If manufacturers are to hold on to consumers' confidence in new technologies, they will need to pool their efforts and create a truly universal media standard.
It was nearly achieved with the advent of DVD - the Digital Versatile Disc - the concept of which was to create a single medium for audio, video and software applications. Whilst the video and computer market has quickly taken hold of this technology, the DVD-Audio format has been almost completely ignored despite the fact that this would mean consumers would need one less piece of kit sat in their living rooms.
Also, since blank DVDs became affordable, cross-market bickering between rival companies has caused customers endless confusion with the needless introduction of a + and - format which makes no difference whatsoever to the final product.
Now we are about to see the Betamax vs VHS arguement all over again with the imminent release of blue laser formats.
Here we have Blu-Ray and HD-DVD competing for the new market. Fundamentally, both formats are equal in quality, the arguement being that Blu-Ray has a much higher capacity, whereas HD-DVD costs less to make.
Maybe the manufacturers could admit that they both have flaws and should work together to get it right...
I constantly recieve customer support emails via my website www.cavuk.com from confused shoppers requesting information on the DVD+/- formats.
So, all we can do is sit back and watch as the blue laser fiasco unfolds, and live in hope that one day we will have a truly universal format... then, and only then, may consumer confidence be restored.