NonBorn
19-02-2008, 19:22
To χρονικό ενός "πολέμου"... Blu-Ray VS. HD-DVD!!
9th January 2007
Warner announces (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Warner/Total_Hi_Def/CES/CES:_Warner_Intros_Total_HD_First_Titles_Due_Secon d_Half_2007/430) 'Total HD' BluRay/HDDVD hybrid at CES 2007
"The Total Hi Def disc is about giving consumers complete choice, providing creators and artists the greatest possible distribution of their work, and helping retailers thrive in the marketplace,"
8th August 2007
HDDVD & BluRay Overtake VHS in Sales (http://www.videobusiness.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6460224)
'High-def has notched up another milestone, with combined Blu-ray and HD DVD disc sales overtaking VHS during the first half of 2007.That's according to a new research report from Video Business, which found that during the first six months of the year, consumers bought more Blu-ray and HD DVD discs than half inch videotapes for the first time in history.'
20th August 2007
Paramount/Dreamworks drop (http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2197032/paramount-turns-back-blu-ray) neutral stance and go HDDVD exclusive
"We believe that [HD-DVD] is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience: families..."
21st August 2007
Paramount/Dreamworks Cancel (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/High-Def_Retailing/Paramount/Paramount_Officially_Cancels_Blu-ray_SKUs/879) All Previously Announced Titles
'In a note to retailers, Paramount has officially canceled all previously-announced upcoming Blu-ray releases.'
21st August 2007
BluRay Supporting Companies Respond (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Blu-ray_Supporting_Companies_Respond_to_Paramount_HD_D VD_Announcement/877) to Paramount/Dreamworks Switch
'Three of the primary players in the Blu-ray camp issued a rare joint statement late Monday in response to Paramount's decision to drop support of Blu-ray. Sent via email to various news outlets, the statement includes quotes from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), as well as representatives of Blu-ray backing studios Disney and Fox. In its statement, the BDA expresses what can only be described as bewilderment at why Paramount and sister studio DreamWorks would choose to exclusively support HD DVD at a time when the sales gulf between the two formats seems to be so clearly in Blu-ray's favor.'
21st August 2007
Spielberg A Big Supporter (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Steven_Spielberg/Industry_Forecasts/Exclusive:_Spielberg_Big_Supporter_of_Blu-ray,_But_Future_High-Def_Releases_Uncertain/878) of BluRay
'Confirming mounting speculation, we've got exclusive word this morning that Steven Spielberg is indeed "a big supporter" of Blu-ray, and that the one-sentence "Spielberg carve out" in yesterday's Paramount/DreamWorks HD DVD announcement was designed to allow the legendary director to release future titles on Blu-ray.'
21st August 2007
Michael Bay (http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2299): No BluRay, No Transformers 2!
'Megabucks director Michael Bay, the man behind Paramount's summer blockbuster 'Transformers,' apparently isn't happy with the studio's new no-Blu-ray stance -- and he's making his beef public on the 'net. Paramount's major shift to HD DVD has led Bay to lash out at the studio for whom he just directed one of the biggest hits of the year. In a post on his personal web site, subtly titled "Paramount pisses me off!", Bay writes: "I want people to see my movies in the best formats possible. For them to deny people who have Blu-ray sucks! They were progressive by having two formats. No 'Transformers 2' for me!"'
22nd August 2007
Paramount's chief technology: Why we dumped (http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136253-c,dvdtechnology/article.html) BluRay
'With reports swirling that Paramount and sister studio DreamWorks received up to $150 million dollars in incentives to drop Blu-ray, Alan Bell, executive vice president and CTO for Paramount Pictures says there's more to his company's decision to dump Blu-ray than simply business dealings. In an interview in PC World Magazine, Bell said that after publishing titles on both formats, Paramount had found HD DVD to have more stable tech specs and leaner programming code than its high-def rival, advantages that the executive attributes directly to the format's outgrowth out of the DVD Forum.'
22nd August 2007
Paramount/Dreamworks paid (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technology/21disney.html) $150 million for HDDVD move
"But money talks: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD DVD, according to two Viacom executives with knowledge of the deal but who asked not to be identified." The incentives will come in a combination of cash and promotional guarantees. Toshiba, for instance, will use the release of “Shrek the Third” as part of an HD DVD marketing campaign.
24th August 2007
Warner's Hi-Def Guru Leaves Post (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/home_entertainment/video/e3ic5e5748d210215482fe5e2abfedf8b53)
'Coming only days after Paramount (the only other dual-format supporting studio) announced that it would back HD DVD exclusively, news of Nickerson's exit is already raising a few eyebrows, with speculation swirling that perhaps Warner is also considering changing its format-neutral stance. For the record, an article in Friday's Hollywood Reporter states that Nickerson is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities that will be announced shortly.'
24th August 2007
Warner Denies Move (http://www.videobusiness.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6471669) to HDDVD
'The rumors began earlier this week, after fellow dual-format supporter Paramount announced it would exclusively release its movies on HD DVD, but reached a fever pitch late Thursday, when Warner VP Steve Nickerson -- the studio's high-def point person, and the industry's cheerleader for dual-format support -- announced he would leave Warner.'
30th August 2007
Acer Joins (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070830005470&newsLang=en) BluRay Disk Association
'The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced today that Acer Inc. will become the newest member of the BDA, joining more than 170 of the world’s leading consumer electronic, computer companies and content providers. Acer is one of the three largest personal-computer brands in the world and the number one notebook brand in Europe. “We’re delighted to welcome Acer to the Blu-ray Disc Association,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman of the BDA’s Global Promotions Committee. “The addition of Acer provides one more sign of the growing momentum behind Blu-ray Disc and, more importantly, is a significant advantage for consumers, as it further expands the already broad options available to consumers in the personal computer space.”'
31st August 2007
BluRay Supporting Studios Respond (http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/9805/10829/blu-ray-partners-confirm-no-sweetner.phtml) to Pay Off Question
'Asked directly whether they'd accepted financial incentives in exchange for their Blu-ray support, four BDA studios denied any such thing, while one remained conspicuously mum.'
6th September 2007
Acer Joins HD DVD (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-06-2007/0004657942&EDATE=) Promotional Group
'When Acer announced last week that it had joined the Blu-ray Disc Association, it was widely assumed that the world's No. 4 PC vendor was now squarely in the Blu-ray corner. Today, however, in a just-issued press release, the notebook giant says it has officially joined the HD DVD Promotional Group, as well. The release goes on to remind that Acer is no stranger to the HD DVD camp, having already released a line of HD DVD-enabled notebook PCs here in the US.'
10th September 2007
DVD Forum Approves (http://www.screendigest.com/online_services/intelligence/video_and_dvd/updates/vi-060907-ec3/show) 51GB HD DVD
'First announced by Toshiba last January at CES, a 51GB HD DVD disc would up the format's current dual-layer maximum storage capacity by a cool 21GB, but more importantly, it would close the gap between HD DVD and Blu-ray. Blu-ray currently supports 50GB discs, which has been one of the primary tech advantages it holds over its rival.'
13th September 2007
Warner's hybrid BluRay/HDDVD disc 'On hold (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Total_HD/Warner/Industry_Trends/Warner:_HD_DVD/Blu-ray_Hybrid_Disc_On_Hold_For_Now/965)'
"We’re concerned that as the only one publishing on it, it would be hard to make it go. We’re still looking at, though. We’re still talking to retail, but it’s kind of on hold right now."
14th September 2007
Target Shelves in Favour of BluRay (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6478217.html) in Outlets
'Target is shifting the balance of its high-definition software merchandising toward Blu-ray Disc, now devoting twice the amount of display space to that format than it does to HD DVD in some or all of its stores. When the chain first launched a high-def section within its new release DVD wall last year, display space for Blu-ray and HD DVD discs was equal. At a number of Los Angeles stores, there were 12 designated title slots, aligned along two vertical rows, for each format.'
19th September 2007
Top Studio Execs Spar (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Paramount/Fox/Disney/Top_Studio_Execs_Spar_Over_Blu-ray,_HD_DVD/985) over HDDVD & Bluray Formats
'The high-def format war hit new heights yesterday as CEOs representing Disney, Fox, Paramount and Warner all weighed in on the ongoing battle for next-gen supremacy. Each of the execs made their comments during an investor conference in New York sponsored by Goldman Sachs, and if there was any doubt that the format war wasn't being discussed at the highest levels of these companies, it can be put to rest.'
25th September 2007
Home Theatre Specialists of America Choose (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Industry_Trends/Home_Theater_Group_Backs_Blu-ray/1004) BluRay
'The Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) formally announced Monday that it would make Blu-ray its exclusive format choice for high-def disc players. The $500 million buying group for A/V specialty dealers and installers is comprised of 63 home theater retailers, each boasting at least $5 million in annual sales.'
5th October 2007
Universal Japan Lists Spielberg Titles (http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?t=20480) for HDDVD
'The inclusion of several classic Steven Spielberg titles in an HD DVD presentation given by Universal Studios Japan got tongues wagging online Friday. A screenshot from the presentation, which includes mention of 'Jaws,' 'E.T.' and 'Jurassic Park' among other high-profile Universal titles began appearing online.'
8th October 2007
Spielberg Shuts Down (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=568) HDDVD Embrace Rumours
'Given the director's apparent preference for Blu-ray, and his previous denials of any immediate plans for HD DVD release of his titles, the image of Spielberg tiles on a page wrapped by the "Look and Sound of Perfect" graphics common to all of Universal's HD DVD discs was enough to whip fans into a near-frenzy on our own forums and elsewhere online. Today, however, in a statement to Blu-ray.com, Spielberg spokesperson Marvin Levy put the rumors to bed. "There are no plans to release these titles on HD DVD," said Levy. "It was a mistake and someone inadvertently put those titles into a presentation."'
23rd October 2007
Michael Bay: My Money's on Blu-ray (http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/dvd/2007-10-22-transformers-bay_N.htm)
"As a director, my critical eye is that Blu-ray is where my money is," explains Bay. Of the format war in general, he says "It's short-sighted and it has delayed consumers' moving to HD (home video)... Consumers are smart, and they are going to wait it out."
25th October 2007
HDDVD Backer Weinstein MIA - Speculation Mounts (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Weinstein_Co./HD_DVD_Backer_Weinstein_Goes_MIA_Speculation_Mount s/1105) 'With no releases or announcements from the Weinstein Company in over four months, speculation is mounting that there are changes afoot for the HD DVD exclusive distributor. We recently brought the question to the studio itself, asking a Weinstein spokesperson to comment on the ongoing rumors, but his response seems likely to only add fuel to fire. "We aren’t commenting on our High-Def plans at this time" was the only word back from the studio.'
30th October 2007
Warner Ponders Change (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=11449) in HD Strategy
'Taken together, a "commitment" to Blu-ray and re-evaluation of its dual-format policy would seem to suggest that if the studio did choose one format over the other, it would be Blu-ray, although it wasn't immediately clear whether that was the intent of Silverberg's remarks.'
31st October 2007
BluRay Profile 1.1 Officially renamed (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6495668.html) 'Bonus View'
'Hoping to ease consumer confusion over the release of Profile 1.1 Blu-ray hardware and software, the Blu-ray Disc Association has given the tech-sounding term a more newbie-friendly moniker.'
5th November 2007
Warner Says (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Warner_Says_Were_Still_Onboard_with_Both_Formats/1135) "Were still supporting both formats"
'Speaking to High-Def Digest, Jim Noonan of Warner Home Entertainment Group said, "I can tell you that Warner's position has not changed, and I know that Dan did not intend to suggest that wasn't the case. We support both formats and we have made no decision to alter that policy, nor are there any such announcements coming, or being planned."'
5th November 2007
Microsoft Denies (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Xbox_360/Microsoft/Microsoft_Denies_Xbox_HD_DVD_Rumors/1144) an Xbox360 HDDVD version
'Microsoft knew if we put in an HD DVD drive that we would have to raise costs and disenfranchise our customers (that are primarily gamers) as the unit would become too expensive'
9th November 2007
Sony CEO Sees Stalemate (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Sony/Industry_Forecasts/Sony_CEO_Downplays_Format_War_Sees_Stalemate/1160) in Format War
'Following months of posturing from execs on both sides of the format battle, Stringer's remarks were surprisingly frank, with the CEO describing a current "stalemate" between the Sony-backed Blu-ray format and its rival HD DVD, even pondering a possible loss. "We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides," Stringer said.'
14th November 2007
Warner Shelves TotalHD Hybrid Disc (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Total_HD/Industry_Trends/Warner_Shelves_Total_HD_Hybrid_Disc_Plans/1147) Plans "The short answer is, for the moment, it [Total HD] is on hold," explained Jim Noonan, SVP of Strategic Promotion and Communication for Warner Home Entertainment Group. "We're the only studio producing content in both formats. If we were to put out Total HD with just our titles, it wouldn't really provide the solution to our retail partners that it was intended to provide. If anything, at this point, it would further complicate their life, because there would be another product looking for shelf space. Our job is not to further complicate the lives of our retailers."
21st November 2007
Sony CEO Reaffirms (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie3ee16106869ea720bef9b3771c93cf1) BluRay Support
'Sony CEO Howard Stringer affirmed the company's support for and belief in Blu-ray Disc, saying in an exclusive e-mail interview Monday that the Sony-developed next-generation disc format has "the momentum and the scale" to ultimately triumph over rival HD DVD.'
5th December 2007
Michael Bay accuses (http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=595#top) HDDVD Microsoft of "Dirty Tricks"
"What you don't understand is corporate politics. Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about. That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu Ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth."
14th December 2007
XBox 360 HD DVD Player Sales Hit (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16640) 269 000
'Life-to-date sales of the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on hit 269,000 in November, representing a 3.4% attach rate to the 360 console itself. That's according to leading market researcher NPD Group, which released its November video game sales data late Thursday.'
17th December 2007
Playstation 3 Officially Goes (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/12/17/firmware-update-v210/) Profile 1.1
'As promised, the update brings the PS3’s Blu-ray drive up to Profile 1.1, which will enable it to play back discs encoded with "true" picture-in-picture functionality.'
20th December 2007
Previously HDDVD exclusive Digital Playground (Adult distributer) to go Dual Format (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Industry_Trends/Disc_Announcements/Digital_Playground_to_Release_First_Blu-ray_Title/1291)
'In explaining his company's move to dual-format support, Joone told CEPro that "A lot of people were emailing that bought a PlayStation and they were basically saying, 'When are you guys going to release Blu-ray?"'
21st December 2007
BluRay Site Hacked (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Hack_Attack:_Official_Blu-ray_Site_Redirects_to_HD_DVD_Site/1297) - Surfers Redirected to HDDVD site.'In a nasty turn of events Friday afternoon, the official Blu-ray Disc Association site was apparently hacked, redirecting visitors to the official HD DVD site.'
4th January 2008
Warner Goes BluRay Exclusive (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Breaking:_Warner_Goes_Blu-ray_Exclusive/1325)
“Warner Bros.’ move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want,” said Meyer. “The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.”
4th January 2008
Toshiba Surprised (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Toshiba/Toshiba_Surprised_By_Warner_Blu-ray_Announcement/1326) by Warner BluRay Announcement
'We will assess the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluate potential next steps. We remain firm in our belief that HD DVD is the format best suited to the wants and needs of the consumer.'4th January 2008
4th January 2008
Warner: No Pay Off (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Warner:_No_Payoff_for_Move_to_Blu-ray/1327) For Move to BluRay
"The packaged media business is a $42 billion dollar business worldwide at the retail level, and we [Warner] have the largest market share of anybody," said Tsujihara. "From our perspective, the most important piece of this whole puzzle is, "How do we get growth back into this category?" That far outweighed anything else."
4th January 2008
HDDVD Promo Group Cancels (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/CES_2008/HD_DVD_Promo_Group_Cancels_CES_Press_Conference/1331) CES Press Conference
'It was among the most highly anticipated press events of this year's Consumer Electronics Show, but following today's announcement from Warner Home Video, this Sunday's press conference from the HD DVD Promotions Group has been cancelled.'
8th January 2008
New Line Details Transition (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/home_entertainment/video/e3i3fd4ee13311f04022e54b3409b401b2e) to BluRay
And HBO Video president Henry McGee says HBO, too, is "following the same policy as Warner Home Video."
9th January 2008
HBO Confirms move (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=849) to BluRay Exclusivity
HBO Home Video president Henry McGee said today that the company will be "following the same policy as Warner Home Video" and will no longer release titles on HD DVD.
15th January 2008
Apple: Blu-ray Won the Format War
Jobs was asked about the format war and if he thought Apple had usurped both Blu-ray and HD DVD with their addition of HD movie rentals to iTunes. His response was, "Clearly, Blu-ray won, but in the new world order of instant online movie rentals, in HD, no one will care about what format is where."
16th January 2008
Wal-Mart (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2008/01/07/intv.blu.ray.rising.pope.cnn?iref=videosearch) will only sell Blu-Ray players in store according to CNN.
CNN is now reporting that Walmart will only sell Blu ray players in stores. This is coming stright from CNN a site acclaimed for credible news. See the video for proof.
22th January 2008
Warner extends HD DVD release delay (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Street_Date_Changes/Warner_Extends_HD_DVD_Release_Delay_to_Catalog_Tit les/1386)
Taking the next step in its transition to Blu-ray exclusivity, Warner has extended its three-week delay on HD DVD releases to include catalog titles.
This move comes only days after the studio announced similar plans for the HD DVD editions of its new release titles, starting with 'The Invasion' and 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.'
27th January 2008
National Geographic (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=909) Goes Blu-Ray Exclusive
National Geographic has confirmed that they will only be releasing high definition titles on the Blu-ray format. The decision to go format exclusive comes after Warner Brothers, the company which distributes their content, decided to go Blu-ray exclusive earlier this month. While no official press release will be issued on the subject by National Geographic, all future releases will fall under this new policy.
28th January 2008
Woolworths (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=897) to Support Blu-ray Exclusively After analyzing Christmastime sales data, UK retailer Woolworth's has decided to drop their in-store support for HD DVD, and will be featuring Blu-ray players and discs only beginning in March. Blu-ray titles held a sales advantage of 10-to-1 over its rival at Woolworth's 820 retail locations, and as the largest retailer of high definition discs in the UK, they are taking a stand against the format war.
28th January 2008
Netflix (http://www.thegamersthought.com/2008/02/netflix-waves-goodbye-to-hd-dvd.html) Waves Goodbye to HD DVD
Netflix - the largets online DVD rental service - announcing that they will now exclusively support Blu-ray stating that the movie industry has already chosen a winner in this high-def format battle.
28th January 2008
Sonic Scenarist (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=907) to be Exclusively Blu-ray
As we reported yesterday, Sonic Solutions has announced that their Professional Products Group will now focus its research and development on the creation of applications for Blu-ray authoring. Sonic will now work to create new tools to make use of BD-Live interactivity. Previously, Scenarist had support for HD DVD authoring as well, but will now cease sales of that product line.
29th January 2008
FS Film (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=906) Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
Another fallout of the Warner announcement, Finnish distributor FS Film will now support Blu-ray exclusively. They currently have distribution rights to titles from many different studios, but appear to focus most of their efforts on releasing Fox titles. Soon after Warner Brothers announced that they would support Blu-ray exclusively this summer, all HD DVD product listings on their website disappeared. It has now been confirmed that they have dropped the format in favor of Blu-ray.
15th February 2008
Digital Playground (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=12112) Switches to Blu
HD DVD has another defection on its hands, though it’s not making headlines on national cable news. Adult video producer Digital Playground had been releasing a majority of its high-def titles on HD DVD. However, it confirmed Feb. 15 that all future high-def titles would be on Blu-ray Disc.
9th January 2007
Warner announces (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Warner/Total_Hi_Def/CES/CES:_Warner_Intros_Total_HD_First_Titles_Due_Secon d_Half_2007/430) 'Total HD' BluRay/HDDVD hybrid at CES 2007
"The Total Hi Def disc is about giving consumers complete choice, providing creators and artists the greatest possible distribution of their work, and helping retailers thrive in the marketplace,"
8th August 2007
HDDVD & BluRay Overtake VHS in Sales (http://www.videobusiness.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6460224)
'High-def has notched up another milestone, with combined Blu-ray and HD DVD disc sales overtaking VHS during the first half of 2007.That's according to a new research report from Video Business, which found that during the first six months of the year, consumers bought more Blu-ray and HD DVD discs than half inch videotapes for the first time in history.'
20th August 2007
Paramount/Dreamworks drop (http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2197032/paramount-turns-back-blu-ray) neutral stance and go HDDVD exclusive
"We believe that [HD-DVD] is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience: families..."
21st August 2007
Paramount/Dreamworks Cancel (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/High-Def_Retailing/Paramount/Paramount_Officially_Cancels_Blu-ray_SKUs/879) All Previously Announced Titles
'In a note to retailers, Paramount has officially canceled all previously-announced upcoming Blu-ray releases.'
21st August 2007
BluRay Supporting Companies Respond (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Blu-ray_Supporting_Companies_Respond_to_Paramount_HD_D VD_Announcement/877) to Paramount/Dreamworks Switch
'Three of the primary players in the Blu-ray camp issued a rare joint statement late Monday in response to Paramount's decision to drop support of Blu-ray. Sent via email to various news outlets, the statement includes quotes from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), as well as representatives of Blu-ray backing studios Disney and Fox. In its statement, the BDA expresses what can only be described as bewilderment at why Paramount and sister studio DreamWorks would choose to exclusively support HD DVD at a time when the sales gulf between the two formats seems to be so clearly in Blu-ray's favor.'
21st August 2007
Spielberg A Big Supporter (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Steven_Spielberg/Industry_Forecasts/Exclusive:_Spielberg_Big_Supporter_of_Blu-ray,_But_Future_High-Def_Releases_Uncertain/878) of BluRay
'Confirming mounting speculation, we've got exclusive word this morning that Steven Spielberg is indeed "a big supporter" of Blu-ray, and that the one-sentence "Spielberg carve out" in yesterday's Paramount/DreamWorks HD DVD announcement was designed to allow the legendary director to release future titles on Blu-ray.'
21st August 2007
Michael Bay (http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2299): No BluRay, No Transformers 2!
'Megabucks director Michael Bay, the man behind Paramount's summer blockbuster 'Transformers,' apparently isn't happy with the studio's new no-Blu-ray stance -- and he's making his beef public on the 'net. Paramount's major shift to HD DVD has led Bay to lash out at the studio for whom he just directed one of the biggest hits of the year. In a post on his personal web site, subtly titled "Paramount pisses me off!", Bay writes: "I want people to see my movies in the best formats possible. For them to deny people who have Blu-ray sucks! They were progressive by having two formats. No 'Transformers 2' for me!"'
22nd August 2007
Paramount's chief technology: Why we dumped (http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136253-c,dvdtechnology/article.html) BluRay
'With reports swirling that Paramount and sister studio DreamWorks received up to $150 million dollars in incentives to drop Blu-ray, Alan Bell, executive vice president and CTO for Paramount Pictures says there's more to his company's decision to dump Blu-ray than simply business dealings. In an interview in PC World Magazine, Bell said that after publishing titles on both formats, Paramount had found HD DVD to have more stable tech specs and leaner programming code than its high-def rival, advantages that the executive attributes directly to the format's outgrowth out of the DVD Forum.'
22nd August 2007
Paramount/Dreamworks paid (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technology/21disney.html) $150 million for HDDVD move
"But money talks: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD DVD, according to two Viacom executives with knowledge of the deal but who asked not to be identified." The incentives will come in a combination of cash and promotional guarantees. Toshiba, for instance, will use the release of “Shrek the Third” as part of an HD DVD marketing campaign.
24th August 2007
Warner's Hi-Def Guru Leaves Post (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/home_entertainment/video/e3ic5e5748d210215482fe5e2abfedf8b53)
'Coming only days after Paramount (the only other dual-format supporting studio) announced that it would back HD DVD exclusively, news of Nickerson's exit is already raising a few eyebrows, with speculation swirling that perhaps Warner is also considering changing its format-neutral stance. For the record, an article in Friday's Hollywood Reporter states that Nickerson is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities that will be announced shortly.'
24th August 2007
Warner Denies Move (http://www.videobusiness.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA6471669) to HDDVD
'The rumors began earlier this week, after fellow dual-format supporter Paramount announced it would exclusively release its movies on HD DVD, but reached a fever pitch late Thursday, when Warner VP Steve Nickerson -- the studio's high-def point person, and the industry's cheerleader for dual-format support -- announced he would leave Warner.'
30th August 2007
Acer Joins (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070830005470&newsLang=en) BluRay Disk Association
'The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced today that Acer Inc. will become the newest member of the BDA, joining more than 170 of the world’s leading consumer electronic, computer companies and content providers. Acer is one of the three largest personal-computer brands in the world and the number one notebook brand in Europe. “We’re delighted to welcome Acer to the Blu-ray Disc Association,” said Victor Matsuda, chairman of the BDA’s Global Promotions Committee. “The addition of Acer provides one more sign of the growing momentum behind Blu-ray Disc and, more importantly, is a significant advantage for consumers, as it further expands the already broad options available to consumers in the personal computer space.”'
31st August 2007
BluRay Supporting Studios Respond (http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/9805/10829/blu-ray-partners-confirm-no-sweetner.phtml) to Pay Off Question
'Asked directly whether they'd accepted financial incentives in exchange for their Blu-ray support, four BDA studios denied any such thing, while one remained conspicuously mum.'
6th September 2007
Acer Joins HD DVD (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-06-2007/0004657942&EDATE=) Promotional Group
'When Acer announced last week that it had joined the Blu-ray Disc Association, it was widely assumed that the world's No. 4 PC vendor was now squarely in the Blu-ray corner. Today, however, in a just-issued press release, the notebook giant says it has officially joined the HD DVD Promotional Group, as well. The release goes on to remind that Acer is no stranger to the HD DVD camp, having already released a line of HD DVD-enabled notebook PCs here in the US.'
10th September 2007
DVD Forum Approves (http://www.screendigest.com/online_services/intelligence/video_and_dvd/updates/vi-060907-ec3/show) 51GB HD DVD
'First announced by Toshiba last January at CES, a 51GB HD DVD disc would up the format's current dual-layer maximum storage capacity by a cool 21GB, but more importantly, it would close the gap between HD DVD and Blu-ray. Blu-ray currently supports 50GB discs, which has been one of the primary tech advantages it holds over its rival.'
13th September 2007
Warner's hybrid BluRay/HDDVD disc 'On hold (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Total_HD/Warner/Industry_Trends/Warner:_HD_DVD/Blu-ray_Hybrid_Disc_On_Hold_For_Now/965)'
"We’re concerned that as the only one publishing on it, it would be hard to make it go. We’re still looking at, though. We’re still talking to retail, but it’s kind of on hold right now."
14th September 2007
Target Shelves in Favour of BluRay (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6478217.html) in Outlets
'Target is shifting the balance of its high-definition software merchandising toward Blu-ray Disc, now devoting twice the amount of display space to that format than it does to HD DVD in some or all of its stores. When the chain first launched a high-def section within its new release DVD wall last year, display space for Blu-ray and HD DVD discs was equal. At a number of Los Angeles stores, there were 12 designated title slots, aligned along two vertical rows, for each format.'
19th September 2007
Top Studio Execs Spar (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Paramount/Fox/Disney/Top_Studio_Execs_Spar_Over_Blu-ray,_HD_DVD/985) over HDDVD & Bluray Formats
'The high-def format war hit new heights yesterday as CEOs representing Disney, Fox, Paramount and Warner all weighed in on the ongoing battle for next-gen supremacy. Each of the execs made their comments during an investor conference in New York sponsored by Goldman Sachs, and if there was any doubt that the format war wasn't being discussed at the highest levels of these companies, it can be put to rest.'
25th September 2007
Home Theatre Specialists of America Choose (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Industry_Trends/Home_Theater_Group_Backs_Blu-ray/1004) BluRay
'The Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) formally announced Monday that it would make Blu-ray its exclusive format choice for high-def disc players. The $500 million buying group for A/V specialty dealers and installers is comprised of 63 home theater retailers, each boasting at least $5 million in annual sales.'
5th October 2007
Universal Japan Lists Spielberg Titles (http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?t=20480) for HDDVD
'The inclusion of several classic Steven Spielberg titles in an HD DVD presentation given by Universal Studios Japan got tongues wagging online Friday. A screenshot from the presentation, which includes mention of 'Jaws,' 'E.T.' and 'Jurassic Park' among other high-profile Universal titles began appearing online.'
8th October 2007
Spielberg Shuts Down (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=568) HDDVD Embrace Rumours
'Given the director's apparent preference for Blu-ray, and his previous denials of any immediate plans for HD DVD release of his titles, the image of Spielberg tiles on a page wrapped by the "Look and Sound of Perfect" graphics common to all of Universal's HD DVD discs was enough to whip fans into a near-frenzy on our own forums and elsewhere online. Today, however, in a statement to Blu-ray.com, Spielberg spokesperson Marvin Levy put the rumors to bed. "There are no plans to release these titles on HD DVD," said Levy. "It was a mistake and someone inadvertently put those titles into a presentation."'
23rd October 2007
Michael Bay: My Money's on Blu-ray (http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/dvd/2007-10-22-transformers-bay_N.htm)
"As a director, my critical eye is that Blu-ray is where my money is," explains Bay. Of the format war in general, he says "It's short-sighted and it has delayed consumers' moving to HD (home video)... Consumers are smart, and they are going to wait it out."
25th October 2007
HDDVD Backer Weinstein MIA - Speculation Mounts (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Weinstein_Co./HD_DVD_Backer_Weinstein_Goes_MIA_Speculation_Mount s/1105) 'With no releases or announcements from the Weinstein Company in over four months, speculation is mounting that there are changes afoot for the HD DVD exclusive distributor. We recently brought the question to the studio itself, asking a Weinstein spokesperson to comment on the ongoing rumors, but his response seems likely to only add fuel to fire. "We aren’t commenting on our High-Def plans at this time" was the only word back from the studio.'
30th October 2007
Warner Ponders Change (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=11449) in HD Strategy
'Taken together, a "commitment" to Blu-ray and re-evaluation of its dual-format policy would seem to suggest that if the studio did choose one format over the other, it would be Blu-ray, although it wasn't immediately clear whether that was the intent of Silverberg's remarks.'
31st October 2007
BluRay Profile 1.1 Officially renamed (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6495668.html) 'Bonus View'
'Hoping to ease consumer confusion over the release of Profile 1.1 Blu-ray hardware and software, the Blu-ray Disc Association has given the tech-sounding term a more newbie-friendly moniker.'
5th November 2007
Warner Says (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Warner_Says_Were_Still_Onboard_with_Both_Formats/1135) "Were still supporting both formats"
'Speaking to High-Def Digest, Jim Noonan of Warner Home Entertainment Group said, "I can tell you that Warner's position has not changed, and I know that Dan did not intend to suggest that wasn't the case. We support both formats and we have made no decision to alter that policy, nor are there any such announcements coming, or being planned."'
5th November 2007
Microsoft Denies (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Xbox_360/Microsoft/Microsoft_Denies_Xbox_HD_DVD_Rumors/1144) an Xbox360 HDDVD version
'Microsoft knew if we put in an HD DVD drive that we would have to raise costs and disenfranchise our customers (that are primarily gamers) as the unit would become too expensive'
9th November 2007
Sony CEO Sees Stalemate (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Sony/Industry_Forecasts/Sony_CEO_Downplays_Format_War_Sees_Stalemate/1160) in Format War
'Following months of posturing from execs on both sides of the format battle, Stringer's remarks were surprisingly frank, with the CEO describing a current "stalemate" between the Sony-backed Blu-ray format and its rival HD DVD, even pondering a possible loss. "We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides," Stringer said.'
14th November 2007
Warner Shelves TotalHD Hybrid Disc (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Total_HD/Industry_Trends/Warner_Shelves_Total_HD_Hybrid_Disc_Plans/1147) Plans "The short answer is, for the moment, it [Total HD] is on hold," explained Jim Noonan, SVP of Strategic Promotion and Communication for Warner Home Entertainment Group. "We're the only studio producing content in both formats. If we were to put out Total HD with just our titles, it wouldn't really provide the solution to our retail partners that it was intended to provide. If anything, at this point, it would further complicate their life, because there would be another product looking for shelf space. Our job is not to further complicate the lives of our retailers."
21st November 2007
Sony CEO Reaffirms (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie3ee16106869ea720bef9b3771c93cf1) BluRay Support
'Sony CEO Howard Stringer affirmed the company's support for and belief in Blu-ray Disc, saying in an exclusive e-mail interview Monday that the Sony-developed next-generation disc format has "the momentum and the scale" to ultimately triumph over rival HD DVD.'
5th December 2007
Michael Bay accuses (http://www.shootfortheedit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=595#top) HDDVD Microsoft of "Dirty Tricks"
"What you don't understand is corporate politics. Microsoft wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to digital downloads. That is the dirty secret no one is talking about. That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu Ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth."
14th December 2007
XBox 360 HD DVD Player Sales Hit (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16640) 269 000
'Life-to-date sales of the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on hit 269,000 in November, representing a 3.4% attach rate to the 360 console itself. That's according to leading market researcher NPD Group, which released its November video game sales data late Thursday.'
17th December 2007
Playstation 3 Officially Goes (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/12/17/firmware-update-v210/) Profile 1.1
'As promised, the update brings the PS3’s Blu-ray drive up to Profile 1.1, which will enable it to play back discs encoded with "true" picture-in-picture functionality.'
20th December 2007
Previously HDDVD exclusive Digital Playground (Adult distributer) to go Dual Format (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Industry_Trends/Disc_Announcements/Digital_Playground_to_Release_First_Blu-ray_Title/1291)
'In explaining his company's move to dual-format support, Joone told CEPro that "A lot of people were emailing that bought a PlayStation and they were basically saying, 'When are you guys going to release Blu-ray?"'
21st December 2007
BluRay Site Hacked (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Hack_Attack:_Official_Blu-ray_Site_Redirects_to_HD_DVD_Site/1297) - Surfers Redirected to HDDVD site.'In a nasty turn of events Friday afternoon, the official Blu-ray Disc Association site was apparently hacked, redirecting visitors to the official HD DVD site.'
4th January 2008
Warner Goes BluRay Exclusive (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Breaking:_Warner_Goes_Blu-ray_Exclusive/1325)
“Warner Bros.’ move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want,” said Meyer. “The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.”
4th January 2008
Toshiba Surprised (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Toshiba/Toshiba_Surprised_By_Warner_Blu-ray_Announcement/1326) by Warner BluRay Announcement
'We will assess the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluate potential next steps. We remain firm in our belief that HD DVD is the format best suited to the wants and needs of the consumer.'4th January 2008
4th January 2008
Warner: No Pay Off (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Warner:_No_Payoff_for_Move_to_Blu-ray/1327) For Move to BluRay
"The packaged media business is a $42 billion dollar business worldwide at the retail level, and we [Warner] have the largest market share of anybody," said Tsujihara. "From our perspective, the most important piece of this whole puzzle is, "How do we get growth back into this category?" That far outweighed anything else."
4th January 2008
HDDVD Promo Group Cancels (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/CES_2008/HD_DVD_Promo_Group_Cancels_CES_Press_Conference/1331) CES Press Conference
'It was among the most highly anticipated press events of this year's Consumer Electronics Show, but following today's announcement from Warner Home Video, this Sunday's press conference from the HD DVD Promotions Group has been cancelled.'
8th January 2008
New Line Details Transition (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/home_entertainment/video/e3i3fd4ee13311f04022e54b3409b401b2e) to BluRay
And HBO Video president Henry McGee says HBO, too, is "following the same policy as Warner Home Video."
9th January 2008
HBO Confirms move (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=849) to BluRay Exclusivity
HBO Home Video president Henry McGee said today that the company will be "following the same policy as Warner Home Video" and will no longer release titles on HD DVD.
15th January 2008
Apple: Blu-ray Won the Format War
Jobs was asked about the format war and if he thought Apple had usurped both Blu-ray and HD DVD with their addition of HD movie rentals to iTunes. His response was, "Clearly, Blu-ray won, but in the new world order of instant online movie rentals, in HD, no one will care about what format is where."
16th January 2008
Wal-Mart (http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2008/01/07/intv.blu.ray.rising.pope.cnn?iref=videosearch) will only sell Blu-Ray players in store according to CNN.
CNN is now reporting that Walmart will only sell Blu ray players in stores. This is coming stright from CNN a site acclaimed for credible news. See the video for proof.
22th January 2008
Warner extends HD DVD release delay (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Street_Date_Changes/Warner_Extends_HD_DVD_Release_Delay_to_Catalog_Tit les/1386)
Taking the next step in its transition to Blu-ray exclusivity, Warner has extended its three-week delay on HD DVD releases to include catalog titles.
This move comes only days after the studio announced similar plans for the HD DVD editions of its new release titles, starting with 'The Invasion' and 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.'
27th January 2008
National Geographic (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=909) Goes Blu-Ray Exclusive
National Geographic has confirmed that they will only be releasing high definition titles on the Blu-ray format. The decision to go format exclusive comes after Warner Brothers, the company which distributes their content, decided to go Blu-ray exclusive earlier this month. While no official press release will be issued on the subject by National Geographic, all future releases will fall under this new policy.
28th January 2008
Woolworths (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=897) to Support Blu-ray Exclusively After analyzing Christmastime sales data, UK retailer Woolworth's has decided to drop their in-store support for HD DVD, and will be featuring Blu-ray players and discs only beginning in March. Blu-ray titles held a sales advantage of 10-to-1 over its rival at Woolworth's 820 retail locations, and as the largest retailer of high definition discs in the UK, they are taking a stand against the format war.
28th January 2008
Netflix (http://www.thegamersthought.com/2008/02/netflix-waves-goodbye-to-hd-dvd.html) Waves Goodbye to HD DVD
Netflix - the largets online DVD rental service - announcing that they will now exclusively support Blu-ray stating that the movie industry has already chosen a winner in this high-def format battle.
28th January 2008
Sonic Scenarist (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=907) to be Exclusively Blu-ray
As we reported yesterday, Sonic Solutions has announced that their Professional Products Group will now focus its research and development on the creation of applications for Blu-ray authoring. Sonic will now work to create new tools to make use of BD-Live interactivity. Previously, Scenarist had support for HD DVD authoring as well, but will now cease sales of that product line.
29th January 2008
FS Film (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=906) Goes Blu-ray Exclusive
Another fallout of the Warner announcement, Finnish distributor FS Film will now support Blu-ray exclusively. They currently have distribution rights to titles from many different studios, but appear to focus most of their efforts on releasing Fox titles. Soon after Warner Brothers announced that they would support Blu-ray exclusively this summer, all HD DVD product listings on their website disappeared. It has now been confirmed that they have dropped the format in favor of Blu-ray.
15th February 2008
Digital Playground (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=12112) Switches to Blu
HD DVD has another defection on its hands, though it’s not making headlines on national cable news. Adult video producer Digital Playground had been releasing a majority of its high-def titles on HD DVD. However, it confirmed Feb. 15 that all future high-def titles would be on Blu-ray Disc.