Warner Bros to back Blu-ray DVD format exclusively

[douwg_za]

Check this out from Reuters on Friday:

"NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Time Warner Inc's (TWX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Warner Bros studio on Friday said it would exclusively release high-definition DVDs in Sony Corp's (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) Blu-ray format, dealing a big blow to Toshiba Corp's (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research) rival HD DVD technology.

Warner Bros, Hollywood's biggest seller of DVDs, representing about 18 to 20 percent of sales in the United States, was one of the few studios that backed both formats.

All sides of the format war had agreed it was confusing to consumers and a stumbling block for a potential multibillion-dollar industry.

Total DVD unit sales fell 4.5 percent in 2007, the first major year-over-year decline since the disc format debuted in 1997, according to Adams Media Research. Sales fell 4.8 percent to $15.7 billion.

"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 Bros Chairman and Chief Executive Barry Meyer said in a statement.

News Corp's (NWSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research) 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Co (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research), and Lionsgate (LGF.N: Quote, Profile, Research) are among studios backing the Blu-ray format. Viacom Inc's (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Paramount studios and General Electric's (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) NBC Universal release movies in HD DVD format.

Warner said it would continue releasing in the HD DVD format until the end of May, although those releases would follow the standard DVD and Blu-ray releases.

(Reporting by Kenneth Li in New York and Bob Tourtellotte and Peter Henderson in Los Angeles; Editing by Brian Moss)"

I think this spells the end for HD-DVD - what are your opinions on this? - The HD DVD Group even cancelled their press conference scheduled for today at CES 2008.

Cheers
Douw

[kay]

Rumor has it Apple is going to announce Blu-Ray drives at the upcoming MacWorld expo. BD does seem to be gaining traction, and I'm sure the cut-price PS3 will help as well.

[douwg_za]

Not just a Blu-Ray drive but a BR drive equipped AppleTV system...

[kay]

Paramount might be dropping HD-DVD:

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/08/paramount_poised_to_drop_hd_dvd/

[Andrew]

Which just leaves Universal. Interesting. So I'll wait for the BD players to come down in price, by which time the next format will have come out, most likely something along the lines of HDD, and we'll start all over again. 

[Dolby]

Won't this be the first format war Sony has won? Didn't they lose Betamax vs VHS and currently losing SACD vs DVD-Audio? And from what I remember, both formats were superior the competition and it was pure mangement and decisions that lost it. For example the lack of pr0n during the first battle and the lack of dual format Sony players during the second battle. I sold my Sony SACD simply to get a Marantz SACD/DVD-A and I never looked at another Sony.

Speaking of management, they discontinued the 60GB model PS3 about 4 months ago and *may* launch an 80GB to replace it in 3 or so months time. That leaves the consumer with tthree choices during those 7 months : go Xbox360 ; wait in the hope 80GB models arrive or buy the 40GB.

I know quite a few guys who went the 360 router because of this. I couldn't convince my brother and he bought the 40GB. Perhaps this is one reason of 3m sales vs 14m for the Xbox360

[oradba69]

Perhaps this is one reason of 3m sales vs 14m for the Xbox360

Wiish it was wiishfull thinking but there is actually a better selling game console 
Oh for global sales check this
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3162770

[RR]

Won't this be the first format war Sony has won? Didn't they lose Betamax vs VHS and currently losing SACD vs DVD-Audio?

Huh, SACD loosing to DVD Audio???

First I hear of that. Maybe the multichannel versions, but DVD Audio doesn't even provide a stereo alternative, it is simply FAR inferior, and in the audiophile arena SACD is doing very well.

My 1/2 penny's worth...

[Dolby]

I'm at work so most sites (forums aside!) are blocked ... I know the Wii is outselling both, but I was comparing the competitive conosoles as I don't think Wii is aimed at the same audience or in the same league. Out of the Xbox & PS3, the Xbox is ahead saleswise.

As I said I can't look at sites now, but from the desciptions I see in Google DVD-Audio was outselling SACD by around 5x back in 2004? Both formats had been out a while by that stage, but SACD still failed to make decent ground. The picture may have changed though ...

I have both formats as well and agree - I much prefer SACD over DVD-A. Even on paper it has a number of benefits which should have made it killed the format war before it started. The best of these is that it can be played in a normal CD player in your home, car or PC. You also don't need a monitor to navigate the menus. Why didn't Sony push the format harder?

The latest move by them (discontinuing one moidel and not providing a replacement for 7 months) was realy stupid. Perhaps that's why I'm Sony bashing atm

[Andrew]

Huh, SACD loosing to DVD Audio???

First I hear of that. Maybe the multichannel versions, but DVD Audio doesn't even provide a stereo alternative, it is simply FAR inferior, and in the audiophile arena SACD is doing very well.

My 1/2 penny's worth...

From what I remember, being in the industry and dealing more with the record companies, SACD never had a clear-cut advantage over DVD-A. In fact, coming out as - initially a stereo-only format at a time when the industry was moving en masse into multi-channel, it was seen as being disadvantaged by this. Later versions of SACD then came out with multi-channel options to compete with DVD-A's multi-channel capabilities. So there's little or no doubt they were competing formats. Both formats ultimately failed because the large music companies didn't push them as viable alternatives to CD. Sorry, but a few small labels producing SACD doesn't mean the format is successful in any way.

[kay]

And in other news:

The format wars have taken another turn this afternoon as Microsoft announced its Xbox 360 console might feature Blu-ray in the near future.

Source: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/09/ces_xbox_could_back_blu_ray/

[RR]

I have both formats as well and agree - I much prefer SACD over DVD-A. Even on paper it has a number of benefits which should have made it killed the format war before it started. The best of these is that it can be played in a normal CD player in your home, car or PC. You also don't need a monitor to navigate the menus. Why didn't Sony push the format harder?

Yip, I'm scratching my head on this too. It should've won easily.

From what I remember, being in the industry and dealing more with the record companies, SACD never had a clear-cut advantage over DVD-A. In fact, coming out as - initially a stereo-only format at a time when the industry was moving en masse into multi-channel, it was seen as being disadvantaged by this.

From a commercial point of view you have a point Andrew, from an audiophile point of view it looks different though. Most prefer stereo over multichannel.

Sorry, but a few small labels producing SACD doesn't mean the format is successful in any way.

If is sounds this good, it is succesful. Maybe you meant 'commercially' successful.

[Andrew]

Most prefer stereo over multichannel.

Mm, 'most' who? Audiophiles, yes, doubt the masses would agree?

[RR]

Mm, 'most' who? Audiophiles, yes, doubt the masses would agree?

Yes, audiophiles. Sadly I realise it is the masses that drives the market, but other than that I can't really say that I care about their opinion. I mean, my amp doesn't have a PMPO rating..........

Most of the forum folks do stereo only, some have second systems with multichannel, and only few have multichannel only. So I spoke from a forumite point of view. 

[Andrew]

Yes, audiophiles. Sadly I realise it is the masses that drives the market, but other than that I can't really say that I care about their opinion. I mean, my amp doesn't have a PMPO rating..........

Most of the forum folks do stereo only, some have second systems with multichannel, and only few have multichannel only. So I spoke from a forumite point of view. 

Ah, okay. Kewl.