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Analysis for the Hi-Def DVD Adopter
Balancing Features
There are several factors that might affect the adoption and success of any format at
product introduction, in the case of Hi Def DVD is more complicated but the factors
have to combine well to strike the correct balance of cost, protection of content,
protection of the consumer rights, backward compatibility with existing HDTVs
delivering the full quality of the format and be future proof for 1080p HDTVs
accepting 1080p, etc.
In addition to the above, the choice decision for a consumer gets more complicated
when two formats collide against each other for market domination showing similar
features of quality, strong studio support, and, other than the subsidizing factor,
there is no apparent reason of why one format is releasing players at almost half
price of the other.
1080p Outputs
A consumer that does not have a 1080p HDTV (or one that has it but does not
accept 1080p) might not be interested in paying more for a Blu-ray player (or any
player) that claims 1080p output capability as a superior feature (Sony, Pioneer, LG,
possibly Philips, even Sony’s PS3).
It is obvious that Blue-ray has chosen to emphasize the fact they have that feature,
while HD DVD ignored it on the first generation.
In other words, if you were just looking for 1080i quality, spending twice as much on
a Blu-ray player to get “similar” HD 1080i quality than HD DVD would not seem to be
a good investment, other than the exclusive movie titles selection.
However, one has to determine what other features make up for the higher price of
some 1080p capable players, such as quality design and construction, which may
justify the higher price; 1080p would be a bonus then.
1080p24fps for Film Content Playback
HD DVD still ignores the 1080p24fps feature on the second generation players, an
important feature for film content reproduction with capable displays.
Not having a display that can properly handle 1080p24fps might already provide the
answer for the decision: ignore this requirement on the player.
However, do you know if you are planning to get a 24fps capable TV/projector in the
near future? Are you willing to replace the player if you do? Why not get a player
now that is capable of 1080p24fps and save you from a player upgrade in the near
future?
Those consumers that have interest in TVs/projectors with 1080p inputs at 24fps for
film content might find that paying less for a non-1080p HD DVD Toshiba first
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