On Feb 22, 3:11=A0pm, Bobcat <bob_c...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Feb 21, 11:43=A0pm, manitou <manitou...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > > Thanks, Charles. I think you did very well with your explanation.
>
> > From the Globe and Mail in Toronto..:
>
>
>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080220.RBLURAY20//...
>
> > Charles
>
> An inevitable question surfaces: is Sony the new Microsoft in the
> megabucks electronics industry?
First, here's an excellent item from NYTimes, including a link to very
telling comparisons between Blu-ray and other SD and HD
sources..........:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/technology/personaltech/21pogue.html/?_r=
=3D1&oref=3Dslogin
Still too soon to make longer-range predictions. If Sony wants to
ensure relatively fast universal adoption of Blu-ray, they will have
to keep prices down and, possibly, forego profits for a *long* time
---- RCA and NBC did the same 45 years ago to launch mainstream colour
TV.
I do think the longer-range prognosis for Blu-ray, however, is good
because its immense storage capacity means greater flexibility for
future applications (eg, entire seasons of older TV shows in standard
def on one disc, when the source material isn't good enough to warrant
hi-def remastering).
Also, this opens the door for Sony to revive its flagging Super-Audio
Compact Disc (SACD) format which is an outstanding audio medium. Even
diehard LP/analog types acknowledge it brings a new level of
"continuousness" to digital audio.
Where I do see a potential problem, however, and I believe it's
already starting, is market oversaturation. Babyboomers embraced CD
then DVD during their youthful and early middle-age heydays (eg, yours
truly, born 1946). But we're getting older and don't always have time
or energy to take full advantage of what's now available on disc.
I've pretty well stopped buying TV series on DVD because I'm waiting
for more recent ones to be available on Blu-ray, and my time these
days is limited because of a demanding work project.
Also, another factor which may slow down the advance of Blu-ray over
DVD is that most people simply don't have a good enough HDTV display
to benefit from the format's potential. I believe people will become
educated to this _eventually_, but it won't happen overnight because a
good HDTV display requires not just money, but a large amount of wall
space, tightly controlled lighting and (for full audio) a complex
seven-speaker surround set up.
I believe that future new home construction (houses and condo
apartments) will increasingly include this, but I can't imagine this
becoming mainstream for a few decades.
HDTV is a total new experience, not a neat gadget that takes up a
small amount of space, like a DVD player or VHS deck being connected
to your old standard-def TV, or a laptop computer which fits easily
onto any desk, as well as laps and briefcass etc etc.
Plus... all this happenbed at the tail end of a Mars retrograde
leading into a Mercury retro still not quite over...!!!!!!!!!!!
<g>
But, to return to Bobcat's original question, I *do* think now is
probably as good a time as any to buy Sony shares if one is
considering doing so. The BLu-ray victory means the stock should
likely grow impressively, at least for a while.
Charles
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