Just read at DVD Town that Paramount will not be restocking current Blu-Ray releases.

"Paramount will not re-stock its already 32 released Blu-ray titles. This means that when stock runs out at various retailers, that will be it."

I guess this is a win for HD-DVD. Paramount has a pretty substantial library. This will hurt Blu-ray. I don't care how you spin it or misinterpret it's an exclusive that HD-DVD needed. However, my thoughts on Sony aside, this is not win for consumers. It is a step backwards. This seperates the two formats even more now. This war well continue. The longer is lasts the less likely it will survive.

The only chance for either of the two formats to survive is for HD-DVD to fail. The reason is simple. Sony not only owns content, it controls how that content will be distributed. Because they are a content owner and content provider Sony will not provide content for HD-DVD. Where as the rest of the film distributors can choose to go either format or both. As you can see this creates a huge stalemate. The answer is not a dual format player, but a single format.

But I do not see that happening for a long time.

Quoting graymadder:

Quote:
Just read at DVD Town that Paramount will not be restocking current Blu-Ray releases.

"Paramount will not re-stock its already 32 released Blu-ray titles. This means that when stock runs out at various retailers, that will be it."

I guess this is a win for HD-DVD. Paramount has a pretty substantial library. This will hurt Blu-ray. I don't care how you spin it or misinterpret it's an exclusive that HD-DVD needed. However, my thoughts on Sony aside, this is not win for consumers. It is a step backwards. This seperates the two formats even more now. This war well continue. The longer is lasts the less likely it will survive.

The only chance for either of the two formats to survive is for HD-DVD to fail. The reason is simple. Sony not only owns content, it controls how that content will be distributed. Because they are a content owner and content provider Sony will not provide content for HD-DVD. Where as the rest of the film distributors can choose to go either format or both. As you can see this creates a huge stalemate. The answer is not a dual format player, but a single format.

But I do not see that happening for a long time.

The Paramount deal was a blow to Blu-ray.  But, this is a temporray thing.  The contract is for 18 months.  Let's look at the release schedule for the 4th quarter.  Paramount has 8 titles for release in the 4th quarter.  Fox/MGM had none up until that point.  Fox/MGM now has 29 titles for release in the 4th quarter.  Not bad, especially when that includes "ID4", "I, Robot", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Die Hard Trilogy", "Master & Commander", "Cast Away", "Ronin", "Robocop", "The Fly", etc.
That includes the day and date releases like, "Live Free or Die Hard", "FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer", and "The Simpsons Movie".

The format could be prolonged for another 18 to 24 months or it could basically still end in the next 6 months.  Two things...

The BDA could offer a ton of cash to the retailers (Wal-Mart, CC, BB) to be Blu-ray exclusive from the holiday season going forward.  If the only place you can buy HD DVD is online, how can you do big numbers (even if there are only 2 major exclusive studios now)?

The BDA can offer the cheaper Chinese BD players at $200...completely wiping out ANY price advantage.

End game.

Quoting Ascended_Saiyan:

Quote:
Let's forget that the Spiderman movies are A LOT higher up on the movie scale than Mission Impossible.  Yet, you get the Spiderman Trilogy for about the same price.

BAHAHHAHA... "the movie scale". What the hell is the "the movie scale"? Is this some imaginary scale in the deep recesses of your sub atomic sized brain that tells you how much films should cost on HD formats?!         

Quoting stefc:

Quote:
Quoting Ascended_Saiyan:

Quote:
Let's forget that the Spiderman movies are A LOT higher up on the movie scale than Mission Impossible.  Yet, you get the Spiderman Trilogy for about the same price.

BAHAHHAHA... "the movie scale". What the hell is the "the movie scale"? Is this some imaginary scale in the deep recesses of your sub atomic sized brain that tells you how much films should cost on HD formats?!         

It's called an earnings chart.  That's the scale in which all movies end up being judged by.  Anyways, just try to be honest and say MI is better than Spiderman. 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Mr. 0 credibility is such a funny boy.   

Seriously, why do you keep trolling here? Whatever format wins (if either ever do) it won't be because of your constant harrasment.

Why not take a break (giving us one as well) and do something productive...like voting on pending contributions or maybe <<gasp>> contribute a few dozen more yourself. I have heard that the state of the Blu ray profiles in the DB is not exactly ideal. Maybe you could expend your apparently boundless pro-Blu ray enthusiasm on addressing that.

Quoting bob9000:

Quote:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Mr. 0 credibility is such a funny boy.   

Seriously, why do you keep trolling here? Whatever format wins (if either ever do) it won't be because of your constant harrasment.

Why not take a break (giving us one as well) and do something productive...like voting on pending contributions or maybe <<gasp>> contribute a few dozen more yourself. I have heard that the state of the Blu ray profiles in the DB is not exactly ideal. Maybe you could expend your apparently boundless pro-Blu ray enthusiasm on addressing that.

Do you mean harassment like this post of yours? 

Quoting Ascended_Saiyan:

Quote:
The Paramount deal was a blow to Blu-ray.  But, this is a temporray thing.  The contract is for 18 months.  Let's look at the release schedule for the 4th quarter.  Paramount has 8 titles for release in the 4th quarter.  Fox/MGM had none up until that point.  Fox/MGM now has 29 titles for release in the 4th quarter.  Not bad, especially when that includes "ID4", "I, Robot", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Die Hard Trilogy", "Master & Commander", "Cast Away", "Ronin", "Robocop", "The Fly", etc.
That includes the day and date releases like, "Live Free or Die Hard", "FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer", and "The Simpsons Movie".

Show me a reliable news report that says it is only for 18 months.

Quote:
The format could be prolonged for another 18 to 24 months or it could basically still end in the next 6 months.  Two things...

The BDA could offer a ton of cash to the retailers (Wal-Mart, CC, BB) to be Blu-ray exclusive from the holiday season going forward.  If the only place you can buy HD DVD is online, how can you do big numbers (even if there are only 2 major exclusive studios now)?

You mean like they did with Target? 

Quote:
The BDA can offer the cheaper Chinese BD players at $200...completely wiping out ANY price advantage.

End game.

While we are speculating, Santa Clause could decide that his elves are better at making Blu-ray players than they are at making HD DVD players.  That would be End Game too. 

Quoting Ascended_Saiyan:

Quote:
Mitsubishi Reveals 3D Blu-ray Player For Next Year

Quote:
Washington, D.C. (August 23, 2007) -- Mitsubishi may launch a Blu-ray player early next year that can convert 2D movies into 3D images.

That's according to an article at CNET.com.

The web site reports that Mitsubishi recently hosted a technology exhibit for the media at the Westchester County Club in New York, the site of this weekend's Barclay PGA Golf Tournament.

During the exhibit, the company handed reporters a pair of 3D goggles and displayed several images on screen that showcased the special effect.

"Most of us were pretty impressed by the demo, which included clips from movies, commercials, and sporting events. There was real depth to the 3D and you got that whole feeling of things poking out at you from the screen," said CNET.

But the surprise of the event was Mitsubishi's disclosure that it was working on the 3D Blu-ray player and it may be ready by early next year.

Philips has stated that it plans to issue a 3D HDTV in the next year or so, a set that would not require 3D goggles to appreciate the effect. But this is the first mention of a set-top that would convert a high-def disc into 3D.

CNET writes that Mitsubishi would not discuss possible pricing for the 3D Blu-ray player, but it said it was discussing integrating the technology into a well-known game console. That would likely to be Sony's PlayStation 3, which now has a Blu-ray player inside.

This is great news!  Any 2D movie turned into 3D.  That has to be even more amazing in 1080p!  Why would some people want HD DVD to win again? 

I love 'fanboy' articles that don't tell the whole story.  First, this wasn't an article on cnet, it was a blog entry.  Second, the images that everyone was impressed with, as noted in the quote, were shot in 3D.  They were not 2D images turned into 3D.  Here is the full quote:

"Most of us were pretty impressed by the demo, which included clips from movies, commercials, and sporting events. There was real depth to the 3D and you got that whole feeling of things poking out at you from the screen. All the demo material had been shot in 3D, but the kicker to the whole presentation was that Mitsubishi apparently has a Blu-ray player in its labs that can convert existing 2D movies into 3D on the fly. Better yet, according to company reps, it may be available early next year."

Another part that was left out was the first line of the paragraph that followed the one I quoted above:  "I'm pretty skeptical it's going to show up anytime soon and I have my doubts that converted 2D content is going to look all that great in 3D."

I have the same doubts.  3D movies require the use of special cameras during actual filming.  Lucas is currently trying to convert his SW films to 3D and it is quite time consuming.  Do you think he would be spending all that time and money if it could be done by a set top player?  Come on man, even you can't be that gullable.