James,
To be clear: I do not work for Sony, MPAA/RIAA or anything similar...
- there aren't that many worthwhile titles on HD DVD yet, let alone here in Belgium where Blu Ray definately has higher sales and/but sales of both players are still fairly low. Bluray has a plus on number of commercial players sold by means of more models available here + ofcourse playstation 3.
- In some cases, according to user reviews on e.g. Amazon - the Blu Ray discs are also better mastered than the HD DVD ones.
- HD DVDs main edge is that it is backed by Toshiba in laptops and by Microsoft (X-BOX360) - but sales numbers on the X-BOX360 are much lower than on PS3 over here...
- Blu Ray has higher capacity per disc (definately better for datastorage), and there are much more blank media and burner more readily available to the endusers (HD DVD is currently mainly OEM business).
- Blu Ray has better marketing than HD DVD (definately, I hardly every see publicity here stating "also available on HD DVD" or similar - i'ts moslty Blu Ray, Blu Ray, ... )
- Blu Ray has better protection possibilities, making it harder to make copies (not at all interesting for us, but a plus for the movie industry). Note that I think these people have the right to protect their media from begin copied illegaly. However I think it's also pretty useless an investment for them, and there is no real return on investment on the kind of money they are investing in it... Additionally, it will also create many support issues when legit discs won't play in just any player (as they should). I also disagree with any form of trojan/invader/rootkey like behaviour. I don't think the industry would care if users really only used that for "fair use", i.o.w. backing up a disc for own use - but the reality is that many people claim to use it for that, but in reality use it to pirate movies and spread them to friends, family etc... My question to the industry here : why not provide a cheaper replacement copy option to your customers if a disc is damaged and they can prove they have the original? (send in the original disc or similar). Personally, I do not copy movies to hdd and burn them again: I only use AnyDVD HD to be able to play back my purchased Blu Ray and HD DVD discs from my PC. All of my current titles were purchased in the USA (I'm located in Europe).
- Two things I grossly detest about about both Blu Ray is regioncoding and the terrible HDCP protocol. I mean: "minor" oversight people!!?
1) no dual link DVI/HDMI support? (i.o.w. no support for >1920x1080p screens if HDCP is active) --> at the moment AnyDVD HD fixes this
2) no playback on pc's that have a dual monitor digital connection? I Mean: In what era do the people who designed this protocol live? --> at the moment AnyDVD HD fixes this
HD DVD does not have regioncoding, but still HDCP...
This is why I think Blu Ray will sell better than HD DVD.
You, James, on the other hand - "should" find Blu Ray more interesting, since that is where your software makes sense and where you can proof your worth. As far as HD DVD goes, it should be much easier for you to handle since thusfar there haven't really been any major options to change the protection system on HD DVD, where has Blu Ray has BD+ - which I fully agree - has some potential dangers in it.
I would think of it as a "challange". I fully get why you want people to sponsor HD DVD: it will make your life & their life easier
But: as I said, both technologically, in terms of title release, blank media & recorders HD DVD already seems quite a bit behind - atleast over here ... Ofcourse, this may vary in other markets...
I have both a Blu Ray writer and HD DVD player (external Xbox device), and there already devices that support both formats on the market.
I'm expecting to see a second DVD+-R debacle... And it's not always the technically best that wins. In the past Sony had a technically better tape solution than VHS. Sony brought many new ideas to the public, but many attempts unfortunately also fail... Not always because it was bad tech though.
Sony may be a huge player in the movie and audio business, and I definately do not condone everything they do - but their competitors are most likely not a hair better if they were in their position. I mean: people like Microsoft, Toshiba/Panasonic (Matsushita) etc.. aren't exactly small industry fry and they don't exactly have a clean slate in my book either...