Media Wars – HDDVD is Dead at the Hands of BluRay or Digital Downloads?

The HDDVD vs BluRay war has ended with BluRay being declared the winner. Toshiba has announced the end of their HDDVD Player. Last to announce the end of the HDDVD was Microsoft, why did Microsoft delay? Well to Microsoft the death of HDDVD was a hugh blow as it means that their proprietary VC1 HD video format that they had pushed into HDDVD is all but dead as well. BluRay uses the open video standards of MPEG 4 .H264 while the BluRay spec does provide for VC1, it has not been implemented by in the standard and BluRay Discs are not mastered using it.

Is the format war over of has just the smallest player in the war folded? Well what all the media press is over looking is the digital media market is over taking physical media faster then the Hollywood studios will admit. While BluRay has won the physical media skirmish, the war is far from over. BluRay has to overcome and replace the SD DVD format and also as to figure out a way of not becoming superseded and replaced by digital direct internet delivered HD content.

Has the HDDVD vs BluRay war damaged the physical market beyond repair by putting a bad taste in the mouth of consumers for the second and in some case third time (Beta vs VHS, Laserdisc vs Videodisc (CED), VHS vs Laserdisc, DVD vs DIVX, & HDDVD vs BluRay) Video media format wars are nothing new but, over the years consumers have become reluctant to accept a new physical media format. They have proven that when the music industry tried to outdate the CD with various formats and changes including Sony’s failed DRM laced CDs.

Customers are proving that Digital Downloads are the near future for all entertainment media. Though this growth in the music industry is being hampered by the music industry itself. So far, the Video industry (excluding NBC Universal) has embraced the idea of paid digital downloads. One look at iTunes and the Apple TV Take 2 shows a clear path to what the entertainment industry needs to move too.

I personally hate cable and satellite providers, going to a video rental store is a frustrating and time consuming bit that I just don’t want. The Netflix mail subscription service is something that is borderline maddening with it’s twists and unwritten rules. Why anyone would put up with it. Order or as they call it adding it to your queue then waiting to get it and once your done with it you return it. It’s to much to keep track of and frankly I hate having to decide days in advance on what I want to see and then waiting the three five days to get that DVD.

The digital internet download of entertainment programing will be the future. It will not be an overnight transition nor will it be a short one, I do think that the transition from physical media content to internet downloaded media content will occur before the death of the SD DVD by BluRay.

The war of the media format delivery will continue till only Internet delivered entertainment content is standing. The only question is going to be who is left standing when the dust clears. The Music Industry has proven that they’d rather kill themselves then embrace their future. The Movie Industry is still not so sure. NBC Universal has chosen to follow down the path of the Music Industry and Fox is torn. The Movie Industry is hedging their bets and embracing everything. Small Television Producers like IFC are jumping into the waters of paid digital downs and finding that the revenue stream is a good one. Even the producers of NBC shows are creating holes in their contracts with NBC to get their content into the world of paid digital downloads.

Once TV production companies find out that if they release a paid internet only digital download program that people want to see, it can be a money maker. With the need for a TV Network to broadcast it obsolete, the next revolution in the entertainment industry will start. Until then their is a lot of great podcasts that are profitable and free to watch.

Long live the war and keep sending out the waves.