I'm telling you...read the article above. It makes great sense.
Also...whether or not the announcement helps HD-DVD, it makes absolutely no business sense for Paramount and DreamWorks. They picked a format that is losing 2 and 3 to 1. The only way I can see the execs doing this is if there is some kind of prop-up kickback coming from M$.
I'm telling you...the conspiracy theory is interesting, but totally unproven.
What the Blu-Ray boys have always failed to grasp is that Blu-Ray is Sony's baby, and while Sony is a CE maker, they are also a major movie studio.
From a business standpoint, it has never made sense for Sony's competitors - such as Paramount, to have their business tied in such an intimate way with a rival studio. In effect, a high-def blockbuster for Paramount would have the secondary effect of paying disc royalties to one of their biggest competitors.
This has always been Universal's objection to the Blu-Ray format. While I'm sure there was a financial component, I think Paramount realized HD-DVD was in dire straits, stared into the abyss of being solely tied to Blu-Ray and then decided to jump ship.
There's definitely interesting thing going on here. Many Blu-Ray supporters are acting surprised at how M$ is flexing $ muscle to influence industry. This sort of thing had been done first by Blu-Ray party since the beginning of the HiDef format war. How do you think Sony manages Fox & Disney to stay BD exclusive?...
Are you that naive or are you just acting dumb?...
Anyway, cursing at these companies online is not going to change the situation. If you truly want to support your favorite HiDef format..... do it with your wallet. That's the only universal language that makes corporate USA to listen. If enough money flows.... even Fox & Disney will say goodbye to Sony. It had happened before and it will happen again.
It doesn't mean HD-DVD players go into Blu-Ray owners homes, it mean more SD purchases until things change (or just rental, thus affecting sales negatively). I will continue to purchase Blu-Ray and rip/burn the dvd versions of movies I would have bought on Blu-Ray but cannot. I wonder how many people are in that boat. Weren't the studios trying to end piracy? This neutrality won't help, who the hell wants to buy two players?
Um no. There comes a point where owners are going to see $149 HD DVD players and think "That's only 6 movies" and ante up. You can continue to prolong your psychosis by clinging stubbornly to Blu-ray dogma but some of us that bought HDTV want to watch HD content and if that means two players then as long as they aren't cost prohibitive. Continue to believe that the rest of the world gives a shit about owning only one player.
Insane! HD-DVD fanboys are completely insane. It's absolutely impossible for HD-DVD to win this war so instead you risk the entire market in the hopes that your format can "coexist" with Blu-ray.
Personally I hope Paramount chokes on Microsoft's little bribe.
That's a lot of distress and bile lurking in your post. None of us HD DVD owners care about winning the battle. We care about the ability to own content on our platform and know with 3 exclusive studios we're assured that our platform will continue to proliferate. Turnabout is fairplay.
I'm telling you...the conspiracy theory is interesting, but totally unproven.
What the Blu-Ray boys have always failed to grasp is that Blu-Ray is Sony's baby, and while Sony is a CE maker, they are also a major movie studio.
From a business standpoint, it has never made sense for Sony's competitors - such as Paramount, to have their business tied in such an intimate way with a rival studio. In effect, a high-def blockbuster for Paramount would have the secondary effect of paying disc royalties to one of their biggest competitors.
This has always been Universal's objection to the Blu-Ray format. While I'm sure there was a financial component, I think Paramount realized HD-DVD was in dire straits, stared into the abyss of being solely tied to Blu-Ray and then decided to jump ship.
Frank777,
You obviously have a need to know what conspiracy theory means, because the Microsoft bribe has been confirmed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times...
But money talks: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD DVD, according to two Viacom executives with knowledge of the deal but who asked not to be identified.
The incentives will come in a combination of cash and promotional guarantees. Toshiba, for instance, will use the release of ?Shrek the Third? as part of an HD DVD marketing campaign.
Paramount and DreamWorks Animation declined to comment. Microsoft, the most prominent technology company supporting HD DVDs, said it could not rule out payment but said it wrote no checks. ?We provided no financial incentives to Paramount or DreamWorks whatsoever,? said Amir Majidimehr, the head of Microsoft?s consumer media technology group.
The studios won undisclosed financial incentives for exclusive commitments to release high-definition movies onto HD DVD only. A person familiar with the situation said the incentives included both cash payments and soft incentives such as marketing promotions.
The clincher "was not the incentives from [the HD DVD representatives] so much as the fact that they're doing their job in making this platform highly appealing and extremely affordable," says Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of DreamWorks. Mr. Katzenberg previously played down the future importance of either format but said yesterday that he now believes HD DVD will play a major role in home entertainment.
So, grasp this, it is not a theory, it is a fact that Paramount sold out. FACT. Get it through your dome.
That's a lot of distress and bile lurking in your post. None of us HD DVD owners care about winning the battle. We care about the ability to own content on our platform and know with 3 exclusive studios we're assured that our platform will continue to proliferate. Turnabout is fairplay.
Precisely HD DVD owners only care to castrate a whole market (high-def) to niche status so as to justify their purchase in a losing format.
Turnabout is still yet to be seen. We'll see if Paramount's inclusion will indeed tip the scales of balance into HD DVDs favor. Remember HD DVD is still losing 2:1 or more for the entire year, and the BDA still retain 5 exclusive studios (Sony Pictures, Fox, Disney, MGM, and Lionsgate) to HD DVD's 2 (Universal and Paramount). Not to mention all the hardware manufacturers who still back Blu-ray.
We'll see indeed. It is going to be interesting to say the least, but I'm pretty sure this won't be the only suprise this holiday.
Three of the primary players in the Blu-ray camp issued a rare joint statement late Monday in response to Paramount's decision to drop support of Blu-ray.
Sent via email to various news outlets, the statement includes quotes from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), as well as representatives of Blu-ray backing studios Disney and Fox.
In its statement, the BDA expresses what can only be described as bewilderment at why Paramount and sister studio DreamWorks would choose to exclusively support HD DVD at a time when the sales gulf between the two formats seems to be so clearly in Blu-ray's favor.
"The decision seems oddly timed given Blu-ray's tremendous momentum both with consumers and with retail," said Andy Parsons, Chairman, Blu-ray Disc Association US Promotions Committee. "Blu-ray title sales continue to outpaceHD-DVD sales by nearly a 2 to 1 margin, and major retailers have expressed a strong preference for Blu-ray.
"Moreover, the price delta between HD DVD and Blu-ray players has been greatly reduced in the past few months, a trend that is on its way to eliminating any perceived cost advantage the HD DVD format has claimed to have. Under these circumstances, we can only imagine what could have enticed Paramount to walk away from a format that is clearly selling significantly more software than the HD-DVD format."
The BDA statement appears to make thinly-veiled reference to rumors that the HD DVD camp paid Paramount/DreamWorks up to $150 million in exchange for its exclusive support, an accusation that was similarly leveled at the BDA following its widely-reported exclusivity announcements with Blockbuster and Target.
Fox and Disney, for their part, took the opportunity to showcase their own recent Blu-ray-related announcements, and to emphasize their support and excitement for the format.
Referring to Fox's announcement earlier today that it would release 29 new Blu-ray titles before the end of 2007, Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, said, "Given that Blu-ray has consistently outsold HD DVD all year, and this is the case for any titles released by any studio in both formats, we believe that the time is right for us to accelerate our activities and help convert the nearly 60 million high definition households worldwide into Blu-ray households."
"By the end of this calendar year there will be expansive availability of technically vibrant releases featuring never-before-seen, advanced BD-J interactivity as well as a broad offering of playback devices at attractive prices that will prove to any doubting consumers once and for all that Blu-ray is the only way."
Similarly, a statement from Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment references the studio's commitment late last week to release four key tentpole titles in 2008: "The proven Blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience. The strides that we've made with this format are just the tip of the iceberg and we are confident that consumers will be astounded by the level of entertainment that can only be achieved by using the maximum capacity of the Blu-ray Disc format."
Um no. There comes a point where owners are going to see $149 HD DVD players and think "That's only 6 movies" and ante up. You can continue to prolong your psychosis by clinging stubbornly to Blu-ray dogma but some of us that bought HDTV want to watch HD content and if that means two players then as long as they aren't cost prohibitive. Continue to believe that the rest of the world gives a shit about owning only one player.
Are you kidding? Who the heck wants to buy multiple players so they can watch movies from different studios, it is horseshit what is happening. I can guarantee that most ignorant purchasers won't even realize that you can't get all studios on one format. J6P is going to say to hell with it and continue to buy SD and not waste money on a second HD player. Have fun buying them, I am going to wait it out until this crap is over and hopefully I am on the right side of it when it is all said and done. If you think I am not in the majority thinking this way, take your head out of your ass.
You obviously have a need to know what conspiracy theory means, because the Microsoft bribe has been confirmed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times...
So, grasp this, it is not a theory, it is a fact that Paramount sold out. FACT. Get it through your dome.
Seriously, did you read your own links?
Get it through YOUR dome: Nobody wrote a $150,000,000 cheque.
Your links confirm that its a mixture of a smaller cash payment and marketing exclusives given primarily by TOSHIBA for which the retail value has not been disclosed but what the Blu-Ray echo chamber is reporting as being worth 150 million dollars.
Funny how when Sony was the one doing the "arm-twisting" as your side called it, you never called it bribery.
Paramount weighed their options and did what they thought was best for them. If you want to call that "selling out", fine. Just remember that by your own definition, others were selling out to Sony and Blu-Ray long before this.
Paramount weighed their options and did what they thought was best for them. If you want to call that "selling out", fine. Just remember that by your own definition, others were selling out to Sony and Blu-Ray long before this.
Well there is a difference in timing. Before the format war began there certainly is the expectation of getting as much as you can from the primary proponents.
But once a format starts losing, switching sides to the losing side is somewhat more obvious that you're just being mercenary.
Frankly if they aren't getting $150M for a payoff they're just being dumb. Confusing the format war further means giving both MS and Apple the time to promote digital distribution vs physical distribution. That probably has bad downsides for the studios given the importance of DVD sales to their bottom line and control over their own destinies.
Much as I would dislike Sony or Apple controlling my destiny I would fear MS more after the Playsforsure debacle. Sony you can trust to favor themselves and be wary. Apple is in the business of selling hardware. MS? They are in transition to something other than what they are today. They may inadvertently shoot your business model in the head because their overall strategy has shifted.
I just don't see MovieLink making it against MS and Apple's offerings. Too halfhearted. $20 for 300? $18 for Braveheart? Braveheart?
Argggh! Just when I thought a winner might be in sight.
I've always disliked both formats, feeling that neither was designed with consumer interests in mind. But since streaming IP based TV isn't hear yet, I was hoping a winner would be crowned soon.
Both of my SD players are on the fritz and I want their replacements to support one of the HD formats. Blu-ray was starting to pull ahead (slightly) in my book but I was still waiting for players to come down in price. Now with this paramount thing, I might have to wait a little longer. (As a winner becomes clearer, the price I'm willing to pay goes up.)
Much as I would dislike Sony or Apple controlling my destiny I would fear MS more after the Playsforsure debacle. Sony you can trust to favor themselves and be wary.
Argggh! Just when I thought a winner might be in sight.
I've always disliked both formats, feeling that neither was designed with consumer interests in mind. But since streaming IP based TV isn't hear yet, I was hoping a winner would be crowned soon.
Both of my SD players are on the fritz and I want their replacements to support one of the HD formats. Blu-ray was starting to pull ahead (slightly) in my book but I was still waiting for players to come down in price. Now with this paramount thing, I might have to wait a little longer. (As a winner becomes clearer, the price I'm willing to pay goes up.)
I was about to get a blue ray player this fall/christmas. It was beginning to look like blue ray had an insurmountable lead and was going to deliver a knock out blow this christmas. I get a measly 10 HD channels with my cable service. Blue ray (or HD DVD for that matter) would've been a nice way to get additional HD content for my plasma TV. Now I'll wait longer and see if a hybrid player comes out.
It's amazing to me that the studios are fucking this up as badly as they are. It seems none of them give a damn about consumers.
Yep, that is exactly my situation too. I was planning on buying a blu-ray player around Christmas, especially if sales or price drops materialize. But now I'm not sure. I'll probably wait another 6 months and see how things play out.
Comments
I'm telling you...read the article above. It makes great sense.
Also...whether or not the announcement helps HD-DVD, it makes absolutely no business sense for Paramount and DreamWorks. They picked a format that is losing 2 and 3 to 1. The only way I can see the execs doing this is if there is some kind of prop-up kickback coming from M$.
I'm telling you...the conspiracy theory is interesting, but totally unproven.
What the Blu-Ray boys have always failed to grasp is that Blu-Ray is Sony's baby, and while Sony is a CE maker, they are also a major movie studio.
From a business standpoint, it has never made sense for Sony's competitors - such as Paramount, to have their business tied in such an intimate way with a rival studio. In effect, a high-def blockbuster for Paramount would have the secondary effect of paying disc royalties to one of their biggest competitors.
This has always been Universal's objection to the Blu-Ray format. While I'm sure there was a financial component, I think Paramount realized HD-DVD was in dire straits, stared into the abyss of being solely tied to Blu-Ray and then decided to jump ship.
Are you that naive or are you just acting dumb?...
Anyway, cursing at these companies online is not going to change the situation. If you truly want to support your favorite HiDef format..... do it with your wallet. That's the only universal language that makes corporate USA to listen. If enough money flows.... even Fox & Disney will say goodbye to Sony. It had happened before and it will happen again.
It doesn't mean HD-DVD players go into Blu-Ray owners homes, it mean more SD purchases until things change (or just rental, thus affecting sales negatively). I will continue to purchase Blu-Ray and rip/burn the dvd versions of movies I would have bought on Blu-Ray but cannot. I wonder how many people are in that boat. Weren't the studios trying to end piracy? This neutrality won't help, who the hell wants to buy two players?
Um no. There comes a point where owners are going to see $149 HD DVD players and think "That's only 6 movies" and ante up. You can continue to prolong your psychosis by clinging stubbornly to Blu-ray dogma but some of us that bought HDTV want to watch HD content and if that means two players then as long as they aren't cost prohibitive. Continue to believe that the rest of the world gives a shit about owning only one player.
Insane! HD-DVD fanboys are completely insane. It's absolutely impossible for HD-DVD to win this war so instead you risk the entire market in the hopes that your format can "coexist" with Blu-ray.
Personally I hope Paramount chokes on Microsoft's little bribe.
That's a lot of distress and bile lurking in your post. None of us HD DVD owners care about winning the battle. We care about the ability to own content on our platform and know with 3 exclusive studios we're assured that our platform will continue to proliferate. Turnabout is fairplay.
I'm telling you...the conspiracy theory is interesting, but totally unproven.
What the Blu-Ray boys have always failed to grasp is that Blu-Ray is Sony's baby, and while Sony is a CE maker, they are also a major movie studio.
From a business standpoint, it has never made sense for Sony's competitors - such as Paramount, to have their business tied in such an intimate way with a rival studio. In effect, a high-def blockbuster for Paramount would have the secondary effect of paying disc royalties to one of their biggest competitors.
This has always been Universal's objection to the Blu-Ray format. While I'm sure there was a financial component, I think Paramount realized HD-DVD was in dire straits, stared into the abyss of being solely tied to Blu-Ray and then decided to jump ship.
Frank777,
You obviously have a need to know what conspiracy theory means, because the Microsoft bribe has been confirmed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times...
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/te...in&oref=slogin
But money talks: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD DVD, according to two Viacom executives with knowledge of the deal but who asked not to be identified.
The incentives will come in a combination of cash and promotional guarantees. Toshiba, for instance, will use the release of ?Shrek the Third? as part of an HD DVD marketing campaign.
Paramount and DreamWorks Animation declined to comment. Microsoft, the most prominent technology company supporting HD DVDs, said it could not rule out payment but said it wrote no checks. ?We provided no financial incentives to Paramount or DreamWorks whatsoever,? said Amir Majidimehr, the head of Microsoft?s consumer media technology group.
And despite Amir's pandering of innocence...
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...DYyMzAwWj.html
The studios won undisclosed financial incentives for exclusive commitments to release high-definition movies onto HD DVD only. A person familiar with the situation said the incentives included both cash payments and soft incentives such as marketing promotions.
The clincher "was not the incentives from [the HD DVD representatives] so much as the fact that they're doing their job in making this platform highly appealing and extremely affordable," says Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of DreamWorks. Mr. Katzenberg previously played down the future importance of either format but said yesterday that he now believes HD DVD will play a major role in home entertainment.
So, grasp this, it is not a theory, it is a fact that Paramount sold out. FACT. Get it through your dome.
That's a lot of distress and bile lurking in your post. None of us HD DVD owners care about winning the battle. We care about the ability to own content on our platform and know with 3 exclusive studios we're assured that our platform will continue to proliferate. Turnabout is fairplay.
Precisely HD DVD owners only care to castrate a whole market (high-def) to niche status so as to justify their purchase in a losing format.
Turnabout is still yet to be seen. We'll see if Paramount's inclusion will indeed tip the scales of balance into HD DVDs favor. Remember HD DVD is still losing 2:1 or more for the entire year, and the BDA still retain 5 exclusive studios (Sony Pictures, Fox, Disney, MGM, and Lionsgate) to HD DVD's 2 (Universal and Paramount). Not to mention all the hardware manufacturers who still back Blu-ray.
We'll see indeed. It is going to be interesting to say the least, but I'm pretty sure this won't be the only suprise this holiday.
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...nouncement/877
Three of the primary players in the Blu-ray camp issued a rare joint statement late Monday in response to Paramount's decision to drop support of Blu-ray.
Sent via email to various news outlets, the statement includes quotes from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), as well as representatives of Blu-ray backing studios Disney and Fox.
In its statement, the BDA expresses what can only be described as bewilderment at why Paramount and sister studio DreamWorks would choose to exclusively support HD DVD at a time when the sales gulf between the two formats seems to be so clearly in Blu-ray's favor.
"The decision seems oddly timed given Blu-ray's tremendous momentum both with consumers and with retail," said Andy Parsons, Chairman, Blu-ray Disc Association US Promotions Committee. "Blu-ray title sales continue to outpaceHD-DVD sales by nearly a 2 to 1 margin, and major retailers have expressed a strong preference for Blu-ray.
"Moreover, the price delta between HD DVD and Blu-ray players has been greatly reduced in the past few months, a trend that is on its way to eliminating any perceived cost advantage the HD DVD format has claimed to have. Under these circumstances, we can only imagine what could have enticed Paramount to walk away from a format that is clearly selling significantly more software than the HD-DVD format."
The BDA statement appears to make thinly-veiled reference to rumors that the HD DVD camp paid Paramount/DreamWorks up to $150 million in exchange for its exclusive support, an accusation that was similarly leveled at the BDA following its widely-reported exclusivity announcements with Blockbuster and Target.
Fox and Disney, for their part, took the opportunity to showcase their own recent Blu-ray-related announcements, and to emphasize their support and excitement for the format.
Referring to Fox's announcement earlier today that it would release 29 new Blu-ray titles before the end of 2007, Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, said, "Given that Blu-ray has consistently outsold HD DVD all year, and this is the case for any titles released by any studio in both formats, we believe that the time is right for us to accelerate our activities and help convert the nearly 60 million high definition households worldwide into Blu-ray households."
"By the end of this calendar year there will be expansive availability of technically vibrant releases featuring never-before-seen, advanced BD-J interactivity as well as a broad offering of playback devices at attractive prices that will prove to any doubting consumers once and for all that Blu-ray is the only way."
Similarly, a statement from Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment references the studio's commitment late last week to release four key tentpole titles in 2008: "The proven Blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience. The strides that we've made with this format are just the tip of the iceberg and we are confident that consumers will be astounded by the level of entertainment that can only be achieved by using the maximum capacity of the Blu-ray Disc format."
Um no. There comes a point where owners are going to see $149 HD DVD players and think "That's only 6 movies" and ante up. You can continue to prolong your psychosis by clinging stubbornly to Blu-ray dogma but some of us that bought HDTV want to watch HD content and if that means two players then as long as they aren't cost prohibitive. Continue to believe that the rest of the world gives a shit about owning only one player.
Are you kidding? Who the heck wants to buy multiple players so they can watch movies from different studios, it is horseshit what is happening. I can guarantee that most ignorant purchasers won't even realize that you can't get all studios on one format. J6P is going to say to hell with it and continue to buy SD and not waste money on a second HD player. Have fun buying them, I am going to wait it out until this crap is over and hopefully I am on the right side of it when it is all said and done. If you think I am not in the majority thinking this way, take your head out of your ass.
By the end of 2008 I'll have access to any HD movie I want. Eventually having one player that handles everything will be available.
BD fanboys will stay out of the format war until the dust settles....
but HD-DVD fanboys will go out and buy a HD-DVD player for $200 and enjoy HD contents.
Wonder who will win....
Maybe that's how this HiDef format war will continue between BD vs. HD-DVD supporters.....
BD fanboys will stay out of the format war until the dust settles....
but HD-DVD fanboys will go out and buy a HD-DVD player for $200 and enjoy HD contents.
Wonder who will win....
So you are saying that Blu-Ray owners won't be enjoying HD content?
And HD-DVD owners won't have to wait until the dust settles by just having one player?
Frank777,
You obviously have a need to know what conspiracy theory means, because the Microsoft bribe has been confirmed by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times...
So, grasp this, it is not a theory, it is a fact that Paramount sold out. FACT. Get it through your dome.
Seriously, did you read your own links?
Get it through YOUR dome: Nobody wrote a $150,000,000 cheque.
Your links confirm that its a mixture of a smaller cash payment and marketing exclusives given primarily by TOSHIBA for which the retail value has not been disclosed but what the Blu-Ray echo chamber is reporting as being worth 150 million dollars.
Funny how when Sony was the one doing the "arm-twisting" as your side called it, you never called it bribery.
Paramount weighed their options and did what they thought was best for them. If you want to call that "selling out", fine. Just remember that by your own definition, others were selling out to Sony and Blu-Ray long before this.
So you are saying that Blu-Ray owners won't be enjoying HD content?
And HD-DVD owners won't have to wait until the dust settles by just having one player?
Well... if a fanboy buys a supporting HiDef player, then he no longer is just a fanboy...... so....depends on who bought what.....
Master and Commander = hell yes.
Oh man. It may be my first double-dip.
Hey... I am merely just playing your counter part.... very mildly so..........
BTW... here are some movie titles that just turned HD-DVD exclusive....Star Trek..... Transformers.... Shrek the third.... and check the rest...
Captain America (2009) ... Distributor (2009) (worldwide) (theatrical)
The Avengers (2009) ... Distributor (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
Beverly Hills Cop IV (2009) ... Distributor (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
The Brazilian Job (2009) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
By Any Means Necessary (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill (2009) ... Distributor (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
Damn Nation (2009) ... Distributor (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
The Fighter (2009) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical), Distributor (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
Get 'Em Wet (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
How to Lose It All (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Interstellar (2009) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (all media), Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Killing Pablo (2009) ... Distributor
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Movie (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
Ripley's Believe It or Not! (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
The Serpent and the Eagle (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (all media)
The Smoker (2009) ... Distributor (2005) (USA) (all media)
Sweet Relief (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Untitled Courteney Cox Project (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Untitled Nina Simone Project (2009) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Star Trek (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
The Smurfs (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (worldwide) (theatrical)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
The Jailhouse Lawyer (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
Madagascar: The Crate Escape (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (worldwide) (theatrical)
Ghost Town (2008/II) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (all media), Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
NowhereLand (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
36 (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
The Few (2008) ... Distributor (worldwide)
The Love Guru (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Kung Fu Panda (2008) ... Distributor
The Lovely Bones (2008) ... Distributor (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
Fourth Installment of the Indiana Jones Adventures (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Iron Man (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Drillbit Taylor (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (all media)
Case 39 (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Untitled J.J. Abrams Project (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Ant-Man (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (worldwide) (all media)
The Chancellor Manuscript (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
Chuckle Bears (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
The Crazies (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
Deathlok (2008) ... Distributor
Dirty Tricks (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Foreign Babes in Beijing (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
Frankie Machine (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Friendly Skies (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical), Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Groupies (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Have Gun - Will Travel (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Key Party (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
The Krazees (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
Nick Fury (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Open Hearts (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Sam and George (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Soul Survivors (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Untitled Daniel Clowes Project (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
Untitled Paramount/Miniature Golf Project (2008) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
The Untouchables: Capone Rising (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
The Warriors (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
When Worlds Collide (2008) ... Distributor (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
World War Z (2008) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
There Will Be Blood (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (all media)
Strange Wilderness (2007) ... Distributor (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Stop Loss (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Beowulf (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (all media)
Bee Movie (2007) ... Distributor
The Kite Runner (2007) ... Distributor
The Heartbreak Kid (2007) ... Distributor
Things We Lost in the Fire (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Stardust (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Hot Rod (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (all media), Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Transformers (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical) (except Finland, South Korea)
Iwo Jima: Looking Into the Past (2007) (V) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (DVD)
Shrek the Third (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical), Distributor (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
Next (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Disturbia (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Blades of Glory (2007) ... Distributor (2007) (U
There are few titles I'll double dip for. M&C is one...and of the new titles listed none really float my boat.
Not saying it isn't a huge deal for Paramount to go HD-DVD for future releases but I'm still waiting on LOTR.
Vinea
Paramount weighed their options and did what they thought was best for them. If you want to call that "selling out", fine. Just remember that by your own definition, others were selling out to Sony and Blu-Ray long before this.
Well there is a difference in timing. Before the format war began there certainly is the expectation of getting as much as you can from the primary proponents.
But once a format starts losing, switching sides to the losing side is somewhat more obvious that you're just being mercenary.
Frankly if they aren't getting $150M for a payoff they're just being dumb. Confusing the format war further means giving both MS and Apple the time to promote digital distribution vs physical distribution. That probably has bad downsides for the studios given the importance of DVD sales to their bottom line and control over their own destinies.
Much as I would dislike Sony or Apple controlling my destiny I would fear MS more after the Playsforsure debacle. Sony you can trust to favor themselves and be wary. Apple is in the business of selling hardware. MS? They are in transition to something other than what they are today. They may inadvertently shoot your business model in the head because their overall strategy has shifted.
I just don't see MovieLink making it against MS and Apple's offerings. Too halfhearted. $20 for 300? $18 for Braveheart? Braveheart?
Vinea
hm... what happens if everyone goes neutral?... or just Fox & Disney also join HD-DVD as a chain reaction?...
With Fox being an active developer of BD+ I don't think that it would happen - and Disney wants region coding.
I've always disliked both formats, feeling that neither was designed with consumer interests in mind. But since streaming IP based TV isn't hear yet, I was hoping a winner would be crowned soon.
Both of my SD players are on the fritz and I want their replacements to support one of the HD formats. Blu-ray was starting to pull ahead (slightly) in my book but I was still waiting for players to come down in price. Now with this paramount thing, I might have to wait a little longer. (As a winner becomes clearer, the price I'm willing to pay goes up.)
Much as I would dislike Sony or Apple controlling my destiny I would fear MS more after the Playsforsure debacle. Sony you can trust to favor themselves and be wary.
Errr... rootkit?
Argggh! Just when I thought a winner might be in sight.
I've always disliked both formats, feeling that neither was designed with consumer interests in mind. But since streaming IP based TV isn't hear yet, I was hoping a winner would be crowned soon.
Both of my SD players are on the fritz and I want their replacements to support one of the HD formats. Blu-ray was starting to pull ahead (slightly) in my book but I was still waiting for players to come down in price. Now with this paramount thing, I might have to wait a little longer. (As a winner becomes clearer, the price I'm willing to pay goes up.)
I was about to get a blue ray player this fall/christmas. It was beginning to look like blue ray had an insurmountable lead and was going to deliver a knock out blow this christmas. I get a measly 10 HD channels with my cable service. Blue ray (or HD DVD for that matter) would've been a nice way to get additional HD content for my plasma TV. Now I'll wait longer and see if a hybrid player comes out.
It's amazing to me that the studios are fucking this up as badly as they are. It seems none of them give a damn about consumers.