You're missing the big picture here. I think this is GREAT news. The reason DVD-A and SACD weren't widely adopted is they had no meaningful, practical applicability to the mainstream public (at least as they could perceive it), and as a result we audiophiles were unable to ride on the coattails of their collective pursestrings.
Now with a large and growing number of JQ Publics owning HDTVs, they have a BIG incentive to invest in DVD players that will show off and help them justify the investment they've made in their new display units (despite the fact that 90% of them are probably set way to bright and sharp to achieve their potential). They've already seen what HD does for broadcast TV, so it's easy for them to see for themselves there are real benefits to be had in the DVD realm as well. Put another way, they're already pre-sold on the new format, whatever it is.
So, ipso facto, if JQ Public buys into these new formats the software will follow and hi-def music along with it. We finally get to ride on the coattails we missed before. And if some UK company comes along and forces Blu-ray and HD-DVD to do it cheaper, so much the better for us. Hey, Samsung (I think, but could be somebody else) has already introduced a player that will play both new formats, so universal players seem inevitable. So we as audiophiles finally get our ultra high rez format we've been craving but have only been able to sample these past several years.
So stop arguing about another format war -- who really gives a sh*t -- because no matter who wins, we as audiophiles will finally get our next "perfect sound forever" blessed by the masses.
This is a great time to be an audiophile.
Now with a large and growing number of JQ Publics owning HDTVs, they have a BIG incentive to invest in DVD players that will show off and help them justify the investment they've made in their new display units (despite the fact that 90% of them are probably set way to bright and sharp to achieve their potential). They've already seen what HD does for broadcast TV, so it's easy for them to see for themselves there are real benefits to be had in the DVD realm as well. Put another way, they're already pre-sold on the new format, whatever it is.
So, ipso facto, if JQ Public buys into these new formats the software will follow and hi-def music along with it. We finally get to ride on the coattails we missed before. And if some UK company comes along and forces Blu-ray and HD-DVD to do it cheaper, so much the better for us. Hey, Samsung (I think, but could be somebody else) has already introduced a player that will play both new formats, so universal players seem inevitable. So we as audiophiles finally get our ultra high rez format we've been craving but have only been able to sample these past several years.
So stop arguing about another format war -- who really gives a sh*t -- because no matter who wins, we as audiophiles will finally get our next "perfect sound forever" blessed by the masses.
This is a great time to be an audiophile.