Warner Bros. softens on HD DVD, says it'll do Blu-ray, too
By Peter Rojas 
posted Oct 9th 2005 1:27PM
posted Oct 9th 2005 1:27PM
October is shaping up to be a cruel month for Toshiba and the rest of the HD DVD gang. Last week Paramount confirmed that they were softening their support for HD DVD and would be releasing movies in both HD DVD and Blu-ray, now a Japanese newspaper reports that Warner Bros., which had been firmly pledged to HD DVD, will announce that they're going to offer movies on both formats, as well (there was a rumor going around last week that this was in the works). That means there's only one major studio left — Universal — which is still publicly committed to releasing movies only in HD DVD, and even they're starting to waver. At this point it's Blu-ray's race to lose.
better rack up a ps3 then eh as the lowest-costing blu ray player.
I'm really glad to hear this piece of information. Go Blu-ray....
Blu-ray suxs,it will fail
Wow! has any blu ray supporters said they will also support HD-DVD? not that i have heard, its looks like sony is winning this battle so far. oh and lets not forget that one thing they call a PS3. that might be a factor too
While everyone complains about Blu-Ray's added security features, it's winning the studios over.
but HD-DVD's lesser security hasn't caused the studios to pull support for that format yet.
When hearing all these Blu-Ray supporters, I feel Benjamin Franklin said it best; "People willing to trade their freedom for security deserve neither and will lose both."
i guess Sony made the smart choice, as usual.
I bet toshiba wishes they would have just given Microsoft the HD-DVD drives for a loss to have them in the new xbox360! I Hate Sony but It looks like they may win this one because of the greedy Worriewood studios Who care more about Security/Profits and less about customers fair rights.
So is this whole HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray thing going to end up like SACD vs. DVD-Audio? As in, there's a big hubbub beforehand, but in the end, no one really cares as much about quality as the manufacturers had hoped, and both of them end up having a tiny amount of shelf space in the store next to the much cheaper, much more compatible standard-definition media?
How many people even own HD ready televisions? Probably about as many as own SACD or DVD-Audio setups. For the forseeable future, HD-Ready sets are going to be an incredibly small minority to all the tv sets out there. So a regular old DVD is going to be more than adequate.
There will be lots and lots of HDTV-ready tvs being sold. Most current flat tvs (LCD or plasma) being sold are able to output at least 1280x720. That's a very large group of consumers out there who'd love to have HD-content to get the max out of their new screen. The Xbox 360 and PS3 will also do that, but to see movies in highdef is at least as important to these early adopters.
> So is this whole HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray thing
> going to end up like SACD vs. DVD-Audio?
I doubt it because you need a good speaker setup to tell the difference with HD audio, so not everyone will buy one. It's really easy to tell the difference between HD video and SD video, however, and all you have to do is plug a tv into a wall.
NTSC is on the way out and the price of flat-panels falling like a rock, so everyone will buy an HDTV sooner or later, if only because their old set died. Hell, it's government mandated!
Also, DVD-only players are on the way out. In a few years, every player will play not only DVDs, but also whatever format wins the war.
So if you've got the tv and the player for it, why not buy the discs?
Furthermore, the MPAA is hell-bent on getting us into HD since they're convinced it will reduce piracy, so they will eventually stop producing normal DVDs anyway.
one of the funny things of this HD-DVD vs. BR debate is that HDDVD supporters say that the extra security in BR discs pisses them off. Well, you know, after 2 months, hackers are going to have solve this issue. But what I never hear someone is complaning that every HD-DVD is going to have all of the security tricks built in, while in BR discs this is an option. This is the biggest reason, for example, why Microsoft isn't backing BR (and because it hates sony), they demand security on every disc, as a step in the direction of encoded video-outs and DRM.
Yeah, sure BR has more security barriers -what means an extra checkbox on your favorite ripping software after a year or two-, but it's still optional. With HDDVD, you just have to live with it.
Go Live DVD!
If Sony does end up winning the Standards war it won't affect their bottom line at all. Sony just announced that it's laying off 10,000 jobs and has revised their financial forecast to a net loss of 90 million dollars.
As if I had to tell you, Sony is getting destroyed by Apple in the market they invented. If Sony didn’t make Spiderman and have the Playstation they’d be F’d.
Microsoft is not stupid unlike Sony they've been a profitable company for 30 years and if Blu-ray is the standard they can easily support it.
Whatever standard rules the day it will be at least 3 years before it’s even close to main stream, I think even 5 years.
Sony has way too many businesses in operation and for the person who commented by saying "I guess Sony made the smart choice, as usual." you're very wrong. A company that’s just changed CEO’s and is continued layoffs is not making smart decisions.
Read up http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/12712804.htm
People talk as if as though HD-DVD didn't also have intrusive DRM, in some cases it has far stricter DRM by only allowing output through HDMI. Which many HDTVs still don't have, and basically making it useless to all that currently own HDTVs(being that older HDTVs lack HDMI). Only reason for this is by only allowing HDMI's DRM output it effectively doesn't allow the analog copying method. Though ppl will still find ways around it, forcing ppl to only use HDMI is ridiculous.
Now only that HD-DVD looks on the downward spiral Toshiba starts releasing all this FUD about how they might maybe not have region code.
If anybody read that fantastic Buisness Week article about HD-DVD/Blu-ray and what this is all about, basically patents and royaties that Toshiba has and Sony and company don't want to pay. The article says that now that Toshiba is pretty much cornered without Studio support, they are likely to make a deal with Sony and co where they adopt a unified format based on Blu-ray and get a smaller cut of royalties.
And I will say again this double dipping in both the BR and HD-DVD sauce won't last. I predict by fall of '06 Spring '07 everyone who is supporting both will make a decision. Two format copies of X movie in the store won't fly over the long run.
You forget that those layoffs involve businesses that wern't profitable anyway.
(QUALIA, MiniDisc after 17 years.) Sony is also a content provider and has to protect itself. If it means doing all of this to court other providers than I'm all for it, as long as I'm able to watch discs I buy with no problem. The PS3 will also support SACD. I guess I can wait until MD is officially discontinued so I can score some cheap Hi-MD blanks/recorders. Since the reformat feature in Hi-MD recorders works on normal MD's = cheap storage. The fact that the new recorders support MP3 is a bonus. There are divisions within Sony that dislike DRM, too bad no one listens until it's too late.
Guess I'm the first guy to compare this to the big VHS/SuperBeta debacle back in the day. It's the same thing, and its result doesn't bode well for Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray is definitely a better product, but it's more expensive. My concern is that, like the VHS, despite its poor quality, HD-DVD may win because of its price.
Oh, one more thing: OGG. WHY IS THIS NOT THE GLOBAL STANDARD!?!
As an early adopter, I'm pissed that my 3 year old HDTV wont work with either Blu Ray or HD-DVD player. I wont be buying either obviously.
Sweet. Ding, Dong HD-DVD is dead! Now I will only have to buy one optical drive for my HTPC.
#14, Thats one of the crappiest posts i have EVER read. One thing has nothing to do with other, you lack serious judgment skills, too, because changing CEO's and laying off employees might be harsh but is not necessarily "a dumb choice" , it could be quite a smart move.
#19, I feel ya.
That's exactly why blackmarket boxes that take the encrypted HDMI output from these players and output the decrypted signal to a DVI port or component are going to be very popular. As soon as the encryption is cracked that is... kind of sad that these kind of devices are going to be necessary to use your TV that is capable of playing 720p but they just won't let you because of stupid HDMI encryption protection.
Some battle. MS and ... Toshiba (?!?!) like HD DVD..
EVERYONE ELSE likes BluRay..
Intel jumps in at the last minute... and asks which side MS is on.
Game over. Blu-Ray has it.
#14 says "Whatever standard rules the day it will be at least 3 years before it’s even close to main stream, I think even 5 years".
I say even longer. Whether we have both or one wins out, since standard DVDs will still be made, the other(s) will be no more than what Laserdiscs have been in the past, for a few elite! Most people believe any new format will be quickly outdated, so don't bother changing.
Movies studios going one or both ways still won't make nearly the money they do on regular DVDs.
"How many people even own HD ready televisions? Probably about as many as own SACD or DVD-Audio setups. For the forseeable future, HD-Ready sets are going to be an incredibly small minority to all the tv sets out there."
Have you been in a coma for like the last six years? Welcome to 2005, dude. See here: http://www.audioholics.com/news/pressreleases/HDTVsalesinUS2010.php
HD sets were already 21% of the market *last year*. That number is not going down. The only things that are going down are the prices of HDTV sets and sales (as well as selection) of non-HD sets.
You can get an HDTV for $280 now. There's no reason whatsoever for anybody to buy a non-HD set anymore - anyone who does is just an idiot. It'd surprise me if it even took to 2010 to reach 70% market share as Jupiter's predicting.
Not to mention if you've got a PC, chances are you've got an HD-ready display already. I know lots of people (including myself) who watch DVD's on their laptops, and who are not using the full resolution of their displays. My display is 1280x800 - anamorphic DVD's max out at 720x480.
If you think there's no market for a high definition optical disc format, you're mistaken.
"JupiterResearch... announced its HDTV forecast for the U.S... According to the report,... HDTV sets made up 21% of overall TV sales; that number will rise to 70% of overall TV sales by the end of 2010. Additionally, 63% of U.S. TV households will have an HDTV set by 2010."
21% of TV 'SALES'. That is impresive, and I can believe it. But, please consider, what if, say, only 5% or so, of households bought a new TV recently, that means about one in five of those bought an HDTV and four in five are still buying and owning Standard TVs, that should last well beyond 2010. This would still end up "an incredibly small minority" of households. At the risk of looking like I'm in the dark ages, I still only know of one household that has one, though I'm sure that will change very quickly. The '63% of households' who may have an HDTV by 2010, could most likely only have one, maybe on rare occasions, more. Most households have about three or even more TV sets, kids rooms, den, basement, ect. so the greater majority of actual TV sets could still be standard TVs long after 2010.
The 'HD' wouldn't be very noticable on smaller screens anyway, and I wouldn't want my kids messing with my higher cost HD-DVD/Blu-Ray discs. If they wanted the latest season set of 'SpongeBob', I would sooner shell out money for the lower cost standard DVD for them, a principle most parents, and others may follow. I'm still too convinced: think 'Laserdisc'.
By 2010 another format (HVD?) will be on the horizon anyway, right?
I don't see this as over. It's just the beginning of another format war.
If studios like Warner, Paramount and possibly Disney offer movies in BOTH formats, which are the consumers going to choose? Answer: Probably the cheaper of the two formats. Does anyone really want to pay more for movies?
So when HD DVD and Blu-ray players hit the market, what will most consumers probably end up buying? Answer: Sony needs to educate people if they want a chance here. People may think HD DVD is the natural progression.
Everyone seems to think the PS3 is the solution. But nobody knows the cost of the PS3 yet. What if it's $500? And PS3 attracts primarily a gamer audience. This strategy worked when DVD was available, but there was already a DVD format at the time, and no challengers, plus DVD players were expensive.
Most likely we're all going to end up with players that pursue the Samsung strategy of reading (and at some point writing) both formats.
So in the end, it boils down to cost of media and acceptance of that media.
HD DVD has an advantage here, because you'll probably see DVD/HD DVD in one movies.
I hate format wars. This whole thing sucks.
i will support hd dvd
Once you've seen true HD, you can't watch SD in quite the same way. It means a whole different way of filming (fewer pans and zooms) but there is 10 times the emotion in a HD picture. I think Blu-Ray is going to be the technology to record it.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/051006/65463.html?.v=1
See Link above for Market Share of HDTV’s in Use now and in the near future.
I know at least 4 people in my circle of friends that have HDTV’s 5 if I include myself. These people come from varied economic and age levels. The common complaint is lack of content. For example in the area I live we have about 14 HD channels to choose from which is very good, but once an HD capable DVD player comes out it will give us who have already made the jumped into the HDTV world a heck of a lot more to choose from then what is currently available.
In addition with the move to Media Centeric or Things like what the Xbox360 are to be (media extenders) we should be able to just load the HiDef Copy of the movie we purchased onto our Hard Drives and share that movie or content with whatever set in our house/car/Mobile Media Player we choose, that to me is fair rights. I have purchased this movie and should only have to reload the Movie/content onto my system if I have a Hard Drive failure. That solves one of the posters issues of letting their children toy with an expense HD or BD DVD player.
I too wish they would come up with a unified format but feel that Greed for royalties is the main cause for this stalemate. Greed on Horriewood to try and limit FAIRRIGHTs Usage! What does Horriewood think that we should by a copy of the Movie/Conent for each of our devices Like MS expects us to do with Their OS? BS that Is not going to Happen! I just wish they all could just get along and give us what we want NOW not later!
My 2cents
Go Blu-Ray!
Are blu-ray movies going to cost more than DVD movies?
"Are blu-ray movies going to cost more than DVD movies?"
Yes, just as Laserdiscs were more than VHS or Beta tapes, which, all three, were expensive to make compared to DVDs. You pay more for the 'quality'! Plus the HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray format won't be nearly as mass-produced.
"You can get an HDTV for $280 now. There's no reason whatsoever for anybody to buy a non-HD set anymore - anyone who does is just an idiot."
#26,
You are either very stupid or you are just an A**hole.
Some people are not going to fork over $280 for an HDTV. There are millions of people in this great USA who can't afford that. They would rather spend their money on something like food or electricity. So instead, they buy the NTSC TV for $40.
Don't call them "idiots" just because they have less money than you. These are the people that make the world work. Think about the people who clean your toilets or wash your car or cook your food. Do they all own HDTVs?