HD DVD is dead

[Luc214]

Very probably, what with Warner Bros going Blu Ray.

The split of content is probably about 70/30 now, in favor of Blu Ray.

Long live Blu Ray.

Discuss.

[Surtr]

Uhhhhh....Tbh I just buy the regular DVD...?

I don't get into any of these stuff?

[Let's Chop Cats!]

it will still exist for another few years so I don't even care.

[Kif]

Long live Blu-Ray? I wasn't aware it was even alive now.

[Gnarmageddon]

I'm still going to buy DVDs.

[YouGottaBeCrazy]

I'm still going to buy condoms.

[beans]

yeah i havnt bought any hdvd's or any bluray's yet so im in the clear

[Untitled]

Meh im not fussed either way.

except now we will get all the ps3 fanboys going on about how that has Bluray and the 360 dosnt.

[beans]

pshh i dont give a ****, the 'superior sound and picture quality' dont mean jack sh** to me, for real, that alone doesnt warrant the extra 10 bux they throw on the dvd. its retarded to be quite honest, the entire bluray vs hd dvd simply retarded

[Understanding In a Crash]

Long live Blu-Ray? I wasn't aware it was even alive now.

Really because it's not. Most people don't have Blu-Ray players and most people can't/don't want to afford Blu-Ray players. This will be a big stride though for them now.

[Crapdragoon]

who the hell is gonna pay 20 - 30 dollars for a ****in movie anyways?

[benfan]

I cant afford a decent HDtv atm let alone a Blu Ray player so im not too fussed right now.

Although this does mean my Brother is now thinking of buying a Ps3, so that will go nicely with my 360 *cue evil maniacle laughter*

[Jawaharal]

In my newspaper it said that they're going to stop making regular dvds anways. so were ****ed and going to have to buy and hd dvd and blu ray player

[Against Miik!]

Yeah I will continue buying regular DVDs for as long as possible. The only reason I want to see HD DVD overtake Blu Ray is because Xbox 360 runs HD DVD, and PS3 runs Blu Ray, and the Xbox is of course far superior in every other way to the PS3. But I know Blu Ray is a better technology, and if it can be cost effective, it will eventually come out on top, if things work out the way they are supposed to, which they sometimes don't.

[Kif]

In my newspaper it said that they're going to stop making regular dvds anways. so were ****ed and going to have to buy and hd dvd and blu ray player
Not a chance in hell. DVDs are cheaper to make, more guaranteed to sell than HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, and offer everything the average person needs to watch movies. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are for videophiles (Is that even the right word haha?).

[Aeaon]

Screw both of them. Love live DVDs.

[Aeaon]

In my newspaper it said that they're going to stop making regular dvds anways. so were ****ed and going to have to buy and hd dvd and blu ray player


Then the people who wrote that are full of ****. DVDs are still very popular and will be around for many years because they're cheap to make. Besides, both HD DVD and Blu Ray are selling far below expectations and will probably just die out like Laserdisc did.

[Akira]

HD DVD ftl.
Blu-Ray ftl.

DVDs are still win.

[beans]

HD DVD ftl.
Blu-Ray ftl.

DVDs are still win.

hell yeah

[YouGottaBeCrazy]

HD DVD and Blu Ray have no real purpose until every TV is in HD.

[Jawaharal]

Not a chance in hell. DVDs are cheaper to make, more guaranteed to sell than HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, and offer everything the average person needs to watch movies. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are for videophiles (Is that even the right word haha?).

Ya they're cheaper to make but if it catches on people won't care.
The HDTV is alot more expensive than a regular TV but more and more people are buying them. The HD-DVD does have a nicer picture and I buy them myself because I like the picture.

The article is probably crap tho, especially coming from a paper that puts stuff about housing renovations as front page news.

[BullDoG_37]

i'll prob still just download them both instead...

[Eliminator]

oooh blu-ray this sounds nice i'm going to pay double or trible the price for this

[Luc214]

I just found this out, apparently Paramount has a clause in its HD-DVD exclusivity agreement that allows it to back out if Warner sides with Blu-ray.

So we might see Paramount switch sides soon.

[FakePlasticTrees]

Who cares?

The only aspect of Blu-Ray that interests me is it's future in gaming.

[Amit]

HD DVD and Blu Ray have no real purpose until every TV is in HD.

i'm pretty sure that if the size of the market that has hd tvs exceeds the cost of production of media in these formats then they have a real purpose is a far more valid statement than "EVERY TV IS IN HD"

[DJ Ducksauce]

HD-DVD players are cheaper on the market atm and around here, they're generally more popular.

Until BRD players come down in price, I don't really see it totally trumping HD-DVD.


And pretty much every TV sold from now on will be HD, so HDTVs will be widespread within a few years. We're at like 34% already in the states I think.

[Incognito]

HD DVD ftl.
Blu-Ray ftl.

DVDs are still win.

A winner is you.

I agree 100%.

[DJ Ducksauce]

As long as I have my torrents, me=:D

[Kage]

I feel that both Blu Ray and HDDVD are just placeholders for the new real technology. It's not enough of a jump to take over like DVDs took over VHS a decade ago.

[YouGottaBeCrazy]

i'm pretty sure that if the size of the market that has hd tvs exceeds the cost of production of media in these formats then they have a real purpose is a far more valid statement than "EVERY TV IS IN HD"

i'm pretty sure you're wrong. no one wants an hddvd player or a blu ray player.

[DJ Ducksauce]

Really? A 3-5 time increase in data is quite a leap imo.

We don't even have the technology to fill up that much yet.

[Cocaine]

The resolution and lack of a necessary 4:3 pulldown with bluray/hddvd makes a huge difference.

I might grab a PS3 in the near future for BluRay support, since it's still the best bluray player on the market. I do think HD-DVD is starting to fade with Warner's announcement but don't count them out yet. As people have said, HD-DVD is much cheaper, but BluRay gets the jump with the disc size, allowing them to do cool **** like what they're doing with the new PiP on 1.1 firmware.

no one wants an hddvd player or a blu ray player.
I do, actually. I'm just not buying either during this ridiculous "war".

[Jonny]

I work in Blockbuster and 90% of my customers have no clue what Blu Ray is. They just rent stuff, bring it back and complain that it must be broken cos it doesn't work in their DVD player. ****ing 'tards.

This whole hi-def war really only matters to the studios who have to decide early so they can brag about being right, and nerds who think the whole thing is bigger than it is.

See, when we switched from VHS to DVD it was great. DVD's are slimmer, easier to store and look better on your shelves. DVD's have menus allowing you to have bonus features and stuff in addition to the main film. DVD's eliminate the need for fast forwarding and rewinding. Oh yes, and ON TOP of all that, DVD's have a sharper picture and better sound quality than videos. They were great.

Now, what massive amazing advantages do Blu Ray or HD DVD offer apart from the better picture and sound quality? What else is going to make people think ''hmmm... DVD's are soooo dated now, this new thing is amazing!''? Because to be honest, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

[planewreck]

The only reason I even consider getting HD anything now is because our TV is. We just need a HD-DVD player because all we have now is the PS2 hooked up to HD TV, which, of course, is fail.

[Kif]

If you have to pick one or the other, and DVD isn't an option, I'd still go with HD-DVD. HD-DVD isn't region locked and Blu-Ray is, the extra space on Blu-Ray for a movie is uneccessary, and both use the same codec so the movies look exactly the same on both format. I still don't get why people think Blu-Ray is for some reason better.

But this whole argument is useless. It's like picking between cat **** and dog ****.

[Cocaine]

Picture and sound quality make a huge difference. It's just really early still. How many people bought DVD players within the first year or two of DVD coming out?

Blockbuster just signed BluRay exclusivity which gives the edge to BluRay there. It's not that BluRays are dated, it's that with new TVs you want something that takes advantage of them. I know I didn't buy an HDTV to upconvert DVDs, and it does make a difference when you watch HD content versus SD upconverted stuff.

It's just early. Only the diehards and overly wealthy buy heavily into technology this early. Doesn't make it futile.

[Amit]

Now, what massive amazing advantages do Blu Ray or HD DVD offer apart from the better picture and sound quality?

hmm now what massive amazing advantages does the car offer compared to the horse apart from the better range and speeds

[Cocaine]

I still don't get why people think Blu-Ray is for some reason better.

But this whole argument is useless. It's like picking between cat **** and dog ****.
I don't really think either is better, I'm siding with whoever has the biggest backing. Sadly, region coding means a bigger backing 99.9% of the time.

[Jonny]

hmm now what massive amazing advantages does the car offer compared to the horse apart from the better range and speeds
Seriously?

Think about that for a second.

[YouGottaBeCrazy]

I do, actually. I'm just not buying either during this ridiculous "war".

That's what I meant.

[DJ Ducksauce]

I can't wait for laser projection TVs and OLEDs come out though.

HD will be amazing by then.

[Cocaine]

OLED's will be insanely expensive and small for a few years. HD is already amazing.

[Kage]

Seriously?

Think about that for a second.

Amit's really good at bringing up absurd analogies.

[Der Übermensch]

Warner Went Blu-Ray!? HORRAY!!! I have been waiting to hear that for ages!

[DJ Ducksauce]

OLED's will be insanely expensive and small for a few years. HD is already amazing.

Yeah, I saw a picture of the first one being released in Japan. It was going for near $1800 for an 11" screen. But just wait a bit.

And yes it is, I meant amazing-er(I make up words). :p

[Cocaine]

It really is unreal though, the response time is measured in microseconds and the screens are only a few mm thick.

[DJ Ducksauce]

I know. So maybe by the time I'm done with college and actually have a job, I may be able to afford one haha.

[Kif]

I don't really think either is better, I'm siding with whoever has the biggest backing. Sadly, region coding means a bigger backing 99.9% of the time.
Sadly, but DVD's region locks were broken, so it will surely happen with Blu-Ray. Oh well, I can always watch my HD movies on my 360 on the cheap while others buy their Blu-Rays and HD-DVDs for twice the cost of a DVD.

[Amit]

Seriously?

Think about that for a second.

what

[Cocaine]

Sadly, but DVD's region locks were broken, so it will surely happen with Blu-Ray. Oh well, I can always watch my HD movies on my 360 on the cheap while others buy their Blu-Rays and HD-DVDs for twice the cost of a DVD.

Basically that's all I'm doing. But I'm hearing that the PS3 is still actually the best reviewed BluRay player so if BluRay does keep taking off I know where to go. I get an average gaming system and a solid bluray player for the cost of a regular bluray player.

[Kif]

Basically that's all I'm doing. But I'm hearing that the PS3 is still actually the best reviewed BluRay player so if BluRay does keep taking off I know where to go. I get an average gaming system and a solid bluray player for the cost of a regular bluray player.
I think when one of the two formats really take off, the individual players will be a lot cheaper then anyway. Even if I do side with one, it won't be any time soon. I'd still rather support legal HD downloads than Blu-Ray or HD-DVD at the moment.

[Der Übermensch]

I think something no one takes into consideration here is that HD-DVD and Blu-ray aren't like VHS and Betamax. They aren't different in their outward physicality. Joint players are already on the market, and may very well become the norm in the future, something that due to the shape of the respective cartridges, couldn't be reasonably done in the last "format" war.

[Rams]

I think something no one takes into consideration here is that HD-DVD and Blu-ray aren't like VHS and Betamax. They aren't different in their outward physicality. Joint players are already on the market, and may very well become the norm in the future, something that due to the shape of the respective cartridges, couldn't be reasonably done in the last "format" war.

Did you miss the part of the thread where people said the exact same thing?

No one outside of nerds really care. As long as they get to watch their videos, they are happy.

[Luc214]

I work in Blockbuster and 90% of my customers have no clue what Blu Ray is. They just rent stuff, bring it back and complain that it must be broken cos it doesn't work in their DVD player. ****ing 'tards.

This whole hi-def war really only matters to the studios who have to decide early so they can brag about being right, and nerds who think the whole thing is bigger than it is.

See, when we switched from VHS to DVD it was great. DVD's are slimmer, easier to store and look better on your shelves. DVD's have menus allowing you to have bonus features and stuff in addition to the main film. DVD's eliminate the need for fast forwarding and rewinding. Oh yes, and ON TOP of all that, DVD's have a sharper picture and better sound quality than videos. They were great.

Now, what massive amazing advantages do Blu Ray or HD DVD offer apart from the better picture and sound quality? What else is going to make people think ''hmmm... DVD's are soooo dated now, this new thing is amazing!''? Because to be honest, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

True true.

It's the people that can tell the difference between Klipsch and RCA that will invest in hi def.

I doubt regular DVDs are going anywhere for a long time.

I still don't get why people think Blu-Ray is for some reason better.

Blu-ray has higher capacities and because of that uses uncompressed audio.

[Kif]

Blu-ray has higher capacities and because of that uses uncompressed audio.
Loseless audio fits fine on a HD-DVD.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Quality wise HDDVD and BR are equal since they use the same codecs. The reason why most studios have chosen BR is because it offers tighter control over the format through regions and installing software when played on a computer.

[bradc1988]

Bluray is good for the future of gaming, but other than that idc.

As long as rips are released as 700mb or 1.4gb avis I am happy.

[Zakath]

I haven't bought or rented a DVD in ages. I couldn't care less!

[Luc214]

Loseless audio fits fine on a HD-DVD.

That's not what I heard. :\

[Amit]

uhhhhhh

are you retarded

or am i totally misunderstanding what's going on

[Kif]

That's not what I heard. :\
From who?

[DJ Ducksauce]

A Sony fanboy?

[Luc214]

haha, possibly.

[Understanding In a Crash]

HD DVD and Blu Ray have no real purpose until every TV is in HD.
Unfournately in the fake world most TV's are now.

[Cocaine]

Bluray is good for the future of gaming, but other than that idc.

As long as rips are released as 700mb or 1.4gb avis I am happy.

Ripping HD to something that small = pretty shitty. You can get a decent HD rip at 1.4 if you're willing to sit through a 40 hour conversion but most HD movies I've grabbed are between 4-10GB.

[DJ Ducksauce]

Where do you generally get your HD movies from?

[bradc1988]

Ripping HD to something that small = pretty poopty. You can get a decent HD rip at 1.4 if you're willing to sit through a 40 hour conversion but most HD movies I've grabbed are between 4-10GB.

Well if that happens I'll only be able to get like 2 movies a month.

But perhaps the scene will develop with technology and my bandwidth gets a whole lot bigger.

[Cocaine]

Well if that happens I'll only be able to get like 2 movies a month.

But perhaps the scene will develop with technology and my bandwidth gets a whole lot bigger.

actually the first HD-DVD rip (Serenity, I think) was around 25GB. The one I grabbed was 7, so it has come a long way.

Where do you generally get your HD movies from?

Wherever I can. SceneHD, Torrent Damage, PirateBay, honestly I take what I can get. So few trackers respond well to my ISP.

[DJ Ducksauce]

Ah I see. Thought you might have some sort of private tracker.

I need to get some HD movies once I get a new HDD.

[Luc214]

Would downloaded HD movies considering they're not on a disc play on a regular PC?

[Cocaine]

Thought you might have some sort of private tracker.
Well Torrent Damage and SceneHD are semi-private, they open up a lot.

Would downloaded HD movies considering they're not on a disc play on a regular PC?
Could you rephrase the question?

[CrazyJoe]

They do, it's not worth it if you don't have an HDTV of some sort.

[Luc214]

Tyler, can any PC play downloaded HD content or do you need "special" hardware/software.

[Cocaine]

Nah your PC can play it. You just need a relatively decent monitor to do it justice. Your computer has to be halfway decent to play it.

I use MediaPlayerClassic to test out my HD stuff before I stream it to my 360. VLC crashes with some HD content for some reason.

[Luc214]

Cool, when I build my new system I'll probably download an HD movie to show it off.

I'll have a nice 22" LCD monitor at 1650x1080 res which is pretty near full HD.

300 in HD... wow.

[Cocaine]

It pretty much is. Not that there's a major difference between 720 and 1080 at 22".

[Luc214]

Yeah.

Oh man I was in Best Buy the other day, and they had Spiderman 3 in HD playing on a Sharp 65" screen. The image was orgasmic.

[Cocaine]

My dream TV would be a Pioneer. I have a 40" Bravia and it's really tasty though. Not full 1080 because I opted for a 120hz tv instead.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

A lot of HD files are .mkv so download this codec if you wanna play it in WMP (works fine for me).
http://www.cccp-project.net/
thats the only codec I even bother to install for video.

[J Rad]

I can't afford an HD TV or a Blu Ray player so HD DVD dying means nothing to me.

[beans]

I can't afford an HD TV or a Blu Ray player so HD DVD dying means nothing to me.

true dat

[telemore]

NOOOOOI just bought a HD DVD player ugh

[Let's Chop Cats!]

return it or keep it as an upscaling player.

[telemore]

i've already made a bong out of it

[Cocaine]

weed probably rules in full 1080p

[Against Miik!]

weed probably rules in full 1080p

and 1080p probably rules on weed. thats how the universe works you know

[Who's the Boss?]

by the time HD DVD truly dies, blu ray players will be cheap anyway. Rent movies though, don't buy. :cool:

I was pulling for HD DVD because I use my PC to play movies on my projector. I have a 360 HD DVD player connected to my pc so I just rip movies to the HDD with it. I would have been all set up but now I have to buy a blu ray drive eventually.

Oh well hddvd and bluray torrents ftw. :chug:

[TojesDolan]

guys

remember beta?

ok

[Luc214]

guys

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/af/HighDefShare.svg/450px-HighDefShare.svg.png

And Paramount can back out of their contract.

:rolleyes:

Betamax failed as a result of bad marketing, something which Sony is definitely remedying this time around. I see many more Blu ray ads than HD DVD ones.

[Cocaine]

That pie chart doesn't cover studios that support both though. BluRay is winning because it's harder to rip (ie: more expensive to rip) and has **** like region coding to keep making these studios money. HDDVD is too cost effective for the consumer.

[Luc214]

I figured "other" counted for the neutral ones.

And these are the major studios.

[Cocaine]

I thought some major studios were still releasing certain movies on both.

[Luc214]

Naw, I believe Warner was the last major neutral studio.

[Cocaine]

Almost as soon as they surfaced, rumors that Paramount was abandoning the HD DVD format in favor of Blu-ray have been refuted -- by Paramount.

A Tuesday article in the Financial Times, citing unidentified sources, claimed that a clause in Paramount's contract with the HD DVD Promotion Group allows the studio to switch to Blu-ray if Warner Bros. does it first -- and since Warners did exactly that a few days ago, Paramount would have been theoretically poised to follow suit (and drive what would have been presumably the final nail in HD DVD's coffin).

The only problem? The report isn't true. Later in the day, Bloomberg published the following terse rebuttal from Paramount spokeswoman Brenda Ciccone:

Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format.

"Current plan" is the corporate equivalent of crossing your fingers behind your back when making a promise, but still -- it seems like you can hold off turning those HD DVD players into giant paperweights. For now.

mhm

[Luc214]

Even if Paramount can't back out of their contract like it was reported, and even if they're still supporting HD DVD, Blu ray still holds the majority of content and support.

[Pastorius]

Aren't Blu-Ray refusing to let pron films be made in Blu-Ray? I heard that would be a killer blow, isn't it the biggest selling area of DVD's or something, I don't know.

[DJ Ducksauce]

HDDVD is too cost effective for the consumer.

Which is why I like it so much. :(

And yeah, pron was a big issue in the war a few months earlier.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Porn is hardly an issue this go around.

[Cocaine]

Aren't Blu-Ray refusing to let pron films be made in Blu-Ray? I heard that would be a killer blow, isn't it the biggest selling area of DVD's or something, I don't know.

Nah, actually, Digital Playground (partially responsible for Pirates!, one of the biggest pr0nz ever) recently signed.

The format drama continues! Adult video maker Digital Playground initially picked HD DVD for its new format, but now is supporting both HD DVD and Blu-ray "until there is a clear-cut winner," says company founder Joone. This February will see eight Digital Playground titles on Blu-ray.

Also:
http://kotaku.com/343170/hd-dvd-exclusive-transformers-running-on-ps3

[beans]

ive seen the actual movie in the crazy sex shop i go into once and a while and its like a 3 disc set, with the movie in both dvd and hd dvd formats, its kinda funny to see for some p0rn film, lol

[DanD]

don't forget Island Fever 3 and Island Fever 4!

[beans]

haha no sh*t

[Cocaine]

ive seen the actual movie in the crazy sex shop i go into once and a while and its like a 3 disc set, with the movie in both dvd and hd dvd formats, its kinda funny to see for some p0rn film, lol

It's not that weird considering Pirates was so expensive two studios had to work together to make it. They considered editing out the explicit sex-scenes and releasing it as a real film before they realized it was terrible.

[beans]

It's not that weird considering Pirates was so expensive two studios had to work together to make it. They considered editing out the explicit sex-scenes and releasing it as a real film before they realized it was terrible.

haha that would've been the worst 'real' studio production that wouldve ever been released. it is kidna funny at times though. just cause its so stupid.

[DanD]

It's not that weird considering Pirates was so expensive two studios had to work together to make it. They considered editing out the explicit sex-scenes and releasing it as a real film before they realized it was terrible.

actually they did do that

you can rent it at blockbuster :/

[Cocaine]

oh wow then never mind. hilarious.

[Luc214]

hah wtf

[beans]

you for real? you can seriously rent that movie at a honest family video renting establishment? thats just stupid...

[Luc214]

omg! you can seriously rent Irreversible at an honest family video renting establishment?!?!

[beans]

omg! you can seriously rent Irreversible at an honest family video renting establishment?!?!

wtf? and wtf is irreversible?

[FakePlasticTrees]

pron, or so I assume.

[Meatplow]

Pirates is bad, but not so bad its good :(

Porn without plotlines and epic production thankyou.

omg! you can seriously rent Irreversible at an honest family video renting establishment?!?!

umm why did you namedrop Irreversible in this context I am baffled?

[Der Übermensch]

It's not that weird considering Pirates was so expensive two studios had to work together to make it. They considered editing out the explicit sex-scenes and releasing it as a real film before they realized it was terrible.

I think the fact that Caligula completly bombed when they tried that - and it was a half decent movie - might also have been part of the thinking there,

[DanD]

umm why did you namedrop Irreversible in this context I am baffled?

i think that he was implying that Irreversible is a pretty extreme film, especially for it to be available at blockbuster

idk


Also, I never actually watched Pirates, I just skipped to all of the sex

[Luc214]

i think that he was implying that Irreversible is a pretty extreme film, especially for it to be available at blockbuster

Pretty much.

[Der Übermensch]

Also, I never actually watched Pirates, I just skipped to all of the sex

Same... Not that great in that respect either I thought...
there must be SOMEONE out there who actually knows what its about though...

[FakePlasticTrees]

I think everyone skips to the sex scenes. After all, who watches pron for it's story, or lack thereof?

[DanD]

Same... Not that great in that respect either I thought...
there must be SOMEONE out there who actually knows what its about though...

from what i can there are a bunch of horny pirates, a few of which may have some std's judging by the condom use

evan stone plows some babes because, well, that's just how he rolls

the bad pirates (i think they're bad) are just as horny as the good ones

jesse jane lezes out

stuff, stuff, bad cgi, stuff

[beans]

I think everyone skips to the sex scenes. After all, who watches pron for it's story, or lack thereof?

there's gotta be some people cause they keep making them.

[Der Übermensch]

Well, as I pointed out slightly higher up, I watched Caligula end to end.

O, and I watched most of The Opening of Misty Beethoven (actually quite interesting, given the level of honest attempt at being artistic in it).

But other than that, yeah, its pointless...

there's gotta be some people cause they keep making them.
I'm pretty sure the inclusion of a "story" is so we can attempt to trick our gf's into watching it with us...

[beans]

I'm pretty sure the inclusion of a "story" is so we can attempt to trick our gf's into watching it with us...

lmao thats awesome. we say pirates and they think we mean pirates of the carribean....truth be told..... :naughty:

[Cocaine]

it was my then gfs idea to watch it actually

[Der Übermensch]

It's always better when its their idea.

[beans]

yeah it makes for a much more interesting night

[Der Übermensch]

To say the least ;)

[Cocaine]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978760.html?categoryid=20&cs=1

Daily Variety has confirmed that Universal's commitment to backing HD DVD exclusively has ended. And Paramount has an escape clause in its HD DVD contract allowing it to release pics on Blu-ray after Warner Bros.' decision to back that format exclusively.
More than one option

* (Co) Daily Variety
Filmography, Year, Role
* (Co) Daily Variety

Neither studio is ready to throw in the towel immediately, however. On Thursday, Universal broke its silence about the matter to say that it plans to keep supporting the format for the time being, a pledge Par made earlier in the week. And in any case, U is committed to a series of HD DVD promotions in coming months.

Should Toshiba concede defeat on the format, the decision to drop HD DVD would be made for both studios. But Toshiba doesn't appear ready to do that. At the Consumer Electronics Show, the manufacturer reaffirmed its commitment to the format, noting strong sales during the fourth quarter and indicating it would continue marketing its hardware through 2008.

But retailers may force the HD DVD camp's hand: They're unlikely to keep devoting premium shelf space to a dying format, and at this point, the odds are not in HD DVD's favor. With Warners' defection, only Par and U remain in the HD DVD camp; Sony, Disney, Fox, Lionsgate remain ardent Blu-ray backers. Warner sister companies New Line and HBO are also shifting allegiance to Blu-ray.

Last summer, Blockbuster also threw its weight behind Blu-ray, though some HD DVD discs remain in stores.

And Warner will continue to release HD DVD discs for the next few months to honor its previous commitment to Toshiba, which extends through May 31. Paramount's HD DVD deal, which covers DreamWorks releases, was to run through this year.

[beans]

well there hd dvd goes...not like it matterd to me