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What if the remaining HD-DVD studios did this?

30306 Views 463 Replies 140 Participants Last post by Newbie, Feb 15, 2008

bdshort

Discussion Starter · Jan 15, 2008

In a last ditch effort to save HD-DVD, lets say the 3 remaining HD studios decide to stop releasing new titles in the plain DVD format, and instead start releasing everything in a combo format, with Toshiba or whoever subsidizing the additional cost. Could HD-DVD grab a new foothold?

BTW I wouldn't have even considered asking this but a couple of comments I've read over in the thread at HTF have me thinking this is an actual possibility. I'm a BD supporter who was pretty happy to see Warner go to BD, but a movie like this would certainly make me spend the small amount of money the HD players cost now just so I could see everything in high def...

edit: Could the mods fix the spelling in the title? Thanks!

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lgans316

· #2 · Jan 15, 2008

Nice idea.

korg

· #3 · Jan 15, 2008

If Toshibs pays for the HD side and the packaging is standard DVD with "HD-DVD" compatible" written somewhere on the front then yes. They could also have material on the inside that explains how to view the HD version. It could help boost sales with casual customers. However, they should also keep selling the stand alone HD-DVDs in the appropriate section.

By the way, I remember seeing DVDs that used to say "PS2 compatible" They were probably Sony titles.

RonLamb

· #4 · Jan 15, 2008

Personaly I dont like the combo's because One there more money and two I like the artwork on the disc. If I wanted the dvd version I would just by the dvd. I think most HD DVD owners dislike the combos for the same reason.

bdshort

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 15, 2008

I'm skeptical this would actually happen, but if they released them at the same price as current DVDs, it could be quite a shot back at BD. I thought it was some interesting speculation I read at HTF that almost seemed like MORE than speculation.

lgans316

· #6 · Jan 15, 2008

If Universal and Paramount puts HD DVD and SD DVD as a 2 disc C.E box and price it similar to SD DVD there is a big chance of HD DVD picking up SALES. For ex, Bourne Ultimatum SD DVD sold 13 million copies. If Universal had put SD and HD (NOT AS A COMBO) as a 2 disc edition then there will now be 13m owners of B.U on HD DVD.

Buckeye911

· #7 · Jan 15, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by RonLamb /forum/post/12818373

Personaly I dont like the combo's because One there more money and two I like the artwork on the disc. If I wanted the dvd version I would just by the dvd. I think most HD DVD owners dislike the combos for the same reason.

I like combos, I can play them on my laptop and in my SUV.

Nox

· #8 · Jan 15, 2008

I personally don't think anything will help HD DVD at this point. Your idea had been tossed around a year ago as an HD DVD "trojan horse".

Perhaps it would have enticed buyers back then, but now, with 70% of the market share on Blu-ray... buying into HD DVD to an average consumer doesn't seem like a safe bet.

Sean_O

· #9 · Jan 15, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nox /forum/post/12818561

I personally don't think anything will help HD DVD at this point. Your idea had been tossed around a year ago as an HD DVD "trojan horse".

Perhaps it would have enticed buyers back then, but now, with 70% of the market share on Blu-ray... buying into HD DVD to an average consumer doesn't seem like a safe bet.

The average consumer doesn't follow this stuff as closely as you do. The Warner news barely made a blip.

If the HD DVD group are ever going to play the dual disc SD/HD set, they should do it relatively soon, because the BDA studios likely can't double pack a BD with DVD releases due to BD replication constraints.

If anything we have ever been told about HD DVD replication is true, Toshiba should be able to modify some DVD lines ($) and crank out suitable numbers of new releases in double pack SD/HD releases.

Canary_Jules

· #10 · Jan 15, 2008

Quote:
I personally don't think anything will help HD DVD at this point. Your idea had been tossed around a year ago as an HD DVD "trojan horse".

Perhaps it would have enticed buyers back then, but now, with 70% of the market share on Blu-ray... buying into HD DVD to an average consumer doesn't seem like a safe bet.

Well it might if the players were cheap enough (marketed as upscalers as well as HD DVD players) and if Uni and Para's DVDs were all combos. People naturally wouldn't necessary look at buying into HD DVD as an alternative to Blu-Ray, because Blu now has so much studio support, but as a replacement for their DVD player that also has some great HD titles out there. Put it this way... if your DVD player packs in and there's a cheap Toshiba at the same price as the DVD player you might have bought, and if Uni and Para's DVDs also have an HD DVD side, you'd be silly not to buy that Tosh.

stretch35

· #11 · Jan 15, 2008

note to Universal and paramount..I equate support with title releases..anynnew from ces..last I heard zip from Uni

Ricky B

· #12 · Jan 15, 2008

Heh, I think those 3 studios should just concentrate on releasing HD-DVDs first and foremost. There hasn't exactly been a wealth of releases and when there have been the quality from these studios hasn't been all that imo.

Buckeye911

· #13 · Jan 15, 2008

If this worked the BD group would just do the same thing so I don't think it would help HD DVD. It may, however, have a positive effect toward mass adoption of HDM in general.

greath

· #14 · Jan 15, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckeye911 /forum/post/12818685

If this worked the BD group would just do the same thing so I don't think it would help HD DVD. It may, however, have a positive effect toward mass adoption of HDM in general.

BD can't do it. They do not have the rights to put DVD and Blu Ray on the same disc, assuming that it's techincally possible. So then they would have to include two discs. What would then stop people selling one disc from the pack and keeping the other?

Buckeye911

· #15 · Jan 15, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by greath /forum/post/12818718

BD can't do it. They do not have the rights to put DVD and Blu Ray on the same disc, assuming that it's techincally possible. So then they would have to include two discs. What would then stop people selling one disc from the pack and keeping the other?

You're absolutely correct. Please excuse the brain fart, I don't know what I was thinking.

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Striderprime00

· #16 · Jan 15, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by RonLamb /forum/post/12818373

Personaly I dont like the combo's because One there more money and two I like the artwork on the disc. If I wanted the dvd version I would just by the dvd. I think most HD DVD owners dislike the combos for the same reason.

Don't agree, the mass market couldn't care for disc art, but price is a factor that needs to be considered. If they can keep it slightly higher than DVD but lower than the cost of HDM, it will do well.

Canary_Jules

· #17 · Jan 15, 2008

Very true. I've got numerous DVDs in my collection which have a 4:3 side and a 16:9 side with no disc art at all - Muppets from Space anyone?

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Tes7769

· #18 · Jan 15, 2008

If HD-DVD is to really take advantage of it's new hardware pricedrop, then it also has to reduce the prices of NEW RELEASE and catalogue movies.

IF new release HD-DVDs from the major HD-DVD supporter's shipped at $19.99 MSRP, they'd take off like wildfire!

No_U-Turn

· #19 · Jan 15, 2008

Hmmm, the idea has been thrown around for a long time, sometimes with the Combo format, sometimes with the TLTwin format.

Basicly it would have been a good idea imo to get the media into many households and maybe spark interest in the format this way. Sort of like the software version of the BDA's PS3 hardware approach.

But now? I think it is too late now. Imo HD DVD needs to get better studio support, Universal and Paramount starting to annonce a *few* more titles for 2008 would be a small start....

Oh well.....

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PRO-630HD

· #20 · Jan 15, 2008

If they are serious about getting back in the game the TL Twin disc is the answer. No dvd is released. Just a 30gb hddvd, 4.7gb dvd combo single sided twin disc combo.

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