You're not picking up the Pixar shorts? To me, that's the highlight of 11/06.

I'm looking forward to that release the most. I wish they would get to releasing some of the classic Disney animated stuff though.

Source:
http://www.qj.net/Independent-manufa.../49/aid/102659

In what could be perceived as a small yet groundbreaking move for the Blu-ray format, disc manufacturer Infodisc just signed up as the first independent Blu-ray disc manufacturer in Europe.

While Infodisc's allegiance to Blu-ray per se isn't going to make much difference in the format wars, the fact that Blu-ray opened to the independent sector may make or break Blu-ray's potential to win.

HD-DVD may be easier and more affordable to churn out, but with small disc producers like Infodisc helping out Blu-ray, its entirely possible that production costs for Sony's flagship format will go down.

The support of small, independent disc manufacturers will most certainly make a large impact in the outcome of the format wars. Do watch this space for more updates!

Pro-B

I don't agree with those comments, actually many independant european manufacturers can make HD-DVD discs.
We'll see if HD movies released in Europe will be more format neutral, the french manufacturer QOL for example,
(Pan's Labyrinth, Renaissance french edition,La Tigre e la Neve italian edition) is pro-HD-DVD and is a member
of the HD-DVD promotional Group, I think HD-DVD is stronger in Europe than in the US.

Stand alone HD players in Europe (PdM=Market share)

Ps: this qj.net news is one month old , dvd-intelligence.com is a better source.

***MASSIVE SPECULATION ALERT!*** The 60 GB PS3 has been out of stock for a couple of weeks at sonystyle.com, and now it has been removed from the website completely (only the 80 GB remains). This seems to lend some credibility to the rumor that the 60 GB is being discontinued. If that is true, one would tend to believe the rumor that a $400 40 GB unit will be introduced for the holidays, because there is no way Sony would go into this Xmas season with only a $600 unit for sale. I’m considering signing up for that Sony credit card now, buying the 40 GB PS3 in November, and getting the $100 Sonystyle rebate. That would get me a PS3 for $300 (my magic price point).

We'll see - I'm kind of on the fence about it. I've seen a lot of them on my Pixar DVD's and there are only a few I really need to see again.

Plus, I feel like they could have put all the Pixar shorts on one BD. Why the Vol. 1 thing? Just to milk us?

There is no rumor that the 60GB is being discontinued. It was confirmed by Sony a while ago.

I thought it was being discontinued. Because everyone was saying they were happy to get the older version with the emulation being hardware based vs. software based.

I think the 80gb will drop to $499 for the holidays or something without the free game.

Source:
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_6...nclick_check=1

LOS ANGELES—Walt Disney Co. chief executive Robert Iger criticized studios Tuesday that dropped support for the Blu-ray high-definition DVD format.

Other Hollywood executives defended their support of the rival HD DVD format during an investor conference in New York sponsored by Goldman Sachs.

Consumers remain profoundly confused by the two formats, both of which deliver crisp, clear pictures and sound but are completely incompatible with each other and do not play on older DVD players.

Iger said he was disappointed that the industry had not backed one format and predicted that a victory by Blu-ray over rival HD DVD was a "foregone conclusion."

Disney backs Blu-ray exclusively along with Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Viacom's Paramount Pictures, which also owns DreamWorks SKG, recently dropped its support for Blu-ray and said it would start distributing films exclusively in the HD DVD format.

Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric, also releases films only in HD DVD. Warner Bros., owned by Time Warner Inc., releases in both formats.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman told investors at the same conference that the decision to switch was made because HD DVD players were more affordable. He also said Paramount decided it made more long-term economic sense to back a single format.

News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch told the conference his company believes Blu-ray is the superior format.

"The public can tell the difference," Murdoch said.

Iger also said the relaunched Disney.com Web site will distribute original content as well as vintage cartoons and programs from the company's vast library.

"We believe the Internet has become a viable entertainment medium," Iger said.

Pro-B

BluRay...and Harry Potter indeed offers PCM.



Pro-B

Here's another article which is now on record via Variety! The highlighted portion below should clarify where Disney stands and whether or not they were paid to support Blu-Ray.


http://www.tvpredictions.com/disneyblu091807.htm

Disney Chief Rips Blu-ray Defectors
Says Blu-ray victory is "forgone conclusion."

By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (September 18, 2007) -- Disney CEO Robert Iger today criticized studios that have dropped support of Blu-ray in favor of rival HD DVD.

That's according to an article by the Associated Press.

Disney, along with three other major Hollywood studios, are exclusive supporters of Blu-ray in the high-def disc format war. However, Paramount and DreamWorks last month joined Universal HD in supporting HD DVD exclusively. (Paramount previously released films on both Blu-ray and HD DVD.)

The AP reports that Iger today said Blu-ray's victory was a "forgone conclusion" and expressed disappointment that other studios had not joined the Blu-ray team.

"It's disappointing that the industry hasn't managed to be cohesive," Iger said.

The Disney chief made his remarks at a Goldman Sachs investment meeting.

News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, whose Fox studio also exclusively backs Blu-ray, told the conference that his favored format offers the best picture.

"The public can tell the difference," Murdoch said, according to the AP.

Philippe Dauman, CEO of Viacom, which owns Paramount, responded to Iger's remarks by saying that the studio is now backing HD DVD because its players are more affordable.

The entry-level HD DVD player is $299 while the lowest-priced Blu-ray player retails for $499.

According to Variety, Dauman refused to comment on reports that Toshiba paid Paramount $100 million to switch to HD DVD.

But Iger seemed certain that the report was true.

"We haven't taken any money (to choose Blu-ray) because we think it's far and away the best business," Iger said, according to Variety.



I have yet to read the article with the full comments in Variety but will be tracking it down asap.


Ciao,
Pro-B

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. There is no rumor that the 60GB PS3 will be discontinued because Sony has confirmed that the 60GB will be discontinued. Thus, it is not a rumor, but rather a cold, hard, fact.

I don't buy it. Maybe there wasn't a cash payout, but were there subsidies for replication? Reduced royalties?

It kills me to see the double standard here. Right now, WB is taking advantage of selling to both markets. Every BD fanboy rips on Paramount for supporting only one format, but gives Disney a free pass. We see it the other way too. For the longest time, exclusivity didn't mean a rip to HD DVD fanboys, but once Paramount was on board it became a big deal.

Disney will change their tune at the snap of a finger if there is money to be made. Put that quote in your sig.

Key word being "money". Dont be so naive.

These guys are like politicians. They know how to spin the words.

Id like to hear him say "We haven't taken anything extra to choose Blu-ray because we think it's far and away the best business,"

It's funny to see a studio head, whose own company has decided to back only one format, criticize another studio for choosing format exclusivity. I think it also speaks to his Blu-ray victory being a forgone conclusion statement, as anything but. How dare everyone not share Disney's vision?

It is completely ridiculous for him to criticize.

If I remember correctly, just a few months back (or maybe it was at CES?)...he had said they would probably back both formats, then put out a statement later reaffirming their exclusivity to BD.

Here are some more quotes from Robert Iger:

http://www.movieweb.com/dvd/news/33/22833.php


It may seem like the tide is turning but some industry heavyweights are stepping up behind Blu-ray Disc.

In a story from The Hollywood Reporter, it seems that Disney's Robert Iger feels that those studios not supporting Blu-ray Disc "are being greedy and shortsighted."

He called Blu-ray beating HD-DVD in the format war a "no-brainer," based on better sales for Blu-ray Disc over HD-DVD.

This all comes in the wake of Viacom's Paramount and DreamWorks... dumping Blu-ray last month in favor of HD-DVD."

"Those studios are largely taking easy money, and it will cost them in the future," Iger stated Tuesday at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference in New York.

No less a mogul than "News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch said that Paramount essentially accepted money from Toshiba to go exclusively HD-DVD. He even put a price on the payment: $150 million."

As the "war" stands today "Disney and News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, along with Sony and MGM, are exclusive to Blu-ray, while Universal is with HD-DVD only and Warner Bros. backs both formats."


Can't say I disagree with him. The Paramount decision also struck me as shortsightedness.

Iger is a hypocrite.

They were losing more money with Blu-ray due to higher cost of production, etc. Even if BD wins and HD DVD goes away forever, Paramount can still "come back to the fold" when it's cheaper and easier to produce.

If they ever do go back is the BDA going to penalize them for their treasonous defection? Make them come crawling back in penitent supplication? Seriously: how is this decision short-sighted? How is it going to cost them?

The main argument which Paramount has been offering to justify their move is low-cost on hardware which implies adoption rates, etc (the most affordable player being Venturer which WalMart has officially stated will not carry for Christmas). As asked already explain the following to me:

If the consumer is so sensitive to price and so ignorant of brand and features, how likely is he to be interested in paying $30/35 for your movies?

Pro-B

Sorry but people associate money with payoffs or compensation. Iger couldn't have been clearer with this statement that compensation was not needed for exclusivity and they just went with the better product in their eyes.
The funny thing about this is that Hd-dvd fanboys at AVS are dumbfounded by this and really don't know how to respond to it.

Who says they want to buy them? BBV rents them.

The Toshiba A2 and a blockbuster/netflix membership gets someone high-def movies. Period.

Besides, even if they buy movies, they may pick and choose. Hardware prices are what everyone MUST pay. The movies can be rented, borrowed or just a smaller selection purchased.

Thats one of the problems with these formats. People do not seem willing to replace their catalogs. They buy new releases only.

Ive worked in the corporate world for the past 8 years. I know corporate speak.

Just because he said "money" does not mean they didnt receive "incentives".

The apparent assumption that -- based on a perceived high cost of software -- the cost of hardware somehow isn't important is ludicrous, to say the least. Who in their right mind doesn't care how much they spend on a piece of hardware?

As for the current cost of software, there are plenty of online options for purchasing HD discs at prices much lower than $30. Even Fox's $40 MSRP Blu-ray releases. I personally have never had to pay more than $25 for a given disc, and I know there are plenty on this forum and elsewhere who can say the same.

If the format(s) gain more acceptance with the public and begin to sell more, software prices will inevitably come down -- just as the prices of hardware have done already.