Breaking News!! Warner is soon to be Blu-Ray Exclusive!

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I've hesitated posting any comments on this matter until now because my head has been spinning since I first heard the news. Most of what I'm about to say has already been said (and done so much better than I'm about too) but here are my thoughts after 8 hours of contemplation...

I do find Warner's switch to format exclusivity is just as disappointing as I found Paramount decision to go exclusive. These actions take the HD format decision out of the consumers hands which is something I do not like.

IMHO, the format war is unfortunately not over just yet... It may be near but it's not here yet. Given all the surprise twists we've seen over the past 18 months I'm a bit skeptical that there won't be yet another one to come.

Finally and most importantly, if the war is over then let the healing begin.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Nonsense. They may have had plans or may even still have plans to announce a 360 SKU with an HD DVD drive built-in (along with a bigger HDD and IPTV functionality) but no way in hell would Microsoft ever consider retrofitting current 360 SKU's with an HD DVD drive.

Have people taken things THAT personally? Truly, a re-evaluation of life priorities is in order if that's the case. I've no idea how anyone can take most any of these conversations personally. I'm as passionate for film and wanting to see films in high definition as the next guy but lord knows if I ever needed "healing" from having a conversation about them, well, it's time to reset my life to zero and figure out what the in the hell is wrong with me. No offense intended of course....

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Thread from Blu-ray.com:
New Line Confirms Blu-ray exclusivity

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Hadn't seen this confirmed yet but... New Line has just confirmed via Variety that they too are now Blu-ray exclusive.



Edit: Paul you're too fast.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

This will probably not be a popular view, but unfortunately, often times, the (average) consumers are just not capable of (or don't really care about) making that decision w/in a feasible window of opportunity. The opportunity was there though one could argue it was too limiting, but such is life. As they say, "you snooze you lose" -- that is, if you actually wanted a say in the matter at all.


Agreed wholeheartedly!

_Man_

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Good point!

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Oh man!

Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray would be fantastic!

F

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I've always thought that Blu-Ray had a better chance due to one reason: more storage capacity. That allows for additional bonus features on a single disc, especially since with VC-1 or AVC (H.264) video compression a two hour 1080p 24fps movie takes about 17-18 GB of storage space.

With everyone likely to standardize on Blu-Ray, I'd like to see Blu-Ray discs now offer as standard:

1) Mandatory VC-1 or AVC video encoding.
2) Mandatory Dolby Digital TrueHD audio encoding, with optional DTS HD encoding.

I can't wait to see the Lord of the Rings movies in Blu-Ray format within the next 18 months!

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Sadly yes, they have. When a forum has to be shutdown because of threats of physical violence then I think people are taking this WAY too far. It's the main reason I now stay clear of any "war talk" threads. There are just better things to do with my time. Like watch movies in HD.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Purely subjective depending on what part of the country you are in. HD-DVD outsells BR 3 to 1 here. (Mainly because you can get them for $10 less on average.)

I am disappointed that I may very well have to go Blu and be out several hundred more dollars to continue buying HDM, but I knew going into this that I had a 50/50 chance of picking the wrong format. At least if and when HD sinks I'll still have a small catalog of HD-DVDs so I won't have to pick those up in BR.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Aye, I definitely want LoTR on BD as well. Heck, that trilogy on DVD was what pushed me over the edge to take the plunge on an HD RPTV 5 years ago (even though it was risky to get one w/out DVI/HDMI) as it was just not satisfying at all on a tiny-ish 32" 4x3 SDTV.

Can't wait for King Kong and The Matrix either since I never got around to jumping into HDD...

_Man_

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I won't be surprised if they cancelled that announcement.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I'd like to post a quick technical question here. Wasn't Toshiba originally leading the way and had pretty much all the studios and manufacturers all set to go forward with HD-DVD, and at the 11th hour, Sony jumped ship and brought out blu-ray for whatever reason?

And as I understand it, Paramount's decision to back HD-DVD last year was partly based on a set of standards that were all set for HD-DVD's coding and other technical details. As a result, the HD-DVD materials all function and the manufacturing process all set and was an economical process compared to BD.

On the blu ray side, the standards and codes are still or were in flux and as a result, early BD discs didn't have full functionality?

So the question is, by now, or soon, will blu-ray's standards all be met now and functionality all resolved? I figure this must be the case now.

Look forward to see what happens now! A lot of titles I'd like are on Warners, Fox, and Paramount too. I guess a lot of scrambling is going now within all the studios and manufacturing companies in light of this announcement.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Huh? What difference does it make the sales in Arkansas when total national and international sales strongly reflect the opposite? That's an odd "subjective".

Re: Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Do you think?!!

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

It's over. Finally, it's over.

Am I happy? Absolutely. Not because I've owned a PS3 for about a year now but because Warner's actions signal the end of this needless format war and the beginning of more films being released in high-definition on one format.

Now bring on the umpteenth copies of Star Wars on BD.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Assuming Blu-Ray really does become the only choice later on, I hope they do something about understating the packaging a little more. That neon blue color is just too much. A silly point to make considering all else that has been discussed, I know, but its sad how much it clashes with the artwork compared to the more subtle HD-DVD red.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I really disagree with the part that I bolded.

HDM has a tougher hill to climb... much tougher. DVD was a revolutionary upgrade in home video. It's been stated many times on this forum - for pre-recorded movies it trumps VHS in every single aspect... video quality, sound quality, supplements, subtitles, chapter stops, sexy 5" disc, no rewinding, durability, no sellthrough price, etc. When DVD came on the scene VHS was long in the tooth.

HDM offers slightly improved video quality (for those who notice)... and little else over DVD. DVD is only 10 years old and most people have only jumped onto the format in the last 3-5 years. Most people have already committed to DVD for many years to come.

It's a much bigger uphill battle to climb now with HDM then it was when DVD arrived. It's MUCH tougher to convince people to drop a relatively new and exponentially popular format as DVD for a slight improvement in quality that requires them to already spend more money.

HDM has been available for 1.5 years already and you can see with movie sales that it's moving very slowly. That's not because of the format war, it's because most people don't feel the need to upgrade to something that most feel isn't really an upgrade.

Without a doubt HDM is headed for niche status, and it'll be confirmed in the next 6-12 months when sales are still a tiny fraction of DVD.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I don't think this will help speed mainstream adoption.

While having WB exclusive is nice, it isn't everything. There are many classic and current movie favorites that belong to the Universal and Paramount catalog.

As long as those studios are no where in sight on BD, the casual viewers who are not interested in, nor can afford to take any calculated risk will remain on the fence.

This will also be of no help to Warner's reputation considering the timing of the announcement as well as Warner's undeniably pro-HD DVD stance up to this point.

If Paramount's dropping of one format was considered anti-consumer by some, just imagine how Warner is going to be perceived for doing the same thing but choosing to support the least affordable option.

To me it’s even worse because Warner had previously done so much to entice buyers to choose the HD DVD format over the BD format, with exclusive releases, superior extra features, lossless audio tracks, etc... It’s also like Warner turned their back on their partner in SD DVD.

I still have no intention of following where the studios tell me to go. I have chosen my HD optical platform and if they don't want to publish on it they won't get my money, I'll live.

Warner isn't going to get their massive BD payout AND have me buy another expensive piece of hardware so that I may have the privilege of continuing to buy their movies.

I'll stick with what's available on HD DVD and wait for the rest of the studios to come to their senses. Hopefully I am not alone in this sea of madness.

This seems like a very short sighted and knee-jerk move by some foolish executives at Warner. Who is running that ship anyway?

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Great points.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Wow! Big news. As usual I'm late to the party (or the wake) depending on your point of view. I feel bad for people who have recently received or bought HD DVD players for Christmas. Thisis enormously bad news for those people. That being said, I'm relieved that Warner has, with or without financial incentives, decided to exlusively support BD. The reason why comes down simply to playback. I haven't had one glitch, audio dropout, freeze up or lockout on any of the movies that I have put through my PS3 ( a first gen product). I cannot say the same thing for my HD DVD player. I have had playback problems on my A1. What is worse is the same issues that affected the first gen of HD DVD players are still occurring in the third generation players. I would have been really annoyed if had to start dealing with a third or fourth generation of buggy players had WB gone HD DVD exclusively.

Stability of playback is the only reason that I'm glad Warner's has gone with BD. HD DVD had their spec finalized and had features that have yet to show up on BD, but all that stuff is worthless to me when I have to deal with dropped or de-syncing audio, stuttering video, video speed-up, or freeze-ups and lockouts. Both of these formats play movies beautifully when they are working. I just happen to have had 0 problems with BD playback on the PS3, which tells me that SONY took the time to make sure that basic compatibility and playback issues were addressed before release. Toshiba is still dealing with those issues and their format is the one that is supposed to be nothing more than a refinement of an established technology.

I have to say that some of the comments on "the-forum-that-shall-be-named" have been rather amusing. I, especially, laugh at the ones where alleged "home theater enthusiasts" are vowing to go back to SD DVD before ever buying into "Blu" or its evil creator SONY. It has become pathological with a lot of people on both sides. I always thought the whole point of the "home theater experience" was to recreate as closely as possible the PQ and AQ of a "real" theater. Apparently, I was mistaken since a lot of people seem willing to accept a lower quality picture just to spite a monolithic corporation that isn't even aware that they exist.

Edit: Had to add some dropped sentences.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I don't know about other HD-DVD owners, but I have not had any stability problems with any discs I have put through my A2. Are third-gen owners having the problems that Edwin describes? Just curious.

I guess each person's mileage truly does vary.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Not possible, different layer depths, thus laser focal points.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

About Blu-ray becoming a "niche format" ;

I suppose that depends on how you define it as such. The prime example being laser disc. I know HTF has plenty of LD lovers, but the format was horribly impractical. Extraordinary prices for a clunky format with a user base that was practically non-existent?

Blu-ray has none of these drawbacks. It may never be as successful as DVD, but that's okay isn't it? We'll still get all our new releases day n' date and a constant, healthy supply of catalogue titles for years to come. The idea that the format will just die out is woefully unsupported.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Well......I was also going to purchase the Season 1 sets of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica as well as a bunch of HD-DVD films during that sale, so I saved a hell of a lot more than 99 bucks......more money to put towards my BD collection exclusively.

I can't wait to see how Universal and Paramount react to all this.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I'm looking at this whole scenario from a slightly different point of view than those who are concerned about losing about $99 on an "obsolete" HD-DVD player and a couple of bucks on a few HD-DVD titles. Most of us here who are HT junkies (to the tune of many many thousands of dollars invested in our Home Theaters and many times more than that in SW over the years) consider the HD format wars as a minor bump in the road regarding the whole picture. I'm interested in the best possible picture and sound available and that's why I purchased players for both formats very early in the game. A few observations from the old-timer:

• To those who keep claiming that properly upscaled SD-DVDs can be "almost as good" as HD media: You are only talking about the picture and forgetting what I consider the hidden bonus of all HD media - the incredible sound! SD sound codecs are not, repeat, not, "almost as good."
• Granted, the bullet above only really applies to the HT enthusiast (isn't that why you are here, folks?) and not the general public who watches on a less than pristine display and listens through that device's speakers. So when we are talking about HD media we must keep in mind, as some have correctly pointed out, that this is a niche market right now at best. Blu-ray's competition wasn't really HD-DVD. It is DVD itself.
• So where do I now stand with my supply of HD media, and specifically my HD-DVDs if the scenario plays out the way most people seem to be indicating here? Let's look at my numbers. I currently have over 6000 titles in my collection on LD, DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-ray media. Yes, a bit obsessive but welcome to The Home Theater Forum! At least we tend to watch movies over here unlike some "other" forums where all they seem to do is to discuss hardware! To me it's all about the movies, first and foremost. I'm going to get my SW wherever I can and in the best format possible. Back to the numbers. Of those 6000+ titles, approximately 300 of them, or 5%, are of the HD variety, split fairly equally between HD-DVDs and Blu-rays. In other words, ~ 2.5% of my collection is on HD-DVD. And, as others have noted, these discs don't suddenly stop functioning as of today. I'm still watching my LDs. Granted, not as often as before since there has been a marked improvement in sight and sound since those days. For that matter I still spin vinyl I picked up in the 1950's if you get my point. In other words, even if I don't add another HD-DVD to my collection (I'm betting that I will - especially since it's all about the movies) that 2.5% of my collection will still provide me with the best picture and sound until the next "latest/greatest" media comes along. I'm not sorry for one minute that I invested in both formats and am not looking to "dump" product before it becomes worthless. It certainly is worth a lot to me (especially since a sizeable number of my ~150 HD-DVD titles were purchased via Amazon BOGO sales for under $8 each!)
• While it makes eminent sense to try to settle on one format if we want HD media to leave the "niche" market, let's not forget that the good is always accompanied by the bad. Yes, more people will get into HD media and sales will increase, but let's not forget what generally happens when the market gets bigger. In general, the public is more forgiving than the specialist and a lot more is acceptable (and tolerated) by the masses. In other words, there will be less catering to those who point out errors on discs, etc. than earlier. I've seen this happen over and over again as technology goes from niche to mainstream. And lest we forget, competition fosters innovation, price reductions and other consumer benefits. Without competition sometimes providers become complacent if not downright obstinant. True, there are always economies of scale to offset this a bit but I like to refer to the statement, "Things are not always as good as they seem - but they are also not as bad as they seem either."

Yes, the possible end to the "format wars" (this time) can be an emotional, elating and/or upsetting thing for a lot of individuals based on the comments I've read here and elsewhere. And there will be a lot of speculation (some spot on but a lot based on conjecture rather than the facts) as to who did what to whom. But to an enthusiast like myself, something that affects possibly ~2.5% of my collection is a pimple on the butt of the Home Theater Monster that controls us. A blip on the radar that we will reminisce about in the future.

The sun will rise in the East tomorrow as always. Bring on the movies!

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

I've been sitting on the fence for the past year or so, ever since I first saw the beautiful images from of both formats. I was planning to get the HD-DVD kit for my 360 maybe even this summer. Well, I'm still sitting this one out for a little while longer with today's announcement.

It really surprises my that with the cost of players and discs lower on HD-DVD than Blu-Ray that HD-DVD didn't have a much stronger holiday showing. This being America, and the "WalMart effect" being what it is, most consumers will tend buy the cheaper item, regardless of quality or features.

Remember a few years ago when DVD players were selling for around 50 bucks for the first at the holidays? Everyone and their sister got one for Christmas. Hell, someone even got one for my grandparents, who still have a VCR from Radioshack that flashes 12:00!

I think the format war is not quite over, but is not looking good for HD-DVD.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Excellent points, RAF, though I'm definitely just a borderline enthusiast me thinks. BTW, when you mentioned "many times more than that in SW over the years" -- my own emphasis added -- I initially thought maybe you were sorta making a pun-of-sorts and refering to Star Wars instead of software.

_Man_

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

Marc, we can definitely agree to disagree. I think that your point hinges on some points that I disagree with as well, and address in my original post which you cut a small part from. You say that HDM offers slightly improved video quality to which I partly agreed: on older HD (and non-HD) sets. However I countered with my belief that most people will buy new HD sets in the next 5 years, which do show the difference quite readily (to my eyes, and everyone I've invited over and yes, most of my friends are non-HT types).

Also, you say that it will be hard to convince people to "drop" DVD but really they can co-exist. They will for me for certain. Of the 600+ DVDs I own, perhaps only 150-200 will be repurchased (movies I love). New blockbuster movies will be purchased on HD. But new Indie/less popular movies will most likely be purchased on DVD as chances are slim they'll be released on HD right now.

So I think I can partly agree with you in that perhaps HDM will never gain DVD's level of market penetration. But "niche" I define as laserdisc, which very few of the general population owned. I fully believe that should one format win, the studios/stores/manufacturers will begin to rally around it and get it somewhere between LD and DVD in popularity within 5 years, which I think is enough to consider it a success.

Re: BREAKING NEWS!! Warner Brothers is now Blu-ray Exclusive

It will be interesting to see how the general consumer facing media treats this. I have seen several stories on various news channels that were dragged out during slow news days (the paramount switch was one such day) where the format war was central to the piece.

It would be great to see this become a good news story, and signal anyone waiting on the sidelines to go ahead and jump into the pool.