What makes me mad in all the new technology stuff is everyone being forced to go to HDTV in the States here soon.  Some people cannot afford the extra stuff even with the money they may get off.  I don’t mind the video game players as long as we get them as we can afford them.  My hubby is the huge fan and my kids like to play too.  None of them play really to excess and I monitor what my kids play.  I have a great hubby and kids.  If some video games help them blow off steam, go for it.

On the plus side: HD DVD burners will now become *cheap*… this means that one can get one, and pull the laser module out to make a laser pointer capable of burning holes in things.

I’m just glad that the whole thing is decided one way or the other.  The longer these “format wars” go on, the more people get heavily invested in the side that ends up losing.  Of course, I’m quite happy to just stick with regular old-fashioned DVD format, but nobody asked my opinion on the matter. . .

Maegan - 20 February 2008 08:24 AM

Oh poop.  You know what I meant.  I just screwed up the first part. 

You’re young and silly, so we’ll make allowances for you.

Besides, you might hurt us if we didn’t do so.

I am an ex associate - 20 February 2008 09:58 PM

What makes me mad in all the new technology stuff is everyone being forced to go to HDTV in the States here soon. 

Untrue.  While the over-the-air *signal* will now be digital, this will not force you to purchase a digital television to view it.  Rather you’ll need to purchase a digital tuner to receive and decode the signal, but you’ll be able to watch it on your 40 year old cabinet television if you so wish.  This has no affect on you if you currently watch television over cable/satellite/direct cerebral stimulation.  It only affects you if you’re trying to watch television from free over-the-air signals using just an antenna.

Keep in mind there is also a government program offering coupons to help defray the cost of purchasing said digital tuner.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/

Consumer Reports article on the conversion.

Renquist - 20 February 2008 10:13 AM

Given that of everyone I’ve ever spoken to, I’ve never heard of anyone owning one (at £400 a pop and very few good games for it, isn’t surprising).

Well, you’re not very observant…

I know you could use a tuner for an old analog tv but even with the coupon it’ll be expensive.  I’m the type of person who can go can be low or high tech.  Just as long as I’m not bored, I don’t care if my movie is on HDDVD or Blue-ray

Yeah, even with a coupon...you have to PAY FOR something the gov’t is requiring.  THEY want youto have it, but they want you to pay for it.

Madmouse - 21 February 2008 02:08 PM

Renquist - 20 February 2008 10:13 AM

Given that of everyone I’ve ever spoken to, I’ve never heard of anyone owning one (at £400 a pop and very few good games for it, isn’t surprising).

Well, you’re not very observant...

Come on, there were so many people in that room I couldn’t see the colour of the carpet. If there was a carpet. I’m fairly sure there was but there might have been a wooden floor. Wall-to-wall party guests do not allow for good perception of the scene

I am an ex associate - 21 February 2008 05:28 PM

I know you could use a tuner for an old analog tv but even with the coupon it’ll be expensive.  I’m the type of person who can go can be low or high tech.  Just as long as I’m not bored, I don’t care if my movie is on HDDVD or Blue-ray

From the government site

When TV converter boxes are available, retail stores will set the price. TV converter boxes are expected to cost between $50 and $70. The Federal Government permits each U.S. household up to two $40 coupons to help pay for the cost of the converter box. After applying the coupon, participating retailers will charge consumers the remaining balance of between $10 and $30.

Assuming this pricing holds true you’re not really paying much at all.  Yes it’s annoying, but that’s just one of the facts of life.

Maegan - 21 February 2008 05:37 PM

Yeah, even with a coupon...you have to PAY FOR something the gov’t is requiring.  THEY want youto have it, but they want you to pay for it.

The way you’re saying this would seem to indicate that the government is selling you these converters, which isn’t true.  They’re *giving* you the $40 coupons, but you’re buying the converters from someone else. 

The government *is* making money selling off the rights to use the to-be-empty-soon spectrum that analog TV used, however.

Well that didn’t take long (TG Daily):

Although HD DVD was always seen as a distant second in the HD format war, it constantly received attention because of the lower cost of its players.  Because of this, standalone Blu-ray players were not moving off store shelves very steadily. The majority of Blu-ray Disc movie purchases have to date been for consumers who own a Playstation 3, which has BD playback capabilities.

In a move to expedite HD DVD’s downfall, Blu-ray manufacturers and retailers aggressively cut prices earlier this year, to the point where it was possible to buy a standalone BD player for less than $300. [...] Within just the last two weeks, the average prices for LG’s BH200 player and Sharp’s BD-HP20U have climbed significantly.  Every standlone Blu-ray-specific player in the chart above is now more expensive than it was at the beginning of the year.

[More here...]