Steve Jobs tells Hollywood "No" To High-Definition DVD

[Alexander Turcic]

As I am currently writing a market study on the optical media market, I find the following article from WSJ more than just interesting: In fact, I find it fascinating, because it confirms my belief that the market is (not yet) ready for High-Definition DVDs (Blu-ray, HD-DVD).

Directly from the article:

At a recent private meeting with Hollywood studio heads and tech czars like Microsoft Corp.'s Steve Ballmer and Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Carly Fiorina, Mr. Jobs argued that studios shouldn't license their movies for use in the planned "high-definition DVD" format until Hollywood is assured by the tech industry that the discs can't be copied by new DVD burners that will come along. High-definition DVDs are being developed as a successor to the current digital-video-disc format and are expected to be on the market by next year, along with high-definition DVD burners.

Mr. Jobs even suggested that high-definition DVD burners not be bundled with computers at all -- a scenario he said in an interview was "extreme" and one that "I hope we don't have to get to, but it helps to put the issue in perspective." He said it is up to the tech industry to prove to Hollywood that high-definition content can be adequately protected.

I think Jobs has a point. Besides, I believe that big consumer electronics makers such as Sony only want to keep introducing new formats to stay ahead of competitors in China and Taiwan who have become a huge force in supplying cheap players and burners. But are consumers ready again for yet another fight in the market between competing DVD (Blu-ray, HD-DVD) formats?

[DaNDeE]

Originally Posted by Alexander

But are consumers ready again for yet another fight in the market between competing DVD (Blu-ray, HD-DVD) formats?

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Not at all. They will do the same as they did to the chipmarked. Customers are fed up with investing in new Players and Discs every half a year. This is way too fast. It took DVD 5 years to gain good marketshares and now they will do it all over again with a new format? But in the end it will be the same as with DVDs - the players will be cheap and the Movies expensive. Kinda hate this evolution in home systems.