RSSSony Ramps Up Production of 50GB Blu-ray Disc
By the Betanews Staff | Published November 20, 2006, 12:15 PM
Sony said Monday that it now had six production lines in operation producing the company's 50GB Blu-ray disc. Production will be ramped up to 60,000 discs per day, the company said. In addition to the 50GB production lines, the company also has nine that produce the 25GB version of the disc. Over three million discs have been shipped out since production began in May.
"We know that our customers are looking for the finest audio and video experience possible from Blu-ray Disc," Sony Pictures executive vice president Don Eklund said. "BD50 is an essential part of our strategy to expand offerings of uncompromised audio, video and added value to consumers both domestically and internationally."
Hey Dave,
I can post links to peoples opinions and not fact too.
http://www.pcmag.com/art...2/0,1895,1959609,00.asp
This one is entitled "Blu_Ray is doomed"
www.thedvdwars.com
www.nexgenwars.com
www.gamesystemwars.com
www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com
These are good links, three of which tell the truth about BD vs HD-DVD sales and players.
Score: 0
|And the subtitle is:
"HD DVD's head start makes it seem like Betamax all over again."
:D
Idiot!
Score: 0
|How about we just wait for a dual-format mainstream (home & pc) dvd player - then, who really gives a flying fu$% what format 'wins'?
Personally, I don't foresee any format winning per se. HD-DVD will be great for the early adopters, and by the time blu-ray gets to a 'consumer' aka Walmart price, I bet that dual-format players will be ready (and also at a reasonable price, not $400) and it won't matter what disc you pick up. I just wonder what excuse they'll have to ship star wars on 6 dvds or alias in boxed sets per season now. I REALLY am curious as to how they'll market tv seasons and movies along with their sequels - cuz' lets face it, no matter how much space the thing fits, it doesnt look good selling Blade 1, 2 and 3 for 50 dollars on one disc. So I guess my real concern here, is that studios will disregard capacity either way. A single 50gb BR disc can fit entire seasons of shows like Star Trek, Farscape or hey lets look at 4+ sequel movies like Star Wars and Halloween - I just don't think people are mentally ready to shell out $40-$90 for a single disc even though it's got the same stuff in em'.
I'm thinking some studios may even opt for HD-DVD for that said reason....it's less capacity so you can still use 2-3 dvds (I know it's screwy thinking, but entirely possible right?, or maybe I'm just nuts). What I'm saying is, I don't think 1 format will beat the other, I think both will thrive becaue of marketing and functionality ie: BRs massive data storage (50gb is just so much more than 25gb, will be able to fit seasons of shows, movies and all their sequels, multiple games, etc.) vs. HDs marketing aspect (2-3 dvds vs. 1 massive dvd = the same reason products are 29.99 vs 30.00 and why McDs is red and yellow, etc. etc.)
But only time can tell I guess.
Score: 0
|Propaganda sites. Not one shows BD is outselling HD-DVD, but there is one that does... www.thedvdwars.com
Only 33 of the 84 available BD movies are even under the 10000 sales rank, that is sad for a format this going to crush HD-DVD.
But 103 of the 112 available movies available on HD-DVD are under 10000 and 9 are under 1000 compared to Blu_rays *cough* ONE.
The numbers are real and don't lie, but Dave and Mark say it's a fanboy site. All it does is retrieve data from Amazon and post it for all to see. Some people don't like the results because they don't show the obviously inferior format winning. The public has spoken.
The good news is there were 150,000 (supposed to be 400,000) BD movies sold last Sunday.......Wait, those were the ones included with PS3's.
I refuse to open Talladega Nights and play it, I would rather buy it on HD-DVD.
HD-DVD...The look and sound of perfect
www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com
The fact that DaveBG has resorted to posting links to cartoon characters flipping us off just shows the frustration he is feeling. I though I was juvinile.
Score: 0
|Here:
So, according to dvdwars the numbers are:
HD DVD: 682
Blu-ray: 3091
As of 4:23pm EST my calculations are:
HD DVD: 795.3
Blu-ray: 2736.7
EDITs:
5:08pm EDT
HD DVD: 843.0
Blu-ray: 2758.5
This site is liar!
Score: 0
|Yeah, sites that get data from Amazon and post it are liars.
Score: 0
|Here is what those discs will be used for:
http://www.playb3yond.com/
http://foxbd.com/
http://www.disneybluray.com/
http://forum.blu-ray.com/
http://www.blu-raydisc.com/
http://www.learningcente...s/hpd/bluray/index.html
Score: 0
|How is it in the States?
Here in Japan, both Blue-ray and HD-DVD are sucking bad. Blue-ray is expensive, yeah. HD-DVD still hasn't came out with a PC player yet. Shrug.
It's going to take quite awhile, and quite a bit of losses for both sides I guess.
Score: 0
|HD-DVD is outselling Blu_Ray about 10 to 1. We will have to see if the PS3 impacts these numbers, it's only been a few days.
People like DaveBG were reporting huge Blu-Ray sales.........the same day the PS3 was released. He pointed to another post he made in the Blu_Ray forums like it was fact.
Added:
All right, I just did some reading about HD-DVD vs. Blu_Ray in Japan. Like bsf said, they are both doing horrible. Most Japanese will stay loyal to Sony but the price of the movies, let alone the players in Japan are staggering.
Score: 0
|It would be great if we had a Best Buy exec on these boards - or someone that could give us some sales info between the two.
Score: 0
|rather than trying their best at lowering the prices, I think it'd be more effective if they concentrate on creating reasons for why we'd want to buy a disc with so much storage capacity.
I mean, I run out of disc space sometimes, but not frequently enough to burn lots of 50gig discs..
Score: 0
|If a 50GB dual layer BD disc was priced around $5-6 already they would be selling millions of them.
750GB HDUs are getting mainstream now and 1500GB+ ones are going to be released pretty soon, so there is need for better and cheaper backup media. DVD 4480MB discs are just not enough anymore...
Score: 0
|"750GB HDUs are getting mainstream now and 1500GB+ ones are going to be released pretty soon, so there is need for better and cheaper backup media. DVD 4480MB discs are just not enough anymore..."
...so use 8.4GB DVD discs (kidding).
Yes, storage capacity is a big deal, but aren't there higher capacity HD-DVDs that support 45GB? While smaller than the BD-ROMs, the capacity alone isn't the main determinating factor for success--it's all in the price and the movies. For the latter reason, I still cannot say for sure that HD-DVD will win--if Blu-Ray gets all the big movie titles, they could still smother HD-DVD. However, so far the titles seem to be better on the HD-DVD format anyways, so I doubt this will happen.
Score: 0
|You say you run out of disk space, but is that HD content, or normal definition content?
For HD, you need LOTS of disk space...
Score: 0
|normal contents.
but then again I have a three year old desktop who got 200gigs.
Which mean a four BR-discs literally beats my Harddrives lol
Score: 0
|The most cost effective backup solution is another hard drive. Cost per GB is more than DVD, but comparable if not slightly cheaper than the current Bluray media prices. If that is not enough of a reason to use an extra hdd for backup, hdd's are also rewriteable (I know, duh). I am not sure if those are ever/will ever be availible/reliable for Bluray. (Nothing against BD, just never had good luck with any optical media RW's). Oh, there is also the fact that if you need to transplant that information to another machine, you do not need a special drive to read your backup data.
Score: 0
|And, right now, HDD's are cheaper per GB than BD-R, larger capacity, rewriteable, and you don't need a >$700 optical drive to write to them.
Score: 0
|HD-DVDs maximum capacity for 2 layers is just 30GB. No 45GB mass-produced HD-DVDs exist AFAIK.
Score: 0
|Cute.
Now if they would only put the same emphasis on making the base units and recorders that use the disks!
Score: 0
|http://www.sicolamartin.com/bluraybroadcast/
Score: 0
|So was I supposed to be impressed? I'm getting Superman returns on HD-DVD when it comes out in a week or 2. Well much like microsoft did with Sonys 1080p 'exclusiveness', I guess the HD-DVD side will follow with the same brain washing tactic to show that HD-DVD does the same sh$t, just at a lower price.
Superman Returns [Blu-ray]
Price: $23.95
Sales rank: 616
Release date: November 28, 2006
Superman Returns [HD DVD]
Price: $27.95
Sales rank: 162
Release date: November 28, 2006
Hmmm, must be upsetting. Also consider the HD-DVD will be dual format. Standard and HD versions of the movie.
Score: 0
|http://img296.imageshack...296/6257/yousuckmp6.jpg
Score: 0
|LMAO, alrighty. I see you are officially Marky Jr.
Score: 0
|Not sure your point, you seem to have shot yourself in the foot, and highlighted that the Blu-Ray version is $5 cheaper!!
LOL, the same people that were claiming that HD-DVD was cheaper, seems not...
Score: 0
|Glad you point that out, mark, especially as it is actually a $4 difference...
...HD-DVD is still less expensive than BD-ROM. Hopefully this competition will cause the HD-DVD camp to lower their movie prices. The fact remains that the sales numbers tell the results here dude.
Score: 0
|Thats the point, the sales numbers DON'T tell the truth.
Sites like TheDVDWars make fatal assumtions:
1/ It's only Amazon
2/ Neither are compared to DVD sales to show any kind of reference scale.
3/ It's only the US..
Score: 0
|I realize its listed as more expensive, but um. I was more looking at the sales rank. Which indicates that people are willing to buy the HD-DVD version over blu-ray. So what was your point?
P.S. Do you even have a blu-ray player? I highly doubt you do.
Score: 0
|Well then, its up to you to find the sales numbers for the rest of the world. Have fun.
Score: 0
|They Don't tell the whole truth. Its like surveys - Its a small sampling and we are basing assumptions off that.
Amazon is a pretty big retailer, so it does stand to reason that there is some accuracy behind their numbers. It's not 100%, but it can be used as a guidline.
In regards to #2, why do we need a reference? DVD's are going to outsell for sure, but who cares?
But.. here it is anyway:
Superman Returns (widescreen) DVD - #52 $14.87
Superman Returns HD-DVD - #157 $27.95
Superman Returns Bluray - #786 $23.95
How's that for a comparison? Looks like HD-DVD is doing pretty good!
Score: 0
|Amazon is one of the largest online retailers, it's like saying..... it's only Wal-Mart.
What makes you think the numbers are any different and any other retailer. There have been loads of people that work in electronics stores in here saying Blu_Ray just isn't selling.
The boys at Best Buy try to push everyone to Blu_Ray and when the customers leave because they don't want to spend $1000.00 on a player, they go to a real retailer that tells them the truth and usually go HD-DVD because of the price of the player alone.
Score: 0
|"In regards to #2, why do we need a reference?"
If I were to say that Blu-Ray sold twice as many titles as HD-DVD yesterday, it would sound great.
If you dug a little deeper, and found out that Blu-Ray sold 4 discs, and HD-DVD only 2 disks, and DVD sales were 100,000, then it shows that any comparision is pointless....
PS. I am not suggesting any of those numbers are real, before a rabid fanboy jumps in to strut their stuff, I am making a point, and rankings or numbers are pointless without a reference scale (in this case DVD sales).
Score: 0
|What...?
Score: 0
|http://www.amazon.com/St...ah-Rumsey/dp/0764554239
Score: 0
|So you are saying that one cannot measure the sales of Blu-ray vs Hd DVD without regular DVD sales stats as a reference? That makes no sense as there is no comparison necessary. If you want to compare Diet Coke sales vs Diet Pepsi would you need to factor in the sales of their regular soda?
Score: 0
|Wow, your retarded...
Score: 0
|hmm
Score: 0
|That news bit is more than a little vague on the details.
Score: 0
|The irony, given the format and 'security' on it, they're offering "uncompromised" media. Let's not use that word, shall we?
Score: 0
|They are not talking about movie titles, just blank discs.
They do have *ahem* one movie with a sales rank under 1000. The same HD-DVD title has a sales ranking of 136.
www.thedvdwars.com
Score: 0
|http://www.engadgethd.co...lu-with-new-ad-campaign/
Score: 0
|What was the point of that?
Score: 0
|advertising = better ?
Score: 0
|What a well-written argument. So, what did the tea in China cost again?
Score: 0
|DaveBG,
I see you are posting your usual garbage at that forum in your link. When you have to spend all of your time defending a format and not pointing out it's superiority, that's a bad sign.
www.thedvdwars.com
www.gamesystemwars.com
www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com
Score: 0
|3 miilion shipped but how many sold is the real question
Score: 0
|60,000 discs per day ...
They can store them with the batteries just in case the format fails.
Score: 0
|LMAO
Score: 0
|Your contstant arguments, make you look desperate, give it a rest, HD-DVD is doomed, get over it, move on...
Score: 0
|Steve,
Don't join the likes of DaveBG and Mark who are in HD-DVD denial. The sales figures show it's way ahead.
There could be a turn around for Blu-Ray, I own a PS3, which means I bought a Blu-Ray player before I got HD-DVD.
I am having a hard time finding stores that have the 360 in stock, let alone the HD-DVD add-on. I want both game systems and also both movie players. It's the cheapest way to get BD player and also an HD-DVD if you own a 360.
In the end, I will have two great gaming systems and only a few hundred invested in a BD and and HD-DVD. I just don't see BD winning this fight from what I have seen so far. I could be wrong but certain people have nothing good to say about HD-DVD at all.
They resort to linking to their own posts in other forums and presenting is as truth, it's pathetic.
Inevitably, I will be forced to buy some BD movie titles if they actually survive. I know Sony will go down with the ship on this one if they have to.
Most movie companies will realize that they need to release them on both formats to actually make money seeing as HD-DVD movies outsell BD at about a 10 to 1 ratio.
I truly don't care who wins, I just don't like Sony very much when it comes to shoving proprietary formats down peoples throats.
I for one am glad to have paid for a PS3 as it cost them 307 dollars for me to buy one. I want it for games, not movies. Dave and Mark see it as the Messiah for BD.
The PS3 looks pretty good so far but I am dreading the glitches that accompany first gen products.
You all say HD-DVD is in trouble but not one of you can post a link to anything other than an "experts" opinion.
Show me some solid figures for BD outselling HD-DVD and I will become a BD fanboy myself.
Score: 0
|I bought the Hd-DVD add-on and I'm very happy. Has anyone else noticed that blu-ray movies are grainy when compared to Hd-DVD? Or is it just me?
Score: 0
|its either the older compression that blueray is using or it could be the samsung player which has been reviewed as soft in movie playback. No such problems with the panasonic blueray though.
Score: 0
|It's way ahead in the US. That's where dvdwars.com is misleading.
Score: 0
|Paul, show me the Japan numbers, I cant find them.
Score: 0
|They are, I noticed it at CEDIA. The Sony guys got mad when I called it "House of Flying Artifacts" at the BD display.
Score: 0
|Then I'm glad I went with HD-DVD. I saw a display of Ultra Violet on blu-ray, it was a good picture but you could tell it was grainy. I haven't noticed any grainyness on the 4 Hd-DVD movies I have.
Score: 0
|Whilst I don't always agree for MarkG and DaveBG, I simply can't see any possible scenario where HD-DVD wins, it's got very few hardware companies onboard, and very few media companies.
the ONLY thing it had on it's side, was being 1st to market, but now Blu-Ray is coming online, and 1/2 Million PS3's out there, the HD-DVD sales of players are aready dwarfed...
I think it's game over for HD-DVD, the only way it will survive, is if media companies want to play nice to the early HD adopters, and continue to release movies on a failing format...
Score: 0
|People that support blu-ray always conveniently forget that the xbox 360 has HD-DVD now. As someone that bought it, I can say I'm very satisfied. Also you conveniently forgeting that there are 5-6 million xbox360 owners as opposed to 400-500,000 PS3 owners.
So I dont know where your getting your information, but dwarfed sale? I think not.
http://www.amazon.com/gp...171118?ie=UTF8&pg=2
HD-DVD player, on the 33 spot. And last week it was sold out at 54 spot. All that remains is to know how many of these players were made. If its over 400,000 then sorry fanboys, it turns into a matter of simple numbers.
Score: 0
|Yes the 360 has an ugly external HD-DVD player... an optional extra only IF YOU BUY IT SEPARATELY. On the other hand ALL PS3s have a built in blu-ray player.... consider is a free gift from Sony the $300 loss they make on each unit.
‚³‚悤‚È‚çHD-DVD!
Score: 0
|I was thinking the same thing, but there is one company that is huge in the HD-DVD camp, which is Microsoft.
I have no idea why a year after the console was released, there is suddenly a mad dash for 360's and the add-on HD-DVD players. It's crazy, no one has them around here, I called all over. I can get a core system but who wants one of those?
You know how people are, they follow anything M$ supports. The add-on HD-DVD for the 360 is out of stock everywhere, so their movie sales will get a huge boost. Everyone buying the add-on is going to buy movies since that's what it's for.
The PS3 owners are concentrating on the games, at least for now. I think everyone like Mark and Dave sees the PS3 as the savior of Blu_Ray, I for one will not buy any BD movies.
Hell yes there are a lot of BD players out there right now, let's see if the owners buy movies or games.
Score: 0
|I'll give you that one, the 360's HD-DVD add-on isn't that attractive. Actually, the entire console is rather ugly.
The PS3's stying is much nicer but it's still very big. You may see a 'Slim' PS3 at some point in the future. I wish the 360 team would come out with a nicer case, something sleek and black like the PS3.
You have to admit that the HD-DVD add on is only being purchased for one purpose, to watch movies. There has to be a movie title or two leaving the store or being ordered with every add-on sale.
Score: 0
|I see they finally got more in stock. If I cant get one locally, I'll order the add on with the 360 this week.
Score: 0
|I dont know were you are getting your info but there are not half a million PS3 out there.. more like little over 1/4 a million.
nexgenwars.com has up to date sales figures on all 3 consoles.
Score: 0
|If someone DOES buy it though, they will be using it for movies.
Consider that for every 1 HD-DVD add on drive sold, you may need to sell 3? Maybe 4.. Hell, maybe even 10 PS3's to balance it. I myself have already bought 9 HD-DVD titles. How many Bluray titles have PS3 owners bought on average?
Also consider this - HD-DVD has shipped 1.5 million discs. Bluray 3 million. HD-DVD has also outsold bluray. Fewer discs in the market, yet more sales.
And personally, I think the HD-DVD add on looks great sitting next to my 360.
Score: 0
|Your assuming I mine that its external... In FACT. I don't, and I'm happy with my non-grainy Hd-DVD player.
Score: 0
|The poor picture quality of Blu-Ray is likely because of the MPEG-2 video compression. The soft picture problem on Samsung's Blu-Ray player was fixed shortly after the player was released.
Score: 0
|The Samsung player with original firmware had problems, and the original titles launched were encoded with MPEG on 25GB disks.
Things are now radically different. The PS3 picture quality for Blu-Ray playback is top notch, movies are either MPEG2 on 50GB or VC1 on 25GB/50GB.
Score: 0
|I have a friend who has ths samsung player and even after the firmware update it looks soft. The panasonic one and the not available for sale pionner elite one look fantastic compared to it.
Score: 0
|Thanks for that link, I'll have to start putting it on all my posts along with
www.thedvdwars.com
www.gamesystemwars.com
www.thelookandsoundofperfect.com
the all new
www.nexgenwars.com
Dave and Mark wont like it, it's factual and based on reality.
Score: 0
|Yeah Mark,
Sony doesn't have a controlling stake in Blu_Ray.
www.thedvdwars.com
www.gamesystemwars.com
Score: 0
|Get over it already...
Score: 0
|Never.
Score: 0
|Just a note to hopefully calm things down a bit. Don't forget: when DVD was introduced it bombed. Nobody bought them. All it had was hype and maybe 125 movie titles. It was heading for an early graveyard when one corporate honcho came up with the idea of a billion (with a "B") dollar worldwide ad campaign to resurrect their dying DVD format. And the rest is history. Advertising does work, you know.
Score: 0
|