The End is Nigh

So while thinking of the topic to discuss today, a friend of mine pinged me to say this

This got me thinking all about the debate that had been raging for quite a while about which was the better format, which is better for the consumer....etc..etc. Jump to the present and its clear that it no longer matters which was the better format because ladies and gents,we have a winner. Sure its a more expensive technology and people complain about it being inferior to HD-DVD, but atleast now consumers can invest on a next-gen DVD format player and not lose. I am sure there are lots of people out there who are unhappy, but this will atleast allow a consolidation for the consumers and the manufacturers, and hopefully there should be enough models out there to rival the low costs of the HD-DVD players.

For me, I am a happy camper as is obvious from my excerpt with my friend, and as is he. For a darn good reason too, we both have a PS3, and as we all know that Sony played a huge gamble with selling the PS3 with a built in Blu-Ray player. This alone introduced a lot of homes to, voluntarily or not, this technology, and more often than not, defined their camp of choice. In the end this gambit payed off for us and for Sony, though there sure were a lot more things to attribute to their success, including their midnight deals that shook the HD-DVD camp in irrecoverable ways.

It also means I can expect all my favorite movies in Blu-Ray and watch them happily on my PS3.It means I no longer have to worry about whether or not I will get shafted by giant corporations,well atleast not in the immediate future. Infact I would suggest most people who want a Blu-Ray player to buy the PS3 instead, specially if they have an avid interest in gaming. Its one ofthe only, if not the only player which can be updated to the latest version of Blu-Ray specifications.(I may be using the wrong lingo, so forgive me if thats the case). It serves as an excellent gaming machine, and in the year to come, there are several big name titles, some of which are sure to become classics. It can also surf the web, and hence be used to download movies from the internet(note: I am not suggesting illegal downloads, there are legal means to download movies), and watch them right there on your PS3, or save them for future viewing. You can also set it up as a media center, photo viewer, music player.....etc..etc. Sure the Xbox 360 can do loads of these things too, but so far I dont see a Blu-Ray player in it, and to boot with a high failure rate I would keep miles away from the demonic machine and its red ring of death.

So for those of you who invested in the losing camp, I offer you my condolences. To those on the winning side, I offer my congratulations, and to those who have waited out this battle, now is the time, go witness the next generation of High Def DVD's. To those who are afraid of the high costs of Blu-Ray players, I can offer this example of my friend purchasing the PS3 for a mere 250$, sure he went through a bunch of rebates,but for the eagle eyed bargain hunters, such low prices are there for the taking. If I see any interest, I may post on how he got the deal.

Till next time....Ciao.