No Disney or Fox anytime soon for HD-DVD?

[JoeSp]

Insight to coming CES news:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa130.html

"Okay... now for a bit of high-def news. I said on Friday that you can expect some major title announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. Well, I wasn't kidding and we've got a bit of follow-up for you.

I've just spoken today with Eric Maehara, VP of Communications for Buena Vista Home Entertainment. He informed me that the studio is planning to announce a MAJOR Blu-ray Disc release line-up for the first half of 2007 at CES. In addition, he reiterated to me in no uncertain terms that BVHE has no plans to support HD-DVD, despite persistent online rumors to the contrary.

I've also spoken this afternoon with Steve Feldstein, Senior VP of Corporate and Marketing Communications for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. He likewise confirmed that Fox has no plans to support HD-DVD, and that the studio will also be announcing additional Blu-ray Disc titles at CES."

Buena Vista handles all Disney releases.

Disney's new BluRay site:

http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/bluray/

A little animation and titles to be released in BluRay.

Also, major MGM announcements:

http://dvd.themanroom.com/dvd-newsview.php?id=413

 

[BobMurdoch]

They said the same thing about DVD, backing Circuit City's DIVX media over the DVD.

Once they saw all those profits going away as VHS was withering, they changed their tune fast.

Fox and Disney will stick to their guns for the next 10 months. If sales are anemic for Blue Ray by then, then they will dump their allegiance.

In fairness, the same can be said for Universal with their HD DVD exclusivity.

One way or the other it will take about a year to shake things out....

 

[teachsac]

If "rumored" release of Dances with wolves is true, that is a definite must. I just hope it's the extended version and not the theatrical release.

S~

 

[jgantert]

Joe, so where's the no Universal for BR thread?

 

[rad]

No $'s from me for Disney or Fox anytime soon. All I can do is vote with my $'s.

 

[hpman247]

I just can't believe people want a lesser technology, no matter if it costs less. That honestly, makes no sense to me.

 

[Customgamer1]

I just can't believe people want a lesser technology, no matter if it costs less. That honestly, makes no sense to me.

Well BD can have every title every made out on it but they still need people to buy the players. I think the only reason why HD-DVD is still in this battle is because it's cheaper if they were the same price it would have been over before any thing was released. But because the price factor is so different HD-DVD will always stand a very good chance of winning!

I really kind of hope BD comes WAY down in price so I can watch my war movies in HD like Black Hawk Down, Wind Talkers and so on. It's just to bad Fox and Sony like to produce War movies. Other than that I could care less about the rest of the movies Fox and Sony puts out. Thats why I am waiting until the players hit under $200 before I buy a Blu-Ray player and I hope by that time the format war is over and HD-DVD has won so I can keep my $200 and spend it on more movies!

In all honesty I think anyone is just STUPID to buy a blu-ray player and am shocked anyone has bought them. People must have more money then they know what to do with. I think people forget how much $1,000 really is. To the average person $1,000 is not even a question of a want it's a never have item because it's just not possible for I would think around 80% of the market to spend that kind of money on a dvd player. As for me I also am in that percentage and could not and would not EVER spend $1,000 on a dvd player when I can spend half and get the same thing if not something better! People are just blind. But I guess this is where the smart guys at Sony are doing. 1080P this and 1080P that. You need 1080P in order to get the full detail and really thats not even true. Most good tv's that are 1080P can scale the 1080i to p with little to no difference that the human eye will pick up.

Just try and face it Sony likes to inflate the price on EVERYTHING they ever made. Don't buy into this garbage. If I ever do end up buying a blu ray player it's not going to be the Sony one!

You also have to think what the head people behind the marketing of Blu-Ray must be thinking when they got all those movie studios behind them. I bet they were shocked when they said they wanted to make a HD player that would cost $1,000 while more people are going to be buying a $500 different brand we still hope you support us... I really wish I was there to understand why and how these company's are once again trusting Sony. I guess it takes more than 3 strikes. Now because of Sony trying to control the market once again and no doubt they will lose with the current price point we will just have to wait longer for the dumb war to be over with so we can once again buy all of our favorite movies in one format!

In the end from what I have seen HD-DVD is the better format and should win plus it's cheaper because like I said before why would anyone with a good mind spend so much money on a dvd player??? Yes thats right in the end it's still only a DVD player that ONLY plays movies and nothing else. You could put that $1,000 toward something a lot more important. Even if you had a $1,000 to burn I would rather buy a HD-DVD player and then go out with the $500 saved and invest that into movies so I could get a HD-DVD player PLUS 20 to 30 movies for the price of just a blu-ray player.... Now I think you understand why I fell so strong about why I know HD-DVD will win. It's not about the better format it's about how smart people are and they are not willing to buy a $1,000 movie player.

 

[jgantert]

I just can't believe people want a lesser technology, no matter if it costs less. That honestly, makes no sense to me.

How so? I've heard that the PQ is much better on HD-DVD than BR. Take the BR "exclusive" Total Recall for example. The Studio Canal HD-DVD release blows away the Lionsgate BR release (according to avs forums).

Better technology is not the same as better quality.

-John

 

[BobMurdoch]

Better??!??

1. Slower load times. (This goes for the PS3 too, ... a friend of mine was psyched for the PS3 but wound up selling it on EBay when he saw how long the games took to load)
2. Hardware more expensive.
3. Software more expensive
4. No Combination Disks so you can take the disc into the car for Junior to watch (Imagine how useful it would be if Ice Age 2 were available this way)
5. Supported by more computer manufacturers

Yeah, OK. They've got a gun to Spiderman's head and you won't see it in HD unless you get BluRay. Um, OK. I'll wait for it to hit HBO HD then.

 

[teamerickson]

I just can't believe people want a lesser technology, no matter if it costs less. That honestly, makes no sense to me.

So, what kind of car do you drive?

 

[navychop]

"...One way or the other it will take about a year to shake things out...."

And hopefully no longer.


"...I've heard that the PQ is much better on HD-DVD than BR...."

That was true for initial releases, Samsung & Sony united to destroy their own roll out. PQ for new releases is generally the same, although a studio can always screw up a good thing.

 

[JoeSp]

BOB, I don't know where you get your information but no standalone BluRay player is slower than a standalone HD-DVD player - period. Please post any information where you have found any reviewer to state any HD-DVD standalone is quicker then a standalone BluRay. Also, where the PS3 is concerned, and here we are only talking about movies not games, the PS3 BluRay player is faster than any standalone HD-DVD or BluRay player period. Maybe the 360's HD-DVD add-on might be as quick. Also, combo disc do not make the studio any money. The combo disc is a way to get you to buy the disc and maybe give you more for your money because they can see the writing on the wall and don't want you ticked off when BluRay wins?

 

[BobMurdoch]

Wish granted..... Don't worry, no bad things will befall you like those creepy Wishmaster movies....

http://www.dvdexploder.com/BlurayvsHDDVD.htm

For your information - the first Blu-ray DVD player has been launched! - the Samsung BD-P1000.

The good: Plays Blu-ray discs in true high-definition; upscales standard DVDs to high-definition; sleek design; 1080p output via HDMI. ​

The bad: Twice as expensive as the competing HD-DVD player; very few titles available at launch; video quality on initial titles less impressive than HD-DVD versions; slower load times; some operational bugs.
The bottom line: With video quality that's impressive but still not as good as its HD-DVD competition, the costly Samsung BD-P1000 will appeal only to those willing to risk a grand on a first-generation player in the middle of a format war.

 

[BobMurdoch]

and here's another that says that HD DVD is better....

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060801-7399.html

 

[BobMurdoch]

and another....

http://www.projectorcentral.com/blu-ray_2.htm


Conclusion
HD-DVD has proven itself to be an outstanding value for the money. Blu-ray has not. If Blu-ray is to survive it needs to drop the price of its entry level players to $500 and increase the quality of its discs. In essence, it needs to match the price/performance benchmark established by HD-DVD. Surely better Blu-ray discs will be forthcoming at some point. But from the looks of things it may already be too late. HD-DVD is solid, it delivers superb quality for a nominal price, and there are twice the number of HD-DVD titles on the market as BDs. The outlook for the holiday season is that there will be over 400 HD-DVD titles released, while Blu-ray will be lucky to have 200.
In addition to the strength of the HD-DVD release, the technology has a latent cost advantage in manufacturing. HD-DVD players can be built at lower cost, and that will translate into lower prices to the consumer. Faced with this challenge, Blu-ray will eventually need to deliver image quality that is superior to HD-DVD in order to justify premium player prices. It is certainly not doing that today, and we do not believe there is any realistic chance that it could happen in the future.
For these reasons, we enthusiastically endorse HD-DVD. If Blu-ray can ever demonstrate that it is able to deliver similar quality at similar prices, or even better quality at a premium price, we will be happy to endorse Blu-ray as well. But based on the less than stellar performance of Blu-ray coming out of the starting gates, we wonder whether it will survive in the home theater market.
Our message to consumers is this: Do not be concerned by the demands of the "Blu-ray only" film studios who ask that you pay top dollar for Blu-ray players to see their movies in HD. The HD-DVD launch has established that you do not need to spend $1000 or $1500 to see great HD films in your own home. If some studios don't want to accommodate you, buy from those who will. At the very least, the competition between HD-DVD and Blu-ray will ensure that prices of both formats become rapidly accessible to the maximum number of consumers. On a final note, think about this: Your real objective should be to get the absolute best picture possible for the budget you are willing to spend. In order to meet that objective, you will be much better off buying HD-DVD and investing the incremental cash you would have spent on Blu-ray in a higher quality projector or flat screen HDTV instead. Once consumers begin to spend big money in pursuit of their own best interests, the studios will fall into line.

 

[BobMurdoch]

some more....

http://www.highdefdigest.com/feature_blurayvshddvd_roundtwo.html

Price Matters More Than Ever
One thing hasn't yet changed, however -- Blu-ray hardware and software is still generally more expensive than HD DVD. Sure, we early adopters are used to paying big prices for our new toys. But when even a comparatively"cheap" $500 player and $29 discs makes the average consumer balk at HD DVD, what do you think their reaction is going to be when Blu-ray sticker shock sets in? That $1000 price tag for the Samsung is pretty steep even for diehard tech-heads, not to mention those upcoming $40 discs from Fox and MGM.
Of course prices, too, will evolve. And they are going to have to if Blu-ray hopes to truly entrench itself as a mainstream consumer product. HD DVD, too. Eventually, players on both formats have to start hitting the below-$300 mark, and discs routinely need to be priced at $20 or less. Only then will the Average Joe even think about jumping into the next-gen format war -- and it's still going to be a tough sell.
None of this has any bearing on the quality of either format, of course. And value for money is unique to the individual plunking down the cash. But when and if all things become equal, and both Blu-ray and HD DVD are indistinguishable in terms of video and audio quality and depth of supplemental features, price will become even more important in deciding the format war. In fact, I think it will be absolutely crucial, even more than studio support. Let's face it, we're a nation of cheap Americans who want the biggest bang for the smallest buck. Price will always matter, regardless of quality. Just ask the Betamax.


also from the article
....
Still, I can't help but throw out a theory here. Perhaps there is a bit of a Davey & Goliath thing happening? Quite frankly, Blu-ray had long been tapped as the obvious winner in the format war from early on, to the point where it seemed they had an easy victory in the bag. If you read the press a year ago, HD DVD was often labeled an errant distraction, the unfortunate spoiler who should have just conceded the whole race to Blu-ray and save consumers the trouble.
Now, I'm not saying the Blu-ray camp got too cocky. But that is how some media watchers are starting to spin it. HD DVD has amazed everyone by defying its detractors and earning far more upbeat press and positive reviews out of the gate than Blu-ray. Maybe there is a sort of come-from-behind glee in the way HD DVD is now the little engine that could? We all love a good underdog story, and HD DVD was certainly the Davey to Blu-ray's Goliath, especially given the latter's increased hardware and studio support, not to mention the looming monolith called the PlayStation 3.

 

[BobMurdoch]

http://www.highdefdigest.com/feature_blu-ray_vs_hd_dvd_round_one.html

"So, the big question -- who won round one? I can't say either has sailed through their launch with flying colors. But all aspects considered -- reliability of hardware, video and audio quality of the discs released thus far, overall value for money -- I have to give HD DVD props for defying almost all predictions and trumping Blu-ray right at the starting line. For all of the Blu-ray camp's boasting of superior storage capability, increased interactivity and more across-the-board industry support, it just hasn't amounted to an appreciably better real-world product. In fact, Blu-ray has thus far underperformed. "

 

[BobMurdoch]

http://chrisek.com/wordpress/2006/09/29/early-adopters-say-round-1-of-format-wars-goes-to-hd-dvd/

OK, sorry I'm done now...... Joe made me do it....

 

[teamerickson]

Joe made me do it....

Ha!

 

[jgantert]

So, what kind of car do you drive?

I'm thinking Toyota Prius Hybrid. Since Hybrid is the best technology out there.

-John