Blu ray is doing well even during the slow season

[audio amateur]

I have to say, as long as DVDs are readily available and cheaper then BR, I don't see them going anytime soon. In my opinion, they will only go when they aren't available to the public anymore.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I have to say, as long as DVDs are readily available and cheaper then BR, I don't see them going anytime soon. In my opinion, they will only go when they aren't available to the public anymore.

Commodity pricing always comes just before a format's death. VHS where cheaper than DVD's and were readily available, where is it now?

[audio amateur]

Commodity pricing always comes just before a format's death. VHS where cheaper than DVD's and were readily available, where is it now?

DVD movies had a lot to offer compared to VHS. VHS quality plain sucked (both video & sound), as you already know. Not only that, DVD was more practical, compact and offered language selection and interactive menus, not to mention it wasn't backward compatible with VHS. When you think about it, there is a lot going for DVD in that a big chunk of the popultion is probably very happy with DVD as far a video quality goes, especially here in Europe where, as you said people don't have massive screens which show off high def. I'm not going to talk about sound because 90% of the consumer base won't hear or won't have the gear to exploit high def sound.

A friend of mine bought a 32" 720p screen back in 2007. We made comparison of DVD vs BR with irobot and granted, the picture was a little better but I wouldn't go as far as saying it was night and day. As for audio (something we all know so well as audiophiles), the public just isn't interested in small incremental increases in sound quality.

I'm just saying, DVD has a lot going for it. Granted, I'm already looking forward to buying BR and actually withholding DVD purchases in favour of future BR purchases, but hey, I'm not average Joe who likely (at this stage anyways) doesn't see massive benefits in buying BRs when DVDs are cheaper.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

DVD movies had a lot to offer compared to VHS. VHS quality plain sucked (both video & sound), as you already know. Not only that, DVD was more practical, compact and offered language selection and interactive menus, not to mention it wasn't backward compatible with VHS. When you think about it, there is a lot going for DVD in that a big chunk of the popultion is probably very happy with DVD as far a video quality goes, especially here in Europe where, as you said people don't have massive screens which show off high def. I'm not going to talk about sound because 90% of the consumer base won't hear or won't have the gear to exploit high def sound.

While I agree that VHS video did suck, this is a fifth quarter observation. A great majority of folks that bought into VHS did know it sucked at the time did they? Nope, they had nothing really to compare it to. Those of us who had Laserdisc at the time knew VHS sucked, because we actually had something to compare it to. The sound however was another story. VHS sound was no slouch, especially HiFi tracks. If they were not subject to the Dolby encoder/decoder, they could sound quite good actually. In my early days of recording digital audio, I used a Toshiba VCR's(with a PCM encoder) Hifi tracks as a digital backup to magnetic tape with very good results.

AA, there was a lot going for VHS when DVD hit the market. Most folks were quite satisfied with the PQ on their analog televisions at the time. Most folks believed that DVD was not even going to be as good as Laserdisc, but that proved wrong in the end. Most people did not want to re buy their movies nor buy an expensive player to play them. I might add, if people were so satisfied with DVD, then why the sales drop? And how do you explain the sales rise of Blu ray if everyone is so satisfied with DVD?

A friend of mine bought a 32" 720p screen back in 2007. We made comparison of DVD vs BR with irobot and granted, the picture was a little better but I wouldn't go as far as saying it was night and day. As for audio (something we all know so well as audiophiles), the public just isn't interested in small incremental increases in sound quality.

Now you and I both know a 720p television is not a good source for comparison to DVD. Blu rays are a 1080p encoded source that will have considerable degredation with down rezz'd to 720p. You are throwing away quite a bit of encoded information in your comparison, which gives DVD and undeserved additional advantage. Besides that, 720p televisions are at commodity prices here in America, nobody really wants them. A 32" screen is a waste of time with Blu ray resolution, you are not going to see all of the pixels of information on a screen that small. Did you follow the three times height rule for Blu ray viewing? Probably not. Following this rule does make the comparison a little more fair. 5.1 surround sound systems are almost as prevalent as DVD players in this country, it might be different in Europe though.

I'm just saying, DVD has a lot going for it. Granted, I'm already looking forward to buying BR and actually withholding DVD purchases in favour of future BR purchases, but hey, I'm not average Joe who likely (at this stage anyways) doesn't see massive benefits in buying BRs when DVDs are cheaper.

Time does not stand still. When these same people go out into the stores and find Blu ray player prices are really close to DVD player prices, what do you think they will buy - yesterday technology, or tomorrows? Studies have found that once a consumer pulls the plug on a BR player, then tend to buy less DVD's. That my friend is what is happening to DVD sales. In 2005 DVD sales experienced a 5% decline. In 2008 a full year after Bluray hit the market, those losses were close to 20%. As of last year, it was a full 25%. Bluray sales are up 76% over last year, which was up 200% from the year before. Clearly folks are moving away from DVD towards Blu ray. There will always be those left kicking and screaming away with legacy technology, but eventually they will have to move over was all of the support for the product dries up. Already three manufacturers are going to quit making DVD players with more to follow from what I am told.

Lastly, Europe is always behind this country in adopting new audio and video devices made in Japan. So it is natural that Europe is still pretty entrenched with DVD, while America is moving on to Blu ray. However, in saying that, Blu ray adoption is higher on both sides of the Atlantic than DVD was at the same time in its life span according to my NDP data, and that is thanks to the PS3.
To put even more perspective to this - Blu ray is having a faster adoption period than DVD, the CD, high-definition TV sets and several other common household technologies.

So perhaps you both may not have as wide a perspective in your own backyards that you think you do. Europe is a big place, and it does not just circle around the UK right?

[audio amateur]

VHS sound was no slouch, especially HiFi tracks. If they were not subject to the Dolby encoder/decoder, they could sound quite good actually. In my early days of recording digital audio, I used a Toshiba VCR's(with a PCM encoder) Hifi tracks as a digital backup to magnetic tape with very good results.

I'll take your word for it. I suppose the poor sound I remember is probably from re recorded tapes or recorded programs on tv.

if people were so satisfied with DVD, then why the sales drop? And how do you explain the sales rise of Blu ray if everyone is so satisfied with DVD?

I'm not saying BR sales aren't going to rise nor am I saying that DVD sales are going to drop. I'm saying DVDs are going to be around for a bit if their passing isn't forced, especially here in Europe.

Now you and I both know a 720p television is not a good source for comparison to DVD.

This is precisely my point, as you said yourself that the average screen here is smaller than they are in the US. DVD won't look as bad on a not so big screen, especially if the rez is 720p not 1080p. If I was to buy a sub 40" screen and knew I was going to be watching a good amount of standard def material, I would probably rather a 720p set over1080p.

You are throwing away quite a bit of encoded information in your comparison, which gives DVD and undeserved additional advantage. Besides that, 720p televisions are at commodity prices here in America, nobody really wants them. A 32" screen is a waste of time with Blu ray resolution, you are not going to see all of the pixels of information on a screen that small.

Again, you are reinforcing my point concerning the necessity of BR with smaller sets. On a side note, he bought the set in 2007 when prices were still fairly dear, which is why it isn't 1080p. Even today, there's probably a good proportion of 32" 720p sets vs 32" 1080p.

Did you follow the three times height rule for Blu ray viewing?

Are you refering to screen size vs. viewing distance? If yes I can tell you we weren't sitting miles away so any gain in PQ was clearly visible.

Already three manufacturers are going to quit making DVD players with more to follow from what I am told.

Despite the reported issues of DVD playback quality on BR players, I wouldn't have thought any of them are still making DVD players given the backward compatibility.

Lastly, Europe is always behind this country in adopting new audio and video devices made in Japan. So it is natural that Europe is still pretty entrenched with DVD, while America is moving on to Blu ray.

Indeed

However, in saying that, Blu ray adoption is higher on both sides of the Atlantic than DVD was at the same time in its life span according to my NDP data, and that is thanks to the PS3. To put even more perspective to this - Blu ray is having a faster adoption period than DVD, the CD, high-definition TV sets and several other common household technologies.

I'm guessing that's because BR players are backward compatible with DVDs, because of the popularity of the PS3 and because BR players are fairly cheap at this point.

So perhaps you both may not have as wide a perspective in your own backyards that you think you do. Europe is a big place, and it does not just circle around the UK right?

Actually, I can also speak for Switzerland and France as I'm there half the year. When I head back, I'll have a good look in video stores and tell you the position of BR relative to DVDs. Here, BR shelving represents maybe 20% of the total shelving (DVD + BR) in the popular high street shops. I've no doubt that figure is higher in the US.
I have however, noticed the spread of BR on such online sellers as Amazon UK. They had massive sales last Christmas, often up to 70% off on popular titles.

BTW, seeing as I can use you is there any chance you can get info on release dates for the Alien quadrilogy films in BR?