Switching to format neutral...

[LeoneFan]

The Paramount news means nothing, it just buys HDDVD a little more time. Now that FOX and MGM are back, HDDVD will get steam rolled with or without Paramount. Only a fool would invest in HDDVD if they already have a Blu-ray player. Don't play into M$'s hands and be puppets in their game to push bad quality downloads and a failing format. Put the money you would spend on an HDDVD crap player and buy Blu-ray discs and show M$ and Paramount what the consumer's choice for high def optical is.

[Irrob]

I'm firm with Blu-ray. This is no spin, but I'm just not moved by the whole Paramount business given the recent Fox/MGM announcement. Fox is mainly why I adopted Blu-ray.

[Leopold BUTTERS]

I have an HD DVD player and even i am pissed off lol, I don't want the format war to continue. I want BD to just finish it, and yet, it is going to make sony, WD and Fox pull everything out, so its like a good/bad thing. Hopefully more good than bad, paramount isn't that great when you have fox, sony and WD.

[J_UNTITLED]

Originally Posted by BluDrew

Transformers being HD DVD exclusive is enough to make me neutral.

I guess I'm the only one here who thinks "Transformers" is a very mediocre and at times painfully cheesy/inane movie.

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by LeoneFan

Don't play into M$'s hands and be puppets in their game to push bad quality downloads and a failing format. Put the money you would spend on an HDDVD crap player and buy Blu-ray discs and show M$ and Paramount what the consumer's choice for high def optical is.

Yep. Between PS3 games, blu-ray movies, another PSP, another PS3, and another t.v...well I just don't have any money left over to put in their pockets or time to look at anything from them either. Too busy with all the other choices available

[zombieking]

Originally Posted by J_UNTITLED

I guess I'm the only one here who thinks "Transformers" is a very mediocre and at times painfully cheesy/inane movie.

Nope. And I can't believe blu "supporters" would be swayed to go neutral because of it

[TJandBLU-RAY]

Originally Posted by ben7ben3

as much as I have been a blu supporter, this move by paramount/dreamworks really is huge..even if blu does eventually win the war (which I think it will, once they start realizing its capabilities fully), it won't be for a long time. I can not wait around any longer hoping some movies will go blu. Sure, V for Vendetta is, but a lot of great movies I really want won't for a LONG time. I need the Bourne movies, and a lot of others, especially if Over the Hedge and other Dreamworks movies go to HD. Format neutral is the way to go, as there won't be a winner for a few years at the very least. Time to start buying an Hd player and some HDDVDs (no longer HD Duds)

Welcome to the fence. Popcorn is on your right, soda on your left.

Just glad I have been here for some time....

[TJandBLU-RAY]

Originally Posted by Proteus

I can't help but feel sorry for those who lack the courage to do what is right.
Someone who would willingly accept sub-par technology and lower standards just because is the lowest form of life. To me anyway. As an individual you do make a difference because when individuals begin to stand before long you have an army. It's what wins wars and supports freedom.

Read my signature.

Wow. It's a piece of consumer technology. It's not that important. And to think that people won't get this passionate about the war in Iraq. Or about the homeless or the people who need medicine but can't afford it. Wow.

[BluDrew]

Originally Posted by KenThompson

I for one will never buy a dud and shame on all you turn coats. Why buy a dud for 1 fippin movie. I don't get it , and never will. Paramount sold out to the highest bidder plain and simple. Screw them.

It's not for one movie. It's for a heck of a lot more now:

Transformers
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum (December?)
Battlestar Galactica S1
Heroes S1
Shrek the Third
Gladiator
Knocked Up
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
The Thing
Batman Begins
Braveheart
Godfather 1
Godfather 2
Godfather 3
Star Trek -- ALL

And many more, though the top 5 on the list are the ones that did it for me.

[zombieking]

Originally Posted by BluDrew

It's not for one movie. It's for a heck of a lot more now:

Transformers
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum (December?)
Battlestar Galactica S1
Heroes S1
Shrek the Third
Gladiator
Knocked Up
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
The Thing
Batman Begins
Braveheart
Godfather 1
Godfather 2
Godfather 3
Star Trek -- ALL

And many more, though the top 5 on the list are the ones that did it for me.

The Bourne flicks are Universal -- we weren't getting those to begin with
Knocked Up -- Universal
The Matrix and Batman Begins are Warner -- should still be coming soon

[aristotles]

Paramount is obviously taking bribes and not considering their fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders.

I hope the execs that made foolhardy business decision get called to the carpet when we see fox sales numbers skyrocket and the sales of Warner releases go even further in Blu-ray's favour.

Given the recent sales numbers for Blu-ray media overall and the sales ratio for 300, I cannot for the life of me fathom how this could possibly make any financial sense.

I will not have my hardware purchases dictated to me by studio execs on the take. Read my lips. I will not by an HD DVD player and I will no longer by Paramount releases or support them at the box office.

I have had nothing but bad luck with Toshiba DVD players in the past and I have no interest in entering a market where there is a virtual hardware monopoly for Toshiba.

[kaliraver]

As a strong Blu-Ray supporter I will never buy into a dying format which is HD-DEAD. For the best "Movie" expierence is to stick with Blu-Ray. If anything alot of movies that Universal & Paramount have or will release I already own on DVD. The move to me just isn't the thing that will kill Blu-Ray or drive me to be format neutral. This format war needs to end and not be prolonged. I for one will never support two formats its Blu-Ray or Blu-Ray FTW.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

I wouldn't care that much except for 3 things...
1) I HATE Miscro$oft with a passion. Ergo, I hate the format they support.

2) I can not afford another player to hook into my system.

3) I have no ROOM for another player within my system. I only have 2 HDMI inputs on my AV receiver and that is being used by cable and my PS3. Unless I could find an inexpensive HDMI switch, I am not going to re-arrange everything just to add another player.

THESE ARE precisely the reasons why I will continue to support only one format: BR!

Period!

Pro-B

[Chris Gerhard]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Thanks junior member, but I have a different idea of how this thing will play out.

This is a temporary setback and in the big picture HD DVD is still doomed.

I don't know that both formats aren't doomed, but I would like to see any plausible scenario that has HD DVD end its run and Blu-ray continue on alone. Greater marketshare for Blu-ray doesn't end the format war. Since HD DVD was continuing on despite poor performance, this only means HD DVD continues on with better performance and no way to force a different outcome. Lack of studio support and lack of retail support was our hope to force HD DVD into retirement. Now this stupid mess looks like SACD v DVD-A. SACD had greater marketshare and greater support and a greater number of releases. Both formats basically threw in the towel as far as mainstream popular releases at the same time.

Of course a similar announcement in Blu-ray's favor can make things similarly lopsided again but only Warner or Universal are in a position to make such announcements and I have no reason to believe that will happen. I had both because of Universal, now I have both because of Universal and Paramount. I wanted Blu-ray to prevail because I don't believe the market can sustain two formats and the fact it is the better of the two formats only makes that outcome even better. Now, everybody may as well figure a way to get HD DVD playback in your system or do without about 40% of the quality releases.

Chris

[TJandBLU-RAY]

Originally Posted by kaliraver69

As a strong Blu-Ray supporter I will never buy into a dying format which is HD-DEAD. For the best "Movie" expierence is to stick with Blu-Ray. If anything alot of movies that Universal & Paramount have or will release I already own on DVD. The move to me just isn't the thing that will kill Blu-Ray or drive me to be format neutral. This format war needs to end and not be prolonged. I for one will never support two formats its Blu-Ray or Blu-Ray FTW.

Your loss. You will have to watch movies on DVD, even upscaled, that I will see in HD.

The format war just needs to end, with both sides deciding that the consumer should be the winner, and that to prolong it is just going to kill the whole HD format.

I love to watch movies, in the best possible format, and DVD is not that. And now that three companies are going to be exclusive HD-DVD, and others exclusive to BLU-RAY, this war is not going to end anytime soon.

So enjoy your DVD'S, while I enjoy High Def. And BTW, SONY is about as evil to some as MICROSQUISH is to others. It's all a matter of which side your bread is buttered.

[TJandBLU-RAY]

And I just got DISTURBIA (Dreamworks) on BLU-RAY. Makes me wonder if all those Paramount BD'S will become collectors items.

[HDJK]

I won't ever purchase an HD DVD player. Period.

[Monkeykong2215]

it's people like you that keep the format war going.

[HDJK]

Originally Posted by Monkeykong2215

it's people like you that keep the format war going.

Ahh, it's always good to see well informed people making intelligent remarks...

[gand41f]

Originally Posted by HDJK

Ahh, it's always good to see well informed people making intelligent remarks...

I don't think the comment was directed at you, HDJK. Look at his post history. (And Monkeykong, you may want to quote at least some part of the message you are referring to, to avoid these kinds of confusions in the future.)

Anyway, I agree with (both of) you, Paramount will have to come crawling back to BD when they realize they lost $60mil on Transformers and $30mil on Shrek 3 before they get my money again. (I think these are pretty realistic estimates given the number of PS3s that will be in people's homes by the end of the year.)

enjoy
gandalf