It's official: Paramount/Dreamworks going HDDVD exclusive!

[chicagofilms]

I gotta say, I don't really understand the point of this move. I think it spells doom for BOTH formats. SACD vs. DVD-A anyone? No clear cut winner, compelling software on both sides that require different hardware = the average Joe not buying either.

I've been waiting for a winner & up until this morning, BD looked like it would come out on top. I was planning on buying a player this fall. Now, I wont.

As someone that owns close to 1000 DVDs and enjoys collecting them, the continued war leaves me dismayed. There is just something satisfying about opening a new DVD or CD, having them on a shelf, eing able to take it to a friends house and watch it or take it anywhere you want. I don't like the idea of downloaded content. I don't want to connect a PC to my HT. I HATE DRM and I'm sure it will not be better in the future with downloadable content.

The audio format war led to both sides failing and MP3/iTunes coming out on top. If anyone heard the SACD version of Dark Side of the Moon on a nice 5.1 setup, it is an incredible experience. An MP3 simply can't compare.

The same thing will happen with HD downloadable content. There will be sacrifices made and the product will suffer. Do you really think a studio will add on a few GB so we can get DTS MasterHD or DD HD? Instead we will have the same old DD that's been around for 10+years. They will probably tinker with the video as well, much like satellite providers do now. In an effort to shrink them to a smaller size, hey will probably be released 1440x1080 or worse.

I don't think the format war can last another year. This holiday season will make or break next-gen movie content. With this announcement, I will not be spending the $1000-2000 I was planning to on either format. There is probably many, many more people in the same boat as me.

In the end, piracy will win thanks to this boneheaded move.

 

[mike123abc]

Viacom - actual viacom press release.

Wow, this does change the nature of the war. 2 studios exclusive HD-DVD now (well 3 if you count Dreamworks a subsidiary of Paramount now). Vs FOX/DISNEY/SONY. Where is the universal format player? This really will create a demand for an universal player.

 

[mike123abc]

One important note in the above mentioned note, Spielberg movies are not included in the HD-DVD exclusive category... This probably is a note to cover themselves like Universal had to last year when they listed a Spielberg movie as coming to HD DVD. What a complex Hollywood story, considering Dreamworks was co-founded by Spielberg, how many of the films are considered his? They are quick to point out Shreck was not, but what about the others.

 

[chicagofilms]

Where is the universal format player? This really will create a demand for an universal player.

LG has their 2nd gen universal player out now. So far they are the only ones making a dual format player. My problem with that player is the $1k price tag & the fact that it does not have 7.1ch out.

 

[diogen]

Wow, this does change the nature of the war. 2 studios exclusive HD-DVD now (well 3 if you count Dreamworks a subsidiary of Paramount now). Vs FOX/DISNEY/SONY.

And not a soul has seen a FOX BD movie in a while...

The momentum has changed, I believe...
Can HD carry it forward and keep it going at least till XMas - is the important question.
I think Warner and Disney are targets, especially Disney.

Diogen.

 

[meStevo]

Man, someone at Blockbuster had to crap their pants when they read this. Some very rent-friendly movies they're going to miss out on given their current setup.

Exciting news, but I'd rather personally see 2 successful formats (all studios neutral), or one gone, rather than a bunch of 'this or that' between the two that hurts everyone.

 

[Peter Parker]

A definite plus for the HD DVD camp. maybe both formats will survive for awhile. We shall see.

 

[chicagofilms]

Actually I mis-spoke, it's not a 2nd gen LG model. LG only has one dual format unit.

Samsung on the other hand is releasing what looks like a home-run. HDMI 1.3, DTD HD & DD HD decoding, 7.1ch out.

BD-UP5000 - Gizmodo

If anything, this may be a last minute x-mas gift to myself. (depending how things are looking for both formats then)

 

[vurbano]

Actually I mis-spoke, it's not a 2nd gen LG model. LG only has one dual format unit.

Samsung on the other hand is releasing what looks like a home-run. HDMI 1.3, DTD HD & DD HD decoding, 7.1ch out.

BD-UP5000 - Gizmodo

If anything, this may be a last minute x-mas gift to myself. (depending how things are looking for both formats then)

Samsung is also working on an HD DVD player.

 

[vurbano]

Man, that's one heck of a question. As far as "over the next several years" - I don't think they'll be releasing in HD DVD that long, much less exclusively.

Good find.

HD DVD is Dead I tell YOU!!!!!!!!

 

[navychop]

I gotta say, I don't really understand the point of this move. I think it spells doom for BOTH formats.

Yes, that IS the point. M$ (see other threads) is trying to delay/kill optical media so downloads will be the only player left standing, to the profit of M$.


I've been waiting for a winner & up until this morning, BD looked like it would come out on top. I was planning on buying a player this fall. Now, I wont.

Yep, you're singing my song. I might just rent a BD player later this year (if I can find one for rent) and hold off buying a player.


The audio format war led to both sides failing and MP3/iTunes coming out on top. If anyone heard the SACD version of Dark Side of the Moon on a nice 5.1 setup, it is an incredible experience. An MP3 simply can't compare.

I went with DVD-A, but I agree. MP3 is portable, but not high quality.


The same thing will happen with HD downloadable content. There will be sacrifices made and the product will suffer. Do you really think a studio will add on a few GB so we can get DTS MasterHD or DD HD? Instead we will have the same old DD that's been around for 10+years. They will probably tinker with the video as well, much like satellite providers do now. In an effort to shrink them to a smaller size, hey will probably be released 1440x1080 or worse.

Yep, I think so too.


I don't think the format war can last another year. This holiday season will make or break next-gen movie content. With this announcement, I will not be spending the $1000-2000 I was planning to on either format. There is probably many, many more people in the same boat as me.

Count me in. And I already have 5 BDs and one on order. Blu-ray will last, if any do, this opens the door for HD DVD survival.


In the end, piracy will win thanks to this boneheaded move.

If downloads triumph, and studios don't sell HD discs, and pirates do (I admit, likely on HD DVD), then I will likely be buying from pirates. I'd much rather buy the real deal from the studio.

It's a big victory for HD DVD, especially if it gets BB & others to reconsider. Or maybe the studios just don't see it as a big deal and don't really care, figuring everything can be reviewed in a year or two.

One nice thing about the whole thing, though- imagine the "bricks" that came out in the executive offices of Sony!

The momentum has changed, I believe...
Can HD carry it forward and keep it going at least till XMas - is the important question.
I think Warner and Disney are targets, especially Disney.

Diogen.

Yes. How long before this affects sales? A month or two? This boost might well make the holiday season a real shootin' match.

I find it VERY difficult to see Disney switching to HD DVD, or even going neutral. But if they did, I'd say we'd better do whatever M$ tells us to do!

Anyway, if Disney came out with HD DVD releases in this country, it would leave LG & Samsung sitting pretty.

And yes, Vurbano, even I enjoyed that "is dead" post!

 

[diogen]

...If anything, this may be a last minute x-mas gift to myself.

Don't rush.
BD supporters on this forum might be right for a change and the war could be over by then...

Diogen.

 

[navychop]

OK- anybody know if the Samsung's BD-UP5000 is profile 1.1 compliant, or -Live compliant?

 

[BobMurdoch]

OK, now someone needs to do a picture of the USS Abe Lincoln with Bush in front of the Mission Accomplished banner holding up a BluRay disc....

 

[BobMurdoch]

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6470298.html?nid=2705

Also, note that Paramount controls all Nickolodeon and MTV discs.....

Now if Nickolodeon starts selling a bunch of discs, Disney might notice.... Although your average Spongebob viewer is watching regular DVDs anyway.... The MTV one might be better if they start releasing HD versions of concerts (do they have an Unplugged show still)?

 

[mike123abc]

IF Viacom got $150 million like the rumor article first stated, they probably figure it is a no lose situation. Even if they miss out on 30 million BD disc sales because they are only on HD-DVD they probably make less than $5/disc, and come out ahead. Will be a few years before the HD market would sell 30 million discs from a single studio.

 

[CochiseGuy]

OK- anybody know if the Samsung's BD-UP5000 is profile 1.1 compliant, or -Live compliant?

Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like it - from PC World

UPDATE: And, sadly, you won't get support for the forthcoming update to Blu-ray's minimum player specs that go into effect October 31. Those specs delineate requirements for in-unit storage (256MB for those keeping score), picture-in-picture via a secondary audio and video decode, and ethernet-enabled interactivity. Samsung's own initial press release, distributed earlier today, noted the player will have local storage and picture-in-picture--however, it did not specify that those features would be strictly for HD DVD discs (the company has since updated their info). Later in the day I met with Samsung's Maria Colon, marketing manager, and Reid Sullivan, vice president of marketing; they clarified that the BD-UP5000's storage and picture-in-picture would only work or HD DVD discs, not Blu-ray Discs. Sullivan also said that Samsung would not have a Blu-ray player with the updated specs until 2008.

To the best of my knowledge, there's not a single player announced yet that will support BD 1.1 - which is kind of strange as it's only a little more than 2 months away.

 

[CochiseGuy]

One important note in the above mentioned note, Spielberg movies are not included in the HD-DVD exclusive category... This probably is a note to cover themselves like Universal had to last year when they listed a Spielberg movie as coming to HD DVD. What a complex Hollywood story, considering Dreamworks was co-founded by Spielberg, how many of the films are considered his? They are quick to point out Shreck was not, but what about the others.

It's really not that complicated. In the Paramount/Dreamworks PR, they said "Today's announcement does not include films directed by Steven Spielberg as his films are not exclusive to either format."

That's because when he only Directs a film, the film belongs to the studio, and the studio decides when and on what format to release it. For example, Sony owns 100% of the rights to "Close Encounters" and chose to release on Blu-ray. Universal owns the rights to Jaws & Jurassic Park, and can & will release them on HD DVD.

However, when Spielberg is a Producer of a movie, he is a financial investor in the production and retains some ownership and does have say over when & how the film is released. Like "Transformers", for which he is an Executive Producer - and it's going straight to HD DVD!

Spielberg has chosen a format and it's HD DVD.

 

[navychop]

Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like it - from PC World


To the best of my knowledge, there's not a single player announced yet that will support BD 1.1 - which is kind of strange as it's only a little more than 2 months away.

I think there's a $2,000 Denon announced that will do that. Let me know how many you want.

 

[meStevo]

OK, now someone needs to do a picture of the USS Abe Lincoln with Bush in front of the Mission Accomplished banner holding up a BluRay disc....

Like so?