Blu Ray over/under $

Gotta look at all the past formats, and I must say that QUALITY has ALWAYS taken a back seat too convenience, cost, profit, etc!!!
Again, look at Betamax and look at CD(16bit/44 was a major step down in sonics, minus some backround noise here and there, and we're still using 16/44 standard for music at the local music stores, some 25 years later!!!!)
Heck, laser disc was an improvment over vhs easlily, and it never went beyond videophile niche market.
I think here, people will again go with whatever markets the convenience, or mass distribution, with the most titles and accessability, etc.
Really, we will NOT SEE a mass exodus to hd dvd like we did with original DVD a few years back! I garantee it! Why? Because with DVd you had the convenience, the improvment in audio/video quality, and we can already record on em now.
So just cause we got more dvd extras and some better vid or audio improvments, doesn't mean that much in tems of sales, profitability, marketability, consumer mass acceptance, IMO.
I mean, we had superior(by a mile!) SACD and DVDA audio discs out for years now, that have flopped and basically all but died a quick death mostly. We also had DVHS with superior HD definition video, and that died too.
We already got DVD now, that we can even record on. So what's some improvments in video/audio gunna do so much in terms of exciting the world?...I say not much.
Don't get me wrong, I am as thrilled as the next audiophile/video guy. But I think it will really come down to who can sell their product the most easily, and convince the public that theirs is the way to go, and that it's all going "their" way! Could be wrong. I just don't think product superiority has ever made a difference to the public at large when it came down to it. Heck, we got Bose outselling everyone by a ton! That should say something right there...

Rysa4, I don't get your point.
I stated that there's NOT going to be a mass exodus anytime soon to any new DVD format, IMO. The players will indeed have more potential on the right monitor, over standard DVD, this is certain! And yes, I've seen the demo's at the shows. On a small monitor, the difference is more subtle, of course. Still, my point is that DVD already WORKS for the average consumer superbly! Only those setup for large screen dedicated movies (projector setups and large display close-up scenarios) will get a big benefit, in the right circumstances.
I was simply stating that whatever is coming down the pike will be what we get, that's it. I'm sure it will be all nice in the end.
Anything else you were trying to sell me?

Again, I think people aren't gunna be doing a mass exodus to HD DVD or other here, like the industry hopes! It won't be even 1/3 of what the DVD rush was years ago, I garantee it!
People already have the convenience of the Disc. The quality jump won't make most do nothin by enlarge. And at high prices, they definitely won't do a thing!
BAsically, WHEN HD replaces Standard dvd player/disc pricing, and that's all you can buy is hd dvd players, then people will start buying into the format. None sooner. And they certainly won't care what format is what, as long as they can play all the discs. So, I be you'll see universal players at the very least coming in a couple few years if these people can't sort out their format problems. Cause they won't be selling a ton of anything regardless.
For most, the novelty of DVD is nothing new. They already have that. A quality upgrade never moved the public from one format to another. It has always been more about convenience and content over quality for buyers! That's the truth.

As for the better audio capability issue, I really seriously doubt anyone on a grand scale cares so much! I mean, A BIG FAT FRACTION OF A PERCENT of the buying public ever even heard an SACD or DVDA disc, let alone even know they exist! Crappy old 16/44 CD's are now like 25 years old already, and that's all they mostly still sell at the stores!
I hardly think anyone ready for DVD HD is really going "wow, the audio should be great!"...That is, except for us few audiophile minority.
That all said, I think this is a great counter to the long standing thread here about 2 channel being better than multi-channel!!! Here we have the public at large rejecting old super sounding analog records and high rez SACD/DVDA audio discs, and basically only caring about cd and download Ipod music stash!!! However, audio upgrades to overmixed, foley-effect laden synthetic movie soundtracks on DVD, specfically higher rez DD/DTS, are what seems to be most important!
Let's face it, 2 channel may or may not be great on a good recording, but everyone else in the world only cares about their "surroundy sound" system and DVD movie playback soundquality it seems. Otherwise the industries wants things to be that way evidently