WHY is there a format war?

[gastrof]

All these years "the big boys" have apparently used a single format in creating "storebought" DVDs. We bring them home, put them in our machines, they work.

Fine.

Now, tho', when we want to record our own, suddenly there's a format conflict. Plus. Minus. RAM. Why didn't some genius, when coming up with DVD home-recorders, say "Hey! Why not use the format that's been used to make DVDs since the beginning?!?!"

Seriously, why in the world IS there a format war? Shouldn't they have just used the existing format, and made recorders that produce the same type of disc that's been playing fine all along?

IS there an explanation on this, or is it a mystery where if they told us they'd have to kill us?

[Jesterrace]

A pressed disc and a recordable disc are two very different animals. Bottom line is cost. Recordable discs (and the burners) are much cheaper to produce than a pressing machine and pressed discs. As for the format wars, I don't really get it either but the fact of the matter is that we are going to be stuck with multiple formats for some time to come.

[Chriso]

Basically for recording a dvd you need a small set top box or computer. For pressing, you need a small factory.

[crustyteacup]

Companies never seem to agree to one format these days, they each research there own discs, then get other companies to sign up. Bingo you have a format war. I'm sick of it to, i'm not buying a blu-ray and a hd-dvd (not to mention hd-dvd-1 if it every comes to anything) player just so i'm free to watch and buy any movie i want next time round, if theres a player that plays both then fine, but they'll likely cost a small fortune for a long time, and thats not acceptable either.