Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

[Caspian]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

Yeah, I've said it many times, and I'll say it again, its hilarious how major companies work. Its like they're all two year olds. They get mad and storm off if you don't want to play with their toys and will tell you how bad Tommy smells, but win Tommy wants to come over and help you play with the newest toy your mom bought for you, you're all for it.

Basic rundown:
Sony: Basically the owners of BD. Its their format and they're financing the majority of it. They have exclusive contracts with MGM, Buena Vista, Fox, Sony (obviously) andI think one or two others.
Toshiba: Basically the owners of HD-DVD. Their format and they're financing it along with a lot of help from Microsoft. They have exclusive contracts with Universal and now Paramount and Dreamworks (though Spielberg has the trump card on all his movies and Paramount has lots of backdoors to do movies on both formats if the so desire, specfics on the contract are hard to nail down from what I've seen)
Warner Bros.: The only major motion picture company to stay neutral. They were offered a large chunk of change to go HD-DVD exclusive when Paramount did and they turned it down.

Conclusion: This format war is bad for everyone. I want to pull my hair out more and more everyday, its so frustrating. At this point I don't see any possible way HD-DVD can win this, but they can certainly keep BD from winning and both formats will end up in the garbage.

[Malacite]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

They have exclusive contracts with MGM,

Slight correction: Sony owns MGM. They bought them along with several other studios prior to PS3's release.


Also, given that both MS and Sony are involved in this, it's no surprise there's another pointless format war. It's a pretty safe bet IMO that BD is gonna come out on top this time anyway, so please all you other corporations: STOP MAKING LIFE DIFFICULT FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER!

[Caspian]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

STOP MAKING LIFE DIFFICULT FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER!

No kidding, I can't hardly blame Paramount, though. Over 150 million? Yeah, thats probably more than my soul is worth. Still, wish they hadn't done it, this is just getting messy.

[Raydeus]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

Bumping this to piss a lot of people off and also to laugh at HD-DVD now that Paramount finally came to their senses and are going Blu-Ray (after Warner's announcement).

That is all.

Edit > I think it would be safe to asume the war is over.

[jwalton]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

You are the dumbest person.

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

Paramount won't go Purple any time in the near future. Right now they still have a lot of HD-DVD titles to release, and it's unlikely they want to cripple that market by announcing BD-support right this moment.

Paramount and Universal have what they wanted, near-complete marketshare over the HD-DVD format. Sales ratios will probably drop drastically but people will surely still be buying HD-DVD films, and Paramount and Universal will be making plenty of money off those.

Universal's contract with Toshiba is rumoured to end this month, so we'll likely see an announcement long before Paramount ever moves support. The format's fate is practically confirmed, but it's still far from dead. There are many people out there who prefer HD-DVD, as it was first to introduce many of the features BD is just now adopting in its 1.1 and 2.0 models. They'll continue to support the format as long as they can.

[jwalton]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

What's funny is that even after HD-DVD disappears, studios will then have to convince millions of ignorant consumers that HD movies is what they want, and that they must replace their entire DVD collection. Yeah, good luck with that one, Hollywood.

I still think HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are both going to stay niche and are the LaserDiscs of this generation, but that's me.

Edit: And I don't know how they attribute declining DVD sales to interest in HD formats... I'd attribute it more to higher gas prices leading to less impulse buys, and people downloading movies off the internet. But hey.

[Raydeus]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

Paramount won't go Purple any time in the near future. Right now they still have a lot of HD-DVD titles to release, and it's unlikely they want to cripple that market by announcing BD-support right this moment.

Paramount and Universal have what they wanted, near-complete marketshare over the HD-DVD format. Sales ratios will probably drop drastically but people will surely still be buying HD-DVD films, and Paramount and Universal will be making plenty of money off those.

Universal's contract with Toshiba is rumoured to end this month, so we'll likely see an announcement long before Paramount ever moves support. The format's fate is practically confirmed, but it's still far from dead. There are many people out there who prefer HD-DVD, as it was first to introduce many of the features BD is just now adopting in its 1.1 and 2.0 models. They'll continue to support the format as long as they can.

Yeah Paramount denied it shortly after it seems, I just didn't get the memo.

Still, as long as there's that clause in their contract there's always a chance Paramount will got Blu-ray if HD-DVD sales don't improve.

[Icemage]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

Bunch of news on this front.

HBO confirms Blu-ray exclusivity, in the wake of sister companies Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema.
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/new...ticle_ID=11853

New Line Cinema announces their their Blu-ray exclusivity is effective immediately - all HD DVD titles aside from Pan's Labyrinth have been axed, and even Pan's will not be restocked after supplied are depleted.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...ryid=1009&cs=1

And here's a telling comparison of the Blu-ray and HD DVD booths at the Consumer Electronics Show, which just wrapped up in Las Vegas.
http://www.tgdaily.com/index.php?opt...show=200801091


Icemage

[Caspian]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...ck=2&cset=true
Warner's move did trigger an out clause for Paramount. But its rumored it will be a few weeks before they make a decision. I can all but guarantee you that they'll start selling BDs again. I haven't checked it, but I've heard lots of HD-DVD players went up for sale on ebay after friday. I also heard that Universal's contract with HD-DVD being up at the end of this month wasn't a rumor, but was fact.

jwalton: They don't have to force people to do anything right now. You present it as an option and go from there. Right now its a viable option and is making money. More and more people are buying HD sets and many of those are looking into high def players. DVD was around for several years before VHS finally kicked the bucket.
As for the decline in DVD sales, gas has a little to do with it, it has a little to do with everything, but I've seen lots of people posting in forums that weren't taking part in the format war at all who were saying that they're hardly buying any movies these days because of the format war. I'm buying a lot fewer movies than I have in the past and gas had absolutely nothing to do with it. I just don't see the point in buying a movie I only "like" just to re-buy it when its likely to be released on BD.
While it may be unfair to say all of the decline in DVD sales is due to the format war, its just as unfair to say its all due to gas prices.

[Malacite]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

Beta has been vindicated at last.

[jwalton]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

We will see in time. I still hold to my belief that consumers are too dumb to see the difference between upscaled DVD and HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, and that the HD formats will go the way of LaserDisc.

[Omniblast]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

We will see in time. I still hold to my belief that consumers are too dumb to see the difference between upscaled DVD and HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, and that the HD formats will go the way of LaserDisc.

I spent an hour telling my co-worker how glorious HD-DVD looked on my LCD 37" generic brand TV, and she said there's no difference between DVD vs. HD-DVD or BD. Even when my TV's over an year old and doesn't even support 1080p, only 1080i. (I bought the HD-DVD player over the holidays and it only cost me $100 vs. a $400 PS3. )

I was shocked.

I was appalled...

She's was a math major... *sigh* I guess IQ really isn't the same as PQ.

Good thing she's not my g/f, man I would have been upset.
Now I just need to justify buying a Playstation 3 to watch BD and use that to convince my g/f.

[Telera]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

I've never been obsessively into graphics, movies, and the like . Even watching two HUGE HDTVs play Standard Def and Blu-Ray side by side, I walked away rather underwhelmed. For all the drama around it, you'd think it was the greatest thing since the wheel. I'm not ignorant. I see the difference. But I don't see 'Pay this company thousands in players and TV upgrades' difference.

Maybe $200 more. Maybe.

So I'm waiting. I only own a handful of movies anyway. Star Wars, LotR, stuff like that. Once HD tech gets cheaper and more in my budget range I'll go for it.

I'd get a HDTV more for the games I play, though, rather than movies. I'm just not a big movie buff. :/ Most movies that people like these days I find boring as sin. But I bet Mass Effect would look damn gorgeous on a big HDTV.

[Malacite]

Re: Paramount and Dreamworks go HD-DVD Exclusive, Uselessly Extend Format War

Metal Gear Solid 4, Kill Zone 2, Little Big Planet, Final Fantasy 13, White Knight Story...

shall I go on?