Depending on who you ask, either Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD is winning in the next generation high definition disc format war. If you ask us, two years into the battle, it's still too early to tell.
One of the main (and most compelling) advantages that the Blu-ray camp has had over HD-DVD has been its studio support. With Universal formerly the only studio to exclusively endorse HD-DVD, the Blu-ray Disc proponents have claimed "overwhelming" studio support of their format. Of the top 20-selling standard DVDs released in 2006, only one title was released by a studio that did not support Blu-ray ("King Kong"). The belief is that if consumers can only buy their favorite films in one format, then that format is sure to win out.
But now, according to parent company Viacom's
official press release, studio giants Paramount and DreamWorks Animation have announced plans to release current and future films, including blockbusters such as "
Transformers" and "
Shrek the Third," only on DVD and HD-DVD, not on Blu-ray Disc. Paramount originally backed HD-DVD, then backed both formats, releasing mega-hit "
Mission Impossible III," on both
HD-DVD, and
Blu-ray Disc but is now jumping back on the HD-DVD exclusive bandwagon with Universal.
As HDTVs come down in price and begin to saturate the market, consumers are looking for some nice high definition content to take full advantage of all those pretty pixels, and what better to do that than a shiny new 1080p Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD player? But when consumers can find an HD-DVD player for
under $250 where Blu-ray Disc players start at
a little under $500, impulse buyers may be more likely to carry home the cheaper player.
Paramount execs cite the lower cost of players, lower cost disc manufacturing and enriched feature set of HD-DVD as the primary reasons for their decision. They believe these factors contribute to make HD-DVD the natural choice for families, hence the natural choice for Paramount.
The exclusive commitment to HD-DVD includes all films distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, but it excludes films directed by Steven Spielberg as he has not committed to exclusivity with either format (Sony and Toshiba, I would suggest taking Mr. Spielberg out to dinner).
