Is Blu-ray Doomed?

Pulkit Chandna — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:43:23 -0600

Doubts have been cast on the success of the Blu-ray format ever since it debuted. Initially, the format appeared to be doomed due to a poor adoption rate, thanks mainly to a host of factors, including the PS3’s initial tribulations, popularity of the DVD format, and the steady rise in the popularity of digital downloads.

However, it soon appeared that the tide had turned as PS3’s sales picked up and the rival HD DVD format ran out of steam and met its sorry fate. The latest good news has come in the form of sales data released by research firm Futuresource, which indicates that Blu-ray sales during the ongoing holiday season have been promising.

Futuresource expects 2.5 million Blu-ray players will be sold next year in Europe. But all this good news might just mark the end of the format’s halcyon days. Has the Blu-ray flattered to deceive?

According to Cnet’s Don Reisinger, the Blu-ray will never scale the heights of popularity that the DVD has managed. Like numerous other pundits – bona fide and self-proclaimed – before him, Reisinger is convinced that digital downloads will eventually deliver the Blu-ray to its grave.

Another sinister portent for the Blu-ray format happens to be the grim sales picture of the PS3; strong sales of the console surely could have gone a long way in popularizing the format. I expect Blu-ray to share the same mediocre fortunes as the PS3 during the remainder of its lifetime.

Image Credit: CinemaRetro

Creative Zen Vision: M

Michael Brown — Sat, 13 May 2006 15:04:04 -0500

You know a device has a great user interface when someone utterly unfamiliar with it accomplishes a task within 10 seconds of picking it up. Apple’s iPods pass this test with aplomb; Creative’s Zen Vision: M utterly fails it. It’s a significant flaw in an otherwise terrific media player.

Only one of the eight illuminated buttons adorning the player’s face offers a clue to its function: the play/pause toggle. You’ll need the manual to figure out everything else, but the research is worth the effort.

Like Apple’s fifth-generation iPod, Creative’s latest player is equipped with a 30GB hard drive and a drop-dead gorgeous 2.5-inch backlit LCD (320x240 resolution). But where the iPod reminds us of Kate Moss, the Zen Vision: M stirs visions of Kirstie Alley.

Creative two-ups Apple by building in an FM radio tuner and a voice recorder, but it’s a large battery that accounts for the sealed case’s expansive girth, not these minor features. We nevertheless managed to squeeze out a scant 8.5 hours of combined audio and video playback time.

User interface and physiology aside, the M delivers awesome sound and video. The included earbuds are better than mediocre, but it took Shure’s superior E4g earbuds to expose this player’s excellent dynamic range. The screen is equally as good, even when viewed off axis. We’re less enthused with the player’s click-clack buttons, its hyper-sensitive touch pad, and the screen’s susceptibility to scuffs (Creative provides only a cheap cloth pouch for in-transit protection).

Charging or synching requires plugging in the included mini-port, which has connections for USB; an included A/C adapter; and (boo! hiss!) a not-included, proprietary, $19 A/V cable.

The Zen Vision: M is a superb choice if you’re into video and all-you-can-eat, music-to-go services such as Rhapsody and Napster: It sounds and looks every bit as good as the video iPod, even if it isn’t as sexy. Fashionistas and iTunes addicts, on the other hand, should stick with Apple.

Month Reviewed: May 2006

Verdict: 8

URL: www.creative.com

Maximum PC player RSS Feed

Is Blu-ray Doomed?

Creative Zen Vision: M