Does everyone know the war is officially over but us?
While we all wait for Toshiba to make things official, we're starting to wonder if everyone is the HD DVD camp already has a plan that they haven't shared with us. We can't say we blame them, but just reviewing the series of events since Warner went Blu, it has us convinced that everything that's happened since, is according to schedule. Sure Netflix and the Wal-Mart aren't inside the circle, but it's reasonable to believe that when they got wind of the demise of HD DVD, it seemed like a great time to make an announcement for some shameless free press. If we were to guess, we'd say that Universal and Paramount feel like they're left holding the bag and we'd think that as far as they're concerned Toshiba can't call it fast enough. To add credence to this, the good old WSJ is reporting that both will be in the clear to announce titles for Blu-ray -- as well as for Warner to cease HD DVD production-- as soon as it goes official. We can certainly understand Toshiba's desire to string it out though, cause no doubt as soon as it's official many of the remaining HD DVD players will end up in a landfill somewhere and that's not good for anybody. [Via CEpro.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
N30tid3 @ Feb 18th 2008 5:24PM
I don't own HD-DVD but feel pretty bad for them. These posts about their demise are coming fast and furious. I've not seen anything quite like it.
Also I really wonder how long Paramount and Universal are going to take to ramp up BD production.
Evan @ Feb 18th 2008 7:21PM
Yeah dude, it has been fast! I don't care if Universal and Paramount start making BD discs, I just hope they release some new ones on HD DVD for a while to pick up. Looks like American Gangster may be the last title we get worth buying.
I'm not too upset about the demise in the end, I got a 98 dollar player and some good deals on HD DVDs, knowing that there was a strong possibility they would lose.
I hope for a Toshiba BD player or dual format player. If that doesn't happen maybe a BD add-on for the 360. If neither of those happen I'll probably pick up a BD player once the price is right and the features are on par with the HD DVD players.
EEL @ Feb 18th 2008 10:29PM
@ N30tid3,
"Also I really wonder how long Paramount and Universal are going to take to ramp up BD production?"
Probably as quickly as it took you to post your comment.
Landlocked @ Feb 18th 2008 5:32PM
Wow -- this post says nothing that the past 500 about the demise of HD DVD said. Way to beat a dead horse, Enadget. Make me feel great about "losing" $1500 in HD stuff.
qo_op @ Feb 18th 2008 6:46PM
your fault dumbass.
MI @ Feb 18th 2008 11:37PM
Definitely not in the 'your fault' department, though an educated decision is alway best, but it is worth noting that reports I've seen are saying that Toshiba was planning on a slow phase out over the next several months. This of course would have suckered hundreds more people into spending their m oney on a format that even toshiba knew was dead. It is reported that Wal-Mart didn't like the idea of it and decided to announce their intentions in order to force toshibas hand.
Doesn't help your particular case, but it is nice to see that even Wal-Mart wanted to end this promptly, and didn't want to screw consumers over any more than already done. I also want to note for all the folks who have been spewing the "sony wants to screw over the wold and toshiba is Abraham Lincoln" crap. They were planning on dragging a lot more people down with them.
Hopefully they'll give you guys a credit on a BD player when they have one to bring to market. It seems like they'll have as many fences to mend with their own customers as they do with the folks who've been telling them to end the war for months...
Sam Winter @ Feb 19th 2008 2:56AM
You spent $1500 on HD during a format war??? And on a format that has continually been beaten for two almost years now?? I'd have to agree with the poster above me and say.. WTF were you thinking?
ogscorpion @ Feb 18th 2008 5:36PM
Damn. I can't call FIRST on this one. Oh well.
I'm getting anxious every hour now as I am holding on the official announcement from Toshiba to release my BD firecracker statements and enjoyment to this site. Until then, I have the champagne on ice. It won't take long though. Any day (or hopefully minutes) now.
John B @ Feb 18th 2008 5:56PM
"Damn. I can't call FIRST on this one. Oh well."
"Oh well", my ass. If you want to engage in that "first post" childishness, go over to Slashdot, please.
John B @ Feb 19th 2008 9:54AM
A solid "f**k you" to you. Since when did EngadgetHD become "your turf"?
ogscorpion @ Feb 19th 2008 11:57AM
To John B: Nice words but no thanks, I don't do guys. A true sign of a looser from the HD DUD camp.
John B @ Feb 19th 2008 9:20PM
Right ... like you're showing any sign of maturity yourself with the "HD DUD" phrase. Oh, isn't that just so cute and original? Not. And tie that up with sorrow that he couldn't do a Slashdot "first post" on EngadgetHD. Awwww.... The clear sign of a "sore winner" fanboy who has no tolerance for any views other than his own.
massive_98 @ Feb 18th 2008 5:37PM
Seriously though, how is engadgetHD going to make a living once the dust settles in this war?
Nobody posts on anything but format war news. Look at the most commented stories, they are all about the format war.
Gunegune @ Feb 18th 2008 6:38PM
Blu-ray vs DVD?
David S @ Feb 18th 2008 10:11PM
Apple stories... duhhh...
They bring the out the comments threads like Rappers on diamonds.
Larry @ Feb 19th 2008 2:30AM
At least the fan boys have no more excuses.
If Blu-Ray doesn't show significant progress against DVD, there's nowhere to hide. Blu-Ray will be exposed as the most hyped format ever.
mike @ Feb 18th 2008 5:40PM
This is getting stupid. This post is nothing but the same as the past 30 posts in different words. HD-dvd is dead. We fucking get it. Stop posting about it unless Toshiba comes out with their official statement. Talk about beating a dead horse is right
Mr. E @ Feb 18th 2008 6:47PM
Yeah, but look at how we all keep obsessively coming back here to check the blog and comment on all the format war (non) news. We're all like little kids in Toshiba's back seat: "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
As I post this it's 8:45 AM Tuesday (supposed announcement day) Tokyo time. "Are we there yet????!!!!!" Heh heh.
regeya @ Feb 18th 2008 9:23PM
Yeah, at this point, it's a ludicrous bid to get Dugg and to the top of Google searches, I think, by putting "Toshiba," "HD DVD," and "official" in as many titles as possible before the official announcement. Nothing like gaming the search engines, eh?
Either that or they're letting their amateur journalist status show by taking a news report speculating that Toshiba was quitting as an "official" statement...maybe a bit of both?
Like I said earlier, at this point I just want it to be done and over with, but cripes, repeatedly lying about it won't make it happen any faster. The rumor is tomorrow, and that's not far away. Just chill, guys; you'll get plenty of traffic once the announcement is made.
Sam Winter @ Feb 19th 2008 3:03AM
I love all you guys who keep screaming about what a waste of time it is to post HD-DVD articles, but then you not only read them, but take the time to write out a long comment out of spite! HAHAHAHA. Just quite reading the articles!
ccweems @ Feb 18th 2008 5:45PM
Landfill? We don't need no stinking landfill!
I can see Woot selling "upconverting" DVD players on "2 fer Tuesday", 2 for $100. There won't be any free disks because all the disks will soon be gone. They probably are going to have trouble getting the free 5, 10 or 20 disks for those that are owed.
Hans Martin @ Feb 18th 2008 5:49PM
Paramoun and Universal is just waiting for Toshiba to say it. Paramount probably have titles ready to ship this week. Universal probably need to scramble, but will release Blu-discs with sub-30GB VC-1 encoded video mastered for HD-DVD pretty soon (within weeks).
By the end of next month, we probably will have seen the final new title released for HD DVD.
This is ending REALLY fast -- a lot sooner than i expected. Toshiba seeing it's shares regaining some of it's losses on rumors of abandoning the war is left with no choice. Their owners demand they dump HD DVD and they will obey.
DrXym @ Feb 18th 2008 5:51PM
I expect the red studios are already busy ramping up for Blu Ray. Wouldn't surprise me if they even turn some projects around in mid-stream and send off on Blu Ray instead.
Killer @ Feb 18th 2008 5:53PM
"Does everyone know the war is officially over but us?"
YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!
After the 2nd post about it, I think everyone knew. I guess post #31 is just a good heart'd reminder?
RC @ Feb 18th 2008 5:59PM
Engadget is getting some swipes in for their parent company's exclusive support of Blu-Ray (owned by AOL, part of Time Warner, who owns Warner Home Video)
It's getting as bad as all the iPhone huzzah.........
andy @ Feb 18th 2008 6:06PM
I don't think the iPhone ever managed in excess of 4 posts on the main page using the same picture and text.
This is the new gold standard for how to properly beat a dead horse. (posting reptitive stories)
Sam Winter @ Feb 19th 2008 3:08AM
There was a whole post here about how some crazy independent tv station was claiming Engadget is nothing but a Time Warner shill, and the writer thoroughly debunked how ridiculous of a claim that is. I suggest you go read the article before making such accusations...
Killer @ Feb 18th 2008 6:00PM
"Paramoun and Universal is just waiting for Toshiba to say it. Paramount probably have titles ready to ship this week."
I really doubt they did that in the last week. Seriously, that type of movement could have been seen from space if they both started producing movies that fast. The amount of people working on that would be massive!
Expect the change out to happen about 2 to 3 months after Toshiba calls it. Till then Paramount probally has some older Blu-ray movies still in their warehouses, they'll release.
andy @ Feb 18th 2008 6:04PM
Could you please at least chop up a different pic if you're going to repost the same story more than 4 times on the main page?
AshDraven @ Feb 18th 2008 6:24PM
I was driving home from work today and the the major Seattle radio news channel even had a two minute news blurb on "Toshiba's impending announcement of the demise of HD-DVD". At the point when even local news media is picking this up and it's getting out of the tech community to the average person... it's time to cut their losses, now.
xboxhater @ Feb 18th 2008 6:33PM
Paramount must be smiling like a Cheshire cat, allegedly being paid wads for a 18 month contract but only having to live up to the deal for less than 6
Mr. E @ Feb 18th 2008 6:51PM
Supposedly the $150 mil was in the form of marketing assistance (no doubt to market their HD DVD titles). There ain't gonna be any marketing of HD DVD from this point on, so I'd doubt that Paramount got anywhere close to $150 million out of the deal. In the end, all they got was ill will by recalling already pressed BDs when they switched.
T-bone @ Feb 18th 2008 6:35PM
does every article from every source have to be posted here? It is getting old fast. The same thing said in a different way posted 3-4 times a day...what a bore....
Brian @ Feb 18th 2008 6:45PM
People are idiots. You just don't cut the format and move on. The retailer I work for didn't get a notice to discontinue Toshiba HD DVD players until 3 or 4 days ago. They have to tell their financial partners, then there are companies making parts for the players that have to be told. Then distributor's and retailers.
You just don't say "we quit" without first respectively making sure all your domino's are all lined up straight for when you knock them down.
Felix @ Feb 18th 2008 6:56PM
Bill Hunt CONFIRMED A TOSHIBA PRESS CONFERENCE AT 5PM JAPAN STANDARD TIME
Mr. E @ Feb 18th 2008 7:09PM
NOW we're talking. That'll be midnight PST. Should have some REAL news to read by 12:30 AM. I wonder if I should stay up late tonight? Heh heh. Dang it, I have to go to work tomorrow so I can afford to keep adding to my BD collection.
mmendoza27 @ Feb 18th 2008 7:33PM
Actually I think Japan is about 14 hours ahead, so that would be 3 am our time. I hope that's true though.
Mr. E @ Feb 18th 2008 7:43PM
17 hours ahead of Pacific time, where I am. You're right though that it will be 3:00 AM Tuesday for the U.S. east coast. In any case, we'll definitely all see the news posted everywhere in the morning. Shouldn't be any surprises, of course, but it will still feel satisfying to have it officially over.
Felix @ Feb 18th 2008 7:44PM
my time would be 8AM GMT
h4ldol @ Feb 18th 2008 8:05PM
Even I agree that these flurry of "HD DUD is dead" posts is going a bit overboard. Like, geez, even format war central doesn't have half the rehash articles that this site does.
Hans Martin @ Feb 18th 2008 8:16PM
I started reading EngadgetHD this winter, didn't start to post until CES, and I have only been interested in the format war. Living in Norway, articles about cable, satellite and VOD offerings in HD have no relevance to me (wish it did). Watched Superbowl in SD through internet compliments of SlingBox -- that's about as hight-tech a TV-offering I have used so far. hope to do the same for the Oscars (another all-nighter local time).
EngadgetHD won't be quite as fun now that the smelling remains of HD DVD is being dug down in Toshibas back yard. I will miss the war and the evangelists postings.
But with any luck, the Blu vs. DVD sales numbers will start to get interesting by year end. My 2.500+ DVD-collection is growing at snail-pace and have done so ever since i decided to go for Blu-Ray 8 months ago. DVD will still be alive and doing well long after the memory of HD DVD have faded away, but i do think that in 12 - 15 months the big 7 will start to push Blu harder by having HD-exclusive titles and/or having delayed release dates for SD DVD on certain big titles.
The combo-players looks to have gone the way of HD DVD, judging by industry buzz these last few days. And now that the war is over, I think the industry will try to force a move over from HD DVD to Blu-Ray for as many of the early adopters that bet on the wrong horse as possible. That means no more HD DVD movie releases. At all. A clean cut. The message needs to be that there only one HD format. And that message needs to be crystal clear.
Chris Frost @ Feb 18th 2008 8:28PM
Here is the outcome I would like to see. Paramount and Universal are free to release on both formats. Toshiba continues to support HD DVD, as the install base grows and more money is to be made on the format, other studios should be given incentives to also produce titles on HD DVD. I do not believe holding studios hostage is the right way to do business for either format. Ultimately it destroys customer choice. However, to turn the back on an install base of 1,000,000 user is ludicrous. Just remember Laserdiscs were in production from 1978 - 2001.
Mr. E @ Feb 18th 2008 8:50PM
As soon as Universal and Paramount start producing Blu-ray, it's all over. There's no point in continuing with both formats, since that's just going to stop any hope of mass adoption. Now that retailers have picked Blu-ray, there is no viable mass market retail channel for HD DVD. Backs are not being turned, it's just economic reality.
Sorry, but this is the end for the format, whether Toshiba continues to support HD DVD or not. If they were to continue, they'd just effectively be luring new consumers into a dead end. That's not in anybody's best interest.
Your HD DVD hardware will continue to work (until it breaks), so just enjoy what you have, buy any already released movies you want at closeout prices, and when Blu-ray hardware is down to the price you can afford, jump in and enjoy the high-def future.
I owned LaserDisc long before DVD arrived. I was sad to see my expensive format go by the wayside, but that's how our little hobby works.
Gus @ Feb 18th 2008 8:48PM
HD DVD is dead in the USA and probably most of the English speaking world, but I wonder what will happen in the rest of the world?
Will HD DVD carry on in Asia, as HD DVD China potentially will be huge.
qo_op @ Feb 18th 2008 10:07PM
shut up Gus.
YouFaceTheTick @ Feb 18th 2008 10:12PM
HD-DVD is getting its ass handed to it in Asia. In Japan, without including the PS3, just regular BR players and media are welling over HD-DVD at a ratio of 10:1. The Japanese - second (or third depending on the stats you believe) largest electronics market in the world - embraced BR and flipped of HD-DVD. Similarly in Europe HD's been given the finger.
China...China isn't relevant yet. The consumers in China simply don't have the money to buy such expensive hardware or discs that are so expensive to pirate.
Gus @ Feb 18th 2008 10:14PM
@qo-op
F U Mother FKR!
DEEZNUTZ @ Feb 18th 2008 11:35PM
The Chinese don't want second best so the answer is no, HD DVD will not survive in any corner of the globe.
Larry @ Feb 19th 2008 2:37AM
"HD-DVD is getting its ass handed to it in Asia"
So Asia = Japan? Do you even know what Asia means? It includes India and China, so Blu-Ray market share is 0.00000000000000001% overall.
Blu-Ray is getting its ass handed to it by VideoCD in Asia.
David S @ Feb 18th 2008 10:18PM
Personally, there are still some Warner titles I want in March and April that have been announced for HD DVD. I hope they still get put out. Beyond the Warner cut off date (espeically since nothing has been announced from Universal and Paramount) I don't care what happens. I'll sit on my Red until my ideal Blu player arrives. I won't settle for a PS3. No IR, No DTS, No Internal decoding = no sale.