Paramount: "Current plan is to support the HD DVD format." Currently.
By Richard Lawler 
posted January 8th 2008 1:51PM
posted January 8th 2008 1:51PM
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]
ahh the sounds of bitter hd-dvd fanboys. hilarious. keep making excuses guys, those will get you far. can't find something new to complain about? talk about ps3 failing, lol.
@James
ahhh look at me i dont need punctuation or any sort of grammatical markup on my responses and i dont care about my post so guess what nobody else will care about it either lololol!!!11
@Simba
The 360 IS in the black and has been since 2006 and you'd see that if you'd read the ArsTechnica link. Please, use figures to back up haphazard assumptions.
Its not an assumption that Microsofts gaming divison has yet to make a profit. It is still in the red, and has never made a profit. Even if their consoles are starting to make a small amount of money (even with their most recent price drop which you're OLD article does not take into account) the division as a whole as yet to make a dime as per MS last financial report.
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/25/microsoft-entertainment-division-turns-profit-thanks-halo/
Microsoft will not let HD DVD die. All next gen Windows will be on HD DVD, home movies will be HD DVD. Dual formats for everyone. Microsoft flexes and everyone else HAS to listen. Like it or not that's the way it will be.
I believe sony stopped using BetaMax EVENTUALLY.
No, if Microsoft were to continue to support HD DVD then they would have at least given some knowledge they would at CES this year. Then again Microsoft only gave token support for HD DVD, the Xbox add on drive was an afterthought, and Windows support is irrelevant, afterall there's more Blu ray computers out there.
@ Jacob
Are you on crack! 'There's more Blu Ray computers out there'...uh ok. Do you mean more blu ray drives? When MS starts producing Windows on HD DVD you better get a new drive ;-)
I saw an chance to ask for more...
and we just lost it...
HD-DVD is better... at least it doesn't have any region code...
remember Blu-ray JAVA thing....
Yeah, truth be told, HD DVD has MS. If MS wants to purport HD DVD all else will fall before it. If not, then it's got a stacked deck of cards against it.
Absolutely agree! If they make a cheap HD-DVD-RW for PC, then HD-DVD will stay there for a long time. It will be used for backup, file transfer, watching movies, etc.
Also agree about teen fanbois with PS3, actively supporting Blu-Ray. I am surprised to see so many of them on Engadget.
Michael Bay is laughing is ass off.
Michael Bay is laughing his ass off.
dumb paramount.
they should support blu ray exclusive.
Huh, someone better update wikipedia then:
"On August 20, 2007, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and DreamWorks Animation, announced they would no longer be supporting the Blu-ray Disc format, due to a contract they signed with HD-DVD. However, on January 8, 2008, Paramount switched it's alliance to Blu-ray since it reserved that right if Warner Brother's does so first. By the end of Spring, 2008, all Warner, Paramount, and New Line high definition discs will be made on Blu-ray exclusively."
It doesn't matter how long the HD DVD studios take to announce they are leaving for Blu Ray. The news is out there NOW that Blu Ray won. Its already in peoples minds and HD DVD now looks like the losing format. The average consumer doesn't read engadget or any tech blogs. They don't know that CES is going on right now, or that there is even a format war. But when they turn on the local news and hear that something called Blu Ray beats out HD DVD and that most of the movie studios are aligned with Blu Ray, well they know Blu Ray is the better format-even if they don't know all the facts.
Warner Bros. knew this and by them making the announcement they put the final nail in the coffin for HD DVD. Rumors and speculation seem to hold more truth then actual facts.
I am a blu Ray supporter from the start and this has been great news to me. I supported the format not because of storage or any of the other common arguments, but because of the companies that were making players. I trust Pioneer and samsung and sony to make a better player then Toshiba. I've never bought a toshiba product in my life and when I sold electronics, the Toshiba TV's were the least sold. I'll take a Pioneer Elite anything of Toshiba or a chinese made player sold at Wal Mart.
Why won't HDDVD just hurry up and die?
Toshiba should just go rogue. Acquire appropriate licensing to produce and sell dual format players just to keep HDDVD alive in the console player space, Chinese OEMs will of course help in this endeavor regardless. Then dramatically slash prices on HDDVD burners, knowing that the media pirates will do the rest. DVD John will provide the software required to cram blu-ray only movies onto HDDVD discs, college students and low end organized crime will handle duplication and distribution. Sony will finally own a legitimate and dominant media standard (as they've been trying to do for years), Toshiba won't lose it's shirt on the whole HDDVD venture, consumers won't have to sacrifice so much of their hard earned cash on crappy movies (just some of their dignity and morals...assuming they have any of either left), and there will be the peace.
Now I don't mean this in an entirely serious manner, but I honestly think it *could* turn out something like that in the long run...
@Sukhminder
You understand that AOL is owned by Time Warner, correct?
Pretty Bias.
Warner betrayed Toshiba. HD DVD IMO is a much better product and value for the consumer. I have seen Blu ray in action everyday working for a Electronic retailer and I am very disappointed. Not in the quality of the picture which is on par with HD DVD, but with the playability of the machines from Sharp, Samsung, Panasonic, and especially Sony entry level model. That player was constantly jamming and took forever to load. And now that I've gotten use to the excellent IME HD DVD offers, and the Web Enabled features that HD DVD has, it will be a hell of a long time before I jump on the Blu ray wagon until the specs are up to what HD DVD offered. Even though I tried I still cannot see any advantage Blu ray offered over HD DVD. But I guess Sony and all it's might an power showed how determined to get what they want even if they have to force it down our throats, and pay everyone off. Had the PS3 not had a Blu ray drive built in, there is no way Blu ray would have gained the lead it has based on what the consumers would prefer.
Why are you all so high up Sony's Arses about Blu-Ray? You guys like paying for high priced hardware, incomplete specs, and DRM software? Fools, Americans whom are lower class and mostly minorities will decide the outcome of these technologies, not nerds or geeks whom have nothing better than to do, but committe Seppuku! Grow up you seriously, let us enjoy HDM while it lasts!
Perhaps Universal, Paramount, and Microsoft have chosen to go down with the S.S. Toshiba. While I would not watch Shrek or Transformers in any format, so far the only losses will come to Paramount and Universal in the for of no future HD DVD players. People are throwing these cheap crappy players out of windows as we speak. My guess, is that Paramount and Universal would rather have Toshiba turn off the life support, making it far cheaper for them than breaking contracts will be. I would guess that all are pressuring Toshiba to do just that, probably MSFT as well as. It would be best for all involved for Toshiiba to perform the ultimate act of love and euthanize HD DVD. The format is in unthinkable pain, and wore out several morphine pumps over the weekend. Pull the plug Toshiba, and let HD DVD rest in a better place.
HD-DVD doesn't contain any DRM or Region Code crap. It's cheaper, both to manufacture and buy, both discs and players. The picture format and quality is identical to Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray has larger discs so can include more extras. Big deal.
So why does Blu-Ray win? In a word: money: DRM and Region codes. Region B discs are identical to Region A discs in every respect except for one thing: the price. Region B discs cost twice as much. Literally, 2x the price. So the big studios can rip off everyone outside of the US. DRM means copy protection for the big movie studios plus extra money for HDCP compliant PC monitors and graphics cards.
Everyones a winner. Everyone except the consumer, that is.
you guys really need to lay off the flaming.....the fact is that NEITHER format will have any appreciable market penetration as long as the "war" continues, and if it continues much longer, it will be trumped by downloads and DVR's anyway. I already get 99.9% of my HD Content via DirecTV, storing it on cheap massive hard drives, and have no plans on supporting either format (even though I have PS3) until their is a single format