the difference between ps3 bluray and hd dvd add on is, consumers have a choice. those who want ps3 may not want bluray nor will they buy bluray discs. but those who want hd dvd for xbox will have to buy it. if they buy it, it means they want to watch the hd dvd. those who do not want them won't buy it and are already out of the bluray vs hd dvd hardware sales.

I don't know why people have such a problem with dual players. If you like movies that much just buy one and your problems are solved. You will never have to worry about choosing again. You can own Transformers AND James Bond. Shrek AND Snow White.

Three points:

1) Stop saying Fox's announcement just saved BluRay, Fox has always been w/BluRay, nothing changed.

2) Everyone seems to criticize those HD/dual format DVDs, but they are the way out of this war. If they were advertised more and Bluray started offering them then people could start buying them knowing that in two years they will have an HD TV, offering these combo disks should actually boost DVD sales since many people are unsure about buying movies that will be obsolete in a year.

3) Something I never realized... but Universal is strangely anti-Sony. People are saying Microsoft is doing the HD thing to piss off Sony. Is General Electric, the grandfather of all companies, using its Universal division to hurt Sony which may be treading on GE's turf in other regions?

Same reason why only 4 Million some people bought the ps3 so far.  dual players are at least 899.99.

WHY ?

BECAUSE !!!

==> http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33722

Paramount chooses HD DVD exclusive!

Hey folks, Harry here. Woke up with the following press release in my InBox, then shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from Rob Moore, President Worldwide Marketing, Distribution and Home Entertainment for Paramount Pictures - who is doing a flurry of interviews today - in articles you'll read tomorrow in the NY TIMES, LA TIMES, USA TODAY - etc. You see - this is a big deal, because this means that alongside UNIVERSAL, PARAMOUNT is going EXCLUSIVE to HD DVD.

So, the first question I asked Rob Moore was... "Why would PARAMOUNT/DREAMWORKS choose the allegedly losing format in this format war?"

Rob responded that the keyword there was "Allegedly". It seems that according to their studies, the people that buy stand alone players - buy more dedicated film product... so, due to Toshiba's commitment to getting quality equipment at the under $300 barrier - means to the execs at Paramount, that this is the format to support.

I then countered with, "But isn't Sony supposed to introduce an under $300 Blu-Ray player this Holiday season?"

Rob responded that they have heard that, but it hadn't been assured yet. So next, I asked, "Why support either format exclusively - wouldn't providing content to supporters of both formats be the way to go?" Rob responded that concentrating on one format allows them to concentrate on content for that format exclusively, thus giving better product for the format they support. It also means that they can begin opening up their library and getting more product out for the format. Which is a very good thing for those of us on HD.

I then asked when the INDIANA JONES set would hit and if it would be exclusive to HD. Rob responded that on the films that Steven directs, he wants the titles to be available in both formats - so those will be cross-platform titles. However, the rest of Dreamworks, Viacom/Paramount's world... those will be HD DVD exclusive for the next few years at least. Can you imagine BLOCKBUSTER not letting people rent TRANSFORMERS, SHREK THE THIRD, etc? Me Either. This format war is a fascinating chess game, isn't it?

Next, I talked with Alan Bell, the Chief Technology officer for Paramount. He's been in charge of the technological decisions and realities for Paramount, since the advent of DVD. I asked Alan if he was happy with this decision, or if this was something that was being forced upon them.

Alan then went into a very complicated series of statements about how HD DVD was the format that makes sense for Paramount. It's not just a matter of the amount of space that one format has over another. That's a gross simplification between the two formats. You see, HD DVD was built upon... not just the technology of DVD, but the programming software and other aspects. When we began talking about the cost issues - Alan stated it's very very complex, but that the replication facilities that have been built for the mass production of DVD - it's much cheaper and simpler to convert for HD DVD mass production.

For those of us consuming these products - it's easy to simply believe decisions are made due to just advertising incentives, but when you speak to the technology guys inside these studios - you hear that HD DVD is cheaper, serves the technological needs of the High Definition format, that the programming languages are an extension of the established DVD format - so it is easier for them to work with. This decision is about more than an intial Toshiba advertising incentive - the decision was made at a tech level, an economic level and about a cost delivery level to the public. Paramount made this decision from the tech guys up. Here's the release...

==> personnal opinion : what a BS... what about some cash ? or maybe they are just no brain ?
Overall,
Indiana Jones multi format
Pirates of the Caraibean+spiderman > Transformers
Disney > Pixar

It's one studio. It's a big one, but it's still one studio.

That brings the total number of big studios on the HD DVD side to two.

It's good for HD DVD but not even close to putting them in the lead.

all along, i was saying that (what libellule copied over about technology of hd dvd being cheaper). even without reading that article, i knew that was the case. why? cuz it's similar to the material i learned in business school for pricing strategies, technology strategies, etc. it's just common sense. yes, cash incentive is good. but cash incentive is only short term. businesses need to look at long term too. so the holiday season will be interesting this year.

just wait till paramount release macgyver in hidef. It will end bluray.

LOL JK. however be nice to see macgyver in hidef.

You want info OK BR was released as a unfinished product and the 120k+ people that own a BR player now will have to buy a new one if they want the new features that will be on the new players, lots of early BR movies look like crap, it took several months for Sony to finally figure out how to dual layer making 50g, over 60% of BR movies use single layer 25g and alot of the 50g discs use less than 30g, over 50% of BR movies use MPEG2 and over 85% of HD movies use VC-1, BR movies have more storage space but less fetures than HD, BR has more studio support but only has 300 movies compared to 291 for HD, HD has a 61% to 39% lead over BR in stand alone players, HD players are half the price and has the same quality as BR, BR is the only one so far to have disc rot, only 24% of PS3 owners purchase BR movies on regular basis says Paramount, HD is region free BR is not, average price of HD is less than BR, HD players will be less than $200 in a few months, HD is now the first to get a major studio to go exclusive after it's release. Just a little info for you Mitsuhide.

Man the forums are burning with flame wars tonight. Maybe I should come back tomorrow when the attacks from this HD stuff dies down...