HD DVD and Blu-ray releases on January 8th, 2008
by Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Jan 8th 2008 at 6:53PM
Although we are running non-stop 24 hours a day with CES coverage, the new titles roll on. While some think the format war is over, the fat lady hasn't sung just yet and this week we have a slew of titles for both camps. Blu-ray has the day and date 3:10 to Yuma as well as some catalog titles like Con Air and Man on Fire. Universal is pulling the weight in the red camp -- we have a feeling this will be the trend from now on -- with four catalog titles and Paramount brings us Zodiac: Director's Cut. Overall January is a slow month for release and with so few titles released at CES this year, we are left wondering what titles are coming down the pipe to help each camp reach their 2008 goals.. HD DVD 375 vs Blu-ray 412*
Blu-ray
- 3:10 to Yuma (2007) (Lionsgate)
- Con Air (Buena Vista)
- Dragon Wars (Sony)
- Killing Machine/Shogun's Ninja (BCI)
- Man on Fire (Fox)
- Night of the Werewolf/Vengeance of the Zombies (BCI)
- The Rock (Buena Vista)
- Sister Street Fighter/Sister Street Fighter 2 (BCI)
- Sunshine (Fox)
- Mobsters (Universal)
- The Pianist (Universal)
- White Noise (Universal)
- White Noise 2: The Light (Universal)
- Zodiac: Director's Cut (Paramount)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave @ Jan 8th 2008 6:58PM
Good titles for Blu-ray :)
ph had @ Jan 8th 2008 7:18PM
go blu!
Brutus Lamour @ Jan 8th 2008 7:50PM
Hey ben you should put an asterix to the warner's title, just like you did for paramount when they went hd-dvd only.
aplen22 @ Jan 8th 2008 8:25PM
Warner is still releasing titles until May so I'm guessing thats why there is no asterix next to warner titles.
Stewie @ Jan 9th 2008 7:50PM
Yeah but their should be one for NLC since they pulled their HD-DVDs immediately.
SonyPS3Sucks @ Jan 8th 2008 7:51PM
go Universal! I mean RED!
Jeff N. @ Jan 8th 2008 7:59PM
3:10 to Yuma is a good Flick. I highly recommend it.
Samuel.N.Woods @ Jan 8th 2008 8:02PM
"Hey ben you should put an asterix to the warner's title, just like you did for paramount when they went hd-dvd only."
Don't forget about New Line who is dropping HD-DVD immediately.
Stewie @ Jan 9th 2008 7:49PM
Yeah I was about to post on that NLC has pulled a "Paramount" as formatwarcentral puts it, and pulls their HD-DVDs immediately.
JayHDDVD @ Jan 8th 2008 8:15PM
I picked up that Werewolf/Zombie flick haha. Can't wait to watch.
Cheesy horror on blu :P
EQC @ Jan 9th 2008 2:10AM
I don't know much about those two movies...but I LOVE the idea of putting 2 movies on one disk and selling it cheap. It lists for $30, amazon's selling it for $20 -- that's 10 bucks per HD movie, without any sort of BOGO or anything.
Personally, I don't do much with extras...so if leaving out the extras means they can cram another movie on the disk and sell it for the same price, I'm happy.
I wonder if these two movies would have fit on a 30GB HD-DVD disk?
EQC @ Jan 9th 2008 2:13AM
well, I'm a big stupid -- Amazon says there's 2 disks in the box.
Anyway, it's still a good deal...and I still hope BluRay starts selling pairs (or triplets?) of older movies on one disk and keeps the price nice and low. I'm finally starting to see that sort of thing on DVD's at WalMart, and I like getting 2-3 movies on one DVD for $10.
regeya @ Jan 9th 2008 2:27PM
Looking at that list, hm, I wonder why neither format is seeing widespread adoption?
Face it, fanboys on both sides, at this point, winning the HD movie disc war isn't that big of a deal.
JimC @ Jan 8th 2008 10:00PM
I wonder when Lord of the Rings will be given a release date for Blu-ray/HDDVD...oh wait, right, scratch that, New Line is blu-ray only effective immediately... If BDA wanted to absolutely bury this format war, they would get New Line/Peter Jackson to get the extended editions of LotR on blu-ray asap or at least announce it and give the planned release date and promote the crap out of it. That would virtually assure HDDVD raises the white flag.
Kadillac @ Jan 8th 2008 10:42PM
What format war? Why are you still worried about HD-DVD? You really think New Line needs to "rush" LOTR out to bury HD-DVD?
Get a clue...
JimC @ Jan 9th 2008 1:15AM
Don't get too cocky, there's still $$$ out there to bribe with...I don't expect HDDVD to make a comeback but just the same, let's make the mass market know who's the winner and what a great way to do it, announce Blu-ray LotR...
MidnightDT @ Jan 8th 2008 11:57PM
Go Red!!!!
Scharllatan @ Jan 9th 2008 6:06AM
Dear Universal and Paramount:
'Stop shitting out HD-DVDs or GO TO HELLLLLLL...'
aplen22 @ Jan 9th 2008 1:50PM
How mature of you. Now let's talk ratio of standalone players...
HD DVD: 1 million
Blu: 500,000 (lets not count PS3 because the majority of owners don't even know its a blu-ray player, PS2 did affect the DVD market much, lets get real here).
Anyway, the only reason Uni and Paramount have not abandoned the format yet is exactly for the reason I point out here. For example, let's take walmart (yes i know they don't report figures but never the less just let me explain). Customer X walks into walmart, which might I add makes up almost 50% of the retail market in north america, and is looking for a next generation player. They have their two standard choices red or blue, but the only blu player walmart sells is the PS3. Now, either call me crazy or not, but the average consumer is not gonna say, wow thats cheap for a Blu-ray player, the average consumer is gonna say "playstation, i don't need a gaming console." And most likely is gonna walk out with the cheaper HD DVD standalone player. The only way the two red studios are gonna abandon is if the HD DVD market truly does dry up. Right now, given a standalone player ratio of 2:1 in reds favor, you will probably see a sharp recovery in the coming months as these average consumers go looking for titles for their new players. Lets face it, warner titles are still coming till May, and by then, i predict figures will be back where they were before the warner announcement. That is why this war is not over, sorry blu fanboys.
Fredster @ Jan 9th 2008 11:23AM
nice to see that a picture of a Blu-Ray movie is being posted, for a change
Mr_Fizzlepop @ Jan 9th 2008 4:52PM
@aplen22
Perhaps you haven't been around much the last year, Standalone players aren't making much of a difference in the overall Sales of Discs.
Keep in mind, alot of the cheap HD-DVD players also came with free movies. Those not willing to pay much for their players are also, after getting 5+ free movies, not likely to go out and purchase many additional movies at the current B&M prices.
Though given time those HD-DVD players would likely have led to Disc sales it's not likely to be happening in the next few months as the average consumer recovers from their holiday purchases.
Additionally there is the "I bought it to replace a DVD player" crowd that figured they were buying some "future proof/upconvert" insurance and have really no intention of buying any HD movies in the coming months.
With those 2 factors you are likely to see the same lower sales percentages for HD-DVDs that you saw all last year, for at least several months.
Add to that the fact that more retail sales people are likely to be much less encouraged to promote HD-DVD more than ever and you have one more factor that is going to help spell the End for HD-DVD.
Oh, and the PS3 store which any PS3 user with online access can get to, has, along with free game demos and free smaller games, Blu-ray trailers. The PS3 has been boxed with a Movie as well, meaning most users are well aware that it plays both DVDs and Blu-rays. Honestly, do you think nobody buying a PS3 in the last few months asked why it came with a Movie and not a game, and didn't get the answer...well, it plays Blu-ray movies.
I'm really a little surprised to see a "standalone/don't count the PS3" argument even on here anymore, that ship has sailed.
Mr_Fizzlepop @ Jan 9th 2008 4:58PM
Oh, and the Return to Before the Warner announcement idea, blu-ray was selling 2:1 in the Software sales, how is that going to help HD-DVD at all?