We already knew that
New Line Cinema (owned by Time Warner, which also owns Engadget's parent companies) and
HBO Home Video would be
following Warner into the land of the Blu, but it seems as if BBC Video (which also distributes through Warner) has yet to make a decision of its own. According to
TVShowsOnDVD, The Beeb has reiterated that it will continue to support both HD DVD / Blu-ray for now and "will evaluate the marketplace before committing to one format." Apparently,
Planet Earth has been
moving quite well on the red front, and considering just how different its content is compared with New Line / HBO, we wouldn't be shocked to see it stick with both for awhile longer. Still, the cards are certainly stacked in BD's favor, but only time will tell if the BBC will continue to bleed purple.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ryan10ad @ Jan 16th 2008 2:35PM
remember that BBC is like this, they will sit on the fence as long as they can, then commit. Look at iPlayer (bah, windows) and BBC HD. How many years in the making? BBC wants to get it right, so let them.
Vedder @ Jan 16th 2008 2:38PM
Really. Well here's a different take on the same topic.
Warner's switch to Blu-ray exclusivity will not sway its distribution partner BBC Home Video from its dual-format stance.
That's word from from a company spokesperson, who late yesterday told TVShowsonDVD.com that the BBC will continue its format-agnostic strategy for the time being, and that they "will evaluate the marketplace before committing to one format."
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The company cited the stellar sales of its 'Planet Earth' box set (whose HD DVD version has outsold the Blu-ray) as added reasoning behind the decision, as well as an upcoming line-up of multiple (but as yet unannounced) high-def titles it has planned for both formats in 2008.
burndive @ Jan 16th 2008 2:44PM
I think that the fact that they sold more HD DVD than Blu-ray, despite Blu-ray outselling HD DVD in general indicates that there is at least some difference in the market. Blu-ray adopters, by and large, are PS3 owners, which makes them a younger demographic.
In any case, it would seem that the HD DVD install base has a much higher interest in nature documentaries.
I'm not saying that Blu-ray owners are just a bunch of uneducated gamer kids, and HD DVD owners are sophisticated and cultured; that is, I'm not trying to insult anyone.
But the fact is there, that there is some content which will sell better on HD DVD than Blu-ray, despite the fact that there are significantly fewer people who are in the HD DVD market, and the BBC has a lot of content that falls in this category.
I think that this effect will diminish as Blu-ray goes more mainstream. I bought Planet Earth on HD DVD, because that is the player that I have; but I bought an HD-A3 and not a PS3 (yet) because that was the market that I was in, and it was the best decision to make. In another month, I will likely be in the position to equally buy either (indeed, I am already buying certain Blu-ray discs).
Hans Martin @ Jan 16th 2008 3:15PM
You may have a point. I made my decision early on to go for Blu-Ray based on the tech-spec, knowing full well the marked could go either way.
I can not for the life of me figure out how blu-ray outsold HD DVD given the crap titles they selected to penetrate the marked. I can only say that with e in charge, the blu-ray catalog would look very much different from what it is today. But i guess the powers that be knew what they where doing -- doesn't the old saying state that no-body ever got rich over-estimating their customers?
Sales in Europe are very much slanted towards Blu-Ray, in to 70 - 85% range. On the home-market, BBC has an easy pick when it comes time to pick a side. And i don't think they will pick any differently in the US.
ceilingfanboy @ Jan 16th 2008 2:50PM
It looks like they are looking to see how Warner's decision will effect their sales. The sales of Planet Earth HDDVD have dropped, at least on Amazon, from being ranked consistently at about 7 to now being in the 30s while Blu-Ray is still in the low teens to upper singles.
Larry @ Jan 16th 2008 2:54PM
"BBC still mulling Blu-ray exclusive decision"
What? Why is a Blu-Ray-exclusive spin being applied when the story suggests the exact opposite?
Come on Engadget... Just because you're owned by Time Warner doesn't mean you have to "tow the company line."
Vedder @ Jan 16th 2008 3:00PM
agreed.
Dante @ Jan 16th 2008 2:58PM
That title couldn't be more misleading.
FreeRange @ Jan 16th 2008 3:21PM
Strongly agreed. I read that as saying they had gone Blu-Ray exclusive but were second-guessing the decision.
Ron @ Jan 16th 2008 3:21PM
Half a billion $? Get real...
Who can tell me the difference on content between the formats on the Planet Earth series? I did not know there was a difference..
zargon @ Jan 16th 2008 3:40PM
I say just do it and get it over with, no point in letting us HD-DVD supporters suffer anymore. Lets just have a clean break, we can still stay friends.
Gus @ Jan 16th 2008 10:07PM
Zargon come on man, keep the faith!
i was like u initially, it's over let's call it a day, but not now!
I will fight to the bitter end as I, as a consumer, have every right to do, HD DVD has been robbed, we have been robbed.
If we the consumer had been given the choice by all sides being neutral as any modern day market place should be, we would have won all ready!
BR has won by deception and I will never support the product.
HD DVD is not dead, it is wounded, but where there is life there is hope.
Many times i have seen the better man get a flogging early in a fight, but get up off the canvas and win at the end.
I wish Toshiba would drop the A3 to $99 with 2 movies, instead of $149 with 7 or whatever, the amount of hardware they would shift could make some studios have another serious look, sooner rather then later.
GO TOSH !!
massive_98 @ Jan 16th 2008 3:45PM
People are still fighting over this? I thought this was done. Do you not realize what you say will change peoples opinions?
I must admit though. Format war news is the only reason I visit engadgethd. Listening to stupid comments about 500 million dollar payoffs always gives me a good laugh. I'll miss this stuff.
massive_98 @ Jan 16th 2008 3:47PM
Do you not realize what you say will NOT change peoples opinions?
I make that mistake way too much.
lucyfan62 @ Jan 16th 2008 3:53PM
The article copied and pasted above has some misinformation in it which has been corrected by the author, specifically the mention of payouts to Fox and Warners!
FROM THE DIGITAL BITS:
Okay, there are rumors flying around the Net - seeming to originate from columnist Don Lindich in this piece at The Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Saturday - that prior to Warner's defection, the HD-DVD camp had nearly won both Fox and Warner over to their side, but the BDA reportedly paid Fox $120 million to stay in the Blu-ray camp at the "11th hour." This story has been spread around the Net in various movie and tech blogs, particularly those that have leaned towards HD-DVD thus far. Now, I want to make one thing abundantly clear: We're certainly not going to disparage Lindich for making the choice he did and standing by it. We obviously chose a side in this format war and stood by it too, because we (like Don) believed it was the right thing to do by our readers, and so we respect him 100% for having the courage of his convictions. 100%. But there are a few details in his original piece that readers have asked us to comment on today.
First of all, this is a format war. So not surprisingly, the main rule at play thus far with these two camps has seemed to be: "All's fair in love and war." For all the talk about how Warner must surely only have bitten the blue pill due to huge payoffs from the BDA (something Warner's Ron Sanders and others have repeatedly denied, I might add), does anyone really think that the HD-DVD camp didn't offer an equally "green" red pill to Warner to go HD-DVD only? And apparently also to Fox, according to Lindich's original story?
Second, I'll again point out that the HD-DVD camp did the exact same thing with Paramount and DreamWorks last year, to the tune of $150 million. And we're now hearing that they MAY be trying to do it again, to keep the remaining HD-DVD studios loyal in the wake of Warner's decision. So this would seem to be a case of "what goes around comes around." As we noted last week, you may recall that, at the time, Paramount simply cancelled many Blu-ray titles that had already been solicited with retailers. Warner is not only still releasing the HD-DVD titles it's announced, but it's releasing more that haven't yet been announced. The bottom line is that HD-DVD enthusiasts have until 5/31 to enjoy titles from Warner on that format, and there are still MAJOR Warner titles on HD-DVD that have yet to be released on Blu-ray.
Finally, as to these rumors about Fox... does anyone REALLY believe Fox would have flipped to the HD-DVD camp after all their talk about how important Blu-ray's added BD+ copy protection was? As some of you might recall, Fox actually delayed releasing titles on Blu-ray for a period of many months last year in order to wait for BD+ to be finalized. And all this was happening while AACS decryption keys were being extracted from HD-DVD releases and posted online. Fox has been one of the most vocal supporters of Blu-ray. The idea that they would suddenly flip to HD-DVD exclusivity, when software of their preferred format is not only more protected in their eyes but has also been outselling HD-DVD for over a year now, is completely absurd. That would be like a marathon runner with a significant lead at mile twenty-four suddenly deciding to sit down for a coffee break before finishing the race. The belief that Fox was about to go HD-DVD only may simply have been a case of wishful thinking, but wishing does not make it so.
As it happens, I've actually spoken about this today with Fox's senior VP of corporate and marketing communications, Steve Feldstein, who echoed something Warner's Ron Sanders has also said in recent days: "The kind of money they're talking about [in these stories] isn't worth jeopardizing a multi-billion dollar business." In other words, payoffs would not have impacted Fox and Warner's decisions. Feldstein also told me that when The Pittsburgh Post Gazette piece broke, he contacted Lindich immediately to let him know that he was being misled by someone. When Don posted the same piece on his own blog, it was edited to reflect this. Specifically, the references to $120 million and $500 million payoffs were gone - something that's worthy of note.
LiqwidZero @ Jan 16th 2008 4:08PM
lucyfan62,
Please, never cite Bill Hunt in my presence, as he is a blatant Blu-ray fanatic and has exclaimed so on many occasions and is paid by the BDA.
Thanks.
Eddie @ Jan 16th 2008 4:12PM
BBC wants to get paid. HD DVD owners spend real money. Warner bet half their HDM revenue (and 40% of their sales) that they could double it, and I think it needed to happen. Now anybody staying red is getting a major piece of my pocketbook, and I'll never go Blu, so smart business to at least support HD, even if not exclusively. Truthfully, I don't care if HD DVD wins the format war, I just want that technology because I don't want $ony's overpriced, buggy and drm-infested garbage. I'll keep buying until they stop making, and I thank BBC for thinking with their pocketbooks instead of jumping on the bandwagon. There will be plenty of time to go Blu exclusive once we stop buying HD DVDs.
aplen22 @ Jan 17th 2008 1:31AM
I'm sorry, but has anyone noticed that, at least at the time of this post, Planet Earth broke the top 10 (is at #7) on HD DVD for the first time since the Warner announcement. Warner is smart, they announced Blu exclusivity but I think they want to test the market after the explosive HD DVD standalone player sales during christmas. Thats why they didn't walk out the red door so quickly. If you look at the data now, sales are now back up to where they were before the warner announcement (on amazon).
I predict that they will continue to climb, and you can bet toshiba is already looking at new DRM solutions to entice fox over to their side. Once the other studios see that HD DVD is selling so strong with still just 30% studio support warner will go "ooops" in the month of may and say sorry to the red camp and cancel their original decision sighting high sales numbers.
Finally then the studios will stop listening to Sony and their stupid PS3 sales figures and realize that standalone player sales are the real figures they should be looking at. Because lets face it, thats all the Blu camp had at CES was the PS3 sales figures with a slight mention of some standalone player sales. You can also bet that most consumers have already forgot about the warner announcement and thats why red sales are climbing again.
So before may, i predict three things will happen...
1) Toshiba will announce new DRM for HD DVD
2) Fox, Warner and Toshiba will start talking
3) May will hit and a big announcement will be made
MasterCKO @ Jan 17th 2008 7:09AM
aplen22,
I have yet to hear a more unlikely scenario so far. Desperation is a sad thing, my friend.
Fredster @ Jan 16th 2008 4:47PM
i second that, Bill Hunt is famous, but so full of it!
tranzparentl @ Jan 16th 2008 4:58PM
nice spin on the headline.
Joel @ Jan 16th 2008 5:17PM
when will these companies understand that by taking a side in the format war, you will help create your market. If the studios and companies that are "still evaluating data", would realize the way to move that data in your favor would be to pick a side. They are creating the format war to me more than HD-DVD and Blu-Ray technologies themselves. The longer this goes on the worse it is for the consumer, and in the end, isn't that what matters?
whoelse @ Jan 16th 2008 5:37PM
Well this is the BBC. I can see the same stance till 2008 unless Toshiba back out before then.
But it still would flame things a bit more if they did go blu.
HDpurist @ Jan 16th 2008 5:44PM
PE on HD-DVD was the best selling title for HD-DVD farm, all due to the fact that there really isn't anything worth buying on HD-DVD. All sub-$99 Toshiba A2 buyers had no choices but to buy only PE on HD-DVD.
Eddie @ Jan 16th 2008 7:10PM
We have Shrek 3 for people with the cinematical tastes of a four year old. I'm sorry you don't like the "big boy" titles. Next time, Toshiba and MS will make a more concerted effort to cater to your tastes. Sorry about your head injury, I wish you a speedy recovery and certainly hope you regain some of your lost comprehension skills.
Larry @ Jan 17th 2008 3:33AM
Yeah right... Look at the average IMDB ratings from the Stats sites:
HD-DVD = 6.9
Blu-Ray = 6.7
Mr Bobby @ Jan 16th 2008 6:13PM
Ok, this is getting more and more stupid by the day. I thought Blu-ray had it in the bag, now BBC wants to act like a spoiled brat asking for theirs too. Come on, the a--holes at the studios need to cut the crap and pick a side already. Although I'm all Blu-ray, I'm at a point that I no longer give a shit if HD-DVD rises from the ashes and takes over. But, please, let us know so we can stop all this silliness and start to enjoy content from all studios. This whole fighting is ridiculous. We should be criticizing the quality of the movies, the stories behind them... things that matter. We are so divided on everything; if you're a Republican, then you're this, and if you're a Democrat, then you're that. The same crap with HD, if you own HD-DVD you're this. And if you own Blu-ray, then you're that. The issue is that in the meanwhile, the public in general is getting the finger. All this fighting is delaying adoption, and pretty soon we'd be screwed because downloaded HD, with all its shortcoming when compared to media on disc, we'll take over. I blame Sony and Toshiba for ruining the party.
Eddie @ Jan 16th 2008 7:30PM
I'm with Mr Bobby. Let's crown BR the winner, then start producing all content for all formats. I don't see how selling more of the same hollywood garbage is a bad thing for these studios. I don't care that BR sells more, or that HDM never catches on with the general public, I buy HD DVD and I'll buy until there isn't any to buy. What do I care if the companies that make it have the monopoly on the entire HDM market? What do I care if another format sells more of the same movie? I don't. I like HD DVD, I don't like (or want to spend the $$ on) BR, so crown someone and make me some movies. It's not like I want you to give them to me, I'll buy them!
Truth Teller @ Jan 16th 2008 7:39PM
First of all this thread is as slanted as they come.
The BBC are not going Blu-ray.
That's the fact of the matter.
All the rest of the comment abot the BBC keeping a situation under review is just a reflection of the normal business speak for what any clued in business man says (and the Blu-ray side ought to remember this) 'you can never say never'.
We heard the same thing when the Microsoft guy said similar about a Blu-ray add-on; it's unlikely in the extreme but you can't foresee the future & so you can never completely honestly say never.
Unfortunately the folks who insist this 'is already all over' have it all wrong.
Warner's switch (which isn't even scheduled to happen until 5 months time) may or may not happen; 5 months + is a long time in business and a lot can change in the meantime.
There is (if rumour is to be believed) no contract (it was done that way to try and swerve anti-trust legislation) so they have no binding reason to go Blu if Blu-ray sales stay limp & unimpressively tiny compared to SD DVD.
If HD DVD does continue to sell large amounts of hardware then that clearly will be a large market well worth tapping back into and it may well alter people's views.
Particularly as it is now pretty clear that the Warner day-dream of a unified single optical disc format is not going to happen.
There's plenty of time and scope yet for things to work out very differently to the usual hectoring view of the Blu-ray fans that 'Blu-ray already won', again.
But the truth of this now is that it is the Blu-ray side that have set themselves up to have their bluff called, if things really aren't much different by the end of 2008 then they are the ones in deep trouble.
The Blu-ray claims of Universal being out of HD DVD contract (something they have raised for the last 2 years now as they clearly desperately wish for it to happen and be something to help them) have brought them nothing.
Ditto claims that Paramount have an escape clause if WB left.
In fact worse than that for the Blu-ray fans, Universal & Paramount have engaged properly with Toshiba and have put their shoulders to the wheel and are helping the fightback with cuts in movie prices.
Meanwhile Toshiba HD DVD players are selling spectacularly well (again) on Amazon USA and (given the low movie sales volumes each side - still - achieve) getting players out there is the name of the game.
Blu-ray just pi$$ed away all the good publicity they had after CES with the whole profile debacle going very public
(no, there's no need to try and spin the tale here again, it didn't work here and it sure as hell didn't work on the news networks either).
If Toshiba continue to sell players @ 90,000+ per week as they did before on Black Friday you can be certain that as some of us keep saying
this is far from over.
Why do you think the Blu-ray gang are so pi$$ed off about HD DVD right now?
Devils Advocate @ Jan 17th 2008 2:12AM
Truth,
Why should we believe ANYTHING you say after you so boldly predicted that Warner was going HD-DVD exclusive by CES?
Its your money to waste to support a dead format.
Btw, we still have Warner no matter what you say.
MasterCKO @ Jan 17th 2008 7:12AM
Wow, man. Just wow. That is fantastic. As in, it's a fantasy. As in, I hope you have a lot of time on your hands to wait for this magical occurrence of yours to happen.
MidnightDT @ Jan 16th 2008 9:46PM
amazing,
you guys even managed to get the bill oreily blu spin zone going on this article. instead of naming it what it is "BBC staying neutral despite Warner Brothers move" you instead say they are considering going blu later. thats not what it said.
HiFiFreak @ Jan 16th 2008 10:28PM
I have been wanting so badly to jump in head first into the HD format, but have fought every nerve in my body to wait it out until there is a clear winner. I have to admit that I was a little partial to HD DVD due to the fact that it is and has always been a finalized standard. That advantage is disapearing (i think) with the newer players anounced at this years CES from Panasonic. Price is a factor but not as much as it was when all the Blue players were an incomplete standard.
Moral of the story....pleases end this war so I can focus on buying HD goodnes.
JBDragon @ Jan 16th 2008 11:05PM
Really, If your a Blu-Ray fanboy, great, but the real only choice in a player right now is th PS3! It's the only player that will be upgradeable to 2.0! Those other stand alone 1.0 and 1.1 players aren't. Only problem with the PS3, No freeken IR port. Sure you can slap on a PS2 IR adapter, but you still have no power ON/OFF so it's almost pointless.
I want nothing at all to do with Blu-Ray. I don't want Sony having all that control. I don't think they should be rewarded in winning by rushing out to the marketplace a completely unfinished format and on top of that highly DRM infested. Not only on Movie Disc's, but on the Recordable Disc's. As someone who owns over 300 DVD movies, and around 20 HD DVD's currently, I will never BUY or RENT any Blu-Ray movies. I just ordered another 3 HD DVD's that should have gotten hear today 2nd day, but like always, every single freeken time, DHL can't find my address. It's on every single map I've ever seen. Next to many other places, and it's the same old excuse for the last 14 years!!! I'll continue to buy HD DVD's until I can't. If it's not on HD DVD, I'll buy the DVD version. If HD DVD disappears, I guess I'll stick with Unconverted DVD's and HD downloads of one format or another. Ether from Comcast or Xbox LIVE. Right now that hardly happens. I will NEVER go BLU.
Warner going Blu only just means I won't EVER be buying any of their HD movies!!! To bad I guess. I can only hope, Toshiba does their best to keep HD DVD around for as long as possible!!! I would rather both formats DIE then for Blu-Ray to win.
Gus @ Jan 17th 2008 1:23AM
I'm with you JB,let's not take this lying down.
The consumers have been robbed, and as the great man Winston Churchill said...
"we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender"
NEVER GIVE IN, NEVER SAY DIE, justice has not been served, no matter what happens, no matter what the result, go team red!
FANBOY AND PROUD OF IT !!
luvincharity @ Jan 17th 2008 3:10AM
Heres some news that just got reported over at formatwarcentral.com
This article at Hollywood Reporter seems to have good news for both camps.
It starts with a list of new HD DVD title announcements including Into the Wild, Things We Lost in the Fire and Bee Movie from Paramount/DreamWorks, and later The Kite Runner and The Jack Ryan Collection.
Universal announced American Gangster.
The good news for Blu-ray enthusiasts is last weeks Videoscan First Alert data which reportedly states that all of the Top 10 HD Discs were Blu-ray titles and that Blu-ray held an 85% market share, which I believe sets a new high for market share in any given week for Blu-ray Disc.
The article notes that the top HD DVD seller, The Kingdom, sold just 10% as many copies as the top Blu-ray Disc release, 3:10 to Yuma.