Category: HD DVD
China implements own version of HD DVD format, vaguely compatible
The ongoing war between the two main high definition disc formats — HD DVD and Blu-ray — may just have become a little more complicated, as China has adopted its own version of the HD DVD format. With China becoming…
Sony's Blu-ray presentation paints less than rosy picture of format
Sony's presentation at CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association Expo), which tried to show the superiority of the Blu-ray high definition disc format over rival HD DVD, in fact showed a rather erratic, and currently only slightly…
LG unveils new BH200 Super Multi Blu player – now with HDi
We got quite flustered over LG’s BH100 Super Multi Blu player (pictured) when it was announced at CES this year, what with it offering a solution (a very expensive solution, admittedly) to the dilemma over whether to choose Blu-ray or HD DVD.
However, LG has just announced the follow-up BH200 product, which is due to go on sale next month in the US for around $1,000.
HD DVD player manufacturers to drop prices
As mentioned at Toshiba/HD DVD’s IFA press conference, a number of manufacturers are set to drop the prices of their current and new HD DVD players, with entry level machines now coming in at around €300 (£200-ish).
Oliver Van Wynendaele, a manager in Toshiba’s HD DVD group, said that was around half the current prices.
Heading up the cheap-n-cheerful crop of new players is the Ventura SHD7000, though it’s worth noting that it won’t play every high definition format, bombing out short of HD’s 1080p holy grail. Still, not bad if you’re on a budget.
IFA 2007: HD-DVD (and Toshiba) bite back
So, yesterday we heard about how Blu-ray s taking over the world. They're winning the war. They're the format of choice. Or are they? I'm here waiting for the Toshiba/HD-DVD press conference to start, and wondering if there's another side to the story….
First up, we get a look at the new stuff coming from Toshiba though.
Toshiba's pretty pleased with Paramount and Dreamworks' HD DVD decision
Regardless of the true motivation behind Paramount and Dreamworks' decision to go exclusively HD DVD, it's no surprise at all that Toshiba are pretty pleased about the deal. “We welcome the announcement from Paramount and DreamWorks Animation SKG,” said Yoshihide…
Paramount and Dreamworks go exclusively HD DVD: Disney, Fox, MGM try hitting back for Blu-ray
Two Hollywood studios who had previously been supporting both Blu-ray and HD DVD high definition disc formats yesterday announced that they’ll support HD DVD exclusively from now on.
The decision was made based on “extensive evaluation” of the current market offerings, plumping for HD DVD because of its “market-ready technology” and lower manufacturing costs.
CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brad Grey, said that this decision by the two studios would bring a critical mass of current box office hits to consumers, with a line-up perfect for HD DVD.
Though no other studio has swapped format, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, and MGM, all reaffirmed their commitment to Blu-ray, promising many more titles with greater interactivity — something that the format still lags behind HD DVD on thanks to technical limitations of the original Blu-ray specification.
LG finally cuts price of Super Blu dual format high definition disc player
There’s been something of a price war between rival HD DVD and Blu-ray player manufacturers of late, but until now, dual format players haven’t followed suit.
LG has just announced that it’s to cut the US price of its “Super Blu” BH100 dual format (HD DVD/Blu-ray) player by $200, from $1,199 down to $999.
This may be in response to Samsung’s recent announcement of their BDP-UP5000 player, expected to retail for around $1,049.
High definition discs outsell VHS tapes: is it really a milestone?
According to research from Video Business, the combined sales of Blu-ray and HD DVD high definition discs was greater than that of VHS cassettes sold in the first half of 2007.
Although standard definition DVD sales also slumped by around 5% in the same period, due mainly to a weak bunch of new releases, the dominant disc format is hardly challenged by these findings.
Sales of pre-recorded video tapes are all but non-existent now, with most consumers preferring the greater convenience, features, quality, and smaller form factor of DVDs.
Thieves can't be bothered with HD-DVD
That’s the spin the Blu-ray consortium would put on The DVD Dossier’s story about a theft at a Seattle branch of Blockbuster.
Apparently the thieves “knew what they wanted” – which involved clearing out the Blu-ray section and leaving all the HD-DVDs where they were…
