Warner goes Blu-ray exclusive

[blutach]

Seems that might have been a bit premature

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aQMGgh2LV_bU&refer=japan

Regards

[BR7]

This story broke today as well

Well... we've had SOME confirmation this morning of the details of the Financial Times story from last night. While the studio isn't yet commenting, reliable industry sources are telling us that Paramount is indeed preparing to end their HD-DVD support and announce a return to the Blu-ray fold. Details are currently being finalized, and an announcement is expected as soon as they're complete. Paramount's first new Blu-rays will almost certainly include many of those titles that were cancelled last year, but that were already packaged and ready for shipping, so you could see them in stores very quickly once the studio announces.

Meanwhile, sources are telling us that Universal has also been talking with the BDA, and is looking to follow Paramount and Warner's lead as soon as possible.

Link to story

Dont forget Warner denied all these reports as well when the spot light was on them.

[admin]

If Paramount drops HD DVD, then that's that for HD DVD. No movies equals no format. If Paramount and Universal stay with HD DVD, then things could still develope.

It's funny seeing Fox tout BD-Live (Internet content) as the future of Blu-ray, when it's already here and working for HD DVD (and the feature has been derided by the Blu-ray camp has dismissed as a "gimmick"). Note that currently not a single player supports BD-Live, and there are already two types of players as it is. The Blu-ray camp seems to think that having three different types of players, each with more features than the other, is the way to go. The PS3 is the safest bet in terms of choosing a Blu-ray player, since it has all the hardware required to go to BD-Live compatible. The other million or so players, and the million or so to be sold before BD-Live players become available, will find themselves obsolete in a year or two.

And if Blu-ray wins, I think it's also the end of "unauthorised backups" and region-free playback, as BD+ will be very hard to break down. There will be managed copy, allowing to you make DRM'd copies of the film for your portable devices, but it will come at a price as discs with managed copy will probably cost more (so effectively forcing you to buy multiple versions of the film).

[BR7]

You may find these two stories interesting.I really think the Paramount rumors are true, if not why would M$ answer these questions?Being they were one of the HD DVD backers Link1 Link2

[admin]

I think the fact that Microsoft never even considered putting the HD DVD drive into the Xbox 360 (and that they ensured VC-1 was made a mandatory codec for Blu-ray as well) shows that they are hedging their bets in the HD war, although they would prefer HD DVD to win. One of the first things I wrote about Microsoft and HD, and that's before they even announced their support for HD DVD, was that Microsoft will not risk killing the Xbox 360 by putting in a HD drive in their console that may end up being a player for a dead format. The Xbox 360 cannot afford to have this kind of image, because it's coming from a very weak position in the previous-gen gaming market.

With Sony, it's a "all or nothing" approach, which is a lot more riskier (imagine if Blu-ray fails ... what that will do the "image" of the PS3). They risked the PS3 to support Blu-ray, and in many ways, it has caused the PS3 to lose a lot of ground in the current-gen console war - but because the PS2 had such a lead, they thought it wouldn't really affect them in the long term. It's clear that Sony are desperate not to lose, while Toshiba/Microsoft are not desperate enough to risk everything to win ... hence why Blu-ray might is looking likely to win the format war.

Let's say Warner, Fox and Disney all went HD DVD, Sony would not fold and would still continue to support Blu-ray through their own studios, even if only to save the PS3. Toshiba, on the other hand, do not own any studios and is a lot more likely to just put their hands up and say "we give up". I think Warner's decision is partly due to this, since they know the only way to have only one HD format would be to go with the side that will never concede defeat, no matter what happens.

As they say, "Fortune favours the bold" - Toshiba and Microsoft has been far too timid in their support for HD DVD, and unless they change strategy and go all out, they will not win.

[blutach]

Right now, sad to say, it looks as if BD is right on top.

Regards

[admin]

Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Entertainment Group: We've typically been recession proof. But the thing that we saw in the fourth quarter...was gas prices beginning to affect sales. And since we're considered an impulse purchase, it's beginning to impact us

http://www.betanews.com/article/Warner_Rising_gas_prices_drove_its_Bluray_decision/1199808329

So rising gas prices = go Blu-ray exclusive?