LOS ANGELES, September 1, 2006 (PodTech News) — It wasn’t all that long ago that consumers were given the choice between two competing formats for watching video at home. Sony’s Betamax, despite its persistent reputation as a superior product, ultimately lost out to the VHS format, and by now, even that feels like ancient history. Once again, however, consumers are faced with a brewing turf war between two developing technologies in the ongoing quest for the next generation of digital home entertainment video players. Blu-ray and HD DVD are both competing in a high-stakes game in which millions of dollars in research and development have already been invested. Peter Bracke, editor of High Def Digest, speaks with PodTech’s Matt Kelly in this podcast, the first of two examining the emerging battle between these two incompatible formats.

Reporter’s Notes: A consumer could be forgiven for assuming that it’s all about the money. With all of the cable and satellite offerings competing with sales and rentals of DVDs (and the devices that play them), isn’t it possible that movie studios and manufacturers would want to see a brand new platform emerge that might drive us back into the market for content to play on that new platform? The jolt that the industry got during the transition from VHS to DVD must have been welcome, and it seems only natural that a similar jolt might be highly desirable right around now…. Of course, this time, it’s more than a simple machine you’ll need to buy. In order to get the complete experience, you’ll need a High Definition television set with a big screen, too. The bottom line?Entry into this new format is big bucks for the average consumer. In the meantime, forgive me if I pop some popcorn and watch my favorite DVD. Or VHS.

— Matt Kelly

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