AfterDawn: News

Netflix users prefer HD DVD?

Citing the web metrics site Compete.com, it seems that although the number of high-def early adopters using Netflix is still small, the users are very favorable of HD DVD over Blu-ray.

According to the data, 48,000 visitors to Netflix viewed the HD sections of the site from June-August 2007 which was about 0.3 percent of total traffic. The numbers then get a bit more interesting. About 65 percent of the traffic checked out Blu-ray titles but when asked to set a preferred format, HD DVD was chosen by about 70 percent making it by far the more favorable format.



The numbers contradict recent reports and even a statement by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings that said in an interview that "customer demand for both formats at Netflix was pretty evenly split."

Source:
HD Digest

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 5 Oct 2007 9:20

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• 12 comments

• Footie979

  It'd be nice if I could get a new release Blu-ray movie once in awhile from Netflix. I can get junkie transfers like The Fugitive, but it took me over a month to get 300.

  5.10.2007 09:38 #1

• zordac

  The problem with this data is that it is from Compete. The way Compete gathers their data is through a silly toolbar. So, to be counted as one of the ones that "set a preferred format" you would not only have to be a member of Netflix but also have the Compete toolbar installed and also be an early adopter of either Blu-ray or HD DVD. So what you have is a small percentage (Netflix) of a very small percentage (Compete) of a small group of early adopters.

  5.10.2007 10:28 #2

• duke8888

  Yes from what I have been reading and hearing HD has the lead in formats at this time. Some DVD makers are making units that play both but units are still to costly for average consumers...

  5.10.2007 14:27 #3

• mattkind

  Everyone knows that HD DVD is better than Blu ray for a lot of reasons, and will win the war eventually

  5.10.2007 14:48 #4

• CrowDUDE

  Originally posted by mattkind: Everyone knows that HD DVD is better than Blu ray for a lot of reasons, and will win the war eventuallyThink again! My money is on Blu-Ray

  5.10.2007 18:28 #5

• hammer20

  I personally feel that of the two; Blu-ray is the better technology but, in todays day and age the way every body looks at the corporation of Sony as an evil empire. There is a very likely chance HD-DVD could win the format war. Good or bad I am not sure but, competition is always a good thing just look at the way the price of "next gen" players have fallen in the past year and this has occured regardless of cuts of manufacturing costs. All I have to say is look at the all too common analogy of Beta vs. VHS and how the "better" of the two dosen't always win!!!

  5.10.2007 18:45 #6

• hammer20

  I personally feel that of the two; Blu-ray is the better technology but, in todays day and age the way every body looks at the corporation of Sony as an evil empire. There is a very likely chance HD-DVD could win the format war. Good or bad I am not sure but, competition is always a good thing just look at the way the price of "next gen" players have fallen in the past year and this has occured regardless of cuts of manufacturing costs. All I have to say is look at the all too common analogy of Beta vs. VHS and how the "better" of the two dosen't always win!!!

  5.10.2007 18:45 #7

• nobrainer

  Originally posted by mattkind: Everyone knows that HD DVD is better than Blu ray for a lot of reasons, and will win the war eventuallythe biggest reason is drm, blu-ray is filled to the brim with the most anti consumer drm ever created BD+, its even worse that sony's xcp rootkit. all hd-dvd has on their discs is aacs, which is cracked beyond repair.
  
  http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/11371.cfm
  
  
  

  Track What Companies Have Edited Wiki http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/ (very heavy load atm)

  6.10.2007 00:41 #8

• 24Lover

  Originally posted by nobrainer: the biggest reason is drm, blu-ray is filled to the brim with the most anti consumer drm ever created BD+, its even worse that sony's xcp rootkit. all hd-dvd has on their discs is aacs, which is cracked beyond repair.Anti-consumer or Anti-Pirate ? Sound like to me your a real pirate because copy protection is there to help protect there content not stop people from using it.

  6.10.2007 08:31 #9

• nobrainer

  Originally posted by 24Lover : Originally posted by nobrainer: the biggest reason is drm, blu-ray is filled to the brim with the most anti consumer drm ever created BD+, its even worse that sony's xcp rootkit. all hd-dvd has on their discs is aacs, which is cracked beyond repair.Anti-consumer or Anti-Pirate ? Sound like to me your a real pirate because copy protection is there to help protect there content not stop people from using it.
  
  its to stop ppl doing what they want with their media but sony think its stealing and want everyone to purchase multiple copies for every device they own!
  
  http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...s-stealing.html
  
  Originally posted by Jennifer Pariser, the head of litigation for Sony BMG: Gabriel asked if it was wrong for consumers to make copies of music which they have purchased, even just one copy. Pariser replied, "When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Making "a copy" of a purchased song is just "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy'," she said.they you have anti consumer drm that buggs out like sonys ARccOS which stopped dvd players from playback and sony answer was to contact your hardware manufacturers for a firmware update, chargeable if your device was out of warentee, until sony dvd players failed to play the drm.
  
  http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...tible-dvds.html
  
  Quote:Sony has said that it will replace a number of DVDs that caused problems for many of its customers. 20 DVD titles were affected by the glitch—including the movies Casino Royal, Rocky Balboa, and Stranger Than Fiction—which was caused by Sony's ARccOS copy protection on the discs.or more recently with blu-ray BD+:
  
  http://www.betanews.com/article/New_Blur...ming/1191609316
  
  Originally posted by link: With the next wave of interactive features having been added to 20th Century-Fox's latest Blu-Ray Disc releases, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and The Day After Tomorrow, there was always a certain level of anticipation that some existing Blu-ray consoles would have trouble, especially the first-generation editions. Surprisingly, it's the second generation which is seeing some early problems, with reports from owners of Samsung's BD-P1200 that they can't play either of these titles.and the usual responce from the drm backers, contact your hardware ppl NO REFUND!
  
  Originally posted by above betanews link: In a statement yesterday to Video Business, Fox' senior VP of communications, Steve Feldstein, acknowledged the issue but said the solution rests with the hardware manufacturers. Feldstein urged that console owners lobby those companies, implying some kind of mass movement.then you get to hdcp that is making hdmi incompatible and ict which is hidden drm waiting to make all your equipment void!
  
  http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/23/hdmi-the-manchurian-.html
  
  Originally posted by link: Hollywood studios and some CE manufacturers have reportedly entered into an informal agreement to hold off on using the "image constraint token" in HDMI DRM until 2010 or 2012. The image constraint token is a flag in a video signal that instructs receivers, DVD players and other high-definition sources to "down-rez" their output to a low-definition signal when connecting to an "untrusted" screen or other sink.
  
  The effect is that if your screen or recorder isn't blessed by Hollywood, they can limit the video they send to it to a low-resolution image. Manufacturers who want the full signal have to enter into the HDMI license agreement and agree to cripple their hardware in lots of ways -- and have to promise not to make their equipment compatible with anyone else's, unless they, too, agree to cripple their hardware.
  aHoles at the front of the drm drive:
  
  MPAA:
  
  Sony Pictures, Buena Vista (The Walt Disney Company), Paramount Pictures (Viacom -- which bought DreamWorks in February 2006), 20th Century Fox , Universal Studios , and Warner Bros. (Time Warner)
  
  AACS LA:
  
  Sony, Disney, Intel, Microsoft, Matsushita (Panasonic), Warner Brothers, IBM and Toshiba.
  
  RIAA:
  
  Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group.
  
  Blu-ray Disc Association:
  
  Sony, Matsushita, Pioneer, Philips, Thomson, LG Electronics, Hitachi, Sharp and Samsung.
  

  Track What Companies Have Edited Wiki http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/ (very heavy load atm)

  6.10.2007 11:40 #10

• Shegax

  I'm not gonna waste my time arguing about the formats at ALL!. I'm gonna chill back and relax, use my dvdrs continue to rip my dvds, music, and play them wherever I wish. It's true, corporations will always put profit over progress. I will wait to see who is the victor (blu-ray or hd-dvd). And continue to use what I have until the burning drives come out, and sell for around 150$ and buy it then. I have always waited until technology is a deal. I only switched to dvdr last year when dvd-dl came out, and paid 150 for the drive. Not bad for experiancing the format for the first time.

  7.10.2007 01:49 #11

• borhan9

  Well i gather then they will head the way of hd dvd.

  17.10.2007 02:08 #12