HD-DVD fall '05 launch scaled back!!

[zombie]

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...aKWIm4,00.html

HD-DVD Rollout, Set for Holidays, Gets Scaled Back

By SARAH MCBRIDE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
August 10, 2005; Page D4

The much-touted holiday rollout of HD-DVD, one of two planned formats for next-generation DVDs, seems to be losing steam.

HD-DVD, backed by Toshiba Corp. and others, is battling Blu-ray, backed by Sony Corp., to become the dominant format in the next generation of DVDs, which promises high-definition pictures and other features. Supporters of the brand-name HD-DVD earlier this year pledged a strong fourth-quarter launch as a way of getting a leg up in the heated competition, even as talks proceeded to unite the rival technologies in an effort to prevent a format war. Blu-ray has said that its product will be available sometime in 2006.

But it appears that both hardware and software deliveries of HD-DVD products will be lighter than expected, blunting HD-DVD's first-mover advantage. Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, which had committed to releasing more than 20 titles on the HD-DVD brand starting in the fourth quarter, now won't release any in the quarter, according to a person familiar with the matter. General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal plans to release about a dozen HD-DVD titles in the fourth quarter, scaling back from the 16 titles it had announced in January.

Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Home Video, the biggest backer of the format, says its exact plans are up in the air, as it waits to see whether a compromise is reached between the rival formats. "If there is a unification of formats, we would want to work toward that," said Jim Cardwell, president of Warner Home Video, who didn't rule out a holiday-season launch for Warner movies on HD-DVD.

Warren Lieberfarb, a consultant to HD-DVD backers, characterized rollout efforts as "no big deal" and added that "there was never a rock-solid date about the fourth quarter."

But many HD-DVD backers, including hardware makers such as Toshiba, had counted on a big fourth-quarter rollout to get a jump on the competition. In fact, Toshiba will likely be the only company to introduce an HD-DVD player in the U.S. in time for the holidays, although some computers with HD-DVD-ready drives may be available.

Just three months before players and movies should be on store shelves to catch the wave of holiday shoppers, it is unclear how much promotion is planned. A Toshiba America spokeswoman said the company was currently talking to retail partners about the size of the launch for its HD-DVD players, and what kind of marketing campaign to run.

Circuit City Stores Inc., the electronics retailer, says it plans to carry the Toshiba player if it is ready, but doesn't expect strong sales while consumers are still unfamiliar with the product and its cost, expected to be around $1,000, remains high. "We don't have a lot of information yet," says Randy Wick, general-merchandising manager for home audio and video at Circuit City.

It is more likely the product will do well among specialty retailers that cater to so-called early adopters of technology. "It's going to be one of the highest-demand products in our store," said Casey Crane, president of Ken Crane's Home Entertainment, a Southern California retail chain. "We're the movie-industry capital -- the people here are definitely leading edge."

Late last month News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, the last studio that hadn't yet committed to bringing out titles in one of the two formats, said it would release titles in the Blu-ray format, joining Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Co.

Fox's move leaves the studios roughly evenly split when it comes to next-generation DVD, with about half of DVD releases in the Blu-ray camp and half in HD-DVD, according to Tom Adams of Adams Media Research.

To get Fox's support, Blu-ray agreed to add some features, including extra copy protections, according to people familiar with the matter. The extra copy protections had been rejected by some Blu-ray members. A Fox spokesman said it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss the negotiations.

[Marwin]

The following news article basically contains the same information, but with an alternative quote from Warner:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr..._id=1001012921

HD DVD's holiday bash in doubt as majors pull back

By Thomas K. Arnold
The planned fourth-quarter rollout of HD DVD may not be the big blowout it was supposed to be.

Of the three major studios that promised a slate of high-profile titles on the next-generation format in time for the holidays, one has reportedly dropped out and the other two are said to be rethinking their previously grandiose launch schedules.

Sources familiar with the situation say the big bang may wind up a minor pop on the hardware and software fronts, as key decision makers at consumer electronics firms and studios contend with both fears of a format war and hopes of a last-minute compromise between Toshiba's HD DVD and its Sony-backed rival, Blu-ray Disc.

Both camps have developed high-definition optical-disc formats that use a blue laser and have significantly more capacity than current DVDs. The HD DVD camp had hoped to get a jump on its rival in what many see as an inevitable format war by coming to market first -- Blu-ray has said it won't launch until 2006 -- but that goal now appears in serious jeopardy, sources familiar with the situation say.

Warner Home Video, which at CES had promised more than 50 HD DVD titles in the fourth quarter, now says it may wait until the first quarter of 2006 to release product.

"We are considering rolling back our launch in the hopes of a last-minute compromise, which would avoid two formats straining the marketplace," said Jim Cardwell, president of Warner Home Video.

The presidents of the two other major studios backing HD DVD, Paramount Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Entertainment, either could not be reached for comment or would not comment for attribution. But a story in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount, which at ng January's Consumer Electronics Show had committed to releasing more than 20 HD DVD titles in the fourth quarter, now won't release any -- and Universal Studios Home Entertainment, with a planned release slate of 16 titles, is scaling back to about a dozen.

Warren Lieberfarb, the ex-Warner Home Video president, known as the "father of DVD," who has been a consultant to Toshiba in the race to develop a next-generation, high-definition optical disc format, pooh-poohs the studio backdowns.

"Toshiba is going forward," he insists.

Still, without much product in the market, experts see little chance of the format taking hold with consumers.

"I think the whole high-def market is premature," said Ralph Tribbey, editor of The DVD Release Report.

What's looking more and more like a delayed launch is the latest in a series of setbacks the HD DVD camp has suffered in recent weeks. In July, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment threw its support behind Blu-ray Disc, evenly dividing the six major studios between the two rival formats.

Earlier this week, the Blu-ray Disc Assn. announced new security features to address studio concerns about piracy. The group said it would embed an identification mark on its software that can be read only by equipment that carries its technology, and that disallows mass production of pre-recorded Blu-ray media, including movies, music and video games.

[thunderhawk]

So Warner isn't at all so pro HD-DVD after all, they will wait untill the battle has ended...

Thats in advantage of Blu-ray ofcourse, if market share is 50/50, then the industry will decide and the industry is pro blu-ray.

I think its coming clear I hope...
It seems Blu-ray is approaching its victory...

With HD-DVD players going up to $ 1000 and BD player PS3 going to $ 400...