Its simple.... In a single month....


Week One: Universal releases a box set of: Jurassic Park
Week Two: Paramount releases a box set of: Indiana Jones
Week Three: Warner releases all Harry Potter movies as single disc releases
Week Four: Paramount releases the: Star Trek Movies as single disc releases
Week Extra: Warner / New Line: The Lord Of The Rings Box Set



Of course many of us would have to sell our spouse to afford such a month :D

[Any movie franchise of greater than three movies should be released as a single disc release]

I'm running a 2 for 1 spouse special at this time.

If you act now, I'll throw in the mother in laws at no charge.

Call 1 800 see-yaho

That is one great month, but all it would probably take would be the entire Star Wars Trilogy released in one day to ultimately win the war.

Its simple.... In a single month....


Week One: Universal releases a box set of: Jurassic Park
Week Two: Paramount releases a box set of: Indiana Jones
Week Three: Warner releases all Harry Potter movies as single disc releases
Week Four: Paramount releases the: Star Trek Movies as single disc releases
Week Extra: Warner / New Line: The Lord Of The Rings Box Set



Of course many of us would have to sell our spouse to afford such a month :D

[Any movie franchise of greater than three movies should be released as a single disc release]

Warner & Paramount are both neutral studios though...Unless of course they decide to delay those proposed releases and give HD DVD time exclusivity like with the 3 (The) Matrix films and a few others.

I think it would be better (and just as effective) to make them a month apart instead of weekly to give people's wallets a chance to breathe.

For HD DVD to truly win the format war, they will have to continue to provide cheaper pricing on hardware and they must get some of the exclusive BD studios on board.

For HD DVD to truly win the format war, they will have to continue to provide cheaper pricing on hardware and they must get some of the exclusive BD studios on board.


For HD DVD to win the format war, they have to turn all those players they're selling into more disc sales, which so far they haven't been able to do. They also need to stop relying on free discs with players to sell players because the more discs they give away, the less discs they sell (per player buyer).

For HD DVD to truly win the format war, they will have to continue to provide cheaper pricing on hardware and they must get some of the exclusive BD studios on board.

Agreed. Content is king, but you can't play an HD DVD without an HD DVD player. Make it cheaper to buy into this game, and naturally you'll see more people wanting to buy in (those that have, or are planning to buy, an HD display, that is). Once enough people do, not much more will be needed to cause a mass defection of the BD-exclusive studios (and cause Sony massive defecation :D ).

Also, as long as Tosh and Onkyo (and whoever else jumps on board with the MS/Broadcom platform) keep making a point of how much better our current SD DVD collections will look with these players, people will probably be plenty busy re-watching those old favorites, not just the comparatively few HD titles. This will help ease the pain of there not being tens of thousands of HD titles to choose from.

Toshiba needs to see lower-end, non-HD/BD upconverting players as their competition as well (assuming they don't already). Maybe a promotion like, "Buy a top-rated upconverting DVD player for $100, get an HD DVD player for just $99 more!" ;)

What would it take?

A hostile takeover by Micosoft of Sony Pictures /Columbia Tri Star and immeadiate support for HD DVD by those studios and the phasing out of BD support.

Sony pictures is both a strength and weakness for Sony as a whole, just think about it MS would eliminate BD and Sony would have to PAY for the right to make games for the PS3 based on movies they had previously owned.

Dolla Bill could write a personal check and make this happen.

Warner going HD DVD exclusive would have a huge impact. Although I doubt they will. They enjoy having the best selling movies on High Definition, and imo that shows how truly pathetic high definition sales are. It takes two formats to break the 100,000 movie barrier (The Departed), it takes two formats to have the highest grossing title (Planet Earth). Warner is definitely loving this PR.

For HD DVD to win the format war, they have to turn all those players they're selling into more disc sales, which so far they haven't been able to do. They also need to stop relying on free discs with players to sell players because the more discs they give away, the less discs they sell (per player buyer).

I thought the disc attachment rate (or whatever it's called) was already much higher for HD DVD players. More players sold, more discs sold. It kinda takes care of itself.

To win the format war they must get the other studios on board, there are many titles available to be released by HD DVD studios, but MUST HAVE movies in the Sony Fox ( when they used to release any HiDef movies, that is) and MGM corner won't allow HD DVD to "win" unless some / all got on board. However, Blu ray could win very quickly if Universal went neutral. IMHO, however, I believe the "war" won't be settled one way or the other and studios will continue to release movies on the eventual "dead" format for years to come. This generation of DVD is still in its infancy.

I think the biggest problem for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, for this matter, is stores like Best Buy. considering there are many, many people who don't bargain shop online and only shop in B&M stores what good is a $200.00 player when it costs you 40.00 for a disc to use in it? these players could cost 50.00 but unless the software drops in price these things are just not going to move as fast as they like. if either of these 2 wanted to win this "war" they would price the discs at the exact same price point as there SD counterparts. people have grown accustomed to low prices and these discs just don't offer this in B&M stores.

For HD DVD to truly win the format war, they will have to continue to provide cheaper pricing on hardware and they must get some of the exclusive BD studios on board.

I have to agree. Suppling HD DVD players at the same price as the DVD up-converting players would be a no brainer for Joe6Pack. HD DVD is going down the right path to success. As HD DVD sales increase, Studio and CE companies will follow.

...Angelo

How much savings in production costs will the new Broadcomm chipsets give Toshiba, and thus consumers? I'm assuming this will be the new platform for at least some G3 players. Will we see Toshiba's low-end G3 player for the holliday season?

When it comes to stand-alone players, can Blu-ray catch up...?

They could put all those titles out and it still wouldnt matter IMO.. Average person will not go buy an HD DVD player and Re-buy all those movies in HD anytime soon.

Only people like me do things like that :)

Most average joe's love their upscale DVD players on their HDTV and could care less about dropping $20 - $30 on a disch they probably already own because their SD Disc looks good enough for them.

I would love those movies in HD but even if it did happen HD DVD still wouldnt win this war.

Not bashing HD DVD because I own the XA1 and love it.

Chris

+ Fox and Disney becomes Neutral!

I have to agree. Suppling HD DVD players at the same price as the DVD up-converting players would be a no brainer for Joe6Pack. HD DVD is going down the right path to success. As HD DVD sales increase, Studio and CE companies will follow.

...Angelo

As in almost all things, it is content and pricing that drive success. HD is a good value right now - good movies, good prices. BD can compete in the guise of the PS3 - you're getting a HD movie player and a good game console, albeit at a steep price comparatively, and you get some good movies (I prefer the current HD catalog to BR, but that's mere taste at this point). Personally, I think both formats survive, and we all have combo players in two years.

MEC2

They could put all those titles out and it still wouldnt matter IMO.. Average person will not go buy an HD DVD player and Re-buy all those movies in HD anytime soon.

You're right, I still have stuff in VHS that I never replaced with DVD. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Not that I've watched any of them in ages.

Which is why we need more NEW titles, day-and-date, not just old catalog releases. And please, I know some people love them, but enough with the combos already! I thought they were a cool idea when I bought a couple before I had an HD player (but knew I was going to get one sooner or later). Now I just look at them and think, "Why?!" :(

I know, I know, some of you are probably thinking, "But what do I play in the minivan on long trips? Won't I have to buy the DVD anyway?" That's what that new Alpine player is for! :D

They could put all those titles out and it still wouldnt matter IMO.. Average person will not go buy an HD DVD player and Re-buy all those movies in HD anytime soon.

Only people like me do things like that :)
You are not alone, my friend.

I just got my new A2 about 3 weeks ago, and have already replaced 8 of my old regular DVDs with HD DVDs. I intend to get no less than 20-25 more (as repelacements).

In addition, I also can see at least 12-15 new release HD DVD titles coming out this summer that I plan to buy. I suspect I'll be at 40-50 HD DVD titles by Labor Day (of which 1/2 or more will be standard DVD replacements). I'll still have another 150 or so standard DVDs as well.

Once you've seen HD DVD, you can't go back :) .......although........the A2 (and X2) do a terrific upconverting job on standard DVDs too.

With exclusives studios on both sides and HD-DVD cheaper and Sony support for PS3, neither side will win!

Only way I see one side winning is studio support for both sides then consumers will decide in this case or Tosh "giving up" on HD-DVD (higher pricing) as I don't see Sony giving up on PS3 as it is a game system also.

[...]I don't see Sony giving up on PS3 as it is a game system also.

Exactly. I know this isn't the point you're trying to make, but think about it: if Blu-ray Disc as a movie distribution format were to disappear tomorrow, Sony would still make money on the PS3 as a gaming system (in console sales and licensing fees for games, accessories and all that). And BD would probably still do well as a data storage format thanks to it's increased capacity (at least until holographic becomes competetive, which will probably be long enough to make a decent ROI). BD is more than just about movies.

The PS2 did not do well because it was a great DVD player (it was a sh*tty DVD player, it didn't even come with a remote, that was extra). Who doubts that the majority of people who shelled out for a PS3 most likely did so primarily because they wanted a sh*t hot gaming system, not just because it plays hi-def movies. For those that did buy it primarily to watch movies, they were probably thinking that if the BD movie format tanked then at least they could always use it to play games (or sell it to someone who would). Can't do that with a stand-alone BD player.

So in reality, the PS3 represents a hedged bet for both Sony and consumers.

And if people did buy a PS3 to watch movies because it was cheaper than a stand-alone BD player, well that just validates Toshiba's strategy, now, doesn't it.

In contrast, HD DVD is all about movies. So tell me, what's left for Toshiba if they were to just suddenly give up on HD DVD as a video format?

It comes down to this: who's hungrier?

Then again, I could be full of sh*t. Hey, ya think the BDA PR division is hiring? :D

Exactly. I know this isn't the point you're trying to make, but think about it: if Blu-ray Disc as a movie distribution format were to disappear tomorrow, Sony would still make money on the PS3 as a gaming system (in console sales and licensing fees for games, accessories and all that). And BD would probably still do well as a data storage format thanks to it's increased capacity (at least until holographic becomes competetive, which will probably be long enough to make a decent ROI). BD is more than just about movies.

The PS2 did not do well because it was a great DVD player (it was a sh*tty DVD player, it didn't even come with a remote, that was extra). Who doubts that the majority of people who shelled out for a PS3 most likely did so primarily because they wanted a sh*t hot gaming system, not just because it plays hi-def movies. For those that did buy it primarily to watch movies, they were probably thinking that if the BD movie format tanked then at least they could always use it to play games (or sell it to someone who would). Can't do that with a stand-alone BD player.

So in reality, the PS3 represents a hedged bet for both Sony and consumers.

And if people did buy a PS3 to watch movies because it was cheaper than a stand-alone BD player, well that just validates Toshiba's strategy, now, doesn't it.
That's pretty much the logic I used when I bought my PS3. :)

To get close to ending the war, HD DVD may want to include the following:

1) Make the 45G disc standard - BD's capacity will be insignificant
2) Include lossless audio - with a 45G disc, space shouldn't be a problem
3) Give the transfers a higher bitrate - just to satisfy those who like to compare specs

This should pretty much end any advantage that BD may have.

jer

1. Release every HD DVD as Combo and drop the price to SD DVD price.
2. Drop the player's price to sub $150.
3. With purchase of every HD DVD Player offer either a HDMI 1.3 cable or 2 free HD DVD of our choice. :)

All HD DVD needs to do to “win” is to keep doing what they’re doing; selling players. The 360 add-on and HD-A2 are already in the impulse buy price range. If Joe-6-Pack is going to buy an HDM player for his $600 Westinghouse LCD he isn’t going to buy a $600 player; he simply can’t sell Jane-6-Pack on spending as much for a player as they did on their TV. $200 or $300 (particularly if that price includes some free movies) is a much easier sell. I know this because I am J6P and the only way I sold my wife on the purchase was because we needed a new DVD player and the 360 add-on was in the same price range as a good upconverting DVD player.

For HD DVD to truly win the format war, they will have to continue to provide cheaper pricing on hardware and they must get some of the exclusive BD studios on board.

They have done a great job with their hardware cost and customer promo's, all we need now are the titles and release dates :)

Also the average Joe might spend $200 on and HD DVD player but the problem is if they go to somewhere like CC or Best Buy and the sales guys are telling him he has to buy the monster HDMI cable for $120 so it will work will probably kill the deal. I have seen this happen a few times a CC

I pulled the one guy aside and explained that any HDMI will work and doesnt need the $120 but still wasnt sure and didnt buy it.

Chris

1) Make the 45G disc standard - BD's capacity will be insignificant
Size matters not--er, <cough>, what I mean is, you don't need bigger discs if the encodes keep getting more efficient. Look at what's been done with only 15 Gigs.
2) Include lossless audio - with a 45G disc, space shouldn't be a problem
Ahem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_TrueHD :
Dolby TrueHD, from Dolby Laboratories, is an advanced lossless multi-channel audio codec[...]Dolby TrueHD uses Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP)[...]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meridian_Lossless_Packing :
Meridian Lossless Packing is a proprietary lossless compression technique for compressing PCM audio data developed by Meridian Audio, Ltd.[...]It is also known as Packed PCM (PPCM) and with the next generation of DVDs will be known as Dolby TrueHD, adding higher sample rates, higher bit rates, 8 full-range channels, extensive metadata, custom speaker placements (as specified by SMPTE), and timecode.
I'd go into DTS-HD Master Audio, but I'm lazy. :p

3) Give the transfers a higher bitrate - just to satisfy those who like to compare specs
I agree with the first part of this, but not just for the specs (J6P probably wont care). None of this separate Superbit Edition stuff this time around.

Toshiba seems to be doing just fine. It's the studios I wish would step up (Dolby TrueHD standard! DTS-HD MA included as well on at least some North American titles! etc.).

Plano's Best Buy has HD DVDs on an end cap. Seems to be a good sign.

It's an often-repeated idea that if the "big names" were released it would win the war. I don't think I agree. Matrix and Pirates were pretty big releases, both backed by aggressive marketing, and they didn't seem to have a big impact. I think there's only one thing that will win the format war now, and that's patience. HD-DVD just has to keep delivering excellent quality at better prices, keep marketing and educating the public, and just be patient and wait for them to catch on.

Of course, patience is a hard thing to ask for from many members of this forum. :)

engadget HD has reported HD DVD A2 is the best selling so far, see this report http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/06/11/hd-dvd-player-sales-reach-all-time-high/

Software equal to or below the price of current DVD would HELP HD-DVD win the war moreso than release the movies the OP posted - especially since most of those aren't exclusive.

Releasing new movies (ones in theaters recently) before the DVD release would also spur sales and help either format win.