If Warner goes HD-DVD exclusive, is it over for BD?

I'm not exactly sure it would hurt BD in the short term, as Warner has been slow to release titles on BD as it is. In the long term, most likely yes.

If HD DVD were to gain another major exclusive studio, their hardware price advantage will take over.

Until now, it's been a relative stalemate: HD DVD in one corner with low hardware prices and 1 exclusive major studio (Universal); BD in the other corner with 3 exclusive major studios (Disney, Fox, Sony), but with Fox and Disney releasing very few actual titles.

Now, the field is tilted slightly toward HD DVD, with two exclusives & price against BDs three exclusives; Fox announcing a ramped-up release schedule for Q4 has kept it a fairly close horse race.

Warner could tip the scales either way.

Disney or Fox could tip the scales towards HD VERY quickly with a neutrality move.

The BDA could move the needle back in their direction with some low-cost hardware (but at the expense of their current CE mfg supporters).

Wal-Mart, however, holds all the cards. At this point, if they were to back one format or the other, the game would be over.

You are right. It would be game over no matter how you slice it.

Howard Stringer would no longer be the CEO of Sony in 2 quarters and we will no longer hear outragous speeches from Andy Parsons.

Remember Warner was HD DVD exclusive before launch. Warner can end it RIGHT now if they choose.

Anyone else think maybe the studios got together & said "scew Sony with their royalties & disc prices.........heck they're a competing sutdio" = they just flat out decided to put a stop to this themselves?

It's just a thought, much along the lines that maybe they got a hint from Wallys & figured it behooved them to re-think.

The non-videophiles that I know are waiting it out for a decisive winner. Even at sub-$300 hardware prices, they are not interested in investing in hardware or software if there is the chance that it will not be around in the next few years. So, even if Warner went HD-DVD exclusive, they'd still sit it out until there was a winner, or prices got insanely cheap, i.e sub-$200 hardware and DVD-priced software with first week discounts at B&M retailers, etc.

Yes, there is no question in my mind.

I though this before the Paramount deal.

Blu-ray would not "die" in the sense that PS3 would keep going, but HD DVD would gain major support from all angles.

If that happened, then Sony/Matsushita/etc. would just turn around and pay Disney and 20th Century Fox similar amounts that Paramount got from Toshiba.

And then guess what. We're right back at square one. If HD-DVD is not going anywhere, neither is Blu-Ray.

I think the "dream" of one format devouring the other one is just about dead. We'll have to accept both and wait for dual-format readers to become the majority.

The price thing is overestimated too. There's a limit to how many people will spend even $200 on a player when it doesn't play all the movies they want on it and it might be obsolete a few years down the line.

I think so, the only thing keeping Blu Ray afloat right now is the ps3 and their promise of greater studio support. Once they lose the studio support card it will be even harder for them to entice standalone users who are already buying into hd-dvd more.

Why not? How about a good compromise. Sony uses the supierior coating/disc tech and Toshiba/MS can get the hardware.

That way we can have 50gig higher bandwidth discs with the hddvd software.

This is a good point that I also raised in the past. Sony is not only a CE manufacturer, but they are also the owners of several studios exclusively aligned with Blu-ray. Is this not a conflict of interest? Is the European Union seeing something that we are not here in North America?

If BD keeps Sony, Fox and Disney, there is no way HDDVD will win, even with Warner. However, it means noone will win (which I believe is the case now with Paramount going HDDVD exclusive).

HDM is going to be a niche format, unless Paramount changes their mind in 18 months.

Warner is already partially HD DVD exclusive. Once they announce that they are joining Universal, Paramount and DreamWorks in being fully HD DVD exclusive, it will be the beginning of the end for Blu-ray. Fox and Disney would be stupid to remain BD exclusive and will become neutral without a doubt.

You guys crack me up. Do you mean Warner isn't hd exclusive now??? LOL


They have been shafting BR from the start, and 300 was already released. Warner going exclusive would have little effect on "ending it quickly" You guys are dreaming.

If HD DVD can keep the boat afloat with only Uni, do you honestly think BR can't with Fox and Disney?

Blu Ray is already very close to being a high def version of UMD, no Warner would confirm it's place as a niche film format for PS3 players.

Heh, your sig looks just like rdjams. You must drink the same kool-aid, as well.

Unless MSFT has $150 more million to bribe GE with, they'll never allow Warner to go exclusive.

If WB goes HD-DVD exclusive, it means total stalemate in my mind for the next couple years.

/agree We may already be there.

It means dual format players HAVE to come out cheap, or SD DVD will win for the next 10 years.

There was a good chance for HDM to take off. Not now.

So Sony failing to force their inferior format on the masses is a bad thing?

HD-DVD's had a boost, but come on reality check, these threads are getting out of control.

HD-DVD is LOSING the format war, FOX has just announced a staggering line-up of titles, Disney has announced POTC 3 and big hitters from Pixar, Sony have the Spiderman Trilogy line-up..................

You guys also need to realise HD-DVD is effectively dead outside of the US!

Calm down, Jees!

If the studios are in a stalemate, then price will be the determining factor. Also, if one side would happen to keep chaning profiles making older players obsolete for various funtions, that would help (the other side) too.

So, who has the lower price and who has the more stable platform (one that is not scheduled to change every six months)?

HD-DVD is losing? Really?

There must be MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE regarding this post.

Warner is not going HD DVD exclusive. They are staying neutral.

Without the agreement of Time Warner neither Warner Bros., HBO nor New Line can go HD DVD exclusive.

HD DVD wasn't dead with Universal being the last to hold on.


But now Sony, Fox and Disney, without WB would be a dieing format?


Give me a break.

Everyone who thinks a Warner that is HD DVD only would be no skin, is completely leaving out the advantage of HD DVD's low price of entry.

They are also leaving out the fact that Disney likes $, and Disney has a habit of saying one thing but ultimately following the coin. Disney wouldn't go HD DVD exclusive, but they would go neutral so fast your tiara would spin.

Of course it is, you could say HD-DVD IS dead in most markets outside of the US.

Cheap HD-DVD players failed to make a dent on Blu-rays software sales lead, why should Paramount going exclusive, especially with Fox returning and BD studios upping their output?

I simply cannot see how HD-DVD can stop Blu-ray increasing it's software lead to a solid 3-1 through Q4 and into 2008.

Get back to me when the sales figures are in.

Hey, it could happen.

[quote=JAG1977;11372150]HD-DVD's had a boost, but come on reality check, these threads are getting out of control.

HD-DVD is LOSING the format war, FOX has just announced a staggering line-up of titles, Disney has announced POTC 3 and big hitters from Pixar, Sony have the Spiderman Trilogy line-up..................

You guys also need to realise HD-DVD is effectively dead outside of the US!

Calm down, Jees![/QUOTE

Have to give ya credit, your one of the few Blu folks that is holding their ground. Though I think you are completely wrong with your logic.

LOL inferior... spec wise HD DVD is inferior.. media wise.. where's my : It cost less to produce.. then why the media are the same price (combo are more but it doesn't count). I mean yeah, the HD DVD spec are complete and work, but Toshiba doesn't seem to know how to make consistent player playback with 1 hardware manifacturer.

On PC, Bluray destroy HD DVD... why.. because there's no HD DVD Writer on the market, there's HD DVD-R SL media for 9$ and BR Media SL for 10$ (10 more gig). And both dropping

Japan market for HDM is low.. but HD DVD is non existant in that country, it's ruled by BR since they don't have cheap players, the PS3 is the cheapest of both ....

People are gonna be fuc*** up this Xmas.. they'll see : POTC3, Spiderman, Ratatouille, Cars, Die Hard, The Simpsons (theorically i mean) on BluRay and on HD DVD , Shrek 3, TF and Bourne...