Author Topic: Is it time to declare a King of HD? (Read 8279 times)

HouseBum · « **on:** Jan 11, 2008 at 06:59 PM »

And it seems to be Blu Ray

After Warner declared that it would exclusively release its titles on Blu Ray (source here), an apparent domino effect has started favoring Blu Ray in the blue laser optical wars.
HBO has recently declared Blu Ray exclusivity for its titles (source here).
Warner partner New Line Entertainment (LotR franchise, source here) and BBC have expectedly followed Warner with its Blu Ray exclusivity.
Paramount has also been rumored to also be dropping its HD DVD exclusivity, supposedly that their contract with HD DVD has an opt out clause tirggered in teh event of Warner favoring BluRay. Though, Paramount has since currently issued a statement to deny that it is dropping HD DVD support.

The fate of HD DVD lies in the hands of Universal and Paramount

darkwing · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 12, 2008 at 05:46 AM »

i don't think the market would allow a 70%/30% split of the studios, it would be interesting to see the sales for the month of January

choy · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 01:47 AM »

HD DVD isn't ready to raise the white flag yet. but given the latest developments, this will encourage the consumers to go BluRay and thus further tip the balance in favor of BluRay. Sony has been successful so far in using the PS3 to push BluRay and as the long awaited PS3 games come out this year and boost the PS3 sales, this will only increase the install base for BluRay and convince more and more studios, both in the US and interntaionally, to adopt the BluRay

darkwing · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 07:55 AM »

Amazon sales seems to reflect it

http://charts.highdefdigest.com/versus.aspx

Superbad(#34) is even beating Transformers(#123)

pchin · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 08:40 AM »

Quote from: choy on Jan 14, 2008 at 01:47 AM

HD DVD isn't ready to raise the white flag yet. but given the latest developments, this will encourage the consumers to go BluRay and thus further tip the balance in favor of BluRay. Sony has been successful so far in using the PS3 to push BluRay and as the long awaited PS3 games come out this year and boost the PS3 sales, this will only increase the install base for BluRay and convince more and more studios, both in the US and interntaionally, to adopt the BluRay

Agreed. It's the chain effect. Tho I'm a neutral (lean more on HD DVD) but after the news broke out, somehow I'm more careful in choosing my HD DVD movies. e.g. previously all Warner release btw HD vs Blu, I'd pick HD but now I'd go for Blu. However, so far there's no problem for those HD exclusives.

darkwing · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 09:08 AM »

remember this quotes, it will go down in history ^_^

"Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format"

--Paramount Home Entertainment, 1/9/08

"Universal's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format"

--Universal Home Entertainment, 1/10/08

"We support both formats and we have made no decision to alter that policy, nor are there any such announcements coming, or being planned."

--Warner Home Video, 12/7/07

pchin · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 09:49 AM »

Quote from: darkwing on Jan 14, 2008 at 09:08 AM

"We support both formats and we have made no decision to alter that policy, nor are there any such announcements coming, or being planned."--Warner Home Video, 12/7/07

Hehe nowdays we'll take any press statements as a grain of salt....anything can change. Paramount & Universal could have learned a few tricks from Warner.

Moks007 · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 11:00 AM »

Quote from: darkwing on Jan 14, 2008 at 09:08 AM

"We support both formats and we have made no decision to alter that policy, nor are there any such announcements coming, or being planned."

--Warner Home Video, 12/7/07

Yup they have a last minute "500 million reasons" to go blu-ray exclusive

darkwing · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 03:51 PM »

Warner: No Payoff for Move to Blu-ray

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/1327

sorry but that $500m was just from a blog, no news site picked up that story as fact...

barrister · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 04:50 PM »

Quote from: pchin on Jan 14, 2008 at 09:49 AM

Hehe nowdays we'll take any press statements as a grain of salt....anything can change. Paramount & Universal could have learned a few tricks from Warner.

But there was a big difference.

The Paramount and Universal statements were doublespeak; the Warner statement, an outright lie.

darkwing · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 05:07 PM »

hehehe you guys forget the press statements coming from Paramount/Dreamworks rin just before they went exclusive

Mouldingo · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 06:03 PM »

Warner was the staunchest supporter of HD DVD with the biggest share of the pie. Paramount only showed a halfhearted support fortunately tied down by Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay's wishy-washy support, while Universal was inconsistent in its releases. With no pending or future announcement of any development for both hardware and software, HD DVD is dead in the water. More or less the HD DVD camp is just waiting the time to announce capitulation when they have rid of all those unsold players and disc.

darkwing · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 14, 2008 at 06:33 PM »

well who could blame Warner, their BD titles were outselling their HD-DVD counterparts 2 to 1 in the US, 3 to 1 in Europe, 9 to 1 in Japan

HouseBum · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 16, 2008 at 07:23 PM »

Variety is reporting that Universal's contract with HD DVD has ended (source: here), adding more speculation of side switching (source: here).

Meanwhile Warner is pushing back its HD DVD versions of it's upcoming releases.

Quote

The Invasion (Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig) was originally slated for a January 29 release on both formats, but now the HD DVD version has been pushed back three weeks to February 19. The Blu-ray Disc version retains the original January 29 date.

A similar delay will also hit The Assassination of Jesse James (Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck), which will release on HD DVD on March 19, while the Blu-ray Disc will street on February 26.

hein · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 19, 2008 at 12:55 AM »

Watch this and be convinced that HD-DVD is NEAR DEATH. BLU RAY has won.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=friS4OOcdgQ

Its a bigger war than you think.

pchin · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 19, 2008 at 08:39 AM »

Can't watch the clip anymore...it says:

"This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Constantin Film"

HouseBum · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 19, 2008 at 04:05 PM »

The Porn Industry has just reaffirmed its support for HD DVD! (No links cause it might lead to somewhere bad)
Don't laugh about this one! One of the reasons people say VHS won over the technologically superior BetaMax in the US was that adult movies were available on VHS, something Sony would not allow on their betamax!

RastaSega · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 26, 2008 at 01:53 AM »

im in the US and i've seen porn on blueray

chuck427 · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 26, 2008 at 02:19 AM »

Warner moving to Bluray was indeed a big blow..but as long as Universal and Paramount are still there,then there's hope for HD...but as long as they keep producing hidef movies, i dont really care...hehehehe

darkwing · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 26, 2008 at 02:44 AM »

US Market - Week Ending 1/20/2008

pchin · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 26, 2008 at 08:34 AM »

Impressive statistic. So is it time to declare BD as the King of HD?

darkwing · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 29, 2008 at 02:51 PM »

The real reason why BD is winning....

HouseBum · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 29, 2008 at 07:15 PM »

Gartner Inc, a worldwide but US based IT analyst firm has already declared HD DVD dead while Woolworth's (popular chain of stores in the UK) has officially dropped HD DVD from its product shelves.

barrid · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 30, 2008 at 07:07 AM »

I will consider it dead if no HD DVD movies are being sold.

darkwing · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 30, 2008 at 07:23 AM »

Quote from: barrid on Jan 30, 2008 at 07:07 AM

I will consider it dead if no HD DVD movies are being sold.

you might get your wish on June 1 ^_^ Warner will forever be remembered in history

chuck427 · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 31, 2008 at 03:48 AM »

even though Warner declared they would support blu, is there any possibility they may "change their minds" and continue to support HD after June1?

darkwing · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 31, 2008 at 04:52 AM »

nope, they are already delaying HD-DVD releases and not advertising them, actions speaks louder than words ^_^ and oh dominoes continue to fall, National Geographic has gone Blu only

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/National_Geographic/Industry_Trends/National_Geographic_Makes_Move_to_Blu-ray_Exclusivity/1417

Moks007 · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 31, 2008 at 08:28 AM »

Quote from: barrid on Jan 30, 2008 at 07:07 AM

I will consider it dead if no HD DVD movies are being sold.

Exactly, Im with you, Im enjoying all the movies of hddvd.. I know Fletch from universal is coming out in March.. also the Jack ryan series from Paramount..Cant wait..

HouseBum · « **Reply #28 on:** Feb 05, 2008 at 04:43 AM »

Nat Geo has just signed an exclusivity deal with BluRay. It will release its first exclusive title, Sharkwater, on April 8. (source here)

darkwing · « **Reply #29 on:** Feb 05, 2008 at 06:18 AM »

the score so far

02-04-08 Manga Films Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
02-01-08 ADV Films Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
01-31-08 Highlight Video (Germany) Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
01-30-08 National Geographic Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
01-30-08 EMI (Japan) Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
01-30-08 Sonic Solutions Scenarist Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
01-28-08 Woolworths Retail Outlet (UK) goes Blu-ray exclusive in store.
01-22-08 Grant's Appliances to go Blu-ray exclusive in 2008.
01-16-08 Senator Entertainment to go Blu-ray exclusive in 2008.
01-16-08 Digital Playground to go Blu-ray exclusive in 2008.
01-11-08 Constantin Film goes Blu-ray exclusive.
01-10-08 HBO goes Blu-ray exclusive.
01-05-08 New Line goes Blu-ray exclusive.
01-04-08 Warner goes Blu-ray exclusive.