Paramount & DreamWorks Support HD DVD ONLY

[Covert Rain]

This a huge boost for HD DVD which looked like it was starting to lose ground in next generation definition format war. It's huge because they are dropping Blu Ray support completely. Now Warner Brother's is the only Major studio supporting both formats.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/0820biz-DVDduel20-ON.html

Film companies to offer DVD with HD, dropping Blu-ray

Associated Press
Aug. 20, 2007 10:17 AM
LOS ANGELES - Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. will offer next-generation DVDs in the HD DVD format and drop support for Blu-ray, further complicating the race between the competing technologies.

Monday's announcement affects the upcoming DVD release of the blockbuster "Shrek the Third" and all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Paramount previously released movies in both formats.

"Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theater and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience," said Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. "I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high-quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount."

The competition between Blu-ray and HD DVD has kept confused consumers from rushing to buy new DVD players until they can determine which format will dominate the market.

Studios and retailers have been choosing sides.

"Spider-Man 3" will only be available in the Blu-ray DVD format when it is released by Sony Pictures, while people with Blu-ray players won't be able to enjoy the action-thriller "The Bourne Ultimatum," which Universal Pictures will release only in HD DVD.

In terms of discs sold, Blu-ray has always had the lead. The format recently got a big boost as Blockbuster Inc. announced it would stock only Blu-ray titles when it expands its high-def DVD offerings this year.

Target Inc., the nation's second-largest retailer, said it will only sell Blu-ray DVD players in its stores in the fourth quarter.

With Paramount dropping Blu-ray support, Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. remains the only major studio releasing movies in both formats.

Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, The Walt Disney Co., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are releasing only in Blu-ray. Universal, owned by General Electric Co., backs HD DVD exclusively.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Studio Support as of today 8-20-07;

HD DVD
DreamWorks (owned by Paramount)
First Look Studios
HBO Films
Image Entertainment
Magnolia Pictures
New Line Cinema
Paramount
Studio Canal
The Weinstein Company/Dimension
Universal
Warner Brothers


Blu-Ray
Columbia Pictures (Owned by Sony)
FOX
HBO Films
Image Entertainment
Lionsgate
Magnolia Pictures
MGM (Owned by Sony)
New Line Cinema
Sony
Studio Canal
Walt Disney
Warner Brothers

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Agreed. They paid quite a ransom to get this exclusive support. To the tune of 25M and 50M IIRC.

 

[azsouthendzone]

Hell yeah!!!!! That is HUGE news.

 

[Covert Rain]

Agreed. They paid quite a ransom to get this exclusive support. To the tune of 25M and 50M IIRC.

They had too. With Blockbuster and Targets announcement they had to make a big move. I would also bet almost anything that Target and Blockbuster now have to rethink their decision.

If your Blockbuster who has been losing ground, you want your rental base to be as big as possible. Now with all of the Paramount and DW titles out there, you would have to rethink that. Also Target will lost out on those sales as well.

I don't know about you guys but if your going to counter punch Blu-Ray, this was one hell of a way to do it.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

They had too. With Blockbuster and Targets announcement they had to make a big move. I would also bet almost anything that Target and Blockbuster now have to rethink their decision.

If your Blockbuster who has been losing ground, you want your rental base to be as big as possible. Now with all of the Paramount and DW titles out there, you would have to rethink that. Also Target will lost out on those sales as well.

I don't know about you guys but if your going to counter punch Blu-Ray, this was one hell of a way to do it.

I agree 100%.

My movie total so far is 9 HDDVD 8 Bluray. I really don't care one over the other as I have both formats. I actually don't want to see a winner between either format for a while. The competition is driving down costs like crazy.

 

[Covert Rain]

I agree 100%.

My movie total so far is 9 HDDVD 8 Bluray. I really don't care one over the other as I have both formats. I actually don't want to see a winner between either format for a while. The competition is driving down costs like crazy.

That's a great point. The downside is confusion in the market place. The upside like you said is the costs driving down. I guarantee that if only one of these formats existed you would end up with entry level players around the $800 mark still.

The fact that they are competing is driving the prices down. I would suspect that with as many as 2 more dual format players ready to hit the market (hopefully) by X-Mas, that will drive the single format players down further.

I have to give kudos to the HD DVD camp for not rolling over, getting up like Rocky and landing one squarely on the Blu-Ray chin.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

That's a great point. The downside is confusion in the market place. The upside like you said is the costs driving down. I guarantee that if only one of these formats existed you would end up with entry level players around the $800 mark still.

The fact that they are competing is driving the prices down. I would suspect that with as many as 2 more dual format players ready to hit the market (hopefully) by X-Mas, that will drive the single format players down further.

I have to give kudos to the HD DVD camp for not rolling over, getting up like Rocky and landing one squarely on the Blu-Ray chin.

Yep, some are predicting Chinese made HDDVD players to flood the market this X-mas season at the $149-199 price mark.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

This probably could have been its own thread, but they are going to release Transformers in HDDVD 3 weeks earlier than the DVD release and Bluray.

 

[Gaddabout]

So what you're saying is it's probably time to retire the 31" Sanyo TV I bought 12 years ago? No one's convinced me yet that HD is worth the cost. I've seen it all. My brother has a 60" flat plasma and made me watch an HD baseball broadcast on it. It was too much information for me. Made me a little queasy.

I used to be the dorky guy that bought everything on the front end of the technological curve. Not anymore! I'm going to let all you techno geeks pay for the new stuff while I convert at bargain basement prices!

 

[dreamcastrocks]

So what you're saying is it's probably time to retire the 31" Sanyo TV I bought 12 years ago? No one's convinced me yet that HD is worth the cost. I've seen it all. My brother has a 60" flat plasma and made me watch an HD baseball broadcast on it. It was too much information for me. Made me a little queasy.

I used to be the dorky guy that bought everything on the front end of the technological curve. Not anymore! I'm going to let all you techno geeks pay for the new stuff while I convert at bargain basement prices!

I won't convince you it is worth it. It is worth it to me though. It will definitely be worth it this year for sure when every Suns game is in HD, and most if not all of the Cards games will be too.

 

[Covert Rain]

Yep, some are predicting Chinese made HDDVD players to flood the market this X-mas season at the $149-199 price mark.

Wow that cheap??? There is no way they are going to be fully functional. Probably 1080i players with no interactive functions or something. That would still be amazing though.

I am personally waiting for the Samsung BDP-UP5000.

So what you're saying is it's probably time to retire the 31" Sanyo TV I bought 12 years ago? No one's convinced me yet that HD is worth the cost. I've seen it all. My brother has a 60" flat plasma and made me watch an HD baseball broadcast on it. It was too much information for me. Made me a little queasy.

I used to be the dorky guy that bought everything on the front end of the technological curve. Not anymore! I'm going to let all you techno geeks pay for the new stuff while I convert at bargain basement prices!

I think if not now your getting there. I mean the expansion of the HD telecasts alone signals it's about time. It has been perfectly understandable to wait. However, with prices coming down on HD TV sets, I really don't think there is any reason to wait any longer. Just my opinion.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Wow that cheap??? There is no way they are going to be fully functional. Probably 1080i players with no interactive functions or something. That would still be amazing though.

I am personally waiting for the Samsung BDP-UP5000.

Yep, that cheap. They have to be. The Toshiba was $249 for quite a while, so the cheapest that they can get away with would be $199.

 

[azsouthendzone]

I'm just pumped that HD DVD rallied. HD DVD is a great product and at a reasonable price. If the players hit the $149-$199 price point at X-mas it will be interesting to se what happens with the PS3 and Blu-Ray.

 

[Gaddabout]

I won't convince you it is worth it. It is worth it to me though. It will definitely be worth it this year for sure when every Suns game is in HD, and most if not all of the Cards games will be too.

I'm just teasing, of course. Truthfully I can't afford to be an early buyer anymore. And I still have bad memories of my friends buying video phones, which are still collecting dust somewhere in their garages.

I'll wait until someone wins and prices drop. And someone explains to me the difference between plasma and LCD. There's a techie in my circle of friends that swears we should all wait until they start broadcasting in higher frame rates (50 or 60/second).

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I'm just teasing, of course. Truthfully I can't afford to be an early buyer anymore. And I still have bad memories of my friends buying video phones, which are still collecting dust somewhere in their garages.

I'll wait until someone wins and prices drop.

I know you're teasing. It's cool. Video phones are still a great idea. If they had a reliable cell that could do it, I think it could take off.

 

[Covert Rain]

Yep, that cheap. They have to be. The Toshiba was $249 for quite a while, so the cheapest that they can get away with would be $199.

That's true. I still would be willing to bet they are only 1080i players (like many of the low end HD DVD players).

I'm just pumped that HD DVD rallied. HD DVD is a great product and at a reasonable price. If the players hit the $149-$199 price point at X-mas it will be interesting to se what happens with the PS3 and Blu-Ray.

The PS3 adds an interesting dimension because I don't think Sony could afford another price drop so soon for the PS3.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

That's true. I still would be willing to bet they are only 1080i players (like many of the low end HD DVD players).



The PS3 adds an interesting dimension because I don't think Sony could afford another price drop so soon for the PS3.

I wouldn't expect 1080p for a 1st gen Chinese player.

We won't see another PS3 drop for at least another year.

 

[Covert Rain]

We won't see another PS3 drop for at least another year.

Wouldn't you think that puts Sony in an awkward situation? If they continue to push down the price of the Blu-Ray stand alone players but don't lower the price of the PS3 then they would have a hard time marketing the Blu-Ray capabilities (from a non game standpoint) of the machine.

The PS3 almost goes back to looking like an overpriced gaming machine.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Wouldn't you think that puts Sony in an awkward situation? If they continue to push down the price of the Blu-Ray stand alone players but don't lower the price of the PS3 then they would have a hard time marketing the Blu-Ray capabilities (from a non game standpoint) of the machine.

The PS3 almost goes back to looking like an overpriced gaming machine.

Probably. The fact that Sony is losing over $350 a console right now, I really doubt that they could justify losing much more.

 

[azsouthendzone]

Everything I've read today says that Transformers is an HD DVD exclusive. Where does it say it will be on BR?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Everything I've read today says that Transformers is an HD DVD exclusive. Where does it say it will be on BR?

I heard that it was one of those titles that may have been agreed to, before this exclusive. I have heard both stories.

 

[azsouthendzone]

I heard that it was one of those titles that may have been agreed to, before this exclusive. I have heard both stories.

I hear you. Its just that in every article I've read today, it states that Transformers, Blades of Glory, and Shrek the Third are the first HD DVD exclusive titles. I am seriously shocked by this news. This is probably the biggest news in the format war since it started. This will be an interesting x-mas. I was toying with the idea of putting an HD DVD player in the bedroom and this seals the deal.

 

[Covert Rain]

I hear you. Its just that in every article I've read today, it states that Transformers, Blades of Glory, and Shrek the Third are the first HD DVD exclusive titles. I am seriously shocked by this news. This is probably the biggest news in the format war since it started. This will be an interesting x-mas. I was toying with the idea of putting an HD DVD player in the bedroom and this seals the deal.

That's what I understand as well. That the title mentioned above will be HD DVD only. The studios don't have any contractual agreements that require them to release in any format if they have been supporting both. They could choose not to release in one format at will. So I would assume that if they feel they are saving money by ceasing any production on the other format then that's what they will do. I don't think there is any contractual obligation to release on Blu-Ray despite the timing of this announcement.

Also, the reason I am still torn is because from a movie standpoint I am more interested in HD DVD. However, I also have 2 young kids and a wife that are clearly Disney freaks and many of the movies and cartoons they want are clear in the Blu-Ray Camp. So, for me it's either get a standalone player for each or get a dual format player. So I am opting for a dual format player at this time.

 

[azsouthendzone]

That's what I understand as well. That the title mentioned above will be HD DVD only. Also, the reason I am still torn is because from a movie standpoint I am more interested in HD DVD.

However, I also have 2 young kids and a wife that are clearly Disney freaks and many of the movies and cartoons they want are clear in the Blu-Ray Camp.

So, for me it's either get a standalone player for each or get a dual format player. So I am opting for a dual format player at this time.

I love Disney as well, but you know, when you put Toy story in an HD DVD drive that upconverts, my two year old really doesn't complain very much. My philosophy is this. HD DVD got me because of the price. They have a large library of content, and for the Blu-Ray exclusives I just buy the standard DVD if I need to have it. The only Blu-Ray exclusive I ever thought to buy was Rocky Balboa and believe me I don't lose sleep over not owning it. If Warner pulls Blu-ray support, it could mean death for the PS3 and maybe Sony as a company.

 

[Covert Rain]

I love Disney as well, but you know, when you put Toy story in an HD DVD drive that upconverts, my two year old really doesn't complain very much. My philosophy is this. HD DVD got me because of the price. They have a large library of content, and for the Blu-Ray exclusives I just buy the standard DVD if I need to have it. The only Blu-Ray exclusive I ever thought to buy was Rocky Balboa and believe me I don't lose sleep over not owning it. If Warner pulls Blu-ray support, it could mean death for the PS3 and maybe Sony as a company.

True but when you throw in the Pirates of the Caribbean titles, the James Bond Franchise and some other movies on that side of the fence, there are some Blu-Ray exclusive titles I wouldn't want to miss out on.