Its like when the Russian crowd started cheering for Rocky HD-DVD! HD-DVD! http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5068466.html Two studios drop support of Blu-ray DVDs Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG will offer next-generation DVDs in the HD DVD format and drop support for Blu-ray, further complicating the race between the competing technologies. Today's announcement affects the upcoming DVD release of the blockbuster "Shrek the Third" and all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment. Paramount previously released movies in both formats. "Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theater and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience," said Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. "I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high-quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount." The competition between Blu-ray and HD DVD has kept confused consumers from rushing to buy new DVD players until they can determine which format will dominate the market. Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of DreamWorks Animation, said consumers seeking to switch to high-definition DVDs will be enticed by the content available for HD-DVD players. He added the lower price for the devices will appeal to the family market. "Today Toshiba is making HD-DVD players available at $299, which is a first time that it's really been at an affordable price," Katzenberg said. "It's a game-changer, what they're doing, and it's why we decided to throw in with them." Katzenberg said that, until now, the price for high-definition players was too high for most families. "That barrier has just been broken and we believe it is going to, as I say, move down even further," he said. Paramount and DreamWorks aren't the only ones choosing sides. "Spider-Man 3" will only be available in the Blu-ray DVD format when it is released by Sony Pictures, while people with Blu-ray players won't be able to enjoy the action-thriller "The Bourne Ultimatum," which Universal Pictures will release only in HD DVD. In terms of discs sold, Blu-ray has always had the lead. The format recently got a big boost as Blockbuster Inc. announced it would stock only Blu-ray titles when it expands its high-def DVD offerings this year. Target Inc., the nation's second-largest retailer, said it will only sell Blu-ray DVD players in its stores in the fourth quarter. With Paramount dropping Blu-ray support, Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. remains the only major studio releasing movies in both formats. Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, The Walt Disney Co., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are releasing only in Blu-ray. Universal, owned by General Electric Co., backs HD DVD exclusively.
That's a lie. The whole friggin' world knows that the price of all players will drop (both in HD-DVD and Blu-ray). This is only a short-term factor. If they're dropping Blu-ray support, I betcha their costs of making a Blu-ray are more than making a HD-DVD. Either that, or some other business is putting the squeeze on them and pressuring them to drop Blu-ray.
there is a winner. DVD. no one is going to stop buying DVDs like people stopped buying VHS. its gonna be awhile.
It's gonna drag out even more now. Transformers and Shrek the Third will be HUGE exclusives for HD-DVD this fall. Meanwhile, Blu-ray will counter with Spider-Man 3 and Pirates 3. And don't forget Universal with The Bourne Ultimatum as another HD-DVD-only title. At this point, you're either format neutral or you're sticking with DVDs.
cool. now i can watch the action scenes in slow motion to figure out what happened. dough-ku, which version of 300 did u get?
HD-DVD. It cost a few bucks more(thanks to the worthless combo format), but it has the picture-in-picture commentary. I've never made it a secret that while format neutral, I am rooting for HD-DVD to win. Ironically with this Paramount announcement, I can no longer pick up Face/Off on Blu-ray. I was gonna get it on that format since it would've had the movie and special features on only 1 disc as opposed to HD-DVD which will require 2.
Ugh...sucks that this is going to drag out even longer (was hoping that we might get somewhere in the next 6-12 months...doubt that will happen now, especially since it seems like Fox is about to renew their Blu-ray commitment). I guess that makes some companies happy that neither format will do well in the near future though, especially a major one in the HD DVD camp. Funnily enough, Paramount sold more Blu-ray movies than HD DVD movies if I read things correctly. Of course, a $150M deal would be hard to pass up (assuming the exclusivity contract is accurate). The hardware for the two players are very similar IIRC. HD DVD players are just cheaper since the companies are a little more desperate to sell them near or even below cost (unlike Blu-ray companies, that tried to sell their players at a large markup, not counting the PS3 of course). The costs to create the discs are a lot different though IIRC.
Yeah, just read this. HD DVD group paid $100 million for Dreamworks animation support and $50 million for Paramount.
NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I was really hoping to see HD-DVD go down and Universal start to release for Blu-ray. DAMN IT!
This will only embolden Universal. Blu-ray supporters shouldn't feel too bad though. The Paramount shocker caused Fox to finally wake up from their slumber and announce a bunch of titles, including the Die Hard series. That's the bright side to the format war. The studios constantly trying to one up each other.
The HD-DVD costs are lower. Also, the costs to develop HD-DVD or replicate HD-DVDs is cheaper. there was a long thread about that in the "OTHER MOVIE" industry saying that HD-DVDs were much cheaper to produce. You know that other industry
