Why Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD is not VHS vs. Betamax : the co-evolution of standard-setting consortia

Slowak, André P.; Christ, Julian P.

Why Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD is not VHS vs. Betamax : the co-evolution of standard-setting consortia

dc.contributor.author	Slowak, André P.	de
dc.contributor.author	Christ, Julian P.	de
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-08T08:43:44Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-08T08:43:44Z
dc.date.created	2010-04-20
dc.date.issued	2009
dc.description.abstract	Extensive research has been conducted on the economics of standards in the last three decades. To date, standard-setting studies emphasize a superior role of demand-side-driven technology diffusion; these contributions assume the evolution of a user-driven momentum and network externalities. We find that consumers wait for a dominant standard if they are unable to evaluate technological supremacy. Thus, supply-side driven activities necessarily need to address an absence of demand-side technology adoption. Our paper focuses on Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD as an illustrative case of consortia standard wars. One central role of consortia is to coordinate strategic behavior between heterogeneous agents, e.g. incumbents, complementors (content providers) and others, but also to form a coalition against other standard candidates. More precisely, we argue for signalizing activities through consortia events. We depict the essential role of consortia structures for the recently determined standard war between the High-Definition disc specifications Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Therefore, the paper suggests that unique supply-side dynamics from consortia structures, consortia announcements and exclusive backing decisions of firms determined the standard-setting process in the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD standard war. This study is based on the following data: movie releases and sales numbers, membership affiliation for structural consortia analysis, and an in-depth event study. A detailed comparison of the technological specifications of both standard specifications supports our argument that there was no technological supremacy of one standard candidate from a consumer-oriented usecase perspective. We furthermore clarify that content providers (complementors) such as movie studios and movie rental services feature a gate-keeping position in the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD standard war. In the case of Blu-ray, film studios decided the standard war because the availability of movie releases, but not technological supremacy, made the standard attractive to consumers. Finally, we find that there is a co-evolution of the consortia in terms of membership dynamics. Particularly, firm allegiance of heterogeneous agents plays a crucial role.	en
dc.identifier.swb	322027640
dc.identifier.uri	https://hohpublica.uni-hohenheim.de/handle/123456789/5329
dc.identifier.urn	urn:nbn:de:bsz:100-opus-4434
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.relation.ispartofseries	Schriftenreihe des Promotionsschwerpunkts Globalisierung und Beschäftigung; 29
dc.rights.license	publ-ohne-pod	en
dc.rights.license	publ-ohne-pod	de
dc.rights.uri	http://opus.uni-hohenheim.de/doku/lic_ubh.php
dc.subject	Blu-ray	en
dc.subject	HD-DVD	en
dc.subject	Standard wars	en
dc.subject	Co-evolution	en
dc.subject	Consortia	en
dc.subject	Event study	en
dc.subject.ddc	330
dc.subject.gnd	Blu-Ray-Disc	de
dc.subject.gnd	Standardisierung	de
dc.subject.gnd	Technische Innovation	de
dc.title	Why Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD is not VHS vs. Betamax : the co-evolution of standard-setting consortia	de
dc.type.dcmi	Text	de
dc.type.dini	WorkingPaper	de
local.access	uneingeschränkter Zugriff	en
local.access	uneingeschränkter Zugriff	de
local.bibliographicCitation.publisherPlace	Universität Hohenheim	de
local.faculty.number	3	de
local.institute.number	520alt	de
local.opus.number	443
local.series.issueNumber	29
local.series.title	Schriftenreihe des Promotionsschwerpunkts Globalisierung und Beschäftigung
local.university	Universität Hohenheim	de
local.university.faculty	Fakultät Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften	de
local.university.institute	Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre (bis 2010)	de

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