Paramount to Drop Blu-Ray for HD-DVD 476
JM78 writes to tell us The New York Times is reporting that Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation will be dropping support for Blu-ray Disc and going solely with HD-DVD for their next gen DVDs. "Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, said consumers seeking to switch to high-definition DVDs will be enticed by the movies available for HD-DVD players. He added the lower price for the Toshiba devices will appeal to the family market. 'It's a game-changer, what they're doing, and it's why we decided to throw in with them,' Katzenberg said."
What's the Motive? (Score:2, Interesting)
It seems to me that they are trying to steer towards a format that contains half the data storage capacity with the goal of having yet another format go obsolete sooner rather than later. They must make a ton of money when people re-purchase titles on a new format. Soon these same studios will be 'crying' because they don't have enough data space on a disc, therefore they have to push a new standard.
Does anyone even care at this point? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What's the Motive? (Score:2, Interesting)
Actually, there's a decent examination of the possible reasons for the choice over at Fat Harry's Bullshit Emporium and Discount Taxidermist [aintitcool.com].
Re:Yeah, right. (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm not sure it was the best timing ... (Score:5, Interesting)
With Sony's recent price drop, the sales of their console have increased. As far as consoles go, this isn't a tremendous jump -- they're still trailing behind Microsoft and Nintendo as far as sales. As far as HD-Movie players go, however, this is quite a jump. According to 'figures' and sources [kotaku.com]., they are seeing up to a 135% increase in sales after their price drop. That's a lot of Blu-ray players on the market that weren't there a short time ago.
Personally, I'm pissed! I purchased a PS3 during the price drop and I'm ok with what Sony has to offer for the console and with what movies are presently out (though, admittedly, I'd like more on both fronts), but you'll notice I said 'ok', I didn't say I was a raving Sony fanboy. I think there could be more selection of movies and games -- and it saddens me that I will now not be able to own a 1080p copy of Transformers to watch on my 51" HDTV because some pockets were apparently lined. [deadlineho...ddaily.com]
I understand that I'm not the norm in the market -- a lot of people don't have HDTVs, and a lot of people that do don't have big-screened HDTVs, but even with that, I think that it's a big step backwards for Paramount to alienate my class of shopper.
Then again, I'm sure everyone who was alienated by the Betamax -> VHS move was saying the same thing then
Re:Does anyone even care at this point? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The End of this Format War? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Does anyone even care at this point? (Score:2, Interesting)
CDs actually had quite a bit of competition from cassette tapes early on. The quality of pre-recorded tapes improved as did the decks, and other than a bit of background hiss they could hold their own against CDs which were about double the price.
The first audio CDs (US$30) and players (US$900) were released in 1982, and Audio CD didn't become the leading music format until the early 90's. Many cars had cassette players as standard until the late 90's.
Re:I'm not sure it was the best timing ... (Score:3, Interesting)
On another note... Holy cow. I just looked at 1080p projectors. I am NOT buying another TV. The Optoma HD80 1080p projector with a ceiling mount (I'd run the cables professional-quality myself) is my new goal. Run one HDMI cable, use a fully HDMI24 compliant HDMI switch for four sources, and you have yourself a hell of a system that 3 years ago would've cost $30,000 but today is under $3,000. This sounds like my next project.
The only way to win is not to play (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm backing whoever defeats DRM (Score:3, Interesting)
Weaker DRM in HD-DVD (Score:4, Interesting)
As for the rumor posited above in another post that Microsoft paid a combined $150M to these two studios to induce a switch, the answer is obvious. Microsoft sells an HD-DVD player add-on for XBox 360, and likely hopes to see game titles released in the future utilizing it. It has totally thrown in with the (worse) HD-DVD system, and can't change horses now since Sony owns BluRay. Microsoft has a huge stake in seeing HD-DVD win.
Re:Does anyone even care at this point? (Score:2, Interesting)
I feel the same way, but then I wonder what could really be included as reasons for buying the next generation, just increased resolution and audio fidelity? Besides adding more special features to the content, what else could there be? I'm seriously asking for ideas because I'm not coming up with anything other than what I just mentioned.
Re:Yeah, right. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What are the odds? (Score:3, Interesting)
You are talking about consoles and watching movies, however, the battle will not be won there but with stand alones. Right now you can get a HD-DVD stand alone for $299 at Best Buy. The corresponding Blu-Ray player goes for $599 (double the cost). In just two months it will be Christmas season and guess what people will be buying? That's right the cheaper one. The $299 cost is the price point at which consumers jump on these things. That's why there has been a huge increase in sales. Blu-Ray may be ahead right now, but they will price themselves out of the market. The selling point for the HD-DVD will be something like this?
Why pay $600 when you buy ours for $300 and buy 15 movies to go with it for the same cost of just buying the other?
What's that? Your favorite movie isn't on this format yet? Wait to next year, they release it then.
And, btw Bourne Ultimatum is one of the movies which will be on HD-DVD, not Blu-Ray.
Re:Yeah, right. (Score:1, Interesting)
Microsoft is warmongering its ways thru the digital media download market, by keeping the war going, the consumer confuse and wary of jumping in the HDM bandwagon.
"We believe there's room for both formats", yeah, the consumer is thrilled to buy two players to be able to watch any movie...
Re:The End of this Format War? (Score:2, Interesting)
FTA: "Blu-ray discs can hold more data -- 50 gigabytes compared with HD DVDs 30 GB -- but the technology requires new manufacturing techniques and factories, boosting initial costs. HD DVDs, on the other hand, are essentially DVDs on steroids, meaning movie studios can turn to existing assembly lines to produce them in mass."
I'm not an expert on the technical aspects of either format, but if this is correct, there is huge incentive for companies to go HD DVD already. Especially so if the movie industry follows the example of the music industry and makes moves to do away with DRM. There isn't much outside of a few GB more space at the cost of much higher manufacturing at that point and there is really no need to go Blu-ray. The format will die. Comparing this to DVD+/-R simply isn't anywhere near the same at all IMHO.
Sony pictures is a competitor (Score:3, Interesting)
This is how Sony lost to VHS. All the vcr makers viewed them as competitors so they supported VHS. Same with IBM and OS/2 vs WIndows. IBM is a mean monopoly so support the underdog which is windows.
Re:Yeah, right. (Score:3, Interesting)
If you don't have a HDTV and are not contemplating one in the next few years this is a non event, although for those people with PS3's (approaching 5M world wide) then Blu-ray is the way to go. Surprisingly people do use the PS3 to play movies upscaled DVD and Blu-ray as well as playing games and in a family environment that is the norm not the exception. Of course you cannot tell some Movie execs that as the following following article http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-f
Katzenberg and Rob Moore, Paramount's president of worldwide marketing and distribution, declined to comment on Internet reports that hefty payments were the motivating factor spurring the two studios. Are we surprised to read this?
Sony has sold 1.4 million PlayStation 3s in the U.S ( No over 1.8M). since launching the game console in November 2006, according to NPD Group. Ninety percent of Blu-ray movies are being played on the PlayStation 3, which consumers buy primarily to play video games, analyst Roden said. Hmmm I wonder how he arrived at that conclusion?
Re:Yeah, right. (Score:1, Interesting)
minidisc was big for a short time with some concert tapers (until they realized the quality wasn't as hot as they hoped for).
the cd, while a joint venture with philips, was far and away a philips product rather than a sony one. sony did very little in the research and development of the technology aside from writing some firmware and creating the circ error correction system. they did however do a lot to promote the technology through advertising and theirh their own hardware.
but make no mistake, it was philips that created almost all of the technology and they deserve 95% of the credit.