Microsoft sure has a crack team of wordsmiths in their PR department. We do not believe the recent reports about HD DVD will have any material impact on the Xbox 360 platform or our position in the marketplace. As we’ve long stated, we believe it is games that sell consoles and Xbox 360 continues to have the largest next-gen games library with the most exclusives and best selling games in the industry. We will wait until we hear from Toshiba before announcing any specific plans around the Xbox 360 HD DVD player. HD DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers and we will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room along with playback of the DVD movies they already own. Downloadable content FTW! → Read More
[photopress:hddvdrip.jpg,full,center] It’s over, and Blu-ray wins. The main backer of the HD DVD format for next-gen video discs, Toshiba, has itself withdrawn from production of said discs. Without Toshiba to lead the way, HD DVD is more or less a done format. We feel bad for supporters of the format, but they welcoming arms of Blu-ray will be open, waiting to embrace you and make you feel sorry of ever doubting it. And to everyone who I’ve had Blu-ray vs. HD DVD arguments with in the last three years: Yes, you told me so, now STFU. Toshiba plans to withdraw from HD-DVD production [NHK] → Read More
If I weren’t hungover you’d see a Wal*Mart logo on the truck with some HD DVD logos sticking out of the pile. Just imagine that. K? THX. Things couldn’t possibly get any worse for the HD DVD group today, but they did. A buyer for Wal*Mart is reporting that the giant retailer is kicking the format to the curb and will be Blu-ray exclusive by June. Enough about my family and on to the Wal-Mart plans… by June Wal-Mart will only be carrying BluRay movies and hardware machines, and of course standard def movies, DVD players, and up convert players. Not sure of the short term pricing plans, but history tells us that as more people move to a new technology prices typically go down. It was fun while it lasted, HD DVD. It really was. I’ll continue to watch Transformers on HD DVD, though. Wal-Mart Chooses a Hi Def Platform [Check Out] → Read More
[photopress:toshout.jpg,full,center] Toshbia will officially ditch the HD DVD format in the coming weeks, says an article in today’s Hollywood Reporter. “Reliable industry sources” say that Toshiba has suffered “substantial” (not a word to use lightly) loses on its HD DVD players. Combine that with all the fallout from Warner’s decision to go Blu (and Netflix’s and BestBuy’s…) and you can understand why Toshiba is pondering officially pulling the plug. Of course, Toshiba’s PR department is still saying things like HD DVD is the best solution for consumers and so on, but that’s what they have to say. Death watch is officially on. Should be a fun couple of weeks. Toshiba to drop HD DVD, sources say [Hollywood Reporter via High-Def Digest] → Read More
[photopress:tf3.jpg,full,center] Just a friendly “told you so” from Michael Bay to all y’all. Bay, whose movies have brought perpetual peace to Earth, was a vocal proponent of the Blu-ray format, so much so that he threatened to walk out of Transformers 2 if Transformers was only released on HD DVD, a statement he later retracted. Said Bay, “Am I thrilled? It really wasn’t my fight, but remember what I said in the press? I was kind of saying HD [DVD]’s going to lose… No one believed me” So he picked the correct format out of a total choice of two. Bravo. (Even though plain jane DVD is still on top, as Mr. Joel Johnson’s amazing chart points out.) So yeah, Bay got the Blu-ray prediction right. So did every other 15-year-old on every message board ever. Michael Bay on Blu-ray: “Told You So” [High-Def Digest] → Read More
[photopress:hdgr.jpg,full,center] What’s the HD DVD Promotions Group’s response to Netflix’s decision to exclusively stock Blu-ray and BestBuy’s decision to “recommend” Blu-ray? … it’s unfortunate to see Netflix make the decision to only stock Blu-ray titles going forward. While the Best Buy announcement says they will recommend Blu-ray, at least they will continue to carry HD DVD and offer consumers a choice at retail I guess we’re entering the no spin zone! You really feel for the guys forced to put out positive press release after positive press release. “At least” they’ll still carry our discs Are dual-format players so expensive that they’ll never catch on? Or is it that by the time they’re as cheap as present day DVD players the “war” will truly be over? HD DVD Group Responds to Netflix, Best B [High-Def Digest via Xbox-Scene] → Read More
This just in: HD DVD is in trouble, much to the chagrin of our own intrepid HD DVD-lover Devin Coldewey. According to a Reuters report, Netflix said that it’ll be offering Blu-ray DVDs exclusively. It’s been divvying up both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs but will stop purchasing HD DVD movies today and phase out its inventory by the end of the year. Netflix says chooses Blu-ray format over HD DVD [Reuters] → Read More
The end draws nigh, my friends, and I think you know who I’m talking about. Major Nelson has officially announced that the HD DVD player add-on has dropped from $179.99 to $129.99. The price drop is immediate here and in Canada, NZ and Australia. The five free HD DVD offer is still in effect as well. There might be some titles you’ve been wanting. Bitch all you want about the add-on being the worst player on the market, but it’s still not bad for Xbox 360 owners. Just sayin’. Xbox 360 HD DVD Player price drop (now US $129.99) [Major Nelson] → Read More
It was bound to happen: the major studios are releasing videos in both formats and just letting the market shake things out — mostly in the direction of hybrid players. Ultimately, I think the question will become moot but until then, folks like Warner Bros (I Am Legend) and Universal (Charlie Wilson’s War) will release in both formats. I think the biggest decider will be Toshiba’s move to sell HD DVD players for $149, a little more than the Coby DVD players you can get at Wal-Mart. Seed the market with those and Sony — or someone like HUMAX — will concede and release hybrids at about $200 and we’ll never have to think about this ever again. Publishers say screw it, choose both in HD DVD vs Blu-ray war [Blorge] → Read More
I actually missed this commercial yesterday and I’m glad I did. Part of me expected something spectacular while the other half expected something pretty piss-poor. Looks like the latter won out. I can’t really blame Toshiba for not dishing out the extra money to produce something worth noting. After all, you’ve already wasted millions to secure a spot during the Super Bowl and when you know you’re going the way of the dodo, you might as well save what you can. So, be sure to run out and pick up that HD DVD player for $150. I hear it makes a great upconverting DVD player or coaster for your next get together. → Read More
Add National Geographic to the growing list of studio going exclusively Blu-ray. Starting with its next release, “Sharkwater,” (that’s the trailer up there) the comapny will ditch its practice of supporting both HD DVD and Blu-ray. It’s only released one such movie so far, “Relentless Enemies,” so it’s not a seismic shift in the landscape or anything. Warner distributes National Geographic releases, so it’s not really surprising that it went Blu-ray. BBC releases are the only ones under the Warner auspices that are still format neutral. We’ll see how long that lasts. National Geographic Makes Move to Blu-ray Exclusivity (UPDATED) [High-Def Digest] → Read More
This is a limited time offer so jump on it. HD DVD [Amazon] Blu-ray [Amazon] → Read More
Toshi might think that spending $3 million on a Super Bowl ad will help boost profits and possibly salvage what’s left to prolong the war, but that’s exactly what Gartner means when they refer to recent actions by Toshiba as “useless resistance.” It’s things like this and the recent price cuts that are prolonging the inevitable. The death of HD DVD. Gartner believes that Toshiba’s price-cutting may prolong HD DVD’s life a little, but the limited line-up of film titles will inflict fatal damage on the format,” said Gartner analyst Hiroyuki Shimizu. “Gartner expects that, by the end of 2008, Blu-ray will be the winning format in the consumer market, and the war will be over. Adding salt to its ravaged wounds is Woolworth’s announcement to exclusively back Blu-ray starting in March. However, you can still purchase HD DVDs online, but you won’t find them in stores. Ouch. On the plus side, the HD DVD players make great upconverting players. Gartner: HD DVD price cuts only prolong agony [CW] → Read More
The bad craziness of desperation spending has begun. I guess Toshiba had a little left over in their war chest and have decided that a final blitz is in order. The obvious place to launch it is the Super Bowl, where the ads are not only seen by millions, but also pored over and repeated for weeks afterwards. Sounds like the HD DVD group is going to down like the Spartans at Thermopylae — in a blaze of naked, slow-motion glory. HD DVD buys Super Bowl ad [TG Daily] → Read More
[photopress:msfttalks.jpg.jpg,full,center] AP image Intrigue! It looks like Microsoft was hedging its high-def disc bets with the revelation that it was in talks with the Blu-ray folks “all along.” Even though it currently backs HD DVD, the truth of the matter is that the Xbox 360′s high-def disc playback is largely a matter of built-in software. The implication is that with the flick of a switch Microsoft could add Blu-ray support to the 360. It should be noted that even though Microsoft currently is in HD DVD’s corner, its actual, long-term position on the format war seems to be “yeah, this is all temporary.” Save for Steve Jobs, no executive, to my knowledge, has been as bullish on digital downloads of movies, high-def or otherwise, as Bill Gates. But yes, Microsoft was in talks with Blu-ray. Let the mudslinging begin. Sitting Down with Microsoft’s Jeff Bell [1UP.com via Xbox-Scene] → Read More
[photopress:poorsales.jpg,full,center] Toshiba and Co. may huff and puff about not being dead now, but the first sales numbers in the post-Warner world don’t look good for HD DVD. The week of Jan. 12 saw Blu-ray capture 90 percent of the market. Hence the massive price cuts by Toshiba on HD DVD hardware on Jan. 13. And to make sure we’ve crossed all the Ts here, the relevant NPD guy said not to make too much out of one week’s sales numbers—that’s a data point, not a trend, he says. OK, that may not be a trend, but when I have relatives calling me, bothering me, asking me about “that Blu-ray thing,” maybe then we’re getting closer to the average Joe paying attention to high-def discs. Sales of HD DVD Players Plunge After Warner Move [New York Times] → Read More
This is a cruel trick you play on your ex just to mess with them. Giving them a false sense of hope is a bastardly thing to do. A few weeks back WB announced that they would exclusively release titles on Blu-ray and this was to take effect in May, but it seems they’ve extended support for HD DVD until June. Why not make a little money on both formats considering blockbuster titles like I Am Legend, August Rush and Twister are in the pipe? Heh. We’ll see what happens. Warner extends HD DVD support [TG Daily] → Read More
Try as they might, HD DVD isn’t going down without a fight. Whether these titles were lined up before the WB announcement is anyone’s guess, but a few blockbusters are slated for this quarter. I didn’t see Beowulf (2/26) and I think the reviews were mixed, but it’s an exclusive as is American Gangster (2/19) and Bee Movie (3/11). I didn’t see the Seinfeld movie, but I did see Denzel and he’s a plays a pretty good badass. → Read More
