Looks like Paramount has an out clause (1 Viewer)

[andrew markworthy]

I think they are an odds-on certainty, based on previous accommodations of 'minority' or outmoded software formats. E.g. it's not all that hard to find multi-region SD players that will play CD, VCD, SACD, DVD-A as well as SD DVDs. So I find it hard to believe that not just a dual- but a multi-format player will not be on the market within a couple of years. Put simply - there is the market for one. I don't think such players will be commonplace, but equally I doubt if they'll be incredibly rare either.

 

[Paul.S]

Who's sniping?

I think Denon will do a multi-format player. But I think it will unfortunately take too long (IMO) to get to market and then will have a price premium motivated more by the Denon brand than objective additional expense to put the necessary hardware in one chassis.

The L.A. Times is now 'reporting' (read: repeating) that WHV's shift triggers Par escape provisions. And of course they cite no source by name.

 

[Ray Chuang]

That would be true up till recently, but the release of new player chipsets within the past few months may make it possible for a substantial cut in the retail price of a combo player. Hence the reason why I'm suggesting that Toshiba may just produce a lower cost HD-DVD/Blu-Ray combo player with Profile 1.1 compliance as a transitional product before Toshiba becomes a full-time Blu-ray supporter.

 

[Greg.K]

I was a little surprised that Denon didn't announce a dual format player. They were the one company I thought would do so also, but they just announced two BD players instead.

Now, I don't know if there's much point to it.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Denon didn't announce anything. The two BD players were announced and shown at CEDIA last September and were supposed to have been available for sale during 2007.

 

[Kevin Grey]

If they were cited by name they wouldn't be sources for long.

 

[Paul.S]

True dat. But, at the risk of reading the text too closely, the arguably most important sentence in the whole article ("Warner Bros.' decision last week to start making movies exclusively for Blu-ray players, rather than HD DVD, triggered an "out" clause in Paramount Pictures' contract with the HD DVD camp.") doesn't even mention where they got that information. It's not until the next sentence that a reference is made to an "industry source" for a causally-related but different bit of information.

Based on that little qualification/description, that "source" might as well be me since I've temped for Warner Bros. and have worked in the "the industry" for years. That could be blogosphere blowhard Nikki Finke. And Claudia Eller should know better. Saying something a wee bit more specific without giving a name--"an attorney involved in the negotiations," "a senior executive at a studio familiar with the matter"--would make it all a bit less frustratingly vaporous.

 

[TravisR]

You mean you don't trust the woman that has the highly placed inside source that said that the WGA strike would be over by early December?

 

[Paul.S]

LOL, Travis--precisely.

"Trust, but verify."

 

[Dave_P.]

Paramount has just delayed the HD-DVD releases of Into The Wild & Things We Lost In The Fire. I wonder if they may be prepping those for a BD release as well?

Paramount Delays 'Into the Wild,' 'Things We Lost in the Fire' HD DVDs | High-Def Digest

Paramount Delays 'Into the Wild,' 'Things We Lost in the Fire' HD DVDs
Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 01:24 PM ET
Tags: Street Date Changes, Paramount (all tags)

Paramount has announced a street date delay for its HD DVD releases of 'Into the Wild' and 'Things We Lost in the Fire,' pushing both titles back to early March.

As we've previously reported, the studio originally announced the two HD DVD releases for February 12, day-and-date with their standard DVD counterparts. This new street date bump will now see the high-def versions hit store shelves three weeks later, on March 4.

No reason was given for the delay, but specs remain unchanged for both titles, with each including 1080p video and Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 Surround tracks. Previously announced extras include multiple making-of featurettes on both discs, and deleted scenes on 'Things We Lost in the Fire.'

The suggested retail price also holds steady at $39.98 a pop.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

let's hope if they do show up on BD they show up with lossless sound. $39.98 for an HD title with lossy audio is outrageous.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Not as outrageous for a BR title that is 12 years old.





Crawdaddy

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Crawdaddy, was that a dig @ Fox? If so, I'm right behind ya.

 

[Robert Crawford]

If it was, I would've mentioned the $39.99 MSRP for the 23 year old "Commando".





Crawdaddy

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Don't care how old the movie is (they don't go bad with age, at least not to me). But I agree that $39.98 is outrageous for *any* movie that's not a special-feature laden SE.

Oh... and I expect lossless sound on my $19.99 HD software to-boot.

 

[Robert Crawford]

If you don't care about how old a movie is then how many of those expensive catalog titles do you have in your BR library?

 

[Bryan^H]

Very true! I went to Best Buy today, and looked at the massive Blu-Ray/HD dvd section, and a wave of sadness hit me. I thought by this time next year there probably won't be any HD dvd section. What saddens me the most though plain and simple: All the great Universal titles I was hoping would happen this year:frowning:................:frowning:

 

[Averry]

I wonder what Paramount, and Universals pricing scheme would be for back titles that were previously on HD-DVD.



Expensive? Or reasonable?

 

[Yumbo]

The pattern emerging already for Paramount and Universal is:

$30 DVD
$40 HD
$40 DVD SE

I think they're holding margins, and testing what people buy at $40 - HD or SE DVD.

I for one obviously choose HD.

 

[Paul.S]

Does most everybody here read High Def Digest? I always wonder if it's redundant to post links here to the 'major' HDM coverage Websites (as opposed to industry trade press or other periodicals).

Universal Re-Affirms HD DVD Support

Yes, yes--what else did we expect them to say. It was either continued silence or this IMO, on this last day of CES. But, even if it turns out that there's posturing and disingenuousness in his neck of the woods (and I've no doubt there is), it should come as no surprise to readers here that I'm happy to see Ken call out the "unsubstantiated rumors from unnamed sources."