[Owen V @ Jun 21st 2007 5:46AM]

note from consumers to sony: use standard formats (i.e. NOT memorystick (pro, duo), umd, ATRAC3, minidisc, whatever else [intentionally leaving out bd]) and we will buy more of your products. stop forcing me to own "everything sony" then maybe I'll buy something you make. Its not that I think the product quality is poor, I just think you are too arrogant using your own formats for everything you do. I'm almost surprised your TVs playback NTSC

[nathan @ Jun 21st 2007 6:26AM]

The biggest mistake sony made was the ps2 memory card if they had of used the memory stick there is a hundred million just for use with the ps2 and since everyone would have had a memory stickit would have become the standard flash memory for everything

[karan @ Jun 21st 2007 9:15AM]

What's a "standard format" for memory, pray tell? At last count there was over 55 different memory card standards and counting.

The minidisc format, similarly - while it is a sony-centric format, it was very successful in Asia, where it launched years before the West, which is testament to its capabilities (compact, recordable, easily swappable, around before the days of flash memory being properly cheap).

Give Sony some credit - their proprietary formats are no worse than any other, and often perform their role well enough. Where there isn't a standard format, Sony actually does alright. (Where there is an existing standard though, yes, it is questionable)

[Jon Graft @ Jun 21st 2007 11:43AM]

The Playstation2 is what jump started the DVD format...I know this isn't exactly the same, but still...for a while now, Sony has been pushing formats and making them the winner (DVD, Blu-Ray, etc)

[dakuda @ Jun 21st 2007 8:14PM]

The main reason I do not have a Sony camera is the memory stick. My last camera was a Memory Stick unit, but it would not take their larger-capacity cards. Since I already had SD cards for other devices, I went that route.

While many companies are at fault for their being so many different styles, Sony seems to the manufacturer that flaunts their own format so much more then anyone else endorses any other particular format.