Klotera said:
The DVD Forum is the only industry-wide standard around. It is a logical step to continue with this organization going forward. Why was the DVD Forum having a next-gen format vote if it only existed to standardize DVD? Without it or another similar standards organization - there was nothing else to happen but a format war.
1) The DVD Forum is not the only industry-wide standard forum around.
2) It is not logical for them to take control of HD. The DVD Forum steering committee is made up of the companies that created DVD, along with some strong studios and some 'political' appointees, etc. While there are many companies that are in this steering committee that are also in the BDA Board of Directors and/or HD DVD's steering committee (can't recall what they call themselves), it is not all the same members.
Why would the members of BDA and/or HD DVD want to cede power to companies that are either not directly involved in their HD format, or worse yet, involved in the competing format? Obviously a new group has to be created.
3) That next gen vote you speak of was not for control of the format. It was a PR move to give a 'blessing' since DVD was the reigning media format. It didn't really mean anything in the sense of format control.
There's really one real reason that studios and manufacturers jumped over to blu-ray over the one chosen by the DVD Forum: Playstation 3. The PS3 essentially guaranteed market penetration. Without the prospect of the PS3, would all of these companies and studios have jumped on board Blu-Ray?
I'd have to look at the timeline. However, I'm pretty sure most were on board well before BluRay was known to be in PS3. You have to understand, the initial BD spec was around before AOD.
There was far more involved than simply PS3, such as the fact it's the better technology.
And you're exaggerating by quite a bit by saying there are "a lot" more options for buying a blu-ray player. There are few options, period, for either format right now when it comes to players.
That's a pretty myopic view. Anyone considering HW support as a decision maker is going to look at announced models, as well as the list of CE support. Look at either, BluRay obviously has far better support, especially by the companies known for strong HW.
My point still stands. Why is it so easy to now say it's "right" for HD-DVD camp to give in - when the point could have been made the opposite way when HD-DVD was winning? The only thing that defines "right" or "wrong" in that statement is what format the person writing it supports.
Because people trying to make logical decisions on such matter tend to wait until the competing format has actually launched with more than one player, and has a decent amount of content released?
Should VHS have conceded to Betamax since Beta was launched first and thus had the early lead?
These decisions are based on looking at momentum once the competing formats are on a relatively equal footing. Your theory is basically that the first format out should automatically win, and the other should not even bother.