Paramount drops Blu-ray support -- everybody groans
After months of reports proving that Blu-ray sells more movies than HD-DVD, Paramount's parent company Viacom has announced that they are dropping Blu-ray support and going HD-DVD exclusive. According to Viacom, they made this decision based on researching the benefits of HD-DVD, which "confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD." Some of the benefits of HD-DVD that they mentioned included lower sales, a much smaller user base, and limited storage space (okay okay, they actually said 'market ready technology' and 'lower manufacturing costs').There are rumors of a 150 million dollar payout by the HD-DVD consortium to nab the Viacom exclusivity, which sure would help explain the move more than the officially given reasons. Regardless, we now can look at the format-war that nobody wanted getting strung out even longer. Yay -- thanks Viacom.
[Thanks to everybody who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
doug @ Aug 20th 2007 2:21PM
gay
milo @ Aug 20th 2007 2:21PM
Cant knock MS' hustle, major coup for HD DVD
milo @ Aug 20th 2007 2:24PM
all these exclusive!
http://www.imdb.com/company/co0023400/
mccomber @ Aug 20th 2007 2:28PM
It's funny how the general opinion on the web seems to be one of this just extending the format war, not of it giving HDDVD a chance to win it. Can't say I disagree with that...
Aaron @ Aug 20th 2007 2:35PM
So when they lose $150 million over low HD-DVD sales, will they then switch back to Blu-ray?
derrick @ Aug 20th 2007 2:38PM
this is MADNESS!!!
and i'm not enticing a 300 joke or whatever.
THIS REALLY IS MADNESS!!!
once again, money talks louder than reason.
Deathalo @ Aug 20th 2007 2:39PM
WTF!? NO TRANSFORMERS ON BLU-RAY!!!?!?!?!!? NOOOOOO YOU BASTARDS!!!
OTAM @ Aug 20th 2007 2:40PM
It would be tragic to me,but I use my PS3 as a GAMING SYSTEM.
On a CRT SDTV,you know,like the majority of people.
James @ Aug 20th 2007 2:41PM
I saw that Dreamworks is also switching over to HD-DVD exclusivity as well. I read this on engadget earlier in the day. So much for the format war being over :P Not that I care, I can play both formats.
SuicideNinja @ Aug 20th 2007 2:42PM
I don't see what the problem is...for movies HD-DVD is really set up more sensibly. They've shown the right motivations in abiding by hardware and software standards, a solid feature-set, better authoring setup, and consistent picture quality (because of standard encoding the entire lifespan of the product, unlike Blu-ray). Much of that is thanks to the a good consortium setting the standards.
While it's obvious that Blu-ray would be a great storage medium, it really hasn't shown the right initiatives to be quality format over-all so far. The companies behind it seemed a bit too excited to escape DVD licensing, I think.
All this said, I'm still hesistant to buy a HD-DVD player when I already have the PS3. My movie-loving friend decided he's just going to buy a dual-format player...I guess if you care enough for HD content, that's the route to go at this point in time?
john @ Aug 20th 2007 2:47PM
Maybe now Sony will get back to the negotiation table and iron how a single standard.
Jldowning @ Aug 20th 2007 2:47PM
All I can say, is I guess all of Paramounts 2-3 movies that I will actually buy over the next three years will have to be on DVD...
ShaggyB @ Aug 20th 2007 2:52PM
#6.
Bond wasnt low quality. it looked just as good as hd-dvds bourne films. The sound was excelent, it lacked in features.
Likewise 300 blu-ray and Hd-dvd look exactly the same and sound exactly the same (unless you have that super expensive brand new PCM 5.1 sound system, then blu-ray had a bit better sound) No doubt 300 Hd-dvd had the better feature with the blue screen picture in picture commentary. It also was $6 more and featured the Dvd version. For most people though, the movie was identical in hd as in blu-ray.
There is no real quality differance. Hd-dvd offers a few more features out of the box and a cheaper start rate on a player. That and Hd-dvd bought this exclusive, come on Indiana Jones Trilogy.
It does suck for supporters of one or the other. for us both format owners its just a simple when we want a movie thats on both which version to get. But anyone that tells you the quality is higher on one verses the other.. either 1. has a super system that they can see small differances or... (and this is more likely) 2. Is a fanboy and is out of there fanboy mind.
The war moves onward and consumers wait for a clear winner, while us adpoters pick and choose or fight with each other in forums.
Brian Spence @ Aug 20th 2007 2:53PM
Man, what a desperate act.
mike @ Aug 20th 2007 2:53PM
YAY! for HD DVD, but what sucks is I still want to know if it's okay to buy? I'm sure I represent all the average joes out there that don't know much except how to please there women (or themselves) This war is keeping me from buy anything.
russ99 @ Aug 20th 2007 2:54PM
This format war won't be over for a long time, until movies ($30-40) and players are a lot more inexpensive.
As far as the PS3 crowd, as long as there is a big installed base (and people keep buying PS3s) Blu-Ray will be a viable platform. If enough money is to be made, believe me, those studios will offer both formats.
Ithilis @ Aug 20th 2007 2:56PM
But.. but.. Transformers!
Kyle A. Miller @ Aug 20th 2007 2:58PM
I own a PS3 and XBox drive, and I want one format to die. I don't want to maintain two players, two movie collections, etc. I don't want to pay a higher price for dual format players. I don't think Joe Consumer is going to want buy dual players or pay the extra cost for dual format players either.
Some mistakenly believe the format wars lowers prices. No it doesn't. We're talking about a single format, not a single manufacturer. There is one CD and DVD standard. There is plenty of competition in those markets and yet they settled on a single format.
Just when it looked like the high def DVD wars was coming a close, Paramount had to prolong a terrible war. Thanks Paramount. Grrr....
ruibing @ Aug 20th 2007 2:58PM
@Adam - I'm confused with the way you keep on switching between "quality" and "quantity". If you say quantity for Blu Ray, doesn't that mean you admit higher sales? And with which movie does HD-DVD look better than Blu Ray? You didn't buy the Blu Ray player (though if you bought a PS3 you would have that plus a player for the same price as you would get the 360 elite bundle) so you couldn't have compared it with your own eyes. Shouldn't it be quantity over quality for HD-DVD if it costs less to manufacturer but has less storage? As for no find the 300 on HD DVD anywhere, your speculation is no proof of higher demand. I'd like to respect other people's opinion only if they don't come in with such an obviously biased opinion. It's hard to take them seriously when they speculate and provide opinion versus fact.
All I know is that I bought a PS3 a few months ago from Amazon for $499 and though I have never really bought any DVDs before, I recently purchased a couple of Blu Rays from buy.com and Best Buy ($15 each). Black Hawk Down, Kung Fu Hustle, and House of Flying Daggers all look amazing with the rich colors and amazing action scenes on a 50" 1080p HDTV. I originally intended to only use my PS3 for games but its ability to receive streaming media and play a USB hard drive of movies makes it even better.
Shori @ Aug 20th 2007 2:58PM
At least Spielberg has seemingly decided to stay out of this. His films are probably the only Paramount works that I actually care about.
Kyle A. Miller @ Aug 20th 2007 3:00PM
The only alternative I can see is if all media companies want to publish media in both formats. It seems costly and unlikely, but I can hope.
JJ Rooster @ Aug 20th 2007 3:00PM
These two studios are realizing that the since the two HD technologies are basically similar, the public will most likely buy the cheaper player on the market, and that's HD-DVD. Transformers is a huge coup for the HD-DVD camp. WOW, I just might get that add-on for my 360 after all!
BulletToothTony @ Aug 20th 2007 3:02PM
well i even thou it's pretty stupid that paramount went with hd-dvd, it might be good for bluray users.. i mean this console war has made companies bust their butts a little more to make better games and hopefully it does the same with the quality of blurays
because i have a pretty good tv, and freaking 300 looked so amazingly bad that i'm about to sell it on ebay, and i'm also tempted to buy and hd-dvd and then return it just to see the difference,
does anyone else see 300 so freaking grainy in somce dark scenes, and not as hd as let's say Deja vu?
i have a 42"samsung plasma, is not a cheap or bad tv, not by my standards but just in general, Mission Impossible 3 looked great but again in some sky areas it looked so nasty and grainy it made me pretty upset,
i hope bluray does something about this, and if they don't then again buying an hd-dvd player for like $199 won't be that bad.. so i don't really care, but i don't want to buy an hd-dvd if it's gonna flop, and i don't want to keep bluray if my favorite movies are gonna look crappy at certain points of the movie
WTangoFoxtrot @ Aug 20th 2007 3:03PM
sweet ! star trek on HD dvd, sounds good.
Brian Spence @ Aug 20th 2007 3:05PM
VERY important line in the article:
"The deal covers all of Paramount's properties excluding those directed by Steven Spielberg."
Meaning that Indy is still able to go to Blu-Ray.
Dadidito @ Aug 20th 2007 3:08PM
You can't really overstate Paramount going to HD-DVD as being bad for Blue Ray. Some BIG names... but when they start advertising Transformers ONLY on HD-DVD and DVD thats going to hurt.
jitty @ Aug 20th 2007 3:20PM
Wow, this sucks, when I first heard this news I new that there must have been some sort of bribing and this rumor seems to confirm it! 150 million!!! Well as long as blu-ray can extend their lead to 3:1 in software sales, I think Viacom might change their mind...
In conclusion: DAMN! Just when you though a format was finally going to win (blu-ray) Viacom has to come in and fuck it all up and extend this damn format war!!!!
OrganicShadow @ Aug 20th 2007 3:24PM
No matter how you try to spin this for either format, it's BAD for the industry and BAD for consumers.
The:
-confusion
-fanboyism
-lack of HD disc sales in general
-wait for consumers to finally get the HD thing moving
-lack of new movies even coming to HD discs
-format war in general
have just been extended a good deal. Thanks Viacom for letting your petty shit fuck over the consumers.
Tru-blue @ Aug 20th 2007 3:27PM
You said it Dadidito, after I walked out of the theater after watching Transformers I was already anticipating getting it for Blu-ray.
"The deal covers all of Paramount's properties excluding those directed by Steven Spielberg." Man how I wished that quote included the properties that Spielberg executive produced as well (Transformers).
Popfrogs @ Aug 20th 2007 3:34PM
Transformers sucked, the fight scenes were zoomed in so close it was like watching a dog fight from a camera embedded on their collars. Sloppy, sloppy film.
That being said, this HD-DVD/BR war is still over in my mind. Paramount can crap on us BR owners if they want, but we know they will switch back when they see how bad sales are for the next year or two. I also give Universal another year...these studios can be bought off by consortiums, but they can't ignore sales figures for too long. When there are 15 million PS3's worldwide, they may sing a different song.
Jldowning @ Aug 20th 2007 3:42PM
I agree, this has only extended the Format war. But this is the last ditch effort by Corp HD DVD to buy their way to the finish line.
Guess no one will be renting any HD paramount films from blockbuster!
Byron517 @ Aug 20th 2007 3:56PM
"The Blu-ray format recently got a big boost as Blockbuster Inc. announced it would stock only Blu-ray titles when it expands its high-def DVD offerings this year.
Target Inc., the nation's second-largest retailer, said it will only sell Blu-ray DVD players in its stores in the fourth quarter.
Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, The Walt Disney Co., and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are releasing only in Blu-ray."
I pulled that from the yahoo article on this news as well... I mean I agree with most of you this is just extending the format wars.. It sucks.. Perhaps the movement that Blu-Ray was picking up made Microsoft over Parimont all that money!! LoL *WHOA Big Bucks*
@24
300 was shot that way!! It was meant to look grainy in the dark areas because it's a direct translation to the Graphic Novel of Frank Miller! Same as Sin City, it looked GRIMMY! So it's not the Blu Ray it's how it's shot
MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Aug 20th 2007 3:57PM
how long will they stay exclusive that list showed a lot 08 and 09 releases how long will they bleed money until they realize they mad a mistake. MS is going to drop a lot of money to keep HD in the game 1 billion dollars aint nothing but a pretty penny to them. Imagine a mass boycott on any of there films in the theatres and movies that are coming out and buy dvds and use the PS3 upscaler. hahahaha easier said than done. im alright PS3 sales will go up blu ray dvds will sell and stand alone will get cheaper. HD DvD is basically on a clearance sale selling at very low prices making as much money as they can before the format is none as dead. 360 owners who buy the sidekicks who have been complainging about the PS3 price tag have been living a lie the whole time but yet everybody points at the PS3 and sony.
mb @ Aug 20th 2007 3:58PM
@Marasai,
Your comment was the *best* opinion I have ever read regarding the format war. Bravo!
I'd like to ask permission to repost your comments on other threads because it was the most realistic reply ever. All credits to you will be included.
I'm now wondering myself what Paramount movies that I *must* have... and I don't think I'll be that bothered by this move.
The Truth @ Aug 20th 2007 3:58PM
That's awesome. Maybe studios should just adopt both formats. There are still cd's and digital downloads on the market. My point being, there are always choices for consumers. Those who really need both formats to get all exclusives should just purchase a dual HD player. It's really a tough subject to gage what would get people buying HD technology. On the one hand... it's confusing to have 2 formats. On the other hand, people won't buy either unless they know their purchase will be around for a few years. This format war only exists because of companies trying to make money and all of them battling for a piece of the pie. In any case... if there is any sign that HD-DVD's will be around for awhile and more releases are coming in support of it.. I just may have to buy the Add-On HD-DVD player for the 360.
BrokenFERN @ Aug 20th 2007 4:09PM
I got to say that this news hurts. This is a BIG BIG blow to Blu-Ray! This is not just Paramount either; it's Viacom! As in MTV VH1 bla bla bla… This will keep Universal from going neutral for a while longer.
I'm sure the 150 million payout played a big role... but just as big has to be fact that HD DVD prices continue to get lower and lower.
I am not a very happy Blu-Ray supporter today.
SonyPS3Sucks @ Aug 20th 2007 4:10PM
@39
Don't waste any time to buy a X360 HD DVD player. You can pick up one at WALMART for only $169.00 and you get KING KONG for free, and 5 FREE HD DVDs with a rebate coupon. So this is the best time to buy!!
MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Aug 20th 2007 4:13PM
@34 thats like saying if the UMD dies then the PSP what a nub but thats ok. since you sound like an 360 fantatic i havent found this out yet ever since i bought a 360, when the hell was DVD9 considered a HD fromat, why can i play HD games but i cant watch HD movies. WTF
Dahk @ Aug 20th 2007 4:19PM
Transformers was awesome. The sloppyness was looked over by the fact that they made them look so flippin awesome in the first place =).
@ Marasai? Solid Media? I could just be uneducated, but I have no idea what the heck that is - do you mean Solid STATE disks? That's gonna still be at least 5-10 years before the Terrabytes volumes start kicking in. Currently even the 64GBs are still massively expensive.
The thing that most people are saying will take over is online distribution. But really, I think this generation still likes to go with actual DISCS. Its just something we grew up handling with, and until this 20-30 year old generation hits like the 40s and 50s, I don't think we'll see much change. We like collections of physical things. And a harddrive collection won't do it for some of us - especially when the ideas start to collide with DRM.
And really, I don't understand your point Marasai. If the tables were turned, OF COURSE we'd be celebrating. That's a frickin no-brainer - what else do you think we'd be doing? Mourning for the HD-DVD folks?
But in any case, this deal does worry me a bit, because that IS a big blow no matter which way you spin it.
Ghaleon @ Aug 20th 2007 4:27PM
I hope this shuts up all the people who were HAPPY CHRISTMAS FORMAT WAR IS OVER like 10 months ago on the Blu-Ray side.
Regardless of which format you like, it was and is dumb to think this format war would be decided within mere months.
never$$hort @ Aug 20th 2007 4:54PM
Really sad that Paramount is selling out like this, as they are now totally anti-consumer and more falling into aiding and abetting the exact goal that Microsoft wants to achieve--stifling the optical disc market for Microsoft's own gain. Screw the consumer, let's make Microsoft potentially richer.
Nice. Great news finally for you HD DVD folk, but in the bigger picture of things, we all as consumers have lost on this day--we were one step from a unified format, and now we've taken a step backwards...not a good day for the HD market whatsoever
never$$hort @ Aug 20th 2007 4:59PM
Gates, at Microsoft, gets what he wants- PROLONGS the format war in order to get the digital distribution infrastructure off the ground.
jojo29 @ Aug 20th 2007 4:59PM
"No matter which wins, it is only delaying the inevitable. Solid media is on the way out, even sony knows it, and in 5 years everyone who bought either Hidef disc format is gonna be kicking themselves when it turns out to be as useless of lazerdisc and minidisk."
Sorry to disappont you there buddy, but physical media(PM), is here to stay..at least in my lifetime it is (im 25).
Why? Because the general population LOVES to have something in their hands PHYSICALLY to show for their money. The only media that is really pushing Digital Distrubution(DD), but ONLY because of piracy reall, it's so easy to rip CDs and put them onto your MP3 player, YET MILLIONS of people STILL go out and BUY CDs, why? computers crash, mp3 players break, and guess what? there goes your media. At least if hte player breaks im not asked out on my cd library.
Also, Movies still take too long and take up too much space to become mainstream. On top of that, no one likes some of the services where you cant 'take their movie' anywhere. With DD you CANT just go to a friends house and watch a movie. You cant 'trade' movies for a night with a buddy or any of that sort. Until then PM will rule ;)
never$$hort @ Aug 20th 2007 5:06PM
Is anyone else just disgusted by Microsoft's naked, shameless financial influence in this thing? That Hollywood is a greedy place should be obvious to all by now, if it wasn't already. The HD-DVD format can't win any other way than for Microsoft to PAY studios off to stay exclusive. And then they have the balls to claim the Blu-ray Disc camp is involved in antitrust violations. Wow.
I'll tell you, this doesn't change my opinion of the eventual outcome of the format war too much. HD-DVD is never going to win this thing. The best it can hope for at this rate, even with the paid involvment of Paramount and DreamWorks, is to stay in the game. But let's face it... if money has to be involved for HD-DVD to stay in the game, that says a lot right there. And while Paramount and DreamWorks will no doubt earn lots of scorn from the rest of the industry, and they'll each make a couple extra movies with Microsoft's money while their stockholders giggle with glee, eventually business realities will dictate that they'll change their tune again. Unless Microsoft pays them more money still. One wonders if Universal just got another paycheck too.
By the way, if anyone doubts that Microsoft's real reason for involving itself in all this is to slow the adoption of next-generation discs by confusing consumers with a continuing format war so their own Xbox Live service can continue to grow and dominate the movie and TV downloading market, you'd better think twice. Because you can bet that while they'll continue to play at supporting HD-DVD, lots of those brand, spanking new high-def transfers will end up on Xbox Live too and for a lot cheaper than the discs.
Enon777 @ Aug 20th 2007 5:14PM
I don't care...I have both. So, bring on the MADNESS!!! I'm ready!!!!!
GRANTED @ Aug 20th 2007 5:15PM
yeah transformers was terrible to everyone except dorks/gamers (thats us!). so, since only gamers are going to give a crap about transformers, and most of these demographic have already made a decision (xbox v. ps3/hddvd v. bluray), it doesn't matter. stop talking about transformers as if it makes a difference.
bourne, on the other hand, hurts a lot. i would actually own a blu-ray movie if these were available on the format.
never$$hort @ Aug 20th 2007 5:19PM
BioshockWarrior KNOWS ALL, past, present and future...
Everyone listen too and heed his great words of knowledge and wisdom: HD-DVD will win!!! (oozing with sarcasm)
*rolls eyes*
-anybody that has to pay to stay in the game will indefinately lose, hate to tell ya buddy, but you're wrong HD-DVD has just prolonged its death...
never$$hort @ Aug 20th 2007 5:25PM
@Knight Marquise:
You probably would of never guessed that I am format NEUTRAL, would you?? I am since I own the Toshiba HD-A20 and the PS3... I just want the format war to end like a MAJORITY of us and the Blu was THAT much closer until now. Hurting us the consumer sucks, and you should CARE about that no matter what format you support...
never$$hort @ Aug 20th 2007 5:39PM
So what Paramount and DreamWorks have just done, with Microsoft's financial urging, is to confuse consumers and retailers even more than they already are. The reality is, whether you like what they've done or not, you can't really blame Microsoft. All's fair in love and war... especially in a format war. Just like Sony, they want to keep their format going. But with Blu-ray Disc software since the start of the year outselling HD-DVD by a 2 or 3 to 1 margin, and with Blu-ray hardware sales pulling even with much cheaper HD-DVD hardware in recent weeks, the outcome of this thing was just starting to become clear to a lot of people. And aside from countering some of that momentum for Blu-ray, what this news today does is make the situation a lot more cloudy for consumers. All so that Paramount and DreamWorks can bank a few extras millions in the short term. But if this situation continues much longer, ALL of the studios will lose a lot more than that in the long term. High-def discs will do well within a tiny niche market of enthusiasts who can afford to buy two different pieces of hardware or combo players, but everyone else will shrug and stop caring. And that will be a terrible shame, because if that's the outcome, even the enthusiasts will ultimately lose.
never$$hort @ Aug 20th 2007 5:44PM
Who really wins in that situation? Certainly not consumers or retailers. Not the Hollywood studios. But anyone who's trying to sell their movie download service will be smiling all the way to the bank, you can bet on that.
You know what really disturbs me? The possibility of the situation getting even more muddy than it already is now. Here's how it could happen: Spurred by this Paramount and DreamWorks news, Fox and MGM will almost certainly get back into the Blu-ray Disc business fast and in a big way(they already have :http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/pressrelease_fox2007bluray.html). So the Blu-ray camp will come back with all guns blazing. And then there's this: I'd be shocked if Microsoft wasn't trying to use their money and influence (not to mention the momentum gained by the Paramount and DreamWorks move) to try and convince Warner (along with New Line and HBO) to go HD-DVD exclusive as well. So it's not inconceivable that we could find ourselves in a position in which Disney, MGM, Fox, Sony and Lionsgate are in one camp, and Universal, Paramount, DreamWorks and Warner (plus maybe New Line) are in the other. You know what that would mean? Quagmire. And disaster for the home video industry... and high-def movie fans everywhere.
You think it can't happen? You think the industry can't possibly be THAT shortsighted? Uh-huh. Would anyone other than Microsoft care to wager on that?