Blue-Ray Vs. HD-DVD

It looks like the big war between Blue-Ray and HD-DVD cannot be resolved as easily as the original DVD format dispute between Sony and Philips in the early 1990s. The dispute between Blue-Ray and HD-DVD resembles the conflict between Betamax and VHS. So far, Sony lost one (Betamax) and tied one (current DVD format). Sony wants to win one (Blue-Ray) by cross promoting the Blue-Ray format with its own beloved gaming console division. Regardless of win or lose, you have to respect Sony for being a company that continues to develop and push the limits of technology.

Companies have chosen their sides. It looks like the split is pretty even for now. The war between Blue-Ray and HD-DVD will be fought on multiple fronts. The result of the up and coming gaming console war between XBox 360 and PS3 will be one of the factors to help us determine which HD format will dominate the future. As much as I like Sony, I fear that Sony's Blue-Ray is going to lose just like Betamax. No matter what, we will definitely see corporate machines at their finest battling this format war. This is a great opportunity for current students, managers, and business owners to learn from a case study in real time, in real life.