Sure some people think the format war
is over after
Warner's big move, but we can still take a peek at Toshiba's planned next move for the format. Recognizing the confusion even the most informed consumers experience with HDM and HDTVs, Toshiba's CES HD DVD press release revealed "HD DVD Concierge", an 888 number customers can call for assistance with HD DVD, or to
be indoctrinated in the glories of red "receive assistance with various marketing initiatives". Similar to Panasonic's
Plasma Concierge and Sharp's new
Aquos Net support/marketing services, its good to know we can get help with any HD questions we're having, like "
What do you plan on doing next so that my HD DVD player doesn't end up gathering dust in the basement next to my Betamax?" Call 1-888-MY HDDVD for answers.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TigerShark @ Jan 7th 2008 6:02PM
Is Universal going to go Blu?
ceilingfanboy @ Jan 7th 2008 6:07PM
We don't comment on rumors and speculation.
BrokenFERN @ Jan 7th 2008 7:14PM
A bit more than a rumor...
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/DreamWorks/Paramount/CES_2008/Paramount/DreamWorks:__Still_Supporting_HD_DVD_%5BUPDATED%5D/1345
andy @ Jan 7th 2008 6:20PM
When does it go live, and have you tried calling that number and asking that question?
James @ Jan 7th 2008 6:42PM
Seriously, it'd be nice if the hacks that write for this website could look at this objectively. All it takes is Universal and Paramount's continued exclusivity, and combo players will take over. They're two of the larger studios, and looking at my collection, definitely represent more than 2/8ths of my BD and HD catalog. I love Casino Royale, and many of the other popular BD titles out there, but you can bet that there are just as many HD exclusives that I need to have (Bourne Trilogy, Eastern Promises, Face/Off, not to mention HD remains the only way to watch Batman Begins, the Matrix, and V for Vendetta for the time being until Warner works out their BD-J issues). Consumers are going to want to be able to buy from every studio. I imagine that a significant fraction of current HDM owners are dual-format, and that fraction will continue to grow so long as Uni and/or Paramount hold out. Toshiba may not have a chance to win, but you can bet they're willing to stick it to Sony and will pay the studios in the short run in order to see that HD becomes established in much the same way that DVD+R/-R is. They've got a lot to win by keeping the format alive in the form of licensing fees.
DrXym @ Jan 7th 2008 6:53PM
You think combo players are going to save HD DVD? When the market contains Blu Ray players and combo players, it means that Blu Ray is the defacto standard. Studios are not going to bother continuing with HD DVD in those circumstances. Why should they lose a very large percentage of their revenue by staying on the proprietary format? Be in no doubt that combo players spend the end for any "losing" format. Which happens to be HD DVD at present.
MasterCKO @ Jan 9th 2008 2:33PM
Sorry, but I don't think so. As users continue to hedge on which format to get and DVD sales continue to slip, the Studios will be forced to make a choice (the one with more media sales worldwide) in order to earn money.
Also, forgive me for the lack of eloquence here, but I don't think that the DVD+/-R analogy is apt. Those discs are for wildly different purposes (and represent a fairly different market) than what BD and HD-DVD intend to be.
Anthony Butler @ Jan 7th 2008 6:46PM
HD DVD 4 life
DrXym @ Jan 7th 2008 6:50PM
An HD DVD player can still serve as an upscaling DVD player even without content. That's not much I know, but it means it's not completely useless.
andy @ Jan 7th 2008 7:06PM
For 100 bucks, I actually did fairly well for such a nice upconverting player. it really does make a difference.
The only thing I'm mad about is Warner INTENTIONALLY LIEING to me so that I'd buy the HP giftset on HDDVD. If I'd known that they were quitting HDDVD, I would have just bought the new movie on HDDVD. I know it doesn't make that much sense, but since I already have the DVD's, it's a way to minimize the pain.
ph had @ Jan 7th 2008 6:59PM
My hddvd has been sold.
Maybe i will go for a ps3
Jim @ Jan 7th 2008 7:03PM
Paramount and Universal are only HD-DVD exclusive til next year. I believe they signed 1.5 year deals with HD-DVD back in August, seems to have been done so that both the 2007 and 2008 holiday seasons would be HD-DVD only for those studios. Warner is still under contract with HD-DVD until May 31st. Even if Blu-Ray is the *winner* now, it will still be over a year before all movies can be released on BD format. Something tells me even if Toshiba/HD-DVD camp does concede, Toshiba will probably keep the format alive for a while with combo players, sort of like that DVD-RAM standard that some players support.
zargon @ Jan 7th 2008 9:30PM
The 18 month deal is just a myth, a rumor that Blu-ray zealots and the legions from the cesspool known as Blu-ray.com have spread. There is no set time frame for Paramount and Dreamworks to stay HD-DVD exclusivity.
MasterCKO @ Jan 9th 2008 2:37PM
@zargon:
Oh? Most contracts that I've seen between two companies do have a time period associated with them, after which they go under review for renewal/renegotiation. What source exactly are you pulling from that informs you that Universal's and Paramount's contracts with the HD DVD Promo Group are any different?
popaul @ Jan 7th 2008 7:18PM
"What do you plan on doing next so that my HD DVD player doesn't end up gathering dust in the basement next to my Betamax?"
Buy some movies and enjoy them...
Mike @ Jan 7th 2008 7:44PM
Isn't Samsung releasing a duo player for (blue ray 1.1) for $499 retail? That puts street price close to the $399 ps3...and how long till they lower it a little. So affordable combos are close.
I think that posting was sometime yesterday (sunday)
h0mi @ Jan 7th 2008 7:51PM
DF players save HD-DVD by giving us the ability to continue to play those discs we purchased and allows Universal and Paramount to continue to sell HD-DVD discs. In the event that blu-ray proves to be economically unviable, it allows a studio to support HD-DVD easily.
h0mi @ Jan 7th 2008 7:51PM
DF players save HD-DVD by giving us the ability to continue to play those discs we purchased and allows Universal and Paramount to continue to sell HD-DVD discs. In the event that blu-ray proves to be economically unviable, it allows a studio to support HD-DVD easily.
pnorth @ Jan 8th 2008 5:39PM
LOL what freakin' retards - let's comment on a story and make sure our comments don't relate to it? The best and brightest right here...
Back to the topic - I'm glad HD DVD has a number to call. Blu-ray probably won't set one up 500,000 calls about why their 1.0 player won't do PIP or online content would get old really fast too. The PS3 crowd would just call the number thinking it was a free number to tell how many times they've wacked it just looking at their ps3 - They say it's sexxy....
Matt @ Jan 31st 2008 12:07AM
The HD-DVD is the cheaper format as it uses the current DVD manufacturing infrastructure for it's production. Blu-Ray is being pushed by the studio because of it's supposed anti-piracy advantages over hddvd. Unfortunately it will ultimately be the ignorance of the market that will help blu-ray "win". Here's an example, how many of your blu-ray owners actually poses a major studio release or video game that utilizes the 60gb capacity that you always parrot to proclaim blu ray's suprmacy? How many that utilize 50gb? 40gb? The real truth is that in practical consumer applications there is no capacity advantage for either format, just Sony's marketing's cool product naming. It's sad too that I read how tech savvy a lot of people are but they once again get duped by fancy packaging.