Format War Extended - Universal Announces 100 new Exclusives

[JTK]

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

(LATE UPDATE - 1/25/07 - 4 PM PST)

Afternoon, everyone. I just wanted to jump in here with some late-breaking high-def news. Universal, presumably to make up for their relative silence at CES, has just announced that they're planning more than 100 exclusive releases on the HD-DVD format in 2007... and they've revealed at least a few new titles that are on the way (if not specific release dates). The first 40-50 of these will be available in the first half of 2007, starting with Brokeback Mountain (now available) and Hollywoodland (on 2/6). Also on the way to HD-DVD in 2007 according to the studio (90% of the titles as DVD/HD-DVD Combo releases) are new films like Children of Men, The Good Shepherd and Smokin' Aces, as well as classic catalog titles like Scarface, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Bruce Almighty, The Bourne Identity, Meet the Fockers, American Pie, Inside Man, Pride & Prejudice, The Big Lebowski, Liar Liar, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Brazil, Erin Brockovich, Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Slap Shot and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The studio also confirmed that the first season of Sci-Fi's new Battlestar Galactica will be released on HD-DVD this year, as well as additional TV series titles yet to be announced. There's definitely some cool titles in that list, and presumably more (and more details) will be announced at a later date. It'll be great to see Lebowski and Brazil in HD, that's for sure... and the prospect of Battlestar has us pretty excited too.

By the way, as it happens today, I had the chance to speak directly with senior Universal reps this afternoon for a story about their HD-DVD support and the format war in general. So watch for lots more on this subject here at The Bits next week.

Stay tuned...!

So far, I'm not blown away by those names, but YMMV. I'll be interested to see the full 100 list eventually.

For me, it just doesn't change anything. One studio like Universal can only do so much by itself to hold up an entire format.

It still comes back to this: Universal cannot continue to ignore BD if they want to make more money. Already they defy common sense and good business by ignoring it even now. They will only continue to do so at their own peril.

I still say we're going to start seeing Universal BD's by next Christmas thereabouts.