Netflix Chooses Blu-Ray... Exclusively. Yet Another Indication that HD-DVD is Dead

I've written about Blu-Ray's domination over HD-DVD and this latest development is even more telling. When I purchased my Sony PS3 for Blu-Ray movies, I immediately signed up with Netflix as I didn't own a single title. At the time, Netflix offered Blu-Ray and HD-DVD movies - but today, Netflix is announcing that they will only carry Blu-Ray movies going forward.

Stunning move. For a company with such rich user data and popular trends, Netflix must realize that HD-DVD is simply dying (or dead):

With the industry now having picked a winner in the face-off between the two competing high- definition DVD formats, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) , the world's largest online movie rental service, today said that it will move toward stocking high-def DVDs exclusively in the Blu-ray format.

Citing the decision by four of the six major movie studios to publish high-def DVD titles only in the Sony-developed Blu-ray format, Netflix said that as of now it will purchase only Blu-ray discs and will phase out by roughly year's end the alternative high-def format, HD DVD, developed by Toshiba.

Since the first high-definition DVDs came on the market in early 2006, Netflix has stocked both formats. But the company said that in recent months the industry has stated its clear preference for Blu-ray and that it now makes sense for the company to initiate the transition to a single format.

"The prolonged period of competition between two formats has prevented clear communication to the consumer regarding the richness of the high-def experience versus standard definition," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer for Netflix. "We're now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single format, bring clarity to the consumer and accelerate the adoption of high-def. Going forward, we expect that all of the studios will publish in the Blu-ray format and that the price points of high-def DVD players will come down significantly. These factors could well lead to another decade of disc-based movie watching as the consumer's preferred means."

More also at Silicon Alley Insider and Engadget

Amazed by my Sony PS3 and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

I purchased a Playstation 3 to go along with my new 1080p-capable television specifically to play Blu-Ray movies. In fact, I've had the system for a couple months now and don't own a single game for it. I am not a big video game player as: 1) I don't have the patience to make play games that require hours and hours to complete 2) I don't have the cleverness to beat non-sports games (even Mario Galaxy is too complex for me) 3) I'm just not very good at first-person games (which really started with N64's GoldenEye and is now nearly every non-sports title)

But my Andrew Machado loaned Uncharted: Drakes Fortune to me and convinced me that I had to try it - if for no reason other than to demonstrate the PS3's capabilities.

Simply put - it's stunning. Uncharted looks and moves like a movie. Graphically, it's astonishing. The game moves seamlessly without scene-by-scene loading delays. The audio is terrific and the game movements are fluid and natural.

While I likely won't beat Uncharted (for the reasons stated above) - I am incredibly impressed by the machine and the game.

Images from Kotaku

Yahoo to Turn Down Microsoft's Bid - Who Has More to Lose - Consumers or Stockholders?

On Monday, Yahoo is apparently set to turn down Microsoft's $31/share offer - claiming it "massively undervalues" the company. Yahoo's stock will likely plummet and shareholders will likely be irate, opening up Y! to potential lawsuits. Meanwhile, analysts and bloggers are wondering if this is merely a bold negotiating tactic (after all, Yahoo didn't turn down an acquisition, they turned down a price). Silicon Valley Insider says that the current bid is way off: "The company is unlikely to consider any offer below $40 per share" (Kara Swisher confirms that price). But if Yahoo's desire for a $40/share acquisition is too rich for Microsoft, it is likely too rich for any other potential bidder.

Negotiating tactic or plain rejection, this is a gutsy move by Yahoo.

And if Yahoo indeed rejects the offer, all indications suggest that they will outsource search to Google (a magnificent admission of failure)... a result that frightens me. While I have my doubts about the ability of two monstrous companies to integrate effectively and/or efficiently, I like the concept of having a second player in the search and online advertising market. If done effectively, Yahoo and Microsoft would pose a competitive threat to Google - and competition is always good for consumers (and advertisers, publishers, etc).

My gut says that this story isn't yet over... the discussions are just getting more intense.

People Search for the Strangest Things...

I've written before how much I love SlimStat and Mint before. They provide real-time insight's to how users interact with your website... and user behaviors in general. I can watch and refresh the logs for minutes on end. It's fascinating (especially for bigger sites with large amounts of content). How else would I know that the last visitor to this site searched on Google for: "spoon barack obama"?

beRecruited Partners with ESPN on NCAA's National Signing Day

Over the last couple years, NCAA Football's National Signing Day has become a big business. ESPN aired all-day coverage on ESPNU and ESPN2. Online, ESPN simulcast the entire broadcast on ESPN Video and reported real-time via ESPN.com and ESPN Insider (have I mentioned enough properties?!). This was the perfect day for beRecruited to team up with ESPN - after all, our goal is to connect athletes, coaches and colleges.

Throughout the day and on ESPN's properties, beRecruited was featured in various placements - from ESPN.com's recruiting classes to ESPN2's "Who's Your Daddy Segment" (my personal favorite).

It was also exciting to see some of beRecruited's most prominent football players be mentioned nationally and see significant online traffic today due to the ESPN broadcast.

video footage:

photo:

NCAA National Signing Day

More Proof That Blu Ray Destroyed HD DVD

Need yet another reason to buy a PS3 and convert to Blu Ray? Here is more proof that Blu Ray has won the HD format and that HD DVD is just about dead. Here is the latest list of recently-released-movies from High Def Digest, a terrific site that reviews both formats of high def movies as they release. Here are the last 20 releases. Only four titles arrived on HD DVD and only three of those were unique to that format. One of those includes the Method Man concert... so really, it's only two titles.

High-Def Disc Reviews - High-Def Digest Blu-ray Review: Me, Myself & Irene Blu-ray Review: Celine Dion: A New Day... Live in Las Vegas Blu-ray Review: Damages: The Complete First Season HD DVD Review: Elizabeth: The Golden Age Blu-ray Review: The Brave One. Blu-ray Review: Underdog (2007) Blu-ray Review: Suburban Girl HD DVD Review: King of California Blu-ray Review: King of California HD DVD Review: Method Man: Live from the Sunset Strip Blu-ray Review: The Invasion Blu-ray Review: Wall Street Blu-ray Review: 30 Days of Night Blu-ray Review: Resident Evil - The High Definition Trilogy HD DVD Review: Freedom: 3 Blu-ray Review: Monty Python's Life of Brian Blu-ray Review: Across the Universe Blu-ray Review: Dragon Ball Z - Broly Double Feature Blu-ray Review: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Designing a Great Search Box - Yahoo & Chickipedia are Great

The search box is often overlooked despite being such a critical launching point for the user experience. The search box shouldn't necessarily be an afterthought. Whether it is in the header or footer, it should be inviting, large enough to house a full query, and be visually enticing. There are a lot of ways to make a search box interactive:

* The Look: Ask.com sets it boldly atop a rich background. * In the Box: beRecruited.com fills the search box with the message "Search beRecruited" that, when clicked, disappears. * Before the Submission: Snap.com reveals search results as the query is entered.

Here are some of my favorite search boxes and interactions:

* Yahoo. Fills in results as you type. Looks terrific. Allows you turn 'search assist' on and off.

Yahoo Search Box

* Chickipedia. Not sure what to say about the rest of their site, but the search box is terrific.

Chickpedia Search Box

* Boxxet. The search box is ordinary, but the pre-rolled interaction is brilliant and inviting.

* ESPN. As you type, it fills matching results with key data like team, school, position.