HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray Battle Over? Warner Switches to Blu-Ray

[hvfsl]

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.

[Much Ado]

So...the best format wins?

[JNB]

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"

[zioxide]

ha, its not over yet.. but this is good for the blu-ray side.

[bigbossbmb]

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.

[neoserver]

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...

[Lancetx]

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.

[Flynnstone]

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.

[KurtangleTN]

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.

[Cleverboy]

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

[valdore]

I heard awhile back that HD was winning over BluRay because the porn industry sided with HD, similar to what happened with VHS and Beta when the porn industry went with VHS.

[bloodycape]

Originally Posted by KurtangleTN

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.

Yeah but could the same not be said the more and more people get an xbox360 the more and more they are likely to get the HD-DVD add on(or if the rumors pans out HD-DVD would be built in)?

[Cleverboy]

Originally Posted by valdore

I heard awhile back that HD was winning over BluRay because the porn industry sided with HD, similar to what happened with VHS and Beta when the porn industry went with VHS.

That rumor was set straight a while back... straight, bi, or gay... whichever really.

http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquir...porn-after-all

Once you get past the sensationalist headlines, there's more to it. Big-time porn studio Vivid has announced its first Blu-ray porn movie, so there's obviously a leak somewhere in the Blu-ray condom. Even the Blu-ray disc Association has reacted quickly by saying there is no ban against adult movie content.

It's true that Sony doesn't care for porn on its devices. It was unhappy when porn started arriving on the UMD disc format for the PSP and from certain quotes by porn makers, Sony is not actually being that helpful with Blu-ray. It's not blocking them but, at the same time, it's not exactly pointing them in the direction of Blu-ray disc manufacturers that can help them out. Many are having to find their own production sources.

You can say a lot of things about Sony but stupid isn't one of them. Well, most of the time anyway. There is no way that Sony can ignore the boost that porn can give the Blu-ray format. There are probably some older Sony execs that still have Betamax-related nightmares involving being chased by giant VHS video cassettes with enormous breasts.

~ CB

[Mitch1984]

I want Bly ray to win. I'm worried that microsoft are gonna mess Bly rays chances by doing that hd-DVD version of the xbox 360???

[Cleverboy]

Originally Posted by Mitch1984

I want Bly ray to win. I'm worried that microsoft are gonna mess Bly rays chances by doing that hd-DVD version of the xbox 360???

No. That would have also decided it. An earlier statement by Microsoft pointed to their internal position that they would be inclined to make a Blu-Ray external drive available as well, if they feel there is enough consumer interest. The statement was quickly retracted and re-positioned... yet there it sits, like an dark after-image on a window. Microsoft wants nothing less, than to focus primarily on digital downloads and pumping revenue acquired by it through that "float-system", where they get to hold ungodly sums of money from customers who will NEVER be able to get out the full value of what they've purchased in blocks. The physical format war is only a minor distraction for them that they may talk a good game on, but for which they have little long-term concern over.

~ CB

[LethalWolfe]

Originally Posted by valdore

I heard awhile back that HD was winning over BluRay because the porn industry sided with HD, similar to what happened with VHS and Beta when the porn industry went with VHS.

The difference between then and now is that then your only options for motion picture porn were a porn theater or VHS (pretty obvious choice). Now you have many different ways to get porn in the privacy of your own home so the "porn HD format of choice" is pretty inconsequential.


Lethal

[MacRumors]

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 updated by iEdd

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.

Article Link

[miketcool]

Time Warner did something that made me actually happy? A first!

[DiamondMac]

I use my PS3 for Blu-Ray's all the time so this is a HUGE plus for me

[ppc_michael]

That's good, I'm a Blu-Ray guy. I don't have any DVD format in HD, but going by specifications and such, Blu-Ray sounds better to me.

(PS: What's the "other" in the graph?)

[2jaded2care]

Originally Posted by Flynnstone

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.

As reviews have pointed out, the combo players are more expensive than just buying two separate players. I'll wait until the war is over. (Maybe as soon as Jan. 15th!)

[vinny2cubes]

Guys, Guys , Guys,

NONE of this matters... Warner, FOX, Disney? They're not going to decide this issue!

What really matters is what the PORN industry decides.

Not kidding....

[iBallz]

Originally Posted by OrleansMac

I use my PS3 for Blu-Ray's all the time so this is a HUGE plus for me

Today I was told using the PS3 for watching movies on it will wear it out soon.

[mintlivedotcom]

At first I didn't see which companies were colored purple, but after clicking the link, the graph looks much better.

[Cooknn]

When Paramount bailed I pretty much lost interest. Now the HD-DVD camp knows how we felt then. It sucks for them.