HD DVD Is Dead! Long Live... HD VMD?
An HD VMD player costs less than a Blu-ray because it uses the red-laser technologies found in today’s standard-definition DVD players. The Blu-ray and HD DVD machines use a more-expensive blue laser system. “We do not intend to take on Blu-ray,” said Shirly Levich, New Medium’s vice president and product development manager, in an e-mail message. “We see VMD as a natural extension of mass market DVD product enhanced to HD capabilities. We shall not rekindle the format war.”
The industry and consumers may not see it that way, given that the company is promoting its price advantages. While Blu-ray players typically cost more than $300, an HD VMD unit is priced at $199. Sales through Amazon are scheduled to begin in five weeks, the company said. No talks have been held with the big-box retailers, like Wal-Mart Stores, to carry the product.
According to the article, there are seventeen movies currently available in the HD VMD format, including "Kandukondain Kandukondain." Thank goodness. I thought I was going to have to buy a $500 Blu-ray player to see that one.
Comments
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good it will probably make one more format absoulte but atlest it is cheaper do you know how much data these hold |
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Well I told ya something else was going to pop up!! I must be phsyco...er...phsycic? |
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Hey bring all the formats they want and let them keep battling it out till prices drop sub $100. It's been said a million times and I'll say it again, competition is good. They say they're not starting another format war but how can you say that when you are offering an alternative to it. |
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Blu-Ray is too well established now to be dethroned by any latecomers. But as nelsoncp21 said competition is good. Sony may have gotten a little too comfortable having just declared victory over Toshiba's HD-DVD, now they may have new motivation to bring their prices down sooner. |
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lower bluray prices could mean lower ps3 prices if im right |
What if HD VMD got to the point that they were selling media players for ~$100 a pop? You don't think that would attract a HUGE following (with Sony's refusal to cut prices...) |
AjayD:
Right now Sony has no real reason to cut Blu-Ray player prices. This is still a relatively new technology and has a ways to go before Sony recoups their R&D expenses and refines the technology for cheaper production. I remeber buying a DVD player for $350 about ten years ago when DVD's were further out of the gate than Blu-Ray is currently. Not only does Blu-Ray have a large customer base with all the current owners of Blu-Ray players and PS3's, but they also now have the unanimous backing of all the major motion picture companies. It sounds like the only real advantage to HD VMD is the reduced cost. But this lower cost comes at the price of sacrificed performance. Using red laser technology there is no way HD VMD can compete with Blu-Rays superior storage capablilities. 100 gigs is a lot of space and even if this may be excessive for what is required currently by movies and games I am sure future media will capitalize on this storage premium. As far as computers are concerned Blu-Ray is the ideal storage media with so much space. The only thing holding it back in this department is the slow write speeds, which are bound to improve over time. So no, I don't think Sony needs to be overly concerned with HD VMD, if they ever do threaten Blu-Ray with their low prices I am sure Sony will become more competitive in their pricing. |
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i think hddvd had the best chance of beating bluray and now there gone |
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If I'm not mistaken, lower ps3 prices means lower gas prices.
So what does HD VMD have to offer that bluray can't? |
lol Lower gas prices only come at strategic times, such as holidays and elections.
As far as I can tell nothing other than a lower price. Not much of a contender it would seem.
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early adopters of hddvd will be more weary and probably wait a little bit longer before going after any new techs meaning they probably wouldnt want to purchase hdvmd and like the new signature Ajayd |
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yeah but what does it do? |
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