Two Studios to Support HD DVD Over Rival

[admin]

Paramount, part of Viacom, and the publicly held DreamWorks Animation said they would exclusively back the HD DVD format for the release of high-definition movies on disc. Among the movies the studios plan to release in the format are “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technology/21disney.html?ref=business

This is a huge blow for Blu-ray, and changes the HD format landscape completely. I would not be surprised if Warner Bros. went the same way too, because they were like Paramount and were HD DVD before turning neutral, and now back to exclusivity. If Warner Bros. goes HD DVD exclusive (they already have many titles that are HD DVD exclusive, and none that are Blu-ray exclusive), then I think Blu-ray will be in trouble, especially since the Xbox 360 seems to be holding it's own against the PS3 as well.

All the more reasons to wait and buy dual format players ...

Although as Doom9 noted, this sounds more like a hoax than anything else ...

[admin]

The story seems to be real. Paramount Home Entertainment Australia have confirmed the move through a press statement.

All Paramount films will be HD DVD exclusive (for 18 months I think), except for films by Steven Spielberg, which will remain format neutral.

[RFBurns]

These formats are rediculous. They expect folks to go out and purchase two different HD DVD players just to accomodate certian Hollywood movie companies little format war?

It would not be a problem if these HD DVD players were 40 bucks. But they are not. No doubt there will be consumers that want a particular movie...two or three that are not available on one HD format or the other, thus forced to either purchase the normal DVD version, or do without.

One would think that these companies would learn from history and not repeat the same routine that kept certian movies on one format and others on a different format...ie VHS vs Beta. The deciding factor between those two wasnt the machine, or the tape format.....but rather the fact that pornographic movies were mostly on VHS, and because of the market (consumer demand)...the movie houses began to put their movies on VHS, and because of that...the VHS won the format war with rentals. But one thing that most dont remember is the fact that movies were already available for home rental on the Beta format..long before VHS was readily set for the movie rental scene.

It will be interesting to see the results of this HD DVD format battle. Me personally I dont favor one or the other. To me it makes no sense to start pilling up a bunch of movies on one format and then spend another 700 bucks on a different HD player for a few titles not available on the other format.

Think I will just stick to my regular DVD formats until that format is history, then hopefully by then the current HD format war will be finalized (pun there!).

[admin]

One way to end the war is the quickly kill off one format ... but as you can see, it's not going to happen when both sides are willing to throw millions of dollars at it. DVDs won't last forever, and people will go HD sooner or later - the war right now is all about grabbing a slice of the HD pie, which won't materialise for another 2 or 3 years yet. Even if say one format is seriously lagging behind the other, perhaps with a 75/25 split, 25% of the home movie market is still huge and worth "fighting" for.

The only other way to end the format war, or at least from your own personal point of view, is to go "Format Neutral". This means either you don't bother with HD movies, or if you do, get both types of players (or a single player that supports both - look for the Samsung one that is out already ... still more expensive than buying two separate players, but prices will drop). By going "Format Neutral", the negative effect is that the war will be prolonged since neither format will die (but they won't die in any case, so not much lost there), but you will insure yourself against this petty squabble.

But the good news about a format war is that prices will drop rather quickly ... HD DVD players are already available for less than $200 (and some of these players include excellent DVD upscaling, so even if you don't want HD DVD movies, you should get it for the upscaling feature alone if you have a HD panel) - Blu-ray players will certainly drop now that they have a real fight on their hands. Movie prices will drop, best of all, DVD prices will drop alongside, so even people who don't care about HD will benefit, and if you do care about HD, going format neutral will protect yourself against all scenarios.

Currently, it will be confusing for consumers when it comes to HD (not too confusing for people like us, who are more technical minded and know what we are doing, but confusing for those who are still trying to buy a Blu-ray TV for their Blu-ray player). But when lots of "universal" dual-format players come out, people will just buy that because they know it will play anything. So it's important to support format neutrality now that the hope of a single format is all but gone.

[admin]

This story is making more headlines than first expected, thanks to Michael Bay (director of the "HD DVD Exclusive" Transformers), a couple of Blu-ray supporting friends and late night rash forum postings (been there, done that).

Yesterday, Michael Bay posted on Shoot for the edit:

I want people to see my movies in the best formats possible. For them to deny people who have Blu-ray sucks! They were progressive by having two formats. No Transformers 2 for me!

Today, a retraction was posted here, which said:

Last night at dinner I was having dinner with three blu-ray owners, they were pissed about no Transformers Blu-ray and I drank the kool aid hook line and sinker. So at 1:30 in the morning I posted - nothing good ever comes out of early am posts mind you - I over reacted. I heard where Paramount is coming from and the future of HD and players that will be close to the $200 mark which is the magic number. I like what I heard.

As a director, I'm all about people seeing films in the best quality possible, and I saw and heard firsthand people upset about a corporate decision.

So today I saw 300 on HD, it rocks!

So I think I might be back on to do Transformers 2!

Michael Bay