Genre Titles Among First High Def DVDs

[JayPee]

Genre Titles Among First High Def DVDs
King Kong, LOTR, Stargate: Atlantis
January 05, 2006

Genre titles will be among the first releases to find their way into the new high definition DVD formats, Blu-Ray and HD DVD, in 2006. Among the initial feature releases reported by Video Business are Batman Begins, Fantastic Four, Ice Age, Underworld: Evolution, King Kong, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And the first TV series to be released in a high definition format will also be a genre property, Stargate: Atlantis.

Given the confusion over the two battling high definition DVD formats, and what may be a slow adoption curve, there may be a window for specialty retailers to sell high definition DVDs, in the same way that specialty stores supported the Laserdisc format in the long interregnum between VHS and DVD. Additional extras for the new high definition releases and the type of content being released definitely appeal to the collector mind-set.

http://icv2.com/articles/home/8030.html

[Brian Defferding]

Blu-Ray is gonna lose the war of upgraded DVD formats. Most DVD players on the market right now are High-Definition already; correct me if I'm wrong but Blu-Ray players still need to be released.

Still, this market war may take awhile because companies will find it hard to get consumers to buy a whole new DVD player for these DVD's.

[bartleby]

Blu-Ray is gonna lose the war of upgraded DVD formats. Most DVD players on the market right now are High-Definition already; correct me if I'm wrong but Blu-Ray players still need to be released.

Still, this market war may take awhile because companies will find it hard to get consumers to buy a whole new DVD player for these DVD's.

You're wrong. HD-DVD players won't hit the street until March and will cost somewhere in the range of $500 - $1000.

I think BlueRay has a better shot at winning the format war, because most of the studios that are releasing HD are also releasing their titles in BlueRay. Plus the PS3 is supposed to have BlueRay support, which will put BlueRay players in that many more households.

[Humphrey_Lee]

You're wrong. HD-DVD players won't hit the street until March and will cost somewhere in the range of $500 - $1000.

I think BlueRay has a better shot at winning the format war, because most of the studios that are releasing HD are also releasing their titles in BlueRay. Plus the PS3 is supposed to have BlueRay support, which will put BlueRay players in that many more households.

Yea, PS3 is the rub. A large percentage finding BlueRay players too expense might not feel the same way when they're getting a nextgen gaming console with it.

[JayPee]

Yea, PS3 is the rub. A large percentage finding BlueRay players too expense might not feel the same way when they're getting a nextgen gaming console with it.

i hadn't heard this. does this mean that PS3 is going to be ridiculously priced?

[Brian Defferding]

You're wrong. HD-DVD players won't hit the street until March and will cost somewhere in the range of $500 - $1000.

I just did some further investigation and mistook DVD players with "HD Upconversion" as an HD-DVD player; but it isn't.

Nevertheless, it's not going to be easy wooing consumers to shell out more money for a new (or separate) DVD player. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.

[Corey A.]

Warner Home Video and Universal Studios Home Entertainment will release the first of their HD DVD titles in March.

Warner has set several of its first 24 titles for release on March 28, including Batman Begins and Million Dollar Baby, followed shortly thereafter on April 11 with another batch led by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

In announcements late Wednesday night at CES in Las Vegas, Warner revealed that the studio also would release upcoming summer theatrical movies Superman Returns and Poseidon on HD DVD simultaneously with the DVD release of those movies later this year.

Warner also has endorsed the Blu-ray Disc format, but the announcement did not address plans for Blu-ray, players for which are not expected until late spring or summer.

"We are pleased to confirm the availability of 24 titles, which will enable consumers to start building their high-definition libraries," said Warner Home Video president Ron Sanders. "Warner Bros. has always been an innovator in home entertainment and is committed to delivering the best experience in any format."

Among Universal's first 10 titles timed to coincide with the introduction of the first HD DVD players in March will be The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Jarhead, Doom, Cinderella Man, Apollo 13 and The Bourne Supremacy.

"The launch of HD DVD marks a new era in the evolution of home entertainment," said USHE president Craig Kornblau.

HBO Video, which is distributed by sister company Warner, will release Deadwood and The Sopranos on HD DVD sometime this year.

In a nifty nod to precedence, Warner is releasing Twister as one of its first titles on March 28, nearly nine years to the day that the movie became the first major DVD release.

Other titles planned include such recent DVD and theatrical releases as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dukes of Hazzard, Rumor Has It and Syriana.

Among the catalog titles from Warner will be Unforgiven (April 11), Goodfellas and The Matrix (April 25), Blazing Saddles (May 9) and The Green Mile Special Edition (May 16).

[Humphrey_Lee]

i hadn't heard this. does this mean that PS3 is going to be ridiculously priced?

They haven't said anything. Most are predicting a $500 price tag and I'm thinking it'll be within a hundred bucks of that. It's still totally up in the air. Figure how well it sells in Japan will hold some influence over the price here.

[Humphrey_Lee]

I just did some further investigation and mistook DVD players with "HD Upconversion" as an HD-DVD player; but it isn't.

Nevertheless, it's not going to be easy wooing consumers to shell out more money for a new (or separate) DVD player. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.

Eh, like all new technology eventually people won't have a choice once the old stuff is faded out, it's just a question of just how long that will take.

[adamgreenberger]

Will both new DVD's be able to play on the current DVD players?