Alright, it is the time of the year when I try to wrap up all the major events in digital video and technology that happened during the past year and also to take a quick look at what happened at AfterDawn.com as well.
Blu-ray and the death of the HD DVD
For the good portion of this decade, people following our niche have been anticipating the “next DVD format” to come. That finally happened in 2006, but the eve of the high definition optical video format was partly crippled by a format war. That format war finally ended earlier this year, when Toshiba gave up with its HD DVD format, marking Sony-backed Blu-ray the winner of the war. However, the prolonged development of the Blu-ray and the following format war delayed the potential adoption of the format so much that it remains a mystery whether the format will ever be able to replicate DVD’s success story.
Various net-based video services, such as Hulu have made significant gains in the United States during the 2008. As more and more studios, TV production companies and broadcast channels adopt net as one of their more significant distribution channels, such services pose a real threat to Blu-ray’s future in the U.S. It should be noted that due distribution contracts, smaller market areas and various localization issues, such services are rarity in most markets and in those markets, Blu-ray is often the only reasonable option for high definition video material. As a good example, here in Finland, the most HD channels you can get from any pay TV operator, is currently 10 and none of the major broadcasting channels provide HD material whatsoever. And of course Google is taking major steps into net video as well, specially after the introduction of HD material to Youtube earlier this year.
Result for: hd dvd
Infinity, the Japanese-based disc producer, has annouced that it will be bringing Blu-ray/DVD combo discs to the market, and that the boxset for the TV series Code Blue will be the first video to use the combo disc.
The disc will only be a single layer Blu-ray on one side and a dual layer DVD on the other, but the company says a full BD-50 dual layer on one side is possible.
Before its demise earlier this year, a good amount of HD DVD discs were combo discs as an effort to spur interest in the format and in HD in general.
The Infinity BD/DVD Hybrid discs will begin shipping in mid-February, and the 11-episode Blu-ray boxset will retail for the equivalent of $408 USD.
Result for: hd dvd
Microsoft has announced that it has cut the price of its Xbox 360 HD DVD addon by $50 USD. The price cut follows recent decisions by Toshiba to drop prices on their HD DVD players.
The new price cut brings the price of the add-on in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to $129.99 USD. A few months ago Microsoft dropped the price of its add-on and promptly saw a surge in sales.
Earlier today, the huge e-tailer Amazon began selling the add-on for $79.99 USD and sold out within hours.
It is also important to note that every purchase of the add-on includes a free copy of “King Kong” on HD DVD in the box as well as an offer to get five free discs in the mail.
