The Hollywood Reporter is citing “reliable industry sources” as saying that Toshiba is on the verge of officially dropping its HD DVD format. Though Toshiba denies that any such decision has been made, the just-published article in The Reporter points to “substantial” losses from each HD DVD player sold and a series of high-profile defections as key motivators for the company, with one unnamed source close to the HD DVD camp telling the Reporter that “an announcement is coming soon . . . it could be a matter of weeks.”
Asked to respond to the report, Toshiba VP Jodi Sally reiterated her company’s support of the HD DVD format. “Based on its technological advancements, we continue to believe HD DVD is the best format for consumers, given the value and consistent quality inherent in our player offerings,” said Sally. She went on to address “the market developments in the past month,” saying only that “Toshiba will continue to study the market impact and the value proposition for consumers, particularly in light of our recent price reductions on all HD DVD players.”
Netflix has announed that they will carry high-def DVDs only in Blu-ray format. Citing the decision by four of the six major movie studios to publish high-def DVD titles only in the Sony-developed Blu-ray format, Netflix said that as of now it will purchase only Blu-ray discs and will phase out by roughly year’s end the alternative high-def format, HD DVD, developed by Toshiba.
When Warner Home Video announced last month that by the end of this year it will release high-def titles exclusively in the Blu-ray format, it joined fellow majors Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment in endorsing Blu-ray. Currently, the two remaining majors, Paramount Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Entertainment, publish in the HD DVD format.
Since the first high-definition DVDs came on the market in early 2006, Netflix has stocked both formats. But the company said that in recent months the industry has stated its clear preference for Blu-ray and that it now makes sense for the company to initiate the transition to a single format. This is an interesting new development. This past December, prior to Warner Brothers going exclusively Blu Ray, Netflix reported that HD DVD and Blu Ray rentals were just about even. So in just three months Blu Ray rentals increased and HD DVD rentals decreased by a large enough margin to discontinue renting HD DVDs?
Continue reading NetFlix Tells Customers They Are Supporting Blu Ray
When Warner Brothers announced they were switching to Blu Ray, one reason they gave was that the consumers supported Blu Ray over HD DVD. Thati s a flat out lie. Warner Brothers became Blu Ray exclusive because Sony cut them a large check. It wasn’t about the customer, it was about the kickback. Don’t let Warner Brothers get away with their lies. Support HD DVD. The only reason Blu Ray has sold many of their overpriced players is because Sony put it into its PlayStation 3 leading that system to come out at over $400 per unit. Now, Sony is forced to take a huge loss to lower the price point to $399.
Blu Ray purposely screwed early adopters, and they blame the early adopters by saying “they knew what they were buying”. The same features HD DVD had at launch, Blu Ray won’t have until they release Profile 2.0 and new players. Now here’s the screw, the only Blu Ray player that can upgrade to Profile 2.0 is the PlayStation 3. Profile 2.0 Blu Ray players won’t be available until Q3 this year. And there is no guarantee Profile 2.0 discs will even play on older players. Sony insists that it will only be the special features that won’t play, but some studios don’t seem as sure.
Sony formats have always failed . . . betamax, minidisc. Why support a company that rushed out their new technology just to not fall behind HD DVD. They couldn’t compete with HD DVD, so they put out their incomplete technology and put the money machine to work buying studio support. So don’t support a format that doesn’t care about their customers. And don’t support the studios that don’t care about their customers by being Blu Ray exclusive.
Sign the Save HD DVD petition.
Video Business reports that New Line Home Entertainment will release Hairspray in three standard DVD versions and on Blu-ray Disc, the studio’s first high-definition release, on November 20. The dual-format supporting studio also will release the musical on HD DVD, but not until the first half of 2008 due to the format’s lack of regional coding, making the title a de facto Blu-ray exclusive in the fourth quarter. On DVD, the $107 million grossing box-office hit will be available as a single-disc priced at $28.98, in a two-disc “Shake and Shimmy” edition priced at $34.99 and in a gift set priced at $59.76. The Blu-ray and upcoming HD DVD will be $34.99. Both the two-disc DVD and the Blu-ray version will be packaged with a unique two-sided, transparent sleeve, that can be turned to show either the show’s adult or teenage casts on the front of the package.
The two-disc “Shake and Shimmy” edition and the high-def versions are fully decked-out with extras, among them behind-the-scenes bonus features including a new musical number (”I Can Wait”), a “You Can’t Stop the Beat” documentary, a “Hairspray Extensions” featurette offering dance breakdowns, audio commentaries and deleted scenes. In addition, the Blu-ray version will have a “Behind the Beat” picture-in-picture-type option allowing viewers to watch behind-the-scenes footage and commentary concurrent with the running feature. The HD DVD, when it releases next year, also will have picture-in-picture, Internet connectivity and Web-enhanced features.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be released as a Two-Disc Special Edition, a Widescreen version, a Full Screen version, a Blu-ray Disc and a HD DVD on December 11. The Two-Disc Special Edition, Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD will include: 10 minutes of never before seen footage; an A&E documentary; a featurette called “Trailing Tonks,” in which you spend a day with actress Nat Tena and receive a very personal and often wacky tour of the “Order of the Phoenix” stages; a “Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing” feature, in which director David Yates and editor Mark Day show us what a difference a good edit makes and then allow you to edit a scene; “The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter” in which look for clues in the past Harry Potter films for what the future films may hold; an “In Movie Experience,” in which you join the cast from Dumbledore’s Army as they come together to share memorable moments; as well as more “making of” featurettes and “Fun and Games.”
