Total HD dual-format discs unlikely to ever see the light of day

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http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...ht-of-day.html

By Eric Bangeman | Published: November 20, 2007 - 01:01PM CT

Once touted as a way of dampening the HD format wars, Warner's Total HD discs have been put on the back burner yet again, and it now looks as though the dual-format discs will never see the light of day. Announced at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Total HD was touted as an optimal solution for consumers confused by the HD format wars, as they would contain HD DVD content on one side and Blu-ray on the other.
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A Warner Home Entertainment Group executive recently said that Total HD has been set aside once again. "The short answer is, for the moment, it [Total HD] is on hold," WHEC SVP Jim Noonan told High-Def Digest. "We're the only studio producing content in both formats. If we were to put out Total HD with just our titles, it wouldn't really provide the solution to our retail partners that it was intended to provide."

Noonan also cited concerns that retailers wouldn't have enough shelf space for Total HD titles, what with DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray already duking it out for prime real estate in big-box retailers.

Of the six major US studios, three of them are Blu-ray only, two are in the HD DVD camp, and Warner is alone in supporting both formats. Paramount had originally decided to support both formats, but after extensive lobbying from Toshiba and the HD DVD Promotional Group (including massive wads of cash), the studio decided to forego Blu-ray releases altogether.

With consumers proving themselves willing to sit on the sidelines instead of picking sides in the battle, and Warner the only studio releasing movies in both HD DVD and Blu-ray, the economics for a dual-format disc aren't that compelling. And the deadlock between the two formats looks poised to continue through the end of the decade—at least.

Noonan held out hope for Total HD appearing at some point in the future, noting that Warner doesn't own any "proprietary interest" in the dual-format discs. "It was offered purely as an industry solution—and it is still a good and viable solution that has no expiration date," he said.

Despite those assurances, the polarization of the two HD camps makes Total HD a total bust, unlikely to ever make it to market.

Not really unexpected but there you have it.