Well there we are, China (a 1 billion+ people strong market) has gone HD-DVD.

Like I've been saying for a long time, HD-DVD isn't going away anywhere and fanboys who day-dream of one format 'knocking the other out' of this market are simply deluding themselves.

..........and btw the 2nd gen Toshiba HD A2 is on sale on Amazon USA (brand new) for $345 right now and not $499 claimed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B...0650073-8876022

HD-DVD gets ever closer to that important sub$200/£100 level.

Well its $345 +$40 shipping but it is still a good price

It's $374 US if you buy it from Amazon themselves (shipping is free).

Sadly it's £313 with free delivery in the UK (which is an outrageous and unjustifiable cost difference).....although there is a lot of talk on the avforums of a price cut later this month down to approx £260.

It will be interesting to see how much market penetration HD-DVD will have. China already has 2 well established HD formats namely EVD (Enhanced Versatile Disc) and HVD (High-Clearness Video Disc) both of which have fairly inexpensive players and content available now. Add to this the recent introduction of HD VMD and you get a veritable mish-mash that will likely end up in consumer confusion. The other thing to consider is the penetration of high-definition sets in the Chinese market.

Originally posted by eatsushi:

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It will be interesting to see how much market penetration HD-DVD will have. China already has 2 well established HD formats namely EVD (Enhanced Versatile Disc) and HVD (High-Clearness Video Disc) both of which have fairly inexpensive players and content available now. Add to this the recent introduction of HD VMD and you get a veritable mish-mash

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- Perhaps, but it's also true that all of these 'systems' are very closely related.

I can easily see them not only co-existing but quite possibily being integrated in a cost-effective manner into single machine at some point in the not too distant future.

You can get the 360's HD for around $200 and it will work on your computer as well which is much cheaper in the long run then buying a SA right now of any flavor. Plus if you have AnyDVD you can rip both BD's & HD's on your PC. In the article above the source mentions the BD is around $600 in which you can get a PS3 and your covered, gaining in both cases gaming consols, a double win. I really don't see the significants of this other stuff as interesting as it may be. Why do I want to have several different formats of disc's?, when ones goal is to have the better format. Sure you can always convert everything to one format in the end, but really can't one wait and make the right decision when everything settles down?

My goal is to have a HD & BD player with a BD combo burner this way covering all bases and being able to transfer HD’s to BD, this seems to be the best way to go.

Originally posted by Mr-Movies:

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Why do I want to have several different formats of disc's?

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- If all the formats (maybe barring BD, which is insufficiently 'related'....although the press release clip further down might indicate that's going to be possible too) can come together
(see the Broadcom story here - http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8877.cfm )
who cares about 'formats'?
They become fairly irrelevant to all intents and purposes.

If a family of players emerge that can play any kind of SD DVD or any of the HD DVD versions (therefore opening up all media price points to the new players/burners too) what does it matter what you call it, so long as your player/PC burner can handle it all so easily?

This strikes me as potentially a fascinating and very welcome prospect.

Far from confusing matters with so many formats it'll simplify matters enormously and globally (which has got to be good for the price implications for us all).

.....and it gets more interesting than that, potentially there's the possibility of an all-in-one including BD too.
If you read the press release on the Broadcom story you'll see it talks about the ability to work with the Java OS (which is what BD uses).

If you already have the blue laser is it such a big deal to work both 'systems'?
LG don't seem to think so.

http://sev.prnewswire.com/computer-elect...05032007-1.html

Quote:

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Technology that will provide the required processing power to run sophisticated JAVA-based OCAP(TM) software applications and advanced media sharing

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- It seems to me that the day when I don't need to worry about format and I can just play any disc or record on any suitably sized disc is getting nearer and nearer.
And not before time.

You’re absolutely right the 65nm technology could bring this all together in one small package and that's great. I just don't see bothering with these lesser formats since we will see significant price drops and speed increases in both HD & BD formats. But for those who wish to play around with the other formats may, possibly may, not get hit by obsolescence to quickly but a very good point no matter.

I can't help thinking that SD DVD is going to be around for a very long time yet, many many years.

Betamax for instance was around from 1977 - 2002 and that's the one that lost the video tape 'war'!
Is it really so far fetched to imagine the current high def discs not outselling SD DVD for 5 or 10 years - or perhaps worse, 'doing a laser disc' and never outselling SD DVD?.

If I could replace my current SD DVD player under my TV with an up to date new all-in-one that would allow me to keep my SD DVD collection (I have a few hundred films I'm simply not going to replace wholesale) that would suit me - and I suspect many others - enormously.

Especially if it just got on with it without any fuss & played HD-DVD or BD discs (along with all the other high def formats I can currently download).
I can imagine that kind of tech being very welcome in the market(s) across the world.

Not that i watch many jenna jameson movies or anything lol but blueray will not allow porn ??? WTF...!!! they've lost already.. This is like the 80's when everything we wanted to see was BANNED especially if you like me live in the uk.. who the hell are these ppl who want to dictate what i want to watch??? HD DVD will rule trust me..