Warner's Total HD delayed 'till 2008

With the second half of 2007 right around the corner, Warner has come out and confessed that its Total HD discs won't be delivered this year -- contrary to what was promised during CES 2007. While a new release date isn't given, they are shooting for early 2008. There also isn't a mention of the reason for the delay, but we suspect that sandwiching these two formats on one disc turned out to be more difficult then they bargained for; or maybe they want to wait and see if a winner emerges this holiday season. In the meantime, Warner promises to keep releasing titles on both formats, and believes that "There is no expiration date on the viability of this concept."

[Via High-Def Digest]

[TheGuy @ Jun 28th 2007 10:55AM]

Sounds to me that Warner is seeing the writing on the wall, and knows that it's only a matter of time until Blu-Ray becomes the winner. Therefore, they don't want to waste their money on this technology since it won't be needed when Blu-Ray wins. All that's left is for Universal to go neutral, and the war is over.

Blu-Ray FTW!!!

[Geoff @ Jun 28th 2007 11:01AM]

I thought MS/Apple or Xbox/Playstation fanboys were bad enough... but ugh, there are media format fanboys, too?

[paloooz @ Jun 28th 2007 11:27AM]

Why on earth would you _want_ Sony to win?

[Rick wilson @ Jun 28th 2007 2:01PM]

paloooz: have you been under a rock for the past year? blu-ray doesn't mean "sony". blu-ray was developed by panasonic, and is used like a hard drive on a PC, just like DVD-RAM, also a panasonic invention. so do you want panasonic to win? sure, they make great technology. Thats why every movie company except universal pictures are backing bluray.

[tekdroid @ Jun 28th 2007 3:22PM]

Rick wilson @ Jun 28th 2007 2:01PM
blu-ray doesn't mean "sony". blu-ray was developed by panasonic
------------
While Blu-Ray shares many technologies developed by other companies, Sony is the chief developer of the format and the company that will benefit most from royalties. To say Panasonic developed it is highly misleading. Panasonic is a heavyweight supporter, though. As is Philips, etc.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jun 28th 2007 11:00AM]

Also, by introducing a dual format, you'd just end up prolonging the format war by giving support to the losing side. Then, you'd end up with a massive consumer base of 50/50 HD/Bluray and end up forcing every movie maker to release more expensive Total HD discs.

[Landlocked @ Jun 28th 2007 11:01AM]

Hey now! One side is HD-DVD and the other can be used as a coaster a year from now! ;)

[Dustin @ Jun 28th 2007 11:07AM]

Blu-Ray fanboys ARE playstation fanboys, since it is all there console can do right now...

[sr @ Jun 28th 2007 12:08PM]

Bullshit. I hate Playstation but I support Blu-Ray because it is a larger advance in technology than HD-DVD. We have to live with the format we choose for 8-10 years. I don't want a half-assed format just because it is cheaper today. That is what we call short term thinking and it seems to be plaguing the average consumer today. Just wait until prices come down on Blu-Ray and you will be happier for the 8-10 years with a format that has transfer rates that support all HD audio tracks and will be able to support higher bitrates and more data capacity for data use.

[Rick wilson @ Jun 28th 2007 2:04PM]

sr: I agree, think about when you finally get your next gen Lord of the Rings extended edition, and you would STILL have to SWAP discs if you were limited to 15-30 GB... with Blu-ray you'll have a single disc and no swapping necessary. That to me means next-gen.

[Phil @ Jun 28th 2007 2:23PM]

HD-DVD spec allows for larger discs in the future without needing to upgrade players. All blu-ray players are already obsolete because the BD-Java spec was not finalized until the other week. Good job

HD-DVD players are already capable of using online content which will be featured on the upcoming Blood Diamond release this month. HD-DVD is more solid and the spec is finalized, and doesn't use Java (always a bonus). It is more ready for prime-time than Blu-Ray.

Segarsj sums it up best in his post.

[NNTPgrip @ Jun 28th 2007 11:08AM]

I hate double-sided anything. Can't they figure out how to do this in layers somehow? Or just put two discs in the box. I feel the same way about HD-DVD/DVD combo discs, and the worst full-screen/widescreen DVDs(cause they'll still put the menus and all in widescreen until you start the movie and then "damn white trash fullscreen!!!!").

Of course, right now I've got both BluRay and HDDVD but purposefully not buying any discs and just using Netflix.

[Christapher @ Jun 28th 2007 11:19AM]

that packaging is truly HiDeous.

zing.

[Nick @ Jun 28th 2007 1:29PM]

i agree.. im hoping that its just a special Superman Returns packaging.

[marvin @ Jun 28th 2007 11:26AM]

The feedback from early adopters of both formats has been overwhelmingly negative, hopefully Warner took notice and will put this atrocity to rest.

[John @ Jun 28th 2007 11:28AM]

Not to mention you're paying format royalties twice. Just pick a winner and get on with it.

[Rick wilson @ Jun 28th 2007 2:07PM]

The industry has already picked a winner. only ONE movie company is backing HD-DVD. If Universal pictures put movies on blu-ray that would mean 100% of the market was blu-ray. Why even say there is a format war when you're debating one companies movies? If you want every other movie on the market, go blu-ray, if you want limited selection, and universal pictures movies, then go hd.

[chadow @ Jun 28th 2007 11:42AM]

It is a little crazy to me to actually imagine there are people out there cheering for a format. As if Bluray and HDDVD are like teams and you have to claim one as yours. Its a little schoolyard-ish in my opinion. The fact of the matter is there are thousands of people just wanting it to END so we can invest our money into a quality player, start buying movies, and finally enjoying something other than upscaled DVD's. The "please justify my purchase" PS3 fanboys shouting BR RULES! actually take something away from that format. I would rather a format come out ahead due to its quality, value, and longevity...than decided from a gaming console (that to this day nobody I know owns.....kinda like UMD movies).

In the end, I simply hope the CONSUMER wins.

[sr @ Jun 28th 2007 12:11PM]

You want longevity, there is one choice. Value is something that changes over time as prices drop. How many of you bought the $1300 DVD players that were out in 1997? You all waited until 2000 to pay $250. So wait until later this year and the format with better long term potential will be within your grasp. Like they say, good things come to those who wait.

[Dave @ Jun 28th 2007 12:19PM]

HD-DVD will be the only format out 2 years from now.

You heard it here first. The public has spoken and they want HD-DVD.

[MegaZone @ Jun 28th 2007 9:01PM]

Then why is BD outselling HD DVD by an increasing margin despite HD DVD's market lead?

[joeybadoey @ Jun 28th 2007 12:41PM]

You guys are all idiots! Don't you understand that neither format is going to win!?

HD-DVD AND Blu-Ray are here to stay. Multi-format players are the future.

If you want to be real about it, HD-DVD is has a far greater advantage right now anyways. It's cheaper, has better movies, way better HD rips (most Blu-Ray movies look bad!), and has better sound. Many Blu-Rays are left with crappy 640kbps audio while HD-DVD it's the full uncompressed soundtrack. So overall HD-DVD is best for the consumer, but Blu-Ray isn't going anywhere, so stop with the stupid format war because there isn't one!

You're all alot smarter now. Your welcome fools.

[DEEZNUTZ @ Jun 28th 2007 1:27PM]

You really need to get your facts straight...

Anyway, it's not about FANBOYISM more than it's about choosing the better format. BD is the better format. Just on the studio support alone we have a clear leader. Contrary to what joeybaloney says, BD movie quality is outstanding... though thats not format dependent, it's up to studios to encode the movie properly and at the best possible bit rate...
BD has uncompressed audio, and more options for it due to it's higher capacity... YES it does matter.
Makes no sense to continue to back HD-DVD. Cheaper??? You get what you pay for in the long run. I want great movies and BD has the studio support. Content is king.

[chadow @ Jun 28th 2007 2:08PM]

Multi-players, huh? Kinda like the Betamax/VHS players we all had?

[chadow @ Jun 28th 2007 2:17PM]

Not to say they wont make them. I know they will, and I will buy one.

People don't seem to like it when there are multiple formats, they get confused, or think they are investing in the "wrong" one. I just think regardless if there are dual players, people will choose one format or the other which over time will be the one that lasts.

[Thomas @ Jun 28th 2007 1:01PM]

by the time this comes out, it'll be cheaper just to have you buy the blu ray and give the hd dvd for free.. by 2008 hd-dvd will be dead.

[Segarsj @ Jun 28th 2007 1:06PM]

@Chadow

In order for the consumer to win, people need to remove themselves from the respective press monsters associated with both sides and simply evaluate what both formats have to offer, and much to the dismay of Blu-ray fans out there, HD DVD should be the format of choice for a number of reasons.

This isn't about the capacity to do great things, or the promises, but the fulfillment of the capacity to do great things, and to deliver them consistently This is what truly separates HD DVD from Blu-ray.

The most important aspect of HD DVD hardware is the standardization between the various players that have been implemented from their inception. All of their players have to include an ethernet connection (to allow for future firmware updates and other downloadable content that is exclusive to HD DVD), Dolby TrueHD internal decoding, mandatory inclusion of at LEAST Dolby Digital Plus audio (which is not true of Blu-ray, you will find standard Dolby Digital audio on a lot of Blu-ray releases), most importantly though, the interactivity was standardized long before the release of the HD DVD players and as such there are no problems that can arise, or fail to be solved with a simple firmware update to your player. On the Blu-ray side, they have been consistently trying to improve their interactivity in order to catch up to HD DVD and in doing so, through their rush to the market without finalizing their interactivity specifications, they will effectively be leaving the large majority of their standalone players in the dust when the latest Blu-ray Disc specification is released, BD Live. This is Blu-ray's counter to HD DVD's HDi and is the reason why titles that are released on both formats are consistently better on HD DVD due to the inclusion of true picture-in-picture video commentaries, as well as web enabled content that cannot be found on releases such as Blood Diamond and 300. Also, if you are an early adopter of Blu-ray and your player happens to not include an ethernet port, don't cross your fingers and pray for a firmware update as the functionality of BD Live will require an ethernet connection and will only become a mandatory inclusion on new players to be released later this year. The inclusion of increased persistent storage and other necessary elements eliminates the ability to upgrade old Blu-ray players, and though I'm not sure if this applies to the PS3, if BD Live ends up crippling the PS3's ability to add the new BD profile, the "massive lead" Blu-ray has on HD DVD will quickly begin to dissolve.

So back to your statement, I sincerely hope the consumer wins. It largely depends on whether or not people are able to make the right choice, and at this time I can no longer justify the actions of Blu-ray. They rushed to the market with an incomplete format and hoped that no one would care, and for the most part that is the case but it's due largely to the fact that people are not informed of the negatives attributes of Blu-ray. People are too busy touting the increased storage space and studio support that they are turning a blind eye to the most important issues at hand. They are not informing their customers of the impending doom of their investment and are not cautioning their unsuspecting new customers of the obsolete piece of hardware they are about to purchase.

I realize I've put myself out on a limb here, and that I will likely be crucified by the Blu-ray fan boys, but I just ask that before you strike me down, think for yourself and research what I've said above. If you find I'm wrong simply let me know.

[MegaZone @ Jun 28th 2007 9:19PM]

All of this is basically true - and none of it matters.

DVD didn't srop changing once it shipped, the spec evolved and early players could not handle features on later discs like DTS audio. Same thing with Laser Disc before that - AC-3 (aka Dolby Digital) was added to LD and early LD systems couldn't play it. Many early DVD decks couldn't even handle dual-layer commercial discs correctly! BD will probably have fewer issues than DVD did, since the core spec is solid. Even if some players don't handle BD Live, they'll still play the movie and most of the local extras.

BD-J is supported by most of the players. While the spec was only *finalized* recently, it has been locked down for a while now and the draft specs are basically the same as what was finalized. Yes, there have been issues, but that tends to happen with any new spec when there are multiple vendors implementing it. Look at any new spec - DVD, WiFi, etc - there have always been interoperability issues with multiple vendors. Chicken Little won awards for the BD-J features of the release. BD-J offers more possibilities than iHD, and we're starting to see them used.

HD DVD hasn't benefited so much from the spec as the limited vendor support. Toshiba completely dominates the player market, there are only a couple of implementations of the HD DVD specs - really Toshiba and Microsoft (XBox 360 drive) cover nearly the entire market. And they worked on the implementation together, no surprise they have few issues. There have been issues with PC software, but those are readily patched.

No one but Sony really knows, but the PS3 is felt to be basically immune to spec issues because it has such massively powerful hardware that it can run the full spec in software emulation without trouble. The Cell can handle multiple video decode, audio, etc. So it really comes down to what Sony decides to implement.

All of the interactive features, etc, are bells and whistles and there are always customers who look for them. It is checklist marketing - BD wants to show they have all the features of HD DVD and more. But the real issue is simply content - which format is going to get you the titles you want. And BD utterly dominates when it comes to the media libraries backing it.

I support BD because it is a technologically superior format AND because it has more content backing. And because BD will not go away, period. It will *never* lose - the only possible outcomes here are a permanent split, which sucks for everyone, or BD wins. Why? Sony. Unlike Betamax, Sony now has huge content libraries to back BD *AND* their gaming market. Between Sony Pictures, MGM, and the PS3, BD is here to stay, like it or not. On top of that Disney and Fox have expressed strong support for it and slammed HD DVD, so it is unlikely they'll ever support HD DVD and raise their costs. Warner and Paramount are just hurting themselves by supporting both, because it splits their sales and increases their overhead directly. And Universal is just not enough to sustain HD DVD.

I see no possibility of BD going away and HD DVD remaining - and I don't want to deal with two formats on an ongoing basis. So that means HD DVD needs to die - and I think it is, so I'm happy.

[JohnDoe303 @ Jun 28th 2007 1:09PM]

Blu-ray FTW! Just give it up Warner! Blu-ray selling 5:1 over HD-DVD! Plus this month buy a Blu-ray player get 5 FREE Blu-ray movies!

[DG @ Jun 28th 2007 1:47PM]

If the public has already spoken, how could I have heard it here first?

[Mycroft @ Jun 28th 2007 2:02PM]

European studios are teating HD-DVD much more favorable at the moment. HD-DVD being region free is a huge deal to me too. When 45GB discs come out 5GB more space won't be terribly interesting, the studios aren't exactly desperate for larger discs anyway. As a storage format Blu-Rays supposed 200GB potential is obviously pretty neat.

Besides, in a year or 2 cheap dual-format players will be viable. It's difficult to see either format being amazingly successful with internet downloads finally taking off, and most people content with DVD for now

[DEEZNUTZ @ Jun 28th 2007 1:43PM]

Don't spread disinformation. Even if the interactive features are not available on early players, it doesn't make their players obsolete. They can STILL watch the movie and access menu features, which is what really matters. HDi and BD JAVA are just bells and whistles and will be dependent on studios actually including these types of features.
Take DVD as an example. DVD players have an ANGLE button on them thats supposed to offer you different angles of the exact same scene at the push of the button. This feature was marketed early on, yet studios hardly supported this feature early on in their movies... and it didn't even bother me. As long as the movies I like are there, the interactive features are just fluff to me.
Studio support = more content

For those still on the fence, take a read at this non-biased and reliable arguement on why you should support BD.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/soapbox/soap060107.html

and why HDi isn't going to be that big a deal
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa138.html#sim10

[Segarsj @ Jun 28th 2007 4:25PM]

@DEEZNUTZ

I've got a question for you. If you truly believe what you say, that HDi and all of the standard interactive features aren't that big of a deal, then why on earth is Sony adding the functionality after they already launched their format? To match HD DVD, or just for the hell of it?

People want these features, there is a valid demand for them. One that you cannot simply write off on the account of "the digital bits" commentary regarding the format war.

Sony simply could not justify spending money on developing new software and hardware if there wasn't a market for it. People want the increased persistent storage. People want to have an ethernet connection in every player. They want access to the special features that are currently only on HD DVD titles.

As for the "Angle" DVD reference, you clearly have not used any of the features that are currently offered on any of the HD DVD titles to date, because if you had you would know that they are leaps and bounds beyond any special features that have been offered before, allowing the consumer to access a visual commentary along side the film, and bear in mind this is an actual picture-in-picture, not an artificial burned in version that you might find on a Blu-ray title as of yet.

Not only that but you shouldn't have to rely on "The Digital Bits" to spoon feed you assurances. Think for yourself.

Also, why you would be damning the first mass market region free format to death is beyond me. Blu-ray supports region encoding (you can say it doesn't but you're far from right), and although it supports only few regions, that's still too many for me, as it should be for anyone.

Not only that, but the fact that you have more studio support is somewhat irrelevant considering the studios will go where the money is, and the same is true for the rental services. In addition to that the biggest money makers are the studios who are sharing their titles with Blu-ray and HD DVD. Disney, MGM, Fox and others aren't exactly carrying their weight with the exception of the Pirates series.

Oh, and one more thing, this isn't disinformation it's information. I never said they couldn't play the films that have already been released, but also you can't guarantee that future titles equipped with BD Live will play without a hitch on the old players. What if they don't? What if there are playback issues? These are questions that we shouldn't need to be asking, questions you shouldn't have to ask yourself. HD DVD guarantees you won't have do anything more than update your firmware for future titles, and that's what's its all about. That is the type of assurance that will eventually tip the scale in this format war as the credibility of Sony is questioned time and again.

[DEEZNUTZ @ Jun 28th 2007 4:59PM]

@ Segarsj

Your right, I haven't used any of the HD-DVD OR BD features because I am not an early adopter. I'm still waiting on the sidelines until a CLEAR winning format can be declared. I don't like getting my wallet burned on any format.
You may have missed the point of my ANGLE example. The feature was part of the DVD format but was barely supported on early movies and non-existent now. HDi OR BD Live can have all these cool features but we are still at the mercy of studios to support them and make them standard on all releases. Studios may not think its cost effective to include and may just ignore it altogether... only time will tell for HD formats.
Well clearly your a posterboy for HDDVD which is your choice, but your reasons are weak. I rely on trusted sources when it comes to developments related to these competing formats before I make a decision. I DO think for myself and that is why I haven't purchased either format yet. Clearly you let TOSHIBA make up your mind for you early on and are just defending a poor choice... perhaps cause you don't want to feel like a loser who chose a losing format?
I don't get how you think studio support is irrelevant. Disney and FOX are clearly waiting for that extra DRM that BD allows, that HD-DVD does not. Studios like the extra PERCIEVED security that BD offers and this is what Disney and FOX are waiting for. Will it be cracked? Sure it will, and I don't care. But studios do, and will go with the format that offers more "security" from piracy.
I agree with many of your points and really understand your stance on SONY's credibility, which I share. But at the end of the day, it's great movies in HD that I am interested in, and BD just makes more sense for the long haul.
BTW You mentioned the rental market... Blockbuster is no longer going to carry HD-DVD in their stores. BD is outselling HD-DVD consistently. More movies on the horizon for BD compared to HD-DVD. I'm all but convinced. HD-DVD's dying hope? CHEAP CHINESE players to be sold at WALMART for $199. I smell desperation.

[AtariFX @ Jun 28th 2007 2:15PM]

Betamax FTW!!!!

[R1cebrner @ Jun 28th 2007 2:00PM]

Warner is trying to take the market as it is right now. Undecided. This is a smart move by them at this point. They developed this dual disk technology if memory serves me. So why not sell there movies on it. Saves them money vs having two production setups. If they license their tech they can get income from the royalties. How ever It is bad for consumers to pay for both types in one disk. I will leave my personal opinion of which disk is better for another topic as thats not what this one was about.

[Molly @ Jun 28th 2007 3:24PM]

'til!

[tekdroid @ Jun 28th 2007 3:33PM]

I will treat everyone to a home-cooked feast if Total BS (uhm, sorry, Total HD) lasts 1 year on retail shelves (assuming it even gets there to start with).

So we have these things called royalties which manufacturers will want to pay double for. I can see that happening.

But not only that, we have a whole new manufacturing process sandwiching two dissimilar formats together. Uh huh. Pinnacle of reliability, I'm sure. It won't increase production costs or capital investment at all. Or create confusion in the marketplace with both sides unlabelled with no artwork and the public wondering what "THD" is on the box :p

2008. Home-cooked meal if this ever makes it. For all.

[Huey2k2 @ Jun 28th 2007 4:00PM]

I don't really care WHO wins the blu-ray/hd-dvd format war, I just want it to end already so I can shell out the money for a high def player knowing it won't be a dead format 5 years down the road.

kthanxbai.

[tekdroid @ Jun 28th 2007 4:37PM]

IMO, both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray as they are today will be dead formats 5 years down the road. Any remaining 'winning' format will be re-specced to keep up with the massive advances (and price drops) in storage 5 years down the road.

Just IMO, of course. People are viewing videos on portable devices more and more. Stationary high-quality is fine for a certain subset of the population. But these two formats are not the only way we can experience that. And let's not ignore DVD too, which is fine for many.

I don't think any of these new formats will have anything resembling the impact DVD has had and continues to have on the market. Nor the longevity.

[Steve @ Jun 28th 2007 5:29PM]

They may just be putting it off because they see the format war coming to an end soon. I bought an add on HD DVD player for my 360 and took it back because of the Blu Ray success.

[Segarsj @ Jun 28th 2007 5:57PM]

@ DEEZNUTZ

I respect your decision to stand on the sidelines to an extent. And you're right, I might be an HD DVD fanboy, but the fact that you simply write off my objections to Blu-ray as being trivial are signs that you are not entirely waiting on the sidelines either.

I agree that the special features largely depend on the studio support, and whether or not they find it to be profitable, but beyond that there are other factors to consider. On DVD's the storage space was clearly limited and too many special features on the main feature disc would obviously lead to a heavily compressed feature, thus the special features were largely ported over to additional discs for obvious reasons. Due to the fact that space is no longer an issue thanks to the more efficient codecs and the increased storage space between the two formats, I believe that the studios will have little reason not to include these enhanced features on the majority of their anticipated titles. Now, granted you might not be seeing these on some of your cherished catalog titles on either format, that's to be expected to some degree and we shouldn't hold that against the studio. So no, I don't think that either Blu-ray or HD DVD will abandon these special features any time soon. But like you said, only time will tell.

I do apologize for not rewording my earlier comment when I told you to "think for yourself", I just think it's questionable when you rely on one source for all of your information, and perhaps you don't, but it's simply the way it appeared to me as you cited two of their articles as reasons not to buy into HD DVD.

I am the proud owner of the 360 add-on and while it is an investment, it is a minimal investment compared to the somewhat more expensive standalones, and the Blu-ray alternatives. Truth be told I bought into the HD world at $200 to see if all of the hype was worth it, and it truly is. Originally I was just in it for the HD glory, but I was soon awakened to the possibility that the better HD film format, HD DVD, could potentially lose out big time to an inferior format, and no I'm not talking about data transfer rates or storage capacity, I'm simply talking about the standards of quality that are offered through HD DVD across the board. These checks and balances that were set in place to insure the HD consumer doesn't buy into a failing format are being cast aside in favor of software and hardware that simply lacks any semblance of standardization.

I realize that you agreed with a number of my points, and frankly I'm glad that there is someone out there who is willing to actually debate these issues as opposed to simply saying "the war is over, deal with it", or something to that effect.

A couple more things, I didn't entirely say the support was irrelevant, I said it was somewhat irrelevant due to the fact that the tides can change. If the market shifts the studios will follow, and of course the same is true for Universal, and the other HD DVD exclusives. Also, in regards to BD+ I'm glad you agree that the uncrackable can be cracked and that it is merely "perceived" security, but the problem I have with the whole situation is that these studios have been holding off for months on the promise of unbreakable security, and when it is, what's the incentive for remaining exclusive to Blu-ray while studios like Warner and Paramount have been making far more money supporting both, and seem to have relatively no problems with the security issues on either format.

At the end of the day I too am only interested in movies in HD, and with that being said there is no real reason why Blu-ray should be viewed as the best choice for the "long haul." The only reason Blu-ray has a significant edge over HD DVD is the potential storage space, but at the end of the day do you really need an entire HD trilogy on one disc, or any other odd excuse to exploit 200gb of space on a Blu-ray disc? Outside of enterprise storage or personal data storage the added capacity of Blu-ray discs is overkill, and anyone who is authoring HD content today will tell you much the same. With the triple layer HD DVD discs sporting 51gb (last I checked, though they aren't in production) HD DVD will be on the same level as Blu-ray, and I'm sure Blu-ray will fire right back with a higher capacity disc, but if you can't justify to me why they need that space there is no point in having it aside from bragging rights.

I know I'm rambling a bit, but I just don't see how it can make more sense for the long haul.

Bear in mind, I'm not attacking you. I just want to know what attracts you to the format.

Oh, and one more thing, HD DVD is still being carried in the original test stores where both Blu-ray and HD DVD shared the shelf space, and while this might be a small number, I just felt the need to clarify, and HD DVD is still being rented through their Blockbuster Online service. It's not as cut and dry as you might have heard.

[DEEZNUTZ @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:15AM]

@ Segarsj

Bit late on this reply but just to also thank you for an informed post. Clearly you have done your research and are passionate about HD movies and not just blindly choosing a side... I take the "posterboy" comment back. You're not 99% of these posters who just flame the boards, and I try not to be either.
I wasn't always backing BD. HD-DVD took an early lead and even when BD was launched, they reviewed horribly when compared to HD-DVD on their early releases. At that point, I was praying that studios would jump lines and support both but that really didn't happen. Shame.

To answer your question, it's not particular format features I'm attracted to with BD. It's that based on current standings, there is more of a probability that BD will win out over HD-DVD at this moment. It could easily be HD-DVD in the same shoes and I would have been urging folks to back HD-DVD. Ultimately, I am passionate about having ONE format and the faster that happens, the better for us all. There's one thing I hope you agree with me on is that two formats are bad for consumers. It will almost surely prevent mass adoption of HD discs purely on the fragmenatation of studios and movies will not come down in price.

At the end, give me some LOTR in HD and I'm straight!

Great posting with ya!

[MegaZone @ Jun 28th 2007 9:33PM]

A couple of thigns:

1. Future BD Live discs should be playable on ALL BD players. BD Live is *additional* functionality that is on-top of the basic content. It is a layered spec. If you put a new disc with BD Live into an older player with no network, it should still play as a BD 1.0/1.1 disc. There is no reason to expect them no to work based on the specs.

2. Toshiba has shown two higher capacity HD DVD designs - first 45GB with 15GB layers, then 51GB with 17GB layers. But current HD DVD players may not handle these discs. The current HD DVD spec specifies dual-layer. The 17GB layers use different spiral pattern as well as the extra layer. At best players may handle it with a firmware update, but some players may not be able to handle the different optical characteristics of the 3rd layer. Just like some early DVD drives could not properly read DVD-R/RW because of the different reflectivity, or some single-layer drives could not read dual-layer DVD. Same kind of issue. On top of that, HD DVD's biggest advantage is being able to use slightly modified DVD presses since it is physically the same as DVD. Add a 3rd layer, and it isn't physically the same any more. But this is probably all moot, since there are no current plans to commercialized the higher capacity discs.

HD DVD is basically DVD technology pushed to its limit, with low production cost an over-riding factor.

BD is basically a clean-sheet design that exploited the latest available technology to create a new generation of media with a lot of growth potential.

[Jason @ Jun 28th 2007 10:32PM]

HD DVD is DEAD! The recent announcment by BlockBuster that they will ONLY carry Blu-Ray will kill HDDVD. When Blockbuster carried both formats, the Blu-Ray rented 70% more than HDDVD. That is more than enough to kill HD DVDs. I'm no Sony fanboy, and do not own either format, but in the next year you will see Blu-Ray dominate completely.

[NineT9 @ Jun 28th 2007 11:28PM]

Thanks for the read guys! Very informative, This is the kind of discussion I like to read, people who respect each othres opinion without fanboyism, immaturity, trolling, etc...

Thank you

[pika @ Jun 29th 2007 1:51AM]

Now we can see Superman's red underpant in HD!