Disney's CEO reaffirms commitment to Blu-ray

While it's not like we really needed another highfalutin executive to takes sides, Disney's CEO is making sure you aren't holding out hope for a Cinderella remake on HD DVD. During a recent analyst call, Robert Iger reportedly responded to an inquiry about his take on HD DVD by stating that Disney has "made its bed with Blu-ray because it believes more in that format for a variety of reasons." Among those reasons were beliefs that Blu-ray boasted a sales record that "outpaced" HD DVD, and even went so far as to suggest that the forthcoming Pirates release would "widen that gap" even further. Interesting, Iger also suggested that once prices on standalone players begin to fall for both camps, retailers will likely choose to stock just the BD players as it attempts to simplify its inventory. Oh, and in case that wasn't bold enough, he even stated that the US is practically the only remaining nation where Blu-ray hasn't quite finished HD DVD off, but that it was only a matter of time before America followed suit.

[George Jetson @ May 20th 2007 7:39AM]

Is it possible to post a middle finger to Mr. Iger?

[tranzparentl @ May 20th 2007 8:13AM]

Looks like he doesn't want my money either.

[Asterra @ May 20th 2007 8:57AM]

Give me a 24Hz Bluray player for under $600. Now. Give me a Bluray library that isn't irreversibly chock full of crapshoot MPEG2 encodes.

The observation that Bluray "dominates" in other countries might explain why the industry thinks people don't seem to want HD discs.

[Paul Fernandez @ May 20th 2007 9:01AM]

*Sigh* More Blu-Ray propaganda. Statements like this, in which Blu-Ray supporters are CONSTANTLY on the offensive, do nothing but make HD DVD supporters more resentful of anything Sony/Blu-Ray related. The only positive? Said supporters responding with their dollars to buy series like Planet Earth and the upcoming Matrix Trilogy.

Everyone keeps talking about PoTC and Spider-Man trouncing HD DVD, but this link, http://news.filefront.com/ps3-causing-sony-to-lose-massive-amounts-of-money/, says otherwise. Let's see what happens after the smoke clears this summer, when Universal (a ginormous, influential studio that isn't going ANYWHERE, in case you haven't heard) releases "Heroes" on HD DVD, featuring tons of extras and a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. The show is a certifiable smash (NBC has ordered THIRTY episodes for next season, including six standalone "Origins" episodes). In fact, it's the kind of phenomenon that "Lost" was in its first season and could definitely be the thing that makes people buy an HD DVD player for an experience they can't get on Blu-Ray.

Or, perhaps the talking heads should remain silent until Warner releases "300" on both formats, this time with IDENTICAL video transfers (VC1) and audio (TrueHD). If there ever was a film that could showcase the uncrippled, audiovisual power of high-definition films while showing the country the level of support for BOTH formats, "300" is it. All consumers need is shielding from number-fudging, presidential-election-style tampering with the actual sales numbers, and we could have a win-win situation on our hands...at least until Digital Distribution comes along and makes everyone look stupid!

[Asterra @ May 20th 2007 9:57AM]

I think we already had our high profile, high popularity multiplatform release - Planet Earth - in whose case the HD-DVD iteration categorically trounced the Bluray version in sales, and continues to do so (see for yourself). In fact, this Disney announcement was probably a suggestion from Sony, who may not be happy about the state of their HD format in a country with an even playing field.

[Jypson @ May 20th 2007 11:24AM]

Hey Bennn, they're bashing Blu-Rayyyy, better post a bias anti HD-DVD article soon!

[Rene @ May 20th 2007 11:47AM]

The Blu-ray camp all appear to be blessed with psychic abilities, since much like Mr. Iger, they're always talking about what is GOING to happen and what people are GOING to do with 100 percent total confidence.

[Symbyant @ May 20th 2007 12:41PM]

I can't stand propaganda like this crap. The thing that really popped out at me was that he says Blu-ray is winning in every other region. The only region where Blu-ray is definitively winning is in Japan. IIRC from an article I read recently, in Europe, HD-DVD players (this may be just stand alone players) are selling 3 to 1 (albeit the total number of units is still very low like in the US, so this could change pretty fast) and studio support is leaning heavily towards HD-DVD due to high costs of retooling to Blu-ray production. I definitely think Blu-ray has some very notable titles and I like the studio support, but the thing that has essentially been keeping me away is the complete disarray that their players are in.

Blu-ray didn't mandate anything except for basic playback (i.e., codec support) and now you have profile 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0 players with some players offering a smattering of some of the advanced features - most of such players, such as panasonic's and pioneer elite's, are still above $1k. Although this is beginning to change (finally) with Samsung's BDP-1200 and any player released after October, this is way behind HD-DVD which mandates all of their players support features that are directly comparable to features that have yet to be implemented in most Blu-ray players -- BD-Java and BD-Live (with the exception of the PS3), and Dual video decoders. Even with these features, HD-DVD still cost less than Blu-ray players without such features. Sure costs are comping down, but if Blu-ray players are having to add these features just to catch up and are already more expensive than HD-DVD players, the cost of Blu-ray will not drop as fast as the cost of HD-DVD has.

And in case you think I'm just some HD-DVD fanboi, I am planning on buying a Blu-ray player to compliment my Toshiba HD-XA2 just as soon as the players get their acts together. Samsung's rumored 3rd generation Blu-ray player, supposedly coming out around Christmas, is sounding very promising.

[Talkstr8t @ May 20th 2007 5:36PM]

Sorry, Symbyant, every Blu-ray player has BD-J support. The only significant things lacking in many current players (PS3 probably excepted) is secondary video support (one way of achieving picture-in-picture) and network support. There is far less difference in the cost of manufacturing the players than current prices suggest. Toshiba's primary weapon is price in the face of overwhelmingly inferior vendor and studio support. Losing a few $100 per player times a few 100K players is still cheaper than losing the war, at least if you actually think this strategy can eventually result in a viable format. I'd call it "throwing good money after bad".

[Thad Garrison @ May 20th 2007 6:14PM]

As obnoxious as this guy is, the truth of the matter is that the only way this format war is going to end is for people with money and power to pick a side, plant their feet in the ground and suffocate the other format. All of these studios putting their movies out in both formats, the companies making dual-disc formats, the manufacturers making players that play both formats -- it is ALL just prolonging the format war.

[superdynamite @ May 20th 2007 3:11PM]

America is always last to catch on. HD-DVD is still lingering around because of America and Global Warming is because of America. We're always the last to learn. HiDef 101, Lesson #1 : BD = More capacity. BD = Lossless Audio. HD-DVD = ??? um... um... Less Capacity & ... um... um... I guess that's it. Lesson over!

[Kevin Murphy @ May 20th 2007 3:13PM]

Wormtongue lives.

HD DVD players continue to fly off the shelves at Amazon, while the BD players sit -- even the "cheap" $600 ones. The only way that BD players get to $200 is during the close-out. Too much tweaky DSP and cutting edge electronics to get that 50GB.

All the sales data in the last 6 months is the PS3 "bump" as all those gameboys check out the BD movie thing in between their deathmatch marathons. So, Casino Royale, check. Pirates, sure. But the catalog titles? Not so much. That's where the real money is, and only the standalone movie crowd is interested.

Right now it's a quarter million HD DVD players vs 5.5 million PS3s -- better than 20-1 BD. And all they can get is a 2-1 sales advantage. Bet you it turns around some when the PS3-HDDVD ratio is down to 5-1. PS3s don't amount to many sales. Just a lot of them for the moment.

What is Disney going to do when 3rds quarter sales come back 3-1 HD DVD?

[Kevin Murphy @ May 20th 2007 3:18PM]

Oh, yeah. America is the last to do anything inventive. Right. In Bizarro World.

[Bob @ May 20th 2007 4:20PM]

I also remember Disney saying the same thing about DIVX (not the audio codec) back in 1999. Fox, another DIVX supporter, is also on BluRay, they just need Paramount to complete the trifecta, but they remembered getting burned and are going dual format this time around to hedge bets.

Moral of the story: number of studios supporting a format doesn't mean anything. There is way too much going on and no one has hit on every aspect. Probably can never hit on everything and can never allocate the proper weight of each factor.

[Kevin Murphy @ May 20th 2007 4:22PM]

It should also be noted that in France and Germany, The Toshiba HD DVDs sell for more than the old Samsung BD player. Euro 500 & 650 ($600+ and $800+) for the Toshibas. Iger neglects to mention this, and glosses over what happens when they are much cheaper. He must hate the American marketplace, preferring the nice regulated price-fixed Euro market.

[omegasyde @ May 21st 2007 1:21AM]

Why do people still back up Hd-dvd? Why because of 1 exclusive studio universal? lmao. Why go with HDDVD when Blu-ray cost the same and offers more storage on a disc. Blue ray is going to win, and Disney will help. Too much "I hate Sony" attitudes. Face it, You guys are just toshiba tools that can't face the facts that you invested in the wrong format. Now you HDVD fans are going to stick with HDDVD because you already put money on it before blue ray. Blue ray is going to win because most of the top 10 biggest box offices movies are blue ray only. O and one more thing matrix is coming to blue ray and so is Lord of the Rings.(blu-ray only)

[Dukhat @ May 21st 2007 2:15AM]

Man, I always bust my gut laughing when I see all these ridiculous HD-DVD fanboys go on alert over pro-Blu-Ray articles, making asinine arguments about a tv-show selling HD-DVD.

LOL.

The top-rated tv shows get viewed by 20 million people weekly. Not only do top movies have at least twice the number of viewers, big box-office releases also generate several-fold the DVD revenue per release.

Keep grasping onto straws HD-DVD fanboys, Blu-Ray is going to trounce you and send you and the thousnads of dollars you are wasting on an inferior, less-supported format home crying to mama.

[Mr_Fizzlepop @ May 21st 2007 3:27AM]

BR already has almost 40 more movies out than HD DVD. Each and every month they release just 1 or 2 more than HD is releasing.

In Disc Sales BR is outselling HD (And with more selection and releases it's only likely to continue.) creating an ever growing disparity in selection with Warner only helping BR by releasing on both formats so that many titles are available on both but more are Only available on BR. Most people don't know all the Technical differences so all they see are the same movies on both formats, and more movies only in BR.

No blu-ray only Studio will be switching over to releasing HD DVD which has less sell through and inhibits their current sell through and price points by lingering in the market; it's just a bad business move, and these companies are run by business people.

Given this we can conclude that only if HD DVD disc sales increase beyond blu-ray disc sales will there be a business incentive for companies to consider going neutral or locking out blu-ray, and with there being more studios currently locking out HD DVD, as well as those studios being the biggest Studios with releases this year like the spiderman trilogy and the Pirates trilogy(both PG-something releases unlike the R rated Matrix which is due out on BR later this year.), the likelihood of HD DVD discs sales overtaking Blu-ray disc sales is grim at best.

Every day that goes by the disc selection and disparity becomes a larger and larger reason for people to choose a Blu-ray player over an HD DVD player, so the likelihood of increasing Blu-ray players sales, and Decreasing HD DVD players sales makes perfect sense.

In the average non-technical buyers mind, Disc player price point is the only reason to buy an HD DVD player, and the difference in Player prices is also shrinking every day. ($469 for a BR player on amazon last I checked.)

Oh, and the Planet Earth release, was a Campaign by HD DVD Fans for the 1 year Anniversary to support HD DVD, but guess what? the Discs are Flawed..on both Disc formats...it was found out by HD DVD people, and made it's way to Blu-ray people Early, THAT's why the Planet earth HD DVD Looks like it sells much better than the Blu-ray version. Blu-ray owners in good numbers are waiting to see if BBC is going to work with Warner to get a better version out.

[Phoenixxx1974 @ May 21st 2007 11:46AM]

You blu-ray fan boys are just as annoyingly cocky as sony is. Blu-ray will NOT win.

By the way Matrix comes on on HD-DVD FIRST TOMORROW and i even saw the commercial for it at the theatre when i went and saw spiderman which is big audience. Also you retard omegasyde LOTR will be releasesd on both formats on the warner dual disc this summer you dork. If Blu-ray is so much better how come reviews say the HD-DVD look better and sound better INCLUDING PEOPLE, i work as best buy and i have heard more people say they prefer HD-DVD then blu-ray even when they have both.

Plus blu-ray has 10 TIMES more units and HD-DVD still is right on it's heels and even beats blu-ray movie sells. It makes it look really bad for sony and blu-ray to have that ratio so LOW and have hd-dvd sell so closely with 10 times less units. Plus like you said we have one major studio which is UNIVERSAL and they are the only one to have it's own HIGH DEF channel and Blu-ray may have more movies but HD-DVD has a BETTER SELECTION OF MOVIES. Plus Heroes is a huge series and to be a HD-DVD exclusive is really cool along with Battlestar Galactica. ALSO the STAR TREK MOVIES and just read a story of then putting old episodes on HD-DVD as well.

Plus we all know the first to drop the price below $300 will 99% chance of winning and that wil be HD-DVD seeing how HD-DVD player costs $350 and will come down below $300 for christmas just wait and see. Plus i have a friend who works at wal-mart and said the blu-ray doesn't sell worth crap and they might drop it once they sell their current stock.

Plus did you look at the sales for PS3s?

US hardware sales - April 2007

Rank - System - April sales - Lifetime US sales

1. NDS - 471,000 - 10,864,000
2. Wii - 360,000 - 2,470,000
3. PS2 - 194,000 - 38,169,000
4. PSP - 183,000 - 7,439,000
5. 360 - 174,000 - 5,401,000
6. GBA - 84,000 - 35,668,000
7. PS3 - 82,000 - 1,276,000
8. NGC - 13,000 - 11,759,000

and japan's weekly numbers are even sadder in the one place it was supposed to do that best. Seeing how Sony has owned Japan for the past 10 years.

Japanese hardware sales for May 7 - May 13:

System - Weekly sales (Compared to last week) - 2007 sales - Lifetime sales

1. DSL - 163,785 (-121,338) - 3,050,653 - 10,500,537
2. Wii - 52,544 (-48,776) - 1,504,716 - 2,424,359
3. PSP - 34,433 (-739) - 873,828 - 5,405,957
4. PS2 - 10,414 (-4,401) - 335,018 - 20,489,877
5. PS3 - 8,839 (-4,135) - 425,895 - 883,453
6. 360 - 2,105 (-1,100) - 95,655 - 360,357
7. GBM - 408 (+68) - 18,808 - 578,688
8. GBASP - 343 (+41) - 16,691 - 5,935,641
9. NGC - 315 (-79) - 7,078 - 4,176,546
10. NDS - 39 (-30) - 2,023 - 6,584,280
11. GBA - 18 (+7) - 607 - 8,823,813

the reason for the drop in everythign was because that was the week after the japanese golden week and the wii is stil suffering from supply issues nintendo probbaly stockpiled for golden week.

See the PS3 is dropping faster then bush's poll numbers. Also with the ratio of 1 movie per 3 blu-ray players Studios will look at that and say hmm why should we release all these movies on blu-ray if only the avergae person buys 1 movies per 2-3 players when HD-DVD sells like 3-5 movies per player. Plus like someone said earlier Disney supoprted that retarded DIVX DVDs which erase after a few days which died off pretty fast and they were burned by the choice to support laser disc.

So blu-ray is not going very good plus the HD-DVD players are outselling the blu-ray players. This christmas season will tell the story especially since their should be the first sub $300 HD-DVD player. Sony is losing SO MUCH money it's not even funny did you see their financials?

oh and by the way to the person who said that Planet Earth is faulty, you guys make all kinds lame excuses. We have been using that line on the PS1 and PS2 for years. They are not faulty i have the set and it's awesome and i have not seen any returned at best buy plus when you said the sales have dropped really? THen why is is still #6 ABOVE Pirates of the carribean huh? (according to amazon)

Also Matrix ultimate is #20

the blu-ray titles on the top 100 are Planet earth at 16 (10 below it's HD-DVD counterpart), pirates 2 at #8, pirates 3 at #9, and apocalypto at #26, also letter from iwo jima #66

for HD-DVD it goes planet earth #6, Ultimate matrix at #20, complete matrix at #33, and letters from iwo jima #97

see it's stil pretty close despite having 10 times more players and more titles. The war is far from over just wait until this summer LOTR will tell a big part of the story when it's released on BOTH not just blu-ray.

[Mike @ May 22nd 2007 1:11AM]

The fact the CEO made the announcment (free Blu ray press release) says he is worried HD DVD player are out selling non ps3 Blu ray players.

Truely Disney is probably the last studio an adult movie watcher cares about...so what if my 5 yr old watches Bambi upconverted to 1080I.

Im sure Disney will go to where the money is to be made...but who cares.

[Mike @ May 22nd 2007 1:45AM]

Oh, someone posted HD DVD players are currently $349...well they are $299 after instant rebate now...and still with free movies... so the $299 price barrier has been broken...and the $199 will be broken around Christmas.

[Hey You @ May 26th 2007 8:01PM]

Geez you think that this guy would have learned from Fox that making comments or hits to HD DVD failing and dying would just make him look like Dumbo! lol

Disney give me a freaking break!

[Starsky @ May 27th 2007 4:48AM]

Wow, why so much HD-DVD support?
You guys look like fools.

Blu-Ray is trouncing HD-DVD. And the article is right. In Japan, Blu-Ray has outright won, and in Europe the format is outselling HD-DVD on a 5:1 basis. Even in Australia, their largest electronic retailer doesn't even stock HD-DVD's.

BD has been outselling HD-DVD in American too, and with exclusive summer franchises like Pirates and Spiderman, I can see that trend continuing for quite some time.