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-   -   Reuters/USA Today: Warner Bros. will back only Blu-ray (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk/521651-reuters-usa-today-warner-bros-will-back-only-blu-ray.html)

theflyingdutch 01-05-08 04:57 PM


Originally Posted by DVD Josh
So, now that WB is on board, are we finally going to hear some high profile title announcements across the board at CES?

That would be nice.

Supermallet 01-05-08 04:58 PM

I can't wait to finally get The Exorcist II: The Heretic in pristine 1080p!

theflyingdutch 01-05-08 05:02 PM


Originally Posted by Suprmallet
I can't wait to finally get The Exorcist II: The Heretic in pristine 1080p!

Oh my!

darkside 01-05-08 05:02 PM


Originally Posted by Suprmallet
I can't wait to finally get The Exorcist II: The Heretic in pristine 1080p!

Reach for the stars baby.

I just want more pre 1980s classic films.

DVD Polizei 01-05-08 05:10 PM

Speaking of 80's greats, Lifeforce on Blu-ray might get me in the game a little earlier. Matilda May...naked...1080p...oh yeah.

jjt1081 01-05-08 05:15 PM


Originally Posted by Suprmallet
I can't wait to finally get The Exorcist II: The Heretic in pristine 1080p!

I want a real HD remaster of Out For Justice, and while they are at it how about Hard To Kill and Above The Law? Fire Down Below would be cool, too. :D

Now that New Line is officially Blu, where in the bloody fucking hell is the Blade series??????

Mr. Cinema 01-05-08 05:22 PM

I would say we will certainly hear about Batman Begins, Matrix, and the other still exclusive WB HD DVD titles. Maybe they will also announce the original Batman series, which I think we'll see with the theatrical or video debut of TDK. Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, LA Confidential, Gremlins, Heat among other WB catalogs would be nice to hear about. Hammer Horror announcement would be awesome news, but I doubt that'll happen.

I still think there's a chance New Line gives us a LOTR BD announcement. Fox is the best at announcing titles, so hopefully they will update on all those that were announced at CES 2007. Xmen 1 and 2, Alien 1 and 2 announcements are welcomed.

Disney will probably remind us Finding Nemo is coming out. Hopefully we'll get more catalogs from them. I am still looking for Armageddon. This year is the 10th Anniversary and Michael Bay loves BD.

I hope Sony updates the status of Lawrence of Arabia. Would love to hear announcements for Air Force One, Bridge on the River Kwai, Dr. Strangelove, Glory (this was supposed to be an '07 release), among others. I would say we'll get a 007 update too.

Hammer99 01-05-08 05:28 PM

I think it's in Warner's best interests to keep a low profile the rest of this weekend. No need to fan the flames any higher by announcing any forthcoming exclusive BD titles right now. As for the other companies, I'm also hopeful that a few gems will be announced.

tonymontana313 01-05-08 05:34 PM


Originally Posted by namja
By "facts" I hope you mean the same as the "fact" that Sony just spent $1 billion to woo two studios.

The primary motive was a financial one. It's pretty plain and simple.

Oh I agree that money changed hands. WB did not do this based on the merits of BD but I'm sure WB was thinking long term with this move which is what pro-b was aiming for.

bunkaroo 01-05-08 05:36 PM


Originally Posted by wewantflair
There's a difference between taking an article that was published and criticizing its author and calling out a forum poster on a different forum. If you want to mock Rdjam, be my guest, but man up and do it in his thread on AVS or HDD. To do it here, where he doesn't post, is bad form. Since Bill Hunt doesn't have a dedicated forum, and is a professional industry analyst, forum posts critiquing his published articles are to be expected.

Yes, but people don't merely critique his articles - they attack him personally.

Hunt doesn't post here either. He may be reading - I don't know. Maybe rdjam is reading.

And BTW, TDB does have its own forum.

bunkaroo 01-05-08 05:38 PM


Originally Posted by Goldblum
Why?

Well, mostly because signs did seem to be pointing to WB going red, and I just didn't think they'd even say anything at CES, let alone before it.

But obviously I was wrong on both counts. :)

DVD Polizei 01-05-08 05:42 PM


Originally Posted by tonymontana313
Oh I agree that money changed hands. WB did not do this based on the merits of BD but I'm sure WB was thinking long term with this move which is what pro-b was aiming for.

But thinking long-term wouldn't matter if you're the one holding the pivotal keys. WB knew this much. So, long-term wasn't really part of the deal for only Blu-ray. WB accepted a financial subsidy from Sony. They could have done the same from MS. Long-term thinking would have applied to both formats. If WB went HD DVD, it would have put a lot of pressure on Sony and other movie studios. But WB needed money now, needed assurances now, and Sony gave them what they wanted. Apparently, Microsoft was too busy with other things. Maybe updating Vista patches or something.

bunkaroo 01-05-08 05:42 PM


Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema
More stuff from David Vaughn on AVS:

Let's look at this from a business perspective. Is Toshiba harmed by losing HD DVD? Yes, but not to the degree that Sony would be if Blu-ray died. Sony has literally bet the farm on Blu-ray with the PS3. The PS3 isn't considered a successful game machine (yet), and if Sony lost Fox and Warner after the Paramount defection, that would have been the end of Blu-ray and possibly the end of Sony as we know it.

This is just my opinion, but I think this goes a long way toward explaing why Toshiba has all but lost this war. Sony simply wanted (or more accurately, needed) it more. They made more bold moves IMO than Toshiba did.

During all the Blu-Ray BOGO's, where were the HD DVD BOGO's? They also didn't have near the ad campaign Blu-Ray has had.

I don't know if Toshiba refused to spend more money promoting their format or simply couldn't afford to, but either way, to me, it always seemed like they were a day late and a dollar short. I firmly believe they could have won if they had managed their campaign better.

Geist 01-05-08 05:43 PM


Originally Posted by dsa_shea
Funny thing is that MS seems to have left HD-Dvd standing at the alter when they could have done something to possibly determine a different outcome.

Bill Gates has never hid the fact that he thinks physical media HD is just a stopgap until the digital download infrastructure is perfected.

Microsoft was probably perfectly happy to have the Format Wars continue to play out indefinitely, at which point they would swoop in on their white horse and tell the consumer they could forget all the confusing Red V. Blue nonsense and have HD movies sent right to their homes.

Sony, as a producer of hardware and software, had much more at stake.

theflyingdutch 01-05-08 05:45 PM


Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
But thinking long-term wouldn't matter if you're the one holding the pivotal keys. WB knew this much. So, long-term wasn't really part of the deal for only Blu-ray. WB accepted a financial subsidy from Sony. They could have done the same from MS. Long-term thinking would have applied to both formats. If WB went HD DVD, it would have put a lot of pressure on Sony and other movie studios. But WB needed money now, needed assurances now, and Sony gave them what they wanted. Apparently, Microsoft was too busy with other things. Maybe updating Vista patches or something.

You simply are talking without any basis in fact. You don't know that WB accepted a financial subsidy from Sony. You don't know it for sure. Don't spread it around that it is fact.

DVD Polizei 01-05-08 05:47 PM

I just had the biggest yawn.

And you were in it.

FantasticVSDoom 01-05-08 05:50 PM


Originally Posted by Suprmallet
Microsoft, while very involved with HD DVD, is not invested to the level that Sony is. It doesn't make sense to include an HD DVD drive internally into the 360, as it would slow the read times on the games considerably, as it has with the PS3. They had less to gain from HD DVD winning than Sony had to gain with BD winning, so it didn't make sense for them to sacrifice the capabilities of the 360 just to get more HD DVD penetration.

I agree, and I think the only real reason they backed HD-DVD was too rival Sony. I think what they did to was successful because PS3 banked on Blu and the 360 got out there first and get a good jump. I think its pretty clear that MS and Gates are more invested in non-physical storage mediums.

theflyingdutch 01-05-08 05:51 PM


Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
I just had the biggest yawn.

And you were in it.

Excuse me, but you and others have slammed Pro-B when he has had even more facts to back up his statements. Quit spreading FUD.

DVD Polizei 01-05-08 05:52 PM

When did I ever SLAM Pro-B. Get your facts straight and STFU.

tonymontana313 01-05-08 05:52 PM


Originally Posted by theflyingdutch
You simply are talking without any basis in fact. You don't know that WB accepted a financial subsidy from Sony. You don't know it for sure. Don't spread it around that it is fact.

Flyingdutch, as much as you or I would like to believe that WB did this based on merit, it is simply not true. Various insiders have stated that WB took "incentives" to close the deal. I'm okay with it because it got everyone the desired effect of what they wanted which is to end this format war.

Pizza 01-05-08 05:53 PM

If all or any of these rumours are true about WB and FOX getting big green to be Blu exclusive, then, if I was Disney I'd go neutral to spite Sony. Yeah, that's the ticket.

RichC2 01-05-08 05:54 PM


Originally Posted by theflyingdutch
Excuse me, but you and others have slammed Pro-B when he has had even more facts to back up his statements. Quit spreading FUD.

To be honest, that isn't really FUD.

A-aron 01-05-08 05:55 PM


Originally Posted by FantasticVSDoom
I agree, and I think the only real reason they backed HD-DVD was too rival Sony. I think what they did to was successful because PS3 banked on Blu and the 360 got out there first and get a good jump. I think its pretty clear that MS and Gates are more invested in non-physical storage mediums.

That's right - because if the 360 came with a HD DVD drive built in, then Toshiba would have had Microsft's pockets in play as well (if there were indeed incentives).

But I would imagine that Sony's coffers are much richer than Toshiba, and gave them the needed clout to sway the undecided.

If Sony really wants to come out of this looking good, they would find a way to allow the masses to embrace Blu by lowering the price on the player. Leave the media itself as is (for now) but allow more people to get into the format via a low-cost unit. If the media was selling as well as they claim, then that should continue or ever increase.

Bill Geiger 01-05-08 05:55 PM

Guys, enough with the name calling and "he said she said" stuff. Why not discuss civilly.

Bill Geiger 01-05-08 05:56 PM


Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
Speaking of 80's greats, Lifeforce on Blu-ray might get me in the game a little earlier. Matilda May...naked...1080p...oh yeah.

Shit, I would love to see, Just One Of The Guys in HD


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