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Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has been a supporter of the HD DVD and Blu-ray technologies, but predicts that streaming digital content will put an end to any hope that either format will succeed . In 2005, Microsoft joined the HD DVD Promotion Group, a group of consumer electronics manufacturers, companies, and content providers who were pushing for a standard in HD DVD formatting. It came to a halt when Toshiba (the primary company behind the format originally) offered its own Blu-ray player in 2008, and when Warner Brothers declared in 2008 it would only release Blu-ray discs, most retailers decided against selling HD DVD at all.
Consumers have moved from DVDs to receiving instant, digital downloads with full HD 1080p Blu-ray quality. The Blu-ray discs are unnecessary when you can get the same quality video through streaming content.
Microsoft is not alone in its decision to withdraw its promotion and support of Blu-ray formatting. Apple has always been on the sidelines of the debate, waiting for the format to become more standardized, but when Apple TV launched, they too moved to supporting streaming digital content over the Blue-Ray discs, similar to how iTunes offers streaming digital content.
Blu-ray offers 5x more storage capacity than a traditional DVD, which allows a more crystal clear image to be created. They compress up to 25GB on single-layer discs and 50GB on dual-layer discs. Right now, Blu-ray is backed by over 200 of the world’s leading consumer electronics, video games, computer and recording media , but with more companies moving toward digital streaming content, it’s predicted that Blu-ray is on it’s way out. Retailers are beginning to use floor space once occupied by Blu-ray inventory for digital streaming gadgets, like iPads and smartphones.
Netflix offers streaming movies and television content, as do a number of other online companies. The upcoming Boxee is a small set-top box, similar to a cable box, which instantly streams television and movies directly from any location on the internet to your television, making it possible to even bypass the need for a cable television subscription.
The future of Blu-ray and other physical products is going to be challenged as more and more gadgets are created to allow access to digital, instantly streaming content.
Source: Entertainment Tonight News
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