[pete2s]

I'd like to say I've been on the edge of buying a next-generation video player, but most wouldn't believe me as I've been in the same position for over a year: I cannot bring myself to buy a Blu-Ray player because I am simply scared of Sony and its proprietary technology.


Now, I've been a Sony fan for many years. I have a Sony 60" HDTV (with the green blobs and all...). I have a 10.1inch VAIO Laptop that I adore. But I DETEST that 1) Sony products only work with Sony products and 2) Sony products are often more expensive than they should be because people have to buy them. I'm worried Blu-Ray will go the same way.


When I'm upnorth with the family, we have a Samsung DLP. My family takes the SD cards out of their cameras and just puts them directly in the TV and we all enjoy the pictures. People bring clips and pictures on key chain USB drives that they plug right into the TV.


Me? I have a memory stick on my Sony camera. I need a Sony TV to plug it into. I need a Sony laptop to upload the pictures.


My laptop only accepts memory sticks. Most multimedia laptops, with their 7 in 1 or 5 in 1 ports, don't have a memory stick input that I can use.


I am forced to pay the premium and buy Sony or my hardware will not function to its potential. I hate spending the extra money, and I hate only being able to use my technology with my technology.


Now, with Sony getting exclusive deals with Target and Walmart, I'm getting that feeling that Sony is forcing consumers to buy Blu-Ray, so that Sony can force consumers to pay a premium and buy other Sony equipment. I think this is a legitimate concern, especially in light of Sony's past with proprietary technology. How are you guys rationalizing your decisions to buy Blu Ray?

 

[TauRus]

Is this the best you could come up with, pete?

 

[tomes]

Toshiba is still the only manufacturer of HDDVD standalone players (excluding dual format). BR has Sony, Panasonic, Denon, Samsung, Philips, Pioneer etc. making them. It also seems that Sharp, Funai, LG, Lite-On and Mitsubishi will make Br players. On the HDDVD side I can only recall that Onkyo/Integra may come out with a hddvd only player.


So you tell me, which format looks more proprietary?

 

[mhtom]

LOL. It appears to me that HD-DVD is more proprietary than Blu-Ray. How many companies make Blu-Ray players? How many make HD-DVD? I've been against a lot of Sony's pushes to control the market, but Blu-Ray here seems to be more inclusive, not less.

 

[donricouga]

Talking strictly bluray, its not really proprietary. Many CE's make bluray players and many studios put of movies on bluray.

What are you talking about ?


Something like UMD is proprietary

 

[BZiggyZ]

I think Sony finally figured out how to launch a proprietary format- don't make it proprietary. I believe Panasonic has a big stake in Blu-Ray as well . I think with PS3 games all being Blu-Rays, the format is a pretty safe bet. Get a PS3 for movie playback, and it will always hold some resale value even if BR becomes another UMD.

 

[wreckshop]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


Now, with Sony getting exclusive deals with Target and Walmart, I'm getting that feeling that Sony is forcing consumers to buy Blu-Ray, so that Sony can force consumers to pay a premium and buy other Sony equipment. I think this is a legitimate concern, especially in light of Sony's past with proprietary technology. How are you guys rationalizing your decisions to buy Blu Ray?

How does BD exclusively being available at Target force you into buying Sony products? Also, if being able to use SD cards is so important, why did you buy a Sony camera and laptop in the first place? No one forced you to buy Sony products, why didn't you return them if you were so unhappy with your purchase?

 

[ToEhrIsHuman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


When I'm upnorth with the family, we have a Samsung DLP. My family takes the SD cards out of their cameras and just puts them directly in the TV and we all enjoy the pictures. People bring clips and pictures on key chain USB drives that they plug right into the TV.


Me? I have a memory stick on my Sony camera. I need a Sony TV to plug it into. I need a Sony laptop to upload the pictures.


My laptop only accepts memory sticks. Most multimedia laptops, with their 7 in 1 or 5 in 1 ports, don't have a memory stick input that I can use.


I am forced to pay the premium and buy Sony or my hardware will not function to its potential. I hate spending the extra money, and I hate only being able to use my technology with my technology.

That's funny because I regularly plug my SD memory cards directly into the handy memory card slot provided BY Sony on my 60GB PS3.

 

[bassmonkeee]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ToEhrIsHuman /forum/post/0


That's funny because I regularly plug my SD memory cards directly into the handy memory card slot provided BY Sony on my 60GB PS3.

Just like I regularly plug the Pro Duo memory card from my Sony PSP directly into our toshiba laptop and my Compaq desktop.

 

[b.greenway]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


Aren't you worried about Sony (price, proprietary technology)?

Not really, the PS3 is probably the first and last Sony BD playback device I'll ever own, the next one will likely come in the form of a combo player and from a different company altogether. So that pretty much kills the Sony dictating price argument.


As far as the proprietary technology argument, again not really much of a worry, they've got enough CE's on-board that one could extrapolate BD will eventually wind up about as "proprietary" as DVD.

 

[The_Dark_Knight]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BZiggyZ /forum/post/0


I think Sony finally figured out how to launch a proprietary format- don't make it proprietary. I believe Panasonic has a big stake in Blu-Ray as well . I think with PS3 games all being Blu-Rays, the format is a pretty safe bet. Get a PS3 for movie playback, and it will always hold some resale value even if BR becomes another UMD.

Actually, I think umd still has a chance....if they made it recordable.


If a PSP-2 comes out, it may have umd based on Blu-Ray tech, meaning that that Sony could manufacture little discs that hold +10GB.


That could be extremely usefull.

 

[dpags]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tomes /forum/post/0


Toshiba is still the only manufacturer of HDDVD standalone players (excluding dual format). BR has Sony, Panasonic, Denon, Samsung, Philips, Pioneer etc. making them. It also seems that Sharp, Funai, LG, Lite-On and Mitsubishi will make Br players. On the HDDVD side I can only recall that Onkyo/Integra may come out with a hddvd only player.


So you tell me, which format looks more proprietary?

LOL, and if the Onkyo comes it will basically be a rebadged Toshiba anyway

 

[tgable]

So the fall back is Sony == Blu-ray?


Can't you guys get newer material?

 

[Wendell R. Breland]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


I cannot bring myself to buy a Blu-Ray player because I am simply scared of Sony and its proprietary technology.

The original nine Blu-ray Disc members:

Hitachi, Ltd.

LG Electronics Inc.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Pioneer Corporation

Royal Philips Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Sharp Corporation

Sony Corporation

Thomson Multimedia


Click here for a complete list (≈ 170 companies)

 

[mcrexx]

I don't like it when Sony makes products that ONLY work on other Sony products (specifically Memory Stick) but with blu-ray, they have the support of MANY CE companies. I think going blu-ray is a safer bet than going HD-DVD at this point because of the CE and studio support.

 

[nyg]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mcrexx /forum/post/0


I think going blu-ray is a safer bet than going HD-DVD at this point because of the CE and studio support.

I don't see how anyone could argue with that.

 

[Richard Paul]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


I'd like to say I've been on the edge of buying a next-generation video player, but most wouldn't believe me as I've been in the same position for over a year: I cannot bring myself to buy a Blu-Ray player because I am simply scared of Sony and its proprietary technology.

Well you are free to be as scared of Sony as you want but your fears are in my opinion groundless. Blu-ray is a standard every bit as much as DVD or CD and has more CE and major studio support than HD DVD does.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


But I DETEST that 1) Sony products only work with Sony products and 2) Sony products are often more expensive than they should be because people have to buy them.

Aren't you the one deciding to buy Sony products and paying more for them because they are a high quality brand? Also there are many CE companies that make stand alone players for Blu-ray.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


When I'm upnorth with the family, we have a Samsung DLP. My family takes the SD cards out of their cameras and just puts them directly in the TV and we all enjoy the pictures. People bring clips and pictures on key chain USB drives that they plug right into the TV.


Me? I have a memory stick on my Sony camera. I need a Sony TV to plug it into. I need a Sony laptop to upload the pictures.

Just to point this out you can read a Memory Stick on a non-Sony laptop and you don't "need" a Sony TV to look at pictures made with a Sony camera. pete2s, from what I can see most of your criticisms against Sony are false and none of them are relevant to Blu-ray.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


How are you guys rationalizing your decisions to buy Blu Ray?

"Rationalizing" is a negative way to phrase such a question and a more objective question would have asked why we decided to support Blu-ray. Personally the reasons I support Blu-ray is because I think it is the best HD video format and is supported by the majority of major studios and CE companies.

 

[diceburna]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


I'd like to say I've been on the edge of buying a next-generation video player, but most wouldn't believe me as I've been in the same position for over a year: I cannot bring myself to buy a Blu-Ray player because I am simply scared of Sony and its proprietary technology.


Now, I've been a Sony fan for many years. I have a Sony 60" HDTV (with the green blobs and all...). I have a 10.1inch VAIO Laptop that I adore. But I DETEST that 1) Sony products only work with Sony products and 2) Sony products are often more expensive than they should be because people have to buy them. I'm worried Blu-Ray will go the same way.


When I'm upnorth with the family, we have a Samsung DLP. My family takes the SD cards out of their cameras and just puts them directly in the TV and we all enjoy the pictures. People bring clips and pictures on key chain USB drives that they plug right into the TV.


Me? I have a memory stick on my Sony camera. I need a Sony TV to plug it into. I need a Sony laptop to upload the pictures.


My laptop only accepts memory sticks. Most multimedia laptops, with their 7 in 1 or 5 in 1 ports, don't have a memory stick input that I can use.


I am forced to pay the premium and buy Sony or my hardware will not function to its potential. I hate spending the extra money, and I hate only being able to use my technology with my technology.


Now, with Sony getting exclusive deals with Target and Walmart, I'm getting that feeling that Sony is forcing consumers to buy Blu-Ray, so that Sony can force consumers to pay a premium and buy other Sony equipment. I think this is a legitimate concern, especially in light of Sony's past with proprietary technology. How are you guys rationalizing your decisions to buy Blu Ray?

This was a big concern for me too, but in the case of Blu-ray I took these 2 points into account:

1. Sony owns some entertainment studios so u can pretty much assume that the ppl making the movies, music, games, etc in their studios will be encouraged to use their equipment.

2. Blu-ray holds more space than HD-DVD.

So even if HD-DVD got a leg up on blu-ray Sony has the resources to weather the storm and bounce back.


On ur post u was concerned about being forced to pay a premium for things like memory cards and such. I just want to make this last point and then im out. I'll give a company credit where its due. The only problems i've had w/ Sony's media formats is when they messed around w/ the encryption crap on cds. Other than that their media formats and so forth have been so reliable it warrants the premium they charge for their stuff. If I made a high grade product I wont sell it for a low price especially if I feel my that product is better than the competitions.

 

[tleavit]

Sony is a little preparatory and I've been having a lot of problems with their products lately (just dont seem to be good as 10 years ago). But I still like them. Sony may be 25% preparatory but its a lot better then owning something like an Apple product. It doesn't seem to hold Apple back.

 

[rdodolak]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


Now, I've been a Sony fan for many years. I have a Sony 60" HDTV (with the green blobs and all...). I have a 10.1inch VAIO Laptop that I adore. But I DETEST that 1) Sony products only work with Sony products and 2) Sony products are often more expensive than they should be because people have to buy them. I'm worried Blu-Ray will go the same way.

What do you mean you have to buy them? No one is forcing you to buy Sony products and appears to be your choice.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


Me? I have a memory stick on my Sony camera. I need a Sony TV to plug it into. I need a Sony laptop to upload the pictures.


My laptop only accepts memory sticks. Most multimedia laptops, with their 7 in 1 or 5 in 1 ports, don't have a memory stick input that I can use.

You do know that you don't have to plug a memory stick into a TV, but that appears to be your preference and choice. Quite a few 7 in 1 and 5 in 1 memory card readers support Memory Stick so what do you mean that they don't have an input you can use? Do you have specific examples?

Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


I am forced to pay the premium and buy Sony or my hardware will not function to its potential. I hate spending the extra money, and I hate only being able to use my technology with my technology.

How are you forced to pay a premium when you chose to buy Sony products? For example, if you bought a non-Sony dvd player and plugged it into your TV your TV won't just stop working.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pete2s /forum/post/0


Now, with Sony getting exclusive deals with Target and Walmart, I'm getting that feeling that Sony is forcing consumers to buy Blu-Ray, so that Sony can force consumers to pay a premium and buy other Sony equipment. I think this is a legitimate concern, especially in light of Sony's past with proprietary technology. How are you guys rationalizing your decisions to buy Blu Ray?

As far as I'm aware Target is only carrying Blu-ray players exclusively. You're still able to buy HD DVDs at Target nor do you have to choose to shop at Target. There are many other stores out there where you can choose to buy your products from.