Nfinity
@ Feb 4th 2008 12:23AM
"The only one in denial is you who can't understand that Universal and Paramount with Dreamworks and Weinstein are still EXCLUSIVE HD DVD studios.. so I'd advise you to buy an hd dvd for $120 so you can watch all of the incredible movies this year and from last year and stop acting like an idiot."

So by this logic you own a blu-ray player right? Otherwise you are "acting like an idiot," right?

Nfinty -- you must be kidding. Otherwise I have to wonder what color the sky is in your world.

I think eventually downloads will be the future. But I don't think most people have an ethernet connection to their TVs. And where will the films be stored? Media PCs (or even devices like Apple TV) are not in most homes. I think the download as being mainstream (and profitable for the studios) is still 10 years away.

But I could be very wrong!

Daily Variety is reporting that "Universal's commitment to backing HD DVD exclusively has ended. And Paramount has an escape clause in its HD DVD contract allowing it to release pics on Blu-ray after Warner Bros.' decision to back that format exclusively."

Article doesn't say they are flipping right away but that market pressures may make them.

Here is the link:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978760.html?categoryid=20&cs=1

I would not put The Digital Bits forth as a news source it is a pro-blu-ray website. But they are at CES and I presented their "Rumour Mill" because its a little more information. If its true, who knows, but what they are saying is hardly outside the realm of possibility.

For what its worth from the Digital Bits:

"Well... we've had SOME confirmation this morning of the details of the Financial Times story from last night. While the studio isn't yet commenting, reliable industry sources are telling us that Paramount is indeed preparing to end their HD-DVD support and announce a return to the Blu-ray fold. Details are currently being finalized, and an announcement is expected as soon as they're complete. Paramount's first new Blu-rays will almost certainly include many of those titles that were cancelled last year, but that were already packaged and ready for shipping, so you could see them in stores very quickly once the studio announces.

Meanwhile, sources are telling us that Universal has also been talking with the BDA, and is looking to follow Paramount and Warner's lead as soon as possible.

On a related note, Times Online in the U.K. is now reporting that as many as 20 additional firms currently backing HD-DVD are also considering defection in the wake of Warner's Friday announcement, including Fujitsu, Lenovo, Kenwood and Pony Canyon (which is a major Japanese film and music studio).

What's more, word is starting to circulate at CES that major big box retailers will begin winding down in-store support for HD-DVD as soon as these studios go public with their decisions. We're told that the industry's major retail partners are already pressuring Paramount, DreamWorks and Universal to go Blu following Warner's decision.

Rumors are also beginning to circulate here that Apple's Steve Jobs may announce the addition of Blu-ray Disc drives to their Mac desktop lineup at next week's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

We would caution you to keep in mind that all of this should be considered unofficial until the studios make their actual announcements. Things are moving very fast, and the situation is highly fluid. Still, it really looks like this is the end for HD-DVD, and the end of the format war overall. We'll keep you up to date with new developments as they break.

Stay tuned..."

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Based on the way Paramount went from Neutral to Exclusive overnight last August, I would assume any plans of theirs vis a vis support of HD-DVD are as fluid as water. I believe their "Current plan is to support the HD DVD format." I just am not confident that plan will be current tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month . . . . .

Paramount's statement was that they still support HD-DVD but had no future films on the format to announce at CES. The words "exclusivly support" were not used. No future tenses were used. As of the date of that statement they support HD-DVD. They did not say they would or wouldn't also support Blu-Ray. That statement as of the date it was made is completely true but it does not mean that in the future Paramount would do any of the following: (1) continue supporting HD-DVD exclusively for the term of the agreement; (2) opt out of the agreement and back Blu-Ray exclusively; or (3) go neutral.

It is a statement that is true the day it is made. Just as the statements they made in support of blu-ray were true before the exclusivity deal was announced.

I don't agree with the position that you won't see cheaper Blu-Ray players if the Format War is over. I think you will see prices go down but just at a less precipitous rate then we are (now) used to. I think you will prices go down for one reason: Competition among Blu-Ray producing CE Companies. Look at DVD (or really any technology). Player prices dropped considerably from generation to generation because of competition among CE companies. Already there are Blu-Ray players announced with a MFRP of $349 -- within months that will be under $300.

HD-DVD players became cheaper to fight off blu-ray -- not because Toshiba cared for the public affording HDM. If there was no Blu-Ray I would wager that you would not see any HD-DVD player for less than $300. Toshiba has had no other significant competition within HD-DVD building hardware. Sony has had many "partners" who are competitors. Sony, with the PS3, has sold the most blu-ray players hands down. But if looking only at stand alone sales of Blu-ray players there is more equinimity between brands (and will be even more with one format for HD Media). If (or when) Toshiba abandons HD-DVD they will compete for a slice of the pie. All these companies will use different tactics to make consumers choose their product -- and one of these tactics will undoubtedly be price.

Also CE manufacturers (and studios) now have an incentive with one format that before 2007 they didn't have -- shrinking DVD sales. For CE Manufacturers most of the profit from DVD players has already shrunk (because most people have them). For studios they need to inject life into a home video market that saw the first decline in annual DVD sales since the launch of the DVD format. Both studios and tech companies are looking to each other to create new revenue streams. So I think you may see a full on "attack" on DVD from these companies now that there is one format. DVD won't go away. Blu-Ray will not replace DVD as completely as DVD did VHS but it may create a good side business which could eventually become the larger media distribution format.

Or I could be totally wrong!

Does that mean that movies and TV Shows in my iTunes Account would stream to my PS3? That would be awesome.