High Definition Format Wars
July 10, 2007 at 08:27:00 AM, by
A discussion of both HD DVD and Blu-ray and why it's hard to claim a victor yet.
HD DVD vs. Blu-ray: Who's It Gonna Be?
With Warner Home Video's recent announcement that their high definition DVD release of the Oscar award winning film The Departed' had surpassed 100,000 units sold, the much hyped battle between second-generation video disc formats has transformed from a debate inside the industry to a reality for the consumer in the marketplace.
Since the introduction of Sony's Blu-ray discs and Toshiba and NEC's rival HD DVD technology in 2005, both of these formats have been hotly debated and scrutinized by tech pundits and bloggers alike, but it is still too soon to call a winner in the struggle. Both formats have their various strong points and weaknesses but the real key in determining who will come out on top in the format wars has very little to do with units sold and more to do with acceptance in the marketplace and affordability. In this article I hope to give a simple rehashing of the Blu-ray verses HD DVD debate as well as introduce a few new breakthroughs which will certainly have an impact on the futures of both revolutionary video disc formats.
For Warner, it's no surprise that they've posted such successful sales with their new high definition DVDs. At the moment they are the only distributor which is releasing movies on both the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. Unlike their main competitors, such as Universal Studios, DreamWorks, and Dimension Films who are embracing HD DVD, and MGM, 20th Century Fox, and Disney who are instead releasing their films on Sony's Blu-ray format, Warner has chosen to sign on with both. At the moment many studios are pressing both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs because of the competition but as an exclusive partner with both formats Warner Home Video has a leg up on the next-generation DVD market.
But what exactly is all of the hype over these new high definition discs? Even though the technology is relatively new, high definition video is set to become the next standard in home entertainment. With greater picture quality, high resolution clarity, and enhanced sound, HD movies and programming blow traditional broadcast quality content out of the water. All that extra information, however, requires more storage space, and additionally, with all of the bonus material that's now standard on most DVD releases, it is clear that current limit of 8 gigabytes on a single DVD is just not enough space anymore.
{PAGE_BREAK}HD DVD
Enter HD DVD. Developed jointly by Toshiba and NEC, High Definition Digital Video Discs up the optical storage capacity of a standard 8GB DVD to 15GB per layer and 30GB for dual layered discs. This is achieved by using an advanced laser reading technology that allows one to squeeze even more data on a single disc. The new technology also means that consumers will have to buy a new DVD player to read HD DVD discs as well as upgrade the rest of their home theater system in order to take full advantage of the high-definition quality video and sound. Other features of the HD DVD disc technology include interactive web-based content that utilizes HTML, CSS, and a proprietary form of Javascript and a new digital rights management technology called Advanced Access Content System (AACS), which prevents users from making copies of an HD DVD's content (more on this later).
Studios adopting HD DVD:
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment
- New Line Cinema
- Paramount Pictures
- The Walt Disney Company
- Universal Studios
- Warner Bros.
Blu-ray Disc
In the other corner is Sony's Blu-ray Disc technology. Named after the blue-violet laser which reads the discs, Blu-ray is poised to be the biggest competitor to HD DVD. Just as Sony had done with their Betamax format when VHS was first released to consumers, the company is hoping that their brand of high definition DVD can best the competition and claim the title of most popular format. If the legacy of Betamax is any indication of how well Blu-ray will do in the marketplace then it remains to be seen if Sony can pull out ahead of the more widely accepted technologies out there today, but Blu-ray's offerings leave the HD DVD's capabilities in the dust.
Featuring almost double the storage capacity of Toshiba's High Definition DVDs, distributors are able to cram a whopping 25GB worth of content, on a single layer of a Blu-ray disc (50GB for double sided discs). This means almost nine hours of high definition content or almost a day's worth of standard definition content can fit onto a double sided 50GB disc. Blu-ray also features AACS for content protection as well as another technology that monitors the player device and can check for unauthorized activity, such as circumventing DRM protections, as well as execute code to patch vulnerabilities and user-implemented hacks. Nicknamed BD+, the technology allows content providers to distribute and install proprietary code on to users' Blu-ray disc players as well as prevent the viewing of burned or pirated discs. Sony's PlayStation 3 also includes Blu-ray capabilities.
Studios adopting Blu-ray:
- 20th Century Fox
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment
- Electronic Arts
- MGM Studios
- Paramount Pictures
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- The Walt Disney Company
- Vivendi Universal Games
- Warner Bros.
Players
HD DVDs were the first to enter the market, which many speculated would mean the beginning of the end for Blu-ray, but at the moment there are a variety of titles to choose from which are available on both formats. Many recent blockbusters include Casino Royale, 300, The Prestige, and endless re-releases of the Matrix trilogy. Prices for each movie are in the $30-$40 range while compilations, such as David Attenborough's stunning Planet Earth series, starts at $70. High definition DVD players, on the other hand, are still hovering at a high price point, with combination HD DVD and Blu-ray sets starting at around $600, with some breaking the bank at over $1,000. Single format players also range from $350 to $500 depending on what extra features they include. Just as it did with the first generation of DVDs, prices for new movies and equipment should see a drop relatively soon once the market begins to embrace these new technologies.
Sales of the new DVDs and the success of each format therein, are hard to determine at the moment because many of the hard sales figures are still lacking. Much of the initial information concerning sales are actually just rough projections from companies such as Nielsen's VideoScan, which shows Blu-ray and HD DVD nearly neck and neck, with Sony's format taking a slight lead. Figures which have proved to be more dependable, however, are those of the actual hardware sales. Currently, Reuters is reporting HD DVD players outselling Blu-ray hardware by almost three to one in European markets. The announcement comes from the European HD DVD Promotional Group who claims their format holds 74% of the market share in countries like Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. Of course, consider the source of these figures before accepting them as gospel.
Recent price cuts on player hardware by Toshiba, slashing almost $100 off the initial price of their HD-E1 unit, are one of the factors that could possibly account for the HD DVD camp's claims of high sales. While this report is still unconfirmed by market research groups it is clear that the price point is an issue that will make or break the format wars from the consumer's point of view.
LG's BH100 combo HD DVD and Blu-ray player costs a whopping $1,200.
{PAGE_BREAK}Conclusion
A line has been drawn in the sand. Critics were uncertain about the future of either format due to differences in release dates, pricing, and compatibility but now that both HD DVDs and Blu-ray have had time to saturate themselves in the marketplace it is unclear if there will be a definite winner' in the format wars. Both formats are starting to see wider support among consumer electronics and among production companies.
While Blu-ray provides much stronger numbers in terms of storage capacity it remains to be seen if their 50GB dual layer provides just the right amount of room or an excessive amount of space. Cutting edge security features such as AACS are also starting to become a moot point with the highly publicized news that the encryption keys for both HD DVD and Blu-ray have been compromised which allows unauthorized copies of the discs to be made. Despite multiple attempts to patch and otherwise fix the problem it seems as though these HD hackers are one step ahead of the marketplace. With both technologies still commanding a high price in terms of home theater equipment, the race to see which format will come out on top will only become more intense as prices fall and become more affordable to the consumer. On some consumer electronics, such as Microsoft's Xbox 360, accessory drives give the user the ability to play HD DVD discs at a relatively inexpensive price, but it is only a matter of time until these drives become the standard and make accessories such as these obsolete. At the moment there is no clear winner in this newly declared format war. Only time, the marketplace, and consumer interest will decide who will come out victorious in the next generation struggle.
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