While members of the Blu-ray
camp can't stop making announcements, the sole exclusive provider of HD DVD titles; Universal has confirmed they have no new major titles announcements for 2007. They do go on to indicate that they will continue to release new HD DVD titles throughout the year. We will wait to see how this effects the number of titles battle
we have been keeping track of, but there are rumors that Universal's HD DVD support may be swaying. While this may be bad news for Toshiba, what is good news is that during Warner's press conference both HBO and New Line revealed their plans to release Total Hi Def discs, which means there will be more titles for both formats, including the Lord of The Rings.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave @ Jan 10th 2007 11:10AM
This was the last strike!
hd dvd is dead! I told you!
zombieflanders @ Jan 10th 2007 11:16AM
I've seen multiple supposed insiders say Universal's exclusivity agreement with HD DVD ran out December 31, 2006. I wonder if they timed this with the TotalHD announcement...
dzung @ Jan 10th 2007 11:40AM
Please let this thing be over with so i can start my high definition movie collection already. Just one thing though, being a person that has a computer, I just don't understand why anyone would choose a format that has a lesser capacity. I heard they have or is developing 4 layer blu-ray disk with up to 200GB capacity. It seems like overkill now but eventually we'll need that extra capacity.
Larry @ Jan 10th 2007 11:57AM
The HD DVD format offers many features not yet found in Blu-ray. The extra capacity has yet to allow Bu-ray to do anything that HD DVD can not.
Smeagol @ Jan 10th 2007 12:31PM
I say, the war is offically over once Universal announces their first Blu-Ray movie.
Ryan J. @ Jan 10th 2007 12:42PM
Interesting... I still don't think that this means the end of HD-DVD. I've been to Best Buy and Circuit City in the last day, and they both have PS3's piled waist high. I asked the department workers at both stores about them, and they BOTH said that sales of PS3's are S-L-O-W. Not everybody who buys a PS3 buys it for BD (since they don't have a HDTV or simply don't care). Stay tuned, because the HD disc war is not over yet... I think we'll get a victor though within the next year or so.
boogaloo @ Jan 10th 2007 12:49PM
I think blu-ray's year is 2007...the PS3 will be and is the key reason. If CES is any indicator there will be many more blu-ray titles then HD DVD by mid 2007. Now blu-ray needs to keep there promise of better features.
TobyTyler @ Jan 10th 2007 1:04PM
Don't fret. You can buy HD or BD discs now without fear of Betamax repeat. Combo players can solve the problem for consumers no matter who wins.
walk2k @ Jan 10th 2007 1:54PM
I personally don't care who "wins". I think Bluray is technically superior, but as they say, that didn't help Betamax.
I bought a PS3 for gaming primarily, though Blurays do look amazing on it (my favorite so far for picture quality - Terry Gilliam's Brothers Grimm, fantastic..) but I haven't purchased a single disc yet. My plan is to rent from Netflix until the "war" is decided, and then maybe buy a standalone HD-DVD player if I have to... Though, it's not looking like that will even happen now, if HD-DVD is headed to the DIVX pile...
Ben Hobbs @ Jan 10th 2007 2:15PM
HD DVD's sold twice as much as Blu-Ray movies last year, Movie companies don't decide format wars, the consumers do, they will sell on whatever format brings in the most profit.
Sy @ Jan 10th 2007 3:31PM
Can we quit "HD DVD sold twice as much as Blu-Ray movies last year" comment please? The name of the game is momentum. With the PS3 finally released, Blue-Ray titles have been flying out the doors ...increasing a whopping 700%. In the last week of Decemember, Blu-Rays titles surpassed HD DVD titles for the first time, outselling it by 20%. With CES, exclusive Blu-Ray studios announced their schedule release while Universal pretty much said No Mas.
When your kids come around asking to watch Cars or Finding Nemo on your new HDTV set, what are you gonna tell them?
Coil @ Jan 10th 2007 3:51PM
That doesn't sound good. Is HD-DVD dying already?
Rick wilson @ Jan 10th 2007 4:08PM
No, that sounds GREAT: finally one format. There has always been more backing for blu-ray, and now hopefully HD-DVD will just stop. I mean come on... Universal is the only company backing the thing... everyone else is on Blu-ray.
Just Me @ Jan 10th 2007 4:07PM
I'm indifferent to who 'wins' as I'm not planning to purchase either HD disc format in the foreseeable future.
Give me digital distribution!
hmurchison @ Jan 10th 2007 4:28PM
Typical thread
We have Dave puking out more anti HD DVD nonsense.
We have ASSuMEmptions that Universals lack of announcement is negative
We have another that wants to ignore the facts in lieu of "momentum"
Neither format did anything the solidify their victory. Warner is now announcing that Total HD is their baby and they're done delivering two SKU.
This war is not more closer to completion than it was prior to CES.
jrepetti @ Jan 11th 2007 12:37AM
Has the porn industry backed a format yet? Obviously that will be the clear winner.
Dave @ Jan 11th 2007 5:32AM
Yes, porn is backin Blu-ray!
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=4221
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=1247
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=3384&highlight=vivid
Tony @ Jan 11th 2007 7:02AM
You might want to check this out:
http://www.i4u.com/article7621.html
Dave @ Jan 11th 2007 8:32AM
WOW, LOL, the credibility of that is ZERO (0). Its obvious...
pliepl @ Jan 19th 2007 12:25AM
Yes, porn is backin Blu-ray!
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=4221
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=1247
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=3384&highlight=vivid
WOW, LOL, the credibility of that is ZERO (0). Its obvious...
You do realize that your sources are links to a Blu ray message board? I hope youre not expecting anyone to take it as a serious credible source.
Ben Hobbs @ Jan 11th 2007 11:00AM
Four porn movies are being released in HD-DVD this month by Digital Playground after previously announcing they where releasing on Blu-Ray they have swapped over to the HD DVD camp.
http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/16901.html
Tauron @ Jan 11th 2007 7:42PM
Universal is a crucial factor. But, the studios just announced that they will be releasing 400 titles on HD DVD this year! How many for Blu-ray?
marvin @ Jan 12th 2007 3:19AM
HD-DVD backers have estimated over 300 titles for 2007, while Blu-Ray backers have estimated over 600. Which makes sense since Blu-Ray has support from all major studios except Universal.
Ben Hobbs @ Jan 13th 2007 10:54AM
"Can we quit "HD DVD sold twice as much as Blu-Ray movies last year" comment please? The name of the game is momentum. With the PS3 finally released, Blue-Ray titles have been flying out the doors ...increasing a whopping 700%"
And now they are back down to selling less than HD-DVD's, That blip was probably all the owners of PS3's trying Blu-Ray out, the decrease is probably down to most of them being underwhelmed. HD-DVD's are still outselling Blu-Ray discs, no matter what spin "interested parties" try and put on it. You'll see $200 HD-DVD players before the end of the year and thats when it will likely get interesting.
fred972 @ Jan 17th 2007 1:05PM
What the hell fuck bluFuckingray HD DVD is the following of SD DVD come on a big title like lord of the ring is about 26Gig With HD sound ( DD, DTS) and let's say we fucking greedy 20Gig of bonuses. So what the hell won't a triple layer HD DVD do the business, sony comes with they new format and people go like stupid sheeps after it. Hey don't forget sony is japan, where the fuck is hollywood? HD DVD all the way the player are cheaper and good, the discs are cheap to make, and sony wanna fuck BD oh sorry bd fanboys up, PS3 really I was waiting for more than what I heard. Anyway whatever, let japan rule your asses.
Zed @ Jan 17th 2007 9:44PM
@fred972
Wow are you some kind of biggot? Where were the computer partrs in your computer made? Where were the screens in your house made. A tripple layer HD/DVD won't be around for a while buddy, and like you said your looking at 40 gigs for longer movies, Im thinking quality is going to be downgraded on longer movies that come out on HD/DVD for the next while which will also hurt it. U say fuck the BD fanboy's at least I have never seen a BD fanboy go off on such an uneducated rant before. You HD/DVD guy's love cutting down people but it never seems like you have a point or anything but a rumor. It's all good though, it's all a defence mechicinism and this news about Universal really gets you guy's on the defence. Cheaper to make and produce please; those are the single layer HD disks. look at what your magical tripple layer disk is going to cost to produce then we will see which is cheaper. HD/DVD could stricly be for porn, it will be like a tell, you will know who the pervs are if they have a HD/DVD player. Porn is all about the cheapest! Sony and Disney are huge! throw the rest of the companys in the mix and with all the titles, it's almost impossible for BD to die. But go on thinking what you want you biggot!