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The HD format war isn't over yet: Paramount, DreamWorks go exclusively HD DVD photo

Just when you thought the high-def format war was nearing an end, something like this happens: Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced that they will release their DVD titles exclusively on HD DVD.

Movies Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment Including Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation SKG, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films to be Released Exclusively in HD DVD.

If you were planning on getting the Blu-ray version of Transformers, Shrek the Third, or Blades of Glory, then this news has got to sting. It should be noted that films directed by Steven Spielberg will not be exclusive to either HD DVD or Blu-ray.

But why would Paramount/DreamWorks make a switch so late in the game? Some reports (thanks DVDDesign) suggest that cash (and lots of it) was involved. With the announcement of this new deal, HD DVD now has support from 12 movie studios, while Blu-ray has support from 10.

I’m sure those of you who have built up a decent Blu-ray collection are royally pissed off after hearing this news. We don’t blame you. This format war has gone on long enough.

[Via Reuters]


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174 comments | showing # 1 to 50

lawl's Avatar
lawl at 08/20/2007 14:20
ugh.......
BlindsideDork's Avatar
BlindsideDork at 08/20/2007 14:22
Cause Optimus does what he is told?

Blame Bay!


Dragon Wars ftw!
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 08/20/2007 14:26
hahahaha there's a whole debate on this in the c-blogs, and unstoppablejuggernaut made it.

This must piss him off, so I approve, because Mondays need laughter.

Also, cocks.
bruceleethree's Avatar
bruceleethree at 08/20/2007 14:26
stubborn..

the ceo's need to be castrated with fishing knives.
Mauer's Avatar
Mauer at 08/20/2007 14:28
COCKSUCKERS!
ShinAmano's Avatar
ShinAmano at 08/20/2007 14:29
Holy monkey balls...that is some monday news :)
Alex's Avatar
Alex at 08/20/2007 14:29
Well .. DVD won this war!
topgeargorilla's Avatar
topgeargorilla at 08/20/2007 14:32
i just finished season 1 of beast wars yesterday.

it was sweet.
Riser Glen's Avatar
Riser Glen at 08/20/2007 14:33
I am so glad I chose to sit this format war out.
macr's Avatar
macr at 08/20/2007 14:33
I think that whoever gets Apple on board first will really destroy the opposition. Considering the music and film industry is pretty much 100% Apple.
bhive01's Avatar
bhive01 at 08/20/2007 14:35
Yeah, this is pretty crappy. I have no plans to buy a HD-DVD player. I guess I won't be watching their movies for a while.

@Alex.

Too true.
Neonie's Avatar
Neonie at 08/20/2007 14:37
This makes me a happy happy person. I love you Microsoft, I love you HDDVD. SUCK IT BLUE...ray...
Mauer's Avatar
Mauer at 08/20/2007 14:40
Well when blu ray wins they're just gonna have to re-release them, so go ahead and waste your money Paramount, you and Universal can cry about it later.
Riser Glen's Avatar
Riser Glen at 08/20/2007 14:40
So, which format is the chosen format for porn? Because everyone knows that's the deciding factor.
PwnDaddy's Avatar
PwnDaddy at 08/20/2007 14:42
And with this comes a sound from the very depths of our souls, crying out in a resounding, "Meh".
Sceren's Avatar
Sceren at 08/20/2007 14:42
I'm pretty sure none of this matters.

Once the six StarWars movies pick a format, consider it GG.
Heliophage's Avatar
Heliophage at 08/20/2007 14:43
I'm surprised that the HD-DVD/DVD 3-layer combo disc technology isn't having more of an impact in thie format war. I can't think of a better way to facilitate a slow, gradual transition into the HD era.

I don't care one way or another, though. I rarely ever buy SD DVDs.
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 08/20/2007 14:44
Riser : HD
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 08/20/2007 14:44
So I heard that dvddesign approves of this decision.
THE ROADIE's Avatar
THE ROADIE at 08/20/2007 14:44
Awesome, Transformers on HD-DVD. That £125 addon is looking nicer now. Season 1 of Heroes is out on HD-DVD soon and I know I'll be buying that.
MaximusPaynicus's Avatar
MaximusPaynicus at 08/20/2007 14:46
Wait, there was a war? A war implies that two sides are fighting, not one side kicking the piss out of the other like a homeless man fiending for speed.
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 08/20/2007 14:48
+1 win for digital distribution.
fearian's Avatar
fearian at 08/20/2007 14:53
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

layme.

but like brad said, download a HD-DVD copy and burn it to bluray?
GuitarAtomik's Avatar
GuitarAtomik at 08/20/2007 14:53
I wish those dual-format players would get affordable soon so they can end this shit. I'm just glad I don't work at Suncoast anymore. It was bad enough trying to explain to people how "widescreen" is NOT cutting off the picture at the top and bottom.
Daddygerplex's Avatar
Daddygerplex at 08/20/2007 14:58
FFS!

I consider myself to be format neutral owning both the HD-DVD addon and a PS3. However i was hoping that with all the support Blu-ray was getting that this format war would be ending. Now with this announcement stoking the HD-DVD fires again it is going to drag on even longer.

FFS ONE OF YOU FORMATS FUCKING DIE ALREADY.
BluFire's Avatar
BluFire at 08/20/2007 15:00
Heh heh heh. Maybe HD-DVD isn't screwed after all!
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
AngelsDontBurn at 08/20/2007 15:01
The sad thing is so many people will probably fall for this just for that damn movie cause apparently people loved it so much. I agree. I want one of these damn formats to die, we all know it's going to happen soon.
linuxguy's Avatar
linuxguy at 08/20/2007 15:02
why the hell didn't they create a unified format
Brock_Dainjer's Avatar
Brock_Dainjer at 08/20/2007 15:05
It's such a fcukin tiny market, it was pretty clear when this started that there wasn't going to be a clear winner anytime soon. As an owner of both, i can say that I'm a bigger fan of HD-DVD, the quality control of their transfers is definitely better than a lot of the let-downs I've seen on blu-ray. If you want to look back at history for some help in predicting this war, don't forget that blu-ray is doing he same thing that beta did back in the day: they're not allowing porn on their format.
Bundy's Avatar
Bundy at 08/20/2007 15:05
I figured I'd wait a couple years and then get a PS3 for movies (something I'm sure a lot of others were considering). I was sure HD-DVD had lost. This is awesome news - it means that potentially I don't need to buy a PS3. It also means that Sony may need to compete in the console war on games alone instead of dominating later in the cycle because they have a freakn Blu Ray player.
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain's Avatar
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain at 08/20/2007 15:06
MEEEGAAATROOOON!!!
JamesSorensen's Avatar
JamesSorensen at 08/20/2007 15:09
stupid paramount, I'll just have to download the x264 HD rip then and play it on PS3 ... sorry, i would have been willing to pay your over inflated price for it as well ..
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 08/20/2007 15:09
OPTIMUSSSSSSSSS!!!
Rogue Trooper's Avatar
Rogue Trooper at 08/20/2007 15:12
Please, just let one of them die already.
GuitarAtomik's Avatar
GuitarAtomik at 08/20/2007 15:13
I'LL RIP OUT YOUR OPTICS!!!
GuitarAtomik's Avatar
GuitarAtomik at 08/20/2007 15:14
oops. I broke it. sorry.
glitched's Avatar
glitched at 08/20/2007 15:14
um, wasnt Steven Spielberg involved with transformers? so doesnt that mean this doesnt apply to transformers?
Husky Hog's Avatar
Husky Hog at 08/20/2007 15:14
personally i like HD dvd just because i have that adaptor for my 360. so go paramount! i'll totally go to your theme parks given the opportunity.
Bricfa's Avatar
Bricfa at 08/20/2007 15:14
wait, paramount signs up for HDDVD and now HDDVD has a 4 studiio lead over blu ray? how does this add up?

This is ungood news for me as a ps3 owner. I kinda hope Bluray wins, so the ps3 will be more useful, and possibly cheaper and more popular.
wonky360's Avatar
wonky360 at 08/20/2007 15:15
All this pissing around with 2 formats is great. No format will win in my view. By the time either has significant share a 3rd tech, probably some sorta compression or similar will mean we will download when we need and the physical disc will die out. I was kinda hoping for the 3D optical card system to shit all over this because of the price of the cards. This link is a bit old but you get the idea.

http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20050608/105586/

3D Optical cards get my vote.
alexkidd's Avatar
alexkidd at 08/20/2007 15:15
@ James Sorenson - How do you get x264 files to play on your ps3? .mkv I thought does not work on the PS3.
Detry's Avatar
Detry at 08/20/2007 15:15
Here you go, answers from engadget, 2 years ago.

The real answer is fuck them both up their stupid asses and as someone already said is for the price for the combo players to drop.

DVD +/- RW drives are standard now, and the same thing will probably happen with this crap.

AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
AngelsDontBurn at 08/20/2007 15:17
KANEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Jordan Grim Devore's Avatar
Jordan Grim Devore at 08/20/2007 15:25
YOU'VE FAILED ME YET AGAIN, STARSCREAM!
bleep's Avatar
bleep at 08/20/2007 15:29
This is only going to be an issue for a few years before
everything starts using Holographic Storage Tech.
h3lios's Avatar
h3lios at 08/20/2007 15:31


Well its a hilarious scene because MS is getting a fair bit of stick for not having higher capacity media in comparison to the PS3 for games. But on the movie front, things seem to go the other way around.

Either way, the studios are fucktards for pimping one format over another. It makes more sense for all movies to be out on all current forms of media and let the consumer make his choice. Which would usually be based on:

1. Cheaper retail price

OR

2. What's easiest available as a pirated copy.

So that way, all the technical hoo-haa is reduced to marketing rubbish (as far as average joe is concerned) and we can have this format war over faster than it is. This is fucking irritating.
cjpkiller's Avatar
cjpkiller at 08/20/2007 15:31
well, I find it funny that everyone was supporting blueray when the tech for it cost ten times more than it does now, and now that its been winning, and what not people have to switch back over...
I guess millions of dollars does stuff... the only true winners in the HD format war? the studios who go to the highest bidder.
Morrius's Avatar
Morrius at 08/20/2007 15:33
Fuck Micheal Bay.

That is all, please continue.
Otsegowupiwupi's Avatar
Otsegowupiwupi at 08/20/2007 15:38
wait... i dont get it... how does this change anything in the format war? HD-DVD was guna win anyways.

I mean, it IS the superior format and obvious choice in this war.
Joe Burling's Avatar
Joe Burling at 08/20/2007 15:42
The format wars will not be decided by a gaming console. It will be decided by standalone purchasers. This just proves that the format war will live on through 2009 and probably into 2010, giving standalone purchases to matter. We know that Wal-Mart will be selling really cheap standalone players soon. The first player to get at or below $100 will be the winner. I really thought that the Blockbuster announcement sealed HD-DVD's fate. This really does drastically change things because it buys HD-DVD time.

HD-DVD really is a better format anyways. I'd prefer to see it win.
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