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So, what are you HD DVD early adopters going to do?
It didn't take too terribly long after Warner chose Blu-ray as its new best friend for every single wagon wheel to fall of the HD DVD carriage, and now that the funeral has been set, we're quite curious as to what the HD DVD early adopters plan on doing. Head over to Engadget HD and let your voice be heard -- even if it's but a whimper.
Poll: So, what are you HD DVD early adopters going to do?
Time to face the music, dear HD DVD fans. The red format is officially dead, and unless HD VMD makes an unprecedented run here in the next few weeks, we've all ideas that Blu-ray will take the throne in the high-definition disc war. That being said, we know there are hordes of folks out there now stuck with an HD DVD player -- not to mention the corresponding media -- that is quickly becoming a tainted collector's item. So, what are you to do? Move on and side with the Blu camp? Revolt and pick up a VUDU? We know it's a touchy subject, so feel free to let loose in comments below. %Poll-9774%
Paramount's Transformers showing up in Blu-ray attire?
Per usual, we'd recommend not getting too riled up over this until it's proven definitively true or false, but considering that pallbearers actually hoisted up HD DVD's casket already this morning, maybe there's not too much sense in doubting. Nevertheless, an eagle-eyed Circuit City employee has apparently located Transformers in its internal database completely doused in Blu. You heard right -- a Blu-ray 2-disc edition of the Michael Bay flick is reportedly showing up with a UPC code different than the HD DVD version. 'Course, this really isn't quite as surprising today as it would've been yesterday -- you know, considering that BD and HD VMD are really the only options left for studios to run to -- but feel free to make of it what you will.[Thanks luvincharity and Kyle] %Gallery-16204%
Toshiba pulling the plug on HD DVD already? - Yup it's over.
Japan's NHK has followed up The Hollywood Reporter's earlier indications Toshiba was ready to dump its money-losing HD DVD business, with news that the company is prepared to cease manufacturing software and hardware, at a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. This caps the worst week ever for red, when HD DVD was dumped by Netflix and Wal-mart, pushed to the background by Best Buy and put on -- an apparently incredibly short -- deathwatch right here. Toshiba is mum on the subject right now, but we hear there's plenty of cheap players and movies in a dumpster around back of the HQ. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in; via Reuters; warning, Japanese read link]Update: Along with an English translation of the NHK's article (Thanks sfditty!) comes additional confirmation from Reuters sources, it's a wrap. Toshiba is shutting down its DVD manufacturing facilities in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, while official word is expected "soon".
HD DVD deathwatch: we're making it official
We'll be straight with you -- it's kind of sad that it has come to this. But then again, it's about time the consumer could look one format in the eye and know it wouldn't vanish in a few months. After the recent onslaught of bad, bad news for the HD DVD camp, we're being forced to put the format on an official deathwatch, and unless things get turned around in a big way, we can't see this one lingering for too long. Grab your tissues and head over to Engadget Classic for the full breakdown.
Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending February 10th, 2008
So much for that trend as according to this week's Nielsen VideoScan numbers courtesy of Home Media Magazine Blu has put red back into the teens with a 81/19 split. It isn't too hard to figure out what 's driving the numbers this week as Warner and Sony take most of the market with new releases and the number three title outselling four by about 2:1. HD DVD's new release did make the top 10 at number nine, but only sold a fourth of what Sony's Across the Universe did -- who'd a thought it'd be number one though. Next week is going to be a lot of the same, but with so many HD DVD sales going on, we'd be very surprised if red wasn't back out the teens. But with every week that goes by and Paramount and Universal fail to announce new titles, we just can't help but believe that all these rumors that the end is near for HD DVD are true.
Wal-Mart to officially discontinue HD DVD sales by June
With HD DVD, things are just going from bad, to really bad, to worse, to car-crash-you-can't-stop-looking-at. You can file this one under that latter category, as Wal-Mart has officially announced its intentions to stop stocking HD DVD players and movies by June. According to reports, the retailer came to the decision after Netflix and Best Buy made announcements concerning their position in the HD format war. Susan Chronister of Wal-Mart wrote on the company's blog, "By June Wal-Mart will only be carrying Blu-ray movies and hardware machines, and of course standard-def movies, DVD players, and up-convert players." Susan went on to deliver what we consider a total burn by adding, "if you bought the HD [DVD] player like me, I'd retire it to the bedroom, kid's playroom, or give it to your parents to play their John Wayne standard-def movies, and make space for a BD player." Look, we're not gonna say that this is it for HD DVD, but... uh, it doesn't look real great.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
New research insists that format war stalemate remains alive
Here's a timely one. Just days after one reader in particular voiced his concerns about now being the right time to choose one format to support, along comes research claiming that the stalemate is still on. The new data was gathered from over 2,000 online shoppers in mid-January (read: after Warner's blockbuster decision), and apparently, 63-percent of those polled indicated that "they plan to wait to make a purchasing decision until one format leads the market." Potentially more interesting, however, was the note that some 56-percent of participants stated that "they would purchase a Blu-ray Disc player if they saw significant price drops," though just about 40-percent of folks said they didn't anticipate "purchasing any high definition product in the near future." Food for thought, sure, but don't go taking these results too seriously, okay?
Toshiba gearing up to drop HD DVD?
We're not exactly sure what's going on in Toshiba land, but shortly after not-exactly-believable whispers made the rounds of the firm suddenly deciding to try its hand at making a Blu-ray player, we're now seeing reports stating that it will pull the plug on its beloved format "in the coming weeks." Citing unnamed industry "sources," The Hollywood Reporter is suggesting that the end may be nigh for the HD DVD format. Jodi Sally, VP of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products, was quoted as saying that "given the market developments in the past month, Toshiba will continue to study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, particularly in light of its recent price reductions on all HD DVD players." Of course, we aren't exactly equating said statement to waving the white flag or anything, but whatever the case, it seems the death watch is in full effect. [Via Home Media Magazine, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Michael Bay singlehandedly wins the HD format war
Finally, Michael Bay has stepped down from Cheese Mountain to pontificate on the finer points of the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray war. Speaking from the inner-sanctum of his lair -- located equidistant from the Church of Scientology and a gigantic cotton candy stand -- Mr. Bay reminds us that, "Blu-ray's better, and I told everyone," then goes on to further prop himself by adding, "I was very vocal about it. I knew HD [DVD] was not going to make it." We're glad that Bay can sleep at night, safe in the knowledge that the mere "quality" of the formats decided the winner of this battle, rather than massive business partnerships fueled by the desire for marketshare. He wrapped up his message (actually given at an awards ceremony held by the Visual Effects Society) by saying, "Am I thrilled? It really wasn't my fight, but remember what I said in the press? I was kind of saying HD [DVD]'s going to lose... No one believed me." He then slammed a trophy he was receiving to the floor, pointed to the packed room, and yelled, "In your face, HD DVD!"[Via Blu-ray, thanks Kiwi616]
BDA gloats over selling 2 million Blu-ray Discs in Europe
It's almost comical how quickly the Blu-ray Disc Association gets its thoughts and feelings out to the world after crossing any milestone, and yet again we see the BDA rushing to pat itself on the back after moving some 2.37 million BD titles in Europe. According to recent sales figures, 79-percent of all high-definition movies purchased across the pond year-to-date have been of the Blu variety, and as expected, Sony's PlayStation 3 is given quite a bit of credit for the results. According to David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, passing the 2 million mark in Europe will allow supporters to "focus less on winning a format war and more on addressing the needs of the consumer in adopting the Blu-ray format." Confident, are we?[Image courtesy of Messe-Berlin][Via Tech.co.uk, thanks L. R.]
Lionsgate president expects industry to "unite behind Blu-ray" this summer
As support continues to just fall in the lap of the Blu-ray camp, Lionsgate president and co-COO has been quoted as saying that his company "expects the industry to unite behind Blu-ray by the summer." This was uttered yesterday during a spirited investor call, and was followed up by his suggestion that this so-called unification could "drive the current HD market to triple in size from $300 million in 2007 to more than $1 billion this year." He also noted that 2008 would mark the first year in which it would see "meaningful revenue in digital delivery," and mentioned that "Blu-ray revenue in January [2008] was about seven times higher than last year." Of course, all of this probably speaks more about industry trends than anything else, but it's seems safe to say that at least one bigwig at Lionsgate isn't scared to pronounce his admiration for BD.[Via Blu-ray, thanks Kiwi616]
Ask Engadget HD: Is it finally safe to buy a Blu-ray player?
When Warner made its move to support the Blu camp exclusively just before CES commenced, we still figured HD DVD had a fighting chance at staying alive for a good bit longer. Needless to say, it seems as if the Blu-ray bandwagon is getting more crowded by the minute, with Netflix vowing to only carry BD titles in the future just this week. We're not about to say the format war is all but done just yet -- after all, we've seen too many zany things happen to jump to such conclusions already -- but this week's Ask Engadget HD question is particularly timely. "I've been holding off on buying a high-definition player of any kind until prices settled down a bit and one format looked to be in command. I realize a combo player would solve the dilemma, but since I'm looking to support one format or the other, I'm beginning to think now is a good time to finally buy a Blu-ray player. Is that the general consensus?" Well, you heard the man -- is it? If you were still an outsider in this drawn out battle and were just dying to get in, would you take the plunge and pick up a BD player? Or would you store your wallet far, far away until the dust settled a bit more? Sound off below!Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
HD DVD camp issues sad little response to Netflix, Best Buy snubs
Out of the many jobs in today's multi-billion dollar consumer electronics industry, the one we'd probably want least right now is writer of press releases for the HD DVD Promotional Group. After each major defection, these poor folks have to whip up a positive-sounding response to what everyone knows is very bad news -- but after yesterday's one-two punches by Netflix and Best Buy, even these paid cheerleaders are having trouble finding the right spin. Here's what they had to say, as reported by CNET: "We have long held the belief that HD DVD is the best format for consumers based on quality and value, and with more than 1 million HD DVD players on the market, it's unfortunate to see Netflix make the decision to only stock Blu-ray titles going forward. While the Best Buy announcement says they will recommend Blu-ray, at least they will continue to carry HD DVD and offer consumers a choice at retail."Doesn't sound like there's too much fight left there, does it? If the best you can do to support your dying format is to rehash the same canned argument and celebrate your remaining shelf space, well, there would seem to be a bigger problem than you're willing to admit. At this point, we're just curious to see how it will all end: after investing so much time, energy, money, and vitriol on this bitter format war, how does Toshiba move forward in a world almost completely dominated by its rival in blue?[Via High-Def Digest]
Leaked NPD numbers show HD DVD hardware sales still trailing Blu-ray
While the official tally isn't out, TWICE apparently has leaked data from The NPD Group -- which wouldn't confirm the accuracy of the numbers -- indicating HD DVD continued to trail Blu-ray in hardware sales and sales dollars in the week ending January 26. These numbers show Blu-ray at 65% of units sold, HD DVD at 28% (changed from 66% and 34% the week before, respectively) and combo players taking 6% of player sales. These figures still don't reflect the PS3 or the price-dropped Xbox 360 add-on, but right now it'll really be more interesting to see if Toshiba can hold any of that marketshare after today's events.
Best Buy's pushing Blu-ray to the front
The HD DVD camp, still reeling after losing support from Netflix this morning, may feel flattened as Best Buy has announced it will officially promote Blu-ray as the HD format of the future. Starting in early March the store will showcase Blu hardware and software on its shelves and website, and switch from its current neutral stance, to recommending Blu-ray to any customers that ask. While "an assortment of HD DVD products" will remain, a vote of confidence from major retailers, following the majority of studio support, will make it impossible for red to recover.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HD DVD and Blu-ray releases on February 12th, 2008
It's the second week of February as Blu-ray continues to pour out another seven titles that helps the Blu camp on its way to 29 for the month. Meanwhile the red camp has two movies on its way to 17 for the month, of which only seven are from studios you've heard of. Sure we've heard of Girls Gone Wild, but it's hardly what we'd call a hot popular title. So while red waits for American Gangster next week the Blu camp gets the latest Marky Mark crime drama, We Own the Night. The other three mentionable titles for Blu this week are from Disney and Warner and while nothing really exciting here, the latest Ben Affleck move Gone Baby Gone has a IMDB rating of 8.0. Although we have no doubt that Blu-ray movies will outsell HD DVD this week, we do wonder what the split will be. On one hand HD DVD has slowly regained lost ground to Blu the past few weeks, but on the other with only two mentionable exclusives on the calendar this year -- so far -- it would take one heck of a sale to continue to make up the difference. HD DVD 386 vs Blu-ray 444*Blu-ray The Amateurs (First Look) Becoming Jane (Buena Vista) Gone Baby Gone (Buena Vista) No Reservations (Warner) Over America In High Definition (Topics) Over California In High Definition (Topics) We Own the Night (Sony) HD DVD The Amateurs (First Look) Girls Gone Wild: Baby Bash - Live And Uncensored (Mantra) * Blu-ray total does not reflect 32 Paramount titles that were previously available.
Netflix picks Blu-ray, good luck renting an HD DVD soon
In what can only be classified as yet another crushing blow to the embattled HD DVD camp, rent-by-mail giant Netflix has just announced its intention to only stock Blu-ray titles in the future. Netflix justified its decision by pointing out the fact that most Hollywood studios seem to be converging solely around the Sony-backed format -- a fact that's all too familiar to Toshiba and friends. With both Blockbuster and now the 'Flix having eschewed HD DVD for BD, it's gonna get harder and harder to even find a place to rent those former discs in the first place, let alone one that has a decent selection.Update: It looks like all hope is not lost for HD DVD renters. Not only does Blockbuster Online still carry titles in the endangered format, but Netflix should continue offering a limited selection of discs until current stock is phased out around the end of the year.
ADV Films going Blu-ray exclusive?
We've been glossing this one over for some time now, as to this day we still can't find a confirmation from ADV Films one way or the other, but we felt it prudent to at least point out that the anime publisher could be going Blu-ray exclusive -- according to a "highly placed source at the company," anyway. ICv2 News has it that the company will be siding with Blu alone and releasing titles on the format "as early as this Spring," and while specifics weren't mentioned, said source was quoted as saying that newer flicks were "more important than catalog" films right now, so we'd expect some of the newest material to show up on BD first. Once again, we're taking this with a healthy dose of salt for the moment -- but it's not like we haven't seen major anime studios hem and haw over this very decision before.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending February 3rd, 2008
Not sure if we're ready to say HD DVD is back in the fight again, but for the third week in a row, the red camp has slowly been crawling out of the dismal hole that Warner helped put them in, according to the Nielsen VideoScan numbers courtesy of Home Media Magazine. What is even more surprising is the fact that for the first time in a month, two HD DVDs made the top ten list -- but judging by which titles made it, we're not sure how much there is to get excited about in the red camp. Sure, the legs that Transformers and The Bourne Supremacy has is impressive, but we wonder how many were sold to new HD DVD owners when picking up a low cost player, and how many were offered in a sale or promotion. We'd wager that the biggest factor at play here is disappointing Blu-ray sales. Warner can't be too happy with The Invasion, but not its not as disappointed as Sony is Daddy Day Camp. Sure we knew these weren't good movies, but both were in the top six on the DVD sales charts the same week. Now we get to wait and see if this red comeback trend continues in the face of a more impressive Blu lineup the following week, because if red comes back any more, the 74/26 split will be back to 65/35 before we know it.
