Deftones

There isn't much that they could do in response to this. Outside of buying one of these studios and forcing them to HD-DVD. Or maybe buying Sony.

QuePaso

For anyone still waiting for a response, the HD DVD PRG has now canceled its One on One Executive meetings in addition to the 2 hour CES Press Conference.

Here is the link:

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=10234

pinata242

That's a great picture on the article!

You can just feel the depression coming off the HD camp in that statement.

Jon2

Not really. I know Toshiba was not in this alone. The whole HD-DVD group is responsible... but Toshiba could have (or should have, if they weren't) pushing partners into keeping disc prices as low as possible. Lower than BR, but higher than DVD. The one real consumer advantage of HD-DVD and disadvantage of BR was disc production costs. HD-DVD studios chose to monetize that difference rather than take advantage of it to grow consumer marketshare.

Content is king and cheap(er) content can move markets.

As for MS's involvement, I think MS has a tendency to become involved in some things more for the purposes of muddying current waters (HD disc media) for their own later advantage in another arena... movie downloads. Where MS is still trying to sell the studios on their brand of DRM and the advantage they can bring to the market with the ubiquitousness of their OS/software in the PC/TV convergence arena.

But the studios aren't buying. They're greedy, but not stupid (at least not completely). They don't want to give up anything, particularly money or control, and MS is a control freak of a corporation that desperately wants to get their fingers into as many pies as possible. I think this, more than anything else, is why the studios haven't climbed into bed with MS. They've read the news... they know how MS treats partners and that MS can't be trusted. For the most recent example, look at how MS pulled the rug out from under it's "Plays For Sure" associates. IMHO, MS is it's own worst enemy.

And just because I'm ragging on MS doesn't mean Sony gets a pass. I think a lot of those in the HD-DVD camp are there because of Sony's rootkit debackle, and who can blame them. But, as far as partnership arrangements are concerned, I think Sony learned from the BetaMax fiasco, where their failure is primarily attributable to trying to go it alone. By the time they got a clue, it was too late.

PopcornTreeCt

I hope this isn't dragged out. I wish Universal and Paramount would cancel all their upcoming releases and re-release them as blu-rays.

DVD Polizei

Why re-release? Offer free HD DVD releases.

PopcornTreeCt

That would work too.

bunkaroo

I'd settle for neutral releases.

No reason to stop those willing to buy already announced HD DVD's from buying them if they want to.

Personally I was going to buy both Zodiac and Into The Wild, but at $25 each, I think I will wait for things to settle or buy them if they show up under $15.

dvd-fanman

This will NEVER happen, but they could come to an agreement and start to make combo discs for Blu and HD. One side Blu the other HD. Everyone still happy.

An OT ?... I know the Blu Ray players need to be updated via firmware updates and usually require you to download files and burn them on to discs that need to be placed in the players and then they install. Does the PS3 download these updates through the PSN and eliminate the need to burn the discs and go through that process?

That's the one thing I liked about HD DVD, a network connection was REQUIRED and firmware updates were delivered when you needed them. Not as big a chance of having a problem then having a person have to burn it themselves.

Spiky

Except all the rational people who DETEST COMBOS!!

aeron

I update firmware on my PS3 by downloading the file on my PC, copying to a USB flash drive, and plugging the drive into the PS3, and updating...

PopcornTreeCt

As you said; This will NEVER happen

David Levine

Not required at all. You can d/l and burn the updates from Toshiba, or get on their mailing list and they'll send you update CDs as they become available.

dvd-fanman

I know that is an option, but is it the Blu Ray firmware updates, or the Playstation updates?

I guess what I am really asking is when Playstation sends out their updates for the PS3, do they include any Blu Ray player firmware updates, or do you have to update the firmware of the Blu Ray player separately?

darkside

It is an all in one firmware update.

dvd-fanman

Thanks for the info!

Makes me feel better if I do decide to "go Blu" that if I get the PS3 I won't have to deal with burning any discs to get my player to upgrade to the latest firmware.

darkside

The updates are very easy on the PS3 and at least you know the player will get all possible benefits for the BD format. Unlike many of the standalone BD players that seem to have been abandoned when things like profile 1.1 hit.

Drexl

He meant that the players were required to have ethernet ports, not that you had to use them. With BD, some players don't have them, so you can't download the updates directly to those players. I agree it's not a big deal, even though it's not as convenient.

DrS

If you have wireless internet, the PS3 just updates that way. Just hit update on the menu, and it updates. EZ.

Lord Rick

Guys - it's over. Deader than a door nail.

There will be no new HD-DVD players.
There will be no new combo players.

There are only 1 million HD-DVD players/add-ons out there, and they will become orphans.

Absolutely no reason for CE manufacturers to invest even $1 on engineering/manufacturing on the HD-DVD side.

It's all BR from here on out, folks.

ScissorPuppy

I have no doubt that the format is dead but...

With 1 million players sold, if you average 5 titles sold per player ( Which I am sure the average is higher). Your talking about 5 million titles, left to play on what? ( In the future, if their player cracks ) Combo players in theory might be dead, but I see no reason why Tohsiba or possibly someone else wouldn't start making BR players with the added feature of playing HD DVDs.

1 million people is alot to burn, and expect them to rebuy basiclly the same product. It would be smart to bring over the HD DVD crowd, it would great for sales.

Shannon Nutt

I wouldn't be surprised if Warners offered customers rebates on HD DVD titles for those that upgrade to Blu-ray. Example: Buy the Blu-ray version and send in your HD-DVD UPC and get $10 back or something along those lines...

Disney is doing something similar now on Blu-ray catalog titles for those who bought the standard DVDs (See: The Rock and Con Air).

bunkaroo

If you think about it though. 5 million is probably what the average bigger day and date DVD sells. One title. I can think of several instances in the past where problems with a title were left unfixed by a studio, and that would have been spread over a larger amount of users.

I can't imagine anyone other than the current combo makers or Toshiba being interested in supporting HD DVD playback past 2008.

Drexl

I could maybe see them offering coupons, but just our luck, they'd only work with B&M retailers so they wouldn't even be worth it over buying from Amazon, especially when there's a B1G1 deal.

That's really the only way I'm replacing titles - if and when they're half price.

wewantflair

But those million customers have shown something that the other 99% of customers haven't: they are willing to spend money on HDM because they know the difference. Unlike the unknown # of PS3 owners who spend money on BD, we do know that every single HD DVD owner spends money on HD DVD. To simply give up that market, especially when numbers are currently so small, is crazy. I have no doubt that HD DVD playback will become a standard feature subset in most BD players, especially as costs decrease.