DVD Wars: Blu-ray Disc vs. HD-DVD

It's VHS vs. Beta, all over again! Back when I was young, there were two main consumer video tape formats, VHS and Beta. Both had their advantages and disadvantages, and it took years for the market to decide which one was best. VHS ultimately prevailed, to the extent that many of today's youngest consumers don't even realize that there was once an alternative.

There are currently two contenders for the title of "next generation DVD format," Blu-ray Disc and HD-DVD.  Again, both have advantages and disadvantages, and supporters and detractors.

So, you are thinking, what does this have to do with web services?

Good question! The DVD Wars site will help you to track the progress of each format so that you can make an informed choice as to which format you want to support. At the site you can track several important indicators including the number of DVDs currently available in each format, the average sales rank of the all available DVDs in each format, the average price of a DVD in each format, and the number of players. You can also track the changes in each of these metrics over time. Finally, you can see (and purchase) the top 10 DVDs in either format,

All of this data is calculated using data pulled from the E-Commerce Service.

-- Jeff;