I've been back from our Midwest Family Tour for a couple days, but hadn't made much time for blogging since there's been very little to blog about. I think I've gone nearly two weeks now without any serious gaming, which is more than a little disconcerting. I still need to finish Bioshock, so I'm hoping to make some time for that before the week is over. (I think I'm pretty close now.)
With baseball season underway and the Detroit Tigers looking like post-season contenders again this year I had planned to break down and order DirecTV's Extra Innings package. I had the page loaded up and was ready to click on the order button when I noticed that they're doing the same thing with their MLB package that they do with the NFL: putting the HD content on another tier, for which you have to pay extra.
Now $180 for a season of baseball isn't a bad value. It's not a great value, but it's six months of daily baseball at the same price of an NFL package where you'll probably only watch around 16 games. But I'm absolutely sick of DirecTV double-dipping for HD content. I already have to pay an extra $10 a month just to enable HD content, which was fine until they put HD-exclusive channels like UniversalHD, HDMovies and MGMHD into their own separate tier. To tell subscribers of these already expensive sports packages that they've got to pony up yet again if they want to see a fraction of the games in HD, I think that's just gouging. (Something I've told them in a not-so-politely worded letter.) I mean if you order HBO or Showtime, you don't have to pay a separate fee to get the HD versions of those channels.
Fortunately -unlike the NFL, which I'm canceling this year; screw the Lions- I have a choice with the MLB. So instead of going the DirecTV route, I've signed up for MLB.com's MLBTV Premium package. It's $120 dollars and includes a game mix channel (six games at once), MLB Radio (so I can listen to afternoon games at work) and some other stuff. Unlike past years, this year they've got a 1.2MB video feed that's much closer to (non-HD) broadcast quality. Since my PC's secondary display output is hooked up to our video projector, I'm thinking I can watch games all summer long while my wife watches regular stuff on the TV underneath the big screen. (It's an odd setup, but it works.)
As for the Tigers, I can't tell you how heartwarming it is to see this team competitive again. After 20 years of losing Detroit baseball, their incredible regular season and World Series appearance made 2006 just a magical year. In 2007 they had a disappointing finish (considering they had the league's best record late in July), but it was still a fun season of baseball. And with some of their off-season moves this year, acquiring Edgar Renteria, Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, this year should be more of the same. Hopefully the pitching holds up because that lineup is just unbelievable.
Showing posts with label HDTV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HDTV. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Format War: The Conclusion
Unless you were living under a very large and heavy rock, you no doubt have heard that Toshiba -finally- officially pulled the plug on the HD-DVD format, thus, ending the high-definition disc format war.
Not surprisingly, making my personal predictions for the year very, very wrong. I figured Universal Studios would jump ship by the end of the spring, at least going back to producing titles on both formats like they were last year at this time. At that point I thought it would take till the fall or even the end of the year for Paramount to officially cave and, by default, kill the HD-DVD standard with or without a white flag from Toshiba.
I'm happy to be wrong. Getting this thing over with now, hopefully means Universal back on the Blu-ray train by summer time (in terms of product on store shelves) and Paramount at some point after that. I don't know what it'll take for Paramount to get situated in the Blu-ray production market, but you have to assume that behind closed doors the preparations for such a move are already being put in place, if they're not already.
All in all, I'm very happy the format war is ending. That does not, however, mean, I'm all starry eyed over Sony's "success" with the Blu-ray format. Frankly, f#@ Sony and f#@ Toshiba. For over two years I've watched these two camps squabble and bicker and pontificate on the future of high-definition of video and how superior their respective format was, when what consumers deserved was a single, unified format from the very beginning. No, though I love watching movies in HD, Sony gets no bonus points from me just by virtue of being the last one standing. They're going to have to put far more time and energy into convincing consumers to move on from DVD as it is, and that doesn't even factor in the growing competition from downloading video online and the proliferation of OnDemand content from both cable and satellite.
Enjoy your big victory, Sony. Better hope it's not a pyrrhic one.
EDIT: Being the savant that I am, I reversed the standing of Paramount (plus Dreamworks) and Universal above. I don't know why I thought Universal was the one who was format neutral at this time last year. (It was Paramount.) In any case, there's stories circulating now that both of these studios have announced their intention to support Blu-ray and Engadget has indicated we might see product on shelves from both as early as the end of Spring.
Not surprisingly, making my personal predictions for the year very, very wrong. I figured Universal Studios would jump ship by the end of the spring, at least going back to producing titles on both formats like they were last year at this time. At that point I thought it would take till the fall or even the end of the year for Paramount to officially cave and, by default, kill the HD-DVD standard with or without a white flag from Toshiba.
I'm happy to be wrong. Getting this thing over with now, hopefully means Universal back on the Blu-ray train by summer time (in terms of product on store shelves) and Paramount at some point after that. I don't know what it'll take for Paramount to get situated in the Blu-ray production market, but you have to assume that behind closed doors the preparations for such a move are already being put in place, if they're not already.
All in all, I'm very happy the format war is ending. That does not, however, mean, I'm all starry eyed over Sony's "success" with the Blu-ray format. Frankly, f#@ Sony and f#@ Toshiba. For over two years I've watched these two camps squabble and bicker and pontificate on the future of high-definition of video and how superior their respective format was, when what consumers deserved was a single, unified format from the very beginning. No, though I love watching movies in HD, Sony gets no bonus points from me just by virtue of being the last one standing. They're going to have to put far more time and energy into convincing consumers to move on from DVD as it is, and that doesn't even factor in the growing competition from downloading video online and the proliferation of OnDemand content from both cable and satellite.
Enjoy your big victory, Sony. Better hope it's not a pyrrhic one.
EDIT: Being the savant that I am, I reversed the standing of Paramount (plus Dreamworks) and Universal above. I don't know why I thought Universal was the one who was format neutral at this time last year. (It was Paramount.) In any case, there's stories circulating now that both of these studios have announced their intention to support Blu-ray and Engadget has indicated we might see product on shelves from both as early as the end of Spring.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Warner Brothers Goes Blu-Ray Exclusive
You may or may not have guessed that I'm a big fan of HD video. I loves my HDTV. I've also been chomping at the bit to get a high definition video disc player, but the format war between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD coupled with the high price of early adoption has kept me on the fence.
Let me be clear, I have no vested interest in either format prevailing. I think the whole concept of this format war is disgusting and counter-productive. There have been times where I've leaned towards both formats. Ultimately, it's clear that neither has an obvious technological advantage. This is just about who get to line their pockets. Given that, I think the main metric to look at is the support each format has from the major movie studios.
Through a lot of last year it looked like this:
Blu-Ray:
Sony/MGM (exclusive)
20th Century Fox (exclusive)
Disney (exclusive)
Warner Brothers
Paramount/Dreamworks
HD-DVD:
Universal Studios (exclusive)
Paramount/Dreamworks
Warner Brothers
Blu-ray hardware came out later than HD-DVD and was more expensive, but obviously, you can see why, by the start of 2007's summer season, Blu-Ray was clearly starting to win the format war. (Disclaimer: The sales of both formats combined was still pretty anemic.) It's all about studio support, as the Betamax/VHS war proved two decades ago. (But this time support of the porn industry mean less than nothing, thanks to the Internet.) Around mid-year, however, Paramount/Dreamworks were coaxed (ie - bribed) into going HD-DVD exclusive. Not a whole new ballgame, to be sure, but it was clearly a move that would drag the format war out. Major bummer.
Towards the end of the year, however, I started reading rumors that WB was going to go exclusive with one format or another. Another move to HD-DVD would be a disaster if your primary concern is to see the format war over and done with. Fortunately, that didn't happen, as today WB has joined the Blu-Ray camp. So the revamped studio support list now looks like this:
Blu-Ray:
Sony/MGM (exclusive)
20th Century Fox (exclusive)
Disney (exclusive)
Warner Brothers (exclusive)
EDIT: I left out Lionsgate Studios too (also exclusive)
HD-DVD:
Universal Studios (exclusive)
Paramount/Dreamworks (exclusive)
I'm no expert, and I may be hopelessly naive, but I'd say that could just be the beginning of the end for HD-DVD. It'll take a bit of time, but there's just no way on god's green earth that HD-DVD can survive long in this environment, I don't care if they start giving players away for free at the grocery store every time someone purchases a box of Sugar Smacks.
Sadly, this probably doesn't mean a Blu-ray player in my near future. The cheapest players are still in the $300 to $400 range and that's a bit rich for my blood these days. Still, I think it's a good day for those of us that want to make the HD disc leap, but have been staying on the fence because of this needless format war. A war that is significantly hurting the prospects of either format succeeding, given that most people are all too happy to stick with the plain old DVDs.
Let me be clear, I have no vested interest in either format prevailing. I think the whole concept of this format war is disgusting and counter-productive. There have been times where I've leaned towards both formats. Ultimately, it's clear that neither has an obvious technological advantage. This is just about who get to line their pockets. Given that, I think the main metric to look at is the support each format has from the major movie studios.
Through a lot of last year it looked like this:
Blu-Ray:
Sony/MGM (exclusive)
20th Century Fox (exclusive)
Disney (exclusive)
Warner Brothers
Paramount/Dreamworks
HD-DVD:
Universal Studios (exclusive)
Paramount/Dreamworks
Warner Brothers
Blu-ray hardware came out later than HD-DVD and was more expensive, but obviously, you can see why, by the start of 2007's summer season, Blu-Ray was clearly starting to win the format war. (Disclaimer: The sales of both formats combined was still pretty anemic.) It's all about studio support, as the Betamax/VHS war proved two decades ago. (But this time support of the porn industry mean less than nothing, thanks to the Internet.) Around mid-year, however, Paramount/Dreamworks were coaxed (ie - bribed) into going HD-DVD exclusive. Not a whole new ballgame, to be sure, but it was clearly a move that would drag the format war out. Major bummer.
Towards the end of the year, however, I started reading rumors that WB was going to go exclusive with one format or another. Another move to HD-DVD would be a disaster if your primary concern is to see the format war over and done with. Fortunately, that didn't happen, as today WB has joined the Blu-Ray camp. So the revamped studio support list now looks like this:
Blu-Ray:
Sony/MGM (exclusive)
20th Century Fox (exclusive)
Disney (exclusive)
Warner Brothers (exclusive)
EDIT: I left out Lionsgate Studios too (also exclusive)
HD-DVD:
Universal Studios (exclusive)
Paramount/Dreamworks (exclusive)
I'm no expert, and I may be hopelessly naive, but I'd say that could just be the beginning of the end for HD-DVD. It'll take a bit of time, but there's just no way on god's green earth that HD-DVD can survive long in this environment, I don't care if they start giving players away for free at the grocery store every time someone purchases a box of Sugar Smacks.
Sadly, this probably doesn't mean a Blu-ray player in my near future. The cheapest players are still in the $300 to $400 range and that's a bit rich for my blood these days. Still, I think it's a good day for those of us that want to make the HD disc leap, but have been staying on the fence because of this needless format war. A war that is significantly hurting the prospects of either format succeeding, given that most people are all too happy to stick with the plain old DVDs.
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