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  • Warner backs bluray, drops HD DVD support

    Ruh-oh!



    Breaking: Warner Goes Blu-ray Exclusive

    It's official: Warner has announced it will drop its support of the HD DVD format, and will begin releasing its next-gen titles on Blu-ray exclusively.

    The complete press release from Warner follows below. Watch for more developments in this breaking story soon.

    (January 4, 2008 – Burbank, CA) – In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

    “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.”

    Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.

    “Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices,” said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. “Today’s decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner.”

    “A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry,” said Tsujihara. “Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future.”


    Bluray looks like it's about to win, for better or for worse. At least they're almost at feature parity with HD DVD, so the competition did its job.
    "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
    Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

  • #2
    I have heard rumors that apple is going blue-ray also.

    JM
    Jon Miller-
    I AM.CANADIAN
    GENERATION 35: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Jon Miller
      I have heard rumors that apple is going blue-ray also.

      JM
      That's not a rumour, Apple has been on the Bluray committee for many years.

      Bluray has much more extensive DRM than HD DVD. Companies like Disney, Apple, and Fox clamour over such "features".
      "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
      Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

      Comment


      • #4
        But Apple doesn't really support DRM, it's forced to implement it by teh evil content publishers [/Aggie]
        THEY!!111 OMG WTF LOL LET DA NOMADS AND TEH S3D3NTARY PEOPLA BOTH MAEK BITER AXP3REINCES
        AND TEH GRAAT SINS OF THERE [DOCTRINAL] INOVATIONS BQU3ATH3D SMAL
        AND!!1!11!!! LOL JUST IN CAES A DISPUTANT CALS U 2 DISPUT3 ABOUT THEYRE CLAMES
        DO NOT THAN DISPUT3 ON THEM 3XCAPT BY WAY OF AN 3XTARNAL DISPUTA!!!!11!! WTF

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        • #5
          I have stand alones for both, having just purchased a panasonic bd30, have a toshiba a3, even split of about 20 on each. HDDvd has a much better movie selection as of today, for my interests, but glad I have both formats, no regrets. Very glad I didn't buy a tv series on hddvd, though.

          Hopefully the buy one get ones don't go away for a while, I was hoping for the war to continue for another year to give me killer deals. competing only against dvds, I think they won't be so good.

          biggest downside of blu ray for me is the continual upgrading of the hardware. Profile 1, 1.1, 2, where does it end? I would like an ethernet port at least on mine for firmware updates. Oh well, guess I'll retire this one to the bedroom in a couple years anyway.

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          • #6
            Well I'm glad that this useless, wasteful and confusing format war seems to be coming to a close. Though I'm sad that the DRM encrusted format is the winner, as LS points out DRM is teh Evil!!!
            Companions the creator seeks, not corpses, not herds and believers. Fellow creators, the creator seeks - those who write new values on new tablets. Companions the creator seeks, and fellow harvesters; for everything about him is ripe for the harvest. - Thus spoke Zarathustra, Fredrick Nietzsche

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            • #7
              PS3 sales to increase?
              I make no bones about my moral support for [terrorist] organizations. - chegitz guevara
              For those who aspire to live in a high cost, high tax, big government place, our nation and the world offers plenty of options. Vermont, Canada and Venezuela all offer you the opportunity to live in the socialist, big government paradise you long for. –Senator Rubio

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              • #8
                The HD DVD group has cancelled it's scheduled Sunday night CES press conference due to this announcement. Seems like they're scrambling.
                "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by DinoDoc
                  PS3 sales to increase?
                  I don't think so?

                  There's dedicated Bluray players for the same price. I don't see this impacting that much.
                  "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                  Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Someone needs to decisively win soon. I want to buy one, but I'm not going to buy both.
                    "The French caused the war [Persian Gulf war, 1991]" - Ned
                    "you people who bash Bush have no appreciation for one of the great presidents in our history." - Ned
                    "I wish I had gay sex in the boy scouts" - Dissident

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                    • #11
                      Yes, but can those dedicated Bluray players play GTA4?
                      “As a lifelong member of the Columbia Business School community, I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
                      "Capitalism ho!"

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by DaShi
                        Yes, but can those dedicated Bluray players play GTA4?
                        No, but if you really want to play GTA4, the 360 is the only console with all of the GTA4 content. And if you really want to play GTA4, I'm not sure why Bluray movies make you want to buy the PS3.
                        "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                        Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Kontiki
                          Someone needs to decisively win soon. I want to buy one, but I'm not going to buy both.
                          "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                          Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Asher

                            No, but if you really want to play GTA4, the 360 is the only console with all of the GTA4 content. And if you really want to play GTA4, I'm not sure why Bluray movies make you want to buy the PS3.
                            What if I wanted to play GTA4 and then watch a Bluray DVD?
                            “As a lifelong member of the Columbia Business School community, I adhere to the principles of truth, integrity, and respect. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
                            "Capitalism ho!"

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by DaShi


                              What if I wanted to play GTA4 and then watch a Bluray DVD?
                              Impossible, there are no Bluray DVDs.

                              And if you were such a person, the PS3 was already the option for you. Thus, no change?
                              "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                              Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

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