Sex sells, but maybe not for Blu-ray

The deciding factor in the case of HD DVD vs. Blu-ray may be this: who will work with the porn industry?

According to some bloggers, the makers of X-rated material are leaning toward HD DVD, saying Blu-ray is too expensive and doesn't have the market share.

And that may be the way top Blu-ray backer Sony wants it. A leading porn director told German news site Heise that Blu-ray manufacturers in the U.S. had told him Sony would pull their Blu-ray licenses if they made porn films.

Blog community response:

"It does not matter how you stand to porn. It is here and it is a massive business. It is also an industry that is an early adopter for new media technology. VHS might not have won with out the adult film industry adopting it."
--SGKnox.com

"Porn was a huge factor in VHS winning the VHS/Beta format wars even though many people don't like to acknowledge it. Porn, like gaming, pushes tech adoption."
--kdawson on Slashdot

"I've tried my best to avoid making cheap Betamax/Blue-ray comparisons, because I thought it pigeonholed a new technology that had promise but little real world exposure. This comparison, however, is an unavoidable direct parallel. At this point the story is still rumor...and I really can't imagine Sony making the same mistake twice."
--Gizmodo