Comments on: Microsoft, Apple Execs Agree: “Who Needs Blu-ray?”

By: Why I Love My PlayStation3: Video «

Why I Love My PlayStation3: Video « — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:08:12 +0000

[...] both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates think that the format will soon be discarded in favor of pure streaming media — and those [...]

By: eric susch

eric susch — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 07:49:36 +0000

The problem is that blu-ray isn’t just about watching Hollywood movies. It’s also about computer data storage and consumer HD video. What if you are getting married and hire a guy to shoot your wedding in HD. Wouldn’t you want some sort of physical disc with your final wedding video? I would, and I’d want it in HD because that’s what I paid for. There needs to be some kind of ubiquitous physical consumer HD format. HDV tape is dead so blu-ray is the only real contender at this point.

Also, the margin on both DVD’s and blu-ray discs is A LOT higher than digital downloads for movies. The studios will want to keep that revenue stream going. Digital downloads are superior for movie rentals but blu-ray will stick around for collectors who purchase movies and want to see their collection on the shelf.

By: Scott Jensen

Scott Jensen — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:39:34 +0000

I recall reading many interviews with electronics industry people at the time that Blu-Ray was being rolled out that it was only a “transition stage” between DVDs and downloads. During a recent high-tech convention, one of the speakers was marketer for a TV maker and, during the Q&A session that followed his rather standard “the future is great” speech, he was asked about Blu-Rays and he called them “a trap for early adopters” since he didn’t think it would ever be the norm as downloads would surge long before “followers” would consider Blu-Ray. He also called Blu-Ray “the video store’s Custer” as in “Custer’s last stand”.

By: Microsoft, Apple Execs Agree: “Who Needs Blu-ray?” : Video « - for life

Microsoft, Apple Execs Agree: “Who Needs Blu-ray?” : Video « - for life — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:44:06 +0000

[...] original post here: Microsoft, Apple Execs Agree: “Who Needs Blu-ray?” : Video « Tags: blu-ray, exec-believes, gates, gates-on-physical, physical-media, stephen, steve, [...]

By: Paul Sweeting

Paul Sweeting — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:54:29 +0000

Remember also that the interactive layer of Blu-ray is based on Java (BD-J as it’s known in the business). It was never likely that Microsoft would embrace a format that would require it to support Java. That’s why, while Windows supports drivers for a BD disc drive on PCs, Microsoft left the actual player application to third parties. The players require supporting BD-J. In contrast, the interactive layer on HD DVD (called iHD) was largely Microsoft-derived, which was one reason it supported the “red” format.

By: Benjamin Schwarz

Benjamin Schwarz — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:11:14 +0000

Well written update of an old debate.
I wonder though if Blu-ray’s lack of success indeed due maintly to it being too little too late in a connected world?
Is there not also a possibility that it hasn’t taken off that much because the demand for HD, although tangible, maybe be a little over-hyped and the real surge still to come?