PS3 gets another kicking: Samsung announces dual format HD-DVD/Blu-Ray player for holiday 2007

The single USP of the PS3, aside from 'free' internet play (Free in
that you need to spend $200-300 more to get a PS3 in the first place),
is that it plays Blu-Ray movies.

That advatnage is fast looking like a dead end, so far as value added
features are concerned, as the real money will be in players that
support BOTH formats. As of Christmas, there will be at least 2
players on the market capable of playing back BOTH formats.

Since the PS3 is exclusively tied to one format, it's first holiday
season in which it is fully and widely available, will see it's key
advantage nulified and removed. Who in their right mind would want 2
separate players to see every movie in High Defenition? Just buy a
Samsung or LG player (prices are bound to be lower this christmas) -
and get everything!

So that leaves the exclusive games, and an unjustifiable $200-$300
premium.

Meanwhile the Wii is mopping up the low end of the market, and the 360
the high end - with 3 SKUs for every taste and budget, and 100s of
games. And Halo 3.

Halo 3 will see the kind of sales figures that a Sony exec can only
dream of for their stillborn 3rd child.


http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04...mat_hd_player/

Samsung says 'yes' to dual HD DVD, Blu-ray player

By Tony Smith [More by this author]
13th April 2007 09:10 GMT
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Samsung's on again, off again plan to produce a player that can handle
both next-gen optical disc formats - HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc - is
going to happen after all. The Korean giant today said it will ship
such a machine in the US in time for Christmas.

Dubbed the Duo HD player - the more prosaic model number is BD-UP5000
- will play both media, crucially with full support for the two
formats' interactivity technologies, HDi and BD Java. That lifts the
Duo HD above the dual-format player announced by LG in January: it
will only handle Blu-ray interactivity - HD DVD playback is limited to
the movies themselves.

Samsung executives first hinted they were pondering a dual-format
player back in the Autumn of 2005, but the company quickly acted to
stress its total support for Blu-ray Disc. The rumour was revived last
year after the first signs LG might be planning to produce such a
machine surfaced in March 2006. The following June, Samsung staff were
once again being quoted as claiming the company was considering a dual-
format player.

Samsung has become increasingly willing to throw its weight behind HD
DVD as well as Blu-ray of late, most notably by announcing last month
a latptop with an integrated HD DVD drive.

Market monitor Nielsen VideoScan's numbers for the week ending 18
March - the most recent stats made public - put BD ahead in sales of
pre-recorded content in the US, with year-to-date sales of 549,730
units to HD DVD's 249,451 discs. Since sales of each format started,
some 708,600 HD DVDs and 844,000 BDs have been sold.

That's content - BD clearly has the lead in hardware sales, thanks
entirely to the PlayStation 3.

The question is, how quickly can the BD camp turn the lead into market
dominance? Samsung's announcement suggests it doesn't believe that's
not going to happen by the 2007 Holiday Season - or that it expects HD
DVD-backing consumers to make the switch to new hardware now they can
bring their disc collections with them.

Oh, Bliggy... er, Anti-Bliggy... er... I can't tell the difference.

"Sammus McMouldenus" <bigboobs_linda@lycos.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1176471671.474129.208640@y5g2000hsa.googlegro ups.com...
> The single USP of the PS3, aside from 'free' internet play (Free in
> that you need to spend $200-300 more to get a PS3 in the first place),
> is that it plays Blu-Ray movies.
>
> That advatnage is fast looking like a dead end, so far as value added
> features are concerned, as the real money will be in players that
> support BOTH formats. As of Christmas, there will be at least 2
> players on the market capable of playing back BOTH formats.
>
> Since the PS3 is exclusively tied to one format, it's first holiday
> season in which it is fully and widely available, will see it's key
> advantage nulified and removed. Who in their right mind would want 2
> separate players to see every movie in High Defenition? Just buy a
> Samsung or LG player (prices are bound to be lower this christmas) -
> and get everything!
>
> So that leaves the exclusive games, and an unjustifiable $200-$300
> premium.
>
> Meanwhile the Wii is mopping up the low end of the market, and the 360
> the high end - with 3 SKUs for every taste and budget, and 100s of
> games. And Halo 3.
>
> Halo 3 will see the kind of sales figures that a Sony exec can only
> dream of for their stillborn 3rd child.
>
>
> http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04...mat_hd_player/
>
> Samsung says 'yes' to dual HD DVD, Blu-ray player
>
> By Tony Smith [More by this author]
> 13th April 2007 09:10 GMT
> Get the latest from us in your inbox
>
> Samsung's on again, off again plan to produce a player that can handle
> both next-gen optical disc formats - HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc - is
> going to happen after all. The Korean giant today said it will ship
> such a machine in the US in time for Christmas.
>
> Dubbed the Duo HD player - the more prosaic model number is BD-UP5000
> - will play both media, crucially with full support for the two
> formats' interactivity technologies, HDi and BD Java. That lifts the
> Duo HD above the dual-format player announced by LG in January: it
> will only handle Blu-ray interactivity - HD DVD playback is limited to
> the movies themselves.
>
> Samsung executives first hinted they were pondering a dual-format
> player back in the Autumn of 2005, but the company quickly acted to
> stress its total support for Blu-ray Disc. The rumour was revived last
> year after the first signs LG might be planning to produce such a
> machine surfaced in March 2006. The following June, Samsung staff were
> once again being quoted as claiming the company was considering a dual-
> format player.
>
> Samsung has become increasingly willing to throw its weight behind HD
> DVD as well as Blu-ray of late, most notably by announcing last month
> a latptop with an integrated HD DVD drive.
>
> Market monitor Nielsen VideoScan's numbers for the week ending 18
> March - the most recent stats made public - put BD ahead in sales of
> pre-recorded content in the US, with year-to-date sales of 549,730
> units to HD DVD's 249,451 discs. Since sales of each format started,
> some 708,600 HD DVDs and 844,000 BDs have been sold.
>
> That's content - BD clearly has the lead in hardware sales, thanks
> entirely to the PlayStation 3.
>
> The question is, how quickly can the BD camp turn the lead into market
> dominance? Samsung's announcement suggests it doesn't believe that's
> not going to happen by the 2007 Holiday Season - or that it expects HD
> DVD-backing consumers to make the switch to new hardware now they can
> bring their disc collections with them.
>

On Apr 13, 4:53 pm, "Jonah Falcon" <jonahny...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Oh, Bliggy... er, Anti-Bliggy... er... I can't tell the difference.
>
> "Sammus McMouldenus" <bigboobs_li...@lycos.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> news:1176471671.474129.208640@y5g2000hsa.googlegro ups.com...
>
> > The single USP of the PS3, aside from 'free' internet play (Free in
> > that you need to spend $200-300 more to get a PS3 in the first place),
> > is that it plays Blu-Ray movies.
>
> > That advatnage is fast looking like a dead end, so far as value added
> > features are concerned, as the real money will be in players that
> > support BOTH formats. As of Christmas, there will be at least 2
> > players on the market capable of playing back BOTH formats.
>
> > Since the PS3 is exclusively tied to one format, it's first holiday
> > season in which it is fully and widely available, will see it's key
> > advantage nulified and removed. Who in their right mind would want 2
> > separate players to see every movie in High Defenition? Just buy a
> > Samsung or LG player (prices are bound to be lower this christmas) -
> > and get everything!
>
> > So that leaves the exclusive games, and an unjustifiable $200-$300
> > premium.
>
> > Meanwhile the Wii is mopping up the low end of the market, and the 360
> > the high end - with 3 SKUs for every taste and budget, and 100s of
> > games. And Halo 3.
>
> > Halo 3 will see the kind of sales figures that a Sony exec can only
> > dream of for their stillborn 3rd child.
>
> >http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04..._dual-format_h...
>
> > Samsung says 'yes' to dual HD DVD, Blu-ray player
>
> > By Tony Smith [More by this author]
> > 13th April 2007 09:10 GMT
> > Get the latest from us in your inbox
>
> > Samsung's on again, off again plan to produce a player that can handle
> > both next-gen optical disc formats - HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc - is
> > going to happen after all. The Korean giant today said it will ship
> > such a machine in the US in time for Christmas.
>
> > Dubbed the Duo HD player - the more prosaic model number is BD-UP5000
> > - will play both media, crucially with full support for the two
> > formats' interactivity technologies, HDi and BD Java. That lifts the
> > Duo HD above the dual-format player announced by LG in January: it
> > will only handle Blu-ray interactivity - HD DVD playback is limited to
> > the movies themselves.
>
> > Samsung executives first hinted they were pondering a dual-format
> > player back in the Autumn of 2005, but the company quickly acted to
> > stress its total support for Blu-ray Disc. The rumour was revived last
> > year after the first signs LG might be planning to produce such a
> > machine surfaced in March 2006. The following June, Samsung staff were
> > once again being quoted as claiming the company was considering a dual-
> > format player.
>
> > Samsung has become increasingly willing to throw its weight behind HD
> > DVD as well as Blu-ray of late, most notably by announcing last month
> > a latptop with an integrated HD DVD drive.
>
> > Market monitor Nielsen VideoScan's numbers for the week ending 18
> > March - the most recent stats made public - put BD ahead in sales of
> > pre-recorded content in the US, with year-to-date sales of 549,730
> > units to HD DVD's 249,451 discs. Since sales of each format started,
> > some 708,600 HD DVDs and 844,000 BDs have been sold.
>
> > That's content - BD clearly has the lead in hardware sales, thanks
> > entirely to the PlayStation 3.
>
> > The question is, how quickly can the BD camp turn the lead into market
> > dominance? Samsung's announcement suggests it doesn't believe that's
> > not going to happen by the 2007 Holiday Season - or that it expects HD
> > DVD-backing consumers to make the switch to new hardware now they can
> > bring their disc collections with them.

Stalker.

In alt.games.video.xbox Jonah Falcon <jonahnynla@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Oh, Bliggy... er, Anti-Bliggy... er... I can't tell the difference.

Does it matter? Samsung has basically announced the end of the format
war, as far as the consumer is concerned. Even if you were considering
which format to buy, the clear answer now is "Wait for the Samsung player."

If you were considering a PS3 only because of its Blu-Ray capabilities,
Samsung's announcement should give you a reason to consider waiting. Sure,
if you plan on using the PS3 as a game machine, this doesn't matter to you.
You could even buy a PS3 now, use it for Blu-Ray movies, then buy the
Samsung player later this year

--
Win cash and giftcards just for clicking your mouse!
http://www.netwinner.com/?signupCode=amuro98

On Apr 13, 11:53 am, "Jonah Falcon" <jonahny...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Oh, Bliggy... er, Anti-Bliggy... er... I can't tell the difference.
>

More like Sammus McMold = Blig Merk...same guy or girl or thing...

On Apr 13, 1:52 pm, Doug Jacobs <djac...@shell.rawbw.com> wrote:
> Sure,
> if you plan on using the PS3 as a game machine, this doesn't matter to you.

BINGO!!

On Apr 13, 4:27 pm, "SHaKeY STeVe" <shakey.st...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Apr 13, 1:52 pm, Doug Jacobs <djac...@shell.rawbw.com> wrote:
>
> > Sure,
> > if you plan on using the PS3 as a game machine, this doesn't matter to you.
>
> BINGO!!

But this DOES matter to Sony considering there are NO GAMES exclusive
for the PS3 worth buying, and there may not ever be many! Since Sony
screwed this up from the beginning and cared more about the PS3 as a
Blu-Ray player than as a gaming console, they now have a very serious
problem. With a dual format player, there is no reason to choose a
device that only plays Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.

Sony needs to admit they made another mistake and concentrate on games
again and try to get some good new first party exclusives on the
market PDQ because as soon as this dual format player is on the
market, a device that only plays HD-DVD or Blu-Ray isn't going to
sell, particularly if they can get this thing priced around $1,000.

In alt.games.video.sony-playstation3 Chris <CJMARTIN04@verizon.net> wrote:

> But this DOES matter to Sony considering there are NO GAMES exclusive
> for the PS3 worth buying, and there may not ever be many! Since Sony
> screwed this up from the beginning and cared more about the PS3 as a
> Blu-Ray player than as a gaming console, they now have a very serious
> problem. With a dual format player, there is no reason to choose a
> device that only plays Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.

Exactly.

The PS3-as-a-game-machine isn't very compelling at this moment. And I
really think Sony had hoped Blu-Ray would have carried the PS3 along until
developers could start fielding the big games. But even if that had
happend, I'm sure that the store would notice that PS3 games weren't
selling, and that would still send warning signals to the already nervous
developers.

> Sony needs to admit they made another mistake and concentrate on games
> again and try to get some good new first party exclusives on the
> market PDQ because as soon as this dual format player is on the
> market, a device that only plays HD-DVD or Blu-Ray isn't going to
> sell, particularly if they can get this thing priced around $1,000.

I'm not really sure what Sony can do. It really takes about a year for
the developers to learn the platform well enough to start producing big
games for it. While there are some big titles lined up for the PS3 this
year, it's too soon to assume they'll be any good.

Even a price drop is going to be very hard to do because of how much money
Sony is losing on each console. I guess they could try to do a better
bundle deal, such as throwing in a game and a few Blu-Ray movies.

In the meantime, neither of Wii or 360 are going to stand still and Sony
desparately needs to show people why they should spend $120-250 more on a
console with few exclusive games, and a collection of multi-platform
titles that look and play identically on a cheaper platform.

--
Win cash and giftcards just for clicking your mouse!
http://www.netwinner.com/?signupCode=amuro98

On Apr 13, 6:24 pm, Doug Jacobs <djac...@shell.rawbw.com> wrote:
> I'm not really sure what Sony can do. It really takes about a year for
> the developers to learn the platform well enough to start producing big
> games for it. While there are some big titles lined up for the PS3 this
> year, it's too soon to assume they'll be any good.

What PS3 exclusives do you see that look compelling? I haven't seen
many at all. I picked up Game Informer today and Naughty Dog's new
game Drake's Fortune looks very, very compelling, but apart from that
and Halo 3 for the 360, everything I'm interested in playing the rest
of the year that's been announced is multiplatform. I know AC 6 will
probably have new content on it when it is released for the PS3, but
those kind of games that a bit is added between the release for each
system won't entice me to drop $600 on a system because there's
probably just not enough new content. I'm really not convinced adding
content between releases for a system is going to go over well with a
majority of gamers. IMO it'll probably just piss most people off.

Also, from what I've read, more and more developers are pushing back
releases of PS3 games until 2008. Game Informer suggested that there
are some games that are entirely done and just sitting at major
studios waiting for the installed base to be big enough to release in
2008.

On Apr 13, 4:58 pm, "Chris" <CJMARTI...@verizon.net> wrote:

> But this DOES matter to Sony considering there are NO GAMES exclusive
> for the PS3 worth buying, and there may not ever be many!

Of course this is all a matter of taste. I think R:FOM is worth buying
and I bought it. I think there are NO games on the Wii (especially
Zelda) worth buying because it doesn't suit my tastes. Doesn't make it
a terrible machine. I just won't be buying one.