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Sony blinks in high-def battle

Posted Nov 09 2007, 09:58 AM by Kim Peterson
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Sony head Howard Stringer talked Blu-Ray this week during a visit to Manhattan, saying his format is in a "stalemate" with HD-DVD.  He played down the battle as no biggie.

"It doesn't mean as much as all that," he said. He added that the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD teams once talked about uniting under one format, but that didn't happen.

I think Sony just blinked. Stringer drops bombs like these just as we're heading into the holiday shopping season? Shoppers are going to be picking a side in the great Blu-Ray/HD-DVD fight, but does Sony even care?

There are two big things going for HD-DVD, which is backed by Toshiba and Microsoft. The first is that the price of players is dropping to $200. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Sony's PlayStation 3 is still the cheapest Blu-Ray player, at $399. (I watch Blu-Ray movies on my PS3, and they are fantastic).

Another thorn in Blu-Ray's side is that the HD-DVD camp paid off persuaded Paramount in August to ditch Blu-Ray and put out its movies exclusively in HD-DVD.

Blu-Ray has some wins too. Target stores are selling exclusively Blu-Ray players this holiday (although Target.com has HD-DVD), and Blockbuster has gone Blu-Ray exclusive as well. 

Stringer should be readying for the big holiday fight, drinking raw eggs and listening to "Eye of the Tiger." But instead he's almost dismissive of the entire issue.

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Comments

 

Beta vs. VHS...  interesting comment since Betamax was Sony's first failed attempt to force a de facto "standard" on the public.  Even the marketing rhetoric is the same (better sound, better picture), which is too bad since ultimately it's the consumers who lose out in the end.

Just_another_nail (Posted 11.10.07 12:04 AM) Report Abuse

I like my Sony Blu-Ray BDP S300 player.. but I can't find many movies worth watching. .. rarely turn it on these days... It takes longer to boot than my computer. .. the really interesting video doesn't even make it to disk.. there is a lot of entertainment in a fuzzy jumpy youtube movie. Much more original plots on atomfilms.com

One HD car chase is as good as any.. I wish the movie industry would get back to interesting stories.

Tim G (Posted 11.10.07 1:09 AM) Report Abuse

Both formats are now giving away 5 or 7 movies if you buy a player. Why not give away the player and movies and lock in the consumer. If Toshiba gave away their cheapest player and 5 or more movies they would pick up a huge buyer share. Sony probably can't afford to do it but Toshiba could.

I'm going to buy the Toshiba when I see it again at $99.00 like it was at Wal Mart recently. I tried to buy one there but they ran out at that price.

JohnnyG (Posted 11.10.07 1:53 AM) Report Abuse

HD DVD players have already sold <$100 very recently, they sold about 9000 on a word of mouth campaign over a day or two just a few days ago. The particular model being sold for that price only supported max 1080i, but for the price...

Texan_2112 (Posted 11.10.07 4:06 AM) Report Abuse

What's the controversy?  I just bought an HD-DVD player at Costco for $169.  They had a Blue Ray there also for $500.  The HD-DVD player produces a beautiful picture and great sound.  This is a no brainer.

jerry K (Posted 11.10.07 8:26 AM) Report Abuse

I bought one of the $99 Toshiba HD-DVD players that was on sale a couple weeks ago and quickly found I could not find any HD-DVDs in stock anywhere to buy. Now it has dawned on me that I don't wand anything other than DVDs anyway. I would only be able to use HD-DVDs in that one player, not the one in the kid's room, the bedroom or my PC on the road.

Feel like a dope for wasting my money!

John B (Posted 11.10.07 9:13 AM) Report Abuse

Direct at Base of Flames-

Simply refuse to buy either format (disks or players) until the victor is obvious. Why vote with your hard-earned dollars

Wizwill (Posted 11.10.07 9:22 AM) Report Abuse

choosing either format seems to be an absurd proposition.With digitilazation and compression we snag music off the web why not video?

Jeffrey Brearley @gmail.com (Posted 11.10.07 9:51 AM) Report Abuse

Target and blockbuster have nothing against walmart!! blockbuster is on it`s way out of buisiness, and target is nobody! walmart will be the key in this format war, and they want the cheapest hd--toshiba and hd dvd. look at the sales from the hd-a2! price has spoken to the consumers! consumers have spoken on price, price and walmart have decided this outcome! hd dvd all the way!

johnson (Posted 11.10.07 11:00 AM) Report Abuse

Nobody has mentioned the fact that Walmart has chosen the HD-DVD format and is selling a player for just under $100. I think the war may be over.

Robert V (Posted 11.10.07 11:58 AM) Report Abuse

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