Warner Bros goes Blu-Ray Exclusive

[patsu]

Kind of a strange clause if true.

Why would Paramount hinge a strategic business decision on what a rival studio would do?

There was/is a post in AVS that talked about this (by an insider, I was told). I can't find it but read a paraphrased version. It seems that the Paramount exclusive contract has 2 milestones/requirements. Both are unmet.

* Another major manufacturer joining HD DVD. That went to the drain because of the super low player price.

* Warner joining HD DVD exclusively by Q1 2008. That didn't materialize either.

If true, Paramount may not be bound by the contract anymore.


Remember, this is from a forum post.

 

[JardeL]

Btw , from High-Def Digest ;

New Line Details Transition to Blu-ray

Confirming earlier reports that it would follow Warner to Blu-ray exclusivity, New Line says its first HD DVD title ('Pan's Labryinth') will also be its last.

Though it was widely assumed that New Line (whose parent company is Time-Warner) would follow Warner Home Video's lead and continue to release on HD DVD through May 2008, a company rep tells us that New Line's move will go into immediate effect, with all of the studio's planned HD DVD releases now cancelled (including the HD DVD versions of current Blu-ray releases 'Hairspray' and 'Rush Hour 3,' which had previously been planned for HD DVD release sometime in early 2008).

As for 'Pan's Labryinth,' which hit stores late last year as the first (and only) New Line HD DVD release, the studio says that once current retail supplies are depleted, the title will be discontinued -- making it an instant collector's item.

New Line says it's not planning to issue an official press release trumpeting the move, ending its short-lived HD DVD support with a relative whimper.

 

[Mintmaster]

The problem with twin disks is that people can, and probably will, give away one of the disks and keep the other. Hence movie studios will be reluctant to release movies in that form. Combo DVD/BD disks are going to be the way forward.

I think think that's what he meant by twin discs. In HD-DVD terms, I believe the nomenclature is "combo disc" for discs that are DVD on one side and HD-DVD on the other, and "twin disc" when both types on the same side but different layer. As I noted previously, though, I agree with you that including two discs would never happen.

Hmmm... I tend to believe more and more secondary player will be portable digital player instead of DVD player (e.g., Video iPods, PSPs, portable WMPs). They don't need sophisticated network infrastructure. Who has the portable DVD player monthly sales number and install base number ?

I dunno, portable digital players aren't really made for movies. They need format conversion and you have to plan ahead, and I don't even know if it's legal unless you buy from iTunes. In any case, portable players are just part of the issue (I realize that I overemphasized it in my post). The point is that you can't watch the disc anywhere that there's already a DVD player - like other rooms, a friends' house, laptops, etc - and until that becomes BR as well, and secondary players have a much longer turnaround time. In 2008 we'll see over 100M laptops sold worldwide and 35M in the US, and chances are nearly all will have a DVD player.

It's a much bigger issue with DVD than with VHS because the latter didn't have the low cost and convenience that makes DVD so ubiquitous. As of right now, not only do you have to pay more for a BD/HD-DVD, but you can't even play it everywhere you want to. This is the sort of thing that holds back adoption.

As for combo disc/twin discs, I think the BDA guys said they will do twin discs if necessary. From their press conference, it sounds like these guys want to use interactivity to hit the mainstream consumers next.

The thing is that if they haven't determined it to be necessary yet, I don't see why they'd change their mind. Maybe they're just trying to get some cream from people who buy both versions, but that doesn't explain why there's virtually no indication that they'll make dual-format discs.

 

[Brad Grenz]

The problem with twin disks is that people can, and probably will, give away one of the disks and keep the other. Hence movie studios will be reluctant to release movies in that form. Combo DVD/BD disks are going to be the way forward.

Well, either maintaining DVD compatibility is indispensable to a household or it isn't. We can't on the one hand claim BD won't catch on if people have to buy their movies twice for secondary players and also claim the simplest solution will just result in people giving the extra DVD away.

 

[SPM]

Well, either maintaining DVD compatibility is indispensable to a household or it isn't. We can't on the one hand claim BD won't catch on if people have to buy their movies twice for secondary players and also claim the simplest solution will just result in people giving the extra DVD away.

I can't understand what you are saying here. I am not claiming either of the above. I am saying that if the studios all sold DVD/BD combo (single discs that will play on either DVD or BD players), instead of separate DVD and BD disks, then that would greatly help HD media adoption. Even if the media costs a little more, a lot of DVD only owners would be happy to pay the little extra to buy a disk that can be played in High Definition in future.

 

[Brad Grenz]

Right, but the same thing can be accomplished by packing in a DVD copy with the Blu-ray which is one proposed solution. The con people use against that approach is that the DVD copy could be sold or given away. My point is if that is a serious concern then a DVD compatible version isn't needed at all, otherwise people wouldn't want to give them away. They'd want to keep them for secondary use.

 

[SPM]

Right, but the same thing can be accomplished by packing in a DVD copy with the Blu-ray which is one proposed solution. The con people use against that approach is that the DVD copy could be sold or given away. My point is if that is a serious concern then a DVD compatible version isn't needed at all, otherwise people wouldn't want to give them away. They'd want to keep them for secondary use.

The idea is that movies on DVD wouldn't be sold at all in future. Instead all movies would be on DVD/BD combo disks which would retail at the same price as a DVD or BD movie does now. This assumes that the bulk of the price you pay for a movie is for the copyright royalties for the content, rather than the cost or producing the media. The film studios might even be willing to subsidise HD media costs compared to DVD to shift people to HD format because they believe it is more difficult to rip. If all media was on combo disk format, then people with DVD players who have most of their collections in DVD format would be have more incentive to buy a BD player so they can view their old libraries in high definition. At some future stage, when there are enough BD player owners around, the studios would release all movies in BD format only, and achieve what they believe is an completely unrippable movies (whether this is true or not in reality).

An alternative method of doing this is to enclose separate DVD and BD disks of the same movie in the movie box. The problem with this as I pointed out is that if I bought a movie with separate disks enclosed for $40, then if I had a BD player, I would probably sell the DVD disk enclosed to a friend with a DVD player for $20, or if I had a DVD player only, I would probably sell off the BD disk to a friend with a PS3. The result is that the film company makes one less sale than they might otherwise have done, which is why I doubt film companies will consider doing this.

 

[patsu]

HBO also went Blu-ray exclusive

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=11853

And HBO Video president Henry McGee says HBO, too, is “following the same policy as Warner Home Video.”

...

HBO has released season six of one of the most popular TV DVD sellers of all time, “The Sopranos,” on both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD.

Universal and Paramount will probably take some time _if_ they intend to go Blu-ray exclusive. Insiders in AVS cited "size + chain of command" and "negotiation process" as time consuming factors.

 

[Brad Grenz]

An alternative method of doing this is to enclose separate DVD and BD disks of the same movie in the movie box. The problem with this as I pointed out is that if I bought a movie with separate disks enclosed for $40, then if I had a BD player, I would probably sell the DVD disk enclosed to a friend with a DVD player for $20, or if I had a DVD player only, I would probably sell off the BD disk to a friend with a PS3. The result is that the film company makes one less sale than they might otherwise have done, which is why I doubt film companies will consider doing this.

Sigh.

This is what I was talking about all along. I'm saying that the fear of people giving away the DVD version that came packed in with the Blu-ray they bought is unfounded. This is based on the premise that studios started selling them together like this so that people will have a DVD to play on all their secondary DVD players (the car, bedrooms, etc), which is the commonly presented scenario. I think the disappearance of DVD only releases is unlikely. The combo disc or twin disc release really only comes into play if we're worried about people who don't want to buy a movie twice so they can play it in HD and on all their non-HD players.

 

[Mintmaster]

Right, but the same thing can be accomplished by packing in a DVD copy with the Blu-ray which is one proposed solution. The con people use against that approach is that the DVD copy could be sold or given away. My point is if that is a serious concern then a DVD compatible version isn't needed at all, otherwise people wouldn't want to give them away. They'd want to keep them for secondary use.

You're looking at it as too black and white. Some people only care about the BR version for their livingroom, and they will sell the DVD. Unless the studios actually charge almost the same price as buying them seperately, this will lose money for them. Even if only 20% don't need the DVD version, and even if they just give it to a friend instead of selling it, that'll translate to a huge loss in revenue.

Charging almost the same as the sum of both versions is a way to make it a non-issue, but now you're back to a deterrent of going HD.

 

[Brad Grenz]

Who buys loose DVDs? Having both versions will be of enough utility to anyone that I don't think it's a serious concern at all.

 

[SPM]

Who buys loose DVDs? Having both versions will be of enough utility to anyone that I don't think it's a serious concern at all.

The film and recording studios are a paranoid lot. There is absolutely no way they are going to give you an extra copy of movie content which can be re-sold or given away.

 

[patsu]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr...ent/video/e3ifc8eb49eb1418035ad39491dedca55fd

COLOGNE, Germany -- Constantin Film AG, one of Germany's top indie film producer/distributor is following the lead of Warner Bros., New Line and HBO in going all Blu-ray.

EDIT:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978760.html?categoryid=2112&cs=1

Daily Variety has confirmed that Universal's commitment to backing HD DVD exclusively has ended. And Paramount has an escape clause in its HD DVD contract allowing it to release pics on Blu-ray after Warner Bros.' decision to back that format exclusively.

I seems that Universal's HD DVD contract will expire (naturally) end of this month.

 

[Geo]

Nasty place to put a period on that one. Did Daily Variety "confirm" the Paramount part or not?

 

[wco81]

Just because they can doesn't mean Universal and Paramount will, at this point in time.

Universal has been fine supporting HD-DVD all this time. They didn't see like Warner that Blu-Ray releases were outselling HD-DVD releases.

Maybe come the fall and Christmas, as all the big summer movies release to home video and volumes go up, they will jump on Blu-Ray.

Especially if PS3 sales pick up at all.

 

[patsu]

Looks like they may renew the HD DVD contract. Don't know what they plan to do for Blu-ray yet.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/s...ends/Universal_Re-Affirms_HD_DVD_Support/1362

Graffeo's comments follow a report in yesterday's Variety that Universal's agreement to exclusively support HD DVD had ended and had not been renewed. The report went on to speculate that both Universal and Paramount could switch sides soon, ending the high-def format war instantly.

A Universal spokesperson told us this afternoon that the studio plans to issue new upcoming HD DVD title announcements in the near future.

The HD DVD Promotions Group is also said to be planning its own statement regarding the rumors of a Universal switch to format neutrality.

 

[patsu]

Blu-ray 85% vs HD DVD 15% week after Warner announcement

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/s...isc_Sales_Chart_Post-Warner_Announcement/1383


Btw, 3:10 to Yuma is a great movie