"BLU-RAY WE HARDLY KNEW YE"......what??

[mjp28]

JUST WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH "NEW" HIGH TECH? 
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"BLU-RAY WE HARDLY KNEW YE"

There was a time when it looked like HD-DVD would be winner in the battle to bring high-definition to computers and video players. Then the momentum suddenly swung to a competing standard called Blu-ray. Now, it looks like Blu-Ray is in trouble, but not from HD-DVD.

Let me make a confession: I've written about this stuff for 25 years and cannot, off the top of my head, recite the differences between the formats. Nor can most people, for whom the whole Blu-ray "thing" seems to be a snore.

In fact, a Harris Interactive Poll (PDF) found that 93 percent of those surveyed have no interest in purchasing a Blu-Ray DVD player, despite HDTV ownership rising to 47 percent, up from 35 percent a year ago.

What's the matter?

Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD has confused potential customers, which is a sure way to freeze the market. But, there is also a concurrent move away from DVD as a content delivery mechanism.

“Blu-ray also faces competition from alternative technologies such as cable, satellite, and the Internet," said Milton Ellis, Vice President and Senior Consultant, Harris Interactive Technology, Media, and Telecom Practice. "Consumers today can easily watch high definition TV channels or use the Internet or video-on-demand to access high definition movies.

"In the near future, access to high definition movies may be a download or streaming delivery of one’s favorite movies to a home media server that eliminates the need for a Blu-ray player and Blu-ray disc. One thing is for sure, the market will be highly competitive, and consumers will have a wide variety of choices for their entertainment experience.”

My guess is that over time most of us will end up with Blu-ray, because it comes as part of whatever we purchase next, be it a computer or video player.

David Coursey happily admits to not owning a HDTV. He tweets as techinciter and can be reached via e-mail using the form at www.coursey.com/contact.

[Nate]

I haven't gotten a Blu Ray player for a couple reasons. 

1. I have like 300 DVDs.
2. I couldn't come to grips with which one to buy.
3. It's not as easy as plug and play.  You have to download updates to the player so it has to have WiFi availability.
4.  With the uncertanty and how much they cost, I just haven't done it yet. 

So I just purchased a upvert DVD player.

The article is correct, there is a wave of different media coming.  Downloading HD movies to your computer, game system, or via Net Flix is the wave of the future.   Music is that way, and I'm sure movies will make the transition, relatively soon.  Especially when this younger techy generation that all have IPods, etc... come of age.

I'm probably going to hold off and not get  Blu Ray unless I have to.  I do think within 10 years HD download will be the way to go.

[ScarletBlooded]

I never understood what the big deal about Blu-Ray was, I was never fascinated about it and considering I have good movie options with my Xbox 360 and PS3 not to mention Net Flix, I'll pass despite the fact that the Playstation 3 does have Blu-Ray playability, I simply use my game systems for online play.

I had a feeling that Blu Ray would fall into obscurity, but it happened faster than I thought. 

[mjp28]

This guy's been writing tech stuff for 25 years -but- from what I've read the blue laser had better capabilities than the ruby red laser's specs.

To most people a laser is a laser PLUS we're all leary of the tech turnover rate, the reason why 93% said they have no plans on buying BLU-RAY.

Moore's law kind of thing.

I also still have over 100 8 tracks, way more than 100 cassettes, 3 still working VCRs, a brand new box of floppys (somewhere), spools of blank CD ROMs, and on it goes.

Oh and 2 really good working Sanyo 8100 cell phones, 6 years old, original batteries....just changed our numbers the Sprint guy was amazed.