HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray Battle Over? Warner Switches to Blu-Ray
Warner Brothers announced today that they would be moving their titles from HD-DVD to the Blu-Ray format. Many have suggested that this marks the end of the next generation DVD battle, though two major studios continue to have exclusive HD-DVD distribution deals in place.
Warner Brother's defection, however, places the majority of movie releases on Blu-Ray:
2007 Marketshare graph modified by trevelyn
[graph updated to consolidate bluray/hddvd studios]
Even before this new marketshare advantage, however, the New York Times reports that Blu-ray titles had outsold HD-DVD offerings as much as 2 to 1, and had even been chosen for exclusive distribution by Blockbuster.
Apple has been a member of the Blu-ray consortium's board of directors since 2005, but has not publicly announced their Blu-ray plans. Some expect Apple to officially launch Blu-ray support at Macworld San Francisco.
Warner Brother's defection, however, places the majority of movie releases on Blu-Ray:
2007 Marketshare graph modified by trevelyn
[graph updated to consolidate bluray/hddvd studios]
Even before this new marketshare advantage, however, the New York Times reports that Blu-ray titles had outsold HD-DVD offerings as much as 2 to 1, and had even been chosen for exclusive distribution by Blockbuster.
Apple has been a member of the Blu-ray consortium's board of directors since 2005, but has not publicly announced their Blu-ray plans. Some expect Apple to officially launch Blu-ray support at Macworld San Francisco.
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57 months ago
Warner has gone totally BluRay.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/22507036/site/14081545
There is no way HD-DVD can survive now, with only 2 major studios on board (Paramount and Universal). It will be interesting to see if this makes Universal go neutral, but I guess that depends on what kind of deal they have with the HD-DVD camp. Paramount are of course stuck with HD-DVD for the next year or so after signing their exclusive deal back in the summer.
I am sure Sony had something to do with this, but then it does make sense for WB as 300 on BluRay far outsold the HD-DVD version, even though the HD-DVD version had more extras.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/22507036/site/14081545
There is no way HD-DVD can survive now, with only 2 major studios on board (Paramount and Universal). It will be interesting to see if this makes Universal go neutral, but I guess that depends on what kind of deal they have with the HD-DVD camp. Paramount are of course stuck with HD-DVD for the next year or so after signing their exclusive deal back in the summer.
I am sure Sony had something to do with this, but then it does make sense for WB as 300 on BluRay far outsold the HD-DVD version, even though the HD-DVD version had more extras.
57 months ago
More important to this crowd, however, is this tidbit from the same article: "Of course, Warner's news comes amid a flurry of speculation that Apple Inc. will also give its nod to Blu-ray at the company's big Macworld trade show coming up on January 15"
57 months ago
Booyah!!!
I had a feeling this was coming, but wasn't expecting it until next week.
Awesome news... let the HD DVD lovers whine.
Edit: Weak, they're still going to release HD DVDs through May, albeit after a delay from the DVD/Blu-Ray release.
I had a feeling this was coming, but wasn't expecting it until next week.
Awesome news... let the HD DVD lovers whine.
Edit: Weak, they're still going to release HD DVDs through May, albeit after a delay from the DVD/Blu-Ray release.
57 months ago
Don't get ahead of yourselves people... there is still time left. Personally I think it's great news that the technically superior format is slated to win the war... but you never know what may happen...
57 months ago
You can stick a fork in HD DVD now. And WB will cease HD DVD production as of May 2008 according to the press release.
Main reason I'm happy about this news is because Microsoft is dealt a major defeat here. They had propped up HD DVD only because they wanted both formats to fail (they want you to have to download your movies from them instead), and now they won't be getting their way. The consumer is the big winner today as this opens things up for Blu-ray to be the successor to DVD.
Main reason I'm happy about this news is because Microsoft is dealt a major defeat here. They had propped up HD DVD only because they wanted both formats to fail (they want you to have to download your movies from them instead), and now they won't be getting their way. The consumer is the big winner today as this opens things up for Blu-ray to be the successor to DVD.
57 months ago
It doesn't matter.
LG has a Bluray & HD DVD player.
Beta vs VHS battle was because they were mechanically not compatible.
If I can buy a black box that I can stuff Bluray, HD-DVD DVD, CD .... and out comes 1080p video, I really care about the format.
LG has a Bluray & HD DVD player.
Beta vs VHS battle was because they were mechanically not compatible.
If I can buy a black box that I can stuff Bluray, HD-DVD DVD, CD .... and out comes 1080p video, I really care about the format.
57 months ago
I like how every other week we seem to have "The format war is over!!" only for the other side to be countered.
Let's hope they don't, Apple goes BR and it's over, then I can buy one without worrying about it becoming obsolete.
Really as more people get PS3s and PS3 owners get HD-TVs, it's only a matter of time before BR wins out with the support from the PS3s.
Let's hope they don't, Apple goes BR and it's over, then I can buy one without worrying about it becoming obsolete.
Really as more people get PS3s and PS3 owners get HD-TVs, it's only a matter of time before BR wins out with the support from the PS3s.
57 months ago
The Format-War LOST its way a long time ago. This is a victory that can only be described as "Phyrric". The war was lost when Paramount went over to HD-DVD right before the 2007 holiday shopping season began in earnest... sending Shrek 3 and Transformers, two of the three top grossing films of 2007 into the camp of the perceived loser (a gesture that would have ended things immediately had it gone the other way).
Millions of consumers doing their holiday shopping recieved a barrage of conflicting propaganda belly-hooing the merits of each format. Now, implicit in the wreckage across the expansive battlefield is an abiding sense of confusion and general disinterest. The format war has not yet ended, but with this announcement, we may hopefully see the end of the tunnel.
[sarcasm]That said, I fully expect Walmart to announce that it has gotten a new shipment of Toshiba HD-DVD players for 2 cents tomorrow, and analysts will astutely point out that Toshiba is losing no less that $1,500 on each unit.[/sarcasm]
Was it really worth the cost, people? Meanwhile, the real battle has begun for the "format" Bill Gates predicted would immediately follow the short-lived HD disc war. Digital downloads and streaming media are going into hyperdrive with Microsoft, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, TiVo, and others prepping in their corners. XBox 360 DVR, Apple TV with dual cable cards, TiVo series 4, Unbox Unlimited... Blu-what? HD DV-who?
~ CB
Millions of consumers doing their holiday shopping recieved a barrage of conflicting propaganda belly-hooing the merits of each format. Now, implicit in the wreckage across the expansive battlefield is an abiding sense of confusion and general disinterest. The format war has not yet ended, but with this announcement, we may hopefully see the end of the tunnel.
[sarcasm]That said, I fully expect Walmart to announce that it has gotten a new shipment of Toshiba HD-DVD players for 2 cents tomorrow, and analysts will astutely point out that Toshiba is losing no less that $1,500 on each unit.[/sarcasm]
Was it really worth the cost, people? Meanwhile, the real battle has begun for the "format" Bill Gates predicted would immediately follow the short-lived HD disc war. Digital downloads and streaming media are going into hyperdrive with Microsoft, Apple, Netflix, Amazon, TiVo, and others prepping in their corners. XBox 360 DVR, Apple TV with dual cable cards, TiVo series 4, Unbox Unlimited... Blu-what? HD DV-who?
~ CB
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