http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH7S_Nwb8fU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvE_dONJIWU

No comment on the article.

THIS NEW SITE IS REALLY HORRIBLE. IT JUST DOESN'T WORK, JUST LOOKING AT THIS THING GIVES ME A HEADACHE. I CAN BARLEY TELL WHERE AN ARTICLE ENDS AND WHERE THE COMMENTS BEGIN. EVER HEARD OF SECTIONS AND CONTRAST? TRY AGAIN OR CHANGE IT BACK, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year, Everybody!!!

Your entire post gave me a headache for the exact same reasons.

2 things:

1: The site now looks horrible. Please tell me this is temporary.

2: Those of you bickering about 'incentive' are probably the same people who were bickering about the exact same thing with the Universal Announcement, with merely the roles reversed. The whole thread smacks of hypocrisy.

I know I said only two things, but on a final note:

HD DVD/Blu Ray....

{walter}
I don't give a damn...
{/walter}

1. It's a change--I never like it when people change stuff, but betanews has needed a facelift for quite some time and I'll get used to it after a while. The look itself definately appears more professional IMO.

Meh... It looked contained earlier. Now there's nothing separating one section from the other...just white space.

My own opinion, I know, but... Gah...

Like i said, I hope it's temporary.

For one the width doesn't fit for me. Now matter how I stretch my browser, it's displaying the page at about 120% of what's available. And like the previous person said, there are no break points between the columns. There's just a bunch of text that isn't separated enough.

Secondly, it appears as if some options are missing on the new version. Don't take features away in an "upgrade".

I have to say on this PC_Tool and I finds solidarity. this CES Skin that has now taken over even the archives which at least was readable till today, Is for the birds. While I appreciate the need for a face lift. This is an equivalent of a Michel Jackson nose job... this is just a horrible experience now. I can see user flocking elsewhere in droves if this is the final choice... I mean look at teh comments now. 3 or 4 per, instead of the normal 100 or so.

TRUE. a lot of that is sometimes flame, But still it shows how people used to like to be here, as opposed to how it is now. its like pulling teeth to find what you want, and painful to read in this White wash format.

So it looks like Warner has lied about not taking money. They lied 500 million worth.

http://formatwarcentral....00-million-from-the-bda/

$500 million! Danggit, Sony's really out on a limb aren't they? Frankly so is Warner.

well if formatwarcentral.com says it, it must be true. nevermind that Warner says no money changed hands.

In other news, humans never landed on the moon.

I've said it before...

Considering their public statement (Nov. 5) that they had absolutely no plans to go exclusive to either format, their claims of no money are a little bit less than credible.

Since when has a blog been the definitive source?

Any ond old idiot can setup a fly by night blog site and spin whatever they want under the guise of news, look at Betanews for proof.

Come back when NewYork Times or Rueiters report it..

Until then, it's just sour grapes...

PS, these seem rather relevent...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH7S_Nwb8fU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvE_dONJIWU

personally I would not shed a tear if both HD formats quietly dies and never saw another disc pressed. Nothing wrong with the accepted and proven DVD format, its the industry that wants to go to a HD format so they can lock up the technology so tight that every 6 months you'll be relicensing your purchases... If someone needs more realism, go and find yourself a life.

Zing!

Ouch.

Truer words...

Nothing is wrong if you have a regular tv. But if you have an HD tv, then the newer formats are obviously better and put DVD to shame. The picture quality isn't even close.

I still say Warner Brothers made a gargantuan mistake, EVEN IF BLU-RAY WINS THE FORMAT WAR. There are too many people buying HD-DVD right now, and switching at this moment was just ill-timed...although frankly no time is good for this.

It's no secret that even before the rootkit debacle I've been saying that Sony is really screwing things up in the market. Their quality used to be so robust, but in the past 10 years everything has been "new and improved" and at the same time everything I've purchased from them has broken (except their pre-1996 stuff). I don't recall any major change in leadership at that time, but honestly I didn't keep up back then as well as I do now either. Even their newer TV's are breaking left and right (I'm speaking generally, as I'm sure there are some thousands of TV's that do work fine for every one-hundred thousand sold).

I wouldn't trust their Blu-Ray players to stand the test of time. I'm fet up with their premium prices when their stuff breaks just as much as the next vendor. I expect Sony stuff to be far BETTER than others because of their brand name and prices, but instead they seem to be the same or worse because they got in the same damned trap every great company has fallen into--the "me want more money this year" trap. They don't give a damn about the big picture in ten years because they all know that they'll have pockets of gold and retire before then. They care more about money than the company.

I suppose there's maybe a dozen companies on the planet that have not yet fallen into this trap, so sony shouldn't piss me off any more than the others should, but it just sucks that they screwed it all up right when I decided to really stock up on their brand.

Not one product that I have purchased from them since 1995 still works. I still use the CD Boombox I bought in 1994 from them daily, but the four others me or my family bought in the 1996-2001 period (roughly) all broke.

I'm using a sony vaio at work that was purchased in 2005 and I've never ever seen a laptop that had so many damned heat problems. Even Alienware would work after you switched a few levers in the bios, but sony forces you to use those 42 processes that actually control the hardware for you. Hardware control is a joke for them, yet reliable software for regulating the hardware is foreign. Try their software updates, sure, after your cpu fries. WHY DO I HAVE TO HAVE SOFTWARE JUST SO MY FANS CAN PREVENT THE CPU FROM DESTROYING ITSELF? Shouldn't the hardware do that?

*Sigh*...God forbid you get a virus--all your fans would run full speed (not because of the viruses running the cpu 100% but because the viruses would "break" the sony software) because even viruses seize up when they encounter sony software. (well--that's just one case. One of our client's PC's had an issue where the proprietary sony software had prevented the virus from infecting certain files because sony modified a windows system file and the virus didn't know how to infect it. It freaked the whole system out and the virus hadn't even "infected" it yet.)

Every peice of sony equipment I encounter has "weird sony problems" and it's always a problem that nobody else has ever heard of except with sony equipment. Why can't they just make things work like they used to? Does it hurt their future sales that badley when their stuff works?

Paramount hint at moving to Blu-ray..

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/...-bcf9-0000779fd2ac.html

"It was also unclear yesterday whether the other studios backing HD-DVD would change sides, although it is understood Paramount has reserved the right to switch its backing to Blu-ray."

I love my PS3, downloading blu-ray files is fun quick and easy!

what!?

What is your point?

Huh...

The (near) future of video is digital downloads. Blu-ray and HD-DVD will be short-lived. The physical media format will begin to die in 5 years.

Look at Cable and Satellite OnDemand services, and XBox Live. These are just the beginning. As prices for video downloads become more competitive, the convenience of downloading any movie to your computer and/or TV box in 20 minutes compared to going to a store will overshadow buying physical discs.

I believe HD-DVD and Blu-Ray will be the last of its kind.

haha!...remind me when the average consumer has enough storage space for movies at 25GB's a pop....or remind me when the average consumer has an internet service that won't take a week to download said films...remind me when the movie studios figure out what to do with the server issues involved with everyone in the world downloading from them....remind me when you figure out a way to transport said films to and from your house (ever try to buy a 25+GB flash drive?)

you think Sony BD's might have DRM issues....i can only IMAGINE what M$ would have in plan for some sort of DRM with digital downloads...

anyone who thinks a total digital distribution is at all a possibility in the neat future is CRAZY...the world isn;t ready for it...we don;t have the capabilities...

Please there is no infrastructure in place for teh bandwidth needed for HD streaming movies. Downloading yes but not very legal.

Wrong again.

http://www.betanews.com/...aming_movies/1199651194

http://newscenter.verizo...ideo-on-demand-now.html

And there are more. The infrastructure is in place. The future is today....streaming HD for the masses is far closer than you realize young padawan :)

See my previous post. You can deny reality, but most companies are finding ways to do this.

not 1080p...not uncompressed audio...not including extras...blah blah blah...suck it up...a sony product won the war...enjoy it

This I agree with cable and anything else has a long way to go to even come close to that.

My TV isn't 1080p, so I don't care about that. If your TV can't upconvert then it sucks anyways. 720p will look way better than 480p on any large TV.

People listen to American Music and TV all the time. That crap is so compressed anyways, dynamics aren't even something that matters if you could reproduce it exactly. Movies aren;t that much better. Once they are mastered for DVD, they are way more compressed and the dynamics are gone. You need to learn a lot before saying stupid stuff.

There's one small problem though... the masses aren't ready.

Why do you keep going on about this "25 GB" movie size? If anyone is offering digital downloads using MPEG-2 compression, they need to be flogged... repeatedly.

A typical 2-hour movie encoded with H.264 / VC-1 at half the bitrate would yield half the file size (11-12 GB, on the average). Still large, but not nearly as large as it could have been had the typical space-wasting methods of Blu-ray authoring been used.

That's what more efficient codecs are for.

Also, many people have been considering and implementing torrent-based distribution solutions for quite some time, eliminating the bottleneck at the server end, also lowering bandwidth costs for the content provider. It's about time it started gaining popularity for legitimate purposes.

The masses will be ready when we start seeing cable/satellite/tivo boxes and other forms of media players coming standard with terabytes of storage and available for less than $500. I see this happening in under 5 years.

You can buy a 1 terabyte drive for $700 today. Think about what you'll have in 5 more years for the same amount of $. In my opinion, STORAGE is the 2nd of the two (bandwidth/delivery being 1) most important component to digital video downloads.

As far as available bandwidth for the AVERAGE consumer, I'll bet that in 5 years, between cable and DSL services, we'll have speeds far greater than current 10MB/sec. speeds.

I could care less about Sony winning a "war" here. I'm talking about common sense direction of things ahead. We'll have greater bandwidth and storage options available in 5 more years easily. The HD movies I download from XBox Live are the same quality of HD-DVD/Blu-Ray movies.

And trust me, companies will find ways to compress HD content (the same quality of Blu-Ray/HD-DVD discs) over the Internet sooner than you think.

1080p IMO is overrated. I would take a quality 720p set over a so so 1080p set ANY day.

The point I'm making is that in 5 years a new and COMMON method of buying movies will be via digital downloads. Trust me, with consumers legally buying movies from major motion picture studios through just XBox Live today, think of how that trend will grow much more in 5 more years. Just about all major motion pictures studios CURRENTLY offer their movies for download (and in HD format). I'm not basing everything on XBox Live but it's a trend that will only get better.

I'm not saying that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD will completely die in 5 years, but in 5 years a lot more consumers will WANT to download movies instead of worrying about going out and buying them all the time.

With the price of storage these days (you can buy a 1TB drive for $700 today) think of what consumers will have available for the same amount of money in 5 more years. And cable/DSL providers will only increase their bandwidth/speed capabilities more in 5 more years as well.

Xbox Live HD movies are around 2gb.

You can buy a TB for less then $400 today....

Word.

JUST BUY A HD MULTIMEDIA PLAYER THAT PLAYS HD (http://popcornhour.com/ 720 or 1080) MKV FILES. FORGET THIS HD WAR IT'S OLD!! THE WAY TO GO IS STREAMING THEN PLAYING FROM HARD DRIVES!! BLUE RAY IS SO OLD!!!

yeah...remind me when the average person has the bandwidth to stream HD media...or when they have enough hard drive space to store it...or when you can get uncompressed 1080p video and uncompressed audio by streaming or off the net....let me know ok?

The put it on a BDR disc.. LOL...

These points I do agree with you, however you do not need uncompressed audio to have it be HD. Uncompressed is just disk space waster. There is no difference from that and lossless audio anyway.

...and then read it with what?

Thanks that is just what I am looking for. I have a bunch of those files and this is the best option instead of a HTPC for me. Do you have one and what do you think of it if you do?

HDdvd and BD fanatics, scary. Just be a user and stop being so weird. :D

ok, let's look at the possible outcome of this in the gaming industry only.

if microsoft and nintendo wants hd capabilities, and since hd dvd is down, then both microsoft and nintendo will have to pay yearly license fees to sony for blu-ray. that could make sony an absolute monopoly in the gaming industry.

ouch... this is really nasty.

Not necessarily. As many had speculated (or hoped, as I did) that Blu-ray would eventually become a proprietary Sony format exclusive to the PlayStation 3, the opposite could be true for HD DVD on Microsoft's behalf. They have invested too heavily to simply throw it to the side, and it would not surprise me if they decided to make it the standard on their next console release/update, choosing to release games that require higher capacity on that format.

It's understandable to assume that no company would want to pay licensing fees to another company when they already have the technology that meets their requirements in front of them.

As far as Nintendo goes, they have apparently shown no indication to support either of the HD formats to date with any of their consoles, opting instead to utilize their own proprietary formats for game distribution.

Too many people are assuming HD DVD is down for the count now. As that may eventually prove to be true, I believe CES this week is going to hold some interesting surprises and revelations. More than anything though, I hope it holds yields some answers for recent events.

LOL...this post has to go down as one of the funniest, least educated post of all betanews time.

Betanews...you should begin an end-of-year article that includes these types of posts!

I don't believe for a minute that either would pay the competition for blu. You do not need HD movies for a game system. I want HD games in my console I could careless if it plays movies. The Wii is flying off the shelves and it cant even play a DVD. So much for that.

I don’t know if “absolute monopoly” is true for the gaming industry. There are many good titles for both X-box 360 and Wii and they don’t have to adopt Blue-ray into their consoles.
The fact the HD DVD promoters pulled out of CES, that’s not good news at all. You could say that “absolute monopoly” by Sony is possible in the HD movie industry. The only movie studios left in the HD DVD camp are Paramount and DreamWorks, and I’m sure they don’t want to be left behind in the HD area.
However, what would be funny is if Disney defects to HD DVD camp. That's a funny story for a soap opera.

Don't talk silly. Sony down own Blu-ray.

BDA does, of which Sony is a founding member.

VERY BIG DIFFERENCE.

Don't you want HD games?

There are already many games out for PS3, that look stunning, and simply won't fit on a DVD9 disc, unless you make the textures SD.

Take Ratchet and Clank, or Unchartered, both clock in at over 20GB.

I have played Ratchet and Clank...OVER HYPED sorry. Uncharted looks pretty impressive, but you have absolutely no proof that this could not be compressed to fit on a DVD9.

If Dave says it, it is so.

They seem to believe that a game has to look amazing to be good. And I agree with your comment of Ratchet. Sales are not very impressive for Clank.

Not only that...but they believe games have to take up 20+GB of storage space to look good...it's pretty funny, actually.

Don't talk silly. Sony down own Blu-ray.

ROFLMAO...Oh, the irony.

Even in spite of all this, the Toshiba HD-A3 is still listed on Amazon at #12 on the top-100 best-sellers (as of this posting).

But lo and behold, a Blu-ray player finally broke the top-100 list after all this time (the Sony BDP-S300) at #85, just above the Toshiba HD-A35 at #87.

Just thought that was interesting information.

You know something? I just made the connection. Joey and "company" is to Blu Ray what Chris Crocker is to Britney Spears.

I'm looking for a "Leave Blu Ray alone" video to see if he has made one while dressed in women's drag (Blue dress of course).

An obsessed, crossed dressing hermaphrodite wearing eyeliner and a bad blonde wig perched in front of a webcam is the only way I can picture him (Joey / Dave) from now on.

This is going to keep me up nights.

Sometimes bud, you worry me more than Dave. :)

"Don't taze Dave, Bro!"

Looks like Sony paid them off. It will be their downfall.

Isn't ironic these news came just before CES?
HD DVD has more in favor than Blue-ray. That’s because of red laser which can also be used in burning DVD-R disks. But the battle between Sony and Toshiba is not about quality, but LICENSES.
When looking back into VHS history, Betamax was far more superior. But Sony lost because they didn’t own movie studios. Now they do, and they can do whatever they want with the market.
Since the license fee for Blue-ray is 25 % more than HD DVD, I’ll bet you that Sony in desperation in messing with Toshiba gave 75% discount on license fees to AOL/Warner.
The biggest looser in this dishonorable behavior from Sony, are the small movie studios who are now forced to pay (if they want HD releases) higher license fees.
I don’t like swearing, but given what Sony did I must say that they are unconditionally eligible to the biggest MF Club on the planet. Sony reminds me of Wal-Mart, Microsoft, AOL/Warner, Adobe, IBM/AMD, Oracle, oil companies, pharmaceutical companies, Ford, GM, etc…
So, since people are complacent, nothing is going to be done about this. I guess that future generations will adapt to this kind of behavior by becoming more ruthless than today.

its not like the average joe consumer can't do anything against these monopolies- except of course not buy the blu ray players and discs in the first place, then warners et al would have no choice but to go to the surviving formats side.

"HD DVD has more in favor than Blue-ray. That’s because of red laser which can also be used in burning DVD-R disks. "

This simply proves how clueless you are.

Both HD DVD and Blu-ray are blue laser systems.

That is all you attacked I guess the rest is true.

Nope, the fact he does not even know the difference between red wavelength and blue wavelength means all his arguments are simply read from an incorrect Microsoft Xbot crib sheet.

Is that like saying "the fact you don't know the difference between sRGB and adobeRGB means you don't know anything about cars"?

Coffee almost came out of my nose on that one. :)

??? He is not talking about colour profiles, or cars.

He is spouting misinformation about HD DVD in a thread specific to that.

It is not misinformation, Joey. It is called 3x DVD, and incorporates a red laser to allow consumers to create HD DVD content using widely available DVD±R media.

OK... my mistake with red laser on HD DVD. But I was trying to get a point here with HD movies that can be made with red laser on normal DVDs. That's something that Blue-ray doesn't allow on playback. Sony wants to make sure that you use only BD disks for any kind of HD content.
You can create Hi-Def DVDs (up to 60 min) using 4.7 GB Type 5 DVDs (DVD-R). Once you built and formated your DVD on your PC/Mac you can play your movie on HD DVD player only.
Since most ultra cheap DVD players can't play DVD+R, DVD-R is the preferred choice to ensure it plays on all players. When you submit a master disk for DVD duplication or replication, DVD-R is a must. If you also want your movie to have CSS or Macrovision encryption (copyright protection) then you submit your files on an external hard disk.

I believe analogies are covered in 3rd grade these days? When you get there, come back and post something that makes a little more sense, will ya?

Thanks

I can see the new firmware updates coming now that it appears that blu has won that locks disks to machines. They do own the patent then you are really screwed.

root kits

What is it with the rabid idiots here, posting FUD.

1/ You need writable capabilities in the hardware to do this.

2/ Sony are no Blu-ray, there are many other companies that make up the BDA

Joey, the following statements are pure fact:

Sony, by way of the PS3, has the single most widely adopted Blu-ray player on the market. Regardless of the number of groups within the BDA, Sony is one of its biggest players.

In 2000, Sony filed patent number 6,816,972, registering a technology to prevent owners of "Software Discs" from selling them or lending them to friends.

Nobody, outside of the engineering teams, knows exactly what software could possibly be hidden within the PS3's OS. It is entirely possible that the locking tech was included, under the radar (and given the rootkit fiasco, you can't honestly blame people for their suspicions).

It strikes me as odd that the PS3 is the only machine on the market capable of meeting the requirements, not only for profile 1.1, but profile 2.0 as well (honestly, how hard is it to put a g**d*** ethernet port on the machine to handle firmware downloads?). Could it be that Sony has found a way to 'trojan horse' the PS3 into even more homes, by making this fact known to the consumers who pay attention to this kind of information? It wouldn't be the first time that they have done something like this...remember, the PS3 was the Trojan Horse that delivered BR into millions of homes.

Sony LOVES proprietary formats...minidisc, memory stick, UMD, Betamax...the list goes on and on. This is their first real chance of having one truly fly. Given their track record of the last few years though, you really can't blame people for being suspicious.

To many, Sony has replaced Microsoft as the 'evil empire'.

EDIT: One last comment on this...if a $17 cd can wreak as much havoc as it did, with it's rootkit, you can bet your life that I'm going to be watching their actions very closely in regards to a $500 piece of equipment.

To say that is not true about the patent makes you a liar plain and simple. If something is true it can't be FUD. For God sake at least admit that they can do that.

I never claimed the patent did not exist, but no current hardware can implement it.

Many patents are raised to prevent others raising them.

Just because Sony raised a patent for this (and I believe the patent specifically mentions games), does not mean it's ever going to come to fruition.

You fanboys are embarrassing...

So are you saying every PS3 has the capability of writing to Blu-ray discs?

That claim is laughable..

Of course it is, especially since it cannot read recorded BD media.

Can you prove that? I didn't think so. You say the PS3 can do just about anything so this may be next. After all it can do anything.

"In 2000, Sony filed patent number 6,816,972, registering a technology to prevent owners of "Software Discs" from selling them or lending them to friends."

This applies to almost every disk already.

Ever read the back of a DVD about the 'no renting, no lending', it's the same on CDs and even VHS (which Sony definitely do not own).

Implementing software to prevent it has, frankly, been expected for a very long time.

No, I'm saying that if Sony can include a virus scanner in a system update, then it's not too far-fetched to believe that they can include a piece of software that reads a piece of code from a blu-ray disc...and use it to lock this to the console.

Almost every system update has added some type of functionality to the PS3. Could this be next?

"While it's not clear what exactly led the studio to change its mind, there is much speculation that Sony offered Warner a large incentive."

Not long ago the HD-DVD camp was accused of giving out a large "incentive" to gain a studio. Looks like the tables are turned. Funny how that works. Sony and the BD camp are getting real desperate now, but I bet this latest trick cost them quite a bundle!

I know that the obviousness of this fact will make all the Sony zealots foam at the mouth, but let's face facts, studios go where the money is. Plain and simple. Anyone who believes that Warner made this decision based on the merits of the format is an idiot. They go to whichever camp hands them a bigger bag of money, that's all.

Agreed.

"Sony and the BD camp are getting real desperate now, but I bet this latest trick cost them quite a bundle!"

no, sadly it is YOU that is getting desperate now...Sony is shaking in their boots because they control 70% of the market exclusively to themselves...they must be real worried right now....

Warner went blu because of better sales, period...argue your ideas that blu-ray is inferior, and costs too much all you want...nothing will change the fact that blu-ray was outselling hd-dvd handily without Warner exclusivity...now WITH the largest studio exclusive to blu...its only going to get worse...

To be completely fair, there has been no proof of a Sony payoff. If it comes out there was, then you can say whatever you want.

I still say HD movies are a long long way from mass adoption and this could become the next LaserDisc, DVD Audio, SACD. What is keeping this from happening is anybody can rent standard DVD's and copy them. Netflix makes it so easy as you can have 3 new movies in two days.

All computers come with DVD burners as standard equipment and there are plenty of free programs to copy DVD's.

Do you think that people will honestly embrace a format they cant back up and copy easily and cheaply? I dont.

I may have to put my HD-DVD's and BD's next to my Divx (not DivX) movies, which I bought for $.49 each after the format tanked just for collecting purposes. I never owned a Divx player as I thought it was a really bad idea.

Maybe they did it from some payout, maybe they didn't. Does it matter? Univeral and Paramount cannot sustain a format, and I am sure they will back out of HD DVD as soon as they can. I would suspect, if Paramount was smart, they'd have some percentage clause that will let them out. If not, they'll be bleeding red as the HD DVD people dwindle real fast.

I think the consumers here are the winners. If there had been only one format to strat with, we'd not be talking about this, and everyone here would own the same HD formatted player. Actually, I am waiting for HD on demand - which we'll have soon from Verizon, so I pretty much care less about the formats anymore.

If there was only one format to start with the players would still be beyond most as far as price is concerned.

No proof of a payoff??? Gimme a break! Of course there was a payoff!! A studio doesn't just flip it's support 180 degrees on a whim! Especially when they're supporting an inferior and *more expensive* format! And claiming that it "benefits the consumer"! LOL! Unbelieveable!

If Paramount didn't take that big fat backhander, there will surely be a backout clause.

Basically, if Paramount are forced to stick by HD DVD for another 12 months, then it means they took a big boatload of cash to do it, in exchange for a no getout clause.

What company would sign an exclusivity agreement, for free, with no way out.

who said they flipped on a whim?

Warner have said no payoffs were involved, it's very difficult to hide $500m in an annual report.

Warner went Blu, based on holiday sales, sensible long term strategies, and industry support.

The ONLY people claiming there was money involved, are those trying to justify the Paramount payoff.

First of all, go check the other thread on this topic. I have posted a link to a direct quote from MS stating that there was no payoff to Paramount for their decision.

Given Paramounts statements to the press back in Nov. about maintaining their neutrality (and blatantly denying they were intending to pull this very move at CES), their credibility is tarnished. Is it possible that they're telling the truth this time? Sure...but it's going to take more than a hastily composed press release to make it a credible fact.

Maybe I'm just being suspicious, but it's obvious that there is more to this story, overall, than what has been released to the internet masses at this point. I'm curious to see how this whole thing plays out over the next few days.

Not true at all. The PS3 was the "value" player.

Prices of players always drop, DVD players were > $1000 at launch, I can get one now for $10 bucks. You need to rethink your argument, cause reality is, its not true.

That may be true but not as fast as they have been dropping.

Warner made the wrong move. Now HDM is doomed unless they reconsider and continues support for HD DVD.

HD DVD is already primed for mass adoption. Why on earth would Warner support a Playstation driven format? $500 Million Blu money that is how.

Everybody planing on buying profile plauged Blu-Ray players, have fun. If HD DVD dies, SD DVD will rule for another 5+ years just until something else comes out that will beat it.

how was HD-DVD primed for mass adoption?? you mean by being outsold 2:1 EVERY week in the US...4:1 in Europe, and 9:1 in Japan??...sure sounds like a mass adoption?...do you mean the dirt cheap players that couldn't even output 1080p resolution??...yeah real brilliant...by the time HDTV's are ready for mass adoption (couple years at least) blu-ray prices (and profiles) will be more than sorted and acceptable to the average consumer...at this time neither format is ready for mass adoption...not even close...

Anyone who purchases HD-DVD or Blu-ray (or an HDTV) is still considered an early adopter at this point, and early adopters sadly have to be prepared to deal with changing standards and hardware...im not saying its right, but its the way to go...

Warner chose to support a "playstation driven format" because sales were better, A LOT better...week after week, month after month, blu out sold hd-dvd...its just simple math...Warner said they were paying close attention to Holiday sales...and guess what...not only did blu ray dominate the holiday sales across the board, but Warner specific titles sold better on blu-ray than hd-dvd...warner saw that the public was making its choice (you have to realize that just because YOU support HD-DVD does not mean that everyone else does)...blu ray was selling more movies, with no sign of slowing down...warner made a choice to go with the side that is winning, and by doing so it may force Universal, and Paramount's hand and end this war for good so that everyone knows what to buy for HDM, and the studios can get back to making all that money they like so much...

there is NO confirmation of money switching hands, Warner's execs say there was no compensation for the move...do i believe them? not sure....but if there was money, it is no worse than what Toshiba did to convince Paramount to go HD-DVD exclusive a few months back....

anyone refusing to buy blu-ray because its sony backed, or because it beat out their format of choice hd-dvd i say good luck to them....enjoy your compressed, non-hd picture...with your compressed, compressed, lossy audio...while the people who supported blu-ray from the start, and the people who are more interested in the best home theater experience enjoy their blu-ray movies, with uncompressed 1080p picture, and uncompressed audio exactly how the director intended it to be heard...

it is not Warner's fault that you chose to support the format that is looking shaky at best right now, and are too caught up in your personal pride to accept it...

VHS held on for awhile too...and so did cassette tapes...eventually HDM will take the mass market...

Seriously, I wish more people would realize that 'high definition' does not apply only to video, but to audio as well.

Simply because most Blu-ray titles offer uncompressed multi-channel PCM does not make it better by default... nor does it automatically make it 'high definition'.

Most Blu-ray PCM soundtracks are encoded at 16-bit 48,000 Hz... the same bit depth and resolution as DVD AC3 soundtracks. Compressed or not, lossy or otherwise, it is not high definition. For over 20 years, CD audio has offered listening experiences at the same bit depth, and sampled only 4 kHz lower.

If any of the high definition format backers and studios want to impress me, they need to start releasing more titles in at least 24-bit 96,000 Hz... true high resolution.

We all seem to expect the best out of video quality... why not the whole package?

Who cares what you think about HD DVD? Its DEAD, get over it and move on. Who cares if they were bought, they did it, and signalled the end of this stupid "format war". Hurray for them, now we can stop this stupid debates and everyone can enjoy HD movies if they want.

You knew there was a chance HD DVD would fail when you bought one, YOU LOST. It sucks, but whining like a baby doesn't help. You have no personal stake here, now move along.

Well said...but be careful. If aredo hears you talking about compression technology, we'll be in for a huge lecture on how lossless codecs are still inferior...

What is so incredibly amusing about this post is the fervor with which someone can claim 1 of two formats that share a 7% market is "dead", and the fanaticism it shows.

I mean, can anyone really take someone who gets this bent out of shape over formats damn near no-one uses seriously? About anything? Ever?

Don't worry, "One". Even had you been spouting HD DVD fanaticism, I would have responded the same way. AS I said above, I don't give a damn.

I do, however, find it all very amusing.

*yawn*

do you mean the dirt cheap players that couldn't even output 1080p resolution??

You, sir, are either a complete idiot, or purposefully trying to imply this is a negative when it is, in fact, moot.

1080i and 1080p are *THE SAME*. The *only* difference is with 1080p players, the converting is done on the player, with the 1080i players, it is done on the TV.

Perhaps you are simply misinformed, perhaps you are using this to try to sway the uninformed. Either way, you are now tagged as spreading FUD and are a prime example of why we need an "ignore" feature on this site.

Oh SGD I LOVE IT!!...you make a jackass out of yourself...

how many times have all the people "in the know" around here complained that BD was so full of DRM nonsense, and all this crap, and that is why you were siding with HD-DVD...well now you are saying that the format is not as secure as the "shills" would like to think....whats it going to be guys? is the format too secure and anti consumer? or now that its clearly winning its not secure enough because you can find rips on the net? come on...

as far as digital distribution is concerned...its YEARS off for the mainstream, especially HD material...the files sizes alone just do not cater to current levels of internet capabilities, or storage...it can't work....there is a reason these discs hold 25+ GB worth of data...and some BD's are 50GB DL discs...they NEED it...do you want to download something that size every time you want a movie? and then you can't transport it anywhere??...ever try to buy a 25+GB flash drive?....

Earth to dip s***, I did not decide to go with any side since I have both. I just happen to prefer HD. I also did not say that streaming was an option for the masses just that it can be gotten on the net. Everyone proclaimed that the DRM in blo ray was uncrackable yet look at the net and find that is untrue. What good is the constant changing of DRM keys in Java or what ever and have to download new updates when ever the studios see fit. Yes the average consumer is going to be happy having to download a new update in order to watch a new movie. That will just not happen. The fact is blo is a mess as far as DRM is concerned. Say what you want about disk space but there have been many posts with links proving that what you brag about is not really a big deal more of a talking point than anything else. Finally if they need it why then do ovies still come out on 25 gig disks, maybe because they don't need it. Just waste space when lossless is just as god in fact it is identical yet takes tons less disk space. You and all your logins have been fooled by the spec talk.

I also fail to see a format war as a religion like so many of you do. Get over yourself already.

Oh, and the 25 gig flash drive will be here soon enough.

There is a minor flaw in your capacity argument... no single movie with only one multi-channel soundtrack currently occupies anywhere close to 25 GB of disc space.

You do realize that most of the extra space consumed on those discs are for multiple soundtracks offered via different encoding formats and languages? Aside from those and the various special features, the size of the main feature (even with worst-case encoding with MPEG-2 and multi-channel PCM) is not as astronomical as you may believe.

Of course, who in their right mind would offer of movie of that size as a digital download? It would be encoded with much more efficient methods. Whoever suggests otherwise should be fired, rehired to allow sufficient time for missed chances of ridicule from coworkers, suspended immediately afterwards without pay, and when they return, fired again.

Blu-ray releases (if done properly) do not "need" that much space. So much is wasted on most Blu-ray titles.

can you show me proof that i have multiple logins?....ive been waiting for Hollywood to show me for months...maybe you can :)

Never mind what the consumers want or need. Big corporations knows the best...

Regardless of the reason for the move, Warner is just following the money (like any other business).

Even though I believe this move is a mistake on their part, I don't bear them any kind of ill-will (nor will you hear me screaming BOYCOTT like the smurfs did over Paramount).

In regards to hd movies from Warner, once they make the switch, I'll be back to buying their offerings on S-Dvd. I just won't toss anymore cash to BR (until they get their act and profiles together, at least).

Consumers want Blu, holiday sales clearly show that. Even Standalone Blu-ray players are outselling standalone HD DVD, media sales are vastly in Blu-ray favor (even more once the Warner deal ink is signed), and the PS3 factor alone brings 7 million PS3's to the party.

What do you mean profiles together? Profile 1.0, 1.1 and 2.0 have been ratified for a long while now.

Whilst not all players support 2.0, that's no big deal, the player will always work the same way as they do today, and PS3 will surely pick up that fuctionality at some point, as 2.0 is 1.1+network support.

I mean exactly what I said. It doesn't matter if each of the profiles is ratified, if it's not a standard on the hardware.

First there was the interim profile 1.0. Now that 1.1 is released, there is material that is inaccessable to anyone with an older player. When 2.0 goes live, the same thing happens again.

Obviously, I'm referring to stand-alone players, and not the PS3 here. One of your favorite catchphrases was "obsolete kit" in regards to HD DVD, yet you continue to support a format that not only has planned aspects of its own obsolescence, but has ANNOUNCED it to the world. The worst part...even with this information out there, the BDA expects the consumers to blindly follow, and spend money on this (currently) incomplete technology.

You are right the consumer has spoken wait until the consumer finds out his player is a profile 1.0 and can not be upgraded. I'm sure the store forgot to tell them about that. With 7 million PS3 there should be tens of millions of blu disk sales but the quaestion is where are they? People want the game system not the movies. Sales prove that it is simple math. But might be over your head.

Yes it is a big deal. Why would anyone want to pay $400+ for a player that is going to be obsolete in the near future? I mean come on it wouldn't hurt to use that little squishy thing between your ears every once in a while. While the PS3 might be an ok buy, Sony is screwing over all of its set top customers plain and simple, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The are knowingly selling people already obsolete products.

"One of your favorite catchphrases was "obsolete kit" in regards to HD DVD, yet you continue to support a format that not only has planned aspects of its own obsolescence, but has ANNOUNCED it to the world."

Double standards are a hardcore fanboy's best friend. There is nothing you can do or say to change that guy's mind, so why even bother replying to his idiotic posts? He obviously has his head so far up his own ass, he can taste saliva. He thinks BD is the greatest thing since sliced bread and nothing short of a full frontal lobotomy will change that. It's best to treat him the same way you'd treat a weird rash you got walking through the forest: ignore it and hope it goes away.

So tell us all, why those players need to be upgraded. Put simply they don't. They will work in the same way they have always worked.

The consumers that were early adopters on both sides knew exactly what they were buying into (well perhaps not the $99 HD DVD fire sale buyers)...

It's been long acknowledged that the best and most future-proof player is the PS3, anyone that wanted to venture outside that, with a standalone knew what they were buying into.

As for BD movie sales Vs PS3. You would have to be an idiot to think that every PS3 sold will result in day-one BD movie sales. That said, as time moves on, and the HD market is all pulling in the same Blu direction, consumers will be more confident in buying Blu movies..

Tell us all why Profile 1.0 player are obsolete. They are not, they will play the current features as they do today.

There is only one this obsolete at the moment, and it's HD DVD.

crazy thing you should say that, since hd dvd has all of the bd features for "2.0" since it's "1.0"

With the release of Resident Evil Extinction, there is now a true PIP commentary track (as opposed to the dual encodes that were used in the past to cheat their way thru). Any existing player on the market, that cannot take full advantage of this disc, AND it's extra features, is obsolete.

HD DVD, on the other hand, is a piece of technology, capable of playing each and every piece of software designed for it. Furthermore, each player is capable of having a firmware update applied, which will correct any issues with newly pressed discs. There is no need to add to the existing hardware to use it. Therefore, it is not obsolete.

C'mon Deacon...this isn't rocket science.

Consumers won't be confident in purchasing Blu or HD until either they move to a more reasonable $15-$20 title price, or the DVD well dries up and consumers are strong armed into it.

HD-DVD is far from obsolete, quit posting lies.

That won't happen until manufacturing prices drop. I recall some news that Blu-ray has a new cheaper dye and replication method.

Even now, prime-time HD adoption is still several years away. Most consumers are still using VCR's rather than hard disc recorders.

I think you need to open your eyes a little. Try looking on every AV forum on the net, 90% of people admit that it's over for HD DVD, and many are alreading eyeing up Blu-ray players.

On the HiDefDigest forums, there are quite a few people that picked up $99 HD DVD players, that are able to still get refunds under the purchase terms, many are looking for $99 off a Blu-ray player or PS3.

"Any existing player on the market, that cannot take full advantage of this disc, AND it's extra features, is obsolete."

I disagree, any player that can't play this disc is obsolete. If you want the bonus features, then you need a new player. How different is this to other areas in life? Cars, PC's, TV systems and so forth.

The fact the main feature plays, along with the extras, certainly does not make it obsolete, it may make it slightly inferior, but then most people were aware of the PS3's future-proofing in this aspect. I would be suprised if there are too many people with standalones that are truely pissed off at this, they decided on the standalone, for other factors, or simply hated to think a console would outperform a dedicated player.

You say all, but HD DVD 1.0 features are inferior to Blu 2.0's features.

BDA went for the full specs, in a stepped release

HD DVD went for the lite specs, but got them in for launch.

Many people love the extras that will not play. I know you will say who cares about the extras. In fact I would expect you to say that. That is and will be a serious problem for many. To deny that would make you a fool. People are going to expect it to work if it is on the disk. The fact is that is not what is going to happen. Spin away Dave.

You must be ignorant since the profile issues have been discussed many times. If and when a 1.1 disk is released the stand alone 1.0 players will not play the 1.1 features. In fact I would not be surprised if there is increased load time too. Blu ray better get their s*** together since the general public will not tolerate having to download a firmware update burn it to disk and install it to make a movie work. That is crap plain and simple. Spin away Dave

What ever you say there Dave when are these so called 2.0 features coming to the standalones with no ethernet port? Ph yeah they aren't. You should not have to upgrade a player as you say like a PC or a car that is a joke and a load of s***tttt

I can see where you're coming from, but I still disagree.

"How different is this to other areas in life?"

Here's the differences, using your examples:

The car market can't be compared to the home entertainment market, for many reasons. First, while there may be a general set of requirements in regards to safety, there is no uniform set of extra features. For example, you don't get an am/fm radio, but pay for the ability to have it play the fm stations. The options available for a car, make this a wide open field.

PC's are a different catagory as well. Even with the upgrades to both hardware and software, generally speaking, it takes a radical departure from the norm to require major upgrades to the system. You typically see these changes in the form of a new OS, or in the gaming world. It's still quite possible and feasible to expect a 2 year old computer to handle the commonly used software (with few exceptions...again, generally in the aspects of gaming).

TV's are a more fair comparison. When all transmissions are digital, then any analog set is obsolete. When things such as HD are still an option, that you can choose to have (or not), not so much. The biggest difference here is the choice. With a 1.1 disc, and a 1.0 player, the person is given the 1.1 content...whether or not they want it. As such, having standard disc content, that is unusable, or inaccessable, creates a system of obsolescence.

Blu-Ray SAL players NEVER outsold HD DVD SAL players. You shouldn't get facts mixed with your opinion.
The HD-A3, A30 & A35 HD DVD players were the number 1 selling Hi Def & SD DVD players for several months now on Amazon.com with no BD player in site.

The game is not over for HD DVD unless the HD DVD Promo group says so, and I highly don't think they are going to leave 1.4 Million HD DVD SAL player owners in North America in the dust. Go HD DVD.......

Flip flop.

HD releases a movie with no extras and you say I would be pissed. Then if you have a 1.0 machine with 1.1 content the extras don't really matter much anyway. Flip flop.

Hey by the way how many UMD disks do all those PSP owners buy. Oh yeah not that many.

Wow...Come on I thought you were smarting then this. Ok let me break it down for you. The 1.0 players will not be able to use all of the features in the disc in the near future. That makes them O B S O L E T E. I don't know how to make this any clearer for you. It is not a difficult concept.

"How different is this to other areas in life?" Are you really being serious? I mean come on! Hate to break it to you but a MOVIE player is **NOTHING** like any of those. The FACT of the matter is HD-DVD got finished first and Blu-Ray wasn't ready yet, but they went ahead and rushed it out anyway at the expense of the consumers. If they didn't get it out when they did, they would not have even stood a chance. A movie player is not something that should haft to be replaced to use the latest features.

I'm going to take my earlier comments (a few down this page) one step further...

"If you want the bonus features, then you need a new player." If they were 'bonus' features, you'd have a point. However, the PIP track is not offered on some BR discs for a small premium; it is offered on ALL discs, making it a standard feature...thereby making a player that can't access it, obsolete.

"The fact the main feature plays, along with the extras, certainly does not make it obsolete," This would be true, if it played ALL of the extras, not just some of them. Again, if it's included on ALL discs, it's standard. If standard features can't be played by an existing player...it's obsolete.

"BDA went for the full specs, in a stepped release"

That's a nice way to spin what actually happened.

The short version is that HD DVD launched first, with a complete set of specs, required for each and every player (and disc) to be compliant with (things like secondary decoders, and built in ethernet). Blu-ray, realized that they were late to the party, and released with what they had at the time. In some cases they found work-arounds (second encodes of a movie, with PIP included in it).

Since then, they've been playing catch-up to HD DVD's feature set. It's obvious that true PIP was a feature that people wanted in the hi def offerings, and it only took the BDA how long (and how many postponements) to offer it on the equipment side?

Furthermore, if it is such an advanced machine, why then is it taking so long for ethernet (and the ability to download/upgrade the firmware) to become standard? C'mon...short of screwing the case shut, this should have been one of the easiest things for them to implement...and yet it's still on hold for the stand-alone market.

Blu-ray was the PS3's Achilles Heel, in terms of launching the machine. It was single handedly responsible for the constant delays in launch, as well as the shortages when it finally did. To Sony's credit, they have turned these negatives around, by having the only player on the market capable of meeting the requirements for the current and future proile.

It's a sad statement for the home video market, though, that a video game console is the machine leading the way (in regards to the Blu-ray format).

I'm kinda torn on the whole "obsolete" description. I can definitely see both sides of the argument, and you bring up really good points.

However, when I purchased Rock Band for the PS2 (yeah, I know... a lot missing compared to the other versions), I simply purchased the game itself and not the "instruments". The ability to use the game to its fullest is present in each and every disc, however I simply chose to use my existing GH controllers for the guitar and bass parts.

It's not necessarily obsolete... if I wanted to, I can purchase additional hardware to enjoy the rest of the game. However, as I'm currently satisfied with the parts of the game I currently have access to, for the time being it's working as advertised.

On the other hand, I would understand if the PS2 version would not work on the older models, requiring the purchase of a newer PS2 to play it.

I don't know... I guess that's a bad comparison. It's early, and I haven't had coffee yet. :)

Well said.

Even so, the technology is not obsolete. When the last HD-DVD is produced and no more are being made (at all) then you can make the case for it, until then it is still a viable technology.

Same with any other.

I have the $99 HD-DVD player, it's a great upconverter if nothing else.

But here's the difference...

Peripherals aside, will the PS2 load the other instrument parts of the game (I know GH can be played with a standard controller, but never screwed around with RB)?

The machine is capable of playing everything that is included on the disc. If you would have to buy a new PS2 to play certain parts, then you would be dealing with a similar scenario as the BR profile mess.

Good point. Thanks. :)

Profile 2 disc has a feature not compatible with profile 1 players.

Consumer buys disc ad puts it in profile 1 player.

Consumer now pissed because he cannot access said extra.

Covering your eyes and yelling, "I can't see you!" doesn't mean it isn't painfully obvious to everyone else.

I am just waiting for Verizon to offer HD on demand. I am now thinking I may not own either format. As an HD DVD owner, I only ended up with 1 movie anyways, and cancelled my Netflix not too long after. I've realized I prefer on demand way more than owning disks that take up space. Though, I am selling my HD DVD drive for my xbox 360, while it still has some value :)

Bye Bye HD DVD. This announcement makes it final. I just wonder what the Chinese manufacturers are going to do with all those playes that can only play Star Trek movies?

if you think broadcast HD will ever match the quality of HD Media you've lost it...there is no comparison...the cable/satellite companies just do not have the resources/bandwidth to make this possible....we will be lucky to see 1080p broadcasts ANY time soon...the bandwidth demands are just to high....

most broadcasts are in 1080i (The ESPN family of channels broadcasts in 720p)...there are ZERO 1080p broadcasts in the United States...

A simple look in the news groups you can find lots of blu ray disks to down load and yes nothing is taken out. So much for blu being so secure.

whats your point?...i dont care if the discs are secure...and nobody was even talking about that...

who the hell cares. you cant tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p and neither can anyone else. i'd put money on it that in a blind test you'd just make a jackass out of yourself

The point is you can get them on the net but not in a streaming format. Also copyprtection is not as secure as many of you $ony shills have been advertising.

Well, I don't own a 1080p TV, I have a 1080i and 720p TV. So 1080i looks fine to me (no need to down-convert to my 1080i TV is there?). Also, I agree there is virtually no difference between 1080p and 1080i. Your TV, if its any good, will convert it without you noticing anyways.

I am done with the disc based medium. I suspect so will a whole lot people as they get more accustomed to on demand. While your waiting a few days for your movies, or paying blockbuster some assinine fee for a rental, or paying 35 bucks for a movie, I'll use my on demand system and watch it just fine. :)

Arguing 1080i vs 1080p again.

*sigh*

The false implications never end, eh?

Again, same picture. One is converted int he player, the other in the TV. (There are exceptions, but these only apply to a small margin of early "HDTV" buyers who bought TVs that cannot convert, and even then, there is no visual difference.)

bah, why did they jump to the unfinished and currently way overpriced format?

never understood why the bluray fans were so happy to accept the fact that they would need to buy 3 players before they could be fairly certain they could just buy a BluRay disc and have it work fully.

"never understood why the bluray fans were so happy to accept the fact that they would need to buy 3 players before they could be fairly certain they could just buy a BluRay disc and have it work fully."

...and that right there is just one of the reasons I'd rather upconvert, rather than invest anymore into Blu-ray.

You only have to buy one. It's called the PS3.

Even if you buy a standalone, you can still play your Blu-ray movies today, and in the future.

Anyoen notice how the HD DVD FUD spreaders are in overdrive here, Seems the Profile thing, is the only thing they have left to cling to.

"Anyoen notice how the HD DVD FUD spreaders are in overdrive here, Seems the Profile thing, is the only thing they have left to cling to."

You are so right. Where's hollywood claiming his insider information that Warner will go RED? Oh what's that Hollywood?.... CES means nothing anyways. Tell me, how do those sour grapes taste... a little bitter maybe?

What happened to all the Beta"news" puppets' claims that blu is dead.

So an "unfinished spec" kicked HDDVD's ass? How does that make you puppets feel? Much like the HDDVD group feels.... defeated.

yeah but i dont want to spend 400 dollars on a dvd player. i can get one for 20 bucks, and an hd one for half 400 that has more features than a bd player

i notice that the only fud going around is that perpetuated by the same person with multiple accounts

Ohhhh yea I forgot the other talking point...

We are all the same person. I feel special that Warner went Blu for me and me alone.

Sucks to be you.

If you talk about the blu format how is that FUD jagoff? I have not said word one about HD DVD. If you look at the news reports about the annoucement the articles did say that they did want to go to HD so that is not FUD either. Man you make so much s***t up.

It is unfinished and it is sad that a game machine has to determine the results. Many in fact most could care less about a PS3.

Like I have said I have both formats so I could care less. Wasn't betamax better and it didn't win.

For all it's worth there is news out there that states hollywoods 'insider' knowledge was correct

check out the payment rumors :) But of course payment doesnt matter does it?

For what it's worth, I was really hoping that Hollywood__'s and Hocuspokus' "insider info" was on the money. I don't like to think that I was being naive... it was just wishful thinking, and it gave me a little glimmer of hope for a while.

Every indication seemed to point to Warner becoming HD DVD-exclusive. That's why I'm eagerly awaiting more info on this "deal". This would have to happen on a Friday with no updates over the weekend... *sigh*

i do have a have a good upconvert dvd player for $99

i am a big hd dvd supporter and I must accept defeat like a man. i just don't see disney or fox jumping ship at this point. i still think hd dvd offers the best bang for the buck with the most options that work. i am not sure if i will become a bluray supporter or wait for a good download service.

Maybe someday they'll settle this "war" and I'll actually buy a player of some sort. I still don't own a PS3 or XBox360, so I have time yet.

for all its faults, the 360 is still a bad a** gaming machine that's lots of fun to play. i dont own a ps3, so no comment there.

And the People did not care, for they are 43x happier with DVD anyhow...

Warner Brothers were not happy with there being 2 formats & wanted to end the format war. Apparently they & Fox were in talks to both move to HD DVD only. Fox dropped out of these talks recently; as a Warner HD DVD only move would effectively create a stalemate they made the only clear alternative - go Blu-Ray & the remaining studios will follow.

I have a feeling this is not over. The HD DVD group has delayed their press conference at the CES probably because there are behind the scenes work going on to make Warner change their mind.

Wait and see!

it's not so much warners mind they need to change, it's fox.

Wow!

I've been an HD DVD supporter from the beginning, but this move makes it clear which format will still be standing at the end.

If HD DVD really wants to do what's right for the consumers, they will accept this blow as defeat and release the remaining studios from their contracts, or allow them to buy their way out.

Another real eye opener was that Amazon currently has approximately 30 Blu-Ray titles in the top 100 DVDs list. They're doing a buy-one-get-one-free sale on some good Blu-Ray titles. I just ordered my first Blu-Ray discs.

Wow, this can only play out 3 ways at this point. Paramount and Universal stay exclusive HD-DVD and make this the longest format war in history, both studios go blu-ray exclusive also, or Microsoft ups the ante by making an HD-DVD standard in the xbox 360.

Anyways Kudos to Sony, 2 excessive price drops to promote a blo-ray player (POS3) did the trick. Alas I still wont be buying a PS3 until GT5 comes out.

It's not really surprising that the press conference was cancelled/postponed, so that the HD DVD group could fall back and re-group.

I'm curious to see how this plays out, especially when taking into account the contracts that Toshiba is stating they have in place with Warner.

I'm just as curious to see how Toshiba and the DVD forum strike back after this...

I think it was a terrible move to cancel the press conference.

This is coming off as a sign of weakness and defeat. Besides that, it doesn't show your supporters (consumers and studios/manufacturers) that they are stronger than that. They need to reinsure their supporters of the success that can be had if they stick with HDDVD.

But maybe it's too late.

I didn't say it was a poor move, just one that is not entirely unexpected. Regardless, its a 'pre-show' party; let's see what happens on the showfloor, itself.

WB suckerpunched HD DVD, plain and simple. They're one of the (if not THE) largest movie companies around today, and after very public statements claiming neutrality on all fronts and well into the future, they pull a move like this.

It's going to take a small coup for HD DVD to reverse the momentum of this decision. As I said before, I'm interested in seeing how this entire situation plays out. While it is a staggering blow to the format, I don't think that Toshiba or MS is going to throw in the towel just yet.

It's still early, and there are quite a few details that have yet to come to light (such as exactly what these contracts hold).

I think you should let go of this "Contract deals" dream.

I think this contract that was referred to is the reason that Warner didn't jump ship immediately. I think they were contractually obligated to release movies until that may date for whatever the reason. Why else would end of may be the date. Right in the middle of the second quarter?

I'm sorry, but how is taking a wait and see attitude on the contracts that were mentioned in the press release, a dream?

"...despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies..."

Read what I posted again...there are a lot of things that haven't been revealed about this subject at the moment. The contracts that Toshiba mentions are just one aspect of the greater story, and I think it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out in the long run.

I can respect that answer. Good point.

It sounds pretty stupid of them to go blu exclusive if they have current contracts with HDDVD.

Beta"NEWS"... What are you doing?

"While it's not clear what exactly led the studio to change its mind, there is much speculation that Sony offered Warner a large incentive."

WRONG!

http://www.highdefdigest...or_Move_to_Blu-ray/1327

Incentive doesn't have to be $500 million in cash. And note that Warner only denied receiving $250 million to $500 million.

Like I said, behind closed doors, there is much speculation that an incentive was offered.

In that case I can do it too.

BREAKING NEWS!!!
There is much speculation that Universal will now be going Blu-Ray exclusive.

Though you didn't yourself give an exact amount, you knew what you were doing.

Look, I hear what you are saying. But that specific amount was only mentioned because sites like this were quick to speculate a payout of 250-500 mill.

Anyone that honestly thinks that Sony didn't cough up some SERIOUS dough to get Warner to make this move doesn't have the first clue how corporate America really works and how deals like this get done in the entertainment industry.

Rest assured, though you and I will never know the real details behind this move, many millions of dollars absolutely changed hands to get Warner to make this move...and you know there was a premium paid to get them to make the announcement right before the kick off of CES 2008 for maximum theatrical/press impact.

If you think otherwise...you are are deluding yourself. Remember, this industry is entirely "coin operated".

I'd have to agree. In this day and age, money talks...it can shout or it can whisper, but it talks. Noone decides so suddenly that they're going to switch support just like that, especially due to the fact that nothing has changed during the past few weeks per se. It's way more likely that the studio (or those 'controlling' the decision) either got some financial or otherwise incentive to get with Blu-Ray.

HD DVD is now unfortunately fighting a losing war despite the small battles they've won. I mean, really there's nothing left right? Just the fact that blockbuster is Blu-Ray only is a big kick in the pants. It will be interesting to see what happens during the next few months.

Anyone that think this is anything to do with "corporate america" is fooled.

HD is a global thing. What is happening at your local BestBuy, is not representitive of the global state of play.

Sony and Warner are both saying, no pay-offs needed, and frankly, the blu-ray dominance before Warner switched, I kinda believe them.

The Paramount deal with HD DVD, obviously WAS a pay off, otherwise Paramount would not be locked in for another 12 months. What idiot would sign a exclusivity deal, with no way out, for free?

Yeah waht ever you say comapnies lie all the time. I'm sure $ony paid them off. I will continue to buy blu ray by purchasing used only.

Sony didn't pay off but MS did nice job there troll that has been rumored but I don't expect you to understand that.

Oh I see how this works...a studio going HD exclusive, must abe a payoff, a studio going blu-ray excluside, no payoff.

Must be nice living in your world...

LOL

What they switched to an inferior and more expensive format just for kicks? Just to shake things up a little? Remember Warner supported HD-DVD from the beginning, they didn't switch their support for no reason. You're delusional if you think there wasn't money involved.

And the HD format war isn't over. When I can watch all my favorite movies on Blu-ray and buy a player for under $200, *then* it's all over.

I've supported HD-DVD from the start but I honestly don't care if Blu-ray becomes standard as long as I can get an inexpensive player and all my favorite movies are released in the format!

The end is near... They are scrambling.