Blu-Ray Launch Expected Next Week

grammar fascist writes "According to a Reuters article, two Blu-ray players and 'various titles' are expected in stores next week, June 20th. From the article: 'Blu-ray, one of two much-hyped high-definition DVD formats, debuts next week, but the launch is expected to be muted amid device delays and consumer confusion, industry analysts said on Thursday.' On the 20th, Samsung, not Sony, is launching a set-top player (Sony's is due this fall), and Sony is launching a Blu-ray compatible VAIO PC. Sony's fall set-top player will probably cost $1500. No word on the cost of Samsung's player yet, but I wouldn't expect it to be cheap."

Format wars?

[Poromenos1]

I don't know about you, but I am not at all excited by this. When DVD came out I couldn't wait for writers to come out so I could get one, but if we're going to be in the middle of a format war I don't even want a player. I think sales are going to be somewhat less than satisfactory.

Dual-Format Player

[CowboyTodd]

I'm personally waiting for a dual-format play before I buy a next-gen format. Unlike with VHS/Beta both formats are the exact same dimensions so I think it is just a matter of time untill we get a player that can play both.

Re:I don't care who wins

[Anonymous Coward]

It isn't the detail difference that switched people from VHS to DVD, it was the random access and lack of quality loss over time (tape hiss, drop in picture quality) that brought people over. Picture quality increase alone will not entice most people.

how many times.....

[Churla]

How many times will Sony need to push forth a predominantly vendor specific (although a couple other blu-ray vendors exist, we all know this is mostly a Sony standard) format for something before learning better? Or is Sony trying to corner the market on niche markets?

1. Betamax
2. Memory sticks
3. Minidisc
4. UMD

How many times? How many other Sony formats am I missing? I know I have to be missing at least one.

Re:I don't care who wins

[falcon8080]

You know the biggest god damn problem with Hi Def TV?

Its too complicated. 480i, 480P, 720i,720p,1080i,1080p, HDTV that displays a 720P in 1080i, that looks crappier than 1080i, 1080p sets that exist but cost $10,000+ but no actual content, 1080p content that is really just someother content, but 'upscaled', 480p not looking correct on a 1080i/p set, increased cost for 'digital' content via cable/sattelite, cable cards, hd-tv sets that are hd-tv ready, but not actually ready, and god help you if you just want to watch normal TV on the damn thing, not only does it look like crap, but theirs a dozen different ways to make it look slightly less crappy.

Seriously, what bunch of idiots thought this up and actually thought this was a good idea? the average person has no hope of understanding all the formats, and just wait to see their responce when they buy one of these drives only to find out that the HD-TV set they brought can not in fact actually display these images. Then you have the PS3 with limited output on the lower end model, just try explaining that to some irate joe, when he finds out how much money hes wasted.

This has been possibly one of the largest clusterfucks I have ever seen....

Complaints Sound Familiar...

[EXTomar]

I've heard all of this stuff before when DVDs were trying to be adopted. Classics are:

- LD and VHS work great.
- There isn't that much improvement over LDs.
- No one knows if DVD will take off...
- I am not interested in buying new equipment again.

So on and so fort, lots of teeth nashing and woe. But hey we lived through it and few will say we are worse off. HDTV is the biggest change to NTSC since the modification to handle color. On the two HDTV displays I have I already see the quality problems with DVD even when the player upscales. I'm already hungry for devices that generate true high definition content. I'm not sure why people are saying they need to wait because I've heard all of this before and it was just fine.

As for Sony, they design devices that have to meet certain requirements. They needed a "next gen DVD" system and this is what they came up with. Why are they evil for trying such a thing? Or why aren't the HD-DVD group evil as well? Sony is far from perfect often where they often "miss" instead of "hit" but that is the name of the game of innovation.

Blu-ray IS NOT A SONY STANDARD

[Paul Bristow]

Jeez, I keep seeing this on Slashdot. What happened here? Did slashdot become full of middle-managers who believe anything if it is repeated enough times? I expect better from people who are SUPPOSED to understand technology.

Go here http://www.blu-raydisc.com/general_information/Sec tion-14009/Index.html [blu-raydisc.com] and look to see which names you recognise. Just about every brand except Toshiba is here.

Samsung will be first (oh but it's still a Sony standard). And Philips, and Sharp, and Panasonic, and Pioneer, and Mitsibushi, and LG, and Zenith

Who else?: Hitachi, JVC, Yamaha, Zenith, and that's without even starting on the RECORDABLE PC drives...