Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Blu-ray Disk or HD-DVD

Feb 24, 2004 4:24AM PST

Picked this up from a report from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently.

" Tape is dead. DVD recorders and hard-disk video recorders are sending the VCR to the retirement home. But before you rush out to buy a DVD recorder, remember that current models can't record high-definition TV (HDTV) movies, which you'll be watching before long. So you may want to wait for an HD-capable DVD recorder. The first ones will show up this fall. Naturally there will be an ugly format war, a la Betamax vs. VHS. This time around it's between a high-capacity DVD recording technology called Blu-ray Disc, backed by most of the major CE and PC companies, and a rival system, HD-DVD, backed by Toshiba and NEC. Pricing hasn't been set, but it's safe to say the first high-definition models will be high-ticket items."

Blue-ray Disk, or HD-DVD, who's gonna win ?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Not worth bidding on. No one can tell.
Feb 24, 2004 5:12AM PST

Sit on the sidelines and enjoy DVD until there's a whole lot more data and experience.

- Collapse -
Re: Blu-ray Disk or HD-DVD
Nov 11, 2004 5:55AM PST

Blu-ray or HD DVD?, its going to be a mayor discussion front now on, the only fact is that consumers and the looser format will gain suffer as result of price and the probability of obsoleteness.
Both Blu-ray and HD DVD are going to bet they have the better product (Blu-ray 50GB vs. HD DVD 30GB), costs, and backing companies.
For me the winner will be who can make most entertainment companies give exclusivity to their format (based in VHS vs. Betamax war) if they don?t get an agreement first (I don?t think they can).
The only thing customer can do is wait. And see the reviews editors of techs news (like CNET) post before Christmas.

- Collapse -
Interesting that you bring this up again............
Nov 12, 2004 4:30AM PST
- Collapse -
I would say...
Nov 12, 2004 4:38AM PST

That as usual anything that Philips or SONY will promote will win in the kong-run. At least that is the history... Philips introduced the CD and it won! Philips introduced the SACD and SONY took over it and developed it and it won over the DVD-A. So HD-DVD will probably make it no matter if it's better or not.

As you mention Betamax, I have to say that it was a way better format than VHS, but those who developed VHS won in the long-fun (the reason I don't know, but it was NOT because of quality or convenience!). There was actually an even superior format called Video 2000 which didn't make it either.
We have also seen how WinZip with the help of M$ has pretty much become the most used compressing format for computers, while WinRAR and WinACE are way better IMO at least...

- Collapse -
Temporary Alternative
Jan 6, 2005 10:25PM PST

If you don't have a HD-capable hard-disk recorder as offered within receivers offered by Direct TV and Dish, or by some cable franchises, you can invest about $250-$300 to buy an HD-capable VHS tape deck. Refurbished ones are commonly available through eBay. I have both JVC and Mitsubishi models, and they work fine. Though they'll be obsolete when the first DVD-based HD recorders come out, I don't plan to invest in the newer models for several years after they first appear, so that first, the format wars can be resolved, and second the inflated prices that new adopters are willing to pay come down. As I see it, the tape decks I now own will provide me stopgap service for about 4-5 years. To me, that's a pretty sound investment.

You'll need special digital VHS tapes, which are available for about $8 each. One caution: The digital input is via 1394. So, if you are planning to record from an HD cable box or satellite box, make sure they have 1394 capability.

- Collapse -
(NT) (NT) Welcome to SpeakEasy, AJG :)
Jan 6, 2005 11:03PM PST
- Collapse -
Welcome to Speakeasy
Jan 7, 2005 12:15AM PST

Enjoy.

Sadly, I don't think my HD cable box has a 1394 output.

Dan

- Collapse -
I just bought a DVD recorder
Jan 6, 2005 11:03PM PST

It will be a few years before the new HD recorders are affordable and the format wars settle down. In the meantime I have something I can use to transfer my VHS tapes to DVD. It can also record on DVD-RAM disks and features "time-slip" recording. What that does is, say a program starts at 8:00 but you don't get to the TV until 8:15. You can start watching the program from the beginning while it continues to record.

It just arrived yesterday and I'll be hooking it up tonight. I got the Panasonic DMR-E55K. $229 at Amazon. Top-rated by Consumer Reports in November.

- Collapse -
(NT) (NT) Do you have HD, Josh?
Jan 7, 2005 12:17AM PST
- Collapse -
(NT) (NT) I do not. That's another dream for another day. :-)
Jan 7, 2005 12:19AM PST
- Collapse -
Oh, Josh
Jan 7, 2005 12:31AM PST

So worth it.

Baseball looks great in HD. OK, you gotta avert your eyes during the extreme closeups of Torre. I don't even want to think about Randy Johnson that way! *shudder*

I can't wait for YES to go to HDTV.

Dan

- Collapse -
LOL
Jan 7, 2005 2:47AM PST

I wonder whether Joe Torre in HD would be scarier than Keith Richards in IMAX. At least it wasn't 3D.

We have a 32" Sony WEGA, which was one of the first flat screen standard definition TVs, but the image is so bright and crisp that it looks almost like HD. Of course now they sell for about half what we paid for it.

- Collapse -
This can be expected
Feb 4, 2006 2:49PM PST

This whole debate is an example of the strides by companies to diversify. Now that we have the technology, companies have gone from simply making it work (put everything inside a simple metal box) to designing elaborate cases and interfaces that distinguish them from others. So it is not surprising that technology is starting to branch in multiple directions. I have expected and noticed this transition over the past decade. Instead of that cool "thing", consumers are now faced with the choice of many cool "things". This makes it increasingly harder and more expensive to keep up with the times. Plus, as our technological prowess continues to expand, new technologies will be produced on a J-curve, and they will be all the more diverse. So it is no surprise that instead of one basic, universal format, we now have two emerging formats. I think that this is the first major split, and that there will be many more to come.
Furthermore, I thought that DVDs were already HD. This must be higher resolution, or a bunch of bologna!

- Collapse -
Notice you are replying to a two year old post.
Feb 5, 2006 12:02AM PST
- Collapse -
More info
Feb 5, 2006 12:13AM PST