Sifting the World

Well, it has all happened so quick that it’s hard to believe the competition to see who would rule the high-def video market has come to an end.

Today in Japan, Toshiba who created the HD-DVD format announced they would begin winding down the format.  This comes at no surprise since Warner announced in January that it would solely move to Blu-ray by May.  This only left Paramount and Universal as the only studios to support HD-DVD.  Since then, powerhouses Netflix and Best Buy, to name a few, have announced sole dedication to Blu-ray.  Most recently, though, was the final blow to HD-DVD’s growing lack of support when on Friday THE RETAILER Wal-mart announced it would soon only be selling Blu-ray players and movies in it’s stores.

By this afternoon, Universal had already announced that they were in the process of preparing titles for the Blu-ray format.  As for Paramount, they will not have as much trouble gearing up to release on Blu-ray, since they were releasing previously on Blu-ray before signing a deal to release solely on HD-DVD.  I would assume there was a clause in this contract that allows them to release on Blu-ray, at least pending HD-DVD folding.  Assuming that this is the case, we could see Paramount titles being released on Blu-ray within weeks, since they had new titles ready to release previously before halting their Blu-ray production.  This is not to mention all of the catalog titles they would already have on Blu-ray ready to release that they had to pull when going solely HD-DVD.

I never really feared for my job at all, but now that it is Blu-ray and Blu-ray only, we must prepare for the tsunami of Blu-ray production this coming Summer and Peak Season.

Now that there is a definite one-and-only format for High Definition, you can buy a player and movies assuredly for your $1,500 TV!  Happy Hi-def to you all!

I hate to say it, but it is a sad, sad situation in America and I assume the rest of the world.  I truly believe that a lot of the world’s problems come down to the breakdown of…The family.  I’m not sure if that word still exists today…at least not in the sense that it did 50 or 60 years ago.  There is not the solid Oak structure of a family tree as there used to be in a Father, Mother, and children for every two generations.  The roles of the father and mother are split between “stepsfather/mother” “boyfriend/girlfriends,” and even just “lover.”

As a father, I blame much of this on the father role.  Men are weak today.  I’m not sure if it is because of the “picture of the father” that the media presents or if the media presents that picture because that is what is true.  Either way, the man in today’s world, the father, is weak.  What most men today think is strong, is simply only a fool’s strength.  He is uncommitted to his wife and children, and is enthralled by video games or another addiction.  He is lazy.  IF he does work a regular job, he comes home and is “too tired” to spend time with his wife and children.  He does not hold to promises, because things are just too busy and too hard.  He is not willing to stand up for what is right.  He would rather fit in, than be put aside.  He does not want to show weakness, because that is “not being strong.”

As the father fails, it trickles first and foremost to the wife.  It is God’s intention for the man to love, serve, cherish, and uphold his wife.  After all, scripture compares man to his wife in the same aspect as Christ to the church.  This no longer happens.  So, the wife is weak, frail, unfulfilled, and needy.  She finds alternate ways of making up for that.

Next, the kids are the final recipient of this virus strain.  They indirectly and unintentionally learn from the structure and relationship of the parents.  I truly believe this is another part of God’s design and desire.  However, when that example is broken, guess what happens to the children.  They find alternate ways of making up for that.  The need that they have for a stable, full, and nurturing parental structure goes unfulfilled and outside teaching makes it’s way into their learning.

In today’s world, we are more concerned with saving our planet than saving ourselves and our families.  Trees are dying every day.  They are breaking and withering.  Decades and even centuries of families that have built strong bases emotionally, physically, and spiritually for their offspring to grow upon are disappearing.  They are being lost and forgotten in a world that is now “too busy and doesn’t have enough time” to stop and breathe.  These trees that are dying are chopped down at no one else’s fault than that of the tree itself.  When the wind even just whispers a breeze through the branches, the tree itself is already too weak to withstand it.  What should be a simple breeze that merely moves and sways the branches, is more like that of a tornado cracking, breaking, and falling the weak ”strength” that was nearly almost dead already.

Where beautiful forests once stood of great sturdy trees, there now lies a field of grass and weeds and little sapplings trying to grow…trying to make it through yet another winter…another thunderstorm.  Continuing to fail and fall and attempt to grow again…removing themselves further and further from the soil in which their roots need to take hold.

Okay, I’ve decided that I will hang-up my short-lived life of being a prophet.  Why?!–well, because I was way off on my first prediction.  Not only did the Colts not make it to the Super Bowl, or even the Pats for that matter, the Cowboys didn’t even make it to the conference championship either.  Double-ouch!

So, as the NFL comes to a close, I will watch…maybe cheer on brother Manning until he is out…but mostly turn to my real team of the last 18 years…The Spurs!  Go Spurs Go!  …and no, I’m not going to make any predictions for that.

Call me brave. Call me dumb. Call me crazy. Call me smart?! I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict the two teams that will be competing in the Super Bowl this year. Also the winner. I truly believe (barring no further injuries) that the Colts will win the Super Bowl over the Dallas Cowboys.

I believe the Patriots are overrated.  I believe the Jags and Colts are underrated.  But I believe the latter is the best team that is underrated.  IF the Patriots get past the Jags this coming weekend, I predict they will fall (at home) to the Colts (Colts will beat the Chargers in Indy this coming weekend).  If not, then I think the Colts will beat a good/HOT team in the Jaguars, in Indy, the following week.

Colts repeat NFL champions.

Previously I had posted (last August) about Paramount switching to support HD-DVD only.  This move made no sense logically, but then news leaked about a payment of $150 million changing hands in Paramount’s favor for the move.  That was then.

Oh how the balance has changed now and Paramount is regreting their decision I’m sure.  Yesterday, Warner announced that they would be supporting Blu-ray exclusively, starting in May of this year.  That means they will continue to release movies in HD-DVD through May, but they didn’t promise how many or what titles.  So, they could simply just release one title between now and then.  Either way, for someone wanting to buy into the High-definition movie world, they going to be even less likely now to buy HD-DVD than Blu-ray.

How big is Warner’s decision?  Well, Warner was the last studio to support both sides and now that have proclaimed which format they feel is the better decision for consumers.  Last year, Warner lead the market with numbers of sales in North America with 18-20% share of the DVD market.  So, not only is a big contender moving to Blu-ray only, the LARGEST contender is now joining the exclusive Blu-ray studios of Fox, Sony Pictures, Disney, MGM, and Lionsgate.  New Line Cinema who had previously been releasing on both, but showing exclusive support to Blu-ray on some titles, will most likely be joining Warner with full support of Blu-ray only since they are a subsidiary of Warner.

Blu-ray only:  Sony Pictures, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, Warner, [New Line?]

HD-DVD only:  Universal, Paramount

Here’s to one [BIG] step forward on moving this consumer-confusing war to an end.

I learned something from my father a few years back.  Praying is limitless.  There was a singer/songwriter who’s music he loved.  He had no reason to believe that this individual was a Christian, though.  So, he started praying for him.  …At the time, I thought to myself—”what a great idea!…but how would that person ever know he was praying for him?!”  Then I got it.  It wasn’t for that person to know that they were being prayed for, but was for the mere fact that we can and should take all things to God, because of what Christ has done.  All things are possible with Him.

So, with that in mind, this week I will begin praying for a few individuals.  Some that mean a lot to me…and some that are literally an enemy.  And in praying for these people, I will pray first and foremost that if these people do not know the mystery of Christ, that He may be made known to them.

1.  Ben Folds - I love your music man, but if you don’t know Christ, then it’s all but loss.

2.  Lindsay Lohan - You are destroying yourself.  You are searching and trying, but failing to find what you were made for.

3.   Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - God can receive glory through your living or your dying.  But since He offers the gift of eternal life through His Son’s sacrifice, then I must pray that somehow you would accept Christ for who he truly was, is, and is to come (the Son of God), as well as what He did for you…even you.

Recently, I’ve been struggling with the idea of starting to perform (guitar/singing) or to continue not doing so.  It has always been a thought in my mind throughout college and now beyond college with a family and a job.  However, lately it has become more of a burden on my heart.  I have discussed some with my wife and some with my best friend from college.  Still, it all comes down to whether I just do it or not.  I think the only thing that keeps holding me back is the fact that the only place I would play right now would be a daggone coffeeshop, since I don’t currently have a band…at-hand.  And OHHHH how I love coffeeshop-playing (since I’m typing this, I will go ahead and label this as sarcasm).  I guess I could always play in churches, since much of my music is subliminally Christian anyway…?  I just don’t know.  When do I just stop seeking and do one thing or the other?

If you care and if you are actually reading this (thank you by the way, you might be the only one), send me a note or leave a comment and let me know what you think.  If you don’t know me or even my music, look over into the right column where it says “my myspace.”  Click on that and it will take you to a few well-recorded songs from college.

Perhaps I should just take some wisdom that I just made up for myself…”Do something or shut up!”

On a recent driving trip I dug back into a few old CD’s.   It’s an interesting thing to go back and listen to some music that you haven’t listened to in years.  First of all, it brings you back to where you were at that time in your life.  Many memories come back from that time period.  Secondly, I have found, that when I listen to some of these old songs it’s almost as if I am listening for the first time in a way.  Obviously, I have matured much since that time and, in some instances, I hear the words for the first time.  I guess, in some ways, I understand how so many of the youth listen to things when it blows my mind what they are actually listening to.  Because, I could sing songs word for word back then, but wasn’t really listening.  In this case, my maturity has helped me hear some great things in some of the old music I used to listen to…I hope I can help the youth group that I oversee with this. 

I decided the other day in the shower that reading a book is similar to watching a movie, watching TV, or playing video games.  You can get carried away with all of these and completely become enveloped in them.  People can talk to you and you can’t really comprehend them and understand what they are saying unless you stop doing this.  When you do show someone attention that is trying to communicate with you, you will most likely have a blank expression on your face…it may even take you a minute to transition to interpreting what they are actually saying.  Hours upon hours can disappear like a vapor.  It will completely take you out of the current world to where you are not even aware of your surroundings.  It can possibly hurt your eyes and even your head for prolonged periods of time.

As I get older I enjoy more and more of reading…Fiction and especially non-fiction.  I’m even finding myself having the choice between movies, TV, and video games (though, I can barely remember the last time I played a video game) and in the end choosing a book over all three of them.

Too much of anything, though, can be…well, too much.  I have to remember to spend time with my wife, kids, God, and everyone else.

As some of you may know, I am involved in some ways or another with Blu-ray disc technology…and have been since basically the first disc was molded.  I actually had involvement with the first literal BD made in the U.S.  I won’t get into much more detail than that.  I am writing today, in sort of a shocked manner.  First, let me give a little history on Blu-ray.

There once was the best technology for movie studios to put their content on entitled DVD.  Then the high-definition world opened up.  First, it showed it’s detailed face on TV.  After that it came to live in the form of discs…two different forms of discs (simply because two big giants could not compromise on 1, as they did with DVD).  Blu-ray, which uses a tighter, more finite laser was created by Sony, which can hold up to 50 giga-bytes.  HD-DVD, which uses a tigther laser than DVD, but less than Blu-ray, was created by Toshiba and holds up to 30 gigs.  Next you had the giants trying to recruit, or pick teams if you will, their fellow players.  Joining Blu-ray were most of the movie studios, as well as many electronic companies, and a few PC-based companies (Dell, HP, Apple).  Teaming up with HD-DVD was Microsoft, Universal Studios, and a small handful of others, some of which were also in with Blu-ray.

At the time the movie studios panned out as such:

Blu-ray only:  Sony Pictures, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate

HD-DVD only:  Universal

Both: Warner, Paramount

The first big tide-turner between the two formats was the PS3, which used a Blu-ray player for movies and games.  This is what brought the Blu-ray player sales over HD-DVD player sales (which at the time HD-DVD players came out much earlier and was much cheaper).  This is also what continued to increase a widening gap between BD disc sales to HD-DVD sales…3:1.  As the Fall approaches and more BD players come out, prices will be very close to each other for both sides.

The second big blow to the HD-DVD side was Blockbuster announcing that they would carry “Blu-ray movies only” in nearly all of their 1,700 stores in the U.S.  This was based on the results that they had been tracking between their own rentals (both online and in stores) between the two.  This even included movies that would be released on both formats.  A prime recent example of this is the difference in sales of Warner’s movie “300″ in the first week of release.  It sold a combined total (BD and HD) of 250,000 High-Def movies.  Out of that 250k, the split was BD-65% and HD-35% (I’ll let you do the math).  That was with the HD-DVD version having more extras on it than the BD version, too.

Thirdly, soon after the Blockbuster announcement, Target announced that they would only sell Blu-ray players in their stores.

I mean, does anyone see something large happening here?  It doesn’t take a genius to go out and research the number of players that exist for each side, the difference in total players sales (you cannot leave out the PS3 or the HD-DVD player add-on for the Xbox 360—they are players) number for each, the numbers of electronic companies backing which side, the number of studio support for each side, the number of total disc sales for each side, the diminishing difference in cost for each side’s players.  Go ahead, do some research.  Go to the Nielson stats for all of that.  Go to the HD-DVD pages and see what companies support that and then go to the Blu-ray pages.

And then came the oddest, most un-defined piece of news today that I have heard in the whole time that the high-definition disc format war has existed…Paramount chooses to move solely to HD-DVD release only.  It makes no sense, except for the mere fact that money was dealt.  It is rumored that $150 million was in play and possibly committed Paramount to release only on HD-DVD through possibly 2008.  WHY?  To a situation that was lop-sided from the beginning and has continued to move more and more to a final ending that does not continue to destroy the consumer, Paramount has now just prolonged the end a little farther.  To me it baffles my little brain…not simply because I am obviously for Blu-ray, but because it makes no further sense than simply over money.  …Unless, of course, another monopolistic company (*coughmicrosoftcough*) has something planned in the near future for movies accessible via the Internet and somehow tied in to Windows…of which would be keen to Paramount’s liking—digital downloads.

So now it is as such for the time-being:

Blu-ray only:  Sony Pictures, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate

HD-DVD only:  Universal, Paramount

Both: Warner

But still life goes on.