In the DVD war over HD, most buyers are sitting it out
What if nobody wins the high-definition DVD format wars? That increasingly looks to be the situation for the next-generation DVD technology, which is available to consumers in two incompatible formats. A little more than 18 months after their introduction, the two systems–Blu-ray, developed by Sony, and HD DVD, from Toshiba –have sold around 1 million stand-alone players combined. Both sides promote their technologies, their movie studio allies and the growing list of movies available in the new formats.
Neither has a clear advantage, either in terms of technology, number of movies or, increasingly, the price of the equipment. According to data from Adams Media Research, 578,000 HD DVD and 370,000 Blu-ray machines will be sold by the end of this year. HD DVD players, the vast majority of which are made by Toshiba, still have the price advantage. The company’s least-expensive model–which displays images in the lower-quality 1080i format–can be found for $200 or less in electronics store promotions or from online discounters. Its least-expensive 1080p model is selling at Amazon for $250. But it is a tit-for-tat war. A Blu-ray 1080p unit from Samsung is just $30 more at Costco. Blu-ray units are also made by Panasonic, Philips, Sony, and others.
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