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Microsoft releases one more Xbox 360 HD DVD player update
Microsoft is releasing one more update for owners of the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive (all 269,000 of you, give or take a few), promising "additional support for network features" and compatibility improvements with certain titles, although which ones aren't mentioned. It's good to see they haven't left these issues to simply whither on the dying vine of HD DVD, but unless an alternate ending to the format war is tucked into those network features we don't see this making things all better anytime soon. Expect a prompt the next time you watch an HD DVD while online, and remember the good times we had.
HD VMD clears up European Union, spring break related rumors
Alleviating worries that mere format war irrelevance had gotten our friends in the VMD camp down, a statement was issued today regarding stories "emerging" on the internets alleging EU officials had confiscated money from Microsoft and/or Sony, and given to NME to subsidize its fledgling red laser HD disc (Hadn't heard about it? Neither did we.) NME, the backers of HD VMD, would like everyone to know that not only is that completely false, it also did not have sex with Brad at Cabo San Lucas, as had been reported. With that rumor smashed we can go back to eagerly anticipating our pre-ordered Lazy Town HD VMDs, just 499,999 more to go!
Wal-mart offers up HD DVD returns
More good news for those left on the short end of the format war, Wal-Mart has quietly decided to offer refunds for anyone who purchased their HD DVD player between November 1, 2007 and now. You won't need the box it came in, but the receipt will be necessary, and get moving because this offer is only open until the 30th. A $50 gift card just 'cause this isn't, but for those looking to erase a red moment in their lives, Wal-mart's doors are open.[Thanks, Tavaris]Read - Wall Street JournalRead - Slickdeals.net
Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending March 30th, 2008
Here we are two weeks into the new Nielsen VideoScan charts courtesy of Home Media Magazine, and Blu-ray has managed to increase its share from 6 to 8 percent. This was mostly due to the super hot I Am Legend that has for the second week in a row dominated both the High-Def Sellers list and the DVD charts. The big missing title for Blu-ray this week was The Mist from the once Red exclusive studio Weinstein. So while Weinstein has been quiet about its HD plans, this new release takes the number two spot on the DVD charts. This is one of the eight titles that made the DVD top 20 list, but isn't available in HD. Meanwhile, half the titles that made the HD list are older titles, so no doubt promotional sales are making the difference here. HD DVD didn't make the list at all, but did manage to regain some market share overall -- but not much. We'd be very surprised to see that become a trend as the format is officially out of exclusive new releases. At the same time, we'd be surprised if Blu-ray was able to keep its 8 percent share next week considering the lineup, but sometimes catalog titles sell so well, Blu may prove us wrong.
Niveus Movie Library (Beta) now available for download
Remember that Niveus Movie Library we got a chance to check out in-person at EHX? Yep, it's finally ready to break away from the show floor and into your home. Starting today, any user piddling around on Niveus Media Center Vista can test out the Beta version of the software. Put simply, the application is a "movie management tool that aggregates an entire movie collection into one distinct and intelligent interface," and better still, it'll play nice with material from nearly anywhere. Click on the read link [Warning: PDF] for the full release, check out the images below and get your download on if you're so brave. %Gallery-19674%
Okoro's OMS-ZX100 Media PC does Blu-ray, HD DVD and SSD
Okoro Media Systems has been offering up well-spec'd HTPCs for quite some time, but it has finally seen fit to jump on the flash-based storage bandwagon. The firm's new ZX series of Extreme Digital Entertainment Systems gets going with the OMS-ZX100, which comes standard with a 32GB SSD (for the OS and such) and a 1TB HDD for media storage. Moreover, you'll find a 3.0GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6850 processor, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, NVIDIA's 256MB GeForce 8600 GT graphics card, Blu-ray / HD DVD playback and your choice of "any automotive color" on the chassis. 'Tis a shame it costs $5,995 to even join the ZX100 club, but look to spend even more if you're hankering for a built-in CableCARD tuner and WiFi adapter.
Ken Graffeo leaving HD marketing role at Universal, still sticking around the studio
Ken Graffeo, who formerly served as executive VP of marketing before signing on as executive VP of HD strategic marketing at Universal, has decided to step down from a position that had essentially crumbled since the fall of HD DVD. Curiously enough, the bigwig noted that he wouldn't be taking on a similar role for the Blu-ray side, but did assert that he would be hanging around Universal Studios Home Entertainment. More specifically, he was quoted as saying that he would be "looking at what [his] different options are and what [his] next moves would be," which -- to be fair -- is about as canned of a response as one could hope for. Somehow, we get the feeling Ken will be quite alright, though.[Via FormatWarCentral, image courtesy of FutureNet]
HD DVD Promotion Group officially dissolves in a high-res burst of tears
Well, it's no surprise that it was going to happen, but the HD DVD Promotion Group officially dissolved today, leaving behind nothing but this terse message directing us to individual "selling agencies." And so, with literally nothing left of HD DVD, we formally close the sad chapter of consumer electronics history known as the HD Format War, remembering those times when HD DVD rode high, with low prices, more features and less restrictive rights management as its rallying cries, and the rantings of Michael Bay still only the delusional fantasies of a fool. May the resistance live on, and our PS3s always be reminded of a time when their ascension was not guaranteed. Red's dead, baby.
Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending March 23rd, 2008
Many of you asked for it, and this week you got it, thanks to Home Media Magazine's Nielsen VideoScan numbers, we now know how the favorite HD home movie format compares to the reigning home media champion. Sure, 6 percent isn't that much, but it's more than most people thought it was, but to be fair it is only taking into account the top 20 BDs vs the top 20 DVDs. This is an interesting way to compare the two formats as seven out of the top 20 -- three in the top 10 -- DVDs aren't available on Blu-ray, but DVD has many more releases than Blu-ray, so while the angle is obviously in Blu-ray's favor, it'll become even more true, as more Blu-ray titles are released day-and-date with DVDs. Looking back at our old fight, HD DVD's last exclusive is now done and gone and as expected, HD DVD has its worst week ever, but with the recent events we only expect this to get worse, and wonder how long HMM will continue to compile results. The other indicator that it's officially over -- as if we needed another -- is the lack of a single HD DVD on the HDM top ten chart. Not even HD DVD's last exclusive could make the list, but Blu-ray's latest didn't have any problem killin' the competition as I Am Legend destroyed Disney's Enchanted by almost four to one. The other interesting thing about this week's chart is that most of the rest of the 10 ten is made up of oldies, which makes us want to know; where are all the sales?
HD DVDs vanishing from Best Buy stores
With a few HD DVDs still left to be released, you can go ahead and mark Best Buy off of your list of places to pick 'em up. According to swarms of e-mails from folks around the US, the retailer everyone loves to hate has decided to rid its stores of films on the red format. We've heard some reports that the discs are simply being shipped back to studios, but nevertheless, it seems that the 30-percent-off sale has reached an abrupt halt. Truthfully, we can only imagine that the other big box retailers will follow suit in short order, but it is somewhat interesting to see such a notable store purging its shelves before the format has zero titles on deck.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in][Image courtesy of Aaron S.]
Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics gets reviewed
You did remember that Joe Kane's Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics was launching today, didn't you? If not, we're here to remind you and pass along an in-depth review of the calibration disc while we're at it. The kind folks over at UltimateAVMag were able to grab hold of both the HD DVD and Blu-ray version of the disc, and put simply, it does everything you'd expect it to and possibly a bit more. Hailed as having "the most user-friendly set of test materials to date," reviewers had a difficult time finding any niggles within HD Basics. Interestingly, the HD DVD version was seen as "clearly superior, not only for its My Favorites function, but also for its speedier menu response, predictable display of text, 5.1 and 6.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtracks, and reliable performance with the 720p demo material." As for the BD flavor, the fact that bookmarking and Dolby TrueHD are "optional" on the format made it "difficult to author a robust disc for all players." Still, those hoping to make their display look its best will likely be thrilled with this one, but check out the full review in the read link below before cracking open that wallet.
Plextor's Blu-ray / HD DVD combo drives still on the way
Oh, how things have changed since Plextor originally announced its combo HD DVD / Blu-ray drives would ship in February. Probably due to the end of the format war, the PX-B920SA and PX-300SA slipped a bit but should hit store shelves by the end of this month. The cost of hanging on to HD DVD compatibility? The all-HD media playing, 4x BD-R / 2x BD-RE / 16x DVD±R burning PX-B920SA will cost $599, while the PX-B300SA (hold the BD-R/BD-RE, please, we're on a diet) is $499.
Nielsen VideoScan High-Def market share for week ending March 16th, 2008
Our friends over at Home Media Magazine are serious about their holidays, and thus this week's Nielsen VideoScan numbers are a few days late. For the fifth week in a row though, the so called dead format has been able to hold off Blu enough to keep at least 20 percent of the market share, but what is different is that with the last of the big HD exclusives already said and done, Red doesn't have a title in the top five for the first time in a month. So while we'll have to wait and see how long the final two exclusives can hold a spot in the top ten, we can really see how much of an impact the Bee Movie could've had on the charts by looking at the DVD sales. At the same time as No Country for Old Men easily outsold any other title available in HD by 2:1, it was outsold by the Bee Movie on DVD by almost 12 percent. The other missing title this week is Disney's dog movie, which took the number four spot on the DVD charts, and is apparently too valuable for a Blu-ray release. What's really different about this week, is that for the first time -- that we can remember -- all seven top spots are new releases. We definitely don't expect to see that again, as I Am Legend is sure to top all the charts next week, we're not sure how well Enchanted will do, but we'd bet it'll do better than Atonement.
Shocker: HD DVD players vanishing from stock, sun to rise in the AM
Brace yourself: you may find your mind unbelievably blown when hearing that inventory levels of HD DVD players seem to be sharply decreasing. According to new reports, the amount of e-tailers stocking HD DVD players has plummeted dramatically over the past month, and it could be fairly difficult to actually procure a new unit in about four to eight weeks. Granted, we wouldn't put an awful lot of faith in the latter estimate, but honestly, if you're out looking for a sealed HD DVD deck for any reason other than bolstering your collection of deceased gadgetry, we'd surmise that you've got other issues to tackle.[Thanks, PeterK]
Best Buy Trade-in Center HD DVD prices posted
So what's your remnant of a format war gone by worth? Best Buy has updated its Trade-In Center website with prices for HD DVD players and movies, and quite frankly you're probably better off just keeping it. Prices for players are highest for combo players, like the BH-200 ($285*) and BD-UP5000 ($255), then for players equipped with high end scalers for DVD upconverting like the HD-XA2 ($165) then everything else like the Xbox 360 add-on ($21) or HD-A3 ($36). Movies (along with a player, not by themselves) net less than $3 each. Of course, there's always value in a fresh start so go ahead and check it out for yourself. *All prices assume excellent condition with all cables & manuals
Format heaven: 10 other failures HD DVD will meet
We've already dished out our suggestions for what to do with your HD DVD player now that the format war is over, but if you decide to retire it to a better place, what other formats will it meet in that digital cemetery in the sky? A comedic (albeit nostalgic) piece over at Popular Mechanics takes a look at the top ten now-defunct video formats Toshiba's high-def medium will congregate with, and while you may not be familiar with them all (Capacitance Electronic Discs and TeD, anyone?), it's a great look back at what could have been. Rest in peace, HD DVD -- you're in great company (so to speak).
Amazon offers two free HD DVDs when you buy... a BD-UP5000?
Make no mistake, we're huge fans of sales. But Amazon's latest "deal" has us scratching our noggins and laughing heartily all at the same time. Touted as a "limited-time offer," the e-tailer is giving away two HD DVDs (read: free, gratis, on the house, etc.) -- all you have to do is buy two Blu-ray titles... and a $450 Samsung BD-UP5000 combo player. Truthfully, we can't figure out what Amazon's trying to pull here, or why it chose to market this special in this manner. Sure, we can see sparking up a sale in order to clear out HD DVD inventory, and we can even understand hacking the price of the soon-to-be-discontinued UP5000, but this? Check out the read link and have a chuckle, won't you?[Thanks, John]
Best Buy giving $50 gift cards to HD DVD adopters
Mega-chain Best Buy is sending $50 gift cards to customers who bought HD DVD players or attachments from its US stores prior to Feb. 23 (coincidentally, for our readership, the date Microsoft declared the format dead to the company). CNN reports most customers won't have to do a thing to receive the card as they'll be identified through the Reward Zone program, service plans or online purchases. If you're a customer who won't be identified in this manner, just grab a receipt (you do keep those, right?) or provide your credit card info to the company for proof of purchase. Gift cards will be sent out by May 1.Circuit City provided a similar deal earlier this month to recent HD DVD adopters by allowing them to return the product if it had been purchased within 90 days. Both Best Buy and Circuit City's online trade-in programs (run by the same company) will allow you to unload your player beginning March 21. Before anyone thinks they're being witty, only HD DVD players can be returned for store credit, you're not getting $50 per movie disc purchased. Although this format war was in no way these retailer's fault, it's very nice to see them taking care of customers left out in the cold.
Ask Engadget HD: Which HD DVD player upconverts the best?
Soon after the format war came to a close, we wondered what HD DVD adopters would do with all their red-related hardware / software. We were also curious to see if fencesitters and red supporters alike would be quick to pick up a Blu-ray player given the (still) lofty prices. Now, however, we've got yet another angle on all of this -- what if closeout HD DVD players were viewed as DVD upconverters on the cheap? Take a glance at Larry's inquiry: "I was thinking of picking up a HD DVD player and using it as an upconverting player, but I'm not sure which one to get. Which HD DVD player upconverts the best? For what it's worth, I'm working on a 52-inch 1080i HDTV without 720p picture capability." All things considered, HD DVD players marked down substantially aren't a half bad investment if you're already interested in a bulk of the films out there on the format and you're in need of an upscaling DVD player. So, for all of you still clinging tight to your HD DVD decks, how's the upconverting treatin' you?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.
Hey, Office Depot: the format war is over
Yeah, we've seen some retail mix-ups before, but this one really leaves us scratching our heads. We know -- it can take some time before word trickles down and stores start slashing prices once a major high-definition movie format kicks the bucket, but a full month after we sadly let HD DVD go, this particular Office Depot -- located in Houston, Texas -- still hasn't come to terms with reality. And yes, this was snapped within the last 24 hours.[Thanks, Thomas]