# AVS Forum takes a break from the "war".



## bobgpsr (Apr 20, 2006)

At 8:00 pm CST tonight, the AVS Forum (500k registered members) owners have shut down their BD and HD DVD (including the HDTV Media Software Discussion) forum sections until 8 November. 

Their reason is too much bickering and even threats of violence amongst hi def optical format partisans. :hide: 


AVS Forum notice system said:


> while AVS Forum seems to be the top place this war is being fought, we really do not like how the members are acting as of late. We have until now tried to deal with it as we can, but now it has come to this. We have seen members attacking other members not only in debate, which is the right way, but with physical threats that have involved police and possible legal action. This type of behavior is just not welcome here PERIOD. To the extent that some of you have gone to support either format is just, well, disgusting and has no place on this site. The amount of misinformation posted here and other places on-line HELPS NO ONE. You are doing NO ONE any good, not even your own format of choice. Why? Think about it, you post false information that then later proves to be just that, false, how does that help the cause?


Sad state of affairs! :coocoo:


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

> physical threats that have involved police and possible legal action


:unbelievable:


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2007)

bobgpsr said:


> At 8:00 pm CST tonight, the AVS Forum (500k registered members) owners have shut down their BD and HD DVD (including the HDTV Media Software Discussion) forum sections until 8 November.
> 
> Their reason is too much bickering and even threats of violence amongst hi def optical format partisans. :hide:
> 
> Sad state of affairs! :coocoo:


Look at the world in which we live. I'm not surprised at all. :help:

TrueBlue


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## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

Not surprised that they did it. It has been pretty bad there lately about the formats. I sometimes wonder if they made things worse for themselves by having separate sections for each format. But based on the amount of post there not sure if there is a better way.

Be interesting to see what happens when it comes back.


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## Hakka (Sep 10, 2006)

Ha, went there earlier and thought it was a bit quiet.

Hakka.


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## mike c (Apr 25, 2006)

i don't understand the concept of getting mad at the format you did not buy.

for example, I bought a PS3 for my BD movies ... 

and then transformers is released ... I don't get mad, I get even. "even" in the sense that I have now ordered an HD-DVD player


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

If only the world would realize it's better off if assimilating to Microsoft/Xbox360/HD DVD :bigsmile:

Just kidding of course. Competition creates evolution. This is especially true in consumer electronics. 

It's amazing how people get so emotional over formats and I've seen it in computer, operating systems, game platforms, even cell phones.

I was at work the other day showing someone a new Windows Mobile device that borrowed a lot of from Apple. I made the mistake of stating that ( in front of software developers ) I liked it better than Apple's iPhone. 

Man - this one guy that over heard me turns around from his cubicle and really let me have it. Brow beating me about how nothing by Microsoft could ever match anything by Apple. He was working himself up into physical anger. Blood vessels in his temples were pulsating.

Forget individual preferences, to him it's an unequivocal fact. Apple > Microsoft and if you don't realize it you're stupid. 

I meekly tried to express that compatibility with exchange and all the shareware downloads make a WinMobile device more interesting to me than a locked down device with no available API (yet). 

That's JUNK! He responds. I was like ooookayyy :coocoo: I don't think we have any reason to talk, ever again.

I've taken to calling it Fanboyism. I think it's a distinctly 21st century philosophical issue that will actually get worse before it gets better.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Yeah, the big HD-DVD sales led to BR fanboys starting bashing threads acting as if they owned HD-DVD players. Both extreme sides are fanatical, but to me it sure seems like the BR boys are NUTS!
I own and love both formats and it's hard to get real info. sometimes due to the crazies


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## toecheese (May 3, 2006)

As I've stated before, we are all 'losers' in this war. The next gen standard.. *should have been a standard*, and not a proprietary format.


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

Yeah, I agree. If they had one standard format and set-up it would take off better than it has.


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## Wayde (Jun 5, 2006)

I would hope the BD side would agree with you Toecheese.

But it is the BD that created a war, HD DVD was the next gen format. BD is the Johnny-come-lately. 

Not to stir up a debate here or anything:innocent:


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## bobgpsr (Apr 20, 2006)

I think that the new hi def optical formats (aka High Definition Media --> HDM ) had to mature a bit before being ready for mass consumption. The competition has been very good at pushing the quality up, getting better features, and now pushing the price way down. Too bad about the consumer uncertainty -- but IMHO when one format takes off by getting a reasonable percentage of total DVD sales (HDM only has 2% market share now), say 20%, the decision will be clear.


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## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

mike c said:


> i don't understand the concept of getting mad at the format you did not buy.
> 
> for example, I bought a PS3 for my BD movies ...
> 
> and then transformers is released ... I don't get mad, I get even. "even" in the sense that I have now ordered an HD-DVD player


Some people just get very passionate about what they have chosen. I orginally chose HD-DVD. But I wanted movies on Blu-Ray so I went out and bought a PS3. So now no problems for me. I don't get passionate about choosing one side and staying one side.

For me the bottom line is that I want movies in High Def and I don't care what format it is.


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## Bob_99 (May 8, 2006)

If two people under the same roof can't agree with everything, what are the odds that a bunch of strangers on a computer terminal are going to agree on any one issue. People need to embrace different opinions because it helps innovation and also it would be really boring world if we all had the same taste.

Just my thought.

Bob


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## E-A-G-L-E-S (Sep 15, 2007)

True...but when people get personal or argumentative that does nothing. And unfortunately, that's what most ofd the threads turn into.


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2007)

Yes - it's a shame how aggressive some posters have gotten on AVS.

I'm always good for a cogent debate, but apparently some of the posters have gotten really desperate and made physical threats, and more. 

I would suspect they may be doing a cleanup and letting the rest of folks cool down.

Seems it's only the second time in their history they've had to do this.


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I think things will settle down when the players like the Samsung dual player gets down below the $300 price point, which will likely be in the next year or so. Then it won't really matter.

Some people don't need much of an excuse to argue, they just love to argue. :dontknow:

There are always going to be choices to make... this is just another one for now.

EDIT: Hi rd and welcome to the Shack!


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

Look on the bright side. If you bought a format that dies out, you'll end up with a collectors item like the Betamax Vcr or the Sony Elcaset! :bigsmile:


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2007)

Sonnie said:


> EDIT: Hi rd and welcome to the Shack!


Thanks! :wave:

Wow - lots of emoticons to choose from, here!


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## htnut12 (Mar 5, 2007)

Somewhere out there in the universe are the temples of High Def discdom. One red and one blue. The disciples are no less fervent than many others who are convinced that their temple is the only one and true house of the higher being. 

I started with HD DVD. The recent low priced HD DVD sales allowed a fine fellow to get a second HD DVD for his home. I was able to pick up his Panny Blu player and now I can attend services in either temple. 

Now it remains to see whether price is really the driving factor.


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## MrPorterhouse (Jul 29, 2006)

Sonnie said:


> I think things will settle down when the players like the Samsung dual player gets down below the $300 price point, which will likely be in the next year or so. Then it won't really matter.
> 
> Some people don't need much of an excuse to argue, they just love to argue. :dontknow:


Yep. It used to be that people would just argue about speaker wire, cables, or co-located dual subs vs separated dual subs, etc... I think those arguments must have just gotten tired and worn out, so people find something else to argue about. A format war has a built in division, so its instant argue.


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## bobgpsr (Apr 20, 2006)

The AVS Forum's which were closed are now back up with much tighter rules -- no format war talk allowed.


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## Big Worm (Mar 8, 2007)

bobgpsr said:


> The AVS Forum's which were closed are now back up with much tighter rules -- no format war talk allowed.


That should make it more enjoyable over there. I wonder if people are going to be able to hold back.


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