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 The High Definition DVD Studio Support Petition Campaign |
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News Links and Commentary regarding the "format war"
Toshiba announces that HD DVD Players now start at only $149 MSRP! HD DVD continues to grow into mainstream consumer market... (read more) Paramount and Universal Say Support for HD DVD is firm Statements to the press today knock out rumours ... (read more) Vote at YouChoose and Let the World know that you prefer HD DVD ! "Consumers Chosen Blu"?? Rubbish!! Put the sloganeers in the trash can and show the world which format sold three times more dedicated players, players bought for only one possible use. Show them why HD DVD is the consumers favourite format ... (read more) Want to complain to your anti-competition authorities? We've had supporters asking how they can complain to consumer protection or anti-competition agencies about the rumours that the BDA paid possibly over a Billion Dollars to Warner and Fox to scuttle their move to HD DVD. So we have provided links here ... (read more) Are the chances for HDM mass-adoption now ruined by Warner? Our opinion is that Warner's switch to Bluray has added two years to the timeline for HDM to become a mass market product, as we do not think that Bluray has enough replication capacity ... (read more) Let Warner know your feelings ! If you're not happy with Warner's decision, feel free to contact them here ... (read more) Warner Paid over $500 million to drop HD DVD, reports say! In various reports, Warner is rumoured to have been paid anywhere from $500 to $620 million to go Bluray-exclusive. That's over HALF a BILLION Dollars! Read the sickening reports here... (read more) Warner bitten again by recurrent Bluray problems! In the space of only a couple of weeks, Warner has been hit by problems on three different Bluray releases. Surely that can't be the future of HDM ... (read more) Sales come and go, so we're trying to help let you know about them. Note that items here, by their nature, are time sensitive and some will have passed fleetingly by... (read more) HD DVD Releases now outselling Bluray counterparts ! A report a few days ago shows that some HD DVD releases are now outselling their Bluray counterparts. We have seen the steady growth of HD DVD sales this year and knew that this time would come. It now appears to be the transistion point we have been waiting for... (read more) Will PS3 Movie Downloads Further Hurt BD "attach rates"?! The "attach rates" of movie discs to the PS3 has not estimated to not be as good as standalone players, and now Sony is preparing to start rolling out movie downloads to match Microsoft's movie service on the XBox 360. But will this move make the PS3 Bluray "attach rate" worse!? ... (read more) A quick list of "Must Have" HD DVDs! So many choices, so little time. We run through a quick list of HD DVDs that are great reference material and that we feel would make a great part of any HD DVD library ... (read more) Warner: For the last time, Dagnabbit, we're not going Bluray! Yet another rumour was spread around the business last week, as, for the third time, Bluray supporters claimed that Warner was looking to go Bluray-only. And yet again, Warner issued official press releases debunking the rumour-mongers. But... we have heard some news too! According to our "deep throats", two Bluray-only studios may be going "neutral" in January ... (read more) Don't get scr*wed by discounted, obsolete BD players - read our quick guide! A number of BD 1.0 Bluray player are now being scalped in various locations, but with little warning that they cannot handle many of the functions of the proper "spec" machines. Don't get hoodwinked, here's what we feel you should look for in a BD player (if you feel MUST buy one, that is)... (read more) A quick reminder of the simple reasons why HD DVD is better than Bluray Sometimes in life, the arguments can get so convoluted, that it is refreshing to periodically break them down to their simplest components just one more time... (read more) Should Sony be making contingency plans?? Things look worse for the PS3 sales, and also HD DVD has surpassed Bluray standalone player sales and also appears poised to pass Bluray once again for software sales. So we ask - did Sony consider this possibility and make contingency plans as to how to react to save one, or the other, of these two intertwined franchises? It would seem that the Playstation franchise should be rescued... (read more) What Might Warner be considering for their format decision? The Paramount Studio and Dreamworks decisions to support HD DVD exclusively and abandon the Bluray format, and their publics statements, really woke the industry and observers up to the fact that there are some major underlying commercial concerns about the choice of format in this war. Many eyes are now focused on Warner, the last remaining "format neutral" studio, to see where they will stand. Are the reported Bluray issues something that can be fixed this fall, giving Warner reason to keep waiting for the format to mature? Or has BD had enough time and will Warner side with HD DVD? (read more) Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Choose HD DVD Exclusively !! Bluray Abandoned !! In a long-awaited and rewarding turn of events last week, both Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks have chosen to give up on the Bluray format, and have made their exclusive choice HD DVD. Citing the fact that all HD DVD players from the very first one sold adhere to the same advanced standards as the rest, the consistent users experience, the ease of programming the HDi language, and a host of other technical and business reason, the studios turned their back on the Bluray format and withdrew further releases from the format. They have also discontinued all releases they made to the Bluray format. (read more) HD DVD Owners and Supporters - Now is the time to be heard !! We have been running this campaign for a year, and are now seeing the positive results of HD DVD being a superior proposition. We have shared in successes this year, such as helping to get The Matrix Trilogy brought to market in May. NOW is the time for EVERYONE to join up and make you voices heard to the industry. (Click here to go to the ACTION page, complete with emails - it'll only take a few minutes!) The Current "State of the Bluray" - appears anything but good... We had so much info in the commentary stories this "issue", that we thought it might be best to summarize all that we've found into one easy to digest piece. With indications that the BD player standard is in turmoil, BD-J programming issues are frustrating studios and manufacturers alike, and disc production is reported to have pretty disastrous yields - how much worse can it get for Bluray? (read more) Bluray's BD 1.1 Player Spec on the rocks AGAIN!?! In what is now becoming an absolute joke, too funny to be even called a fiasco, the "new, newer" deadline for all Bluray players to HAVE to meet the mandatory final player specification is approaching on November 1st, yet NO players, ZERO, are currently scheduled to ship that meet the BD 1.1 spec. In fact, all new BD players are being rushed to market before Nov 1st so that they do not have to meet the spec, and the only player to meet 1.1 has now apparently been delayed till 2nd quarter 2008! (read more) BD Recordable Disc Playback being Reigned in on BD players!?! In yet another apparent demonstration of the lack of standards and foresight of the Bluray format, new players coming out have apparently been forced to disable the playback of BD-R/RE recordable media. From reports in the field and statements by Bluray insiders indicate that BDMV movies on BD-R/RE discs were "never supposed" to be able to play, but that they made a temporary exception to help studios figure out how to publish on BD, but are now enforcing it again. ( read more) New 3rd generation HD DVD Players Are Here! Even more features and greater value! Three new HD DVD players have been announced and will start shipping shortly. Among the new features to some of them are being able to send un-decoded bitstreams for TruHD, DTS HD MA and other soundtracks directly over HDMI for decoding by an external AVR, and many more. List prices start at just $299, but we'll show you how you can get a special offer for AVS Forum members. (read more) HD DVD movies Sales continue to increase - set to pass Bluray sales again soon! Sales of movies in the HD DVD format continue to climb every week, on the back of high levels of player sales. HD DVD players have been selling very strongly, due to the low cost of entry, and was cited by Paramount bosses as one of the reasons they switched to HD DVD exclusive. (read more) The Matrix Trilogy Comes To HD DVD on May 22nd!! Perhaps in part to a letter writing camapign by HD NOW petitioners and concerned HD DVD owners on AVSforum, Warner Brothers has announced The Matrix Trilogy in two different Box Set releases for HD DVD, to arrive on May 22nd. (read more) The Matrix Trilogy Comes To HD DVD on May 22nd!! Perhaps in part to a letter writing camapign by HD NOW petitioners and concerned HD DVD owners on AVSforum, Warner Brothers has announced The Matrix Trilogy in two different Box Set releases for HD DVD, to arrive on May 22nd. (read more) HD DVD Is Chosen As The Best Again! HD DVD has cleaned up in the last few days, winning awards from Home Theater Magazine and Home Cinema Choice, respectively, in their annual awards. Said Home Cinema Choice, who awarded the "Best Source Component over $500" to the Toshiba XA1, of HD DVD: "It has simply the best video and audio in a consumer format, ever. Blu-ray is still playing catch-up." And The Perfect Vision also says in this month's issue: " I have to say that, based on my experience with the Toshiba HD-XA2, I still think HD DVD looks better" (read more) HD DVD Sales Soar Into First Place Once Again!
HD DVD Celebrates Its First Birthday! Owners Celebrate By Buying More Movies! HD DVD celebrates the one year anniversary of it's launch with more and more good news, such as winning the best awards, gaining "The Matrix Trilogy", and so much more. Owners have decided to celebrate by showing their support for the week of April 15th to 20th, by buying lots of movies! (read more) Two New Studios Put Their Support Behind HD DVD! Long anticipated for their entrance into the Hidef disc market, Dreamworks have thrown their hat into the ring with the release of "Dreamgirls" and "Norbit" for HD DVD. Also entering, and as an exclusive studio for HD DVD, is First Look Studios, who is releasing "The Contract", the new thriller starring Morgan Freeman, John Cussack, and more. (read more) Scores Of New Movie Releases Hitting The HD DVD Market! In press announcements two weeks ago, HD DVD studios confirmed a flood of new releases, a total of 70 new movies through July, and over 300 on HD DVD by the holidays. See what's here and what's coming in this report! (read more) Samsung Announces Their Universal HD Player! I hate to say "I told you so", but I don't mind saying it to those other guys who said it would never happen. Samsung has announced their BD-UP5000 - find out more about it and what it means to you, the Hi Def market and to the "format war" in general. (read more) Bluray "standard" Player Profile Delayed - To November!! You've just got to hand it to these guys - they really know how to kill a format! As it was, the "proper" Bluray Player Profile 1.1, which deals with the "minimum capabilities" of a Bluray player, was supposed to be ready by May 31st 2007, nearly a year after they launched the format with the "interim" 1.0 spec. But now we have heard that the profile is to be delayed till Oct 31, due to continued problems trying to get it fixed up. So that means that they will continue selling players till then that could be essentially obsolete. (read more) The Continued Trials And Tribulations Of The PS3 - The Bluray "Secret Weapon" The PS3 is not doing very well in sales worldwide. Launches in Europe are being called "unmitigated disasters" by some, sales in Japan have fallen behind their competitors and US sales seem to be below projections. And, in what we see as an attempt to reduce losses, the "Emotion Engine" compatibility chip has been stripped from European models, and the 20 Gig base model has been yanked. (read more) Sony And The BDA Enter "Phase: HYDRA" - What?! In an informal report on the proceedings of the BDA meeting in Fukuoka at the end of March, it was revealed that the BDA have begun what they cleverly call "Phase: HYDRA". What is "Phase: HYDRA"? It is said (unconfirmed, of course) to be a campaign of having paid campaigners infiltrate the online forums pretending to be Bluray supporters to attempt to steer the discussions in favor of the format, and away from HD DVD. (read more) Commentary - The Impact of Dual-Format Players on the "format war" LG Electronics has just announced their intention to ship Dual-Format Players in early 2007, which can play both HD DVD and Bluray discs. How will this affect the format war and what impact will it have on you, me and the Movie Studios? (read more) Commentary - Are the 1st Generation Bluray Players already Obsolete? Toshiba now has their Second Generation HD DVD players on sale, yet they did not have to change the functionality of the HD DVD player specs, so even the first gen players continue to be compatible with new HD DVD discs coming out. However, the first generation Bluray players have an early "player specification" called BD-Video 1.0. All new Bluray players sold after June 2007 are required to meet a new player spec called BD-Video 1.1 or BD-Live 2.0, and new movie discs are coming with new extra features that cannot be utilized by BD-Video 1.0 players. Are these expensive 1st gen Bluray players obsolete? (read more) Commentary - Is Sony the Fatal Flaw in Bluray? Each day, it seems more and more clear that Sony may have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in it's launch of the Bluray disc format. But based on the feedback of many people on internet forums, stories in the press, and feedback from petitioners on this site, it would seem that there may be even more at play. Is Sony's biggest problem right now a lack of trust from potential buyers of the format? (read more) Commentary - "Muslix", HD DVD Hacker, or corporate saboteur? Hi Definition DVD has grown substantially throughout the year, leading the Bluray format by a comfortable margin. Yet, just two weeks before the start of the 2007 CES consumer show in January, as faceless individual named "Muslix" made a publicity splash on the internet and YouTube, claiming to have broken the AACS encryption used by HD DVD and Bluray. It turned out not to be the case. We ask, was the timing of his actions a coincidence, or was he trying to hurt HD DVD support before this show? (read more) Commentary - The Failure of the PS3 to reverse the "Format War" December 3rd, 2006 - Although HD DVD has been outselling Bluray by a wide margin for the entire year so far since the launch of the two formats, some pundits were saying that the launch of the PS3 would reverse this lead. Arguably, the PS3 launch was Sony's LAST CHANCE to prove their strategy as correct. We, and others, feel it has failed miserably to do so. (read more)
Recent News and Links
Other Articles and Online Discussions Home Theater Blog - "HD DVD vs. Bluray: Fact vs. Fiction" One of AVS Forum's biggest Bluray fans, converts to HD DVD... Projector Central - "Bluray: Can it survive?" Home Theater Forum: "Reasonable cost of upgrading to HD DVD absolutely worth it" AVS Forum - "Home Theater Mag gives the Toshiba a 98!" Engadget HD - "Why HD DVD will prevail: My opinion 3 months later" Projector Central - recommendation on the formats Digital Media Thoughts - "At Last: A True Bluray vs. HD DVD Comparison" Playfuls.com - "Playstation 3 - the killer Iceberg. Sony - the Titanic" News Stories in the Press Silicon Valley - "Sony mulls recall of exploding fact sheet" - Sony caught in sales lie Engadget - "Sony claims Xbox 360 requires etc, etc., thus costs $700" International Herald Tribune - "EU's DVD inquiry goes to Hollywood" Reuters - "Sony Hits Stumbling Blocks on Road to recovery" IT Wire - "Universal Studios deals Bluray death-blow" Tom's Hardware - "Will Bluray sink the PS3?" Video Business - "HD DVD owners petition Bluray backers" - :) Ultimate AV - Joe Kane (Digital Video Essentials) talks about Mpeg2 and VC1 BBC - "LOTR Director Jackson signs Xbox deal" Video Interview of Joe Kane on the Battle of the Formats Polls and Surveys 98% of HD owners on AV Forums went with HD DVD 91% of HD DVD player buyers happy with purchase 75% of Bluray Player buyers RETURNED the player! 86% of buyers of First Gen Hi Def players will buy HD DVD 85% Support for Studio petitions - the birth of this petition Drive 69% of respondents feel that HD DVD will "win" format war 92% say HD DVD will dominate Bluray this Christmas 83% say that Toshiba A1/XA1 HD DVD players beats their old player at upscaling . |
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