by Lance Ulanoff
I finally figured out why I was so dead wrong about the HD DVD versus Blu-ray format war. I should have analyzed the sides—Sony and Toshiba—not as two countries going to war, but as opponents in a close-quarters boxing match. Had I done so, I would have properly assessed each of the technology's assets and deficits.
Back in the late 60's and early 70's when former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was winning all his bouts, commentators extolled Ali's "reach." His arms and fists extended a good 2 or 3 inches beyond his opponent's. This allowed him to inflict stinging jabs to the face and head of his over-matched opponents, including Ken Norton and Leon Spinks. Sony, it turns out, has this advantage, too.
Reach and Distribution
While on paper Blu-ray developer Sony and HD DVD developer Toshiba may appear the same, there are key differences I failed to take into account in my assessment of the pugilistic battle. Sony smartly leveraged its position in a number of key products and content-distribution outlets. It seeded the market with Blu-ray-ready PS3 machines. The machines sold poorly in their first year, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess that more people bought PS3s than HD-DVD-ready players.
Sony also controls a major television and movie studio, so it had any easier time getting Blu-ray content out into the marketplace. Toshiba and its partners kept pace for most of 2007, but once Warner Bros. walked away, Toshiba could do little to stop others from doing the same. Sony never had to worry about its own content factory turning its back on Blu-ray.—next: Flash and Burn >
