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Today the Financial Times had the headline "Sony DVD deal hits Microsoft and Toshiba" and goes onto explain the recent deal that saw Warner Brothers Studio side with Blu-Ray (the Sony backed next generation DVD format). That article can be read here.
The article went into some details explain that the HD DVD camp (promoted by the DVD Forum) did not expect this to happen and that Toshiba had close ties with Warner Bro's and expected the studio to exclusively go with HD DVD.
The FT article also went onto say
The Financial Times wrote:
Leaders of the rival HD DVD camp – led by Toshiba and Microsoft – over the weekend called off a number of promotional events that had been planned as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
The BBC’s report Darren Waters also reported that “It's doubly embarrassing for Toshiba because they are one of the main CES sponsors - their banners hang rather forlornly around the show site.” He also went onto say that “Blu-ray, on the other hand, is only to eager to parade spokespeople talking up its own format.”
It was also reported that Bill Gates who gave his last keynote at CES this year was to talk about HD DVD's however this was dropped at the last minute and nothing was said about HD DVD's (Microsoft is a major backer of HD DVD and co-created the software to play HD DVD's).
Many people are saying that this is the death knell of HD DVD including the director Michael Bay, whose movies include Transformers, he wrote on his blog saying: “Blu-ray is just better. HD will die a slow death.”
Both HD DVD and Blu Ray have been running huge advertising campaigns hoping to get consumers to buy their competing players, below is as sample of their television advertisements.
HD DVD
Blu Ray
However many leading retailers in both Europe and North America are staying that many consumers are confused and the best way that this can end is with one platform coming out on top, and soon.
Many see the two formats as reminiscent of the old VHS, Beta Max format wars of the 1980's however the statistics are not looking good for the HD DVD's as in the UK and France, for example, Blu-ray discs accounted for 75 per cent of the market and in Japan, that was more than 90 per cent. It was also thought that other major studios, like Universal (owned by General Electric) were considering a move away from HD DVD to Blu Ray exclusively however Universal and other studios were keeping tight-lipped yesterday and would not comment on their next move. Paramount has reserved the right to switch its backing to Blu-ray if it feels that HD DVD will not win the format war.
There is a great graph online that shows the major studios and what format they support, Note: Warner Bros. and New Line are withdrawing support for HD DVD as of Jun '08.
My personal opinion is that we will see other major studios making a move to Blu Ray as their exclusive format.
From last September KOCO 5 did a run down of both Blu Ray and HD DVD to help the consumer decided which to get, remember though that the video does now give out some incorrect information.
Today various news sources reported that Paramount Studios (owned by Viacom) was considering jumping ship to Blu Ray, many are reporting that if this was to happen it would end the format war and HD DVD would become obsolete. It is understood to have a clause in its contract with the HD DVD camp that would allow it to switch sides in the event of Warner Bros backing Blu-ray, according to people familiar with the situation.
It is unclear whether DreamWorks Animation (who also distribute their films exclusively on the HD DVD platform) has the same get-out clause in its contract with the HD DVD camp, however it is likely that they will follow Paramount (suspected) path and go exclusively with Blu Ray.
Sir Howard Stringer, chief executive of Sony, on Monday held out an olive branch, saying the company would be “open to dialogue” with the HD DVD camp to “grow the market”. The move came as new figures showed that Blu-ray had opened up a decisive lead over the rival home entertainment format.
Paramount recently squashed rumors that it would not be following Warner in going exclusively to Blu Ray, Brenda Ciccone a spokeswoman from Paramount said
Brenda Ciccone wrote:
Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format.
It also came to light today that Microsoft would be bringing Blu Ray support to it's popular gaming console XBOX 360. Albert Penello, group marketing manager for XBOX hardware said theconsole still supports HD DVD, but would gain a Blu-ray add-on if HDDVD fails as a next-generation format. Microsoft has been here before. Back in 2006, its then XBOX chief, Peter Moore, said a Blu-ray add-on drive for the console was possible, if consumers favoured that format.
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