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Profile 1.0, Profile 1.1, Profile 2.0: Is This Math Class?
March 28, 2008

A friendly suggestion for BD hardware folks - you gotta come up with a cohesive way to explain these players. I realize that each level of player can do different things, and you need to correctly describe the attributes of each model type to consumers. 
But after reading this MSNBC.com story explaining the profiles, and the coinciding nicknames for them, I just had one of those moments. The article is actually really straightforward and helpfully talks up each nuance within each Profile. But at the same time, talking about Blu-ray players should be fun. It shouldn't be anywhere near reminscent of the times my eyes would glaze over during 8th grade alegebra class. Profile 1.1 = Bonus View, Profile 2.0 = BD-Live. Can't we just pick one name and stick with it?
I don't know if I can come up with a better way to name this stuff. But I worry if there are too many distinctions between players, mainstream consumers may feel daunted figuring out which one they ultimately want. 
"Now, I think I want BD-Live, but does that also get me Bonus View? And is that all the same as Profile 2.0? Oh, wait, I don't have a high-speed Web connection - so shoot, do I go for the Profile 1.0 or 1.1? And which of those is Bonus View again?," Joe Consumer might ask.
To me high-def TV's are more straightforward, where the major breakdown seems to be 1080p or not 1080p. A salesperson could just easily sum up the difference..."Do you want to pay more for the best, or pay less for like, almost the best?"
Also, overall the difference between LCD and Plasma seems to be just a personal preference thing, and consumers aren't going to be missing some key capabilities when going with one or the other.
It just seems a little trickier keeping all the BD differences straight.
As HighDefDigest.com contributor Josh Zyber says in the MSNBC.com story, "I find the notion of hardware profiles to be needlessly confusing for consumers. Whether intentionally designed that way or not, these tiered profiles leave the impression that the manufacturers are trying to force Blu-ray owners into continually upgrading their equipment."

 

Posted by Susanne Ault on March 28, 2008 | Comments (1)