The battle to take on the mantle as the next-generation optical disc format between HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc overshadowed all other events in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at Las Vegas held in the second week of January.
However, the current DVD format is not willing to be sidelined as it is likely to stay on for a couple of years.
Wolfgang Schlichting, Analysts with IDC, feels that the market for advanced formats is not likely to take off until 2007 or 2008 and DVD is expected to rule the roost till such time.
Meanwhile, in the battlefield of blue-laser formats, both the formats are upping the ante. HD-DVD stole a march as Toshiba announced that it would hit the market with its two HD-DVD players in March priced competitively at $499 and $799.
Besides, companies campaigning for the Blu-ray Disc format such as Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer, among others failed to announce as to when their stand-alone Blu-ray recorders would hit the market. After all, the Blu-ray camp has been touting for long that with its recorder it would have an edge over its rival HD-DVD. Most of the vendors in this category said their players would hit markets only in late spring or later.
Rob Enderle, independent tech analyst had the final word when he said: “Blu-ray came into the CES as the clear winner, and came out as one of the most dismal losers. They've priced themselves out of the market.”
In the non-DVD front, Google announced the flagging of an online video store, which includes 3,000 videos for sale to view on PC. They include shows of NBA, CBS, etc.
Apple showcased their new speedy laptops priced at $1,999 and $2,499 laptops, which will hit the stores next month in addition to iLife software.
Michael Gartenberg, Jupiter Media analyst remarked: “The star of Macworld was iLife. Apple excels at taking really complicated things, making them easy and bringing them to the masses.”
Microsoft previewed its new Windows operating system, Vista, and its media subscription services. However, it didn't manage to set CES ablaze.
