Kotaku
Is this the final death blow for HD-DVD? Variety is reporting that Universal Studios will follow Warner Bros., New Line and possibly Paramount toward the cooling blue light of Blu-ray allegiance, as the studio's commitment to supporting HD-DVD exclusively has ended. That doesn't necessarily mean that Universal is abandoning the HD-DVD format as Warner plans to, however, as Variety writes that the company still has plans to support the Toshiba backed hi-def discs.
Though HD-DVD backers may still limp along in their support or fanboyism of a movie format, this "war" couldn't look any more like one camp has won at this point. It's all over but the crying, blanket clutching and Michael Bay gloating, it seems.
Blu-ray could win high-def battle [Variety]
Comments
ITS OVER FOR SURE 2009 + IS BLU - sorry but I was tired of this format war
HD is overated amd expensive. I'll stick with DVDs thanks.
Ouch. Sounds like the final nail to me. It was nice knowing you, HD-DVD.
ohh! i better hurry and buy an hd dvd player, and in 30 years it should b worth something, at least the price i paid for it.
HD-DVD is dead in the water. Sad but true.
Yeah HD-DVD is going to die. But why did they all decide to go Blu? I mean comparing most HD-DVDs to Blu Ray discs of the same movie, HD-DVDs blow their Blu Ray counterparts out of the water.
@hatramroany: ...only when the Blu Ray movie is shown on a standard non HD set lol.
Yeah i was reading that its not going to happen. Universal said it was going to stick with hd dvd. I don't know. I guess companies like to fuck with consumers. Thinking of us my ass.
Source
I still can't imagine paying those prices for a movie. A game offers dozens of hours of enjoyment, justifying the price, but for most movies, I just can't see any reason to not just upscale the DVD, and pick up a ton of them for like $5 each a lot of the time.
Let it end quickly! Be swift, sweet, merciful death.
It's gonna suck for the HDDVDers though. =\
Yahtzee! Good news for me.
Yeah, BailOut!
Ok thats not a nail in the coffin,thats the coffin being set on fire and the ashes paved over with concrete.
@hatramroany: The quality of both formats are about the same from what I gather. It really depends on the transfer quality...some studios have done some really half assed transfers. Case in point, Batman Begins on HD-DVD. It looked pretty shitty on my friends' 52" Sony plasma
Woo! Nail in that coffin! Never been so excited about technology I have never used! Stupid format war -_-
Nope, this is it, the war is over. Universal publishes BSG, and I must have BSG in HD. That is all that matters to me at this point. I'll still enjoy the HD-DVD of Season 1 though ;)
sorry, but guess again.
this is from hidefdigest.com:
Responding to published reports that its commitment to backing HD DVD exclusively has ended, Universal has issued a new statement of support for HD DVD.
"Contrary to unsubstantiated rumors from unnamed sources, Universal's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format," said Ken Graffeo, executive vice president of HD strategic marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.
Graffeo's comments follow a report in yesterday's Variety that Universal's agreement to exclusively support HD DVD had ended and had not been renewed. The report went on to speculate that both Universal and Paramount could switch sides soon, ending the high-def format war instantly.
A Universal spokesperson told us this afternoon that the studio plans to issue new upcoming HD DVD title announcements in the near future.
The HD DVD Promotions Group is also said to be planning its own statement regarding the rumors of a Universal switch to format neutrality.
and here's the link:
[www.highdefdigest.com]
who's left with HD-dvd exclusive ?
Good riddance. I'm guessing the only reason either the two formats aren't selling as nicely as they could is simply because consumers want security knowing that the side they picked is the right one. News like this can only be good for the industry.
@Shindokie (psn and xbl):
Basically what they said was that they don't plan on dropping hd-dvd at the moment but the words "exclusive to hd-dvd" didn't appear anywhere in the press release
@presto117:
They may still support HDDVD but they don't say that they are exclusively supporting it though.
I say this whole thing ends like Lord of the Flies.
Just want everyone to know I totally f****** called it.
@hatramroany: Please are people still blind to the fact the codec support is the same? Neither format looked better then the other overall.
One was red boxes, the other was blue. For everyone one red box that sold in a given territory, 9 (japan) 3 (europe) 2(america) blue ones were sold. Thats why everyone went blu.
This is not the JFK assasination, there's no mystery behind why hd dvd sold, so why are people still wondering?
ugh...and i happened to like extra features on HD-DVD lot more than blu-ray...
well....one less format means less buying confusion for everyone....
@Waza:
Universal, Paramount, and Weinstein Co.
@icepick314:
Those extra features will be coming to Blu-ray now that the 1.1 profile players are ready for launch.
@Sollus: true, but it does squash the rumor that they are dropping HD DVD support all together.
but once i buy my PS3, they can go ahead and do whatever they want.
@presto117: Yes but they did not say they are going to be HDDVD exclusive. Universal is likely going to support both.
@Pai Pai Master: Weinstein Co. doesn't really count anymore as they haven't released a HDDVD in a long time, and even their reps have stated they are considering switching to Blu. The company has lots of issues right now and they joined hddvd early on, but have abandoned all HD media since
@BauerStyle:
Don't correct my errors. Damn you *walks away* I honestly hope this shit ends already .
@belain:
There's less cache with HD-DVD, and BD can sustain higher bitrates. Then there is the obvious storage edge, as well as the durabis coating that makes BD discs more resistant to scratching. Granted, the coating was made hard enough since the data surface is closer to the surface than HD-DVD.
But yeah, codecs are the same. In fact, WB's releases uses identical masters right down to the bitrate.
For anybody thinking about posting an article about how they're dedicated to HD-DVD, please notice how it doesn't say anything about supporting HD-DVD exclusively, and doesn't say anything at all about not going to Blu-Ray.
Good to hear, really don't care though HD-DVD & Bluray were nearly the same, one just had more storage space and IMO Bluray had better sound quality. Who knows though, maybe HD-DVD might make a comback for the future Xbox and it's games will be on HD-DVD discs.
@Shindokie (psn and xbl):
haha just trying to add some clarification sorry!
Heh, this is the same magazine that reviewed Super Mario Galaxy so well and so fairly...yeah on second thought perhaps I'll wait before I just assume this is true ;)
@Codexx: They discover that the island is the whole world?
That makes no fucking sense.
Bourne trilogy on Blu-Ray. Thanks.
can michael bay move exclusively to high school janitor since he's a master of shit?
oh well... I would like to see Appleseed EX and Transformers on Bluray but thats a "want" and a rental at best. I'll still buy my 7.99 DVDs
@hellboy997: It was already tried, but in the first week he blew everything up!
thank god microsoft didnt screw us by building in the HD player and letting us buy it in the future when we actually need it. (and it's cheaper).
Microsoft have even 'not ruled out' releasing blu-ray support. (though they have said there are no current plans).
Modularity for total win.
@ambitious009: darn
Time to start buying Blu-Ray.
@MeateaW: The Blu-Ray in the PS3 is about games. The space to ship a game uncompressed or to have extra content on the disc. I am glad PS3 shipped with the Blu-Ray drive.
sweet now I can watch Serinity in Blu
rumor .... [www.betanews.com]
it was denied by Universal ...
I agree with THECHOSEN, HD is still too expensive anyways, I do not currently own a HDTV and to get the HD-DVD player and the $30 movies, I would rather stick with DVDs. I don't see a point to have HD other than action movies.
As for my view on HD-DVD vs Blu-ray; I like the set standard of HD-DVD rather than a still changing standard of Blu-ray. I have also read that HD-DVD is a lot easier to program for as with the programming for the Xbox 360. Blu-ray is more troublesome to program for just like the devs are saying for PS3
JUST SOMEONE WIN ALREADY DAMMIT, I AM TIRED OF THE BULLSHIT.
on another note, my wife told me tonight 3 game systems is too many...I have to give up my 360 or my PS3...or I guess I could always give up my healthy sex life.
hmmm decisions, decisions, decisions
@Seiven: LOL I would suggest getting your wife addicted to a game on each console :)
While I have to unfortuantely admit HD-DVD is basically dead, this story is false. Universal just had a press release, just like paramount, saying they are still committed to the format.
[www.highdefdigest.com]
We're getting closer and closer to the end of this ridiculous war. I'm just glad I went with Blu-Ray. Thanks PS3. And to HD haters, you are idiots. What are you talking about, "HD movies are too expensive"? $20 is harldy too expensive for a hi-definition movie and I haven't paid more than that on Amazon for any of my Blu-Rays. HD is not overrated, you're just too poor or stingy to put up the money for high quality. Oh well, what do I care? I'm the one enjoying it!
@AllKindsOfRalph: $30 movies?
There are specials and BOGOs all the time, no different than regular dvds.
As I have both....I really care not which format wins......I've actually enjoyed HD-DVDs choices more and I appreciate the interface a bit more and like the convenience of the COMBO Discs.
But as the saying goes......life goes on.
I personally cannot wait for the bargain prices on HD-DVD discs should they fold.
IMO Who cares what format anything is....if it has content/features you like buy it.
I loved BETAMAX in its day. I preferreed the SYQUEST EZ DRive over the ZIP Iomega. Heck....I even prefer an ARCHOS over an iPOD....