Monday, August 20, 2007

Battling High Def Formats

Disney and DreamWorks Animation are touting different High Def formats. How very, very spiffy.

For Disney:

The Studio announced the first animated Platinum coming to Blu-ray will be the timeless treasure Sleeping Beauty. Releasing Sleeping Beauty on Blu-ray marks a milestone for the format as these titles are not released until a format has been proven both technologically and in terms of consumer acceptance - and Disney's animated releases in the past have been a major catalysis for any format's growth.

And DreamWorks:

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20 -- Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) and DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE: DWA), each announced today that they will exclusively support the next-generation HD DVD format on a worldwide basis. The exclusive HD DVD commitment will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment...

..."We decided to release "Shrek the Third" and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience -- families," stated DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg. "We believe the combination of this year's low-priced HD DVD players and the commitment to release a significant number of hit titles in the fall makes HD DVD the best way to view movies at home."

This doesn't impact people like me who are barely into the DVD age and still using their old Philco televisions (with the rabbit ears). But for people who've got the big home theater and the billboard size LCD screen, it's a pain.

Because any self-respecting techo-buff is going to want to have all the big hits in high def. And he or she will either have to own two high-def players or one of those models that play both.

Like I say. A pain.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of DVD and Divx back in the day. Like that format war, I'll sit this one out until the dust settles...

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but with all of the studios save one supporting Blu-Ray, and with Blu-ray having higher bandwidth and bigger capacity and being the main standard for the next generation computer writable storage.... what's the deal with HD-DVD?

Can anyone explain to me why HD-DVD would be a compelling purchase, with the notable exception of being able to watch Shrek 3 in all of its high-definition glory? (yeah, that's sarcasm).

What are the strengths of HD-DVD over Blu-Ray? Anyone know?

Anonymous said...

>What are the strengths of HD-DVD over Blu-Ray? Anyone know?

At the moment it's $200-$300 cheaper.

Anonymous said...

Ah...

Well, let me pick. One player will let me watch Ratatouille in 1080p. The other will let me watch Shrek the Turd... Hmmm....

Steve Hulett said...

I'm laying odds that Blue Ray ends up the winner.

Sony ain't going to be slammed twice.

Anonymous said...

">What are the strengths of HD-DVD over Blu-Ray? Anyone know?

At the moment it's $200-$300 cheaper."

As with most electronics... you get what you pay for.

Anonymous said...

It is said that VHS won over betamax because thanks to the support of the porn industry.

This time around, thanks to the internets, whatever the porn industry will support, I think, will be irrelevant.

As shallow as this will seem, I think people in general will choose Blu-Ray, simply because it sounds 'cooler" to say Blu Ray!!...yeah, I think people are THAT shallow....

While others will look into the specs and decide on that basis.

R.

Anonymous said...

blu-ray is dead and here is why.

walmart will start selling hd-dvd players at 299 this holiday season.

walmart will start stocking hd-dvds instead of blu-ray. we know they sell 40% of all dvds.

microsoft will slash xbox prices to $199 this fall. hd-dvd plugin will be $150.

blu-ray's only hope is to slash ps3 prices and drop their blu-ray players below $500. they are not planning to do this.

Anonymous said...

Wal-mart is ALREADY selling and promoting BD Players. Wal-mart has NOT announced they will be dropping BDs for HD-DVD, though Target has announced they will be promoting BD over HD-DVD. BD Players for under $500 HAVE BEEN announced, so obviously your contention that they won't do it is wrong as well. SO much wrong in so little space!

Anonymous said...

Like I said; sitting this one out until the dust settles. My $40 DVD player is fine for now...

Anonymous said...

Geeee! I won't be able to get Shrek on Blu-ray!!

How will I ever sleep tonight!?!....

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