Paramount, DreamWorks commit to HD DVD

Just when it looked like Blu-ray was getting the best of HD DVD, the latter scores a combination like Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation.

Both companies announced on Monday that they had agreed to release exclusively on the HD DVD format, which is battling with rival Blu-ray to become the high-definition successor to the DVD disc.

The move by Paramount represents a setback for Blu-ray. The studio has supported both formats and the tally of studios exclusively committed to each format stands at 3-2 in favor of Blu-ray.

Sony, Disney and Fox support Blu-ray, but the momentum may be swinging back in favor of HD DVD.

Paramount, owned by entertainment juggernaut Viacom, saw some sister companies, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, commit to HD DVD as well.

Paramount and DreamWorks Animation citied lower manufacturing costs of the HD DVD discs and lower prices for its players as reasons why deciding to go with the format.

"I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high-quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount," said Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, which is currently the leading studio in domestic box office.

[btdtcaca]

Blu-Ray is better than HD DVD

Paramount and Dreamworks are making a big mistake. I have
tried both formats and Blu-Ray is another league above HD
DVD. Too bad that they will not realize it until after the holiday
shoppers prove it. Sony, the main supporter of Blu-Ray also has
the best TV's out there, at least in their LCD XBR models.

Also, Sony's DBP-S300 model plays DATA Discs which saves me
a bunch of time and headaches since I no longer have to convert
my videos to mov files.

[MadKiwi]

Beta was better than VHS too

Yet VHS won...

I hope history doesn't repeat.

[aka_tripleB]

The blind conviction of a Sony cultist

Most people couldn't care less whether they get Blu-ray or HD-DVD. They just want to watch movies. In that respect, the disc act exactly the same to most people; they can get HD content with both and they can get surround sound with both. To most people, the movie, let's say "300," will look and sound the same on HD-DVD and Blu-ray. And many people are still fine with a DVD. So let's face it, most people that will be buying movies don't care about the quality, they just want to watch the movie and they will go for what they want to watch. And whoever offers the most that people want to watch will win.

[wgreid]

Maybe Sony has too much control

Maybe the two studios sense that Sony seems to be the only one benefiting from BluRay. They've cannibalized hardware sales with their PS3 and they control a major studio with big hits for software. I'm surprise that hardware vendors like Panasonic and Samsung aren't switching given that the PS3 has most negatively affected their sales.

[techned]

You're uninformed.

Panasonic (Matsushita) and Samsung are equal partners on blu-ray with Sony.

So is Apple, Dell, Sharp, Pioneer, etc.

Warner Bros, MGM, Disney, Target, and Blockbuster wholly support Blu-Ray

This is M$ and Intel trying to move the HI-Def DVD market under their control.

[itworker--2008]

First reported bt AP

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DUELING_DVD_FORMATS?SITE=MOCOD&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-08-20-12-04-09

[xanadul]

Well it all sucks

It just means now that i will wait till the dumba$$ corparations decide to stop playing stupid as games and let ppl not get screwed over.

Luckly Im a tech person so i know whats going on but I feel sorry for the person who buy a blu ray to see a certin movie on it and it is only made for HD DVD it just stupid to do that to ppl.

Same reason i hate to console game companies and there exclsive rights to titles. Some ppl buy all three system for certain games like that i just don't buy it waste of money to deal with that.

[gsmiller88]

Isn't Universal HD DVD only too?

....?

[richto]

Yes it is.

Yes it is.

[jyroflux]

I Hope Both Formats Fail

I'm tired of stupid corporate greed. By the time one format or the
other is declared the winner, there will be something better
anyway.

[xanadul]

I agree

I hope that too because it just so pointless to have to or to only let on be on certian movie sand one be on another. don't make ppl choose becasuse of what movie they want make them choose based on price of the player or quality of it.

[JimSlik]

What About the Payoff?

Why is the Cnet reporting incomplete? Why does it not mention the millions of cash Paramount received to make this exclusive allegiance to HD DVD? The amount is rumored to be $150 million.

[techned]

M$ payoff

It's the only way I can explain it.

It's obvious that M$ and Intel had a hand in this because the software to run the internet and on-screen window options on HD-DVD is related to the two companies.

The only reason that Blu-Ray does not have those features is because Blu-Ray is strictly a storage medium - there is no extra A/V additions for blu-ray.

I don't see the point for that stuff anyway - I just like to watch the movie, mostly, and watch the extra stuff if it really interests me.

I just hope they don't force Transformers on HD-DVD to the consumers - as much I love Transformers, I won't buy a movie on ten year old tech that they now want to release.

Put Transformers on Blu-Ray - put it on state-of-the-art tech.

[X-C3PO]

I don't think so.

Personal opinion is only a choice by paramount and dreamworks.
Though the HD-DVD have less storage size, but HD-DVD have more flexibility and cheaper;
The Blue-Ray to treat you like a thief, and need to pay a lot in both equipment and media.

[imtheozzman]

dude

transformers will be released on the hd dvd format, not blu ray.

[thecolor]

why?

I really don't understand the purchase of not only a new player, but a player that only plays one standard. Why would the public by a single playing unit (when double playing units are out there and will just continue to grow... (players that play HD-DVD and Blu-Ray))? In addition to that, more and more TV services (such as Comcast Cable, etc. are offering HD movies (their on-demand or rent through your remote services)... since most individuals only watch a movie once (between years if again)... why not just rent it from your remote in HD, skip the extra hardware all together and save the hassle? Thoughts?

[Joker058]

HD DVD vs. Blu Ray

Paramount and Dreamworks moving over to HD DVD is not quite as simple as the reported $150 million they where paid since Sony is also famous for making such deals to get exclusive rights to stuff such as games for the PS3. Sony and other movie companies banked on the popularity of the PS3 being as popular as the PS2 was but the PS3 has only sold 1.5 million units in the U.S. compared to the expected 6 million units they wanted to have sold by this time. HD DVD is currently working on doubling the amount of data a HD DVD can hold and they can update the players to play these disks by using the firmware update over the ethernet port on every HD DVD player. HD DVD's are also burned deeper in the disk then Blu ray disks are and as such are harded to damage. Also last but not least according to reports Paramount and Dreamworks have noticed that for the price of making one single Blu ray disk they can produce two HD DVD's and that is just good buisness on thier part. who knows what will happen in the future. Something stupid could change the whole thing like the old VHS vs Betamax war where Betamax lost because the person who owned the rights to the Betamax format would not allow porn on Betamax so VHS won.... It could be something that simple that wins this whole war also.... have to wait and see.