CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

No worries. I think you[r avatars] have *plenty* of fans. Smile

**kal** · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject:

Another one down - while it hasn't been officially announced, NEW LINE is also dropping HD-DVD, and Paramount to follow soon?

Taken from thedigitalbits.com on January 7, 2008:

"... at the BDA press conference a short time ago, I asked Warner's Ron Sanders if his studio's decision to go Blu-ray only extended to New Line and HBO as well (as there's been some lingering uncertainty online). He once again diplomatically suggested that each affiliate company will be making their own decisions and announcements. So at the Digital Entertainment Group reception afterwards, I spoke directly with a senior New Line Home Entertainment executive, who confirmed that not only is New Line following Warner's lead, Pan's Labyrinth is the studio's last HD-DVD release. Their next major title will likely be The Golden Compass, on DVD and Blu-ray only later this year."

"The Financial Times of London is now reporting that Paramount DOES indeed have an out clause in their contract with the HD-DVD camp - one that would allow them to switch sides in the event that Warner were to abandon HD-DVD. Now that this has occurred, the FT says that the studio intends to exercise that option, meaning that Paramount is about to go Blu-ray only as well. It's unknown whether DreamWorks has a similar clause, but it seems unlikely that they wouldn't. Keep in mind, we have yet to confirm this officially with either studio. But if it's true, this would leave Universal the sole remaining major studio supporter of HD-DVD."

Wow. Interesting times... interesting times... I'd be curious to see what the $100M contract between Microsoft and Paramount looks like and what the out clauses are like.

Kal

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Help me Obi Gates Kenobi.... you're my only hope... Laughing

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

I am still trying to figure how all of this is good for me.

I haven't noticed missing a single movie that wasn't available on HD DVD up to this point.

Toshiba has announced it has no plans to drop HD DVD support.

The article from financial times is bogus. It is no new information as far as I saw and doesn't mention that they are switching just says that they could get out of the contract.

Paramount released a statement saying they aren't dropping at this point.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

I agree, but I can't help but think, why is everyone so happy that Blu Ray won.

Isn't a cheaper alternative better?

Perhaps HD DVD was only cheaper because it didn't have all of the talking points as far as tech specs is concerned as Blu Ray.

Or perhaps it was cheaper because it truly was cheaper to manufacture.

Look at me. I am already talking about it in the past tense.

It isn't over until it is over but I will probably be one of the last to admit it. Smile

**kal** · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:37 am Post subject:

More info:

"Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 05:06 PM ET

Confirming earlier reports that it would follow Warner to Blu-ray exclusivity, New Line says its first HD DVD title ('Pan's Labryinth') will also be its last.

Though it was widely assumed that New Line (whose parent company is Time-Warner) would follow Warner Home Video's lead and continue to release on HD DVD through May 2008, a company rep tells us that New Line's move will go into immediate effect, with all of the studio's planned HD DVD releases now cancelled (including the HD DVD versions of current Blu-ray releases 'Hairspray' and 'Rush Hour 3,' which had previously been planned for HD DVD release sometime in early 2008).

As for 'Pan's Labryinth,' which hit stores late last year as the first (and only) New Line HD DVD release, the studio says that once current retail supplies are depleted, the title will be discontinued -- making it an instant collector's item.

New Line says it's not planning to issue an official press release trumpeting the move, ending its short-lived HD DVD support with a relative whimper.

The studio also tells us they won't be revealing any new Blu-ray titles at CES, though they do plan to continue to support the format throughout 2008 with a variety of new release and catalog titles to be announced in the future."

**kal** · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:39 am Post subject:

It's normal that Paramount won't say anything until it's all said and done.

More rumours circulating:

MY TWO CENTS - 1/8/08 - by Digital Bits editor Bill Hunt

"Well... we've had SOME confirmation this morning of the details of the Financial Times story from last night. While the studio isn't yet commenting, reliable industry sources are telling us that Paramount is indeed preparing to end their HD-DVD support and announce a return to the Blu-ray fold. Details are currently being finalized, and an announcement is expected as soon as they're complete. Paramount's first new Blu-rays will almost certainly include many of those titles that were cancelled last year, but that were already packaged and ready for shipping, so you could see them in stores very quickly once the studio announces.

Meanwhile, sources are telling us that Universal has also been talking with the BDA, and is looking to follow Paramount and Warner's lead as soon as possible.

On a related note, Times Online in the U.K. is now reporting that as many as 20 additional firms currently backing HD-DVD are also considering defection in the wake of Warner's Friday announcement, including Fujitsu, Lenovo, Kenwood and Pony Canyon (which is a major Japanese film and music studio).

What's more, word is starting to circulate at CES that major big box retailers will begin winding down in-store support for HD-DVD as soon as these studios go public with their decisions. We're told that the industry's major retail partners are already pressuring Paramount, DreamWorks and Universal to go Blu following Warner's decision.

Rumors are also beginning to circulate here that Apple's Steve Jobs may announce the addition of Blu-ray Disc drives to their Mac desktop lineup at next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

We would caution you to keep in mind that all of this should be considered unofficial until the studios make their actual announcements. Things are moving very fast, and the situation is highly fluid. Still, it really looks like this is the end for HD-DVD, and the end of the format war overall. We'll keep you up to date with new developments as they break."

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

WTS · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1276 Location: Calgary

Well I wonder if Toshiba can come up with a firmware update so we can run BR, cough cough!

Well now that BR has the upper hand will we see cheaper high quality players from the BR group, I doubt it!

The Joe public couldn't care less who won because they still want affordable players and I bet that BR isn't going there anytime soon. So were does that get us, the consumer gets it in the rear again, well actually I guess the BR group will be the losers because thier sales won't be going anywhere fast in this format.

Oh well at least I have the best upscaling DVD player going, the XA2.

In a way it is better in the long run that there be only one format for Hi Def discs, so let's hope the BR group and the studios get their acts together and start pumping out the material and the affordable players.

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

WTS · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1276 Location: Calgary

To be very honest I can enjoy watching SD DVDs on my XA2 almost as much as HD DVDs only because it does such a great job of upconverting. Of course SD DVD is still SD with all of its EE and other crap but there are a lot of DVDs out there that are very clean.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Greg, I'm sure that the leadership at Warner Bros. is looking out for your good, but just not in the HD DVD department. Very Happy

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

Bill hunt is a known Blu boy so his stories are not really believable.

I know I read an article but can't find it now that said Toshiba is committed and paramount said in an email to a journalist that paramount has no plans to change.

Of course, tomorrow they may have plans, or even today.

**kal** · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject:

MYoung · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 369 Location: Madison, WI

It would be nice if Paramount and Universal would release more titles. They have so many great movies yet untapped. The Godfather movies, Jaws movies, Back to the Future movies, Jurassic Park movies, E.T., Indiana Jones movies (especially with the hype of the new Indy movie coming out!), Beverly Hills Cop, Star Trek TV shows and movies, CBS TV shows such as CSI (with all the fans out there, talk about a gold mine!), NBC TV shows such as The Office and ER...

Paramount's titles...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Paramount_Pictures_films

Universal's titles...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Universal_Pictures_films

If there are one million HD DVD players/drives in North America they need to throw us HD DVD owners some bones here! Also, with Warner not releasing HD DVDs, Paramount and Universal should consider the possibility that HD DVD owners will buy more of their titles! They just have to start releasing more content! But who knows. Maybe they'll just be looking to jump ship.

Another aspect -- what about the next home video format? I'm so ready for something better than DVD! We have consumer-level HD cameras. Where's our consumer-level HD media? Get us cheap HD DVD writers and blank media! I'd love being able to author a HD DVD with 3 times the footage of a single layer DVD. Granted, with Blu-ray that would be 5 times the footage. It all depends on who can get affordable writers and media out first. How about a HD DVD writer that can record HDTV? Maybe there would be copyright issues there. I do like the fact though that you can author HDTV programs to HD DVD spec on a DVD-R and have it play in the HD DVD players.

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

**kal** · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject:

Yup. But why stop there... the discs don't go 'bad' the second they stop selling copies. You can watch them for years and years...

Myself however, even if I only had an HD-DVD player, I wouldn't be buying an HD-DVDs that could also be had on Blu-ray too as it seems (as of today), if you want to enjoy hi-def movies on disc in the future, you're going to need a Blu-ray player no matter what.

Kal

Tinman · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject:

I'm just curious, now that Sony has pretty much managed to BUY the studio support, when will the studios be paid to stop making SD-DVD titles so we will have no choice but to buy blu-ray?

No doubt some CEO's are massaging their balls at the thought.

I'm no fan of Sony, BUT I will admit this: If Blu-ray players had hit the sub-$200 mark BEFORE HD-DVD..... I'd have a blu-ray player right now. That's the real bottom line, I'm afraid.

On a bright note, I LOVE the upscaling from my A2, and have now moved to download content altogether anyway. No forced previews, ads, or other BS. Life is good.

Marc