Gartner: Blu-ray to win in 2008, HD DVD price cuts are "useless resistance"

**Shrygue** · January 28th, 2008, 17:45

via Engadget

Gartner, the fat lady of research firms, is singing HD DVD's swan song this morning. Hiroyuki Shimizu, Principal Research Analyst in Japan, says in Gartner's Semiconductor DQ Monday Report that, "Gartner believes that Toshiba's price-cutting may prolong HD DVD's life a little, but the limited line-up of film titles will inflict fatal damage on the format." He goes on to call the recent price cuts "useless resistance" in avoiding the inevitable. What's that, you coyly ask?

According to Shimizu, "Gartner expects that, by the end of 2008, Blu-ray will be the winning format in the consumer market, and the war will be over." With 5 of the 7 major studios now backing Blu-ray exclusively, Gartner's certainty on the subject doesn't appear to be much of a stretch.

**ketchup** · January 29th, 2008, 08:07

It seems like corporate politics has won again, as always. Who can make the best deal for the studios rather than let the customers decide.
All films on both formats would have been the preferred choice for all of us and then WE could decide and not the studios/format developers who just want to wring our pockets dry of cash.

**F9zDark** · January 29th, 2008, 15:04

Originally Posted by ketchup

It seems like corporate politics has won again, as always. Who can make the best deal for the studios rather than let the customers decide.
All films on both formats would have been the preferred choice for all of us and then WE could decide and not the studios/format developers who just want to wring our pockets dry of cash.

Format wars suck, which is what I have always said. But in all honesty, Blu-ray is the better format. It has more capacity and that is really all that matters nowadays.

If compression was as great as some people on here make it seem, we wouldn't even have DVDs. CDs with ultra compression would be favored; but thats not the case.

Yes I wholeheartedly agree that format wars suck. And the politics behind this one has made this format war, the worst ever. But lets look at the beta max vs VHS war; Beta Max was FAR superior to VHS and it lost; because the consumers were given the choice.

Hell, just look at the US and its piss-poor democracy and you'll clearly see why people as a group should never make a decision.

**JKKDARK** · January 29th, 2008, 15:27

that's a false rumor. I'm sure the new tactic from Microsoft will change it.

**F9zDark** · January 29th, 2008, 15:35

Originally Posted by JKKDARK

that's a false rumor. I'm sure the new tactic from Microsoft will change it.

What new tactic are you talking about? Quit pulling sh!t out of your ass, because if I wanted to see that, I'd goto the Zoo.

Lets recap shall we?

-Blu-Ray is the undisputed champion of last year, outselling HD-DVD 3 to 1 most months out of year, with a record of 9 to 1 in February.

-Blu-ray has already won this past month.

-HD-DVD had/has started a Fire Sale, which means they are DESPERATE for getting their players and movies sold, which means that even the HD-DVD camp knows the end is near.

-Microsoft could careless which format wins, they have stakes in BOTH formats, so to them, they come out on top no matter who wins.

**JKKDARK** · January 29th, 2008, 16:51

Originally Posted by F9zDark

What new tactic are you talking about? Quit pulling sh!t out of your ass, because if I wanted to see that, I'd goto the Zoo.

Lets recap shall we?

-Blu-Ray is the undisputed champion of last year, outselling HD-DVD 3 to 1 most months out of year, with a record of 9 to 1 in February.

-Blu-ray has already won this past month.

-HD-DVD had/has started a Fire Sale, which means they are DESPERATE for getting their players and movies sold, which means that even the HD-DVD camp knows the end is near.

-Microsoft could careless which format wins, they have stakes in BOTH formats, so to them, they come out on top no matter who wins.

I have a good source but I can't tell you it, be patient.

**F9zDark** · January 29th, 2008, 17:03

Originally Posted by JKKDARK

I have a good source but I can't tell you it, be patient.

Sure, and I have a time machine and I have seen the future where Microsoft doesn't exist; $#@! look at that, our sources of information contradict each other, I wonder whose source of information is accurate?

**JKKDARK** · January 29th, 2008, 17:16

Your best sources can be from sites like Engadget

Microsoft is my best source for HD-DVD and 360 stuff

**F9zDark** · January 29th, 2008, 17:20

Originally Posted by JKKDARK

Your best sources can be from sites like Engadget

Microsoft is my best source for HD-DVD and 360 stuff

And why do you think that is? Hmm lets see, its called SPIN. Microsoft will put a spin on anything if they think it will help them out; hence why first parties are NOT wholly reliable sources of information...

And Microsoft has a stake in Blu-Ray as much as they do in HD-DVD; Microsoft licensed VC-1 compression technology to the Blu-Ray Disc Association; so how are they reliable? They "win" no matter what format wins, so tell me, why do they care about HD-DVD? Truth is, they don't.

If they did, they'd have put HD-DVD standard in the 360, at a cost; rather than sell it as a $200 addon, for profit.