The battle between HD-DVD and Blue Ray was pretty much settled last year at the CES with Warner Bros crossing the DMZ. But now, it looks like Blue Ray is dying or fuzzy as New York Times Article states it. The article still gives it hope, but I predict that it won’t last more than a couple of years.

iTUNES, HULU, VUDU, YOUTUBE, etc…

With internet speeds increasing, video codecs creating  better but smaller HD files, iTunes offering HD movies as well as Vudu, Blue Ray is going to have a short shelf life. But it’s not just the technology but also the mindset of consumers that is driving this. The success Youtube, Hulu, Vudu, Slingbox, Bit Torrent, DVRs and iTunes are showing us that the viewing audience is ok with mediocre image quality as long as we can get it when we want and it’s free or cheap.

TVs are no longer tvs, but computer monitors. With the cost of the LCD Flat Screen HDTVs dropping and with the DTV signal change in February, why wouldn’t you get one. Viewers are also learning to hook up their computer to it and play their movies through the computer.

CONTENT OVER QUALITY:

I also noticed that viewers will always choose to watch something that is interesting and engaging rather than something with no story but technically amazing. (I can list a lot of movies/shows here, but I will refrain for time sake). If the story is great, it doesn’t matter how it was shot and displayed. I watched videos on my computer, on my iphone, on people blogs, facebook, websites. As long as the content was fascinating, I watched.

DISCLAIMER:

There is no replacing the telling of a great story using great technology that is used purposefully. I personally would love a Blue-Ray DVD player and a HDTV. I love going to the theaters and watching a film. Have you seen an IMAX film. (not the ones that they blow up a regular 35mm movie, but the ones they shot with 70mm film) Amazing. It is hard for me to watch football games not on a highdef television. (GO CHARGERS!)

But this entry is more about the business of Home Entertainment formats.

HOPE FOR BLUERAY: Here are some reasons why they might survive.

  1. Prices are dropping: With the economy today, they have to drop.
  2. Additional great content that you can only get on Blue Ray: But they are also starting to be available at the websites associated with film
  3. Early Adopters or as I call them, Easy Money: It’s no longer the latest technology and about to be old news
  4. I don’t know what I’m talking about: But I do.