[ This article was first published in the August, 2007, issue of
Larry’s Final Cut Pro Newsletter. Click here to subscribe. ]
The Los Angeles Times reported today (8/21/07) that Dreamworks SKG and Paramount are now exclusively releasing HD-DVD titles. (Steven Spielberg’s films are not included in this announcement, as Sony will be releasing them in Blu-Ray format.)
They join with Universal and Warner Brothers in supporting HD-DVD.
In the Blu-Ray camp are Disney, Lions Gate, MGM, Sony, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers (playing both sides of the street).
While Blu-Ray disks have been selling slightly better than HD-DVD, both formats combined sold 3.2 million titles from Jan. 1 thru Aug. 12, while standard DVDs sold close to 500 million. However, 90% of Blu-Ray discs are being played on Sony PlayStation 3 equipment, indicating that stand-alone Blu-Ray players are not selling well.
The principal reason cited for supporting HD-DVD were that HD-DVD players were less expensive than Blu-Ray.
This announcement means that any possibility for standardizing on one format is still a long way away. If your goal is to make money on HD DVD sales, well, for the short-term, you will need a Plan B.
