Digital Bits and Bill Hunt's latest 2¢ on exclusive announcements

[Ispoke]

Very good piece by Bill Hunt

My Two Cents

Seems to think all studio's will be producing blu-ray by mid 2008

[Mr. Joshua]

Bill Hunt is the man, and it's just as he predicted....Just listen... http://users.vnet.net/shogun/flair002.wav

[nhaase]

It's going to be hard for any studio to continue supporting HD DVD. Here's the platform points a blu-ray rep (even a volunteer, like any of us) can give to a potential consumer:

1. Blu-ray sold more discs every week in 2007.
2. Despite debuting later and having more expensive hardware, blu-ray has outsold HD DVD 60/40 since the inception of HD DVD.
3. There is virtually no price difference in 1080p players now, since two blu-ray players dipped below $300 in price. (note that the HD-A3 is only 1080i, so you can't take full advantage of that big new TV)
4. While Paramount took a payoff to switch sides, Warner Bros. decided (according to them) that this decision was based solely on the market, where each of their titles sold twice as many on BD as on HD DVD.
5. Because of WB's decision, and this is a big one, at the moment 70% of all movies ever will only be available on blu-ray, if they were to come out.


On an added note, this should get Criterion in gear!

[Proteus]

The 70% number is kinda... misleading.

It's actually going to be much higher. More like around 85-90%. Over the next few days as the 'real math' gets worked out we should see it.

It was already 65% Blu before this announcement on the release slate.

If you consider the volume of releases Warner makes, particularly compared to Uni and Para/DW (which is barely any), the difference is phenomenal.

This is _SO BIG_ I don't think it's full sunk in for people yet.

Long ago I posted that when Blu-ray dominated 90%+ of the market it would be over and retail would make it over. This announcement has pretty much solidified that number not just globally (where it will surpass 90% easily now) but very soon (by June apparently) here in the states.

There is no question. This is the end for HDDVD. If Toshiba can't accept this, then they can feel free to waste their money, I guess. But, in reality world, they may want to cut their losses and start focusing on how to become profitable in a Blu-ray world instead.

Let's face it. By going solo on HDDVD (Microsoft was there, yes, but they really didn't risk much) Toshiba has completely alienated itself in the CE business. They have a lot of bridges to rebuild.

[quetzalcoatl]

Originally Posted by Proteus

The 70% number is kinda... misleading.

It's actually going to be much higher. More like around 85-90%. Over the next few days as the 'real math' gets worked out we should see it.

It was already 65% Blu before this announcement on the release slate.

If you consider the volume of releases Warner makes, particularly compared to Uni and Para/DW (which is barely any), the difference is phenomenal.

This is _SO BIG_ I don't think it's full sunk in for people yet.

Long ago I posted that when Blu-ray dominated 90%+ of the market it would be over and retail would make it over. This announcement has pretty much solidified that number not just globally (where it will surpass 90% easily now) but very soon (by June apparently) here in the states.

There is no question. This is the end for HDDVD. If Toshiba can't accept this, then they can feel free to waste their money, I guess. But, in reality world, they may want to cut their losses and start focusing on how to become profitable in a Blu-ray world instead.

Let's face it. By going solo on HDDVD (Microsoft was there, yes, but they really didn't risk much) Toshiba has completely alienated itself in the CE business. They have a lot of bridges to rebuild.

You are not getting what he said with the 70%. He is talking about total titles in Hollywood not sales figures. So now Blu-ray as access to 70% of all titles avail for release as exclusives.

[SDG]

There have been several hints from the insiders about Universal change, but Max made it clear today to not expect anything from Paramont anytime soon. Im ok with that.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by SDG

There have been several hints from the insiders about Universal change, but Max made it clear today to not expect anything from Paramont anytime soon. Im ok with that.

Paramount are such jackasses. I could actually see them as the only studio supporting HD DVD.

[xwingsct]

Originally Posted by SDG

There have been several hints from the insiders about Universal change, but Max made it clear today to not expect anything from Paramont anytime soon. Im ok with that.

I don't know if Paramount can get out of their contract unless Toshiba say they will no longer producing the players. After today's news. Don't expect the sales any movies on HD-DVD to be like Transformers. Paramount probably wishes that they didn't take that 150 mill. Nobody is gonna be buying movies from a dying format.

[JasonR]

Originally Posted by nhaase

On an added note, this should get Criterion in gear!

+1

[Drewza89]

Originally Posted by nhaase

On an added note, this should get Criterion in gear!

Criterion Blu-rays will kick ass!

They will also empty my wallet.

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

And our sources are now telling us that Universal - knowing Warner was about to go Blu-exclusive - has already begin taking steps to prepare for their own future Blu-ray efforts. Our guess is that Universal in particular will go format neutral, to put the best P.R. spin on their situation. But we'd be VERY surprised if all three studios don't announce their own Blu-ray Disc support by mid-2008 at the latest, so as benefit from 4th quarter holiday sales. In fact, we're betting those announcements happen much sooner.

The Digital Bits

~Alan

[Razzy]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

The Digital Bits

~Alan

Bring on Bourne!!

[Bullseye]

Excellent by Bill as always.

[sokrman14]

http://digitalbits.com/#mytwocents

Bill Hunt just put up another good read about this year and the format war with Universal and Paramount

[Moefiz]

If its been posted already...MODS delete please...

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

This is as good a explanation that both HDDvd fanboys should need...

Read entire article.....

Has some interesting facts about the reason WHY Warner chose BLU.

[mystiksuicide]

Excellent piece but it's no different than what I been saying all along. Honestly how many times can you re-package movie? LOTR and Star Wars to name a few where never going to see great sales again on dvd.

Now on Blu they are literally "New Releases"

[radagast]

Originally Posted by Moefiz

If its been posted already...MODS delete please...

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

This is as good a explanation that both HDDvd fanboys should need...

Read entire article.....

Has some interesting facts about the reason WHY Warner chose BLU.

I especially like this sentence:

"And our sources are now telling us that Universal - knowing Warner was about to go Blu-exclusive - has already begin taking steps to prepare for their own future Blu-ray efforts."

[glenn22]

I like this part, it just goes to show that the pay-off rumors were just more FUD:

As to the talk of being motivated by financial inducements, Sanders says this:

"There is absolutely no incentive from either side that would have changed the decision we made based on what we were seeing in the consumer data. The worldwide DVD business is about $40 billion. Any incentives we might have been offered would have paled next to the lost profits from that business if we get this one wrong."

[bkbluray]

Very good article. Sums it up nicely.

[reiella]

Originally Posted by glenn22

I like this part, it just goes to show that the pay-off rumors were just more FUD:

As to the talk of being motivated by financial inducements, Sanders says this:

"There is absolutely no incentive from either side that would have changed the decision we made based on what we were seeing in the consumer data. The worldwide DVD business is about $40 billion. Any incentives we might have been offered would have paled next to the lost profits from that business if we get this one wrong."

Actually, that statement can be read as just stating, any financial incentives wouldn't have changed the way they voted, not that there weren't any.