Paramount, Universal Go Blu-Ray

With the official announcement from Toshiba today that they are ending their development of HD DVD, word comes down that Paramount and Universal will publish films on Blu-Ray. This isn't a surprising move, considering that the landscape of the HD format war has completely tilted towards Blu-Ray. Universal had this to say:

"While Universal values the close partnership we have shared with Toshiba, it is time to turn our focus to releasing new and catalog titles on Blu-ray"

I guess very soon, Blu-Ray owners will be able to pick up that Transformers movie that they've always wanted.

Breaking: Universal Studios Goes Blu [High-Def Digest via Crunchgear]

HD Format War Is Over: Toshiba Throws In Towel

Well that's it kids!!!

Although no official word from Toshiba, a report on Japan's NHK said that Toshiba has decided to pull from the next generation of high definition DVD production. Obviously this doesn't come as a surprise to anyone following the HD format war. With the decision of Wal-Mart, Netflix, and Best Buy going exclusively to Blu-Ray this week, it was just a matter of time for Toshiba to end production on HD DVD.

The NHK report states that HD DVD products will stay on the market for a while, Toshiba will cease production of HD DVD and will close factories in northern Japan. The report says that Toshiba will take a financial hit in the ball park of "hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars". The official announcement is set to come sometime next week.

So if you find that HD DVD player you've alway wanted for the low low price you were looking for, there is a reason.

[NKH via Crave]

How HD DVD Was The Better Format

I don't usually care for long posts, but this subject just needs to be talked about. Brian Lam of Gizmodo just says it all about the HD format war. Just read below:

"Before winning the majority of Hollywood studio support, those partial to the Blu-ray format have primarily relied on a few points to make their case: more storage and rocketing sales at the ratio of 2:1 to HD DVD. Those are bullshit arguments. As consumers, we should have only been looking at what each format delivered and in that case, HD DVD was a more stable platform with more features on almost every disc that was offered in both. It's a moot point now, because the platform with more content deserves to win, but here's why I wish HD DVD wasn't on its knees:
When Wilson compared the same discs in each format, Harry Potter and 300, HD DVD had many, many more features. Proof is in the pudding:

The difference is still less subtle when comparing the two editions of 300:

Blu-ray could technically support a lot of that functionality, according to the spec, but the trick here is that most of the spec is not and still isn't mandatory. And even when all the Blu-ray players on the market are up to the final spec, whenever that may be, the majority of the original players will still not support extras, so why would anyone develop those extras? They won't. A stair-stepped rollout of what each player must have to be spec compliant has severely limited the Blu format, despite all that great storage capacity. And this might take a very long time to fix, if it ever does.
HD DVD, you were the people's format: R.I.P.

Why I Wished HD DVD Had Won: The Format That Loved Me [Gizmodo]

Universal Ends Exclusivity With HD DVD

The end is nie…

This sounds to be the case for HD DVD as Variety has confirmed that Universal will no longer support HD DVD exclusively. Universal and Paramount were the last two movie homes to support HD DVD exclusively, but that has changed since the announcement of Warner Bros. Blu-Ray only support. Paramount has a clause that will allow them to also push both formats, but some speculate that they will leave HD DVD completely.

Universal did say that they’re still committed to HD DVD, and in fact plan HD DVD promotions in the future. But Jesus Diaz from Gizmodo brings up an interesting point stating that retailers are not going to commit "premium shelf space to a dying format.”

If HD DVD starts to lose shelve space and begins to be pushed to the side, Universal might as well not make another HD DVD!

[Variety via Gizmodo]

Paramount Rumored To Go Blu-Ray Exclusively

Another devastating blow is rumored to be looming for HD DVD, as Financial Times is reporting Paramount has a clause in their HD DVD exclusivity that allows them to abandon ship if HD DVD tanks and Warner goes to Blu-Ray. Paramount is said to be ready to invoke that clause, in light of Warner’s defection.

In less than a week, HD DVD has gone from spunky underdog to heart attack victim on life support waiting to have the plug kicked out. If Paramount makes this switch, it would leave Universal and Dreamworks in the HD DVD camp. And with Dreamworks being a branch of Paramount, one would think that the change to Blu-Ray wouldn’t be to far behind.

Nite nite HD DVD. We hardly knew ye.

[Financial Times]

Warner Bros. Goes 100% Blu-Ray: HD DVD On The Ropes?

In what is sure to be a huge blow to the HD DVD camp, Warner Brothers has gone exclusively to Blu-Ray. Where once they were producing for both HD formats with movies like Harry Potter and 300, the WB will produce only for Blu-Ray. Check the quote from WB chairman Barry Meyer:

"The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger,"

Meyer seems to think that this will end the format war, but with movie homes like Paramount, DreamWorks and Universal still in the HD DVD camp, I don't think this thing is over. But it is disappointing because HD DVD titles seemed to have more features than their Blu-Ray counter parts. And this move would suggest that most movie homes are moving towards Blu-Ray. With the thought of Batman: The Dark Knight and the remaining Harry Potter movies only in Blu-Ray format, they might have made up my mind for me.

A big blow for sure!

Check the press release after the jump.

[Gizmodo]