The Connected Home Blog

Toshiba have finally announced that they are stepping down from their efforts to push HD-DVD as the format of choice for the next generation of video supplying high definition pictures, sound and better interactivity than we see with existing DVDs which makes Blu-ray, Sony’s alternative, the way forward.

 

This is good news for consumers in many ways as it means that there is now a clear upgrade path for people wanting to move their home cinema package into the HD age without the risk of subscribing to a technology that will become defunct after a long and drawn out format war, as was the case the Betamax and VHS in the 1980s.

I have to admit though that I am slightly sad to see HD-DVD killed off so quickly. Whilst there is no real perceivable difference in sound or video quality of the two formats, both providing images up to 4 times better than a standard definition picture, there were many things that i liked about the HD-DVD format.  

For starters, the name and the logo are much more in keeping with the existing DVD standard and clearly describes what the product is a HD DVD. I think that my mum could understand this where as I doubt she has a clue what  a Blu-ray Disc is.

I was also impressed by the backing that HD-DVD had away from the film studios including Intel, Microsoft and HP, which showed an appreciation that the format would be used for more than just films. HD-DVD was also proving cheaper to produce, the very thing that won the 80s format war for VHS.

All that said, I am pleased that this is now resolved and believe that consumers will be better off for this decision by Toshiba.

How the war was won

Sony’s big weapon in the format war was undoubtedly the PS3. Having had their superior Betamax video tape technology beaten in the 80s, Sony were clearly reluctant to be the losers a second time. By equipping the PS3 games console with a Blu-ray Disc player they ensured that Blue-ray would become the format of choice as people buying the console for its gaming abilities were also having their decision made for them as to which HD format to side with. Sony has sold more than 10 million PS3 consoles compared to Toshiba having sold only 1 million HD-DVD players giving Blu-ray ten times as many consumers able to play their format without even counting stand alone Blu-ray players.

The HD-DVD camp did try to replicate this success though by teaming up with Microsoft to provide an add-on for the Xbox 360 allowing HD-DVD playback, but as additional cost this option has failed to reach mass popularity.

Microsoft seem to have been keen to avoid including the HD-DVD technology directly in to their console and have left the door open to switch allegiances and begin to package the Xbox 360 with Blu-ray capabilities, perhaps as soon as late 2008 in the form if the rumoured Xbox 360 Ultimate edition console, to include built in Blu-ray, HDMI and improved hard drive capacity.

 

Verdict for the Connected Home

A a way of distributing high definition media, it is no doubt an advantage to have a single format for consumers and industry so we are pleased with this news.

Whether Blu-ray Disc will prove to be the future for media distribution is still to be seen though as we see more and more content becoming available through download and media streaming.

Although Microsoft may have been backing the loser in HD-DVD they have not put all of their eggs in one basket and we may yet see their ever evolving Xbox 360 movie download service continue to thrive and leads the way for how the digital media of tomorrow will be acquired and made available.

There is definitely a place for Blu-ray Disc players in the connected home for now, but I suspect that they will become unnecessary over time as faster internet connections become the norm and more download and streaming services launch to provide us with our digital media.

 

Matt S

Filed under: Blu-Ray Disc, Digital Media, HD-DVD, Xbox 360