It's certainly no scientific survey (limited, as it is, to mostly young early adopters who blog their opinions of new CE products online), but according to an independent Internet traffic analyst, discussions on the Blu-ray Disc format so far point to "a general dislike" for the HD format.
An analysis of comments retrieved from Cymfony Inc. on more than 30 blogs, discussion boards and similar online venues show that positive comments on the rival HD DVD format are 46 percent higher than Blu-ray. Also, about 2.5 times more online messages discuss being impressed with HD DVD over Blu-ray. (It should be noted that Blu-ray players and PlayStation 3 had not yet reached the North American market when the data retrieval period began earlier this fall.)
Nearly 60 percent of the comments came from a few dozen Web sites, which target early adopters of entertainment technology, particularly videophiles and gamers. While early adopters are not always reflective of how the general consumer population will react to technology, according to EETimes.com, "they do set a tone and [can] influence media coverage."
Much of the online Blu-ray discussion, according to Cymfony, was driven by the mid-November release of Sony's PS3, which includes a Blu-ray player as standard equipment. Some online comments were resentful of having the Blu-ray player "forced on them" through purchase of a PS3, Cymfony said.
As usual, the final say in any product's success, or lack thereof, is how well it ultimately sells, and it's far too early for any meaningful numbers on that front.
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