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If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

So what do you do when you can't decide on which competing DVD format to throw your full support behind? You support them both. Samsung has just that thought in mind as it considers releasing a player that is compatible with both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats.

Samsung was the first to market a Blu-ray player with the launch of the BD-P1000 last week and could also be among the first with a hybrid drive. "We don't have a plan to make an HD DVD-only player but are considering a universal player. We are preparing HD-DVD [support] now and if we launch a universal player it will be the end of this year or early next year," said Kim Du-Hyon of Samsung's home-platform division.

With movie studios drawing lines in the sand and carefully choosing which side they're on, consumers are left to dance around as the format wars continue. With this in mind, Samsung isn't the only one looking towards supporting both formats. From PC World:

While LG Electronics has publicly declared its plans to make drives for both formats, many of the leading Blu-ray Disc backers are also members of the DVD Forum and so have access to HD DVD technology and specifications. In addition some companies on each side of the battle have optical disc production joint-ventures. Samsung is partnered with Toshiba in Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology and Sony and NEC, which back Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD respectively, formed Sony NEC Optiarc in April this year.

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Solution to the format war?
By AnnihilatorX on 6/22/2006 12:02:49 PM , Rating: 1
As both format uses blue laser, it should be easy to implement

I am afraid this would mean the 2 format will coexist probably and no one wins. Just like DVD-R and DVD+R




RE: Solution to the format war?
By brystmar on 6/22/2006 12:16:47 PM , Rating: 2
Although this is a good step for now, I *really* hope one side will outright win instead of the two simply co-existing alongside each other still bickering like elderly women.

Look what happened with the battle between SACD and DVD-Audio: nobody won. Granted there are significant difference between the next-gen high-res audio battle and the next-gen DVD format war, but the underlying principle remains the same: consumers are FAR more likely to adopt a new medium/format if it is singular and standardized.

We had such great success with the conception and standardization of the original DVD format, and everybody got a piece of the pie. So why not repeat the process? Hopefully the manufacturers will eventually learn that format wars hurt everyone involved and that nobody wins, but I'm not holding my breath.


RE: Solution to the format war?
By Xavian on 6/22/2006 12:29:57 PM , Rating: 2
One word...

Greed.

That should tell you why companies will have format wars from now till the end of time.


RE: Solution to the format war?
By brystmar on 6/22/2006 12:43:28 PM , Rating: 2
If they were smart they'd realize that, unless they are VERY far ahead of the rest of the industry, there is more money to be made by releasing a single, unified format than by each company producing it own proprietary design. R&D + production costs are shared (and thus greatly reduced), as are marketing costs, and the rate + level of consumer adoption will be tremensoudly higher with a single format.

Granted you have to share the profits with everyone involved, and you obviously don't get 100% of the royalties on every disc produced, but those royalties are worthless if (read: when) consumers don't adopt your format. You'll always have die-hards and early adopteres, but anyone with half a brain knows there isn't any money to be made on those tiny market segments. Widespread consumer/market adoption is the only way to make the money these companies desire, and they need to realize that their goal simply is not achievable with multiple competing formats in the marketplace.


RE: Solution to the format war?
By Chudilo on 6/22/2006 1:18:17 PM , Rating: 2
Problem with that if you own a lot of the content(Sony) and think you have a better way of protecting it. And came up with a disk that is able to store a hek of a lot more then what the standard is trying to push.

You can't depend on the standards comitee to do the research for you. They don't, they just adopt other ppl's research and get the comittee to pay for it.
Thus if you have research of your own and it delivered a superior product, why woudl you give that up without them adopting at least a part of it paying for that respective part.


RE: Solution to the format war?
By xKelemvor on 6/22/2006 4:05:55 PM , Rating: 2
But has the -r/+r thing really had any effect in the past few years? Pretty much every device now can read and write to both freely. Almost all drives are +/- compatible and it doesn't seem to make much difference.

I'm sure the HD/BluRay thing will end up the same if they both survive.

Sure for the first year or two everything will be on sided and people will argue back and forth. Then eventually they will have drives that can read both. Then eventually they'll have drives that can write both. Then eventually no one will care and you'll just pick whatever is cheaper. heh.

It's all too new right now to really matter anyway. If you have tons of extra money and want to jum pon this bandwagon before it starts to roll, go right ahead. But for me, I think my normal DVDs look just fine and I won't be upgrading any time soon. I'll let things play out and see who comes out on top or at least which looks more appealing once things are settled.


By masher2 (blog) on 6/22/2006 10:26:59 PM , Rating: 2
> "If you have tons of extra money and want to jum pon this bandwagon before it starts to roll, go right ahead."

For $500, you can "jump on the bandwagon" and start enjoying HD content immediately. Given what most people paid for their HDTV, that's an investment well worth it.

I did, and I don't regret a penny of it. When dual-format players are released, I'll upgrade. But life is too short to wait.


If DVD-R and DVD+R can live together...
By shaw on 6/22/2006 3:46:06 PM , Rating: 2
Why can't Blu-Ray and HD-DVD live together in harmoney too?




By 8NP4iN on 6/22/2006 6:38:20 PM , Rating: 2
hehehe :P n1


RE: If DVD-R and DVD+R can live together...
By lwright84 on 6/22/2006 8:44:08 PM , Rating: 1
because unlike +/-R there are clear advantages in choosing one medium over the other.


By masher2 (blog) on 6/22/2006 10:24:06 PM , Rating: 2
> "because unlike +/-R there are clear advantages in choosing one medium over the other. "

FYI, there's a pretty clear advantage to +R over -R.


I love format wars.
By dclxvi on 6/22/2006 9:47:03 PM , Rating: 2
Personally, I'd like to see them both fail in the market. The average consumer will barely find a difference in quality. I 'm a certifiable early-adopting junkie and I have a hard time finding a noticable difference.

If they both flopped, maybe that would change the market and teach these companies a lesson.


Of course, that's just wishful thinking on my part.




RE: I love format wars.
By jabber on 6/23/2006 3:45:12 AM , Rating: 2
The trouble will be the same as we had with DVD to start with though. These initial HD releases will look quite poor in a few years time.

When the first DVDs appeared the picture quality whilst better than VHS, looked pretty poor as they hadnt really learnt all the best mastering techniques etc. If you compare a 1999 release of a DVD with one from 2006 the difference in quality is very apparent. Ok, maybe a little of what they learnt from DVD may help this time round but I'm another one that will be playing the waiting game for a couple of years at least. The other factor I do quite get is the appaling selection of movies the studios have chosen to release. Most of them I wouldnt bother buying in DVD format let alone HD. Maybe the lack of true blockbuster classics is a sign of caution from the big directors?
"I'm not seeing my movies dumped in bargain bins next year for $1 because the format tanked!"

However, at least it will help George Lucas yet again. He'll bring out the HD boxset next year and then four years later he'll be able to bring out a further re-mastered HD edition as HD mastering improves even further.


By Clauzii on 6/22/2006 7:12:37 PM , Rating: 2
Just Do It!

- So we can get on with our lives :)




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