HD-DVD Dead? Will This Hurt the 360?

[GamerSince'76]

Warner Bros. Entertainment to go Blu-Ray exclusive
Posted Jan 05, 2008 at 01:07AM by Enrico S.

Listed in: Gadgets, PlayStation 3 Tags: Warner Bros. Ó107 QJ

The format wars have taken a surprising turn. Warner Bros. Entertainment has announced that they will be releasing all of their high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-Ray format after May this year.

This announcement was made by both Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO of Warner Bros., and Kevin Tsujihara, President of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

Meyer explained this move by the company:

Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want.

The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.

Tsujihara also shared his thoughts on the issue saying that the two-formats was creating confusion among the consumers. He added that the public has already "clearly chosen Blu-ray" so they are simply catering to their demands.

Link:

http://www.qj.net/Warner-Bros-Entertainment-to-go-Blu-Ray-exclusive/pg/49/aid/111029

I think that more PS3's will sell for people that want a Blu-ray player but the 360 will still sell for people that want a great gaming machine.

Your thoughts?

[SamSmith]

Well, it will make more PS3's sell.. they won't get an advantage on 360, becuase really... I don't see bluray or hddvd really taking off. Although bluray will probably have the edge on hddvd.... if hddvd is still used for certain capacity games as the format on the 360, etc - DOOR BE RIGHT BACK

[GamerSince'76]

Well, it will make more PS3's sell.. they won't get an advantage on 360, becuase really... I don't see bluray or hddvd really taking off. Although bluray will probably have the edge on hddvd.... if hddvd is still used for certain capacity games as the format on the 360, etc - DOOR BE RIGHT BACK

ROFL. It`s funny that you took the time to write that out. I sent an email to a buddy that works in the jail I used used to work in. He sends me an email back and at the end it says `GOT TO GO. THERE IS A CODE *** ON LEVEL ***`. You are just supposed to run when that happens in jail. lol.

[Variation-XBA]

while it sucks as HD DVD was the superior format, 360 wise it wont change a thing

[GamerSince'76]

More on this:

http://www.ripten.com/2008/01/05/pie-charts-show-true-impact-of-warners-move/

[CrazyCougar]

This is why Bill Gates will anounce the 360 Ultimate with a built in HD_DVD drive later today at CES 2008.

[GamerSince'76]

This is why Bill Gates will anounce the 360 Ultimate with a built in HD_DVD drive later today at CES 2008.

If that happens will it save HD-DVD if the vast majority of content is on Blu-ray.

[Variation-XBA]

This is why Bill Gates will anounce the 360 Ultimate with a built in HD_DVD drive later today at CES 2008.

luls :rofl::rofl::rofl:

[GamerSince'76]

luls :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Oops I get it now. :bang:

[MXracer721]

It seems that Blu-Ray may have won the HD format war, or is on it's way to, but I really doubt that Blu-Ray will defeat DVD anytime soon. The prices for HD format movies are too expensive right now. 30 dollars for one movie is outrageous.

[WynnFire]

This whole high definition war is garbage. Read any respectable audio video magazine and they tell you 1080p is stupid and that you won't see a difference between 720p and 1080p unless you have a really large tv set. You should really wait till 1280 or higher comes out. I'm staying out of this format war, if anything, I will get a dvd upconverter, I love my cousin's converter.

[Conchord]

I don't think anyone out there is waiting for the outcome of this "format war" to buy a PS3. I think some third brand format will surpass both Blu and HD, or it will just revert back to DVD.

You can't make incremental steps like this, it has to be a big change for consumers to accept it, such as the step from VHS to DVD.

I mean, look at the DVD Audio format. It is basically dead, because the difference between that and CD audio wasn't that much greater, from a listening stand point. You tell people about the resolutions and size capabilities of these new formats, and they really don't care. If the change doesn't knock them off their feet, they stay apathetic.

I think Microsoft and Sony are stupid for taking a risk in this so called war, because not only is it possible that one of them could lose, its possible that BOTH of them could lose. They should have collaborated, or made their consoles compatible with both.

[Ainokeatoo]

I think that more PS3's will sell for people that want a Blu-ray player but the 360 will still sell for people that want a great gaming machine.

Your thoughts?

I disagree seeing as if people only want blu-ray they'd just pick up a blu-ray player which, by what i've seen, are now cheaper than ps3.

[MXracer721]

I don't think anyone out there is waiting for the outcome of this "format war" to buy a PS3. I think some third brand format will surpass both Blu and HD, or it will just revert back to DVD.

You can't make incremental steps like this, it has to be a big change for consumers to accept it, such as the step from VHS to DVD.

I mean, look at the DVD Audio format. It is basically dead, because the difference between that and CD audio wasn't that much greater, from a listening stand point. You tell people about the resolutions and size capabilities of these new formats, and they really don't care. If the change doesn't knock them off their feet, they stay apathetic.

I think Microsoft and Sony are stupid for taking a risk in this so called war, because not only is it possible that one of them could lose, its possible that BOTH of them could lose. They should have collaborated, or made their consoles compatible with both.

Microsoft isn't really taking that much of a risk are they? Toshiba is the company pushing it, Microsoft is just giving consumers an option of an HD format and obviously they aren't going to give the option of Blu Ray on their system.

[Conchord]

Microsoft isn't really taking that much of a risk are they?

You don't consider the design and manufacture of a USB device specifically made for a format of media that is not even a sure thing a risk? Microsoft loses enough money from the Xbox, they are really just kicking their own ass right now.

[wasabi_]

Wow, HD-DVD? Blu Ray? And to think im still using Betamax. I dont see how picture could get any better, Betamax makes me feel like Im there witnessing the action.

[Conchord]

I have seen both formats on 1080p, and to be honest, I really didn't notice a difference... the HD format seemed brighter, but thats about it. Not worth an extra $10.

[CrazyCougar]

I have seen both formats on 1080p, and to be honest, I really didn't notice a difference... the HD format seemed brighter, but thats about it. Not worth an extra $10.

Exactly. the only difference is the amount of space for data on the disc. But you can guarantee you'll have someone swear they can see a difference...LOL!

[GamerSince'76]

When I had a PS3, I got 5 free Blu-ray movies. There was an actor in The Omen that had pockmarks on his face. When the camera zoomed in the detail was amazing.

[Variation-XBA]

That same detail is in HD DVD as well. Like when I watched Transformers in HD, WOW, amazing to see.

[CrazyCougar]

This was posted at IGN. Quite interesting to say the least after the Blu-Ray developments this week. Can we say add-on???? LOL! I would take it with a grain of salt, but none the less it is an MS employee making the statement.

Microsoft May Turn to Blu-ray

The people get what the people want.
by Martin Robinson, IGN UK

UK, January 9, 2008 - Following something of a disastrous week for backers of HD-DVD technology, with the announcement of Warner Bros defecting to its chief rival and murmurings of Paramount going the same way, Microsoft has revealed that should the tide turn towards Sony's technology it would consider supporting the Blu-ray with the Xbox 360.

Speaking to Reuters, group marketing manager for Xbox hardware Albert Penello said, "It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's something we'll have to consider." Microsoft has previously aligned themselves to Toshiba's technology, offering an HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 and having been rumoured to be implementing a HD-DVD drive for future incarnations of its console.

Warner Bros's recent defection to Blu-ray technology sent shockwaves through the industry, even forcing Toshiba to cancel its Consumer Electronics Show presentation earlier this week. However, Penello was ultimately supportive of HD-DVD, stating that "…I've seen this battle declared over so many times. I want consumers to have a voice in this and I think there are a lot of consumers who bought HD-DVD who are going to have a say in how this shakes out."

[Conchord]

I will admit, I would love to see Debby Does Dallas in HD format. I am curious to see the shave bumps on her twazzle up close.

[WARTH0G DRIVER]

This is why Bill Gates will anounce the 360 Ultimate with a built in HD_DVD drive later today at CES 2008.


Damn! Gotta get one of those to! :D



:cheers: I love XBOX!

[WARTH0G DRIVER]

hmm... :watchout:

http://forums.xbox.com/17726892/ShowPost.aspx

[BROOKLYNSBATMAN]

This whole high definition war is garbage. Read any respectable audio video magazine and they tell you 1080p is stupid and that you won't see a difference between 720p and 1080p unless you have a really large tv set. You should really wait till 1280 or higher comes out. I'm staying out of this format war, if anything, I will get a dvd upconverter, I love my cousin's converter.

your so damn right..., i have in my living room a 42" hdtv with the elite and in my room i have a 46" regular tv no hd wat so ever... and a regular dvd player... i bought batman begins on hd format cause the movie was cheap buti couldnt see the diffrence from the regular dvd batman begins and the hd one.., My fiance sais to me sure u can the colors look better and a little clearer u know when they advertise freaking hdtv they make it sound like Imax the basterdsss.. i see no diffrence in anything i BS people when they come over because i dont wanna feel like a dush bag for spending a lot of money on hdtv.. but i dont see the diffrence .. i still buy regular dvd''s if i really want a movie as far as hd movies i only buy when there cheap.. im not wasting 30 bucks on a movie that i could get for 15 its stupid... !!

[MXracer721]

your so damn right..., i have in my living room a 42" hdtv with the elite and in my room i have a 46" regular tv no hd wat so ever... and a regular dvd player... i bought batman begins on hd format cause the movie was cheap buti couldnt see the diffrence from the regular dvd batman begins and the hd one.., My fiance sais to me sure u can the colors look better and a little clearer u know when they advertise freaking hdtv they make it sound like Imax the basterdsss.. i see no diffrence in anything i BS people when they come over because i dont wanna feel like a dush bag for spending a lot of money on hdtv.. but i dont see the diffrence .. i still buy regular dvd''s if i really want a movie as far as hd movies i only buy when there cheap.. im not wasting 30 bucks on a movie that i could get for 15 its stupid... !!

My parents have a 65" HDTV (i live at home so it's the one i watch all the time) and I see no problem with DVDs right now either. We do have HD channels through our cable provider and I say that those are worth it. You see a MAJOR difference between basic cable channels and HD cable channels. The difference between DVD and HD disc formats aren't as vast as the difference between basic cable and HD cable.

[Variation-XBA]

My signature says it all.

[Whisper]

New Line signing with BR pretty much locks it up. Sucks though, HD-DVD would have been a much more consumer friendly victory. Now we will all be forced in to buying into the evil empire.. Sony.


At least now I can start looking around for deals. Still will likely not be before summer though.

[l Maximus l]

HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are simply a rip-off at this time. $30 for a movie is ridiculous when DVDs are around $15 for the exact same movie that looks great on a progressive scan DVD player or an upconverter. Until prices for movies drops to equal DVDs, I don't see any format "winning" at all.

These days, buying a DVD player is cheap. VHSs are practically non-existent any more. In fact, it's very difficult to buy a tube television any more.

Things are definitely heading more and more towards high-definition; however, consumers will really pay for it in the wallet.

Some company needs to create a free High Definition DVR with a gigantic hard-drive that can forever save high definition movies (whether HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) and also have the option to simply download them from cable or transfer the files from a computer.

I don't even own many CDs any more due to owning my Zune - I have everything on my Zune that I could want and can download more anytime. Why not do the same thing with a component for television? I think things are going to go this route before HD-DVD or Blu-Ray "wins" the alleged "war". People like me don't want stacks and stack of discs and cases laying around. Just give me my remote to a High Definition component where I have my entire collection saved on it instead...give me 720p, 1080p, etc...if my Plasma will support the format, I'll be ready.

[Conchord]

Maximus, for the first few months after you got your Zune, I still had no idea what it was. Your posts where "Zune this" and "Zune that"... I thought you lost it.

Turns out it is an outstanding product... just a little too late, though. Apple has already started their takeover.

I am still waiting for the first big virus to completely decimate Apple users' systems.

[MXracer721]

Maximus you are very right. I think it will end up being to a point where you keep all your movies on a single component. It's gonna be a great day when it happens too! Ten years ago I never thought I would have a "walkman" smaller than my wallet that holds over 5000 songs. iPods sure have changed the way we store media, and there are others on the rise mainly the Zune. I'm still not a fan of iTunes.....I love the organization but there are little quirks with it that bug the crap out of me.

[Ry]

who cares... I just use my xbox...

[Variation-XBA]

There will always, or at least for quite some time, be a format of some sort that's not 100% digital. Yes, thing swill shift that way and you'll just download and buy what you want, but poeple still want something tangable, something they can hold. Sure they take up a lot of space, but people also pride themselves on their dvd/whatever collections as well.

[FromHell440]

Maximus, for the first few months after you got your Zune, I still had no idea what it was. Your posts where "Zune this" and "Zune that"... I thought you lost it.

Turns out it is an outstanding product... just a little too late, though. Apple has already started their takeover.

I am still waiting for the first big virus to completely decimate Apple users' systems.

The iPod is old news. The Zune outsold the iPod last holiday season.

As far as the Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD debacle. Read this statement from the NPD:


For the week ending January 12, Blu-ray players outsold HD DVD players by a margin of 9-to-1. That was just including standalone players, meaning the Playstation 3 is not skewing the results. The Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on was also not included.

However, "One week doesn't really mean a lot," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for NPD. That week in particular, there were numerous promotions for free Blu-ray players with the purchase of an HDTV. Big box retailers also discounted some players that week to their lowest advertised price to date.

"With promotions, it's very easy to manipulate a week's worth of sales," said Baker. "We cannot make judgments based on one week's worth of data."

When excluding the PS3 and Xbox 360 add-on, HD DVD player sales have typically outperformed Blu-ray, largely because of HD DVD's price advantage. However, Blu-ray Disc movies continue to outsell HD DVD titles by margins of 2-to-1 or greater.

[ShannonX]

Exactly. the only difference is the amount of space for data on the disc. But you can guarantee you'll have someone swear they can see a difference...LOL!


I'm sorry if you can't see a difference between plain jane dvd and a top notch hd format dvd (assuming whoever published it atually gave a crap and put some time into making it). My suggestion is get a better tv. ;)

And yes, I'm one of the people who can tell a significant difference. Sure, upconverted dvd's look good, but not that good.

Of course, there are some hd dvds (blueray, hd-dvd) that just plain look like crap and really don't look much better (if at all) than a plain dvd. Alot of that is from crap source material, or the studio just didn't care about quality and wanted to rush it out the door (which is stupid of them, but what can you do).

[Conchord]

Of course, there are some hd dvds (blueray, hd-dvd) that just plain look like crap and really don't look much better (if at all) than a plain dvd. Alot of that is from crap source material, or the studio just didn't care about quality and wanted to rush it out the door (which is stupid of them, but what can you do).

I think its a mental thing. You paid ten dollars more for a movie, and you really want it to look better, so in your mind, it does. I don't see it, because I am already pissed that not only do I have to spend a small fortune on a nice big HD tv, I am now being stuck for (at least) ten dollars more on each movie, not to mention something that can actually play them, so if it doesn't feel like Jason Bourne is actually punching ME in the throat with a hardbound book, then I am underwhelmed.

Same for HDMI, sure it looks great, but that doesn't mean it puts 1080p HD to shame. They just keep making small leaps and bounds, and charging an arm and a leg for every baby step they come out with.

Remember when HDTVs first came out? I saw one for sale at Best Buy for almost 12 thousand dollars. The worst part? Someone bought it.

[FromHell440]

As HDTVs become more and more popular the prices will drop. Most people are waiting for them to get abit cheaper before jumping in.

Then again -- due to the internet and its digital media -- most people aren't even watching TV anymore. The HD player war is pointless, soon the majority of things we watch will eminate from the internet not some disc in a clunk Blu-Ray or HD-DVD box. I watch Youtube more than any television channel.

People riding this marketing spiel will lose in the long run.

Just last year television lost 2.5 million viewers. :)

[ShannonX]

I think its a mental thing. You paid ten dollars more for a movie, and you really want it to look better, so in your mind, it does. I don't see it, because I am already pissed that not only do I have to spend a small fortune on a nice big HD tv, I am now being stuck for (at least) ten dollars more on each movie, not to mention something that can actually play them, so if it doesn't feel like Jason Bourne is actually punching ME in the throat with a hardbound book, then I am underwhelmed.

Same for HDMI, sure it looks great, but that doesn't mean it puts 1080p HD to shame. They just keep making small leaps and bounds, and charging an arm and a leg for every baby step they come out with.

Remember when HDTVs first came out? I saw one for sale at Best Buy for almost 12 thousand dollars. The worst part? Someone bought it.

Hardly "mental". I actually got the hd-dvd addon for the 360 because I could SEE the difference (i checked it out on a friends setup prior to purchasing). If I wasn't able to see the difference between an upconverted dvd and a hd dvd, I'd never have picked up the addon.

Sounds like alot of people saying there's no difference are the people jelous because they can't afford the setup or just don't want to pay out the money.

[Conchord]

or just don't want to pay out the money.

Guilty.

[FromHell440]

Sounds like alot of people saying there's no difference are the people jelous because they can't afford the setup or just don't want to pay out the money.

Fail.

Wow, a shaming tactic meant to force agreement! Those are becoming more and more common amongst the ridiculous "format war" advocates.

Basically, if you don't fall into the Pro Blu-Ray or Pro-HD DVD crowd you're "jealous" or "just can't afford it" seems like a pretty petty brush to paint everyone with. Sad, really...

[BananaMan]

Hardly anyone buys HD-DVD or Blu-Ray videos anyway. And the only reason they went with blu-ray is because the guys name sounded jap, so of course they'll be on Sony's side.

[FromHell440]

Hardly anyone buys HD-DVD or Blu-Ray videos anyway.

Correct. How many people frequent Youtube, play Xbox Live, own iPods, or surf the internet though?

You're right, the forward thinking consumer is not interested in this pointless format war.

I'm with Mr. Gates 100% and can see the vast potential for digital movies.

Let the two fanboys from both camps attack each other. Digital will just clean up afterwards. :)