Blue-Ray and HD-DVD

Is anyone else as cynical as I am about the new DVD format that’s coming out?

We’ve got two, near identical, competing formats for video playback. Remind you of anything? The VHS and Beta-Max wars of the 1980s were a disaster. Beta-Max was the superior format, but wasn’t promoted enough.

Blue-Ray and HD-DVD are both being touted like mad by their promoters.

When re-writable DVD hit the market, two formats took the lead immediately. DVD-R and DVD+R. Again, they were very similar and in the end, the market responded with a multi-format DVD burner.

The new DVD format sets a dangerous precident. If the public at large do go nuts and replace all their DVD players, then the industry will come to accept that the public will replace all their old, but full functional, technology with the latest fad.

Worse than this, if the public don’t go for the new format and it dies, then the industry may not give us higher capacity DVD for years. Personally I’d love a higher capacity DVD, think about all the TV show series you could have. Instead of a box with about seven discs per season, you’d have one or two per season. Much more economical on the shelf real-estate.

But I’m not in the market to replace my TV with a high definition one, and won’t be for years. So high definition DVD movies are worthless for me.

The industry has an uphill struggle. It will have to support at least two formats of DVD (original and the new high def), possibly three for years until enough people have replaced their DVD players. Remember how long after DVDs came out that it took for VHS to be officially “backwatered” in the video stores?

I’d love to hear what you think about this. Vote on my poll, or leave a comment.