[The News Bot]

Warner is pulling the plug on HD DVD. The news was widely expected to break at next week’s CES, but an early announcement was made by Barry Meyer (Warner Entertainment CEO) and Kevin Tsujihara (Home Entertainment Group president). According to the studio the decision was made due to “consumer demand.” According to Tsujihara: “A [...]
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[rooster-x]

[Growler64]

Yee Ha

[youngsyp]

Originally Posted by woody2516

Yee Ha

What a silly response.

Why would you applaud this decision ? It means no change for Blu-Ray buyers but, an even smaller film catalogue for HD-DVD buyers. So, in effect there's no winners, just losers.

Paul

[table manners]

good.Im hoping this gives blu-ray a boost after the whole paramount hd thing.
The whole format war is silly,all it does is confuse people to a point that no one wants to buy into it.
I dont own any hd player yet but plan to get a ps3 as i see this to be the best bet on the hd war.I think blu-ray will win because it has so many big company's behind it.(pioneer,denon,sony,panasonic,etc)
I would like to know the real figures on how many hd-dvd units have been sold
compared to how many units of blu-ray,inc pc's,laptops,ps3,and dedicated players.

[radical ed]

great news. blu ray has won the war!

[matthewcarlrose]

Untill all the Studios either side with one of the formats, I still am not going down either route. I have no interest in any format that limits my choice and a hybrid player is far to expensive for my tastes.

Film studios want there heads banging together.

[Jacko Jab]

Originally Posted by matthewcarlrose

Film studios want there heads banging together.

Agreed. I bought Batman Begins on HD DVD and will only be able to buy The Dark Knight on Blu Ray! Unless a hybrid player is released between now and then which is under £500 I'll have to make do with the standard def DVD...

[Gagzi]

If everyone is so bothered about this why don't they just go and buy a Sony PS3 and Toshiba HD-EP30. It'll cost you £500. £300 for PS3 and £200 for the Toshiba HD-EP30.

I've got both and am very happy with both of them. I've not had a problem with either and at and the quality of both on my home cinema is awesome. Watched Die Hard 4.0 again on Blu-ray over the weekend and it was quality. Also watched Transformers on the HD-EP30 and again it was brilliant.

I would recommend going for both because this battle is going to last quite a while.

[Jacko Jab]

Originally Posted by Gagzi

If everyone is so bothered about this why don't they just go and buy a Sony PS3 and Toshiba HD-EP30. It'll cost you £500. £300 for PS3 and £200 for the Toshiba HD-EP30

I see what you're saying but I don't want to buy a PS3 just to watch Blu Ray - I'm more than happy enough with my Xbox 360 for games. I would rather wait for an affordable hybrid player.

Besides, I don't think my Harmony could take any more devices!

[spanky2k]

Arse. This sucks. I'll still buy HD DVD when I can though. My collection's 12 Blu-Ray vs 16 HD DVDs although two of those HD DVDs are boxsets. As long as Paramount are on HD DVD, there'll still be a customer here.

[Jacko Jab]

Originally Posted by spanky2k

As long as Paramount are on HD DVD, there'll still be a customer here.

With the new Indy film out this year I wonder if Paramount will "do a Warner Bros" if they think they will sell more by going with Blu Ray? Personally I hope not!

[rooster-x]

Originally Posted by Gagzi

If everyone is so bothered about this why don't they just go and buy a Sony PS3 and Toshiba HD-EP30. It'll cost you £500. £300 for PS3 and £200 for the Toshiba HD-EP30.

Because £300 buys a lot of SD-DVD's! With no cheap HD option, this puts HD back into the hands of the early adopters with cheapskates like me happy to make do with SD-DVD

Maybe in a few years time when the BluRay sweeteners have run out at WB they'll come back to HD-DVD but I won't hold my breath!

[supahoops]

Originally Posted by Jackojab

With the new Indy film out this year I wonder if Paramount will "do a Warner Bros" if they think they will sell more by going with Blu Ray? Personally I hope not!

Is Speilberg involved with this Indy film - i thought all his films are to appear on both formats?

[ahin4114]

Originally Posted by youngsyp

What a silly response.

Why would you applaud this decision ? It means no change for Blu-Ray buyers but, an even smaller film catalogue for HD-DVD buyers. So, in effect there's no winners, just losers.

Paul

Because we're one step closer to ending the format war. The longer there are equal splits of studio's and dual format studios the longer the format war will rage on, that's bad for everybody too. Paramount are only tied into an 18 month exclusivity, and I think they have an option to exit that deal too.

By increasing the number of BR exclusive releases it strengthens the argument for consumers to buy into that format. If more BR decks are sold than HD-DVD then studio's will see more money in supporting that format, then eventually we'll be able to settle on a single format. It may take another 12 months, but it looks more likely to happen now than ever.

[dBrowne]

Now that they are BR, will Warner now start implementing region coding? I import for my Region A PS3 (cost and choice), but having even more films that I can't rent locally would be disappointing.

in the end it all boils down to one thing and thats money.
the format war was stupid didnt any one learn anything from beta/vhs war?
but hd-dvd has suffered a fatal blow and only a few big studios backing HD
now.

[bingham67]

Paramount could be following.

The Financial Times is reporting that Paramount is preparing to use a get out clause in its HD DVD exclusivity deal, and go back to Blu-ray, about 4 months after ending its dual-format release schedule.

http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogs.../~3/212950145/

[DrPhil]

I have only 1 question.
If the format war does end with BR the winner, can Microsoft then bring out a Blu-Ray add-on for the 360 in place of the HD-DVD one? Surely they would have to swallow their pride and do this, otherwise they no longer have a machine capable of playing high definition movies?

[Rob20]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I have only 1 question.
If the format war does end with BR the winner, can Microsoft then bring out a Blu-Ray add-on for the 360 in place of the HD-DVD one? Surely they would have to swallow their pride and do this, otherwise they no longer have a machine capable of playing high definition movies?

Microsoft said as much when it released the HD-DVD add on. As the hardware is external there's no reason why it couldn't release a Blu-Ray drive.

[micramda]

I'm still owed my free 5 HD-DVD's from when I bought the Toshiba EP30. Warner better cough up

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Rob20

Microsoft said as much when it released the HD-DVD add on. As the hardware is external there's no reason why it couldn't release a Blu-Ray drive.

Thank God for that!

[marcoeser]

further on the Financial Times story:

HD DVD Really Dead Now: Paramount Following Warner to Blu-ray-Only Party

Financial Times is reporting that Paramount has a clause in its HD DVD exclusivity contract allowing them to bail from the sinking HD DVD ship if Warner defected to Blu-ray, and they are "poised" to do so.

Warner's switch already put 70 percent of Hollywood's output on Blu-ray—Paramount rolling Blu-ray too would leave Universal and Dreamworks as the last major studios in the HD DVD camp, promptly and undoubtfully closing the books on HD DVD's future in Hollywood. Imagine: Michael Bay is sipping a mojito somewhere with a smile on his face. [Financial Times]


Thank you, now I can go out and buy a BR player and not worry about its future

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by marcoeser

further on the Financial Times story:

HD DVD Really Dead Now: Paramount Following Warner to Blu-ray-Only Party

Financial Times is reporting that Paramount has a clause in its HD DVD exclusivity contract allowing them to bail from the sinking HD DVD ship if Warner defected to Blu-ray, and they are "poised" to do so.

Warner's switch already put 70 percent of Hollywood's output on Blu-ray—Paramount rolling Blu-ray too would leave Universal and Dreamworks as the last major studios in the HD DVD camp, promptly and undoubtfully closing the books on HD DVD's future in Hollywood. Imagine: Michael Bay is sipping a mojito somewhere with a smile on his face. [Financial Times]


Thank you, now I can go out and buy a BR player and not worry about its future

So what's the cheapest Blu Ray player you can get, and is it any good?

I saw a HD-DVD player on play.com today for £180 with 7 HD-DVDs. Now I know why it was so cheap...

[matthewcarlrose]

Originally Posted by marcoeser

further on the Financial Times story:

HD DVD Really Dead Now: Paramount Following Warner to Blu-ray-Only Party

Financial Times is reporting that Paramount has a clause in its HD DVD exclusivity contract allowing them to bail from the sinking HD DVD ship if Warner defected to Blu-ray, and they are "poised" to do so.

Warner's switch already put 70 percent of Hollywood's output on Blu-ray—Paramount rolling Blu-ray too would leave Universal and Dreamworks as the last major studios in the HD DVD camp, promptly and undoubtfully closing the books on HD DVD's future in Hollywood. Imagine: Michael Bay is sipping a mojito somewhere with a smile on his face. [Financial Times]


Thank you, now I can go out and buy a BR player and not worry about its future

Its not over yet ....

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01...d_dump_rumour/

'Paramount puts down HD DVD dump rumour

Hollywood-based Paramount Studios has denied claims that it will be dropping the HD DVD format and returning to Blu-ray Disc.

In an email sent to Bloomberg, Paramount spokeswoman Brenda Ciccone said: "Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format.".......

[sdb123]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I saw a HD-DVD player on play.com today for £180 with 7 HD-DVDs. Now I know why it was so cheap...

That's got nothing to do with the announcement. HD-DVD players have always been a reasonable price.

[DrPhil]

I just hope thre are some decent cheap Blu Ray ones out there. I have a 360 with the HD-DVD add on, but wouldn't chenge my 360 for a PS3. If I do have to go Blu Ray it will have to be a 360 add on, or preferably a standalone, as the damn 360 is so noisy.

Originally Posted by matthewcarlrose

Its not over yet ....

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01...d_dump_rumour/

'Paramount puts down HD DVD dump rumour

Hollywood-based Paramount Studios has denied claims that it will be dropping the HD DVD format and returning to Blu-ray Disc.

In an email sent to Bloomberg, Paramount spokeswoman Brenda Ciccone said: "Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format.".......

in December Warner said it was going blu-ray only then said sorry that was a mistake we will continue to support HD-DVD so dont believe Paramount, they will be having high level board meetings about the future of their support for HD-DVD

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I have a 360 with the HD-DVD add on, but wouldn't change my 360 for a PS3. If I do have to go Blu Ray it will have to be a 360 add on, or preferably a standalone, as the damn 360 is so noisy.

Does anyone have a glass of water? I need to swallow my pride, but it's hard to choke down with this damn foot in my mouth.

I am trading my 360 today for a PS3. Never thought I'd see the day, but here it is. I still prefer the 360, but the fact is that I want HD films, and with the impending death of HD-DVD, I can't afford to buy a blu ray player and keep my 360. There are not so many games for the PS3, but I'm not a hardcore gamer so I'll cope. I hope I made the right choice! Plus buying a possible future blu ray add-on for the 360 is no good as the damn thing is too loud to play DVDs anyway.

[VistaVision]

In this week's electrical trade magazine,ERT, under the heading "It's Blu Ray for Hollywood" Douglas Bambridge,general manager,business development,Panasonic disc manufacturing corporation of America is quoted as saying,"The significant Warner Brothers decision (to drop HD DVD support) was prompted by the sales split for "Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix" - 64% for Blu Ray versus 36% for HD DVD." He further states that the loss of Warner Bros is especially significant,"as sales of the studio's titles account for 42% of all HD DVD sales in the US."