couldn't do that with an HD-DVD because there wasn't enough room on the disc.

Imagine more audio options when you watch a live performance on Blu-ray... What if you could choose DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 or 11.2 or 5.1??? What if you had 8 or 10 different audio choices, instead of the standard 2 or 3? With all that capacity on the disc, Blu-ray can give you what HD-DVD could not.

Yes, there will be a lead time on this. But just you wait. Now that Blu-ray is King, there is a feast being prepared in the Kingdom!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331553,00.html

Nice warning to consumers about buying Blu-Ray
The better format did not win this time. Let's all keep Blu Ray honest as far as progressing the quality of their offerings.
Although Toshiba had announced that they would discontinue the development of HD-DVD, there is no clear indication that the production of standard DVD will cease immediately. I reckon SD DVD will continue to be produced. But the question is how long will they continue to be produced? VHS video had suffered death years ago due to format changes, and time will tell when SD DVD will suffer the same fate to Blu-ray.

We can still take consolation in that HD DVD players can still play HD-DVD discs as well as SD DVD. I guess both player and HD-DVD disc will now be sold at dirt cheap prices, and maybe folks will still continue to purchase them?
Ryder: I am totally going to buy one of the newer HD-DVD players on closeout at $99 and $129 with 7 movies.... because this is one of the most impressive upscaling DVD players for regular DVD's. I think that DVD's will be around like redbook CD's for a long time... most of america only cares about cost and DVD quality is good enough for their smaller tv's. $15.95 on sale for a DVD versus $25-39 for a Bluray.... SACD had this problem... the average consumer didn't care enough for the extra quality to buy the gear to play it. Plus you factor in all the HDCP incompatibile tv's with gear and people really get frusterated... and the rip off $100 HDMI cables at your BestBuy stores.. Christmas 2008 will be interesting... streaming rental of movies or Bluray?