Warner ditch HD DVD - Blu-Ray to be next disc format?

Well, It looks pretty likely that HD-DVD has lost the generation wars. After Warner went Blu-Ray exclusive it was looking more and more likely but to add to that the HD-DVD group has cancelled all interviews and their main keynote. The PR people are apparently avoiding calls from news organizations.

So, Blu-Ray is pretty much the winner. I am quite disappointed, HD-DVD was region free and allowed both DVD and HD-DVD readable discs. On the other hand I don't envision either being important. I think digital video files are the way forward anyway.

[Stuart]

It is a shame. Warner (and various subsidiaries such and New Line Cinema) is one of the largest film companies. I think it likely that if either format suceeds (and I don't believe either has, yet), it will be Blu ray.

If the electronics industry had got it's act together at the beginning, and supported ONE format (as they did in most countries with DVD), more people would have been buying those discs, instead of doing what I am doing and waiting and seeing which format succeeds..

[popper]

good, now we will see that far higher data carrying disk in the PC markets and the price will fall.

once the writers prices come down, no more messing about writing loads of DVDs to back up your FreeNAS/local drives.

"other CES news
http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_ro...ase/32521.html

SONY DEBUTS SUB $200 BD-ROM DRIVE FOR BLU-RAY MOVIE PLAYBACK ON THE PC

LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #14200), Jan. 6, 2008 – Sony Electronics today announced an internal BD-ROM drive that can upgrade an existing desktop computer into a high-definition Blu-ray Disc™ player, as well as a DVD and a CD player.

The new BDU-X10S BD-ROM drive comes with CyberLink’s PowerDVD BD Edition software for playback of commercial movie titles, recorded Blu-ray Disc home videos, DVD-ROMs and CD-ROMs.

“The BD-ROM drive’s sub-$200 price tag offers consumers a very viable option to discover and enjoy the nearly 500 high-definition Blu-ray Disc movies released to date,” said Bob DeMoulin,

...
The BDU-X10S drive features a Serial ATA (SATA) interface and standard 5.25-inch form-factor for easy installation inside contemporary desktop PCs running the Microsoft® Windows Vista™ or Windows XP operating system.

The included CyberLink PowerDVD BD Edition software also supports playback of recorded Blu-ray Discs in MPEG-2 or H.264 format, standard DVD-Video discs or recorded DVDs encoded with MPEG-2 or AVCHD formats.

....
"

[Hom3r]

that made me laugh

Xbox 360 HD-DVD.

PS3 Blue ray.

Glad I'm waiting for the PS3s proce to drop.

How long before the Xbos brings out a Brlue ray drive

To be fair Microsoft were wise not to install in their consoles, although that could have improved HD-DVD chances. I don't think they will release a add on, now that Blu-Ray wins it will be many years before it replaces DVD. People only moved to dvd relatively soon and won't want to change so soon. HD-TVs are not common place yet etc etc

Also, Blu-Ray still needs to beat DVDs and even then, needs to beat online distribution. It's won the disc wars (properly) but it's future isn't certain yet

Originally Posted by popper

good, now we will see that far higher data carrying disk in the PC markets and the price will fall.

once the writers prices come down, no more messing about writing loads of DVDs to back up your FreeNAS/local drives.

"other CES news"

http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_ro...ase/32521.html

<snip>

My dual HD/Blu-ray player

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,6746.html

Works fine with PowerDVD 'ultra', but I have to admit to only trying it with one disk - BD25, & haven't tried an HD one, yet....

On a 19" 16:10 1440x900 monitor it looks brilliant, I have to say

- I just need a bigger monitor that is HDCP enabled, now,

- my point being that the manufacturers will adapt to the vagaries of the market & imo, it will be the consumers who ultimately pay in any 'format war'

Well thats funny seeing as 2 other major movie studios announced late last year that they were going solely HD

and Paramount /Dreamworks are still stickign to their guns http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/...ng_HD_DVD/1345

Universal and Microsoft also still on HD. So Warner is the biggest single concern but the war isnt over just yet

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

Well thats funny seeing as 2 other major movie studios announced late last year that they were going solely HD

The problem is all the others have gone Blu-Ray. The HD-DVD group is also all over the place, they are not exactly reassuring anyone right now.

Im still not interested anyway at the moment. As ive said in the past I get HD downloads and watch them on my projector which is bigger than any screen.I do not console game and I wont be backing up 30 gig plus to one disc so it matters not to me lol. I will start to show an interest when there is enough broadcast content to merit owning a hd tv

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

and Paramount /Dreamworks are still stickign to their guns http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/...ng_HD_DVD/1345

Possibly not for long. They apparently have a get out clause in the event that Warner supports Blu-Ray http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01...o_drop_hd_dvd/

[dilli-theclaw]

I so nearly got a HD-DVD player a couple of weeks ago, glad I waited now.

Guess I'll keep on waiting 'till it's all sorted, eventually.

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Possibly not for long. They apparently have a get out clause in the event that Warner supports Blu-Ray http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01...o_drop_hd_dvd/

Dam I so wanted it to be HD DVD looks like I was wrong then . Still hate Sony though lol

[SOSAGES]

if blu ray wins that doesn’t mean the price will come down - perhaps it’s as low as it is now because they had competition...

Sony are not noted for keeping prices down..

[gc10360]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

Im still not interested anyway at the moment. As ive said in the past I get HD downloads and watch them on my projector which is bigger than any screen.I do not console game and I wont be backing up 30 gig plus to one disc so it matters not to me lol. I will start to show an interest when there is enough broadcast content to merit owning a hd tv

is your projector HD? I have a HD projector and a 1080p LCD TV. trust me if all you have seen in HD is HD downloads you're missing out, nothing beats A good encoded High bitrate BLU Ray or HD DVD for Picture Quality, and probably wont for a long while, I have owned DVD since 1999 and have about 700 movies now I've switched to HDM and currently have about 70 HDDVD and Blu Ray movies and can't envisige having enough HDD space for storing 700 movies in HD format at the Quality I have on either HDM format. maybe digitial dowloads are the future but its going to be a while before serious HD HT enthusiasts take that route. after all its the early adopters such as myself that help make a format mass market.