Bcolon

Here is the complete post from the Digital Bits:

I've just spoken today with Eric Maehara, VP of Communications for Buena Vista Home Entertainment. He informed me that the studio is planning to announce a MAJOR Blu-ray Disc release line-up for the first half of 2007 at CES. He also reiterated to me in no uncertain terms that BVHE has no plans to support the HD-DVD, despite persistent online rumors to the contrary.

I've also spoken this afternoon with Steve Feldstein, Senior VP of Corporate and Marketing Communications for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. He likewise confirmed that Fox has no plans to support HD-DVD, and that the studio will also be announcing additional Blu-ray Disc titles at CES.

Paramount's Senior VP for Worldwide DVD Production, Jeff Radoycis, has informed me that the studio is currently focusing on new release titles, but is also busy evaluating a number of major catalog titles for their readiness to be released on HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc in the year ahead. The studio definitely expects to continue supporting both high-def formats equally in 2007.

And on Friday afternoon I spoke with a press representative of New Line Home Entertainment regarding their future high-def releases. The latest official word is that the studio is currently still evaluating their plans as far as which format(s) they might support and what titles they might want to release. For now, don't expect anything from them on either format until probably mid-2007.

We've got follow-up inquiries in to Warner, Universal and Sony with regard to their forthcoming high-def announcement plans, in particular whether they plan any major announcements at CES or not. We'll post the details of their responses as soon as they come in.


Looks like anyone expecting an announcement from BV about going HDDVD at CES are going to be disappointed. New Lines stance is quite odd. Come on just pick a side or go both ways, but make a decision!

Paul_SD

great news!
I'm having enough problems trying to decide between Warner releases and Universal releases. Throw in imports on top of that, and I just have to thank Fox and BV for saving me money

flashburn

Christ, I wish New Line would get off their asses and start releasing some stuff in HD.

fryinpan1

Studios who will not support HD DVD are costing themselves sales. They are out of ways to get people to rebuy the same movies they already own. If they want new money, aside from new theatrical releases, they need to release movies on HD DVD.

Mr. Cinema

Yet there was a thread last week at AVS saying Disney was preparing their announcement for CES, regarding supporting HD DVD. That "insider" at AVS appears to be full of absolute shit.

And regarding New Line, what a bunch of cowards. I never thought The Weinstein Company would have high-def releases out before New Line.

I hope Disney's big announcements mention Pirates 1 and 2.

bretski

C'mon! There is absolutely no reason to expect execs from either BVHE or Fox to say anything other than what is the official company line *today*.

The rumors of these studios supporting HD-DVD may or may not be true. If there is going to be any change in their stance, it isn't going to be announced until at least CES.

Bill Hunt pisses me off almost as much as the rumor-mongers at AVS...

Nevi

It's all rumors and wishful thinking.

I too have to laugh that New Line is so slow to embrace the new technologies. Like just about everyone else I was hoping for TLOTR trilogy in '07 but that seems unlikely now.

And Cars!

Mr. Cinema

And since Sony is the main BD supporter, I really hope we get some info regarding the Spiderman movies. They've been rather quiet lately regarding software titles. I bet we'll get The DaVinci Code announcement though.

Bcolon

Yeah. The "insiders" over there have been saying for months that BV and or LGF will be anouncing their support, yet nothing ever happens.

Bcolon

Yes, but execs will usually give themselves some wiggle room by using words like "currently" or "at this time" so that when an announcement is made they can say they did not lie or mislead the public.

Why the hate towards Bill Hunt? He is just reporting what he heard. That is what his website is for. At least with the Digital Bits we know who is really reporting something, unlike the posters at AVS who could be Joe Six Pack from the trailer park down the street pretending to be an insider.

Mr. Cinema

Those answers they gave seem pretty firm. Aside from Sony, Fox is probably the most supportive of BD, so I certainly wouldn't even consider them switching.

jiggawhat

I've been saying this all along. I knew that there was no way Disney or Fox was releasing on HD-DVD.

It's just propaganda started by the fanboys of HD-DVD.

matome

and Kill Bill 1 & 2

Nevi

Sony really ought to put out a handful of their recent blockbusters on BD and do it soon and in turn show us they are indeed going to do what it takes to win the format war. As I've said before I love both formats but it seems like Sony is taking their sweet time releasing movies people actually crave for in HD. Being the only studio playing a major role in this battle it just doesn't make sense that crap like The Big Hit is out already but not Spider-Man.

Adam Tyner

In fairness, Robert George -- one of the main voices behind the LGF rumor -- really is a knowledgeable guy with enough connections to know what he's talking about, and he's been saying for a couple of months now that whatever plans LGF had underway have stalled. Other people might be perpetuating that with a "Wait! Wait and you'll see...", but the guy responsible for initially getting the word out isn't one of 'em.

I don't have any problem believing that LGF and maybe Disney did some prepwork just to give HD DVD a whirl at one point early on, be it to have a fallback or just to be able to evaluate it with their own products and with their own eyes, and for whatever reason decided against it.

I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that either or both will release on HD DVD at some point, but until someone from either company definitively announces something, I'm not paying those rumors any thought. They're exclusive to Blu-ray until they're not.

I would tend to think that it's much too early in the game for one of these studios to announce a switch, but then again, if a company were going to announce something, why would they show their hand a couple weeks in advance? Oh well. I'm not expecting any news of a switch, but if Fox and Disney announce a strong slate of Blu-ray titles and there's a first-rate player out there, I'd consider that good news.

Bcolon

I agree. If Blu Ray does not pick up speed in the new year, we could be realistically looking at some defections for the holiday season or, more likely, 2008. The same goes for Universal, although there may be more pressure for them to go neutral from consumers being the only major studio not releasing on Blu Ray.

bretski

Because it's rabble-rousing. Don't get me wrong, for the most part, I think Bill is balanced in his reporting. But we all know where Fox and Disney stand in their support. The execs aren't going to tell him (exclusively) anything new.

I'm just getting sick of people trying to "create" news, when there is nothing new to tell.

The studios are in the business of making money. If/When Fox and Disney decide that HD-DVD will make more for them, they will announce support. If BD gains momentum (and more importantly, makes them $$$), they won't.

Sorry for the sharp reaction, I've just had it with the "rumor du jour."

Doughboy

I wouldn't be surprised if Disney and Lions Gate go format neutral in the not-too-distant future. If enough Toshiba players and 360 add-ons get sold, they'd be nutz to ignore that consumer base.

Fox seems to be as gung ho for Blu-ray as Universal is for HD-DVD, so I don't anticipate either studio giving in anytime soon.

Engel07

Since The Matrix is coming out only on HD-DVD, that's where i'll be putting my money on...

Adam Tyner

If Warner starts releasing their titles on both formats simultaneously as they're supposedly going to do in 2007, then you'll be able to pick up The Matrix in high-def no matter which horse you bet on.

Doughboy

I'd be very surprised if that wasn't a dual format release. The HD-DVD version might be the only one to get Dolby True HD and an IME feature however.

Supermallet

All the studios should be format neutral and let the fucking consumers decide.

matome

From the http://www.thedigitalbits.com: Bill Hunt mentioned “Meanwhile, Warner has informed me that the studio is committed to catching up with their Blu-ray Disc releases in 2007, so that all previously released HD-DVD titles will be available on Blu-ray as well, and future titles will be released on both formats simultaneously.”

Jah-Wren Ryel

FWIW - my idle speculation is that Disney will not support HD-DVD because of Steve Jobs. My personal pet theory goes like this - through the Pixar acquisition, Jobs has taken control of Disney in a fashion very similar to the way Apple's acquisition of NeXT put NeXT in control of Apple. Because Microsoft supports HD-DVD with the xbox, Apple believes that promoting BLU hurts MS. Thus what Apple wants is what Jobs wants and since Jobs now dominates Disney, Disney wants what Apple wants.

Maxflier

So Buena Vista and Fox don't want my money?
Oh well, i'm sure Universal and WB will be more than happy to take more of it.