Dreamworks and Paramount Choose HD-DVD

[Easy Rhino]

Two major movie studios, Dreamworks Animation SKG and Paramount Pictures said Monday that they will offer movies exclusively on the HD-DVD format rather than the competing Blu-Ray format. Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive of Dreamworks said the cost of HD-DVD players is dropping and may hit $199 by the end of this year making it more affordable for families. Experts still believe Blu-Ray is going to win the format war and that the decision by Paramount and Dreamworks is oddly timed. Despite being more expensive, Blu-Ray has outsold HD-DVD by a margin of 2 to 1 this year.

Source: LA Times

[newtekie1]

I don't see why companies would be exlusive to either side. It just sets yourself up for a fall when the side you pick dies out.

IF HD-DVD failes where does that leave Dreamworks and Paramount? It leaves them with a bunch of pissed off customers 5 years down the road who have a bunch of your movies that they can't watch because there are no more players available on the market.

At least if you produce both formats then the customer can only blame themselves for picking the one that died out.

IMO, the only logical thing for the movie companies to do is to produce movies on both formats and let the consumer decide which format wins.

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by newtekie1

IMO, the only logical thing for the movie companies to do is to produce movies on both formats and let the consumer decide which format wins.

yea but i believe it is much more expensive that way

[EastCoasthandle]

Yes, we were discussing it here as well. IMHO I think what plays a factor here is:
-Attach rate of HD is higher then BR
-Profile 1.1 for BR yet to be implemented.
-Lower priced HD players this holiday season
-If BDA has a 2:1 ratio over HD and have a 5:1 ratio of BDA players and PS3 then they actually have a 3:1 debt/gap in actual BR movies sitting on the shelf.

[newtekie1]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

yea but i believe it is much more expensive that way

The movie companies can afford it.

[Darknova]

Dreamworks is owned by Paramount so it doesn't surprise me that they'd go the same way Paramount did...but it's still a completely illogical choice.

Like newtekie said, they need to produce both so they don't get screwed over if HD fails. I mean if it doesn't then fine, but they will lose a lot more if HD fails, than if they pick both and one of the fails.

You never know, BR and HD may live side by side for years to come.

[Easy Rhino]

Originally Posted by newtekie1

The movie companies can afford it.

affording it has nothing to do with it. making the most possible profit does. so says the people who own stock in these companies.

[newtekie1]

Originally Posted by Easy Rhino

affording it has nothing to do with it. making the most possible profit does. so says the people who own stock in these companies.

And adding an entire new market to their customer base doesn't make them profit?

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by newtekie1

And adding an entire new market to their customer base doesn't make them profit?

HD has the better name too dont forget, to the uneducated, HD-DVD means high-def DVD. This goes well in their minds with HDTV.

'HDDVD for my HDTV! i'll take that!'

'Blue-ray? blue? what a gay name, i want HD, not blue whatever!'

[newtekie1]

Originally Posted by Mussels

HD has the better name too dont forget, to the uneducated, HD-DVD means high-def DVD. This goes well in their minds with HDTV.

'HDDVD for my HDTV! i'll take that!'

'Blue-ray? blue? what a gay name, i want HD, not blue whatever!'

It doesn't seem to matter with Blu-Ray outselling HD-DVD 2:1.

[jocksteeluk]

i think people are choosing Hd-dvd because they don't want to pay higher royalties to sony to use the Blu-ray technology, when it comes to a new format it wouldn't come which has the bigger capacity it will comedown to which is the most profitable and with the lower manufacturing cost and level or royalties which right now is Hd-dvd.

[Darknova]

Originally Posted by jocksteeluk

i think people are choosing Hd-dvd because they don't want to pay higher royalties to sony to use the Blu-ray technology, when it comes to a new format it wouldn't come which has the bigger capacity it will comedown to which is the most profitable and with the lower manufacturing cost and level or royalties which right now is Hd-dvd.

Not just that, but they can use existing factories to produce HD-DVD, as it's not that different from standard DVD format, where as BR is entirely different and requires an entirely new manufacturing process. DVD factories can just be adapated to produce HD-DVD instead, or as well as.

[Weer]

It all comes down to the price HD DVDs and HD DVD players.
Obviously Blue-Ray is better, but HD DVD is cheaper. Same with Beta-Max and VHS.

But now Sony has the PS3, and thats probably the reason why Blue-Ray is outselling HD DVD.

But you would have to be completely retarted to buy a Blue-Ray or HD DVD-only player.
Either buy the PS3 or a DUAL player that can play both Blue-Ray AND HD DVD.

[IcrushitI]

Originally Posted by jocksteeluk

i think people are choosing Hd-dvd because they don't want to pay higher royalties to sony to use the Blu-ray technology, when it comes to a new format it wouldn't come which has the bigger capacity it will comedown to which is the most profitable and with the lower manufacturing cost and level or royalties which right now is Hd-dvd.

You hit the nail right on the head its all about control and money, does it stay in North America or is an outsider going to control it. Enough said without going into Economics 101 and show you with examples of how the North American consumer has been ripped off for the last 10 years, with lower tech toys then the rest of the world.

[SkylinGTR26]

Originally Posted by Weer

It all comes down to the price HD DVDs and HD DVD players.
Obviously Blue-Ray is better, but HD DVD is cheaper. Same with Beta-Max and VHS.

But now Sony has the PS3, and thats probably the reason why Blue-Ray is outselling HD DVD.

But you would have to be completely retarted to buy a Blue-Ray or HD DVD-only player.
Either buy the PS3 or a DUAL player that can play both Blue-Ray AND HD DVD.

I second that

[yogurt_21]

It doesn't seem to matter with Blu-Ray outselling HD-DVD 2:1.

an really dumb point to be on right now as 99% of the market is still buying dvd's, so as for a choice of who's going to win, what happnes in 1% of the market matters little if at all, for all you know the blue ray sales are mostly by sony lovers buying simply for fanboyism, which the average consumer wont follow, as price and picture are really what matter to them.

[WarEagleAU]

The Dual Players dont allow you to play all the features of both discs...granted features arent why you buy the movie on sed disc, but its nice to have it for you to look at if you want to. This format thing is a bit retarded and with paramount and dreamworks, that makes 3 studios (2 really if you ask me) that backs Toshiba, along with MS and intel I think (HD DVD).


BluRay has every other studio and also has AMD I think and a bunch of others. What they should do is license the technology from Warner Brothers and produce both movies on one disc. That is the best idea to go with. Instead of being stubborn.

And a point, 5 years down the road if HD DVD or BluRAy doesnt make it, how can you be mad? Sure, you will have to buy another player (which should be about the same price as dvd players now) and then still can enjoy the movies you want to in the winning format? The old player and movies will still work the same, it doesnt stop working just because another format wins...

[Weer]

The DUAL players are the only answer.
We simply cannot have a situation where you are unable to buy a specific movie just because you have HD DVD and not Blue-Ray, or vise versa.

What usually happens is that one format backs down, just like Beta Max. But now Sony is stronger and they aren't going to go down. And HD DVD is cheaper so at least some companies will take it on.

Soon enough they will have the features, and by then they will be cheaper aswell.

[effmaster]

Interesting way to go HD-DVD take that Blu Ray and shove that hard pill down your UNWISE ASS throat I am an HD-DVD supporter and bought the HD-DVD of 300 to show support for it even though i dont have an HD-DVD player JUST YET I can still -play it on my standard dvd player since its a dual format disc lol I love showing support for a product whenever possible

Maybe now with Three exclusive movie companies on HD-DVD it will be more balanced and competitive because i think thats the number of companies that also EXCLUSIVELY make movies for Blu-Ray: Disney, MGM?, and Sony.
This format war just got alot more intense and i am feeling even more confident now in HD-DVD than i was prior to reading this article ALL HAIL HD-DVD ALL HAIL HD-DVD ALL HAIL HD-DVD ALL HAIL HD-DVD

However just one question how will this be affecting the current Blu-Ray movies offered by Paramount and Dreamworks will Mission Impossible III be discontinued or will they still support that movie and all the others and just not release any new titles for Blu-Ray ohhhh thinking makes my head hurt