Rich Fiscus
18 Dec 2007 14:33
Analysts at U.K. based Screen Digest are now predicting that either HD DVD or Blu-ray will win the hi-def format war next year, although they're not guessing which one. This is a switch from their position over the last few months which has been in agreement with others in the industry that neither format would dominate for at least another 2-4 years.
The Christmas shopping season has already seen supporters of both formats declaring imminent victory, and rumors that Warner Brothers plans to announce that they're backing one or the other (depending on who you heard the rumor from) at CES next January.
"It would only take one major player to shift allegiances to push the tipping point one way or another," said analyst Richard Cooper.
Their report was more certain when it comes to gaming consoles where they predict Sony's PS3 will see big sales growth and become serious competition for Xbox 360 from Microsoft and the Nintendo Wii.
The report, titles 'Global Media Markets: The Battlegrounds of 2008' also forecasts a good year for 3-D digital cinema. Analysts see as many as 1,300 digital 3-D theater screens internationally, as well as more releases for them.
"There is a very strong lineup of films and heavy studio slate as studios invest heavily in what they think will be the next revolution in the theatrical experience," said Screen Digest film and cinema analyst Charlotte Jones. Next year will see "3-D movies really enter the mainstream multiplex environment."
Source: Variety