Looks like Universal may take longer to roll out BR...

According to DB:

All that's left now IS for Toshiba to make an official statement, followed (or perhaps preceded) by long-awaited announcements of Blu-ray Disc support from Universal and Paramount, which we now expect very soon. Word is that Paramount will be able to quickly shift gears back to Blu-ray, as they already have experience working with the format (and some unreleased BD titles have already been replicated - think the titles that were cancelled last year at the last minute when the studio abandoned Blu-ray - or at least have finished masters ready for replication). Universal on the other hand, will take longer to ramp up, as they're at least two years behind the other Hollywood studios in working with the format (though one would expect the BDA to provide them help in getting up to speed as quickly as possible).


My question is, being that far behind, how long can we expect before we see their first BR releases??? I hope it is not that long because I am ready to start buying some titles on BR from them. Especially all the Monster Films!!!

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Universal on the other hand, will take longer to ramp up, as they're at least two years behind the other Hollywood studios in working with the format

Hilarious.

I't wont take them two years. Still funny to see that in print.

Considering that at worst all Universal would have to do is simply port their encode over to the Blu-Ray's like WB used to do. I really don't see it taking two years. I wouldn't expect much from the first batch they'll probably be the exact same discs as their HD-DVD counterparts to save time.

[Post edited by Movielover316 on Feb 16, 2008]

Please Universal, don't give us HD port-overs on BD! Well, maybe with the exception of a few titles, but too many Universal HD DVD releases were sub par. Go ahead and take all the time you need to ensure all of your upcoming Blu-ray releases will be top notch. Many thanks.

I doubt the'll take too long, perhaps they could even sub-lease another studio's pressing factory to come out with movies while they set up their own BD presses. Anything is possible in Hollywood.

With an already installed base of over 1 million HD DVD players out there, I would expect Universal and Paramount to first go Format-Neutral, to continue to reap profits from existing HD DVD equipment owners, while they work towards deploying Blu Ray.

They probably will help to bring Dual-Format players into the mainstream with this process, and in doing so they will help heal some of the wounds inflicted by either side of the battle.

Universal has already gone to prefer the DVD/HD DVD "Combo-Disc" market, so they can market to existing DVD buyers, HD-DVD buyers, and probably in a years time to Blu Ray buyers.

We may even see odd format combos released such as SD DVD/Blu Ray, or HD DVD/Blu Ray in the interim time frame.

Toshiba has still not made a formal press release as to their "official" position, but if they have just ceased production of HD DVD players, there could still be many hundreds of thousands of HD DVD players in shipment or storage.

With the suggestion that Disney and Fox were considering following Warner to HD DVD exclusivity, with a last moment political ploy by $ony throwing a wrench into the deal, Toshiba may have been ramping up production late last year to meet what would have been an overwhelming demand for HD DVD players.

Could there possibly be close to 1 million yet unsold HD DVD players in existence???

If Toshiba realizing their already existing losses, decided to dump them onto the consumer market to recover only a mere 10 Cents on the Dollar, even sold as primary up-converting players, with the HD DVD as an unintended bonus, how much could that destabilize the HDM marketplace, possibly even causing a major resurgence in HD DVD sales as well???

I still am anxiously awaiting Toshiba's official statements, as well as the HD DVD exclusive studio camp spin on all of this.

From Microsoft as well, because they stand to loose heavily from their HDi investment in HD DVD.

Maybe this isn't over quite yet, it should be a very interesting week that we are heading into...

Especially since UPS tracking shows my PS3 will be returning home from the repair shop on Tuesday...

[Post edited by VideoCipher on Feb 17, 2008]

Interesting take videocipher,

I think we can be sure that Toshiba, Universal and paramount are going to take which ever path they feel will yield the highest profits.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see some sort of statement that universal/paramount are going neutral for some set time, possibly till the end of 2008.

It really all depends on what toshiba does this week. IF they do release a statement echoing what we have all read so far, they still are open for business in a way. What will likely happen is this: Toshiba will start to market their players as Up converters with the bonus of HD dvd capability. Universal and paramount will go neutral and continue to pump out limited quantities of hddvd new titles.

It also depends though, on what the retail stores are doing. At this point I think its fair to say they are predominantly blu-ray.

I think we can be sure that toshiba will leave the door open for the future in some small way. I doubt we will see "pack it up hddvd users we're out of here!" They will want to pawn off their, now obsolete, stock in what ever way possible. So i expect a vague announcement with some positive spin about the future.

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I think we can be sure that Toshiba, Universal and paramount are going to take which ever path they feel will yield the highest profits.

Intelligent companies NEVER turn their back on easy money.

With 1 million HD DVD players in consumer living rooms, if each HD DVD player owner buys only 1 HD DVD title again, that is $15 to $30 million dollars in the studios pockets

Just ignore all of the HD DVD nutcases that have purchased thousands of dollars in HD DVD's in the recent months.

Oh wait, you can't actually ignore that fact.

So what's any major picture studio to do now...

[Post edited by VideoCipher on Feb 17, 2008]

You know VideoCipher I read a little while back that WB actually had plans to put out discs in BOTH formats with Blu Ray being on one side of the disc and HD DVD on the other side. Of course this was before they announced the switch to BD.
I wish I could find that story but I can't remember where I read it.

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You know VideoCipher I read a little while back that WB actually had plans to put out discs in BOTH formats with Blu Ray being on one side of the disc and HD DVD on the other side. Of course this was before they announced the switch to BD.
I wish I could find that story but I can't remember where I read it.

It was called Total HD, but WB decided against releasing it about a year ago.