Jupiter: Blu-ray-HD DVD War Is 'Futile'
The research group says most people will be loyal to the standard-def DVD.
By Swanni
However, despite what some analysts are saying, Jupiter says the war itself is not the overwhelming obstacle, Consumers may be content to use 'upconverting' DVD players to make their standard-def DVDs look better.
"The real competitor that both these formats face is not each other, but rather low cost DVD players with up-scaling capabilities that pass the ‘good enough’ test for most consumers," says Michael Gartenberg, Jupiter's vice president and the lead author of a new report on high-def discs.
Blu-ray and HD DVD are rival formats competing for the high-def disc audience. However, both player and disc sales have been slow due to high player prices and confusion over the format war.
While acknowledging that consumers are turned off by the format battle, Jupiter says they may not be inclined to accept a single new standard for movie rentals and purchases.
In some cases, for instance, they might prefer to watch films downloaded over the Internet.
"The abundance of material in such a wide variety of formats is going to make adoption of any single standard very difficult as consumers may well opt for a combination of what is already available," said David Schatsky, Jupiter's president.
The company said high-def disc supporters must do a better job of communicating to consumers why their technology is better.
"To be successful, manufacturers must offer a clear and visible improvement in quality and functionality as well as place greater emphasis on platform longevity and backward compatibility," said Schatsky.
And high-def content won't do it alone, the company said, citing research showing that just 24 percent of consumers say additional HD programming would motivate them to upgrade their home equipment.
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