Business Week: Blu-ray Is Winning, could get Warner endorsement

Blu-ray has emerged as the clear front runner in the high-def DVD format war against HD DVD.

That's according to an analysis published today by Business Week magazine.

The publication, which has considerable influence in the financial world, writes that Blu-ray still holds the greatest support among Hollywood studios. Four major studios now back Blu-ray exclusively while only two support HD DVD exclusively.

Consequently, Business Week says, the Sony-backed Blu-ray disc has outsold HD DVD by roughly 2-1 for the past year.

Additionally, the publication reports that Sony may be close to landing an exclusive endorsement from Warner Bros., which until now has released films in both formats.

"The rumor is that Warner is coming aboard soon," Michael Burns, vice-chairman of Blu-ray supporter Lionsgate, tells Business Week. "That will make it awfully tough for HD DVD to stay in this game."

Business Week added that "either side could (win the Warner endorsement)...but the Sony group has suddenly emerged as the front runner."

"Persuading it (Warner) to sign an exclusive deal would give the Sony crowd about 70% of DVD market share. That could prompt the other studios to abandon HD DVD," the publication writes.

Business Week notes that if Warner were to join HD DVD, the format war would be stalemated.

"That could create mass consumer confusion and potentially strangle a new technology that the studios hope will give a lift to flagging DVD sales. That's exactly why Warner has long pushed for a single format," it said.

[shmee]

I feel bad for those who purchased HD DVD player.

I am buying a BD ROM for my PC within a few days

[PS3PCFTW]

ive been saying this for ages, after holiday hddvd is dead!!

sidebar: after all the antiviral campaigns for ps3 and bluray.....microsoft is still not achieving its goals......it seems evrything they did is actually backfiring. its all starting to come to light.

its not my opinion its a fact.

@1.4:

i always love how a hddvd/microsoft supporter tries wholeheartedly to make a point.
Its fun watching you guys play with numbers and claim this and that point.
YET U NEVER INCLUDE OVERSEAS SALES.

LOL. i find that hilarious, its like the earth consists of usa, and not the whole north america, south, africa,australia,europe,asia,i ndia.........lol MAD FUNNY.

[marinelife9]

Blu-Ray and HD-DVD should offer their hi-def versions a week before the DVD versions. That would stimulate some stand alone sales as well.

[blackmagic]

How many times are we going to link to the same article?
http://www.n4g.com/industry...

[cuco33]

shmee, mommy doesn't want to pay for BD-Rs at $25-30 and a BD-R drive at $500+

You guys really fail to see past all the rumors and rumors based on rumors... Here's some fact for you. Blu-ray was, is and will be a Sony/PS3 format.

The numbers:

2.7 million BD players in the NA market (including PS3)
200k dedicated stand alone players
100k of them are Sony models
the remaining 100k are one of the following: Samsung, LG, Philips, Panisonic, Pioneer, Sharp, etc. There's also Denon, Daewoo, JVC, Funai, Lite On, etc that haven't even hit the market.

All those non Sony players right now are competing for 4% of the market. 4 % are predominately Sony branded nongaming stand alone players. The remaining 92% are PS3s.
Exactly how is that good for business and industry support? Especially after Toshiba claims to have sold 750k units alone, and this is before Venturer, Onkyo, Integra and others hit the market?

I see a purple future, and CES in January we might see CE companies defect from Blu-ray and got solely HD DVD or neutral.
In other words, Blu-ray = UMD2.0. Once more people and companies realize this, dual format players will become the norm.

Oh yeah, and about those sales figures, neither side has any big advantage since combined HDM total disc sales are still pathetic.

To end, HD DVD is not a Microsoft based format. MS backs them up for whatever reason they choose to. They do make money off of HD DVD just as they do make money off of Blu-ray. Those VC-1 codecs both sides have been using... Guess who licenses that ;)

OMGHI2U

[Lord_Mike]

I feel sorry for those who are about to open a wrapped HD-DVD player under the tree LOL.

[Fighter]

Warner seems to be enjoying sales on both formats. We'll have to wait for the sales result of the new Harry Potter movies and gift set and if Blu-ray outsells HD DVD again then I might believe Warner is going Blu.

[MaximusPrime]

In the news, some point next year, developer of HDDVD will announce "defeated, no more discs will be develop."

Sony "no comments"

[shmee]

As i said in january 2008 BD will be announced as a winner of this war

[Baron79]

Just keep calling HD-DVD dead. How many times is this? It's pointless to even argue with Bluray fanboys, they won't see the red light till it's to late. So happy that the PS3 they bought just so happens to play blurays. It makes me laugh. BTW , I bought my first UMD today - Starship Troopers for $4.99 , it was sitting in the most depressing lonely bin ever. But UMD's won't be lonely for long, Sony has another format that will be joining them soon.

[DeadIIIRed]

You're kidding me right? All of you HD-DVD nuts said that the $99 player would turn the tide of the format war. Still, Blu-ray outsold. So now, despite having a major studio endorse exclusivity and a player below $100, you still say that HD-DVD will somehow make a come back? How?

[Fighter]

This rumor always pops up and someone from Warner always denies them. But could this one be true? We'll have to wait and see.

[shmee]

and over 100k on BD . Why would WARNER wait when a typical BD ROM /writer costs just 280$ on NCIX

www.ncix.com

[actas123]

Actually sometimes they go on sale at newegg for below 200 dollars..
Also, Dell and HP and many other desktop and laptop manufacturers offer them as an option when customizing for an extra 150 (not bad)

[ITR]

shmee:

What you fail to realize most folks that buy a HD DVD player get 300 for free.
What's the point unless you just want the combo ver over std HD disc(freebie).
The funny thing is I bet almost everyone who has a A3/A30/A35 still has the 300 freebie disc.

[Danja]

Harry Potter will sell more on Blu Ray...

RED IS DEAD..-_-...HD DVD is sinking just like that pic..!!

[MaximusPrime]

which stands out for you?

Planet Earth Bluray with blue bar on the box

or

Planet Earth HDDVD with red bar on the box?

I prefer Bluray version.

[Danja]

I have it for Blu Ray...

HD DVD gets no love from me..!!

[Lucreto]

Planet Earth was released in Europe about two weeks ago and I was wondering what resolution it is in the US. I heard 1080p but the European one only has 1080i

[Baron79]

Yes it's 1080p. And the HD-DVD version has been on Amazon.com's top 20 Overall dvd sales list for over a month now. Pretty impressive for a $70 boxset on a so called dying format.

[ITR]

Planet Earth is 1080p in the US.
Most of it was filmed in HD except for a few sections and that was due to extreme climates.

[Shadow Flare]

HD-DVD, it's over

[DeejayTai]

The only reason I think people are supporting HD is because they BOUGHT ONE ALREADY! They now realize they lost their money and they're pissed off(I would be too)! HD DVD is this generation's BETAMAX!

[pwnsause]

http://gghd-dvd.ytmnd.com/

nuff said.

[PS3PCFTW]

haha, yeah ive been to that site.

everytime i posted links to it, the hddvdfans and xbots wouldnt post anymore. mad funny, that its the only way to make them go away.

360 will also meet the same fate as hddvd by the hands of sony.

u can bank on it.

[games4fun]

so true how could that happen? i mean cmon when some kid movie beats you and its transformers the biggest thing for hd-dvd you gotta go wtf mate?

[Bill Gates]

You guys know what's funny here (besides me)..is that HD-DVD is sinking just as fast as the 360, and day by day the gospel word is spread that BOTH SUCK TREMENDOUS BUTT JUICE.....AAHAHHAHHAHHHAHHAHA

What's the matter XBOTS?...Are you ROBOTS actually afraid to "Jump in" to the HDDVD sinking ship?

Come on let all that hate for SONY fuel your HDDVD add-on purchase before it's too late. You know M$ is not done milking all that money from your BABOON souls....AAAHAHHAHHAHAHHHA

You ROBOTS couldn't see 2 feet infront of you, if your lives depended on it.

"Jump in"......into a LATRINE!!!!...AAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH HA

[MrSwede]

Not that I don't like good news about Blu-Ray, cause I do, but this is an article about an article which has already been submitted 9 hours ago http://www.n4g.com/industry...

[pornflakes]

300 - HD DVD 50k Blu Ray 100k... but the hardware ratio is 10:1

so it should be 50k against 1 Million right?

Blu Ray sales are very bad. I mean Software. 7 Million players around against 750k HD DVD and they sell software ONLY 2-1.

The other thing is.. film studios KNOW that also ps3 owners will stay at blu ray and the ps3 will sell FOR SURE... when will the time come, hd dvd stand alone will be bought like standart DVD Players?

If MS would include the HD DVD player in the 360 americans would only buy HD-DVD.. and america = hollywood.. i dont understand MS, really:/

[PS3PCFTW]

how many movies is hddvd been giving out for the longest FOR FREE? what is it now? 15 or 20? everyweek theyre giving out more movies than the last................their ship is sinking pal.

[mighty_douche]

"300 - HD DVD 50k Blu Ray 100k... but the hardware ratio is 10:1

so it should be 50k against 1 Million right? "

way to add up mate, 50,000 x 10 = 1 million huh? think about it....

oh and M$ dont care about HD-DVD, they want people to go down the digital download road, their half hearted support of HD is purely to stop all the business going to their competitor, sony.

[undacovabrothe]

I think you got a misconception about ms. Ms is not reallt supporting Hd-dvd. Just because hd-dvd is againt blue ray and blue is sony doesnt make hd-dvd ms. Now in the future if hd-dvd somehow survives this holiday season then i think ms plans on making hd-dvd in their systems from a deal with toshiba. Also im sure u could add a hd-dvd drive to your ps3 if u really wanted to.

[Primetimebt]

Would have, could have, but they didn't. Let's be honest if M$ would have included the HD DVD drive in the 360 they would have costed around $600, and only be release a couple months before the ps3. Who do you think would have been winning if both came out same price, and the same time? If you need answers to that question refer to the sales of PS2 to XBOX.

[DeejayTai]

It could mean that not everyone with a Bluray wanted to purchase that particular movie seeing that there were so many more choices on the format. In contrast, let's face it. If you got a HD you pretty much had BETTER bought 300 or you would've been watching a blank screen.

[HarryEtTubMan]

may day!!! may day!!!! HD DVD is going down!!!

[mighty_douche]

i predict a few "redundancies" over the next few months....

[BlackIceJoe]

Well if this is true then I will finally be able to get Batman Begins. I can't wait to watch that movie.

[MaximusPrime]

dunno when Warner will become bluray exclusive but it may come with special 2 discs box with Batman Begins and The Dark knight together.

I could be wrong.

[pornflakes]

"Blu Ray sales are very bad. I mean Software. 7 Million players around against 750k HD DVD and they sell software ONLY 2-1."

lol only fanboys or tards disagree... haha, typical n4g.

[Lucreto]

It doesn't matter if blu-ray wins by one or a million they still win.

HD-DVD has the bigger stand alone base and it is still good they are just losing 2-1 in one county and being destroyed everywhere else.

Studios don't care about the current install base. All they see is revenue from Blu-ray is better than HD-DVD even with Blu-ray extra development costs they are still turning a profit.

[marinelife9]

HD-DVD supporters need to make up their minds about counting the PS3. Either you count it or you don't you can't have it both ways.

Blu-Ray supporters count the PS3.

HD-DVD supporters dismiss the PS3 if your talking player sales. So they can claim that HD-DVD is outselling 750K to 500K.

HD-DVD supporters count the PS3 if they're talking attach rate. So they don't have to admit with the above numbers that 500K Blu-Ray players are outselling 750K HD-DVD players 2 to 1 in the US.

[Guwapo77]

Every time I read an article about the PS3 doesn't count and the only thing that matters is standalone players, I just shake my head in disbelief. Why might you ask...I own 27 Blu-Ray movies.

Seriously though, how can they count the X360 player and not the PS3's? Those early reports stating that only 30% of the PS3 owners know it can play Hi-Def movies was pure BS. Any owner of a $400-600 system knows what it can do, period. Later on when the system drops down to $200, I can where this 30% might come into play as the casual gamers jump onboard.

Anywho, can't wait for Toshiba to fall by the wayside so I can finally get some of the other movies I've been waiting on.

[whoelse]

I think its very likely that Warner will choose sides. But the other side of christmas. They dont want to create a stalemate as two running formats is bad for everyone. Backing Blu-ray really is the only option :)

Hope its sooner than later.

[cervantes99]

Warner has been pushing for a single format for a long time now. If they chose HDDVD that would cause a stalemate and both formats will struggle.

By choosing Blu-Ray, they effectively end this war.

I believe they will go Blu.

[Nameless]

No matter who wins DVD will not go away for another 10 to 20 years if you ask me & when one format does win DVD will still be here.

[Lucreto]

It will change quicker if studios stop releasing on DVD. It is up to them. If you want to watch the movie you will buy it.

[Guwapo77]

I'm just going to assume you weren't old enough to see VHS to DVD transition take place. Once the next Hi-Def format is chosen and fully supported by all the studios, DVD will have less than 5 years left. Just like the VHS days I thought it would last for many of years to come. But once the studios stopped producing on VHS it was over. People rushed out to buy DVDs as I was one of them...I didn't want to abandon my semi new $250 VHS player.

Yes there were more advantages from jumping VHS to DVD than it is from DVD to Blu-ray/HD-DVD... But just like all great things, everything comes to an end. Just like the traditional 480i analog TV and the computer Hard Drive (to be replaced by SSD).

[Raptors]

Every bluray supporter should go on their hands and knees and praise the PS3. If its not for the ps3, HD DVD would've emerged as the winner. Didn't something recently come out as 74% of all blu ray players on the market are ps3's? I'm still kind've shocked that people still think Sony put Blu Ray in the ps3 primarily for gaming.

[Lucreto]

So lets hope blu-ray wins and they will turn there focus back to the PS3 and get great games out.

[Guwapo77]

Sony does have their full attention on gaming. You do have to realize more than one division of the mega company known as Sony is working with the PS3. The Sony gaming division is fully steam ahead with the gaming sector. Sony's movie division is pushing the Blu-Ray format.

Sony is handling business the way it should be. It's only a matter of time till this is all resolved.

[whoelse]

In my opinion, the sooner BD becomes victorious, the faster the PS3 will emerge as the winner of consoles. If people see Blu-ray has won, they may be more likely to choose the PS3 as it can play HD movies they buy in 1 or 2 years time. Plus HD gaming.

[Nameless]

Raptors Sony definitely did not put Blu-Ray in the PS3 entirely for gaming. Granted only PS3 Games are fully using that extra space Blu-Ray has & movies are not. Otherwise the Spider-Man Trilogy & Pirates Trilogy would be on one Blu-Ray Disc if Blu-Ray has that much of extra space.

[MythSquare]

I feel the thing as if WB is going to HD DVD what will it be around format war how'd u think?

[hahahabutt]

Why do buisness people write articles like this for, making there own predictions? I remember hd-dvd was suppose to give up about half a year ago. There still here. Every time someone writes a article about warner going blu, warner always deny it. This article is stupid. I remember how the PS3 was suppose to forfit by the end of 07. I hate these buisness predictions from these corny journalist. Now about Matel Gear Solid 4, it is going to be awsome!!! (keep this site about gaming)

[unlimited]

I remember reading a lot of articles talking about how the PS3 will fail if Blu-ray isn't successful. It turn all around now since Blu-ray is currently stabbing HDDVD to its death and will claim victory in the end of 0'9. Also, next year will be the best time ever to get the PS3 with so many great exclusive games coming out. It be smart move for Warn to join the Blu-Ray camp because thats where all the money is at right now..

[Laxe]

Fair points Unlimited. Bubbles for you. :D

[whoelse]

No one expected the HD DVD camp to pay Paramount money to go exclusive.

I also have some evidence of Warner not going HD DVD exclusive. I read an article here a few days ago about a Harry Potter 5 PS3 bundle coming available in January. This conference people keep talking about is at the beginning of that month.

[IGNFTW]

"That could create mass consumer confusion and potentially strangle a new technology. . ."

IN OTHER WORDS,EXACTLY WHAT MICROSOFT WANTS.

[guerojose]

Hey Swiney, enough already with getting your buddies to post links to your site on N4G. That's seriously like the sixth one this week. The original BusinessWeek article is sufficient, we don't need you continuously cross-posting here to drive traffic to your little site so that you can hawk your "predictions" "newsletter". No one cares about your website, or your predict-everything-and-eventua lly-get-something-right spam.

Mmmkay? 'preciate it.

[uie4rhig]

well so basically if HD DVD wanted to win, they should've asked Microsoft to include HD DVD players in Xbox 360. then if the 360 didn't have the loud noise and the RRoD, this war was FAR from decided! HD DVD would have won. but a typical Microsoft move is releasing their products before they are finished. At the moment Xbox 360 is ONLY selling good because it has more exclusives than PS3, but ones the PS3 catches up, 360 will be either history or veeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy yyyy far behind with sales, people will sell their 360 as third party developers WILL make more PS3 and/or Wii Exlcusive!

Then there is something else from MS, which is their OS. Vista has been released before it was ready. Linux (mainly Ubuntu) is gaining market share!

whats my point?
If bill gayes didn't think of him self only and finished the products before releasing them, Microsoft would be a better company (well yeah it was one of the best ones, but not anymore).
so basically if Bill doesn't get his act together Microsoft will be doomed.

then, in storage devices many customers go for storage, then price, then reliability! where Xbox fails in all those (well yeah i mean if you find the PS3 expensive, its the same price as a Xbox Elite which fails in reliability only, but the Xbox Core/Arcade fails may not fail in price, it does fail in storage and reliability), HD DVD fails in Storage (i don't know about HD DVD)! Check the Ipod Classic, it is the MOST sold mp3 player in the world.. tell me one product that has more sales than the Ipod!
HD DVD failed to give people storage! its roughly the same price as BluRay (probably 10% cheaper or w/e) and it now fails and will die within 1 year.. if you won't believe me, start a count down ;)!! even better, if Warner goes Blu, HD DVD will fail instantly. also the other way around, if Warner goes HD, BluRay will fail instantly..

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My opinion, and some facts ;)

greeetzzz

[THE_JUDGE]

Blu for a while now. If the BDA would get its crap together and make sure that its players could make those of HD-DVD, I think that they would switch asap. I do think that they will go Blu. But not for a while yet.

[actas123]

to all xbots who bought HD-DVD add ons out there, return it asap and get your money back ... (haha xbot)

[tk]

If MS included HD-DVD, which was the original plan, then HD-DVD would win. But it was not ready in time. If the XB360 launched with HD-DVD along the PS3, then this race would have been really interesting - but MS needed a year start. The only way HD-DVD could win was in that window of opportunity - and it passed. XB360 would lost straight out if it launched next to the PS3 - but could claw back if the HD-DVD did well with stand alone. In the end - MS made the right decision for MS - launched a year early and left HD-DVD to fend for itself. RIP HD-DVD.

[guerojose]

^^^^^
Correct. Some of us called this correctly a couple of years ago.

Everything else was secondary to getting to market first. A not-yet-ready HD format; proper design engineering & testing; build quality; etc.

There was sowing, and now there's some reaping goin' on.

[BattleAxe]

Its only a matter of time before Blu-Ray wins the war. It will only be a matter of time before Microsoft comes aboard with the Blu-Ray camp and starts making Blu-Ray adaptors. I think this will have an effect on the console war aswell.

If Microsoft doesn't use Blu-Ray discs for their games then they won't be able to match the size and scale of the games that Sony will be comming out with. Look at Killzone 2, it uses 2-3 GB for every level. If Microsoft goes down the road of downloadable content, they still won't be able to match the amount of game information on a 50 GB blu-ray disc for 2 reasons - 1, Theres not enough hard drive space 2, It would take forever to download games that have 30 GB of information or more.

Looks like the XBOX 360 will be stuck with DVD and games that will need 5 discs to hold all of the information. But if Microsoft does use Blu-Ray in the future, it will just help Sony fund its game division.

[PStriple703]

owns! i got 5 movies already!

[ironwolf]

won't show up in full till after christmas. A large proportion of the player's recent sales (mabe even the majority) were no doubt purchased as christmas gifts.

[cmrbe]

If Warner goes blu. Blu is consistently outselling Hd-dvd even after the HD-dvd players at lower price. The key still remains to be content. It is really sad when you buy a movie player and then find out that most of movies are not supported. Warner are also smart to konw that this war is slowing down the adoption of Hi def so i am sure they will want to end it soon. Until this happens i don't see this war ending any time soon. Anything could happen though. For those that are pointing out the fact that Blu should be selling more disc becase of the install base. That argument means little to content providers and of course the hardware manufacture. For the content providers the main thing the numbers sold on the a particular format which blu is doing at a ratio of 2:1 in NA. The PS2 is a great example

[Cherchez La Ghost]

I own HD-DVD add-on. But if Warner rolls to Blu-Ray, the game will officially be over for HD-DVD. The quicker this happens (whoever side WB goes to), the better. I can trully start my Hi-Def collection. I have no problem buying Blu-Ray. Besides, if I can get a movie cheaper on HD-DVD than Blu-Ray, I'll do it. By this time HD/Blu Hybrid players will be cheaper.

[beoulve]

Don't let HD-DVD out yet, I am so happy with these war going. All these Buy one get one free in Blu-Ray is so damn worth it.

[Shaka2K6]

H-dud no movies for 2008
xbug 360 no games for 2008.

epic fail.

[Silvia007]

I see more price drops.

[pwnsause]

http://riphdvd.ytmnd.com/

[Covenant]

Sorry, HD-DVD fans...but if this happens, game over for HD-DVD.

As little as I want one of Sony's cram-it-down-your-throat proprietary formats to win out, this would give them the edge they need to finish this format war.

Assuming it happens, of course.

[darthv72]

in a warner movie on hddvd and bluray? Taking the same movie and playing them on the same HDTV through the same surround sound system...is there a difference between the two?

I really would like to know because if the movie is the same then what does having extra capacity on a disc really mean to the studios? You would think that the bluray version of harry potter would benefit from having greater space in that they could put more bonus content or a really immersive lossless sound track.

That is the "expectation" I have when comparing the same game on competing consoles. So looking at it from that point of view here are my expectations of the upcoming release of the new harry potter:

std dvd: regular picture and 5.1 dts sound
hddvd: 1080i/p picture and 7.1 sound (lossy or lossless)
bluray: 1080i/p picture and lossless sound

like getting collectors edition and deluxe collectors directors edition.

[pwnsause]

the only difference between a warner brothers movie on HD-DVD and BLu-ray is that HD-DVD has exclusive special feature such as PiP and such, image and sound wise its the same, they both use microsofts VC-1 Codec for HD-VIDEO and yea Same sound clarity as well. If Warner goes BLu-ray, expect a crazy change, they'll jump from VC-1 to Mpeg-4/AVC, 7.1 Uncompressed Surround Sound and take the special Features that HD-DVD has and implement them to Blu-ray.

[darthv72]

what is the real difference in quality between VC-1 and MPEG4/AVC? Are "ALL" bluray movies using MP4/AVC and the same goes for HDDVD as I am sure they could use MP4 as well if they wanted to.

[Xbox is the BEST]

expect Warner to make an announcement.

[guerojose]

Oh I get it.

Step 1: DISCOUNT the PS3 entirely as a Blu-ray player, so that you can claim to have sold more "standalone" players.

Step 2: COUNT the PS3 when you calculate "attach rate", so that you can again claim that HD-DVD sells more.

Yes, you can have it both ways!

[pwnsause]

dont spin, movie studio dont look at the attach rates the players, they look at disc sales, and they realize that Blu-ray sells more discs than HD-DVD. nuff said.

[pwnsause]

dont spin, movie studio dont look at the attach rates the players, they look at disc sales, and they realize that Blu-ray sells more discs than HD-DVD. nuff said.

[jorellpogi]

If WB goes exclusive to BD then it's the final nail to the coffin of HDDVD.

[DFresh]

Sony has this in the bag
Blu-ray wins hands down and they have been winning by a slaughter for the past 2 years
Blu-ray holds 2X the space of an HD DVD
That's a big reason to support Blu-ray
More commercials for Blu-ray than HD DVD
Out of 10 commercials HD DVD only gets 2 out of 10 maybe
mostly it's been Blu-ray from the very beginning
DVD will still be around
But Blu-ray remains as the only true next gen format for movies
Pretty soon Sony will also own 2008 so you guys might as well just buy yourselves a PS3 now
and
save you some money before you get ripped
Dream Works and MS are really the only people who even support HD DVD
the rest all Blu-ray
Clearly Sony rules just admit it everyone

[ROCCOZILLA]

blu ray rocks!i can play a regular dvd in my ps3 and it looks as good as a hd dvd,so who needs em.i play a blu ray and it is SICK lookin!plus blu ray is the gaming format king.

[Maddens Raiders]

the future is clear. Blu-ray and the PS3 are here to stay. The future is PlayStation 3 and Blu-ray. Everyone knows that.

[Altair-HD]

NICEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!

[Lord2008]

Apart from PS3 owners, which is understandable as PS3 games are released on the BD format. Why does anyone care which format wins, it’s going to be some time before BD/HD-DVD can overturn standard DVD, or compete with digital downloads.

If anyone wants to experience High definition surely they could just purchase a Hybrid BD/HD-DVD player.

Can anyone please shed a light on why anyone cares which format wins.

[iiprotocolii]

Some of you are just delirious with your facts and ridiculous claims. First off, a purple future? Companies switching from BD to HD DVD in CES? Let's get one thing straight before you start spreading crap; The companies supporting BD will NOT switch over to HD DVD. That's a lie. First off, software sales are what studios look at to see who's winning and where the sales are, they will go... the hardware will follow the software.

Blu-ray Disc Sales vs. HD DVD Sales
USA - 2:1
Europe - 3:1
Australia - 5.6:1
Japan - 9:1

The only place in the world where HD DVD has any sort of support is in North America, where it sill hasn't won a single week's sales this entire year. Yep, Blu-ray has beaten HD DVD every week of the year in software sales.

Hardware Numbers in North America:
HD DVD - 750,000 (Standalones + 360 add-ons)
Blu-ray - 2,700,000 (Standalones + Playstation3)

The ONLY reason HD DVD standalone prices are so low is because Toshiba is extremely desperate to stay alive - unfortunately 500,000 standalones amountes to crap because they are still losing every week. Black Friday, the biggest shopping day in America - Blu-ray won the week with 72.6% of the disc units moved , HD DVD had only 27.4% - despite selling 90,000 cheap players two weeks before.

Toshiba has priced out all other manufacturers from HD DVD standalone hardware. No-one else will make one... There's no money in it. There is no future for high definition media as long as there are two formats around.

And to Cuco33, Sony hasn't used VC-1, neither has Fox. Disney has on a handful of titles but prefers using AVC/MPEG-4 encoded by Panasonic, who do Fox's encodes also.

And here is the reason why companies will NOT switch over to HD DVD on CES. Ready? The Blu-ray Disc Founders was formed in 2001. It was comprised of all the MAJOR CE companies that were founding members of the DVD Forum...except, of course, Toshiba.

DVD Forum Founding Members:
-Hitachi
-Matsushita
-Pioneer
-Philips
-Sony
-Thomson
-Time Warner
-Toshiba
-Victor Company of Japan (JVC)

Blu-ray Dic Founders
-Hitachi
-LG Electronics Inc.
-Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
-Pioneer
-Royal Philips Electronics
-Samsung
-Sharp
-Sony
-Thomson

For those who don't know, Matsushita = Panasonic. Sony deosn't "own" Blu-ray Disc technology. 17 companies have patents in it.
# CyberLink Corporation;
# Dell Inc.;
# Hewlett-Packard Company;
# Hitachi Ltd.;
# Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.;
# LG Electronics Inc.;
# Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic);
# Mitsubishi Electric Corporation;
# Pioneer Corporation;
# Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.;
# Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.;
# Sharp Corporation;
# Sonic Solutions;
# Sony Corporation;
# TDK Corporation;
# Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.;
# Warner Home Video Inc

So there you go. Stop spreading FUD and get your facts straight. It is inevitable... Blu-ray is going to win. HD DVD backers need to conform with this reality and just deal with it. Stop spreading lies and trying to misinform people. These are the desperate attempts of desperate fanboys avoiding defeat.