Thieves choose Blu-ray over HD DVD in mass disc heist
The high definition format war took an unexpected twist Sunday morning, when a group of thieves broke into a video store. What they took -- every Blu-ray movie in stock -- isn't as interesting as what they left behind. The gang ignored the HD DVD selection entirely, apparently deciding that only the BDA's baby was worth a five finger discount. Blockbuster choosing Blu-ray for its nationwide rollout is one thing, but being ignored when the price of acquisition is the low low price of free is a reality check for any fledgling standard. We suppose such early morning escapades are one way to build your library after getting the now lower-priced PS3, but it's not recommended. No word yet on if HD DVD fans are planning a coordinated group theft to reestablish the popularity of their chosen format.[Via DVD Dossier, thanks everyone who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Xyzzy @ Jul 25th 2007 12:04PM
Only this site (and perhaps Sony.com) would put such a spin on this "news."
Perhaps the thieves were HD DVD supporters and, by stealing all the BD movies, convinces people to get HD DVD instead because they're unaware of the alternative.
Or maybe the article simply lumped the two formats together. Wouldn't be the first time a reporter screwed something up.
Spin, spin, spin, gotta love it.
Kris @ Jul 25th 2007 12:09PM
No shit man.. I'm getting so freaking tired of all these damned biased blu-ray articles daily now.. its such a joke.. God, Engadget, how much is Sony paying you guys to post such nonsense?? You ought to be better people than that..
david @ Jul 27th 2007 12:02PM
I actually think they just chose the BRD because the blue packaging is easily seen. That dark maroon that HD-DVD uses doesn't stand out with flashlights in a dark room. I own a BR player, I'll have to keep an eye out for the "sell out of the trunk" guys pushing BRD discs.
domerdel @ Jul 25th 2007 12:15PM
I'm a supporter for Blu-ray, and I don't have any hate for HD DVD, I simply pick it because it suits my needs (higher bit rate of video, i dont need extra interactive features). I'm a bit blown away with how defensive HD DVD ppl get.
@Xyzzy and Kris: Settle down
Kris @ Jul 25th 2007 12:21PM
@domerdel
Blu-ray might have higher bit rate of video if dual layer 50gigs is used, but tell us why every HD DVD gets the better review for picture quality?? Hmm, maybe because HD DVD is mostly using dual layer 30gig discs while blu-ray is mostly using single layer 25gig discs, which only means what? that there is MORE bitrate going to the HD DVD release than the blu-ray release... not to mention better codecs as well! Perhaps this is why we aren't haveing to re-master our early releases like your awesome higher bitrate people are having to do.
david @ Jul 27th 2007 12:05PM
Can you send a few links about these comparisons, I haven't seen one yet except one stating that the BR in the PS3 was one of the best HD players out there. I would love to actually read some other comparisons instead of the ranting here.
Paul Arnette @ Jul 25th 2007 12:37PM
"No word yet on if HD DVD fans are planning a coordinated group theft to reestablish the popularity of their chosen format."
rotflmao! The funniest thing I've read on this blog so far. Kudos.
rick @ Jul 25th 2007 12:39PM
Kris man...you really need to keep up with the times brother. All dual format releases of recent (for at least the past 3 months) have received equal reviews.
You guys do understand that this article was meant to be humorous, right? Or did you HD-DVD guys completely loose your capacity to enjoy a good laugh at your own expense?
Life's to short to get all worked up over a silly format war!
Dave @ Jul 25th 2007 12:44PM
rolfmao
domerdel @ Jul 25th 2007 12:45PM
hmm... IE took a crap on me in my reply, i'll try and re-iterate (apologies if it appears twice).
@Kris: i'm glad HD DVD is winning reviews in better picture quality, my only argument is that I have a hard time believing it's EVERY picture better than BD. Here's my take, I went to visit the magnolia center in best buy. Looked at HD DVD and Blu-ray on the same 10,000 dollar plasma. Blu-ray looks better to my eye.
Note on codecs: saying one is better than the other is the same as someone saying chevy is better than ford...it's irrelevant, there is no technical specifications that show a landslide victory of HD DVD codec over another. I can assure you, they both have advantages and disadvantages over one another.
I've got 20/20 vision, there's a lot of logic to why Blu-ray is strong (higher video quality in most aspects, and more studio contracts). This is coming from someone who doesn't grovel at the feet of Sony. Again, it's merely subjective based on actual viewing, and numbers.
Someone who supports HD DVD is not a person who lacks intelligence, but you have to agree that making a choice is still subjective, there is no right or wrong, unfortunately, the majority will determine the outcome of a single format (for now).
What I'm saying can be applied to both sides, but just because Engadget writes an article about HD DVD or Blu-ray, don't think their pockets are getting heavier. The news is a written form of someone's perspective...
Terry @ Jul 25th 2007 2:15PM
What the story doesn't tell you is that the thieves took all of the Blu-ray loot, put it in one huge heaping pile, and burned it all to a cinder. :)
The Aggie CEO™ @ Jul 25th 2007 8:17PM
not Really...........
INSURANCE..........
Besides the Store selling them is responsible for it now.........the Distributors ALREADY made THEIR money.........lol
but ummmmm yea
You HD-DVD people need to chill.....its just comical relief.......sheeeeeeeeeeesh
T @ Jul 25th 2007 2:29PM
I'm thinking they were HD DVD Fanatics and stole the BD to slightly hurt the sales numbers. I mean....u think BDA will count those 50 disks into their sales?
cybereality @ Jul 25th 2007 4:19PM
I knew Sony was getting aggressive with their BluRay campaign, but this puts a whole new spin on the term 'guerrilla marketing'. I wouldn't be surprised if Sony hired people themselves to rob the store in an effort to gain some press. Hell, they could've made the whole thing up, for all I know. What if there was no robbery! Sure wouldn't be the first time Sony has pulled an unorthodox publicity stunt.
HDMike @ Jul 25th 2007 5:19PM
Ask yourself these questions...
Which player (by "player", I mean console) dominates the Blu-Ray scene?
What is the demographic of gamers?
Are you surprised at the camp supported by these thieves?
Just kidding, but it was fun to say. :)
Tom @ Jul 25th 2007 5:25PM
Keep posting these type articles Engadget. The entertainment value of some of the regular HDDVD fans whining foul play is worth it alone.
Kenzo @ Jul 25th 2007 5:38PM
@ domerdel
How can you determine that Blu-Ray has better video quality based on watching one or two movies? Are you actually being serious?
BD and HDDVD are identical in terms of quality. Period. These movies are digital files. You can store them on a hard drive or a jump drive if it had adequate capacity, and they'd have identical quality.
Now if you chose BD for reasons such as studio support etc thats valid. Just like HDDVD owners have a valid point by choosing based on price.
Xyzzy @ Jul 25th 2007 6:42PM
"Just like HDDVD owners have a valid point by choosing based on price."
Price isn't the only factor. Wanting to avoid one company having the entire triad of entertainment (format, movies, hardware) is my main reason. There's no way that will benefit consumers for one company to have such a stranglehold on the movie market.
Also -- every review known to man has said that HD DVD looks as good as or better (in the case of early BD releases) than BD. Bitrate doesn't enter into it at all - just another red herring for Sony. Movies that are available on both formats (which is the only way you can really compare the two) generally use the exact same encode, so bitrate has NO effect. Audio generally favors HD DVD (by a VERY slight margin) but occasionally favors BD (again, by a VERY slight margin). That makes it a wash.
Therefore both formats are the same except one is cheaper and avoids a monopoly. Seems an easy pick to me.
As for those laughing about HD DVD owners getting upset at EngadgetHD articles -- if they were BALANCED and made fun of BOTH formats, maybe, but the way it looks now, it's always pro-BD and anti-HDDVD, so it looks like they're on Sony's payroll.
domerdel @ Jul 26th 2007 11:01AM
@Xyzzy: A lot of the claims you make are early-BD. You need to look at the latest PR... it's not just Engadget making these claims. I tend to find that HD DVD camps are a lot more defensive than those who support sony. No offense, but you kind of sound like a hippie "avoiding monopoly, stop the corporations mannnnn ... hey where's my bong?" lol please, I hope you have a sense of humor.
@Kenzo: you are reading way too into what i'm saying, that is just one factor. They both appear to be somewhat identical, but this isn't Indiana Jones and the last crusade, I'm not making just one choice here lol.
WASD John @ Jul 25th 2007 10:47PM
You know this makes perfect sense! Thieves are not that smart so of course they would go for the format that expert a/v enthusiast Jay Leno recommend, or it could be that the HD-DVD are affordable and therefore do not need to be stolen.
Alex @ Jul 26th 2007 12:15AM
steal one disc or steal a thousand, 99% of the releases suck.
Mike @ Jul 26th 2007 1:20AM
It was some PS3 owners that paid retail for their ps3 and couldn't afford to buy their own movies.
Splatters @ Jul 26th 2007 5:34PM
Oh, and to the first guy who commented about this being the only site who'd put such a spin on the story: I've seen this reported on a dozen sites so far, and pretty much everyone has at least mentioned that this may reflect or affect the format war.
Splatters @ Jul 26th 2007 5:34PM
Yes yes, have a laugh at our expense. I work at Silver Platters; we DID have all our Blu-Rays stolen, and they did leave all our HD-DVDs behind. It's not a publicity stunt and it's not a joke.
Oh well, at least every cloud has a silver lining...after this, thousands of people know the name Silver Platters who otherwise would not have. The downside being that they know that we suck at not being ripped off. Ah, well...