Topic: The death of HD DVD?

[John Kelly]

here is what i would like to know
rather hd or bluray wins out - will companies go back and release the movie in the winning format?
for example will the bourne movies be released in bluray if it wins out
otherwise i think the dual format player will "win"

*If* Universal were to switch to Blu-Ray exclusive, then I would imagine that eventually they would be released.  But it's hard to tell now what will happen.  People forget that Paramount and Universal are the two largest movie studios, so the possibility exists of them staying HD exclusive and both formats coexist through combo players.  How likely that is I have no idea, but it is possible.

[macdaddy]

actually, warner (et. al) is the biggest... hence the viability of the much-ballyhooed "out clause that paramount has...

[wilsonedits]

better yet when will apple annouce a new superdrive that includes blue ray capabilities...   

all thought i think there happy staying away from either instead pushing the apple tv concept

[willndmb]

better yet when will apple annouce a new superdrive that includes blue ray capabilities...   

all thought i think there happy staying away from either instead pushing the apple tv concept

nooo shit
hell studio pro and toast have bluray built in

[John Kelly]

better yet when will apple annouce a new superdrive that includes blue ray capabilities...   

all thought i think there happy staying away from either instead pushing the apple tv concept

nooo shit
hell studio pro and toast have bluray built in

Actually only Toast does.  FCP and DVD SP have support for HD DVD, but no Blu-Ray support. 

One of the main problems is that there is no standard way of burning HD videos for playback on a standalone Blu-Ray player.  The method that is supposed to be used isn't supported by 99% of the players (including the PS3) because of copyright issues. 

So my guess is that Apple sees that adding support would be futile, since burned discs wouldn't work in current players.  The only thing you could use it for right now is backups, and Apple has Time Machine and may not be in any hurry to add an expensive upgrade for something they don't think is needed.

[wilsonedits]

One of the main problems is that there is no standard way of burning HD videos for playback on a standalone Blu-Ray player.  The method that is supposed to be used isn't supported by 99% of the players (including the PS3) because of copyright issues. 

So my guess is that Apple sees that adding support would be futile, since burned discs wouldn't work in current players.  The only thing you could use it for right now is backups, and Apple has Time Machine and may not be in any hurry to add an expensive upgrade for something they don't think is needed.

wow that sucks i have wonder why it hasn't happened yet...sucks for people that want to make small budget HD productions which means your pretty much stuck with web distribution.  I guess the only way to watch HD footage on the big screen would be apple tv with that h.264 codec but I haven't seen or had any experience with that

[John Kelly]

One of the main problems is that there is no standard way of burning HD videos for playback on a standalone Blu-Ray player.  The method that is supposed to be used isn't supported by 99% of the players (including the PS3) because of copyright issues. 

So my guess is that Apple sees that adding support would be futile, since burned discs wouldn't work in current players.  The only thing you could use it for right now is backups, and Apple has Time Machine and may not be in any hurry to add an expensive upgrade for something they don't think is needed.

wow that sucks i have wonder why it hasn't happened yet...sucks for people that want to make small budget HD productions which means your pretty much stuck with web distribution.  I guess the only way to watch HD footage on the big screen would be apple tv with that h.264 codec but I haven't seen or had any experience with that

Right now the options seem to be going HD DVD or having your Blu-Rays professionally pressed.  I'm assuming neither looks too good for Apple right now.

[wilsonedits]

 just saw this report dated a few weeks ago... saying a blueray release is in the works on some of there pro grade systems... would be nice if they figured something out

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/01/03/apple_set_to_ship_macs_with_blu_ray_support_report.html

[John Kelly]

just saw this report dated a few weeks ago... saying a blueray release is in the works on some of there pro grade systems... would be nice if they figured something out

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/01/03/apple_set_to_ship_macs_with_blu_ray_support_report.html

Appleinsider.com doesn't have a stellar track record with rumors.  However I think it's pretty safe to assume Apple is testing Blu-Ray drives in their pro systems, the question is when they'll be publicly available. 

[OFOTD]

One more nail in the HD-DVD coffin.   The other major electronics retailers will follow suit soon I would imagine.    Hard to consider buying a non Xbox HD-DVD now that you'll be bombarded with blu-ray advertising.


Best Buy to recommend Blu-ray format
Decision gives Sony yet another victory in the battle with HD DVD
Reuters
updated 4:56 p.m. CT, Mon., Feb. 11, 2008

CHICAGO - Best Buy Co Inc., the largest U.S. consumer electronics chain, said on Monday it will recommend that consumers choose Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray high-definition video format.

The decision gives Sony yet another victory in the battle with Toshiba Corp.'s HD DVD to be the high-definition DVD format of choice.

Earlier on Monday, online video rental company Netflix Inc. said it would exclusively stock Blu-ray DVDs after some of the world's biggest movie studios decided in favor of that format.

Best Buy said it believes consumers will benefit from the choice of one HD DVD format.

"Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products," Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

Best Buy will prominently feature Blu-ray hardware and software beginning in March, but will also carry an assortment of HD DVD products for customers who want those, Best Buy said.

Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23117412

[Chuck]

I just saw a news item that NetFlix is going, exclusively, with Blu-ray too.

[John Kelly]

One more nail in the HD-DVD coffin.   The other major electronics retailers will follow suit soon I would imagine.    Hard to consider buying a non Xbox HD-DVD now that you'll be bombarded with blu-ray advertising.


Best Buy to recommend Blu-ray format
Decision gives Sony yet another victory in the battle with HD DVD
Reuters
updated 4:56 p.m. CT, Mon., Feb. 11, 2008

CHICAGO - Best Buy Co Inc., the largest U.S. consumer electronics chain, said on Monday it will recommend that consumers choose Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray high-definition video format.

The decision gives Sony yet another victory in the battle with Toshiba Corp.'s HD DVD to be the high-definition DVD format of choice.

Earlier on Monday, online video rental company Netflix Inc. said it would exclusively stock Blu-ray DVDs after some of the world's biggest movie studios decided in favor of that format.

Best Buy said it believes consumers will benefit from the choice of one HD DVD format.

"Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products," Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

Best Buy will prominently feature Blu-ray hardware and software beginning in March, but will also carry an assortment of HD DVD products for customers who want those, Best Buy said.

Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23117412

Now I'm not trying to say that HD DVD is going to win, but anyone else think this is a complete non-story?  It doesn't say they're dropping HD DVD, only that they're going to recommend Blu-Ray products.  If you're already in there buying discs I'm not sure that matters...

The Netflix thing is MUCH worse news for HD DVD.  Although there are many HD DVD supporters that subscribe to Netflix just to rent HD movies.  I wonder how many customers they lose because of it (they've also reported that they've always rented more HD DVDs than Blu-Rays).  Bad news for HD DVD. 

What I want to know is, there are two studios who are contractually obligated to release exclusively in HD DVD format (and one more not under contract, but doing it anyway).  Are retailers just going to decide not to stock any of their movies period? 

[willndmb]

this week bb is also advertising a "final format" bluray player
not sure if thats true or if it actually means the final format of bluray has been decided but i noticed that in the ad this week

[John Kelly]

I'm not seeing that in the ad, only an ad for the LG universal player and a Panasonic player that is definitely not 2.0 spec.  Where do you see that listed?

[JasonSobel]

The Netflix thing is MUCH worse news for HD DVD.  Although there are many HD DVD supporters that subscribe to Netflix just to rent HD movies.  I wonder how many customers they lose because of it (they've also reported that they've always rented more HD DVDs than Blu-Rays).  Bad news for HD DVD. 

this article seems to suggest otherwise:
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2008/02/12/netflix_opts_for_blu_ray_to_phase_out_hd_dvd/

Netflix opts for Blu-ray, to phase out HD-DVD
By Globe Wire Services  |  February 12, 2008

TORONTO - Netflix Inc., the world's largest mail order movie rental company, said it will start offering high-definition DVDs exclusively in Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray format.

Netflix will phase out Toshiba Corp.'s HD-DVD format by the end of the year after a decision by four Hollywood movie studios to opt for the Blu-ray format over Toshiba's for high-definition films and videos, the Los Gatos, Calif., company said yesterday.

The decision may hurt Toshiba further as the industry decides who will win out in the biggest format war since VHS beat out Betamax in the 1980s. Last month, Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. Entertainment unit said it would use Sony's high-definition home video format, which prompted Toshiba to cut prices.

"We're now at the point where the industry can pursue the migration to a single standard," Netflix said. The company said it received "a clear signal from the industry." The majority of Netflix customers who receive high-definition DVDs already opt for Blu-ray over the HD-DVD format.

Netflix said it expects all of the studios will use Blu-ray, and prices for high-definition players will fall, helping to support another decade of disc-based movie viewing at home. Netflix, with more than 7 million subscribers, stocks more than 400 Blu-Ray titles among its 90,000 choices.

Also yesterday Best Buy Co. Inc., the largest US consumer electronics chain, said it will recommend that consumers choose the Blu-ray format.

Best Buy said it believes consumers will benefit from the choice of one high-definition format. "Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products," Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer, said.

Best Buy will prominently feature Blu-ray hardware and software beginning in March, but will also carry an assortment of HD-DVD products for customers who want those, Best Buy said.

The two major studios that continue to use the Toshiba format are Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures and General Electric Co.'s Universal Pictures.

Netflix shares rose 1 cent to $26.89 in Nasdaq Stock Market composite trading.