Warner goes Blu-Ray exclusive

http//www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1700383,00.html[]http//www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1700383,00.html
This should speed up the conclusion of the format war. I was getting pretty sick of hearing from all of the fanboys. I had read something recently about how this was going to happen soon unless MS threw a lot of money at Warner...

looks like i'll be buying a ps3

it looks good for blu-ray, but nothing is set yet. if porn went hd-dvd, then things are not quite done for hd-dvd.....

I honestly don't care which one wins, I just want one of them to do it so I can decide which player to buy...

HD-DVD FTW, I already bought my HD-DVD drive for my 360.

[quoteba08775187="Powerbook"]it looks good for blu-ray, but nothing is set yet. if porn went hd-dvd, then things are not quite done for hd-dvd.....[/quoteba08775187]
Porn isn't going to decide anything. I don't know why people keep bringing it up when the pron market is so small compared to the TV and movie markets and is shrinking because of digital distribution. As of this 2001 article it was estimated at $1.8B
http//www.forbes.com/2001/05/25/0524porn.html[]http//www.forbes.com/2001/05/25/0524porn.html

In any case, there does seem to be porn on Blu-ray.

The pron thing is kind of like how people bring up Betamax and minidisc, while conveniently ignoring that Sony also developed CDs and DVDs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a proponent of Blu-Ray or Sony in any way. I just want to help dispel any misperceptions and just don't like fanboyism (which is like a mix of mischaracterizations and ignorance).

Most people download porn...which they now offer in HD. P

[quote8c9448ecc2="tylerc"]HD-DVD FTW, I already bought my HD-DVD drive for my 360.[/quote8c9448ecc2]

Yea, me too. It sucks that Warner is going Blu-ray exclusive ( Although I suppose that I will eventually get a PS3 once there are some good games for it.

wait, don't blu-rays self-destruct if you try to play pirated copies of movies?


roll roll roll roll roll roll roll

The top 4 studios in DVD market share (2006 numbers) are now blu-ray exclusive. The format war is effectively over. Warner wanted it to be over, and that's why they took Blu-Ray. Going HD-DVD would've made the format war go on for a very long time and that would've been bad for everyone. Both sides must've offered a big chunk of change, I wonder how much Warner got. They denied getting $500 million.

Toshiba canceled their CES presentation which was scheduled for this weekend.

While I'm not as convinced that "it's over" just yet, I sure wish it was. I've always said Blu-Ray was a better standard on paper, but just as with Betamax that doesn't equal win. So when the 2nd gen Toshiba HD-DVD players were going for $98, I grabbed one. It was (and still is) a worthwhile investment. Now I'll probably snag a PS3 and have BR covered as well. I don't really care much which one wins, I just want it settled. It annoys me to no end that I want to buy/rent a favorite movie, only to find it exclusive to whatever format I don't have...

I'm not convinced either. But I will say that this has certainly put HD in check. If the HDPRG wants to ensure HD's survival, then they will have to act now with a new strategy.

Warner says they plan to release HD through the end of May. If this exclusivity was not "bought out", then it still gives the HDPRG enough time to sway Warner into maintaining its neutral stance.

But this is all speculation, we will all have to wait and see what happens.

Yeah it looks bad for HD-DVD, but it might not just be over quite yet. I know this probably is unlikely, but it would be extremely funny if a new format was introduced that kicks blu-ray and hd-dvd ass haha.

It's pretty clear IMO that it's over. New releases are what tops sales charts and given that the leading studios (over 60% market share) are only going to release in BR come later this year, what chance does HDDVD have now? BR was already outselling HDDVD discs by 2 to 1.

Does anyone really expect HD-DVD to continue to exist just with its current library + future Paramount/Universal releases? Will Toshiba continue to produce players for such a small market or try to finally get into bed with BR so they can have a piece of the pie? It's a no brainer.

Retailers are going to want to save costs by stocking just one format for discs and players, and they'll choose BR given the news. And given the impending death of HDDVD, I doubt many consumers will continue to invest in HDDVD products. Retailers will be reluctant to stock and consumers will be reluctant to buy.

This sucks, IMO HD-DVD is such a better format. It is cheaper to produce, cheaper for the consumer, much more standardized, etc... I own an HD-DVD player and about 20 movies for it and love it. This is a big blow to the community but I am really hoping there is still time to recover.

[quoted4899e5302="JOSHBOX"]This sucks, IMO HD-DVD is such a better format. It is cheaper to produce, cheaper for the consumer, much more standardized, etc... I own an HD-DVD player and about 20 movies for it and love it. This is a big blow to the community but I am really hoping there is still time to recover.[/quoted4899e5302]
I don't believe those arguments are valid, at least not today.

HD-DVD was first to market primarily because it WAS cheaper to produce. Factories could use the same production equipment they used for regular DVD's, which gave HD a huge boost with gaining a foothold. However BR is now firmly entrenched, outselling HD-DVD, and apparently now has exclusivity with the majority of big studios. Production lines will be retooled if they aren't already, if they want to remain competitive, and so this is a non-issue nowadays.

Selling price is pretty much the same, so it's not really cheaper for the consumer either. BR will become cheaper, just like any other new technology. Consumers aren't going to care "which is cheaper to produce" if it doesn't affect the retail price. That said, once the HD-DVD competition is out the way, there's nothing to keep manufacturers from keeping the BR prices artificially higher than necessary, in order to maximize profits. But the exact same argument could be made for HD-DVD as well, were they they the victor.

More standardized? How exactly do you compare two completely different standards and say one is "more standardized?" HD-DVD had a huge headstart on the market due to the aforementioned reasons. As such, by the time BR gained any presence, HD-DVD had worked out a lot of issues and were generally implementing better features. Even today, some HD-DVD titles require firmware updates to play properly, which means it isn't exactly "standardized" either. BR support was still new and fragmented a year ago, resulting in a lot of titles with sub-par mastering, and reduced audio or feature support. That, however, is mostly old news. Quality-wise, there is virtually no difference between BR and HD-DVD video, and BR is technically capable of more content and features than HD-DVD. That's the flip side of the coin when you base a new technology so closely on a previous one you get upfront benefits from cheaper production, but long term you have less flexibility and potential. "Cheaper to produce" very rarely (if ever) means "technologically superior."

The bottom line is they are both good solutions. BR just has more potential as I see it, and obviously HD-DVD didn't do enough to capitalize on their year long headstart and price advantage. Otherwise BR wouldn't have gained and surpassed them like it has.

As far as consumers on the losing side being screwed... well, yeah, that's why format wars suck. Somebody will ALWAYS lose. But given that BR probably has, or will soon have, a wider customer base than HD-DVD, it's certainly more reasonable to expect the HD-DVD early adopters would be the ones getting the sharp end of the stick. I know if you are one, it isn't easy to hear, but oh well.

I have an HD-DVD player (only paid $98 for it so it's no big deal) and around 10 titles by the time they all arrive, but if BR is going to be the standard, then get on with it and I'll adapt. The sooner, the better.

Just saw this chart on digg.

http//www.macrumors.com/2008/01/04/hd-dvd-vs-blu-ray-battle-over-warner-switches-to-blu-ray/

Just saw THIS on Gizmodo
http//gizmodo.com/341983/hd-dvd-really-dead-now-paramount-following-warner-to-blu+ray+only-party

Byebye HD-DVD?

i'll def be buying a blu-ray player now, not a ps3 though

http//www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/blu-ray-disc-association-declares-victory-over-hd-dvd/

Do you think Microsoft will make a Blu-ray player for the 360, and get rid of the HD-DVD player?

[quoteb63bbad320="hehehhehe"]The pron thing is kind of like how people bring up Betamax and minidisc, while conveniently ignoring that Sony also developed CDs and DVDs.[/quoteb63bbad320]

Sony did not "develop" DVDs; they were persuaded by IBM's president to abandon their own MultiMedia Compact Disc in favor of Toshiba's SuperDensity Disc, which, with one minor modification, became the DVD we know today[=http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD]became the DVD we know today. They did help Phillips to develop the CD[=http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD]did help Phillips to develop the CD, but it seems to me that Phillips handled most of the manufacturing and engineering while Sony worked on error correction and codecs. The point about Betamax/Minidisc/UMD/MemoryStick/ATRAC/SDDS/SADC/etc is that, generally speaking, the more involved Sony is in a format's development, the less inter-operable it will be and the less consumer-friendly (read rootkits and DRM) it will be. CDs and DVDs succeeded in spite of Sony, certainly not because of it.

Anyway, it's pretty unlikely I'll buy any next-gen disc player. I very rarely watch movies more than once, and I've been happy with the 360's HD video download store and Comcast On-Demand. And with Comcast's[=http//www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2008/tc2008018_490178.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology]Comcast's and Microsoft's[=http//blog.wired.com/games/2008/01/british-telecom.html]Microsoft'srecent announcements, the amount and quality of HD content available to me with my existing setup is only going to go up. I'd almost feel guilty rewarding either side of this idiotic format war, and it looks like competing technologies might just let me get away with keeping my money this round.

[quote0ac2c865c1="unknown uchiha"]Just saw THIS on Gizmodo
http//gizmodo.com/341983/hd-dvd-really-dead-now-paramount-following-warner-to-blu+ray+only-party

Byebye HD-DVD?[/quote0ac2c865c1]

http//hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/show/DreamWorks/Paramount/CES_2008/Paramount/DreamWorks__Still_Supporting_HD_DVD_%5BUPDATED%5D/1345

shrug

As for Keith, there will be more content heading to Xbox Live

[quote0ac2c865c1]
Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the leading high-definition video-on-demand service, is expanding once again, adding content from two major entertainment partners. Microsoft Corp. today announced at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that Disney-ABC Television Group and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) will be joining the more than 35 networks and studios offering U.S. Xbox LIVE members premium entertainment content via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store.

[b0ac2c865c1]Later this month, all U.S. Xbox LIVE members will begin to have access to select TV shows and movies from the ABC Television Network, ABC Family, ABC News, Disney Channel and Toon Disney as part of an agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group. More than 500 hours of content, in both standard definition and high definition when available, will be offered including hit ABC Television shows "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty" and "Desperate Housewives." Past and current ABC shows will be available on demand, with new episodes arriving on the service the day after they air on television. A variety of award-winning ABC News broadcasts and specials from its unparalleled archive dating back to 1963 and containing priceless interviews, stories and historical moments will be available for download as well.[/b0ac2c865c1]

[b0ac2c865c1]MGM will be bringing its legendary movie library to the service, with classic films ranging from the "Rocky" series to "Dances with Wolves." Action-thrillers such as "Terminator," "Silence of the Lambs" and "The Amityville Horror," comedies and broad-appeal titles such as "Legally Blonde," "Barbershop" and "Agent Cody Banks," and award-winning films such as "Platoon," "Rain Man" and "The Usual Suspects" highlight the diverse launch lineup. United Artists, an MGM sister company, will be making films available as well. Many titles offered by MGM will be available in high definition.[/b0ac2c865c1]
[/quote0ac2c865c1]

Full press release microsoft.com

[quotebda715e6de="KeithA"][quotebda715e6de="hehehhehe"]The pron thing is kind of like how people bring up Betamax and minidisc, while conveniently ignoring that Sony also developed CDs and DVDs.[/quotebda715e6de]

Sony did not "develop" DVDs; they were persuaded by IBM's president to abandon their own MultiMedia Compact Disc in favor of Toshiba's SuperDensity Disc, which, with one minor modification, became the DVD we know today[=http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD]became the DVD we know today. They did help Phillips to develop the CD[=http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD]did help Phillips to develop the CD, but it seems to me that Phillips handled most of the manufacturing and engineering while Sony worked on error correction and codecs. The point about Betamax/Minidisc/UMD/MemoryStick/ATRAC/SDDS/SADC/etc is that, generally speaking, the more involved Sony is in a format's development, the less inter-operable it will be and the less consumer-friendly (read rootkits and DRM) it will be. CDs and DVDs succeeded in spite of Sony, certainly not because of it.

Anyway, it's pretty unlikely I'll buy any next-gen disc player. I very rarely watch movies more than once, and I've been happy with the 360's HD video download store and Comcast On-Demand. And with Comcast's[=http//www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2008/tc2008018_490178.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology]Comcast's and Microsoft's[=http//blog.wired.com/games/2008/01/british-telecom.html]Microsoft'srecent announcements, the amount and quality of HD content available to me with my existing setup is only going to go up. I'd almost feel guilty rewarding either side of this idiotic format war, and it looks like competing technologies might just let me get away with keeping my money this round.[/quotebda715e6de]
Yeah, I know Sony and Toshiba were in a similar situation they are now in with BR vs HDDVD, and that time Sony went with Toshiba for the DVD so my wording is certainly inaccurate. Still, they did co-develop CDs (probably the most popular format out there?) and once on board with DVD, Sony helped promote DVDs immensely in countries like Japan where people bought the PS2 as a cheap DVD player like people buy the PS3 now as a cheap BR player.

As for the rootkit, I certainly think it was a stupid move, even though I think it was meant to do what Windows media DRM already does.

Still, I don't want to come across like I support Sony, I hate them and I've said it here before when we were on this topic. I even said HDDVD was probably a better solution but that the PS3 would probably help BR succeed. I'm just calling it like it is when it comes to this stupid format war and the truth is that Sony has succeeded in developing or promoting formats in the past even though they've immensely failed as well.

Keith, if you're going the downloadable media route, you're falling for Microsoft's diabolical plans that caused the format war in the first place so that its download services would succeed. twisted j/k I don't know if I'll buy any HD format either. I'll probably use the download services too once I get yet another 360 but we would still be rewarding MS indirectly, which was vested in HDDVD.

[quotebda715e6de="h3x"]
http//hddvd.highdefdigest.com/...

shrug[/quotebda715e6de]
I think that was posted before the FT article referred to in unknownuchiha's post. I was going to post the FT article too but either way it means HDDVD will have no exclusives if Dreamworks also jumps ship even thought they may still release HDDVD titles.

Go figure a month after I buy a hd dvd player

[quotefc72965f69="h3x"][quotefc72965f69="unknown uchiha"]Just saw THIS on Gizmodo
http//gizmodo.com/341983/hd-dvd-really-dead-now-paramount-following-warner-to-blu+ray+only-party

Byebye HD-DVD?[/quotefc72965f69]

http//hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/show/DreamWorks/Paramount/CES_2008/Paramount/DreamWorks__Still_Supporting_HD_DVD_%5BUPDATED%5D/1345

shrug

As for Keith, there will be more content heading to Xbox Live

[quotefc72965f69]
Xbox LIVE Marketplace, the leading high-definition video-on-demand service, is expanding once again, adding content from two major entertainment partners. Microsoft Corp. today announced at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that Disney-ABC Television Group and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) will be joining the more than 35 networks and studios offering U.S. Xbox LIVE members premium entertainment content via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store.

[bfc72965f69]Later this month, all U.S. Xbox LIVE members will begin to have access to select TV shows and movies from the ABC Television Network, ABC Family, ABC News, Disney Channel and Toon Disney as part of an agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group. More than 500 hours of content, in both standard definition and high definition when available, will be offered including hit ABC Television shows "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty" and "Desperate Housewives." Past and current ABC shows will be available on demand, with new episodes arriving on the service the day after they air on television. A variety of award-winning ABC News broadcasts and specials from its unparalleled archive dating back to 1963 and containing priceless interviews, stories and historical moments will be available for download as well.[/bfc72965f69]

[bfc72965f69]MGM will be bringing its legendary movie library to the service, with classic films ranging from the "Rocky" series to "Dances with Wolves." Action-thrillers such as "Terminator," "Silence of the Lambs" and "The Amityville Horror," comedies and broad-appeal titles such as "Legally Blonde," "Barbershop" and "Agent Cody Banks," and award-winning films such as "Platoon," "Rain Man" and "The Usual Suspects" highlight the diverse launch lineup. United Artists, an MGM sister company, will be making films available as well. Many titles offered by MGM will be available in high definition.[/bfc72965f69]
[/quotefc72965f69]

Full press release microsoft.com[/quotefc72965f69]

i remember having a long battle about this with you and others looks like I get the last laugh ha ha ha....... lol

funny what I said above, got a ps3 the other day and blu-ray is amazing!!!

I'm using it strictly for blu-ray no gaming

[quote6fa6fe591c="manOFice"]funny what I said above, got a ps3 the other day and blu-ray is amazing!!!

I'm using it strictly for blu-ray no gaming[/quote6fa6fe591c]

no gaming ( why?

[quote0f911b8e4f="puppeteer"][quote0f911b8e4f="manOFice"]funny what I said above, got a ps3 the other day and blu-ray is amazing!!!

I'm using it strictly for blu-ray no gaming[/quote0f911b8e4f]

no gaming ( why?[/quote0f911b8e4f]

thats what my 360 and wii are for 8)

[quote2e12ee5d6d="manOFice"][quote2e12ee5d6d="puppeteer"][quote2e12ee5d6d="manOFice"]funny what I said above, got a ps3 the other day and blu-ray is amazing!!!

I'm using it strictly for blu-ray no gaming[/quote2e12ee5d6d]

no gaming ( why?[/quote2e12ee5d6d]

thats what my 360 and wii are for 8)[/quote2e12ee5d6d]

Then why didnt you get get a blue ray player, it's cheaper (i guess not too much so i guess having a backup game system was your idea?).

[quoted8de9dc48c="zr2152"][quoted8de9dc48c="manOFice"][quoted8de9dc48c="puppeteer"][quoted8de9dc48c="manOFice"]funny what I said above, got a ps3 the other day and blu-ray is amazing!!!

I'm using it strictly for blu-ray no gaming[/quoted8de9dc48c]

no gaming ( why?[/quoted8de9dc48c]

thats what my 360 and wii are for 8)[/quoted8de9dc48c]

Then why didnt you get get a blue ray player, it's cheaper (i guess not too much so i guess having a backup game system was your idea?).[/quoted8de9dc48c]

You haven't done your research I see. The ps3 is one of the best (if not the best) blu-ray player out there. I just upgraded it's firmware to a 2.0 player etc.

Heres 16,000 posts abut the ps3 for blu-ray only ;)

http//www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=650544

Oh and the ps3 is the cheaper of players

Jeez Zach. Learn to do your research. roll

[quote2a7e8745d0="manOFice"]funny what I said above, got a ps3 the other day and blu-ray is amazing!!!

I'm using it strictly for blu-ray no gaming[/quote2a7e8745d0]
I have the PS3 as well and have to agree with you about Blu-Ray...I have casino royale, the patriot, and all 4 Die Hard movies for it, could'nt be happier!

If you are looking for a good game, try Army Of 2...

^ That game's fun. I prefer the fully modded AUG (without the shield).

[quote4ab66657f7="box86rowh"][quote4ab66657f7="manOFice"]funny what I said above, got a ps3 the other day and blu-ray is amazing!!!

I'm using it strictly for blu-ray no gaming[/quote4ab66657f7]
I have the PS3 as well and have to agree with you about Blu-Ray...I have casino royale, the patriot, and all 4 Die Hard movies for it, could'nt be happier!

If you are looking for a good game, try Army Of 2...[/quote4ab66657f7]

I also have casino royale, and die hard 4, can't wait to watch them tomorrow.

Tomorrow is blu-ray day for me =P

Haha, this is sweet I'm gonna but a PS3 for a gaming and Blu-Ray, and who said that they self distruct if you try to play a pirated DVD, is that even possible?

[quote5701de9037="refking"]...and who said that they self distruct if you try to play a pirated DVD, is that even possible?[/quote5701de9037]
It's possible as part of their DRM spec, but so far it has not been implemented. I think the consumer outcry would be severe, but I wouldn't put it past Sony to implement it now that BR has won.

roll

)

[quote39f50991a1="J4320"]^ That game's fun. I prefer the fully modded AUG (without the shield).[/quote39f50991a1]
Did you play by yourself or with a second player??

[quote1e591a1523="box86rowh"][quote1e591a1523="J4320"]^ That game's fun. I prefer the fully modded AUG (without the shield).[/quote1e591a1523]
Did you play by yourself or with a second player??[/quote1e591a1523]

I played all night with an old friend of mine from Colorado (over Xbox Live). We were slap happy when playing so it was even better. We laughed for like 5 minutes straight when that Naval captain said his ship was gonna blow faster than a Thai hooker. lol

[quote4ca933f6f7="J4320"][quote4ca933f6f7="box86rowh"][quote4ca933f6f7="J4320"]^ That game's fun. I prefer the fully modded AUG (without the shield).[/quote4ca933f6f7]
Did you play by yourself or with a second player??[/quote4ca933f6f7]

I played all night with an old friend of mine from Colorado (over Xbox Live). We were slap happy when playing so it was even better. We laughed for like 5 minutes straight when that Naval captain said his ship was gonna blow faster than a Thai hooker. lol[/quote4ca933f6f7]
LOL....funny line....so you thinking sequel?? Are they going to call it Army Of 2 2??

If there is a sequel I'll just rent it. EA sucks ass at providing a good online game.