Paramount following Warner out the HD DVD door?

The Financial Times is reporting that Paramount is preparing to use a get out clause in its HD DVD exclusivity deal, and go back to Blu-ray, about 4 months after ending its dual-format release schedule. The move would be a result of Warner's switch to Blu-ray, using a "get out" clause in Paramount's promotional agreement with the HD DVD camp. No details on what it might take to rip up the contract and make Michael Bay very, very happy, but if the rumor proves true this could make the slow death he predicted for HD DVD a very, very fast one.

[HedonismBot @ Jan 7th 2008 10:32PM]

Wow, brutal. I didn't think it would happen that fast, I thought Universal would hop first.

Ouch.

[HedonismBot @ Jan 7th 2008 10:34PM]

Story is here...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/dc409afa-bd75-11dc-b7e6-0000779fd2ac.html

[skulldriveshaft @ Jan 8th 2008 12:18AM]

who-ray and halfdead-dvd deserve to kill each other

the studios have tricked you AGAIN into buying ANOTHER version of the same movies.

what happened to all those "superbit" editions?

I'll just wait for the VOD services to catch up some more and deliver full 1080p/24 - or whatever the highest level of video and audio is going to be at that time - this whole baloney about owning a piece of plastic that is instantly rendered garbage from a single gouge.

beta - vhs - laserdisc - vcd - svcd - dvd

and now we had a year pass of TWO formats screwing around.

It would be MUCH BETTER if the movies coming OUT were worth the plastic used to make the disc :[

Give me the output from the cameras that were used in the making of the movies, and the hardware to view it, nothing else could ever be true hd.

Sony is the last one I read about delivering 8K, who else is stepping up their game?

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Jan 8th 2008 12:59AM]

I just watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (awful movie, BTW) on BluRay. The movie on the disc was 25GB of H.264 1080p/24. It's going to be a long time before VOD services are going to be deliver a 25GB file over the internet. It would take most people over a day to download it and it would represent a significant issue for many people as to where to store it.

I don't mind VOD. But I don't want to lose access to high-quality video just because the disc companies couldn't work out a single format.

[E71 @ Jan 8th 2008 7:53AM]

This news just brightened up my day. *E71 whistles on his way to work*

[Lane @ Jan 7th 2008 10:32PM]

Ouch.

[Kurian @ Jan 8th 2008 6:45AM]

^^
I dont even own TV capable of more than 480i and my computer monitors native resolution is 1024x768.

[Motoken @ Jan 7th 2008 10:33PM]

whooooo blue ray all the way!

[Aaron @ Jan 7th 2008 10:33PM]

WOW...HD DVD should just raise the white Flag.....Yea... Blu Ray...

[Dylan @ Jan 7th 2008 10:34PM]

Cue whining in 3...2...1...

[Lane @ Jan 7th 2008 10:35PM]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...

[Kamokazi @ Jan 7th 2008 11:09PM]

Waaaaah.


I wanted HD DVD to win pretty much because its name was practical and not a stupid marketing buzzword.

Well, I guess the law of averages was on the side of Blu-Ray. I mean, sooner or later, Sony was due to have at least one format that didn't fail.

It doesn't really matter to me anymore, I just upgraded my HTPC for Christmas:

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827136133

Dual format for $300. Win/win for me IMHO. Now Newline better get to releasing HD LOTR. FFDShow upscaling only does so much.

[Isaac @ Jan 7th 2008 10:35PM]

I am just happy its over. I don't care who won, one format is enough for me.

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Jan 7th 2008 11:04PM]

The war, to an extent, was good for consumers. The competition brought the prices down a lot farther and faster than if only format was to be the successor to DVD. Of course, at some point a victor must be announced for the majority to consider adopting, and it looks like Blu-ray will be crowned in 2008.

[Mike @ Jan 8th 2008 12:27AM]

@Isaac

I agree!

[Chris @ Jan 8th 2008 4:28AM]

Amen.

Now if only we could sort out online video codecs.

[DjSnafu @ Jan 7th 2008 10:36PM]

Whoa

[bry2an @ Jan 7th 2008 10:36PM]

This would be a good move for a even faster end to the already ending format war. I'm Sure if this turns out to be true Michael Bay will be smiling big. Maybe he will stop blog posting drunk.

[jitty @ Jan 7th 2008 10:37PM]

Yes, the quicker an established format arises, the better.

[SamC @ Jan 7th 2008 10:37PM]

who is still left on the HD-DVD side? Hope this isn't permanent something about blu-ray makes me uncomfortable.

[Mike @ Jan 8th 2008 12:33AM]

@SamC

If Paramount/Dreamworks is able to exit their contract, that would leave Universal as the only major studio to sell HD-DVDs.

[teej @ Jan 8th 2008 10:35AM]

it makes me uncomfortable too...

with all the effort that Sony has put into pushing their proprietary formats over the last 20+ years, it seems like they just want to rule the world or have dastardly intentions. i won't be surprised if Blu-ray wins, and Sony starts raising prices.

[Jeebus @ Jan 8th 2008 1:31PM]

@teej: Then it's good we have Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, LG, Pioneer, and more to compete with Sony.

[Curtis @ Jan 7th 2008 10:37PM]

If this is true, then Paramount is a yellaw bellied spinless turncoat!!!!!

Long life Blu-Ray!

[bethel03 @ Jan 7th 2008 10:39PM]

HD DVD = Betamax

[Serengeti @ Jan 8th 2008 9:37AM]

It doesn't work that way.

A few years after Beta died, those tapes were useless.

A few years from now, HDDVD's will still be playable in BRD/HDDVD/DVD/CD/VCD players.


The Beta vs VHS argument fails as an analogy to this.

[w00t3n @ Jan 7th 2008 10:41PM]

Muhahaha

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jan 7th 2008 10:43PM]

This is just an analyst's SPECULATION.

Where in the article does it say that Paramount WILL use the clause, if there is one?

Where is the official Paramount press release?

WTF, Engadget? Stop spreading FUD!! This is BS!

Richard Lawrer, stop using Fox Network style reporting!

Yes, I prefer HD DVD. Flame away, but this Engadget post is pure garbage. Freaking blogs...

[ryan @ Jan 7th 2008 10:51PM]

They're reporting on the /rumor/ that this will happen, just like the rumor that there will be a 360 with a built-in HD-DVD drive. If you don't like it, oh well.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jan 7th 2008 10:55PM]

Reporting on rumor? It's not even a rumor. The Financial Times doesn't even say it's a rumor. This is just gossip. Get real. I know it doesn't matter whether I like it or not. But hey, since this section allows me to express my opinion, might as well use it like everyone else does.

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Jan 7th 2008 11:13PM]

Gos•sip
— casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

ru•mour
— a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth.

Now you are being chlldish by arguing semantics. Engadget posted exactly what was being reported by "Financial Times". They even put a question mark at the end of the title to demonstrate this.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jan 7th 2008 11:18PM]

"Circulating" in just one publication (Financial Times). Nice.

The question mark is a cheap way to make headlines.

[Jeff @ Jan 7th 2008 11:19PM]

Dude, it's the Financial Times. Their job is to give business news to people who pay money for the newspaper. They have a lot of influence and a lot of contacts. You think they're not basing this on anything? I guarantee they talk to people every day at the top of the ranks at Paramount. I guarantee they have a beer together sometimes in the evening. I guarantee their kids play soccer together.

Anyway, the sand called. It wants your head out of it.

[Temple @ Jan 8th 2008 12:31AM]

FT is an incredibly reliable source; over 120 years in publication (since 1888). Its the Wall Street Journal with a larger world perspective.

They have a reputation of accuracy and have a lot of direct access to the top executives (which is likely how they got Howard Stringer's comments). They wouldn't publish this without a reliable source, and I doubt their editor would allow that either.

[DEEZNUTZ @ Jan 8th 2008 12:31AM]

Oh Snap! Nice burn Jeff

[Mike @ Jan 8th 2008 12:39AM]

The fact that someone as reputable as the Financial Times thought it was true enough to be printed is enough for Engadget to stand up and have us take notice of it; it's news.

[Jeremy @ Jan 8th 2008 2:28AM]

How is this a rumor? It says that they're "poised" to go to Blu-Ray yet their only evidence is becaues their contract is "understood" to have an out. I know everyone's excited about the war being over, but this article is completely useless.

[Jkswiss @ Jan 8th 2008 4:30AM]

I don't know JonB,by your reasoning, I'll be stuck with DVD and CRT forever because my Sony 22" CRT and Pansonic DVD player has been with me over 8 years of daily use and still ticking strong.

[Jeremy @ Jan 8th 2008 11:03AM]

And Paramount denies..

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aQMGgh2LV_bU&refer=japan

This was a terrible article by Financial Times. No proof of anything.

[Jeebus @ Jan 8th 2008 1:32PM]

That's right, you lefties don't like blogs. Not elitist enough for you?

[mushyho @ Jan 7th 2008 10:43PM]

Lets just hope they dont DRM the heck out of it....

[EatingPie @ Jan 7th 2008 10:44PM]

Please. Please. Please. BE TRUE!!!

Please!!!

-Pie

[kingofwale @ Jan 7th 2008 10:44PM]

wow, now I pity those who bought HD-DVD player on Black Friday.

[Otsego_Undead @ Jan 7th 2008 10:47PM]

meh, it was only $100. last ditch effort.

[Paul @ Jan 7th 2008 11:13PM]

I would have paid around 100 dollars for an upconverter anyway.

Oh well, I wonder when they're going to start liquidating HD DVD supplies.

[John B @ Jan 8th 2008 1:01AM]

I don't want your pity, frankly.

For $99, I bought a good upconverter and I'll still be able to watch all of the HD DVDs that I have as long as the hardware keeps running. Considering some of the other consumer electronics that I have, that could be five years or more, which will give me PLENTY of time to re-purchase the movies on BD for whenever I get my PS3.

I paid for the hardware and - damn it - I'm going to get my use out of it as long as I can, which is as it should be. I have no remorse for my purchases.

I feel more pity for the people who hopped onto eBay to dump perfectly functional HD DVD hardware and software rather than keep using the thing until it stops working. THAT was a waste of money!

[jivetrky @ Jan 8th 2008 2:18AM]

@John B

Just make sure you put the HDDVD player on top of your laser disc, Minidisc and Betamax players. This way it won't heat up as much and will last longer.

[John B @ Jan 8th 2008 9:27AM]

@jivetrky:

Snide comments like yours really are pathetic. Just because a particular technology is old does not mean that it's useless or of no value to anyone. I hope that you don't have the same attitude towards people that you do towards technology, because you're going to be miserable as you get older.

[Serengeti @ Jan 8th 2008 9:42AM]

Everyone in this thread needs to realise that HDDVD's are the same size as CD's, DVD's, VCD's and even BRD's. Players made in the future will be able to play HDDVD's.

It's ridiculous to suggest that HDDVD vs BRD is the same as Beta vs VHS.

[Otsego_Undead @ Jan 7th 2008 10:45PM]

sweet deal. Cue the Universal switch in 5...4...3...2...