Paramount: "Current plan is to support the HD DVD format." Currently.

Paramount has officially issued its denial of the rumor -- originally printed in the Financial Times -- that it is very close to ending its exclusive support of HD DVD. The quick end to what had been reported as an 18-month agreement could be the result of a "get out" clause triggered by Warner Bros.' sudden departure from HD DVD releases. Whether this will follow last year's "Universal may switch" rumor, that didn't happen, or last month's "Warner may switch" rumor, that did, remains to be seen. Until we hear otherwise, Paramount, Transformers and Shrek are still HD DVD only, whether they like it or not.

[Thanks, numlok]

[Joe A @ Jan 28th 2008 8:54PM]

Someone just hack HD-DVDs encryption so they can be ripped and the war will end just like that!

[dantidote @ Jan 8th 2008 1:56PM]

No, fuck that. Just switch to BluRay already so we can end this god damn format war.

[E71 @ Jan 8th 2008 1:59PM]

I second that.

[scott @ Jan 8th 2008 2:04PM]

I wish they would get there facts straight....everyone is reporting the death of hddvd after the paramount article. Seems very damaging to the hddvd camp....but it does seem inevitable now and hddvd should just find a respectable way to bow out. As soon as paramount does officially annouce I will buy my Bluray player.

[Electromodo @ Jan 8th 2008 2:31PM]

Actually, fcuk Blu-Ray. I will support HD-DVD until my last breath!!!

Dance with Sony fanbois, Sony and its corrupted Music/Hollywood Industry is screwing you from the back while you praise them. With DRM, RIAA and other things.

Enjoy it! I will stay in HD-DVD camp!

[Greg @ Jan 8th 2008 4:52PM]

End the war with the better format for once. Hell yeah.

[SteveMB @ Jan 8th 2008 4:50PM]

Unfinished specs for the loss!

[Sukhminder @ Jan 8th 2008 5:38PM]

Couldn't agree more, the longer they wait, the more it destroys the tech.

Found this on the Engadget home page.

Its Finally Time to Pick Blu Ray over HD DVD
http://www.switched.com/2008/01/08/its-finally-time-to-pick-blu-ray-over-hd-dvd/

[Jeff @ Jan 8th 2008 1:58PM]

Uh huh. On December 13 of 2007, Warner Brothers vice president Jim Noonan said this:

"We have made no decision to change our present policy which is to produce in both HD DVD and Blu-ray."

The rest, as they say, is history.

Words like "present" and "current" are hedges. They're really saying nothing.

[Geoff @ Jan 8th 2008 2:05PM]

Based on the way Paramount went from Neutral to Exclusive overnight last August, I would assume any plans of theirs vis a vis support of HD-DVD are as fluid as water. I believe their "Current plan is to support the HD DVD format." I just am not confident that plan will be current tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month . . . . .

[Kiwi616 @ Jan 8th 2008 2:10PM]

Yup yup, my words exactly....at least Warner gave a lag. Paramount just switch back already.

[iRobot @ Jan 8th 2008 2:09PM]

Transformers Blu-Ray, Transformers Blu-Ray, Transformers Blu-Ray.... Yeah Team!

[Adoniteking @ Jan 8th 2008 3:29PM]

NOOOOOOOOooo!!!! you P***heads!!! - Michael Bay

lol!

[Miles @ Jan 8th 2008 2:13PM]

BLu-Ray is the winner.
Give up HD-DVCRAPD

[BrokenFERN @ Jan 8th 2008 2:27PM]

Miles,

I voted your comment down not because I disagree... But because I thought the "HD-DVCRAPD" was kinda lame.

HDDUD is a popular one.

[mmendoza27 @ Jan 8th 2008 3:52PM]

Sorry Miles I second that. That HD-DVCRAPD was pretty lame. I hope it didn't take you all day to come up with that either.

[Luigi193 @ Jan 8th 2008 5:30PM]

HD-DVCRAPD???
My 3 year old brother could do better

[Nathan @ Jan 8th 2008 5:40PM]

If Blu-Ray is the winner, who is the loser?

Normal consumers, small film makers.

The big winner, hard drive makers.

[Superdynamite @ Jan 8th 2008 2:19PM]

I give Paramount until next week to go blu. Universal is a bit more thick-headed so they might take 2 weeks.

By Superbowl Sunday, they'll all be Blu.

[SimbaDogg @ Jan 8th 2008 2:20PM]

With a 70% market share, whether you are pro HD DVD or pro Blu Ray, its kind of hard not to say that any holding out on Toshibas, Paramounts, or Universals part is nothing more than corporate greed. Yeah sure, they can really push to make this a dual format world, but in all honest, what are the odds of that happening? And how long would it have to go on for it to be a dual format world. If they really cared for the consumer as much as Toshiba says it does, it would concede defeat, start shipping their blu ray players, and try to price the rest of the BDA out of the water. A simple unified non confusing format is really the way to go. If it was an uphill battle before w/ 2:1 disc sales, i wonder how bad its going to be now and how bad its going to get come May.

[Jakob @ Jan 8th 2008 2:59PM]

No company cares about their customers.

They only think of money :) But if MS and Paramount switches to the Blu side, HD-DVD is dead.

[wickedpheonix @ Jan 8th 2008 4:01PM]

The thing is that good companies realize that the way to make the most money is to do the right thing for their customers.

[chris fredette @ Jan 8th 2008 6:59PM]

What is 70%? That number is bogus as there are plenty of good movies I want to that are HD-DVD only so 100% of 20+ movies that I want to see in HD are only available in HD-DVD.
Plus I am 100% sure that 90% of all the movies don't need to be in HD and 90% o fth epeople could care less if they are HD or not. I just bought 5 of the DVD's at BB because they are $5, I could care less if "Airplane" is in HD or not. I have all 3 formats and upconverting is fine for probably 90% of all the movies.

[SimbaDogg @ Jan 8th 2008 7:37PM]

@Chris F
Firstly, your "60% of the time, it works everytime" post hardly makes any sense. Anyways, do you know what the hell you're talking about? With WB, Disney, Fox, MGM, Pixar, Sony Pictures and the rest of the studios that are exclusive studios to Blu Ray account for 68% of all major movie studios. Therefore, they account for 68% of all movie discs that you'll be able to buy. Therefore, if this format war were to go on indefinitely and all the studios released EVERYTHING from their catalogs 68% of the movies would be on blu ray only. What is it that you don't understand? 70% is 70% is 70%...

[jason w @ Jan 8th 2008 2:23PM]

Blugirls just because some claims their is a "clause" in the contract doesnt mean there is one. Just wait the 18 months and then you will get your transformers. Now I know most of the "BLU is so Wonderful HDDVD SX" kids dont understand that these things take some time.
This may be your first product cycle out of diapers but things take time. Dont worry you will get it in 18 months.

[Superdynamite @ Jan 8th 2008 2:24PM]

I just went into BestBuy and the salesman told me, "Do Not buy HD-DVD! They're going out of business". Then I went down the street to Circuit City, and the salesman there told me the same thing.

So, let Paramount & Universal do what ever they want. With the retailers pushing Blu-Ray right now, their HD-DVD crusade won't last another month.

[jason w @ Jan 8th 2008 2:57PM]

Do any of you people who say corprate greed wish to buy the Million HDDVD players in the market already? If not then you can allow people who sold a product supply content for that product. I could care less if they go purple since I own both type of players but to not produce any content would not only make bad business but it would also piss off 1 million HDDVD stand alone player owners.

[roberto @ Jan 8th 2008 3:00PM]

well, they already got the money... so who cares if a customer is pissed off? i mean, if there were future products one could think that they should care... but since it seems the war is almost over and no more hd-dvd-ware is going to be produced or sold...

i just can't stop thinking about all the players already at the distributors and all the movies at the shops... what's going to happen to it? all to be sold in China (ch-hd-dvd anyone?)?

[E71 @ Jan 8th 2008 2:35PM]

It would be very unfortunate for them but they knew the risks of buying the inferior of the two. Hoo-ah!

[zargon @ Jan 8th 2008 2:31PM]

No worries, the Warner moved helped push it a little soon, but I plan on going neutral with the one of the only two standalong BD players worth getting right now. The Panasonic BD30 or the soon to be released Panasonic BD50 (my first choice since it is actually close to the final BD spec, well as far as we know since there has been nothing announced past 2.0).

Now that BD has finally gotten their head out of their ass and are looking to get their spec wrapped up to match the features of HD-DVD (ethernet is a must for firmware updates), there is no point not to go neutral.

[Ryan J. @ Jan 8th 2008 2:36PM]

HD DVD has already said that they are not giving up yet. They will hold on to Universal, Paramount, and Dreamworks as long as they can, and hope for dual format players to grab hold. I wouldn't be surprised at this point if HD DVD makes another large cash offer to another Blu studio to switch. I want a single HD format, but I don't see this war being over until the 18 month agreements are up in 2009.

[Zakk @ Jan 8th 2008 2:43PM]

It just means their lawyers haven't found the loophole to get out yet...

[striggity @ Jan 10th 2008 3:33PM]

blah @ dual formats. I'll stick to my DVD's for another year or so. I agree w/ the comments about Early adopters. I never purchase new technology during the first wave. There are still people complaining about RRoD 360's...and I've not had a single problem w/ mine (purchased in October), even after marathon halo sessions. :-)

[Evan @ Jan 8th 2008 2:43PM]

Warner Bros has ANNOUNCED their intention to leave HD DVD, but with won't actually stop supporting HD DVD for another six months! Even if Paramount has the rumored escape clause that lets them out of the HD DVD deal depending on Warner's actions, it may not come into effect until Warner actually stops releasing HD DVDs six months from now.

[tom @ Jan 8th 2008 2:48PM]

Actually, sony's victory is well deserved. They have took the risk in delaying PS3 release to finalize the BR drive on it, while xbox is trying to beat everyone to the market by first coming out, then added the hd-dvd add-on as after-thought.

this is hindsight. Should M$ built in the hd-dvd drive in xbox, things wouldn't have end up like now as the penetration rate for both format would be equal

[Travis @ Jan 8th 2008 3:06PM]

This is worse than the 2000 Presidential Election. Someone concede dam it...!

[SteveMB @ Jan 8th 2008 4:55PM]

Here we go again... *rolls eyes*

[madpear @ Jan 8th 2008 3:08PM]

Sony has lost SOO much money in the whole BluRay thing so far, you can hardly call it a win. Their PS3 has already failed in the US vs. the Xbox 360 and that is a no brainer.

The fact that BluRay already had the most studio support and an existing player base from the PS3s and they STILL only managed to get 60-40 in holiday software sales vs. HD DVD tells me that most people want HD DVD, but it would take an existing player base to show it, and we will see that now post holiday.

Why can't everybody just make both sides and let the free market decide what they want? I don't recall any stupid exclusivity deals in the BetaMax VHS battle...

[E71 @ Jan 8th 2008 4:12PM]

People only wanted HD-DVD players because of the ridiculously high number of movies given FREE with each HD-DVD player.

[Bryan @ Jan 8th 2008 5:19PM]

So, all those people who bought them before the free five movies were just hoping that they would get free movies somehow?

That's a pretty big statement that everyone who purchased them wanted the free movies. Alot of the buyers wanted to buy an HD-DVD player, and it didn't make sense to buy a more expensive unit when you can plug this one into your 360.

[Eric Pham @ Jan 8th 2008 3:09PM]

Im surprised no one has repeated the hd dvd mantra yet "this format war is far from over" Cause lets all face it even if paramount doesnt switch now that format is dead either way. You can rattle off anecdotal evidence about how hd dvd is better looking than blu ray or how hd dvd has pip and a finished spec or whine about blu ray region coding and spill misinformation about drm but the 3 biggest factors that matter are studio support which blu ray has 70% of without paramount, player sales which blu ray is far ahead in because of the ps3, and movie sales which blu ray has been winning 2:1.

[Vanguard @ Jan 8th 2008 3:15PM]

Folks,

Possibly just a formality.
Paramount, if they switch, will be a responsible corporate citizen.
They will formulate an exit strategy, resolve legal’s, etc.
Warner, for instance, has such a timetable.

Why make a rash move and risk reprisal?
Corporate or Public.

Vanguard.

[bry2an @ Jan 8th 2008 3:36PM]

Well they may not be announcing a switch now but with only around 5 HD DVDs announced till May and no new announcements they are not exactly throwing a ton of support over to the HD DVD side. If they don't announce any new titles at CES you can bet the will make a move.

[Daniel De Arazoza @ Jan 8th 2008 3:38PM]

I just can't believe the cheaper technology to actually produce is losing...i always heard at the beginning how its built on current DVD technology..it is so easy to make blah blah and yet they still lose. That is what is most surprising to me.

[SimbaDogg @ Jan 8th 2008 3:53PM]

@Madpear
the ps3 has already failed in the US? you're an idiot if you think that. comparing it to the xbox 360 which had a 12 month headstart and was rushed to market? i guess you're also forgetting that a good amount of the 17 million 360 sold have been to repeat customers, and i dont mean repeat as in
they liked it so much they put it in a 2nd room...repeat as in, their first one failed, so they bought a 2nd one. Some of em, even bought a 3rd one. Any of the places like gamestop,gamecrazy, best buy that have replacement programs, well...that replacement unit also counts as a sale as well. Everyone knows the only console that can be deemed a total success is the Wii.

@Eric Pham
Couldn't have said it any better myself 1)studio support 2)install base 3)disc sales...its all that matters

[jason w @ Jan 9th 2008 1:49PM]

Every 360 ever made is still under warrenty for the RROD. Dont act as if they didnt or wont replace them if they die.

As for video game market share the ps3 is a distant 3rd. Its not a bad system. Its starting to get better and if you dont already own a 360 its not a bad system. Multiplatform games tend to run smoother and come out sooner on the 360 but that doesnt mean when they do come out on the PS3 version is going to be bad.


Now this is my issue with this whole HDDVD VS Bluray format war. Since Sony put a bluray into the PS3 this market share "war" between the two formats has become a freaking adolecent console war. Thats why we get all these little kids in here yelling one Sux and the other is Uber.
Grow some hair, drop an octive in the voice and then talk to me.

[madpear @ Jan 8th 2008 4:32PM]

Octave*, and I agree with Jason. It is certainly frustrating to know that HD DVD's greatest threat is the preteens whose parents bought them a PS3 on a second mortgage so that they don't have to be the "only one without a system whine whine". After all, Blu Ray standalone players are yet to overtake the PS3 players which are STILL being sold at a big loss. (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061116-8239.html old link but still pretty accurate)

But regardless, the PS3 is a failure because they have lost far more than MS will ever lose, and it seems the only success was to throw the Blu Ray player inside in order to cram Blu Ray down the consumer's throat.

I only wish that the whole exclusivity shit would end and people can decide for themselves which format is better, not have mercenary studios decide.

[SimbaDogg @ Jan 8th 2008 5:03PM]

by the way, the numbers that you posted from that link aren't even close to being accurate. They're more than a year old, and represent a model that isn't even sold anymore.

[The Angry Intern @ Jan 8th 2008 4:44PM]

you know they are just denying it because it's a rumor and they can't confirm it until they are ready to officially announce it. That an the fact that Warner is still releaseing HD-DVD until May, so that gives Paramount and DreamWorks and Universal time to figure out what they are going to do. I'd bet by may all 3 will announce exclusive Blu-Ray support

[SimbaDogg @ Jan 8th 2008 4:54PM]

@Jason W
The RROD IS the reason that the console is getting additional sales. How many people do you know that bought a 360 @ costco, if that fails, what happens, they bring it back, get their CASH back, and then purchase another unit. Same w/ the replacement plans at gamecrazy/stop/bestbuy etc...Even before MS extended their warranty rather than instituting a recall, there were quite a few people that simply bought a new 360 back when the warranty was only 90 days. One of my best friends even had that 2nd unit fail, then bought a 3rd one. Now that theres a 3 year warranty, he got the first two fixed, and they Ebay'd the one of them, but still...the warrany didn't STOP him from replacing his first two units gone bad. And if this is a sign of things to come, there are going to be countless replacements that will count as sales for MS.
2) You argument that games run harder, faster, stronger on the 360 than the PS3 is simply unfounded. The only example that i can think of is Madden 08 and even that is a poor example at best (360 ran @ 60 fps while PS3 ran @ 30). Read around on the internet and you'll find that many people know for a fact that the only reason it ran @ 30 fps on the PS3 was simply that EA is one of the laziest of all developers. Any developer that makes more than a half ass effort will find that the PS3 will run just as fast, many developers are actually using the PS3 to develop on first, then porting down to the PS3 now simply because they can use that as a method to better "tap out" the 360s potential

@Madpear
Sony has lost quite a bit do to their subsidizing of the PS3, good thing is this wont last forever (falling hardware prices). As Kaz seemed to point out, this might be the year that the PS3 turns a profit and breaks into the black. When the 360 does it, well...that might be a bit harder to predict, even though they already wrote off their losses for their warranty extension, those losses will still be coming in for years. Something tells me the Sonys PS3 division will turn a profit before MS gaming division does.