Why You Should Be Careful About Buying Your Next DVD Player
Posted March 3, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It wasn’t exactly David vs. Goliath. It was more like Goliath vs. Goliath. And in the end, only one giant would emerge victorious. In this case, it’s Sony, the company that developed the Blu-ray DVD player.
You may already have a DVD in your home and you might also be one on the millions who’ve already bought a High Definition big screen TV. But up until as recently as two years ago, you could only play regular digital video discs in your machine, and they didn’t quite fill your screen with the kind of picture you should have been getting.
Never one to miss a chance to get you to buy a new version of something you already owned (a fact those who originally bought their favourite artist on CD even though they already owned the vinyl record know a lot about) the electronics industry went to work and created DVD players that were capable of not only holding more video but reproducing the kind of picture and sound consumers have come to expect from their high tech equipment.
But they didn’t learn from the history of the industry, which saw a battle for control between VHS and Betamax in the early videocassette wars of the late 70s and early 80s. So when Sony came out with an HD-ready DVD system known as ‘Blu-ray’, they were expecting big things.
But then rival Toshiba emerged with a system of its own, known as HD DVD, and it appeared to be, in the words of the great Yogi Berra, déjà vu all over again.
The problem: while both could be used for conventional DVDs, neither would play the other’s high definition discs. And some movie companies were backing one format while others chose the competitor. That meant some big titles weren’t available to you depending on which machine you bought. And only a few were turning out discs in both systems.
Sony lost the first round thirty years ago and they were determined not to let history repeat itself.
And in the end, they didn’t. Last month, after stores were forced to carry both formats for years, Toshiba gave up the fight and announced it would no longer be making the players as of March, effectively surrendering the entire market to the Blu-ray.
It was the moment many consumers had been waiting for, as they held back from buying one or the other, fearing they’d be stuck with a lemon.
But now there’s another reason to worry. Many retailers are trying to dump their HD DVD machines, offering them up for cheap prices. If you’re not careful you could wind up unknowingly buying one of them, not realizing it’s the proverbial pig in a poke.
“They are a boat anchor or a doorstop,” warns Chris Hogg of digitaljournal.com. “They’ll say high-definition player, which is really confusing for the average consumer. But it’s HD DVD. Stay away from it. Just stick with Blu-ray. Make sure it’s clearly marked as Blu-ray, and don’t invest in anything else.”
But don’t be so fast to put your money down on that machine just yet, either. Most of the current models are under the standard of 1.0. The next generation is 1.1 and will be out everywhere in a few months. What’s the difference?
“Profile 1.1, this summer, will support the picture in picture. It won’t do downloadable content but you can upgrade that later,” Hogg notes. “Profile 2.0 is the full kit and caboodle. It will be able to do everything.”
Or you can buy a Sony PlayStation which long ago hitched its wagon to the winner, and offers both high definition DVD playback and Internet connectivity.
Here’s a look at the fallout from the change.
Blu-ray vs. HD DVD
Who backs Blu-Ray?
Sony, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, LG, Sharp, Panasonic, Samsung, Philips, Thomson/RCA
Who backed HD DVD?
Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo
Which movie companies used Blu-ray?
Sony Pictures, Disney, Fox, Lions Gate
Which movie companies used HD DVD?
Paramount, NBC-Universal, Warner, Dreamworks SKG
(Some produced films in both formats)
When did they first appear?
HD DVD: April 2006
Blu-ray: June 2006
Capacity:
Blu-Ray: 23-27 Gigabytes, 50gb dual layer disc
HD DVD: 15-20 Gigabytes, 30gb dual layer disc
Normal DVD: 4.7 Gigabytes
What’s the difference?
HD DVD: It’s a cheaper machine and adheres more closely to current non-high definition DVDs. That means it costs less to make and sell. Partnered with Xbox but only as an add-on.
Blu-Ray: Boasts a larger capacity so it can hold more – including those much valued extras that movie lovers have come to expect from DVDs. Tests show at least three hours of high definition video can be put on a single disc. In all, it gets about 25 per cent more than HD DVD on a 25 gigabyte single-layer recordable disc. Built in to many Sony PlayStations.
Hybrids: There were some machines that played both formats, but they were expensive (in some cases, more than a thousand dollars) and most people either couldn’t afford them or didn’t want to pay that much money.
Why did HD DVD disappear?
Two big things happened to tip the scales. In January, Warner Bros, responsible for some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, decided to stop making its films available in the HD DVD format.
That same month, Wal-Mart, the biggest retailer in North America, decided it would carry only Blu-ray DVD players and movies, eliminating the expensive and confusing duplication. Chains like Best Buy and Netflix had already made similar intentions known.
In mid-February, Toshiba finally saw the writing on the big screen wall and threw in the towel, leaving Blu-ray as the last player standing.
Microsoft has since announced it will stop selling any HD DVD add-ons with its Xbox system.
What if I bought an HD DVD?
It’s not entirely a piece of junk. It will still play standard DVDs and you can use it to watch any high definition product you’ve already purchased. But few if any new movies will be issued in the format and the supply will slowly disappear. And if you buy a Blu-ray, you won’t be able to play those other HD DVD discs in your collection.
What’s Next?
The last HD DVDs will come out in March, and consumers looking to upgrade should be sure they buy the only format that will last – the Blu-ray. Be wary of the difference before you make a purchase, because some stores may be looking to sell off the inventory of the loser and you might get stuck with a video lemon. So know what you’re looking for and what you’re getting.
Movie companies allied with the losing format are also pulling up stakes. Paramount, which is responsible for some of Hollywood’s biggest films, is releasing its final HD DVD format flicks on Tuesday. The swan song films are “Things We Lost in the Fire” and “Into the Wild.”
Blu-rays were always more expensive than their rivals, but you can expect the price to come down once they become the only game in town and begin to start selling in large numbers.
Photo credit: Michael Kappeler/AFP/Getty Images
