Sorry man, but Dave is right, Speilberg is that powerful and does have the final say. Let's set the Sherman's Wayback machine circa fall 1997...

Universal announced it original slate of DVD's The Paper (P/S), Sudden Death (P/S), Backdraft, Waterworld, Land Before Time and Back to the Future. Within weeks Universal issues a retraction, removing the Speilberg's/Amblin's titles.

I've been checking the arvhives of sites, but still can't find the original press release. the best I came up with was the Universal Studio Announcement archives from The Digital Bits...

Universal Studios - Previous News 12/12/97

But, believe what you want...

I guess Fox and Paramount can just put Star Wars and Indiana Jones out on discs whenever they please as well.

fitprod

No one said anything about Star Wars or Indiana Jones, but I still disagree with you. I even said that I'm sure he gives guidance. You may believe as you wish, and I mine. Seeing as how this is going off topic, and I'm not the only one who stated this, I'll try and let it be the last post on the subject.

My God, Spielberg sucks. Why doesn't he want his movies on HD? Even though Warner Brothers has said that Poltergeist is coming to HD and Blu-Ray when they release the still no release date Poltergeist: 25th Anniversary

I would love to see both the BTTF Trilogy and the JP Trilogy on HD-DVD, and would certainly buy them immediately upon release.

However, in regards to Spielberg’s influence: Didn’t Universal originally plan to release only the 2002 CGI-enhanced version of E.T. on the 2-disc DVD set, only to get a call from Spielberg and told they must include the Original 1982 version on the 2-disc set as well?

I thought it was the opposite. Spielberg only wanted the 2002 cut, and fan outrage prompted Universal to include the 1982 cut as well.

If so, then my mistake. I certainly don’t have any reference other than my own memory, so perhaps I misunderstood from the get-go.

I could be wrong as well, but I seem to remember feedback from fans being the motivating factor for including both versions. Whether it motivated Spielberg to call Universal or Universal to act on its own, I'm not sure.

I have HD-DVD and I love it, but I question some of the titles being released at this early stage of the format war.

Titles such as the ones below aren't exactly blockbuster releases to sway any sort of market share from Blu-Ray.

June 12, 2007

Daylight (Universal)

June 26, 2007

American Me (Universal)
Bulletproof (Universal)
Meet Joe Black (Universal)
Mystery Men (Universal)
The Watcher (Universal)

July 10, 2007
Dante's Peak (Universal)
The War (Universal)
The Wedding Date (Universal)

July 24, 2007
In Good Company (Universal)
The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps (Universal)
Streets of Fire (Universal)

August 14, 2007
Mercury Rising (Universal)
What Dreams May Come (Universal)

Now a titles like BTTF Trilogy, Jaws, or the Kill Bill - Whole Bloody Affair could do so.

Regarding E.T., I distinctly remember Universal's original plan was to release the 1982 cut only as part of the more expensive Ultimate Gift Set. Whether it was fan outcry or Spielberg's 'generosity' that got included in the two-disc set was and still is a matter of debate. I seem to remember 'them' spinning it as the later at the time.

Well BTTF and Jaws might be able to influence marketshare, but I wonder how much. How many copies were sold on DVD?

As for Kiil Bill - The Whole Bloddy Affair, I think the influence of Tarantino on any market is starting to become very over-rated. Note that I am a big fan of Tarantino, but are his films really the type of material that would influence consumers to buy a format?

fitprod

It would've been alot less if not for the Circuit City misprice ;)

~S2

This is accurate. We also need to remember that Lucas owns the rights to Star Wars and Indy, but Spielberg does not own the rights to all his pictures. I'm not saying he has no sway, but he may have less than some think. If Universal thought BttF would be a good release, I doubt Speilberg could stop it.

BZZZT. Most of those copies moved AFTER that number was revealed.

I hope HD-DVD will last long enough for all 4 seasons of Battlestar Galactica to be released.

It would suck to buy Seasons 1 and 2 on HD-DVD then have to get 3 and 4 on Blu-ray.

Being a Blu-ray only supporter and a huge fan of BTTF, I'm hoping Universal goes neutral before BTTF comes out in HD. until then, it's on my Comcast DVR from when it was on HDNet.

I used to be a Blu-Ray supporter, but now I support HD-DVD all the way. They are players and movies are cheaper and they also have a better movie selection.

Probably not. Especially since it'll be available separately on the other format anyway.

The movies are cheaper?

According to what criterion?!

I find that BR have the better selection with Almodovar on BR being the single most important reason for me to favor them over HDDVD.

(*Even the European HDDVD releases have left me pretty cold up to this point).

Pro-B

1 Almodovar film...

To each their own, but there's only one Almodovar movie on Blu-ray so far, and the format's support of foreign-language and art house films is pretty anemic, with little sign of getting better. Generally speaking, the Blu-ray studios favor releasing big action and sci-fi movies that appeal to the PS3 demographic.

There are those movies on HD DVD as well, of course, but also a broader selection of classic films and award-winners.

Don't confuse potential titles in a studio's catalog for titles they actually plan to release in High Definition.

I think I'll be making this my sig line in the future. Yes, it is all personal taste and highly subjective, but I'm extremely surprised that after one year in existence, Blu rays catalog (and all their exclusive studio support) offers almost nothing I consider a 'must have'.
And I like to think I have a broad range of tastes.

It's not just that I took a gamble, chose HD DVD first and now am trying to make the best of it. I'm honestly thrilled with the titles I've gotten from the format so far (though I only own about 43 discs ).

Maybe if MGM kicks out Jean De Florette/Manon I'll get just as high on them, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Hell, the next sd re-release of those in a month still won't see them get an anamorphic remaster.

Well Universal has released many movies I very much like and there are very few BR movies that I like.

And yes the prices for the most part are cheaper, most HD movies are $24.99 where most BR movies are $29.99, granted there are a few HD's that are $29.99 and a few BR movies that are $24.99 but for the most part HD's are cheaper, and so are the players. Just got my HD player for $299.99 where a BR player is $799.99