Mama Said Knock HD DVD Out!

For those of you that remember the movie "Tron", the animation to the left completely describes what happened in the last few months between Sony (Camp Bluray) and Toshibia (Camp HD DVD).

So I'm one of those guys that occasionally gets sucked into the "early adopter" electronics arena, and unfortunately for me, I picked the losing team in the HD DVD / Bluray format war...and did I mention how bad it sucks to be on the losing team? Last November I picked up Toshiba's flagship XA2 model for a screaming good deal, and over the past few months I've built my HD DVD library up to around 40 discs. I was excited about this new format...so much in fact, that I got my brother, mom, and grandfather into the format as well. After the Thanksgiving holiday, Walmart ran a deal on the Toshiba A2 player for 99 bucks, and our family decided to all chip in and get my grandfather into the "HD life" for Christmas, as he recently purchased a shiny new LCD HDTV and has always been an electronics buff himself. Looking back on this great deal, methinks it was more of a fire sale/inventory clearing initiative on Toshiba's part because they obviously knew something that they didn't want the public to know. Marketing in it's rawest form baby! Anyway, my bro was the next to hop on the bandwagon, and then Mom. HD life was looking swell, and then right after the Christmas holiday at CES...Toshiba received the death blow that put them down for the count. Warner Studios made their HUGE announcement that they would be siding exclusively with Bluray. Being that they are the largest studio in the industry, that meant that the water was going to start spilling over the bulkheads on the HD DVD ship. Bluray having Disney, Fox, and now Warner meant that the other studios would follow suit, and sure enough, that's what happened within a matter of weeks. HD DVD was now abandoned, spit upon, and beaten down, and those few hundred thousand players that were sold worldwide would eventually become paperweights...depending one's level of involvement in home theater I suppose. Needless to say, I felt like absolute crap getting my family and friends into this...oh well...so is the life of a format war gamble.

Over the last few weeks, I've been looking for the fire sales on eBay, Best Buy, Circuit City, Hastings, etc. I think I've bought every HD movie that I want in my library...bout 40 titles give or take. I went out a couple of weeks ago and was deeply saddened to see that Circuit City and Best Buy have wiped their shelves clean of the HD DVD media that I and so many others grew to love...only Bluray was to be had now. Looks like I'll have to pick up The Matrix and Twister online since Boise retailers are completely HD DVD free.

It was a fun ride and a good fight Toshiba, and I'll continue to enjoy my HD library and XA2 player at least until it breaks and is out of warranty. Once that happens, I guess I'll be forced to switch to the Blu side. Or I'll just wait until Hi Definition media becomes a downloadable format. I would be that 'disc' format is on it's way out sooner than we think. As the Internet pipeline continues to swell, it's a safe bet that players will become more like PC's and downloadable high definition media will be the future. That being said, I would also imagine that the interconnect companies like 'Monster Cable' are a bit concerned that this game could turn into a wireless world as well. Serves them right...$160 for a friggin HDMI cable...how do they sleep at night?!?!?!

Cheers!

He that will always bleed "Red"

A Brain Dump...

Holy "Lost track of time" Batman!!! I can't believe this many months have blown by, and not a single word has dripped onto my blog. I'm sitting in my living room after a long day of getting over a week's worth of what appeared to be bronchitis, my son's baseball game, work, a couple of double cheeseburgers from Mickey D's for dinner, and a very loud movie night of Star Wars with my family.

Anymore the days seem to blow by like minutes on the clock. These late nights are usually when I reflect on life...good and bad, and how easy come easy go life can be. Oh yeah, here's a little nugget that you all probably didn't know...I always have to listen to music while I write, and tonight's selection is "Unforgotten." Some of you will recognize it...others will not.

Unforgotten.mp3

I'm sorta in the mood for a massive brain dump...so here goes:

While I look back over the last few months, I just realized my Ethan is already 9 years old, and my Ryan is going to be 6 in July. I've been with HP for 8 years now and I've seen how wonderful and evil corporate America can be. I've watched many friends come and go over the years for whatever reason. I've lost my grandfather and grandmother in roughly a year's time. My cousin (early 20's) suddenly passed away and I watched my Aunt cry more than I ever could imagine. I've watched gas prices infuriate the masses. I watch my OCD levels fluctuate and learn from it...some things just don't matter, while other things just have to be my way. I'm so fortunate and thankful that my current manager realized and believed that I could 'do it.' I've consumed waaaaaaaay too much unhealthy food, and ironically, this has been the year I've been the least sick. I've seen new dimension within my family, that I need to take part in, regardless of what others think. I've been angry and don't know why. I can cry at the drop of a hat...depending on the day. I watch my boys...and smile. I watch my boys...and want to pull my hair out. I learn things about my wife and our marriage every day. I'm comfortable with my gray hair. I'm a slave to the automobile, and perceive that washing them makes them run better. I realize that my lawn will never be green enough. I realize that I am a good father for my boys and a good husband for my wife. I realize that I need to do more for my boys and my wife. I've made significant change in my role at work...and it was recognized by many. I've watched my website grow over the last 4 years and at the same time fail...hockey just ain't what it used to be. I've watched my love for hockey slowly fade. I've watched money cause so much happiness, and at the same time, so much pain with many. I've been to so many puppet shows and have seen the strings. I've realized that EVERYTHING will eventually get old and lose it's luster...no matter what it is. I finally understand that I have achieved major milestones in my life...and I realize that I have a long way to go. Within the last year, I've learned not to take everything on myself, and that there are others that want to help me succeed. It's not 'always' my fault. I'm kinda diggin the full beard. Why is everyone so far away from me? I realize that I've had close calls, and that I can't take the most important things in my life for granted. Can I honestly answer the question "Who am I?" Is it for me, or is it for someone else? If it isn't right for me, could it be right for someone else?

That's just tonight...you should see the really crazy nights! LOL!