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"Could the PS3 harm success Blu-ray?"

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Wed 24/01/07 at 15:28
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An interesting article i found from my recently delivered Gamestm mag:


Amid all the clamour surrounds PS3's inflated price tag was the assertion by sony itself that you were not simply buying a console; you were buying an entertainment centre. Online capablities certainly help in this respect, but even though it has rarely been made implict by sony, the inclusion of a blu-ray drive was always intended as a huge selling point

It is a harsh irony that the inclusion of the drive led to manufacturing shortages and did much to sabotage the console's early public image, and now analysts are claiming that the ps3 have a detrimental effect on the success of the blu-ray format as a whole.

Time warner chief executive officer Richard P earson said "Do i think that [PS3] is really going to drive the conversion of blu-ray? i don't think so. People get those things to play games, not watch movies".

Whatever the degree of success ps3 eventually enjoys, there simply aren't enough consoles available in the market place and sony's manufacturing problems are far from over. Ron Enderle of technology analysts the Enderle group, feels that Microsoft's optional HD-DVD drive will win over more converts, and help decide the console war. "HD DVD wins because of xbox 360" he commented. "There may be as many as ten times more HD dvd players by the end of the year.



The PS3 will no doubt do well, there are enough fanboys and decent games to ensure that will happen. But there are several outcomes that COULD happen with Blu-ray.

The first is that with many people buying PS3, blu-ray media players will find it difficult to gain a footing in the market because the PS3 has one and everyone will simply use that instead.

Another possablitiy is that when a new Blu-ray player comes out, it will have far better performance whereas the PS3 blu-ray would be lacking. Its highly improbable that it would never happen as its the same tech though.

Another possablity, it would be more popular to buy a blu ray player then to use the PS3 to watch movies. esstentially suggesting PS3 could have sold just as well selling on its processing power and games and using a DVD drive. Hence confirming certain peoples opininons that PS3 was expensive (thanks to the new blu ray tech) and the delays the losses sony incurrs just to produce the machine could have been avoided. That would probably anger more people and make people already angry of Sony's conduct of lauching the PS3 even more angrier.

One could argue that the customer could benefit by buying a PS3 as it will future proof sony custmers in entertainment. But thats IF Blu-ray takes off like the DVD and everyone embraces it. But to do that pretty much everyone would need to embrace it and with sony's console paving the way, it could be questionable. With sales dented from WII and xb360 and the price detering more people. Blu-ray might not fully take off for a long long time and instead is replaced by HD DVD and becomes the next progressive step for recording, viewing films,media etc etc. TBH we're at a sort of cross roads here. Blu ray tech isn't really required right now, but DVD might not be sufficent for storing ever larger files of games, movies etc soon. But who knows? Sony might triumph and blu ray will be a success too.

So your thoughts on Blu ray?
Fri 26/01/07 at 12:29
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"8==="
Posts: 33,481
Apparently Sony have refused to let the adult film industry use the Blu-Ray format.

In the past it's been claimed that the adult film industry's format choices have helped that format to 'victory'.

HD's slightly cheaper too which works for their shoe-string budgets. :D
Fri 26/01/07 at 09:01
Regular
Posts: 14,437
I had the beta and that was still space-heavy. Recently I've been forced to delete demos just to be able to download new stuff.

Don't keep music or video on there though as it's all streamed from the computer via Media Connect.

But yeah, they plan on launching a TV/Film download/rental service - they'd better launch a bigger HDD to go with it.
Fri 26/01/07 at 08:56
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"8==="
Posts: 33,481
Not with TV content that can kept forever, plus I wouldn't mind sticking on a load more music too. :D

FFXI takes up half of that 20GB too if you've got it!
Fri 26/01/07 at 08:44
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Posts: 14,437
Hedfix wrote:
> Infact the smartest 'format wars' thing Sony did was to include
> a sizeable hardrive in their console.

Spot on. Microsoft are going to have to hurry and follow suit because I don't know about the rest of you, but 20Gb isn't going to last me forever.
Fri 26/01/07 at 06:00
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"8==="
Posts: 33,481
Blu-ray is not such a leap over DVDs as the DVD was over VHS/Video CD.

IF Sony's console division can survive then they may very well take the following generation of consoles but I think they've lost this one.

Unlike Nintendo they are now facing a company that is committed to competing on the multi-media gaming machine front and that company effectively has bottomless pockets.

It's is likely that Sony will be increasingly undercut by a company that can easily absorb the losses from the original machine and the extra losses incurred from releasing extra expansions to offer choice and out-manouver Sony's hardware choices (ie a seperate HD player expansion and hedging their bets with a camera peripheral that isn't properly supported yet).

With the proof that games on multiple discs sell fine (PC games on multiple CDs aswell as DVDs, and Playstation games with lots of FMV) there's every chance that Blu-ray simply won't be effective apart from playing a new movie format.

With the downloadable revolution rearing it's head it seems that the longevity of the Blu-ray format may be in trouble early on. HD movies and games are now downloadable to consoles and PCs and the support for this form of distribution is likely to increase over time.

Broadband isn't everywhere, but where it is we may see a serious drop in disc-based sales and a rise in downloads.

Infact the smartest 'format wars' thing Sony did was to include a sizeable hardrive in their console.

Downloads are the future.
Fri 26/01/07 at 02:51
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"Devil in disguise"
Posts: 3,151
mcg_highlander wrote:
> Personally I don't see why they didn't try to get the console out
> sooner. The X-box 360 & the Wii will have a solid footing in
> the console market by the time the PS3 is released.

I dont think either Microsoft or Sony wanted to release when they did. I think its been pretty obvious from both launches that neither company was ready for it. Microsoft were in a big rush to get the market first. And ultimately I think thats forced Sony to release earlier than they'd want too.

> The reason seems to be down to the blu-ray player, so could they
> not have an alternative? For example, a dvd with hard-drive
> option, surely this would of been a more sensible move as it
> would have got the console out sooner, put the price more inline
> with an X-box 360. At a later date Sony could then have released
> the blu-ray drive as an add-on.

I suppose in Sony's eyes pushing the Blu-Ray format was more important than getting to the market place earlier. Given the success of DVD playback on the PS2 there was no way they'd pass up another opportunity like that.
And Sony have made a big issue of the games requiring the extra storage space on Blu-Ray. If thats true, the problem is that it splits the market. So theres either 2 versions of a game (DVD or Blu-Ray) or you just end up with games that cant be played unless you buy a Blu-Ray drive. I dont think thats a big improvement either.
Fri 26/01/07 at 00:30
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"Same 'ole Tagline"
Posts: 287
Personally I don't see why they didn't try to get the console out sooner. The X-box 360 & the Wii will have a solid footing in the console market by the time the PS3 is released.

The reason seems to be down to the blu-ray player, so could they not have an alternative? For example, a dvd with hard-drive option, surely this would of been a more sensible move as it would have got the console out sooner, put the price more inline with an X-box 360. At a later date Sony could then have released the blu-ray drive as an add-on.

If it's a case of they wanted the PS3 to be sleek and sexy then why not make the dvd/blu-ray drive itself eject able from the console. Therefore if they did get the blu-ray drive it is a replacement to the DVD drive rather than being an extra, unsightly addition which is plugged into the console taking up more room under/over/beside your TV.

Sorry to have gone off topic slightly, to answer the "Could the PS3 harm success Blu-ray?" - I would say no, I believe the true success of blu-ray lies in keeping as many of the top quality movie studios tied to blu-ray for DVD releases.

This could all be pointless if they come up with dual players for blu-ray & HD DVD. (Just like DVD+ and DVD-)
Thu 25/01/07 at 22:46
Regular
"lets go back"
Posts: 2,661
The PS3's official price in the UK has recently been announced as £425, March 23rd release.

Its not as much as I though it was previously announced at so thats a nice surprise. At that price its defientely a cheap alternative to a standalone player (BR or HD).
Thu 25/01/07 at 17:48
Regular
"Devil in disguise"
Posts: 3,151
spoonbeast wrote:
> My big worry is similar with blu ray. The older drives might not
> be compatiable with the later blu ray cds and that might cause
> problems in the long run.

HD-DVD has the same problem already. Toshiba have developed this 50gig 3 layer disc and current drives cant read it apparently.
Thu 25/01/07 at 17:01
Regular
"eat toast!"
Posts: 1,466
Geffdof wrote:
> Bullett wrote:
>
>
> p.s. for the disc argument, Toshiba has created a new 51Gb
> HD-DVD, that's more than Blu-Ray. Storage size was pretty much
> Blu-Ray's biggest selling point.
>
> They are currently developing 100GB and 200GB blu Ray discs so I
> guess they will both improve as time goes by.


What interests me is that if you compare a dvd game (i used xbox) i noticed that the cds got slightly thicker and noticed that my old DVD drive that came with the xbox couldn't handle it and there were issues. Although that was probably because it was starting to fail anyway.

My big worry is similar with blu ray. The older drives might not be compatiable with the later blu ray cds and that might cause problems in the long run.

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