Blue-Ray vs HD-DVD... and the winner is...?

I am having fun standing on the sidelines and reading all the comments heralding the victory of Blue-Ray over HD-DVD. Believe me. It does not really matter. Yes I agree Blue-Ray took the first podium place, leaving HD-DVD behind. I even like what has happened, selfishly, because I do like the Sony PS3 game console for its no - compromise design, and as you probably know, the Playstation 3 is by far the best Blue-Ray player. The recent Blue-Ray victory will drive the PS3 sales, accelerating the market penetration and this way creating more and more content (games and on-line services) for the console. So that is good for PS3. But aside from the PS3 effect... does it really matter which high - definition TV disc format won the battle? Only for a very short time period...

Blue-Ray will repeat the fate of the SACD, the high definition audio format aimed to replace audio compact discs. It will be one of the shortest living new product / technology of the recently introduced. Before it develops a meaningful market (that means most of us having a Blue-Ray player at home and at least a HD-Ready TV Set), we will turn to on-line, Internet-based, personalized, on demand video services.

People are generally lazy. And impatient. And don't like to plan ahead. And want to have a lot to choose from. And like to be able to try before buying. So if I want to watch a movie now, and I have a choice of either picking any movie ever made on the Planet by clicking a button on a remote, or getting up from my sofa, and going out to buy or rent a Blue-Ray disc, I will choose the former, even if the quality is "just" a DVD-quality. Laziness, convenience, always wins consumers. Just look how many people use MP3 players (have not you heard MP3 degrades the audio quality?) versus how many of them have SACD systems (and discs!) at their homes... Of course there are audiophiles and there are videophiles and even myself I will be buying an number of Blue-Ray versions of the movies I really like. But only a few I have a reserved place on my shelf for. But for everyday evening movie we will pick the convenience of the on-line video on demand service. Like the one that has been available for more than a year now in Poland (videostrada TP or multipakiet TP). And as the current copper ADSL connections will soon be upgraded to fiber or at least VDSL, paving the way for high definition on-demand, personalized television experience.

So do not cry if you are left now with an XBOX-360 or another HD-DVD player. Soon your console or set-top-box will be the gateway to the entire movie collection of the World. Just make sure you are properly connected...