It seems that some analysts and those in the know at big corporations, think Blu-ray is years off from becoming the successor to the DVD. Citing a five way battle in this article it seems there could be some truth to this. Right now we have Blu-ray, HD-DVD EVD , FVD1 and FVD 2 all of which one are Bluray devices EVD is sticking with the red laser.
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"High definition is like digital. It's the latest and greatest, and some people have to have it even if they can't see the difference between HD and standard-definition formats," he says. "Most people, however, will stick to standard DVD for many years to come. Really, the next big thing isn't Blu-ray, it's people replacing their old VCRs with DVD recorders. They are already here now and they're getting cheaper by the day." This is a point echoed by industry veterans. Most believe consumers will migrate to the current crop of DVD recorders simply because affordable Blu-ray machines may be as long as seven years away. Pioneer's general manager for corporate strategy and marketing, Darren Johanessen, says Blu-ray DVD is years away from being an affordable commodity. "We won't have a first-generation Blu-ray machine on sale in Australia for at least 18 months. And when it does arrive, buyers won't get much change from $5000," he says. "Compare that to our existing $499 DVR320 DVD recorder and clearly Blu-ray, when it arrives, will appeal only to the very top end of the market." |
The argument becomes even more valid when we have to realise that only the early adopters and enthusiasts will be willing to part with a lot of money for the next big thing. The article points out that an unknown amount of consumers will not be even able to see the difference between DVD quality and the new High Definition formats, or they may say to themselves it's good enough. If there is no clear cut format winner right now, it will be a tough decision to determine where for them to invest. You can read the entire article here, it has
some interesting quotes and opinions. There is also a chart in the story that has a nice comparison of all five formats that you may like to look at.
Source: Herald Sun
