Blu-Ray Scores Big in Format War, But It Ain't Over Despite Money and Exaggeration

HNH · 01-06-2008, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Warner Bros. announced it's going Blu-ray exclusive, sending the HD DVD camp scrambling. It's a huge battle, where money is changing hands, some media report opinion as fact, and little Ms. Consumer is still twiddling her thumbs, wondering if she should even care.

Digital Journal, Op-Ed -- The format war is not over, despite what some major media organizations are screaming. Indeed, the Blu-ray camp scored major points with the Warner Bros. announcement it was going exclusively with Blu-ray for future high-definition DVD releases. Warner Bros. says the move was made "in response to consumer demand."

In plain English, what I think Warner Bros. is trying to say is that it made the choice to go with one format exclusively because it doesn't like the expense of mass producing movies in two different high-def formats. "In response to consumer demand" really means putting an end to the war so it can start making some real money.

For anyone not up-to-speed on this format war: The next generation of DVDs are high-def, but there are two competing formats: HD DVD and Blu-ray. Both sides say they are better, and they want consumers to decide who should reign supreme.

But there is a lot of politics, spin and PR stunts being pulled on both sides. Rather than collaborating on a standard so you and I could be watching high-def movies now, we have to wait until the war is sorted out (nobody wants to buy a player that ends up becoming redundant).

Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros., said, "Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want."

Give consumers what they want? What has Warner been doing up until now?

Meyer went on to show he's not totally naive: "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."

And he's right. Whether you are a Blu-ray fan or not, putting a nail in the coffin of this god-forsaken format war is exactly what high-def consumers want and need. However, let's not forget this format war is more about money than it is about you, me and Dupree.

Warner is the pretty woman on the block (albeit the biggest one of the bunch) and both Blu-ray and HD DVD have been courting her for a long time in an attempt to woo her into monogamy. Blu-ray has finally scored with her, but the question is: What did it have to do to win her over?

The New York Times notes Toshiba sent Yoshihide Fujii, the executive in charge of its HD DVD business, to Warner three times recently. Sony has done the same, dispatching its CEO Howard Stringer to make buddy-buddy with the new CEO of Time Warner. Both sides have been pitching, and pitching hard.

Money is power in this business, as Toshiba has reportedly given $150 million in financial incentives to Paramount and DreamWorks Animation to stick with them and HD DVD according to the New York Times. Apparently they tried the same with Warner, but clearly that didn't work. Which leaves me with one question: How much did the Blu-ray camp pay Warner Bros. to go exclusive?

Kevin Tsujihara, president of the Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Group, would not comment on payments offered by Blu-ray when asked by the New York Times. Instead, he only said, "This market is absolutely critical to our future growth," and "You couldn’t put a number on that.”

Indeed, Sony's Blu-ray camp can strut its stuff this week: Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Disney, MGM and Lionsgate are now all Blu-ray exclusive. Paramount, Universal and DreamWorks Animation support HD DVD. The Blu-ray studios represent about 70 per cent of the home video market.

Warner Bros. currently makes movies in both HD DVD and Blu-ray, and will continue to do so until May when it will make the switch to Blu-ray exclusively. Warner is just what Blu-ray needed, as its the biggest player in the global home entertainment market which pulls in about $42 billion each year.

"Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices," said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. "Today's decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner."

According to some analysts, Blu-ray tiles have sold 2-1 over HD DVD since the beginning of 2007. Why? Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console has helped. But when it comes to declaring a winner, it's still too early.

However, that has not stopped some in the mainstream media from stating opinions as facts. Case in point: The L.A. Times ran an article with an utterly irresponsible headline proclaiming "DVD format war appears to be over." Now if that isn't hyperbole designed solely to get attention, I don't know what is. If the article was labelled Op-Ed, it would be a moot point. But when a publication as large as the L.A. Times declares Blu-ray is a victor in the format war, it muddies the waters and confuses consumers even more. The media's job is to report the news, not make the news, is it not?

The L.A. Times makes itself sound even more ridiculous by saying: "The decision, announced on the eve of the influential Consumer Electronics Show, delivers a de facto knockout punch to the rival HD DVD format..." and continues with, "It also averts a further costly format war..."

A knockout punch? Averting a future war? What? Let us remind the L.A. Times: It certainly does not look good for HD DVD, but the format war is not over quite yet -- HD DVD still has two major studios supporting the format. I wouldn't be dividing the estate until grandpa actually passes on, as you never know how much kick he has left in him.

The HD DVD camp is clearly nervous. With CES being an important platform in which everyone in the tech industry can pimp their wares, the HD DVD group has cancelled a news conference.

In a statement, the HD DVD camp admits it was “quite surprised” and “particularly disappointed” by Warner’s decision. The group went on to say, "We are currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps. We believe the consumer continues to benefit from HD DVD's commitment to quality and affordability," the group said in a statement.

The media, analysts and industry pundits have been declaring winners in this war for a few years. But tables can turn.

Analysts say home DVD sales fell by about 3 per cent in 2007, partly because of confusion in the market over formats. And the holiday shopping season was a complete flop for high-def DVDs despite the fact both sides slashed prices and spend millions marketing to consumers.

"A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry," said Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, in a statement.

Blu-ray looks like it could win the format war (or maybe one could say it's likely to win), but it's not over yet.

Furthermore, Internet broadband speeds and penetration are picking up quickly, which could render both formats completely irrelevant. The high-def DVD format war might just end up being the big bout nobody stuck around for.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/articl...d_Exaggeration

Here's some level-headed thinking.

Super XP · 01-06-2008, 11:38 AM

Great Artilce.

Hitachi65SWX20B · 01-06-2008, 11:59 AM

It's far from over! Yeah it sucks ... but it isn't over at all!

Hitachi65SWX20B · 01-06-2008, 12:00 PM

HD DVDer's just keep buying movies!!!

Love That TV · 01-06-2008, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitachi65SWX20B

HD DVDer's just keep buying movies!!!

sorry bro, i just took my HD-DVD player back and this is all i see now!

Super XP · 01-06-2008, 12:23 PM

HD DVD is the better format. Keep supporting HD DVD

.

It is also the best DVD up-Converter, does a better job than any BD player

Loves2Watch · 01-06-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love That TV

sorry bro, i just took my HD-DVD player back and this is all i see now!

That's pretty short sighted.

GLOW · 01-06-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love That TV

sorry bro, i just took my HD-DVD player back and this is all i see now!

I don't get it... you're 'shrooming?

Lee Stewart · 01-06-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

VP of Digital A/V Marketing: "As you can imagine this is a tough day for me... I expected to come here today to share the successes of HD DVD..." "It's difficult for me to read all the pundits declare that HD DVD is dead, but we've been declared dead before." "HD DVD is the only format approved by the DVD Forum" so every one meets a standard

http://gizmodo.com/341216/toshiba-pr...rence-liveblog

El Despairado · 01-06-2008, 12:51 PM

"HD DVD is the only format approved by the DVD Forum" so every one meets a standard"

I don't understand this line.

zombi3 · 01-06-2008, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Despairado

"HD DVD is the only format approved by the DVD Forum" so every one meets a standard"

I don't understand this line.

I think that was a shot at BD's incomplete spec.

crazyal · 01-06-2008, 12:58 PM

The way I see it is HD DVD has a few timeframes to work withnow. The first is for the next few weeks. They need to turn the news back to positive, cheap players will not do it. A firm commitment from Universal and P/DW that they are not going to release on Blu would help a lot right now.

The next is in the end of May. There will be lots of bad press they will have to deal with once Warner does stop releasing in HD DVD. Then comes next fall.

ROD2467 · 01-17-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super XP

HD DVD is the better format. Keep supporting HD DVD

.

It is also the best DVD up-Converter, does a better job than any BD player

Is the Blu-ray HD Player format superior to HD-DVD Player format?
Read the real facts about the two format technologies?

I agree!

Here is a guide that provides information about both HD formats to help buyers to make the right choice when it comes to HD movies.

Read the whole article before you form an opinion and buy your first or next HD player. You will be surprised with the real truth about the two formats.

http://www.digital-digest.com/articl...ide_page1.html

Super XP · 01-17-2008, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROD2467

Is the Blu-ray HD Player format superior to HD-DVD Player format?
Read the real facts about the two format technologies?

I agree!

Here is a guide that provides information about both HD formats to help buyers to make the right choice when it comes to HD movies.

Read the whole article before you form an opinion and buy your first or next HD player. You will be surprised with the real truth about the two formats.

http://www.digital-digest.com/articl...ide_page1.html

Links dead.
Plus HD DVD is superior than Blu-Ray. HD DVD has finished specs, interactiveness & internet connectivity etc. You can do anything an HD DVD player is meant to do in the past, present & future for an easy $130 where as you cannot do the same with Blu-Ray's expensive $400 to $1000+ players which suffer from un-finished specs.

PQ any difference between the two? NO
AQ any differences between the two? NO

TheRedBaron · 01-17-2008, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super XP

HD DVD is the better format. Keep supporting HD DVD

.

It is also the best DVD up-Converter, does a better job than any BD player

And that, my friends, is the sort of mentality we're dealing with....

01-06-2008, 11:38 AM	#2
Super XP Star Trek: The Movie! Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Toronto, ON. Canada Posts: 5,776	Great Artilce. __________________ Toshiba Regza 46" HDTV (46RF350U) LCD 1080p/24p Toshiba HD-A35 / HD-A3 / XD-E500 LG GGC-H20L Super Multi / PC Drive Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 TrueHD/DTS HD MA Precision Acoustics™ 8Ch. Hi Def Loudspeaker Series DVD's = 200 = 130 = 10

01-06-2008, 12:23 PM	#6
Super XP Star Trek: The Movie! Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Toronto, ON. Canada Posts: 5,776	HD DVD is the better format. Keep supporting HD DVD . It is also the best DVD up-Converter, does a better job than any BD player __________________ Toshiba Regza 46" HDTV (46RF350U) LCD 1080p/24p Toshiba HD-A35 / HD-A3 / XD-E500 LG GGC-H20L Super Multi / PC Drive Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 TrueHD/DTS HD MA Precision Acoustics™ 8Ch. Hi Def Loudspeaker Series DVD's = 200 = 130 = 10

01-06-2008, 12:51 PM	#10
El Despairado HD DVD: Still the best! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: North Dakota Age: 32 Posts: 903	"HD DVD is the only format approved by the DVD Forum" so every one meets a standard" I don't understand this line. __________________ Consumers did not choose the winner of the format war, the movie studios did, and now consumers are stuck with the decision. Samsung HL-S6187W Yamaha RX-V2700 Toshiba HD-XA2 RF/LF-Polk Audio RTi8 Center-Polk Audio CSi3 SL/SR-Polk Audio RTi6 LFE-Polk Audio P505 300watt self amplified. Xbox 360 Administrator of Horns Up International hornsupinternational.freeforums.org

01-06-2008, 12:58 PM	#12
crazyal Smarter than the ave bear Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,314	The way I see it is HD DVD has a few timeframes to work withnow. The first is for the next few weeks. They need to turn the news back to positive, cheap players will not do it. A firm commitment from Universal and P/DW that they are not going to release on Blu would help a lot right now. The next is in the end of May. There will be lots of bad press they will have to deal with once Warner does stop releasing in HD DVD. Then comes next fall. __________________ Please don't feed the Unicorns

01-06-2008, 11:59 AM	#3
Hitachi65SWX20B High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hockeytown, Detroit Posts: 937	It's far from over! Yeah it sucks ... but it isn't over at all!

01-06-2008, 12:00 PM	#4
Hitachi65SWX20B High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hockeytown, Detroit Posts: 937	HD DVDer's just keep buying movies!!!