HD-DVD - The Betamax of the 21st Century.
Not me, but Panteneman Snr.

He just couldn't wait to get his hands on the latest, shiny hi-def disc format. Impatiently, he ended up buying an Hitachi HD-DVD player.

I waited to see what was going to happen. I reckoned (at the time) that Blu-Ray would win, despite the fact HD-DVD by nature can play back DVD's and are backward compatible by default, while Blu-Ray players are made with DVD compatibility at this current moment in time (until the day DVD gets phased out) - apparently it's not a necessary requirement by default. Not forgetting that Sony had conjured up the Playstation 3 which uses Blu-Ray for games.

I was correct, and Panteneman Snr wasn't. I remember him ringing me up in work ranting about it. He ended up getting a Blu-Ray player anyway, but on the plus side he hoovered up tonnes of very cheap films, and even box sets on the format from Game, and eBay/Amazon.

Personally, I wanted HD-DVD to win due to no regional coding and backward compatibility by default. I then chose to buy a Hi-def player when Blu-Ray won. Thing is, it's only marginally better than DVD, and isn't the quantum leap in quality from VHS to DVD. Acquired for £150, when players were still at least £250+ from eBay. Score.
(Panteneman Isn't entirely sure why he bothered on, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 22:25, 13 replies)

formats are dead
bluray will be the last 'physical' format. It wont last long.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Tue 5 Oct 2010, 22:50, closed)

Tell you what.
Point me towards an ISP that lets me consistently download the equivalent of ten bluray disks a month without foaming at the mouth and I'll agree that physical formats are dead.

Actually, just point me towards a media supplier that offers me cheap storage for the films I've just bought, without having to stream them from their servers every time I want to watch them, because if I do my ISP foams at the mouth. Then I'll agree that physical formats are dead.

Actually, a media supplier that offers me cheap storage for the films I've bought would be great. Hey, one that offers me cheap storage in discrete units for those films would be even better - then I could take them to a friend's house occasionally! If you find one of those, then I'll agree that physical formats are dead.

It'd be even better if they gave me pretty cases I could stack next to the TV, so other people could see what films I have without rooting through my PC/Under TV Box/Porn collection. If that happens, then... er.

Oh, wait.
( gone, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 23:17, closed)

To be honest...
It's probably only the ISP part that's the limiting factor, and you're probably right.

But fuck that, I want shiny boxes.
( gone, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 23:21, closed)

Be Internet?

( jim_bob can herd cats., Tue 5 Oct 2010, 23:31, closed)

^^ this
Also: show me a storage service provider that I trust not to go bust without warning, effectively erasing all my files/movies...
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 9:16, closed)

O2 (Legacy Terms)
Have downloaded over a TB some months and they don't even mention it. Now they've gone and put a 250GB traffic shape on my package for new subscribers. I'm led to believe that BE (same as o2) is still flogging the old terms and conditions.

BTW am i alone in thinking that Blu-Ray only won the format war because it has a cooler name?
(sunray18, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 11:17, closed)

I’m a great music and filum fan , and I can’t remember the last time that playing some media in my house involved taking a plastic disc out of a box.

I’ve got all my filums stored on raided and backed up hard drive. This is shared around the house via wireless and wired connections to media players or direct to TVs with media player functionality. All the media is available instantly to any or all devices.

My zen internet account allows 200gb a month with no throttling.

When I buy discs (rarely) they are immediately ripped to the data store, and given away / chucked, so no appalling ‘wall of discs’.

The online services already exist, both legal and illegal.

10 years ago you could have used exactly the same arguments about the upcoming death of CDs.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 6 Oct 2010, 11:14, closed)

no probs...
adsl24.co.uk

used them at my last address, they couldn't give a shit what you download, as long as you keep within the on-peak limit. Their off-peak unlimited means just that.
(Kip, Thu 7 Oct 2010, 10:26, closed)

HD DVD players?
I think I've got one for every TV in the house, plus two at my parents' house, plus a spare, plus 2 360 players. All bought by buying up players and entire film collections on eBay at knockdown prices, then reselling the doublers, effectively the players came free. Blu-ray may have won the format war, but with HD films starting at under three quid to clear at HMV, I don't give a shit.

All DVD region-hacked, too. No need to hack the HD side though, that's region-free anyway :-)
( eXOBeX, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 0:04, closed)

Ahh, I know the pain myself...
Saturday: Spend £180 on a HD-DVD player add on for the XBox 360.


Thursday: HD-DVD officially being discontinued.

Fucking rats' cocks.

It was the superior format...
(Miraclefish How appropriate, you fight like a cow, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 9:56, closed)

hate to say but you have still wasted your money.
HD is useless without a 40inch screen minimum and in another year or so the prices will take a massive nosedive.
( Bamboo Steamer, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 10:03, closed)

isn't resolution somewhat more relevent than size?
( Happy Phantom has been to Hastings, Brighton, and Eastbourne too, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 11:25, closed)

That's what I tell the ladies

(Miraclefish How appropriate, you fight like a cow, Wed 6 Oct 2010, 11:46, closed)