Was Blu-ray really the best result of the high-definition video-on-disc format war? Arguments in favour of HD DVD were, in the main, that the technology was easier to take on, and investment was less all round. Against it was that Blu-ray had more capability and was the more robust technology. Six years after the Blu-ray decision was made, do people still think it was the right one? WIth hindsight, say some authoring houses, possibly not. Equipment manufacturers and suppliers say the decision was a good one, but in order to keep discs viable, no one should rest on their laurels.
“As a consumer format, Blu-ray has been very successful,” Sam Orton-Jay, Director of Product Management at Rovi, told D2D. “It is a solid business without having the huge impact or return to the DVD days that people hoped for.” However, there is view that, given the price pressure that has been applied to Blu-ray Disc virtually from day one of its commercial existence, the would have been better to adopt HD-DVD.
Leaving aside the can of worms that is consumer education and confusion, the technology providers and disc manufacturers are in the front line when it comes to improving what the format has to offer, and ensuring the longevity of the disc despite claims that digital delivery is the only wave of the future. UltraViolet is now up to three million US subscribers, proving that there are still developments that can keep the disc going.
The next issue of D2D will look in depth at the history and technology developments of Blu-ray, and what the experts see going forward.
