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Warner Bros. will back only Blu-ray (Reuters)


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Old 04-01-2008, 21:13
greghudson
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES - 2008-01-04 20:22:49 GMT

Warner's Warner Bros. studio Friday said it would exclusively release high-definition DVDs in Sony Corp's Blu-ray format, dealing a big blow to Toshiba Corp's rival HD DVD technology.

USA Today | Reuters
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Old 04-01-2008, 21:39
Zazou
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Warner press release

Warner Bros. Entertainment to Release Its High-Definition DVD Titles Exclusively in the Blu-ray Disc Format Beginning Later This Year
Decision Made in Response to Strong Consumer Preference for Format

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

“Warner Bros.’ move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want,” said Meyer. “The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.”

Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.

“Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices,” said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. “Today’s decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner.”

“A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry,” said Tsujihara. “Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future.”


The format war is to all intents and purposes over. Universal and Paramount will soon follow suit, it is not feasible for them not to produce content for Blu-ray now.
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Old 04-01-2008, 21:56
dennisspooner
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Warner press release

Warner Bros. Entertainment to Release Its High-Definition DVD Titles Exclusively in the Blu-ray Disc Format Beginning Later This Year
Decision Made in Response to Strong Consumer Preference for Format

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

“Warner Bros.’ move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want,” said Meyer. “The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.”

Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.

“Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices,” said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. “Today’s decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner.”

“A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry,” said Tsujihara. “Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future.”


The format war is to all intents and purposes over. Universal and Paramount will soon follow suit, it is not feasible for them not to produce content for Blu-ray now.
What a dark day for the consumer.

Paramount are contractually bound to be HDDVD exclusive for 2 years.

This could be the move to end the format war.
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Old 04-01-2008, 22:02
Zazou
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From what I've read, many people are fairly certain that Paramount will have a get-out clause in their contract. Time will tell I suppose.
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Old 04-01-2008, 23:17
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I nearly bought a toshiba HD player today with the 7 free discs over. Time to wait a bit.

Since upscaling DVD players are being sold to the general public as 'HD DVD players', maybe the completely new name of 'blu-ray' will mean your Mum and Dad won't be tricked by the salesmen and real HD will catch on.
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Old 04-01-2008, 23:25
GARETH197901
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It sort of makes me thankful i hedged my bets with this one and have both players,to me it wasn't imperative which format won,just that we have a popular HD disc format
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Old 05-01-2008, 01:12
Jarrak
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Interesting that Warner are really spinning it the same way as Paramount did that by supporting their chosen format it will bring about a single format more quickly.

I can see the sense in that argument based on the overall numbers of BD players compared to HD DVD and the higher disk sales just a shame the cheaper format with the finished spec is probably going to be dead come 2009 thanks mostly to the huge payouts by SONY in the form of PS3 subsidies and buying up MGM and a few others studios prior to the launch of Blu-ray.

Lets hope this isn't a nail in the coffin for the Dual format players announced or on the drawing boards, I really am not impressed with standalone BD players that can not support Profile 1.1 or the price of the higher end spec players and if HD DVD dies then far less pressure for the BD camp to keep lower prices
That was one aspect of the format war that had direct benefit for the consumer.


So what is on the Warner schedule post May 2008?
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Old 05-01-2008, 03:52
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I imagine the BD situation with dedicated players will get better with time. BD Profile 1.1 is the mandated standard for all new players, and WB's switch to Blu exclusivity may be the catalyst that encourages more CEs to get out there and make some actual players for it.

I think there'll still be pressure for lower prices, too, for in order to survive as a format (and not go the way of the Laserdisc), it now has to compete with DVD. And that's a rather bigger mountain to climb.
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Old 05-01-2008, 10:22
smcbeath
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I feel sorry for all the people that bought a hd dvd player over xmas, this surely has to be the worst timing to announce this. Shame on you warner

Interesting to see if toshiba and universal throw in the towel or continue the war just to p*ss off blu ray. They still have the money grabbers paramount in a contract for another 12 months, which i think they should hold them to it

For me, i am waiting for the fire sale now, if hd dvd do throw in the towel. Hdm is still hdm, and my player will still work and there is no way i would double dip on hdm. I will wait for a stand alone blu ray player 2.0 to cost under Ł200.

P.S i would love to be fox or disney just now. Last resort for hd dvd will be to offer either of these studios more than the reported sum that warner recieved for switching. It may sound crazy but it could happen, with hdm disc sales stating that there is only 9 titles have sold over 100k, $500m payoff to go red would be too good. Time will tell.
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Old 05-01-2008, 10:44
Jarrak
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Yeah no matter what happens I will not be dumping my HD DVD player infact if the format does start to see a decline in releases from other studios then I'll take advantage of any fire sales for media and probably pick up a second player and stick it in the cupboard for later

Profile 2.0 which should be the final underlining of the BD spec (so it's upto HD DVD standards ) will be the time to buy Blu-ray and well by then lets hope the recent drive down in prices thanks to cheap HD DVD continues.
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Old 05-01-2008, 10:50
smcbeath
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Toshiba have cancelled there ces conference at the last minute, they never saw it coming. Warners timing and lack of balls to say before hand is just shameful. Im not bitter but there will be a few that are. On another site there is a guy called bruce james and he had just passed the 300 mark in hd titles.

Could be a couple of years for a cheap blu ray 2.0 player since the competition could be gone soon. This is 2 steps backwards for hdm.
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Old 05-01-2008, 10:59
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Toshiba have cancelled there ces conference at the last minute, they never saw it coming. Warners timing and lack of balls to say before hand is just shameful.
To be fair to Warner, they had already said that they wanted exclusivity but were waiting on Q4 results before making a decision. Given that the announcement was on January 4, you can't get much sooner after Q4 than that.

I appreciate that this announcement is no fun for HD DVD owners (and it pretty much puts the kibosh on the idea of me getting an HD DVD player). That said, it's not as if the units or disc cases have time-bombs in them, and support for players will probably remain for a while, so your HDM will still be watchable.
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Old 05-01-2008, 12:59
late8
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Dont know if your aware but Microsoft have a big announcement next week about the 360 - Some think they will be installing a HDDVD Drive in it.. but perhaps its a Blu-ray drive? if so this will also shake up things
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Old 05-01-2008, 13:07
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The ps3's are good value Blu-Ray players. Firmware updates ensure that the player keeps getting updated
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Old 05-01-2008, 13:11
Jarrak
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The ps3's are good value Blu-Ray players. Firmware updates ensure that the player keeps getting updated


Yep the subsidies SONY provide really do make every standalone Blu-ray player look over priced.
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Old 05-01-2008, 13:12
Jarrak
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Dont know if your aware but Microsoft have a big announcement next week about the 360 - Some think they will be installing a HDDVD Drive in it.. but perhaps its a Blu-ray drive? if so this will also shake up things



MS are no fools, nothing would surprise with them and a BD equipped 360 wouldn't harm their game development or catalogue titles at all
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Old 05-01-2008, 13:26
bobcar
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Could be a couple of years for a cheap blu ray 2.0 player since the competition could be gone soon.
Yeah that's why plain DVD players are so expensive - there's no competition.
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Old 05-01-2008, 13:34
You_mo
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Their reason stinks. I'm even more confused. When the studios produced both formats it was the consumer that decided the winner. With the studios deciding to back one format but not the same format, I don't think they're making the market any more stable. The opposite in fact.

Looks like I'm going to have to stick to what is becoming the real winner of this stupid format war for a while, SD DVD upscaled.
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Old 05-01-2008, 14:54
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SD DVD upscaled is still no comparison to a proper hi-def pic
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Old 05-01-2008, 15:15
bobcar
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Looks like I'm going to have to stick to what is becoming the real winner of this stupid format war for a while, SD DVD upscaled.
The only way of watching SD DVD on an HD set is to upscale it so the upscaled bit is a little redundant. It doesn't compare to HD though.
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Old 05-01-2008, 15:16
Cookie Jar
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Dont know if your aware but Microsoft have a big announcement next week about the 360 - Some think they will be installing a HDDVD Drive in it.. but perhaps its a Blu-ray drive? if so this will also shake up things
http://gaming.monstersandcritics.com...te%92_Xbox_360

Well it doesnt look to be an HD-DVD drive now anyway. Or for that matter a Blu-Ray one.
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Old 05-01-2008, 19:16
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Dont know if your aware but Microsoft have a big announcement next week about the 360 - Some think they will be installing a HDDVD Drive in it.. but perhaps its a Blu-ray drive? if so this will also shake up things
It's too little, too late if they're intending some kind of 'PS3 effect' with the 360. I can't see too many people repurchasing 360s for HD DVD, in light of recent circumstances, nor can I see Microsoft dumping its non-HD SKUs; and those who already wanted HD DVD capability for the 360 have probably already got it.
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Old 05-01-2008, 23:24
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Hmm... sad news. I don't mind having to buy a Blu-ray or "Super-Blu" player. It's just a shame that everybody wanting to enjoy Hi Def optical media will now have to cough up for more expensive hardware and region coded discs; that have no performance advantage.

Still, on the bright side, those of us with HD-DVD decks will still have a player that upscales DVDs fantastically. I'm sure I read that Toshiba have used the same upscaler as Denon and Arcam use in their DVD players.

It's a shame that the PS3 hasn't been so succesful at persuading people that they need an SACD player. It feels like Hi Res audio has been sacrificed at the alter in order to ensure the survival Hi Def video.

I suppose it is Sony's turn to win a format war, normally they lose-out despite offering a superior format. This time they're going to win without technical superiority. Its a funny old world.
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Old 06-01-2008, 02:32
bobcar
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I suppose it is Sony's turn to win a format war, normally they lose-out despite offering a superior format. This time they're going to win without technical superiority. Its a funny old world.
BluRay is technically superior but I agree that's not the reason it's going to win - it's the software that wins like with video cassettes.
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Old 06-01-2008, 10:51
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This is so annoying, we bought a HD-DVD player yesterday mainly because our SD DVD player packed it in & we thought this was a good cheap way of getting into the HD format.

But now Im thinking there is now point in buying HD-DVD movies as in a few years there won't be anything to play them on.

Have I got upto 7days to take my player back to Tesco's. ?
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