Browse by topic

News

Studio executives argue merits of hi-def formats on Wall Street

19 September 2007 7:02 by Rich "vurbal" Fiscus | 20 comments

Contreversial News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch commented on Paramount's decision to support HD DVD exclusively after previously offering both HD DVD and Blu-ray releases, saying "Paramount switched out the other day. God knows why." However, he followed that by saying he did actually know why, and that it was because Paramount and Dreamworks SKG were paid a total of $150 million.

Entertainment industry executives representing studios backing each format were at the New York investor conference. While Disney CEO Robert Iger said "We haven't taken any money (to choose Blu-ray) because we think it's far and away the best business," Viacom's Philippe Dauman defended Paramount's decision, saying it makes more sense financially to back a single format, and HD DVD's lower priced players were behind the decision. He wouldn't comment on allegations of a payoff from HD DVD backers.

Later in the day Richard Parsons, CEO of Time Warner, explained his company's decision to support both formats by saying "The consumer doesn't care about the format." He says Warner is simply interested in reaching customers, and he doesn't believe it's clear which format will win.

Iger disagrees, saying "The public is going to want Blu-ray. The public can tell the difference."

Sources:
Forbes
Variety

Permalink to this article

As HD DVD/Blu-ray backers declare victory, HDTV owners yawn (22 September 2007)

Toshiba HD DVD players to sport new HDi logo (20 September 2007)

UK analysts predict no end in hi-def format war in sight (17 September 2007)

Warner still not picking a side in the hi-def format war (12 September 2007)

HD DVD vendors drop prices in Europe (1 September 2007)

Industry analyst still predicts Blu-ray win in format war (23 August 2007)

Paramount picks HD DVD in format war - again (20 August 2007)

Analysts doubt outcome to hi-def format war this year (14 August 2007)

« Previous news article
Apple is first to face European Commision after Microsoft defeat

Next news article »
iPhone finally heading to Germany

Post your comment

Discuss this article!
nobrainer (Inactive) 19 September 2007 7:44
*Quote:* Iger disagrees, saying "The public is going to want Blu-ray. The public can tell the difference." what exactly does that mean, other than the price the picyure quality is exactly the same, well unless you are purchasing a blu-ray that is still encoded in the inferior mpeg2 codec as most of sony's releases are! *Quote:* http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=7 Black Hawk Down (Blu-ray) Sony Pictures \| 2001 \| 144 mins \| Rated R \| Nov 14, 2006 Video Video codec: MPEG-2 Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 Audio English: PCM 5.1 English: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Digital 5.1 http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=351 A Few Good Men (Blu-ray) Sony Pictures \| 1992 \| 138 mins \| Rated R \| Sep 18, 2007 Video Video codec: MPEG-2 Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Audio English: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit) English: Dolby Digital 5.1 German: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit) German: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Digital 5.1 http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=116 50 First Dates (Blu-ray) Sony Pictures \| 2004 \| 99 mins \| Rated PG-13 \| Jun 20, 2006 Video Video codec: MPEG-2 Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 Audio English: PCM 5.1 English: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Digital 5.1 http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=464 Arlington Road (Blu-ray) Sony Pictures \| 1999 \| 118 mins \| Rated R \| Aug 07, 2007 Video Video codec: MPEG-2 Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 Audio English: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit) English: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Digital 5.1 i'm sure you get the point, look through the releases and you will see that over 80% of the sony blu-ray's are in mpeg2 not mpeg4 or vc1, which are both far superior, so i guess yet the public can tell the difference! Track What Companies Have Edited Wiki http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/ (very heavy load atm) [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19 September 2007 7:51
hughjars (Inactive) 19 September 2007 8:30
Well there you go, if Rupert Murdock is backing Blu-ray you can be sure it's worth steering well clear of. Blu-ray is a vehicle for new layers of DRM (which HD DVD does not have btw) from the people who brought you covert illegal 'root kits'.....God only knows what they have in store if Blu-ray were (God forbid) to actually 'win' this so-called 'format war'. No wonder the likes of Murdock want it to succeed. The Blu-ray side have done nothing but lie and twist this whole thing.....they claim the public can tell the difference? Yeah of course they can, when informed & given the chance to. Blu-ray is far more expensive than HD DVD (the entry level HD DVD player is currently $210 and soon to fall to $149.....the entry level Blu-ray player - PS3 or Sony S300 - is the cost of a high-end Toshiba HD XA2 HD DVD player). HD DVD is often the superior of the 2, by some way in both image & audio quality and HD DVD also offer the largest amount of available content, exclusive content and potential content. The majority of Blu-ray releases are on 25gb Blu-ray discs and done using the ancient MPEG2 codec. 184 BD25 - 125 BD50. 152 MPEG2 v 83 AVC v 77 VC-1 http://www.blu-raystats.com/index.php (note this figures have yet to be updated to remove Viacom/Paramount) [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19 September 2007 8:37
plutonash (Member) 19 September 2007 9:09
Rupert Murdoch is one of the most hated persons alive. Score one for HD-DVD [ + quote]
DVDdoug (Junior Member) 19 September 2007 10:25
*Quote:* ...well unless you are purchasing a blu-ray that is still encoded in the inferior mpeg2 codec... sony blu-ray's are in mpeg2 not mpeg4 or vc1, which are both far superior... I believe this is true only at low bitrates. Clearly, a 1000kbps MPEG-4 can be better than a 1000kbps MPEG-2. But, with a high-capacity disc there is no reason to use an excessive amount of compression. Of course, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD MPEG-2 uses higher bitrates (and higher resolution) than SD MPEG-2. In fact, most MPEG-4s (i.e. downloads) are less than DVD-quality. This is because a downloaded MPEG-4 is around 1000 kbps, compared to a commercial DVD at around 5000kbps. (And the download was probably re-coded from a DVD.) The point is, that the picture quality of MPEG-2 is not always inferior to MPEG-4, VC1, H.264, or any of the other more advanced codecs. There are too many other factors! With less compression (lower bitrates and bigger files) the actual compression scheme becomes less important. The whole idea behind Blu-Ray and HD-DVD is to use more data (higher resolution & higher bitrate) and less compression. [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19 September 2007 10:42
wolf123 (Member) 19 September 2007 10:29
So you people would rather see HD-DVD then BD disk "Win". O if HD does win that means that PS3 is doomed not that it is already but still it is doomed more. Well this what I say we all just buy regular dvd for a few more years and then when they drop prices of hd disk that are 25 dollars for 1 or 2 disk. Not even worth the effort right now. Whats the point till everyone has too switch too hd sets anyway won't make one bit of difference. until someone comes up with a way too countermand DVD ripping then who cares. I think I will wait till the new generation come out that will hold 200gig. [ + quote]
DVDdoug (Junior Member) 19 September 2007 10:39
*Originally posted by plutonash:* Rupert Murdoch is one of the most hated persons alive. Score one for HD-DVD ...And, one of the most successful persons alive! I don't recommend betting against someone just because you dislike him/her... Of course, you don't loose anything by rooting against him! [ + quote]
nobrainer (Inactive) 19 September 2007 10:49
*Originally posted by DVDdoug:* *Originally posted by plutonash:* Rupert Murdoch is one of the most hated persons alive. Score one for HD-DVD ...And, one of the most successful persons alive! I don't recommend betting against someone just because you dislike him/her... Of course, you don't loose anything by rooting against him! with all the questionable recent accounts of the american neo-con government and Mr Murdoch's involvement, i think his influence is starting to slip! http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUST10757920070915 *Quote:* TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) is in talks to sell its production facilities for advanced microchips used in its PlayStation 3 game console to Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research), sources close to the matter said. this sale if true does not bode well for the blu-ray or ps3. re: format war. neither format will win as there will be a new, better and cheaper format in 3 or so years when ppl are ready for the switch! Track What Companies Have Edited Wiki http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/ (very heavy load atm) [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19 September 2007 10:50
DVDdoug (Junior Member) 19 September 2007 10:50
*Quote:* O if HD does win that means that PS3 is doomed not that it is already but still it is doomed more. By the time there is a "winner", and one of these formats is dead (if ever)it will probably be a PS4 or PS5! [ + quote]
nobrainer (Inactive) 19 September 2007 11:01
*Originally posted by DVDdoug :* *Quote:* O if HD does win that means that PS3 is doomed not that it is already but still it is doomed more. By the time there is a "winner", and one of these formats is dead (if ever)it will probably be a PS4 or PS5! sorry for the long read. http://www.hdgamenews.com/2007/09/playst...ly-exiting.html *Originally posted by link:* Playstation 4: Is Sony quietly exiting the console race? Wednesday Sony may be ever so quietly exiting the console race according to some recently released financial data. ( Raw financial data often more than not is a primary indicator, long before mainstream media gets the news, of a company's projected road map. ) According to recent reports TOKYO (Nikkei)--Sony Corp. (6758.TO) shares have fallen 26% since hitting a year-to-date high in late May, as investors have become wary of the company's inward-looking business stance, The Nikkei Financial Daily reported in its Wednesday edition. Sony's stock ended lower Tuesday, with reports that it plans to sell a cutting-edge chipmaking facility to Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO) as early as next spring failing to impress investors. According to news reports, Sony plans to sell manufacturing lines that make the Cell processor to Toshiba for slightly less than Y100 billion. The move follows Sony's announcement last year that it intends to reduce spending on the next-generation chip to succeed the Cell, which is used in Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s PlayStation 3 video game console. Under a strategy of selectively consolidating its semiconductor operations,Sony plans to beef up its image sensor business while jettisoning the Cell. "All we've heard from Sony recently are plans to quit something," said Eiichi Katayama, an analyst at Nomura Securities Co. "The company hasn't presented us with any new growth strategies." What does all this mean in English? It means that Sony for some reason or another will be selling the manufacturing lines that make the cell chip. However the biggest nugget of information to take away from this post is that Sony is now reducing its spending on the "next generation chip that will succeed the Cell presumably for Playstation 4. With the added competition that Sony now has in Microsoft and Nintendo, the last thing in world Sony would want to do is be technologically behind it competitors on the next hardware cycle unless planning to bow out of the hardware race. Sony may be looking to pull a Sega and go multi-platform software only. Is this the first signs that the Playstation Brand is on its way out? Only time will tell for sure. [ + quote]
BIGnewb (Inactive) 19 September 2007 11:22
*Originally posted by wolf123:* So you people would rather see HD-DVD then BD disk "Win". O if HD does win that means that PS3 is doomed not that it is already but still it is doomed more. Well this what I say we all just buy regular dvd for a few more years and then when they drop prices of hd disk that are 25 dollars for 1 or 2 disk. Not even worth the effort right now. Whats the point till everyone has too switch too hd sets anyway won't make one bit of difference. until someone comes up with a way too countermand DVD ripping then who cares. I think I will wait till the new generation come out that will hold 200gig. not really.blu-ray is just integrated but games will continue to be produced on blu-ray unlike dual layer dvds.but hd-dvd or blu-ray is a tough decision.dont forget that another format came out vmd i think so the outcome isnt even close.blu-ray's specs are better but hd dvd is nicely priced and vmd well i dont know crap about it.so it looks like there wont be an outcome anytime soon so no need to even make predictions. [ + quote]
morguex (Inactive) 19 September 2007 12:15
Rupert Murdoch is a Neoconservative and a Bush supporter-enough said. Too much money makes a person evil, souless and blind to the truth. Peace all [ + quote]
nobrainer (Inactive) 19 September 2007 13:03
*Originally posted by BIGnewb :* not really.blu-ray is just integrated but games will continue to be produced on blu-ray unlike dual layer dvds.but hd-dvd or blu-ray is a tough decision.dont forget that another format came out vmd i think so the outcome isnt even close.blu-ray's specs are better but hd dvd is nicely priced and vmd well i dont know crap about it.so it looks like there wont be an outcome anytime soon so no need to even make predictions. Other than the capacity, what's the better spec exactly? btw blu-ray BD+ DRM, is not a benefit to the consumer, its anti consumer lockdown and surveillance on usage, so please don't count this as "better spec"! as a foot note fox media(R Murdoch) was holding off the hd-def format until this drm was implemented on blu-ray discs. limitless power given to studios in the name of copywrite is not a good thing! http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...rtifies-bd.html *Originally posted by ars link:* More worrying than a resolution of the high-definition format wars, however, is what studios might want to do with the additional powers that BD+ provides them. The ability to run any sort of code in the name of "advanced countermeasures" also brings the power to limit content by other means: timed-release and expiring discs are just some of the possibilities. Somewhere, the ghost of the original DiVX may be laughing. then you have companies like Cryptography Research Inc working on blu-ray bd+ and we know that they are just out to screw over the consumers don't we! http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...cartridges.html *Originally posted by ars link:* The razor blade magnate King C. Gillette was alleged to have said that he would give away the razors for free if he was guaranteed to sell replacement blades. Manufacturers of inkjet printers have been operating on this model for many years now, selling printers at very low cost while raking in profits on the sale of replacement cartridges, some of which cost nearly as much as the printer itself. Now San Francisco-based Cryptography Research Inc. (CRI) is developing chip technology that can be included in inkjet printers to prevent owners from using third-party ink cartridges. Track What Companies Have Edited Wiki http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/ (very heavy load atm) [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19 September 2007 13:17
NexGen76 (Member) 19 September 2007 15:03
*Originally posted by DVDdoug:* The point is, that the picture quality of MPEG-2 is not always inferior to MPEG-4, VC1, H.264, or any of the other more advanced codecs. There are too many other factors! Thanks DVDdoug people here really need to stop commenting on stuff they really don't have a clue about there are MPEG-2 codec's that have look far better than some movie's using VC1.There are to many deciding factors to the reason why some codec's looked better than the other.I see the HD-DVD mouth piece are spreading more Fud as always.If Mpeg-2 is truly inferior to the other codec's i would like to see some proof????? Crank (Blu-ray)Video Resolution/Codec * 1080p/MPEG-2 HD Video Quality 4.5 out of 5 so were is this myth that Mpeg-2 codec's is inferior? http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/crank.html Crank got high reviews on PQ & audio & still is one of the top Blu-Ray movie on the market that has better PQ & audio than a lot of other HD formated movie's. *Originally posted by hughjars:* Blu-ray is far more expensive than HD DVD (the entry level HD DVD player is currently $210 and soon to fall to $149.....the entry level Blu-ray player - PS3 or Sony S300 - is the cost of a high-end Toshiba HD XA2 HD DVD player). Buyer beware the entry level HD-DVD HD-A2 player your talking about isn't full HD compatible.Also coming with HDMI 1.2 which is pretty much out dated.Also no multichannel analog outputs.Like i said Buyer Beware you paid for what you get. With a cheaper 400.00 PS3 sku coming this holiday also combine with rumor price drop of the BDP S300 model down to 298.00 only at Blockbuster stores this holiday is going to boost sales even more.Also HD-DVD combo format that is force on there customer cost more than Blu-Ray titles not counting all the issue's Toshiba have with there combo disc that don't work on some players & have freezing issue on others & some disc not working on same model players. Commentary: Combo Discs - What Went Wrong? http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/show..._Went_Wrong/894 *Originally posted by hughjars:* HD DVD is often the superior of the 2, by some way in both image & audio quality and HD DVD also offer the largest amount of available content, exclusive content and potential content. HD-DVD exclusive studio's : Universal & Paramount pictures Blu-Ray exclusive studio's : Lions gate Films,Sony Pictures,Disney (Buena Vista),Fox studio's, & MGM. As we see HD-DVD is still behind when it comes to exclusives content.Even with the short term boost from Paramount for 18 months still don't help them.Far as PQ please show proof of this because all reviewers have said the PQ is so close its not really noticeable. Lets take 300 thats on both format & right now the highest selling HD title right now on both.... 300 (Blu-ray)HD Video Quality 4 out of 5,HD Audio Quality 5 out of 5 300 (HD-DVD)HD Video Quality 4 out of 5,HD Audio Quality 5 out of 5 So where is this PQ & Audio difference & edge that HD-DVD has over Blu-Ray? http://www.highdefdigest.com/ [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19 September 2007 16:43
nobrainer (Inactive) 19 September 2007 23:40
@ NexGen76 you are a true fanboy sony would be proud indicating that a film from a production might look better is not actually proving that one format is superior, now if you read my above post can you tell me why blu-ray is superior to hd-dvd other than the storage? [ + quote]
Andrew691 (Senior Member) 20 September 2007 2:18
*Originally posted by nobrainer:* @ NexGen76 you are a true fanboy sony would be proud indicating that a film from a production might look better is not actually proving that one format is superior, now if you read my above post can you tell me why blu-ray is superior to hd-dvd other than the storage? He cant. Because the only thing BD has over HD-DVD is space, other than that they are both capable of exactly the same thing. How studios choose to use each format is up to them, the format itself is not responsible for its lower quality movies. Other than things like remote disabling players and expiring discs I dont get what the big deal is with BD+, this coming from a long time movie pirate who has recently decided to go legit. The only people it should bother is pirates, remote disabling players would be bad but how many standalone BD-players even have network connections? So how do they disable it if they cant connect to it in any way? Yeah thought so. And another thing, I bet if someone (anyone) encoded a file properly in both MPEG-2 and VC-1 they should/could technically look exactly the same. All this "because this movies VC-1 its awesome quality" BS needs to stop as I've said MPEG-2 has the potential/ability to provide the exact same quality a VC-1 encode can, why Sony's earlier releases in MPEG2 are poor quality is anyones guess. Looks to be a serious oversight on their behalf, last I heard they were going to be re-releasing them. EDIT: *Quote:* However, he followed that by saying he did actually know why, and that it was because Paramount and Dreamworks SKG were paid a total of $150 million. Does he actually know that for sure or is he just falling for the rumor thats going round the net, to a company like Paramount $150m would be hardly anything, and not worth risking potential movie sales for. *Quote:* Iger disagrees, saying "The public is going to want Blu-ray. The public can tell the difference." Dunno what to take from that idiotic comment, unless of course he's talking about the difference between BD and SD-DVD in which case only the first sentence is idiotic. [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 20 September 2007 2:25
hughjars (Inactive) 20 September 2007 4:11
*Originally posted by nextgen76:* there are MPEG-2 codec's that have look far better than some movie's using VC1. - If the MPEG2 is done right and the VC-1 not so well then that is true......but nevertheless MPEG2 is a space-hungry ancient monster and there's no need for it if you use a modern codec like VC-1. It's like comparing a 4 litre 100mph 1960's car to a 1.3 litre 100mph 1990's car, both can perform to the same level but the modern car is so much more efficient & less wasteful in doing it. *Originally posted by nextgen76:* If Mpeg-2 is truly inferior to the other codec's i would like to see some proof? - The 'proof' is the number of Blu-ray movies they have had to re-do and re-release. Wake up. *Originally posted by nextgen76:* Buyer beware the entry level HD-DVD HD-A2 player your talking about isn't full HD compatible. - LMAO. You mean '1080p' by that "full HD" nonsense, do you? Well guess what, for the vast majority of HD TV owners that's all they need cos right now the overwhelming majority of HD TVs out there in people's homes are 720p/1080i. Not this "full HD" you guys love to bleat about. Why would they 'need' anything other that a 720p/1080i high def disc player? ......and if it was a "full HD TV" (which means it must have a native resolution of 1920x1080) it will have it's own deinterlacer (flat panel TVs can only display progressively, that's a fact) and you will only see a 1080p image anyways. It's just spec-sheet waving nonsense. (of course the Sony/PS3/Blu-ray fanclub never worry about trying to con people into buying stuff they don't actually need tho, eh?) *Originally posted by nextgen76:* Also coming with HDMI 1.2 which is pretty much out dated. - HDMI 1.2 (HDMI 1.2a actually) is good enough for 5.1 channel SACD, DVD-Audio, DTS and Dolby Digital plus. That's very high quality audio however you try and spin it. The number of people that have receivers that can handle more than that are very few and far between, not least cos the equipment to handle it has only just begin to appear, is pretty rare and is expensive right now. *Originally posted by nextgen76:* Also no multichannel analog outputs.Like i said Buyer Beware you paid for what you get. - Actually the cheapest HD DVD player you can still get (the A1) does have analogue audio outs. In any event you don't need multi-channel outputs if you have a receiver that can handle DTS/Dolby Digital plus via optical link (as many do). This is all spec-sheet waving that means so little to most.....Dolby pro logic is as far as many many homes will ever go. .....but of course you're not going to admit to the PS3's own audio short-comings are you? Never one to admit the audio performance of the PS3 isn't quite all that, huh? But if you want to crow about buyer beware then 'buyer beware' the unfinished Blu-ray spec' We know from Denon that they are still working hard to get 'profile 1.0' discs and players to work with 'profile 2.2' and 'profile 2.0' discs and players. The Blu-ray spec isn't even finished yet and many of the 'advanced features' they promise can't be delivered by any of the currently available players.........and the only confirmed 'profile 1.1' player has been delayed until next spring. Who knows when they'll really appear.....how many times has this been delayed, hmmmmmmm *Originally posted by nextgen76:* With a cheaper 400.00 PS3 sku coming this holiday - That's just a rumour, it's not a fact. More 'jam tomorrow'. *Originally posted by nextgen76:* also combine with rumor price drop of the BDP S300 model down to 298.00 only at Blockbuster stores this holiday - ....and there's another rumour, that's not a fact either. Yet more 'jam tomorrow'. .....and the under-spec'd obsolescent entry level S300 at double the price of the Venturer HD DVD player is not going to fly out the doors. *Originally posted by nextgen76:* Also HD-DVD combo format that is force on there customer cost more than Blu-Ray titles not counting all the issue's Toshiba have with there combo disc that don't work on some players & have freezing issue on others & some disc not working on same model players. - .....and what about the "issues" the Blu-ray players & discs have had huh? This is an especially laughable tack for the Sony/PS3/Blu-ray fanclub to take, there are lots of reports of Blu-ray players having "issues" and we also had the "disc rot" problem with the BD discs. For Blu-ray fans to try and pretend that only one format, HD DVD, has had periodic teething troubles at this early stage is just ludicrous and a transparent lie. But we do know this much, that when issues have arisen the HD DVD side have been quick to either release firmwares to correct the issue or simply replace faulty discs if necessary. ......and it's very likely that when 'combo discs are all that is produced there'll be a reduction in the few $ price differential. *Originally posted by nextgen76:* HD-DVD exclusive studio's : Universal & Paramount pictures Blu-Ray exclusive studio's : Lions gate Films,Sony Pictures,Disney (Buena Vista),Fox studio's, & MGM. As we see HD-DVD is still behind when it comes to exclusives content.Even with the short term boost from Paramount for 18 months still don't help them. - Is that the best you can manage? A superficial - but entirely expected - count of some of the studios behind each format. Pathetic. It's patently just laughably simplistic in fact and actually 'proves' nothing. Stop lying about this (or are you just showing your ignorance?) Look at the facts here (and bear in mind these numbers apply in the USA & they have yet to remove the Viacom/Paramount numbers) - http://www.blu-raystats.com/index.php then look here - http://www.hddvdstats.com/index.php Available content - Blu-ray 317 HD DVD 308 Available exclusive content - Blu-ray 191 HD DVD 181 Then remove from the Blu-ray total the number of supposedly 'exclusive Blu-ray titles' which are nothing of the sort and which can be sourced on HD DVD internationally cos HD DVD is region-free everytime See here - http://areahd.dvdtiefpreise.com/?p=109 and here - http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?p=45960#post45960 (Over 60 titles, but call it 60 for ease of calculation) So we are now left with - Blu-ray exclusive titles = 131 HD DVD exclusive titles = 181. HD DVD has more exclusive content, by far Then add those same 60 titles to the number of titles available to HD DVD and then remove the 30 Paramount movies Blu-ray no longer has and the 3 Dreamworks titles and we are left with - Blu-ray available content = 284 HD DVD available content = 368. HD DVD has more available content, by far You'll also find that the major studios supporting HD DVD are the biggest (Universal, Paramount, Warner, Studio Canal, Weinstein, HBO, BBC, New Line) as well as a host of smaller independents (who find HD DVD's lower costs attractive as well as the availability of replication which is still a major choke-point for BD which all add up to a larger potential catalogue of movies on the HD DVD side. Go ahead and refute these numbers if you can *Originally posted by nextgen76:* Far as PQ please show proof of this because all reviewers have said the PQ is so close its not really noticeable. - LMAO. Well well well that it should come to this, eh? An admission that, at best, the PQ of both formats ought to be indistinguishable. Very funny. The problem the Blu-ray side have tho is that they have the list of stinkers so bad that have needed to be re-done, not HD DVD. *Originally posted by nextgen76:* where is this PQ & Audio difference & edge that HD-DVD has over Blu-Ray? - Done properly there shouldn't be one. But it is the Blu-ray releases that have the list of terrible quality releases. But this is hilarious, of course both formats done well (and not every encode, on either side, has been) should look and sound the same. That is what everyone has been saying all along.....except the Blu-ray fanclub who pretend that there are inherent qualities/specs in BD that mean it is "better". It isn't and it certainly isn't 'worth' the premium they expect people to pay for it either. .....and then there is the whole Blu-ray DRM agenda - but you guys prefer to avoid that one like the plague. [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 20 September 2007 6:21
club42 (Member) 20 September 2007 17:23
*Quote:* And another thing, I bet if someone (anyone) encoded a file properly in both MPEG-2 and VC-1 they should/could technically look exactly the same This is true but if you have the same time/file size ratio for both, vc-1 will look better. You are right that just because a movie is a VC-1 encode it is not automatically a superior encode. But VC-1 is still a better and more advanced codec than MPEG-2. For a MPEG-2 to look the same you will spend more time and add more size to the file. *Quote:* Also HD-DVD combo format that is force on there customer cost more than Blu-Ray titles not counting all the issue's Toshiba have with there combo disc that don't work on some players & have freezing issue on others & some disc not working on same model players. Yes I hate buying something I don't need. That is why you are seeing so many HD-dvd's released again because the studio's realized this mistake. Don't act like every HD-DVD on the market is a combo. When I go to haistings the average HD-DVD costs $21.00 new and $14.99 used. Also I don't know what happened to your 300 copy that you mentioned in another thread but I never had a problem as I update my firmware. I have the crappy bargain HD-A2 that you mentioned and have NEVER had a problem with the 26 HD-DVD's I own since my first firmware update out of the box. [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 20 September 2007 17:39
club42 (Member) 20 September 2007 18:26
www.twice.com/article/CA6479851.html Doesn't argue for one side or the other. [ + quote] This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 21 September 2007 7:03
MightyOne (Junior Member) 21 September 2007 8:29
hughjars.... Very well said...very well indeed ! [ + quote]
borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 28 September 2007 3:52
*Quote:* Contreversial News Corp. head Rupert Murdoch commented on Paramount's decision to support HD DVD exclusively after previously offering both HD DVD and Blu-ray releases, saying "Paramount switched out the other day. God knows why." However, he followed that by saying he did actually know why, and that it was because Paramount and Dreamworks SKG were paid a total of $150 million. I guess some people can be bought :P [ + quote]