I am too young to remember the specifics surrounding the VHS/Betamax "war" of the eighties, however; as I have grown, I have witnessed the simultaneous growth of various forms of technology. Over the years our VHS tapes and cassette tapes were gradually replaced by DVD's and CD's. Our CD's have gradually been replaced by a revolutionary format of audio technology. Instead of producing a bigger device with more accessories, Apple Ipod moved in the opposite direction to an almost intangible format of audio technology - the Itunes library. The move to the MP3/Itunes library format along with the compact and sleek Ipod device, has proven itself more user friendly and thus widely popular. Apple also revolutionized the music/audio file purchasing platform through the Itunes Music Store. The Itunes library allows a user to purchase/store/manage/organize all audio files (including those ripped from CD's) condensed into one "folder" on your computer. The advent of the Ipod has led to the obsolescence of the CD player and all the required accessories. This new purchasing format places music in the hands of the user in a matter of seconds. As Ipod revolutionized the way users access audio files, so too is Comcast and other internet-cable providers changing the way users access video files. Comcast with the anticipated release of their new "Wideband" technology will provide an even faster speed of Broadband Internet service to millions of American homes. This new technology allows for the faster download and better quality of high definition movies, all from the comfort of one's couch. This new interface, just as with the Itunes/Ipod, is more convenient and user friendly. The ability to download high quality movies from your home is trending to replace the DVD player and DVD discs that currently clutter many American living rooms.
Regardless of the trend leading to their demise in the near future, it is interesting to delve deeper into the HD - DVD/Blu Ray "war" - one that has seen Blu Ray pull away in the past few months. Technologically speaking, there are a few differences between the two products. Both use blue laser technology which provides for higher quality pictures. Both provide much higher GB storage capacity, far exceeding the traditional DVD format. (Blu Ray however, does offer more capacity.) And where HD DVD sells itself as an improved version of the traditional DVD format, Blu Ray is a newer albeit more expensive form of technology. What I found to be the most glaring difference in the debate, one in which most decidedly determines who wins and who loses, is the corporate sponsorships that have formed around each side. Blu Ray owned by Sony has more powerful backers buying into their platform. Names such as Dell, HP, LG Electronics, Hitachi, Panasonic and Samsung to name a few. Sony also owns Colombia Pictures and MGM, two large movie studios that will support its format. Recently, Sony received another huge studio endorsement when Warner Brothers Inc. stated that they will stop selling movies in HD-DVD format. On the retail side, Toshiba HD DVD received a critical blow when retail giant Walmart stated that it will stop selling HD DVD products and instead sell Blu Ray. It seems as though the biggest determinate of winner/loser in this "technological" debate is not the technology at all, but rather the corporate sponsorships behind each product. If we have learned anything from the previous VHS/Betamax debate (in which Sony was the loser), it is not the better technology that wins.
What I found most interesting in my research/reading about these new products is that they are all interconnected, even if not ostensibly so. In the past, most households had different devices in which to play various forms of technological entertainment. In our house in particular, we had our television along with our cable box and DVD player on which to view video files. Also connected to our TV. was our game console for video games. Our computer was housed in a completely separate room, and is used for generally "computer" type applications such as word processing or searching the internet. And then we have our CD stereo systems along with our personal Discman on which to access our audio files. Generally speaking, we have four sets of devices to deliver different technology. What we have seen over the past few years is that technological advancements have integrated these different interfaces - which in turn has lead to the obsolescence of many devices. For example, as we saw in class, game consoles now have the capacity to play games, play DVD movies and also allow a user to search the internet. Ipod has integrated video files into their devices allowing a user to view movies/television shows bought off the Itunes library right in their "audio" device. And with the release of the Xdock HD, users can hook the device up to their televisions. What is interesting to note is that one device in particular seems to be the anchor around which all these other forms of technology are evolving to serve - the television.
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