HD DVD and Blu-ray releases on January 22nd, 2008
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Jan 21st 2008 11:31AM
posted Jan 21st 2008 11:31AM
The slow new releases continue for both camps, but both camps have the same number of titles this week, two. But while Blu-ray has movies from Disney and Lionsgate respectively, the red camp gets one from Vanguard Cinema and one from Music Distribution. The one ting in common for both camps is that there isn't anything to get excited about. That being said, with this lineup from Blu-ray we'd expect about the same sales share for HD DVD as it had last week. Looking ahead, this trend looks like it'll continue and if HD DVD's lineup doesn't improve -- unless of course Universal and Paramount step up soon -- we don't see this being much of a war. But of course we said the same thing about this time last year and we couldn't have been more wrong.HD DVD 378 vs Blu-ray 420*
Blu-ray
- The Game Plan (Walt Disney)
- Saw IV (Lionsgate)
- Channels (Vanguard Cinema)
- Method Man: Live from the Sunset Strip (Music Distribution)
Though small, the Blu-ray lineup is better there ;)
Could anyone enlighten me as to why there are slow weeks like this one? Especially for the red camp? It seems to me that HD DVD would be bringing out all its big guns: Jurassic Park, Star Trek, etc. And why is it so long between announcement and release?
FYI, Jurassic Park isn't even an option ( see Spielberg's rebuke http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/461 )
I've never heard of the two HDDVD offerings...I know we will be getting The Game Plan, the kids loved that at the theater...
Pee-you. And we're continuing the 2008 trend of stinkers from both fronts. Sure, the Blu offerings are "better"--but Saw IV? Do you really need that in high-def? The Game Plan? I guess closet WWF fanboys with a chubby for The Rock would like that one in high def, but c'mon, let's get real.
And people expect Blu to prevail? You want me to pay $400+ for the privilege of seeing Dwayne Johnson in high-def? Or, for the other camp, Method Man? Looks like neither, so far.
"I guess closet WWF fanboys with a chubby for The Rock"
Thou doth protest too much...
I haven't seen The Game Plan but my wife and my two kids have and they loved it. So apparently it is a hit with WWF fanboys and women and little kids....
Again, thankfully, a movie's success will not be determined by one person's opinion...
@regeya
Thank you...you are the majority people, that think that. I even think that now, even though I bought both formats, (which I'm starting to regret buy either of them). The HD and The sound is amazing, but there is a lack of movies from both sides. I dont want SUPERBAD in HD. The SAW Movies arent on my list of mostly likely to own. Where are the great films? The only (I've bought) Blu-ray movies are the 3 Pirate's movies, black hawk down and rescue dawn. On the HD DVD side I have bought Blazing Saddles, shrek the third, the bourne series and the mummy series. Compare both of those with the DVD collection, and its pathetic. It doesn't help that FOX movies are the most expensive movies on Blu-ray and that there isn't that many from FOX to boot. Personally, I wanted to be assured that from either party that I'm going to get the bang for my buck, but right now I'm not seeing anything. IF either side wants people to adopt on a mass scale, prices going down won't do it! It's CONTENT, so if they want to kill DVD, they might want to step up the movie HD production about 50 times more than they are doing right now.
What about 300? Kingdom of Heaven? Harry Potter movies? I mean come one, are you guys that critical to think that none of these movies are worth buying? Stargate, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Harry Potter set, Pirates set, Blade Runner, surely out of 400+ movies, there's more than you've listed that are worth buying???
Great, the 4th Saw movie for Highlight to release on HD DVD.
Via import I take it?
Yeah, good to know you're payin' 3 times as much to have it on HD-DVD moneybags... imports will NEVER be a selling point for the average movie buyer. Well, anyway enjoy your lesser version.
I bet that all those people who got new players at Christmas are stoked.
Of course.
You obviously have a PC & a net connection, how difficult do you seriously imagine it to be?
A very significant proportion of my HD DVDs are imports
(cos they are often a lot less expensive that way).
It may not be difficult but how practical will it be for mainstream consumers? Please tell me you do not believe the mass market will be importing titles? Plus we've already seen studios that once produced HDDVD version of US Blu-ray exclusives announce they're dropping HDDVD, so the import stream may dry up soon as well...
JimC if you seriously imagine any of this is genuinely mass-market stuff now (or even will be this year) you are deluded.
BTW the 2 German studios I've seen go Blu-ray exclusive are not big producers of Blu-ray movies on HD DVD.
Kinoweld and Highlight are the big deal there.
You, like so many on the Blu side, are just at the usual trying to claim this is all over before it has even started.
By the BDAs own numbers in 2 years Blu-ray has sold 6 million movie discs to HD DVDs almost 3 million.
In almost 2 years.
The total movie disc market last year alone was 750+ million.
Neither high def format has even reached even 1% of the annual total market, neither has much claim to any real substance
(but if HD DVD continues to sell hardware at the excellent rate it currently is then that may well change later in respect to that format).
So all the Blu-ray fans big claims and exaggerated tales are, plainly, just more of the on-going chatter; it's just the usual ridiculous talk to try and talk-up the format.
Well, Blu-ray and HDDVD are in Walmart, how much more mass market can you get? It's not like I have to go very far or try very hard to get my Blu-ray movies. I can go to Walmart, Meijer, Sears, Best Buy, several video stores, all in a town with 40K people, why should I import anything?. As for those pesky titles that are currently HD-DVD only, I'm patient, I can wait for the eventual blu-ray version to come....
another week goes by, no decent catalog titles released. :(
M-E-T-H-O-D MAN. All I know is, blu ray definitely isn't trying very hard to get me to convert. In fact, if they don't announce some major titles soon, I'm going to wait until players are 100 bucks.
Here's the release schedule, plan accordingly...
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/releasedates.html
Holy, JimC! according to that release schedule, theres not a whole lot worth buying for weeks to come!!!
Horrible releases. Saw 1 was bad enough but 3 more were made? WTF is wrong with people?
they are making 2 more, its been planned to be atleast 6 films lol
That's some of the worst movie news I've ever heard. I expect nothing but crap from Lionsgate, worst movie production company ever.