Universal pledges 100 HD DVD titles for 2007

Where are all those 'Blu-ray Bobs' who were claiming Universal was "lukewarm" about HD-DVD - or were doing their fortune telling routines straight after CES even saying Universal was going to ditch HD-DVD for Blu-ray, now, huh? HD-DVD already had a slightly larger catalogue before CES 2007 and announced 300 new titles to Blu-ray's 250 at CES 2007. Universal are now saying there will be a 600 movie HD-DVD catalogue by 2007 year's end. Nice. IMO the other significant & really interesting bit of this tale is the 'combo' part. Sony aren't the only ones able to think up a 'Trojan element' to this so-called 'format war'. Way to go guys, get these discs into volume production and cheap so as to get the public building up their HD-DVD collections without even noticing it. All sitting ready for the inexpensive Chinese HD-DVD players coming in Q2/3 of this year. Clever thinking.

The question is How many of these release's HD-DVD going to be old stuff that we already have on DVD.One Hundred new titles in a year is not enough.I think that the lack of Major studio's is killing HD-DVD.I seen somewhere that HD-DVD is going to do mainly HD-DVD & DVD combo if they do they can kiss there butt goodbye because it's the price point that still have them on life support.Just my two cents.

imo, the market is always going to go to the better technology in the end

Originally posted by NexGen76:

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The question is How many of these release's HD-DVD going to be old stuff that we already have on DVD.

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- It looks as if the policy is that all new releases are going to be HD-DVD/SD DVD combo discs.

There are obviously going to be lots of movies already released on SD DVD coming out.
Of course.
It's perfectly natural and desirable.....you might not have bothered buying DVD's of the movies you already had on VHS but lots of people did; it's something more than a few will do with high def DVD
(and probably with whatever comes after it too).

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One Hundred new titles in a year is not enough.

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- 100 new releases from one single studio is as good as it gets,
no-one else is putting out anything like that volume.

.....and a total catalogue of 600 HD-DVD movies is better than the alternative anyone else is offering too.

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I think that the lack of Major studio's is killing HD-DVD.

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- "Killing"!? LMAO.

HD-DVD sales are doing very nicely.
It is Blu-ray that has collapsed into being little more than a PS3 proprietary format.
By their own admission only approx 25000 non-PS3 Blu-ray devices have been sold.

.....and what "lack of studios"?

Universal (just about the biggest name there is), Warner (consistently providing superior releases on HD-DVD when compared to the same release on Blu-ray) and Paramount are not exactly my idea of a "lack".

.....but let's cut the propaganda, distortion and lies, HD-DVD has got plenty of studio support -

- Warner
- Universal
- Paramount
- New Line/HBO
- Weinstein
- Magnolia
- Brentwood Home Video
- BCI
- DVD International
- Eagle Rock Entertainment
- Concert Hot Spot
- Image Entertainment
- Interscope
- Entertainment In Video
- Goldhil Home Media
- HDNet
- Razor Digital Entertainment
- Rhino Entertainment
- Discovery Channel
- Tartan Video
- MTI Home Video
- Studio Canal
- 2Entertain/BBC
- Pathe
- Momentum Pictures
- Manga Films

...13 of them exclusive......and don't forget the BBC's excellent quality output.

HD-DVD (unlike Blu-ray) is not region coded so production and distribution rights mean that movies that are supposedly Blu-ray exclusive turn out sometimes not to be in Europe or vis versa in the USA.

You'll find a study has been done (t was on avsforums) comparing possible movie title releases as the studios now line up.
It worked out to approx 40 000 potential HD-DVD titles verses 48 000 potential Blu-ray titles.......and with sales going the way they are there is no reason to believe that the current few exclusive Blu-ray studios will stay Blu-ray exclusive at all.

Dual format is very likely by years end for one if not more.

You'll also find the recent moves by the 'adult film industry' has affected those stats to either dual format or HD-DVD exclusive.

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I seen somewhere that HD-DVD is going to do mainly HD-DVD & DVD combo if they do they can kiss there butt goodbye because it's the price point that still have them on life support.Just my two cents.

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- No.

A combo disc that costs the same as a regular SD DVD is an obvious winner, particularly when China starts supplying those very inexpensive HD-DVD players and people can upgrade without having to change every disc they own.

Liar Liar, one of my favorite movies. :p Anyway this will be cool if Universal goes though with it. But, as Neph mentioned in another thread, I would say that the only winner in this war will be against each other (Blu-Ray and HD DVD) but not with consumers.

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.....but let's cut the propaganda, distortion and lies, HD-DVD has got plenty of studio support -

- Warner
- Universal
- Paramount
- New Line/HBO
- Weinstein
- Magnolia
- Brentwood Home Video
- BCI
- DVD International
- Eagle Rock Entertainment
- Concert Hot Spot
- Image Entertainment
- Interscope
- Entertainment In Video
- Goldhil Home Media
- HDNet
- Razor Digital Entertainment
- Rhino Entertainment
- Discovery Channel
- Tartan Video
- MTI Home Video
- Studio Canal
- 2Entertain/BBC
- Pathe
- Momentum Pictures
- Manga Films

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Let be honest that list not going to impress anyone because more than half of them studio's never produce major seller.HD-DVD has movie support but not enough major movie support like Blu-ray.

HD-DVD major supporters are Universal Studios,Warner Bros,& Paramount

Blu-Ray: Paramount,Warner Bros,Disney (Buena Vista),Fox,Lionsgate,MGM,& Sony Pictures.

If was buying a Blu-ray player i would look at that list and see that Blu-ray would be a eazy choice because out the three HD-DVD has on there list as major studio's two of them Blu-ray has in there camp also.

The fact that you can just dismiss that list says it all.

I suspect you're a fanboy more interested in a Sony v Microsoft shouting match than a serious discussion about film.

If you knew about this (as anyone serious about it would be finding out) HD-DVD has always had a larger catalogue of movies available compared to Blu-ray's.

Potential movie releases are not actual tangible support you can buy.

(and in any case since Blu-ray got hacked there really isn't a problem with exclusivity anymore.)

But in general terms, Blu-ray studio releases satisfy the 'PS3' end of the market whilst the HD-DVD side is more aimed at the a/v end of the market.

In Europe this short-term exclusivity situation isn't quite the problem you make out as many Blu-ray movies are available on HD-DVD here thanks to distribution and publishing rights.

In any case with Blu-ray's failure to knock out HD-DVD and Blu-ray's retreat into being little more than a PS3 proprietary format they'll all be dual format soon enough.

:P

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Blu-Ray: Paramount,Warner Bros,Disney (Buena Vista),Fox,Lionsgate,MGM,& Sony Pictures.

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This is what made me buy my Blu-ray player after some research it was that Blu-ray has the major studio's to back them.I'm a diehard Fox studio guy i love the stuff they put out.

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I suspect you're a fanboy more interested in a Sony v Microsoft shouting match than a serious discussion about film.

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What? i stated facts,How you going to say something foolish like that the true war is Samsung vs Toshbia.Not Sony vs Microsoft thats consoles.

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i stated facts

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- Er, no you didn't.

You stated ignorant nonsense.

Studio Canal is one of the majors.

If you're going to try and say they are not then neither is Fox, Lionsgate or Disney.
Studio Canal has bigger portfolio than each of them!

.....and try not to be so anglo-centric; Studio Canal has an enormous non-English language and non-Anglo/US movie catalogue to offer in Europe - in stark contrast to Blu-ray's offerings.

There's some facts about film if you care to know them. :P

I think that the issue you guys are having is that you in UK & it seem to me that Nexgen76 is in US.I'm from the U.S. Which is home of all the major box office's so i see why NexGen76 said that.Studio Canal is not on anyone list to watch a movie here.

ChocTunda while that might mean soemthign right now,these companies are tied to the world and theres more non English than English audiences, Studio Canal gives HDVD a more stable footing world wide.