HD DVD Do you feel conned?

Question

Why can't alternative takes on a format be decided before going on the market ?

Answer 1

Conned? There was no secret that there were 2 different formats.

Answer 2

hd dvd consumers are conned

Answer 3

It's like when there was VHS and Betamax, when VHS won everyone who owned Betamax would have to out and buy VCRs, it's no difference between HD DVDs and Blu-Ray.

Blu-Ray has won so everybody has to buy Blu-ray

Answer 4

they are using you for that.

Answer 5

I don't feel conned, i think that Warner Bros have been underhanded in choosing just 1 format, especially since i am an owner of a 360 which the option available is HD, but Microsoft has said it will release a Blu-Ray add-on, so all's not that bad.

Answer 6

Well...

If HD-DVD had not come out, BlueRay players would be $900 each and movies would be $70/disk.

So the competition was good for the consumers.

I have both players and some movies in the 2 formats.  I will continue to enjoy "Heros" season 1 in HD-DVD for several years.

But I did not re-buy any of my standard def disks, and I will be the first to pre-order "Aliens" in BluRay once it is announced.

(I may pick up some of the Harry Potter films on BluRay now that a direction is clear.)

So "No" - I dont feel conned because I have enjoyed both formats.

Answer 7

I'm an HD DVD owner, and I'm disappointed and disgusted that consumers failed to see the advantages to consumers of the HD DVD format ... but I can't say I was conned. It was well publicised that there was a format war, and anyone who bought without checking and realizing the uncertain future of HD DVD doesn't understand the rules: Caveat emptor (Buyer beware).

The fact that HD DVD lost doesn't in any way reduce the ability to still view any HD DVD movies. Players nor movies immediately become junk. In fact they will become collectors items.

But re why a single format wasn't sorted out first as a standard? First, be glad it wasn't ... we'd still be seeing $1000 Blu-ray players and $40 disks.

But seriously, we get advances due to competition, so the market has to allow competition to decide on the better format. As a Linux guru you know about competing formats, surely?

The bottom line is there was $billions riding on the outcome re HD disks. Toshiba had the support of the DVD Forum (group responsible for the DVD format and it's development), and Sony had what they thought was a better idea. The two parties tried to negotiate but each felt there was a good argument for their choice and given the money involved ... a format war was inevitable.