[vasudeva]

This article appeared in WSJ about Blu Ray and HD-DVD. It says that Toshiba's presence in the market helped consumers in one respect: bringing down prices for Blu-ray players owing to competition from its much less expensive HD DVD players. Even today, prices for Toshiba players are between $149.99 and $199.99, compared with around $399.99 for the least-expensive Blu-ray players. A year ago, Blu-ray players cost $500 or more.

As Toshiba Surrenders, What's Next for DVDs? - WSJ.com

[MustangMan]

Guess only Microsoft left with HD-DVD!

So Blu-Ray it is...

[nitroxx]

Simple I have the elite360 and the PS3 so whatever comes I'd still have a player... LOL! just kidding, Well if its games then for now its the 360 undoubtedly (cracked) ( I mean unless you're goin all out with 1080p screens then the Ps3 makes a difference) and the PS3 will take over later for sure once its (cracked), in turn increasing demand for BluRAY technology.

[JPL]

Toshiba to halt HD DVD by March?

Toshiba is readying a quick end to HD DVD that may come as early as March, according to a report by Japan's Nikkei BP (subscription needed for full access). The business publication claims that Toshiba chief Atsutoshi Nishida will announce the end of Toshiba's contribution to the format as early as tomorrow, all but ending HD DVD's viability as a disc standard. In the reported plan, Toshiba will cease sales of all its own hardware by March, including its stand-alone movie players as well as optical drives for desktop PCs and notebooks. Optical disks made by Toshiba itself will also be discontinued.

No third parties are yet known to be following suit, though are expected to follow Toshiba's actions without significant support.

Source :Electronista | Toshiba to halt HD DVD by March?

Same news in yesterdays toi also !!

[praveen_v]

It's good that there's only one format now. I hope the cost of Blu-ray burner and the media comes down soon and fast. The burners are too high priced around 300 US dollars currently.

[navin]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

You will need to add $$$ for HD DVD/ Blue Ray writer to create these kind of DVDs.

what kind of money? 10K?

[greenhorn]

20k
Theitdepot - LG Blue Ray Writer (GGW- H20L)
and the media aint cheap either.
But this still wont write an HD DVD, only read. Since HD DVD lost the war on HD to Blu Ray, they arent made any more, and they were sold cheap in america, once HD DVD was discontinued.HD DVD is going the way of Betamax

[navin]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

But this still wont write an HD DVD, only read. Since HD DVD lost the war on HD to Blu Ray, they arent made any more, and they were sold cheap in america, once HD DVD was discontinued.HD DVD is going the way of Betamax

So the HD part of their HD DVD player is useless? and yes the HD media is expensive so is Blue Ray. So even if I can record in HD no one but me can see the HD video and I can only if I use my camera as a player right?

My hope was to make HD video with my HD camera and distribute HD home movies to friends/family.

I got a HD camera (Canon HF10) should I have got a Blue Ray camera instead? Do they make a Blue Ray camera?

[greenhorn]

navin ji, HD and HD DVD are two different things. HD = high defnition, those high resolution video formats, AVCHD for example. HD DVD is just one of the types of HD media. Blu ray another HD format. I believe that you can convert the video from your camcorder to write onto either of these formats. If you write as blu ray, eventually ( and thats a long 'eventually'. Blu ray adoption has been slow compared to DVD adoption when it was introduced). Its suffering the same fate of the SACD/DVD-A. while it is technically better, not many see merit in switching to HD, due to limitations of their existing equipment.

But using HD DVD's ( unless you can find the media cheap) is not worth it. The only reason people bought HD DVD players is because you essentially got a DVD player which could upsample to HD resolutions at the cost of a DVD player then.

If you plan to go via the blu ray route, and if your family plan to get Blu ray players, then it is still viable , but at a later date. Using HD DVD........ I dont think its worth it. Once that HD DVD player conks off, you wont be able to get a replacement.

[navin]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

If you write as blu ray, eventually ( and thats a long 'eventually'. Blu ray adoption has been slow compared to DVD adoption when it was introduced). Its suffering the same fate of the SACD/DVD-A. while it is technically better, not many see merit in switching to HD, due to limitations of their existing equipment.

If you plan to go via the blu ray route, and if your family plan to get Blu ray players, then it is still viable , but at a later date. Using HD DVD........ I dont think its worth it. Once that HD DVD player conks off, you wont be able to get a replacement.

ok so I can convert my AVCHD files to Blue Ray which is also an HD format. And everyone can use their PS3s (many in my family already have PS3s) to play the Blue ray disks but I would need a Blue ray burner on my PC to do that right?

Are Blue Ray burners available for the PC?

What if I just burn all the stuff to Blue Ray format on a USB Hard disk or thumb drive then use the PS3s USB port to connect the Hard disk to the TV? Can Blue Ray files be stored on a Hard disk, thumb drive or SD Card instead of a DVD?

If this is true I wont need a DVD burner at all. I'll can just use solid state memory. It is faster and it will get cheaper with time.

I am sorry I am asking all these stupid questions but frankly the HD/Blue Ray forums are very diffcult to read for a non techie like me.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by navin

ok so I can convert my AVCHD files to Blue Ray which is also an HD format. And everyone can use their PS3s to play the Blue ray disks but I would need a Blue ray burner on my PC to do that right?

Yes

Are Blue Ray burners available for the PC?

Originally Posted by greenhorn

20k
Theitdepot - LG Blue Ray Writer (GGW- H20L)

If it were me , I'd wait some more time for the drive and media prices to fall before jumping onto the blu ray bandwagon.But then again, You want to future proof your PC. The decision is upto you. A year or so down the line , you should be able to get hold of a cheaper and faster drive- the decision is yours

[navin]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

If it were me , I'd wait some more time for the drive and media prices to fall before jumping onto the blu ray bandwagon.

But why do we need burners if we can store Blue ray on Hard disk or SD RAM? Today you can get 16GB SD RAM or Thumb drives freely and since we will be re using (SD RAM can be erased and re-written many times) these its not like we ned to buy a lot of them.

[greenhorn]

I wouldnt trust my data to an HDD unless they are in redundant RAID. I've tlost enough data to dead HDD's to know better than to trust them. I dont know about the data retentivity of thumb drives. right now , 4 GB at 20 rupees , a DVD is the sweet spot

[navin]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I dont know about the data retentivity of thumb drives. right now , 4 GB at 20 rupees , a DVD is the sweet spot

I am comparing thumb drives and SD cards to Blu Ray. With SD RAM you dont need a Blue Ray writer nor Blue Ray DVDs.

[greenhorn]

um, navin, I know of only one SD RAM, and that's what you used to put on motherboards in the Pentium 3 era.No clue how its used for Permanent storage