Paranount Announces HD DVD Slate for First Quarter
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
May 2007
May 2007
I saw someone bid up to $150 for the hd dvd Jack Ryan Collection ebay. I thought about bidding on it but changed my mind when bidding reached $70+. I had a feeling it was going to be rereleased.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
March 2002
March 2002
Who the hell is Paranount? 
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
July 2006
July 2006
LOL @ Tim.
I'm all over that Jack Ryan collection on HD DVD. I can't wait for it. I will also be getting Bee Movie, Beowulf, and Things We Lost In The Fire. Sweet!
I'm all over that Jack Ryan collection on HD DVD. I can't wait for it. I will also be getting Bee Movie, Beowulf, and Things We Lost In The Fire. Sweet!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
That's a pretty weak "slate".
[Post edited by funstuff72 on Jan 17, 2008]
[Post edited by funstuff72 on Jan 17, 2008]
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
While it's nice to see Paramount/Dreamworks still bringing out HD titles, I don't see how this "slate" is going to be enough to get people excited enough to buy a HD-DVD player over a Blu-ray player. To be honest, I don't really understand why this game of keeping HD-DVD limping along is even being played. Paramount/Dreamworks would sell more copies of these movies on Blu-ray and they know it! So why drag out the "format war"?
Do Toshiba, Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks honestly think that they can somehow gain enough consumer support of the HD-DVD format that other studios will jump ship from Blu-ray?! For Toshiba - fine, it's a pride thing. They don't want to admit that they lost so they want to go down swinging. But Universal and Paramount MUST know that they could make more money and sell more copies if their movies were on Blu-ray now.
Whatever may have been said about the Warner deal, Warner's movies were selling more copies on Blu-ray. Harry Potter, 300, Blade Runner, Ocean's 13 - on and on, it doesn't matter the title, the Blu-ray version sold better so it just plain makes sense for Warner to pick Blu-ray. More than any other studio, Warner supported both formats and consumers picked the Blu-ray versions. Both versions were coming out at the same time. In many cases, the HD-DVD version actually had exclusive special features (PIP or internet) or superior audio to the Blu-ray version and the Blu-ray version still sold more copies. There's just no arguing with the data and the data supported the idea that Blu-ray is the preferred format by consumers.
More sales of more titles has to be considered a good thing for a business, so why prolong the HD disc war? As soon as Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks move over the Blu-ray, consumers who are still on the fence will no longer have any worry about possibly buying the Beta of this generation. As it stands right now, some people are still going to wait because it isn't 100% certain yet. If they want Universal or Paramount/Dreamworks movies, they are still only available on HD-DVD and that just means that everyone loses because consumers are still going to be confused and still refuse to even consider HD discs of either type until this thing is resolved!
It doesn't matter if the players only cost $150 now - no one is going to buy a player that only plays movies from 2 studios. And unless there is a real chance of ALL the studios coming over, what the heck is the point of continuing on and draggin this out?! Let's just be rational: is it more likely that Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks will jump ship to Blu-ray, or is it more likely that Disney, Fox, MGM, Sony Pictures, LionsGate, New Line and Warner are ALL going to jump over to HD-DVD? Is it more likely that Toshiba as the lone HD-DVD player manufacturer is going to manage to sell so many players that studios would have to be fools not to come over, or is it more likely that every other CE manufacturer will manage to sell more players in addition to all of the PS3 consoles being sold?
It's silly, it's stupid and the sooner Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks stop with this charade and just move over to Blu-ray, the sooner everyone will start making more money and consumers will be happy and start buying HD discs because they have a clear victor and know for certain that Blu-ray is going to be around for a long time as the lone HD disc format!
Do Toshiba, Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks honestly think that they can somehow gain enough consumer support of the HD-DVD format that other studios will jump ship from Blu-ray?! For Toshiba - fine, it's a pride thing. They don't want to admit that they lost so they want to go down swinging. But Universal and Paramount MUST know that they could make more money and sell more copies if their movies were on Blu-ray now.
Whatever may have been said about the Warner deal, Warner's movies were selling more copies on Blu-ray. Harry Potter, 300, Blade Runner, Ocean's 13 - on and on, it doesn't matter the title, the Blu-ray version sold better so it just plain makes sense for Warner to pick Blu-ray. More than any other studio, Warner supported both formats and consumers picked the Blu-ray versions. Both versions were coming out at the same time. In many cases, the HD-DVD version actually had exclusive special features (PIP or internet) or superior audio to the Blu-ray version and the Blu-ray version still sold more copies. There's just no arguing with the data and the data supported the idea that Blu-ray is the preferred format by consumers.
More sales of more titles has to be considered a good thing for a business, so why prolong the HD disc war? As soon as Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks move over the Blu-ray, consumers who are still on the fence will no longer have any worry about possibly buying the Beta of this generation. As it stands right now, some people are still going to wait because it isn't 100% certain yet. If they want Universal or Paramount/Dreamworks movies, they are still only available on HD-DVD and that just means that everyone loses because consumers are still going to be confused and still refuse to even consider HD discs of either type until this thing is resolved!
It doesn't matter if the players only cost $150 now - no one is going to buy a player that only plays movies from 2 studios. And unless there is a real chance of ALL the studios coming over, what the heck is the point of continuing on and draggin this out?! Let's just be rational: is it more likely that Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks will jump ship to Blu-ray, or is it more likely that Disney, Fox, MGM, Sony Pictures, LionsGate, New Line and Warner are ALL going to jump over to HD-DVD? Is it more likely that Toshiba as the lone HD-DVD player manufacturer is going to manage to sell so many players that studios would have to be fools not to come over, or is it more likely that every other CE manufacturer will manage to sell more players in addition to all of the PS3 consoles being sold?
It's silly, it's stupid and the sooner Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks stop with this charade and just move over to Blu-ray, the sooner everyone will start making more money and consumers will be happy and start buying HD discs because they have a clear victor and know for certain that Blu-ray is going to be around for a long time as the lone HD disc format!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
Even if Blu ray wins, i shall only buy its player if it's a combo and it's profile 2.0 and the price is right.
But even then if only ONE studio is releasing movies on both formats i will ALWAYS go for the HD DVD version.
Plus i dont see Blu ray profile 2.0 coming down to current HD DVD prices until atleast the end of 2009. so HD DVD till then...
But even then if only ONE studio is releasing movies on both formats i will ALWAYS go for the HD DVD version.
Plus i dont see Blu ray profile 2.0 coming down to current HD DVD prices until atleast the end of 2009. so HD DVD till then...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
No Apocalypse Now then... 
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
June 2006
June 2006
terror_beast... Very good comments/summary about the situation. Some points you made are why I lean to collecting Blu-ray (more than HD-DVD), as well as the fact that CONTENT is "king" and Blu-ray has more support, especially in the Music Concerts/Videos that are some of my favorites - with major support from Sony Music, Warner Music, and Universal Music to name a few.
That said, in fairness to the HD-DVD side, I just read an outstanding defense of the format, noting several important factors, that was recently published in the January 14, 2008 edition of VIDEO BUSINESS. I think everyone should take a moment to read this brief letter... (and comment, if interested)
Letters to the Editor: HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray <link
-Love Hendrix! (The Loverboy)
~ DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray/KURO Plasma owner ~
That said, in fairness to the HD-DVD side, I just read an outstanding defense of the format, noting several important factors, that was recently published in the January 14, 2008 edition of VIDEO BUSINESS. I think everyone should take a moment to read this brief letter... (and comment, if interested)
Letters to the Editor: HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray <link
-Love Hendrix! (The Loverboy)
~ DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray/KURO Plasma owner ~
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
January 2008
January 2008
I've never had any issue against the HD-DVD format itself. I actually think it is the superior format in many ways. Every HD-DVD player since the first ones had a secondary audio/video decoder for PIP special features, every player had a working internet connection, every player decodes DD+ and TrueHD and HD-DVD players are certainly available for lower prices than Blu-ray players! I totally agree that as a format, it may actually be the better of the two. But you know what? Beta was technically superior to VHS. No one watches a player. People watch movies. And if one format has movies from 7 major studios and its rival only has movies from 2, it doesn't really matter to me (or most other people I would think) that the format with the 2 studios has some strengths. All that matters to me is which one has the movies that I want to watch!
The time for discussing the merits of either format was before the formats launched! Sadly, an agreement was not reached and both sides launched their products. At that point, it was up to the consumers to decide and for all intents and purposes, they did! Beta had many extremely loyal supporters too. They trumpeted the superior quality of that format too. In the mean time, everyone else in the world bought VHS, the studios saw that and they dropped Beta like a stone.
I'm not saying I want HD-DVD to die because I think it's the inferior format. I actually wanted it to win because I thought it was the superior platform. More finalized, cheaper to manufacture, more standardized in terms of codecs being used and interactive features. But what I wanted far more than HD-DVD to win was to see HD discs in general flourish. I wanted to see HD discs genuinely replace DVDs and for that to happen, I truly believed we needed one format with ALL the studios backing it because people simply are not going to buy two new disc players for every TV in their house!
So now, instead of being ridiculous and sticking with HD-DVD to the bitter end, I'm letting go of the idea that the more affordable, in some ways superior format is basically dead or at least dying. Now all I want to see is one HD disc format so that we can move on to the much bigger challenge which is getting the mass market to embrace a new medium. Confusion over HDTVs, the broadcast switch to digital, upconversion and just what the heck HD actually means in real world terms is incredibly high and the last thing people care about is some new disc, that looks just like the old discs, but is supposedly better, battling it out with yet another same looking disc that does the exact same thing!
I think it's going to be hard to convince the mass market to by one HD disc format, never mind two of them! I just want to see HD content proliferate. It's silly at this point to try and tip the scales back in the other direction. Blu-ray has a tremendous content advantage now and the best thing that can possibly happen for HD movies in general is for ALL the studios to get on board! Once we have ALL the studios backing Blu-ray, we can really start to hammer home the idea that Blu-ray is 1080p, Blu-ray is lossless audio and Blu-ray is what you need if you have a HDTV.
To be clear, if it were HD-DVD with the studio advantage, I'd be saying the exact same thing in reverse. In fact, I'd probably be happier about it because I do think that HD-DVD had the better plan and the better hardware. But this isn't about merit, it's about reality. We've got one format with 7 major studios and one format with 2. Let's stop being silly and just get all 9 onto one side!
The time for discussing the merits of either format was before the formats launched! Sadly, an agreement was not reached and both sides launched their products. At that point, it was up to the consumers to decide and for all intents and purposes, they did! Beta had many extremely loyal supporters too. They trumpeted the superior quality of that format too. In the mean time, everyone else in the world bought VHS, the studios saw that and they dropped Beta like a stone.
I'm not saying I want HD-DVD to die because I think it's the inferior format. I actually wanted it to win because I thought it was the superior platform. More finalized, cheaper to manufacture, more standardized in terms of codecs being used and interactive features. But what I wanted far more than HD-DVD to win was to see HD discs in general flourish. I wanted to see HD discs genuinely replace DVDs and for that to happen, I truly believed we needed one format with ALL the studios backing it because people simply are not going to buy two new disc players for every TV in their house!
So now, instead of being ridiculous and sticking with HD-DVD to the bitter end, I'm letting go of the idea that the more affordable, in some ways superior format is basically dead or at least dying. Now all I want to see is one HD disc format so that we can move on to the much bigger challenge which is getting the mass market to embrace a new medium. Confusion over HDTVs, the broadcast switch to digital, upconversion and just what the heck HD actually means in real world terms is incredibly high and the last thing people care about is some new disc, that looks just like the old discs, but is supposedly better, battling it out with yet another same looking disc that does the exact same thing!
I think it's going to be hard to convince the mass market to by one HD disc format, never mind two of them! I just want to see HD content proliferate. It's silly at this point to try and tip the scales back in the other direction. Blu-ray has a tremendous content advantage now and the best thing that can possibly happen for HD movies in general is for ALL the studios to get on board! Once we have ALL the studios backing Blu-ray, we can really start to hammer home the idea that Blu-ray is 1080p, Blu-ray is lossless audio and Blu-ray is what you need if you have a HDTV.
To be clear, if it were HD-DVD with the studio advantage, I'd be saying the exact same thing in reverse. In fact, I'd probably be happier about it because I do think that HD-DVD had the better plan and the better hardware. But this isn't about merit, it's about reality. We've got one format with 7 major studios and one format with 2. Let's stop being silly and just get all 9 onto one side!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
October 2007
October 2007
People will get excited the same way people get excited with Halo on XBOX 360, and, well, you know, a PS3 title.... 
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
July 2006
July 2006
terror_beast, what you're forgetting is that VHS won because it was cheaper.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
October 2007
October 2007
Nice post terror...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
October 2007
October 2007
Falcon, so why is Blu-ray winning now? I mean even the cheapest Blu-ray player (PS3) costs $399?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
June 2006
June 2006
BRILLIANT 2nd Post terror! That summary/commentary is better than anything I've written yet about this format war - please continue to comment here on the threads!
Falcon01... it wasn't price that got VHS it's lead.
Some history... Both of the formats (Beta and VHS) had similar player prices in the early years, but VHS players were made and distributed by the MAJORITY of manufacturers [key strategic decision by JVC, who controlled and licensed the format], whereas Beta was mainly just Sony (for quite some time), before they got smart and allowed others to deliver Beta units.
By then it was too late. VHS had become better selling than Beta (again, due to player distribution and also now lower-priced players), but VHS ALSO featured longer recording time (of the blank cassettes), and ALSO more video rental stores stocked the VHS version of a movie (and those that stocked both format's titles started carrying only VHS, and Beta rental movies were hard to find).
By the mid-1980s, the lead by VHS started expanding rapidly, and poor Beta (by then SuperBeta Hi-Fi) was left at a distant second. VHS movies were finally lowered from the $59.95 to $79.95 norm, first to $39.95, then $29.95, and finally $24.95 by the early '90s. Paramount was the first major studio to lower the price of their VHS movies (around 1984-85), and others followed over the years.
So, consider the above info with today's BLU-RAY support! The MAJORITY of both hardware and software entertainment companies support it, and not HD-DVD... so CAN the distant 2nd place hi-def disc format survive while Blu-ray keeps growing faster? ...Stay tuned...
-Love Hendrix! (The Loverboy)
~ DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray/KURO Plasma owner ~
[Post edited by Love Hendrix! on Jan 17, 2008]
Falcon01... it wasn't price that got VHS it's lead.
Some history... Both of the formats (Beta and VHS) had similar player prices in the early years, but VHS players were made and distributed by the MAJORITY of manufacturers [key strategic decision by JVC, who controlled and licensed the format], whereas Beta was mainly just Sony (for quite some time), before they got smart and allowed others to deliver Beta units.
By then it was too late. VHS had become better selling than Beta (again, due to player distribution and also now lower-priced players), but VHS ALSO featured longer recording time (of the blank cassettes), and ALSO more video rental stores stocked the VHS version of a movie (and those that stocked both format's titles started carrying only VHS, and Beta rental movies were hard to find).
By the mid-1980s, the lead by VHS started expanding rapidly, and poor Beta (by then SuperBeta Hi-Fi) was left at a distant second. VHS movies were finally lowered from the $59.95 to $79.95 norm, first to $39.95, then $29.95, and finally $24.95 by the early '90s. Paramount was the first major studio to lower the price of their VHS movies (around 1984-85), and others followed over the years.
So, consider the above info with today's BLU-RAY support! The MAJORITY of both hardware and software entertainment companies support it, and not HD-DVD... so CAN the distant 2nd place hi-def disc format survive while Blu-ray keeps growing faster? ...Stay tuned...
-Love Hendrix! (The Loverboy)
~ DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray/KURO Plasma owner ~
[Post edited by Love Hendrix! on Jan 17, 2008]
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
November 2007
November 2007
whoa...a BRD supporter with sensible arguements. Quick...someone make sure the sky isn't falling!
Skyhawk: Blu Ray sold better because the player was there for all those Sony fanboys. If it was left up to just you and your clan to buy standalones and ONLY standalones, I don't care how many studios were in that boat, it'd be decisively in HD-DVDs favor. BUt FUDster and spinsters did a damn good job painting HD-DVD as Microsoft and Blu Ray as Sony and thats all they needed to do. Sony fanboys are the WORST fanboys in the world. I'd rather be locked in a room with full on Trekkies for a day then an hour with a Sony loyalist.
Hey, it worked for Bush (liberals love terrorists!) why not making people buy unfinished HD formats.
Skyhawk: Blu Ray sold better because the player was there for all those Sony fanboys. If it was left up to just you and your clan to buy standalones and ONLY standalones, I don't care how many studios were in that boat, it'd be decisively in HD-DVDs favor. BUt FUDster and spinsters did a damn good job painting HD-DVD as Microsoft and Blu Ray as Sony and thats all they needed to do. Sony fanboys are the WORST fanboys in the world. I'd rather be locked in a room with full on Trekkies for a day then an hour with a Sony loyalist.
Hey, it worked for Bush (liberals love terrorists!) why not making people buy unfinished HD formats.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Member since:
October 2007
October 2007
JServo, I'm not sure if you answered my question. Are you saying that Blu-ray has sold more media over the last 13 months than HD DVD because of "Sony fanboys"? So what you're saying is that the general trend in media sales is due to some religious like devotion that the American population has to the Sony Japanese company, rather than the Toshiba Japanese company? Am I getting this right?
Friday, January 18, 2008
Member since:
October 2007
October 2007
it's extremely simple why blu-ray outsold HD... it's because the millions of playstation 3s sold as video game units also played blu ray discs. if you owned an HD tv and ps3 why wouldn't you buy some discs. i would. i own the HD player and i love it. But lets be realistic. the playstation 3 is a powerful tool to selling the blu ray. it was a smart move by sony and it has worked for them so far. i however, unlike most of you, dont believe that the end of HD is here yet. i think HD can probably last at least another year and hopefully by then force people to lose exclusives. its wishful thinking but hey i'm rooting for it to happen.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Member since:
December 2007
December 2007
Quote:
Sony fanboys are the WORST fanboys in the world. I'd rather be locked in a room with full on Trekkies for a day then an hour with a Sony loyalist.
I have an offer....
Friday, January 18, 2008
Member since:
September 2007
September 2007
-Sony sold better because of agressive ads,
-EXCLUSIVE STUDIOS, most of the shoot em up and popular titles by sony and fox, that apeal to your consumers, that we may not like.....
-and other dirty lies, cheats. like the best buy and blockbuster favoritism.. that employess would do and lie since the beggining, when both formats were early in accomplishments.
you take all that, and you feed it to Fanboys, and what do you get?
-EXCLUSIVE STUDIOS, most of the shoot em up and popular titles by sony and fox, that apeal to your consumers, that we may not like.....
-and other dirty lies, cheats. like the best buy and blockbuster favoritism.. that employess would do and lie since the beggining, when both formats were early in accomplishments.
you take all that, and you feed it to Fanboys, and what do you get?
