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[Andrew2]

It was bound to happen..

Another Victory for Blu-ray Camp

The scale continues to tip in Blu-ray Disc’s favor

Warner Home Video has officially joined the Blu-ray Disc Association, becoming the fifth of the six major studios to back the Sony-developed next-generation optical disc format.

The Blu-ray Disc Association’s board Wednesday night formally approved Warner’s admission, sources report.

A statement of software support, in which Warner will formally announce its intent to release movies and other content on the high-definition disc format, is expected sometime today.

Like Paramount Home Entertainment, however, Warner has yet to repudiate the competing HD DVD format, developed by Toshiba, its partner in standard DVD.

That somewhat dampens the enthusiasm of the Blu-ray camp, said Benjamin Feingold, president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Hollywood’s de facto spokesman for Blu-ray Disc.

“The strategy that any supplier would release on both Blu-ray and HD DVD is highly dubious,” Feingold said. “It will only lead to market confusion and consumer disappointment.”

Of the six majors, only Universal Studios Home Entertainment has not come out in support of Blu-ray, sticking with its original statement of releasing software only on the HD DVD format. A high-ranking Universal executive said it’s “too expensive” to release on both formats, while sources say Universal is sticking with HD DVD because of the cozy relationship between Toshiba and its corporate parent, General Electric.

Last month, Toshiba announced a strategic alliance with Universal Pictures for a promotional campaign around King Kong, which opens theatrically Dec. 14. Toshiba will use the film to promote its branded audio-visual products around the world, primarily in the United States and Japan.

The Warner move is the latest in a series of victories that have pushed the next-gen needle firmly into Blu-ray territory. A Toshiba spokesman, speaking on the condition of anonymity, conceded the HD DVD camp’s only hope at this point would be for the coalition of consumer electronics firms backing Blu-ray to fall apart prior to launch.

Such a scenario could happen, he predicts, if Sony releases its PlayStation 3 in April at a likely list price of $499, about half the expected out-of-the-gate price of dedicated first-generation Blu-ray Disc playback decks from other manufacturers.

“What consumer would buy a playback-only deck for $1,000 when they can buy a machine that plays back movies and also lets them play games for half that amount?” he asks. “Other manufacturers are going to balk at producing playback-only decks, and their only other option is to make high-end combo decks with recording capabilities — which is a market already taken care of by cable and satellite with built-in decoders.”

http://www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=8150

 

[Sinatar]

Seeing as how EVERY ONE OF THESE THREADS ARE MOVED, why the hell did you make it in the gaming forum??

Edit: ahh right..

Andrew2
STOP MAKING FUCKING THREADS!
(Today, 02:20 PM)
Reply | Quote

 

[Fuzzy]

Seeing as how EVERY ONE OF THESE THREADS ARE MOVED, why the hell did you make it in the gaming forum??

Edit: ahh right..

I really don't understand why people make these threads here either. Just because the PS3 will have a BRD doesn't mean this belongs here.

 

[Spencerr]

Seeing as how EVERY ONE OF THESE THREADS ARE MOVED, why the hell did you make it in the gaming forum??

Edit: ahh right..

Same reason we saw UMD movie lists in here forever.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Such a scenario could happen, he predicts, if Sony releases its PlayStation 3 in April at a likely list price of $499, about half the expected out-of-the-gate price of dedicated first-generation Blu-ray Disc playback decks from other manufacturers.

“What consumer would buy a playback-only deck for $1,000 when they can buy a machine that plays back movies and also lets them play games for half that amount?” he asks. “Other manufacturers are going to balk at producing playback-only decks, and their only other option is to make high-end combo decks with recording capabilities — which is a market already taken care of by cable and satellite with built-in decoders.”

I think he is exagerating. Blu-Ray decks will get their niche as they will target another price range and hopefully for them they will pack the features people expect for that price.

Everyone in the BDA camp has known of PLAYSTATION 3 for a long time (knowing SCE would never price it near the $1,000 mark ) and the will of introducing with PLAYSTATION 3 Blu-Ray technology to the low/mid-end Consumer Electronics market, not only that, but some movie studios have specifically stated PLAYSTATION 3 as one of the best weapons the BDA camp has to its disposals to quiclly increase Blu-Ray's market-share and recognition.

 

[Fuzzy]

Same reason we saw UMD movie lists in here forever.

Except UMD's were made for the PSP.

 

[Kleegamefan]

TSC TSC SEEMS OVER FOR HD-DVD

 

[soundwave05]

Batman Anthology, Batman Begins, and Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray please.

So is this basically the final nail in HD-DVD's coffin?

 

[Deg]

Blu Ray it is.

 

[Kleegamefan]

You might find this intresting...I found this over at avsforums:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=411600&page=449&pp=30

Microsoft seems that it desperately wants to establish HD DVD which is fullfilled by its technology. Hearing at the local input of the BDA meeting, Microsoft has put huge pressure to the industry, targeted to the BDA meeting.

Although Microsoft's pressure, changing of the movement toward BD does not seem to happen. Within this week or following week, the announcement is expected to be released that WB joins the BDA.

The biggest issue of the BDA meeting held from last week and this week was welcoming WB to the BDA member. WB's movement has been established policy over one month . The reason why Microsoft and Intel threw their support to HD DVD was that they stired things up for the industry to delay the negotiation, then avoid WB's joining to the BDA at the BDA meeting.

About incosistency movement of HP, HP replresentative said "We who are in charge of BD alliance don't think both iHD and mandatory managed copy are needed".

According to the BDA person, managed copy is defined in AACS, both HD DVD and BD support it in the hardware. Difference is that all HD DVD software are able to be managed copied, while in BD software, content vendors have a right to decide whether managed copy is available or not.

Time Warner was demanded by biggest shareholder to show the right strategy to cover the decreasement of DVD sales, then after many studies, it reached to the decision to release BD, which is expected to be penetrated widely in result of PS3. DVD sales in the US market was expected to be plateaued two years ago, but WB thought it's not urgent matter. One year later, they started to express a sense of crisis that peak is going to come soone, then start shrinking. Now, there is a fact that DVD sales of big hit movie was far below than expected, they now aware that shrinking of the DVD sales has been started far earlier than their expectation. Therefore, at the end of September, WB was on the brink of signing agreement to join the BDA.

Though Microsoft's movement, eventually it is expected to fail. It is said that Dell has not moved its stance at all. HP also said "The announcement of requesting iHD and MMC was the top management decision, however, we'll carry out not to affect BD launch timing".

iHD was defeated by 6 to 10 at the voting in the BDA before, if next vote will be held by HP's propose, almost all member seem to vote to Java. Each company has started implemeting of Java already, changing to iHD makes huge schedule delay. That (significant delay of the launch) is the Microsoft's target, however, keeping the launch schedule is the biggest theme for the BDA, therefore no company will agree to change from now on.

Microsoft did every conceivable means to affect Time Warner group like raising the buyout condition of AOL and politics, however, WB rejected all those proposals. Since TW is requested by the biggest shareholder to re-think the strategy of video package business, TW has to carry out seeking for benefit and the strategy to raise stock price.

 

[Ponn]

Batman Anthology, Batman Begins, and Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray please.

So is this basically the final nail in HD-DVD's coffin?

That should be Universal and then that should be the last thread we have.