SlashGear Japan
Well, that’s it folks, Microsoft has finally stepped up and settled the Hi-Def disk war once and for all. And the winner is: no one.
That’s right, according to Richard Doherty, the Media Entertainment Convergence product manager for Microsoft predicts that both HD formats will be obsolete within 5 years.
Apparently they believe that by then all content will be accessed either by means of streaming or retrieved from a local hard drive. While I would love to imagine a world where we didn’t have to worry about purchasing hardware that only worked with one format, I don’t think that technology will be at that point within 5 years.
Microsoft says HD-DVD and Blue-ray to be obsolete in 5 years [via boygenius]
10 Responses to “Microsoft settles HD-DVD vs Blu-ray debate”
Paul June 14, 2007
5 years seems very realistic to me. Netflix is already streaming rentals, Amazon and iTunes are selling downloads. Of course those nostalgic types that feel like they have to own a box with physical disc in it will be the ones holding back progress by providing the studios with sales.
+2bla June 14, 2007
After sacraficing many goats sony sets out to prove microsoft wrong. Toshiba just keeps hd dvd afloat just long enough for sony to loss all there money cuz some one probly said that the ceo at toshiba threw a ball like a girl and now toshiba is just proving a point now that they can keep hd dvd around as long as they want and not loss money while at the same time keeping sony lossing money and laying off every employ they have just so they can show every one that there not stupid
NeutralInterested watcher June 14, 2007
I have been following this tale since Bill Hunt gave his wildly biased interpretation of what Richard Doherty said/meant.
Doherty was asked to speculate on a series of ‘what if’s’ and ‘what might happens’.
The way some have chosen to present this as if Microsoft’s ‘real’ position on the next gen high def ‘war’s is that they have decided physical formats are going to vanish in 5yrs is simply spin.
That was not what he was saying at all.
It’s just a fact that d/ls will grow more and more but that does not mean discs are set to disappear.
+1Huge numbers of, if not most, consumers will continue to prefer a physical ‘good’ (although whether they themselves burn it to high def disc to store is another matter and highly pertinent to the on-going tale of the DRM these high def formats will try to push).
Ewdison Then June 14, 2007
I really cant wait for a hybrid player to come out.
NeutralJohn June 15, 2007
Again Bill Gates is a lier.
+1“HD” movies downloaded from internet ARE NOT HD! they are 1.3 Mb/s.
A normal SD DVD is 6Mb/s, and the simple fact that a movie is 1280×720 doesnt mean it’s HD because the compression is so high that you will see LESS detail than your SD TV post can feature.
SHAME on Microsoft.
jeff June 15, 2007
ewdison, There is a hybrid player out by LG but it cost $1200. :(
+1Ewdison Then June 15, 2007
ops, i meant an affordable one, the LG is way off my ocketbook right now, unless it goes below 500 i dont think i’ getting any :(
Neutralboom June 15, 2007
Streaming at that bitrate is hard to do if you want 1080p. having a hard drive big enough (and safe enough) to store my entire BD movie collection on would have be huge and expensive and i would definitely need a backup. i don’t see it happening anytime soon, although i would rather the hardware become obsolete. there’d be a lot less problems.
NeutralFan of HD!! October 23, 2007
Ok guys I just wanted to say that I have a Xbox360 with the HD player add on that is hooked up to a Hitachi 50 in. Plasma HDTV, And that works just fine with me the picture and sound are great the best I have seen. What I am trying to say is that I really dont care about Blueray disc or the players because thay also have the same picture and sound Quality as HD players and the HDDVDs, The only thing that is Different about the High Def war is the that Blueray holds more info then HDDVD, And when i say more info I mean that blueray has more extras that I really dont care about seeing I just want to watch a good movie with great picture and sound thats what it boils down to.
Neutrallow123456 November 25, 2009
qual será as mudanças daqui uns 2 anos ?
Neutral