Home News Reviews Forums Shop


Universal To Give Up Exclusive HD DVD Support?

Blu-ray Disc Writers, BD Combo and BD-ROM Drives

Universal To Give Up Exclusive HD DVD Support?

Postby Ian on Wed May 09, 2007 10:27 am

Mediumrare emailed this to me. The translation is rough, but essentially Heise reports that Universal doesn't want to exclusively be HD DVD.

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/89498

In the context of a press meeting representatives of the Blu ray advocate maintained Pioneer that universal Home Entertainment stepped out of the exclusive contract with the Hp-DVD-camp and/or its largest representatives on the hardware side Toshiba. Thus the Studio quit the agreement, the notice is not only not effective allegedly already. If this report should be confirmed, thereby the way would be free for film publications on the competition medium Blu ray Disc for universal (in the long run). Above all however the hp DVD graduation Group would lose their only remaining exclusive supporter after Paramount and Warner under Hollywood Studios.
"Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt." - Steve Jobs
User avatar
Ian
Grand Poobah
 
Posts: 15127
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2001 2:34 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Postby Grain on Wed May 09, 2007 11:03 am

One huge nail in HD-DVD's coffin.
Hi-Def Format Neutral
Samsung BD-1400, PS3 40GB
Toshiba HD-A2, HD-XA2 & XBox 360 HD DVD
Grain
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 479
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:12 am
Location: Canada

Postby dolphinius_rex on Wed May 09, 2007 11:42 am

Grain wrote:One huge nail in HD-DVD's coffin.


Some might say the final nail. If it's true that is... but Heise is usually a very reliable source.
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby Grain on Wed May 09, 2007 11:48 am

This is actually the news I was looking for, Universal has the majority of titles that I would buy first in a HD format.
Hi-Def Format Neutral
Samsung BD-1400, PS3 40GB
Toshiba HD-A2, HD-XA2 & XBox 360 HD DVD
Grain
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 479
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:12 am
Location: Canada

Postby Wesociety on Wed May 09, 2007 12:13 pm

If this is true and Universal USA confirms it, I will be going out to buy a Blu-ray player...
http://WesleyTech.com <- Blu-ray Disc & consumer technology news, opinions & articles
User avatar
Wesociety
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 1234
Joined: Tue Mar 09, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Postby MediumRare on Thu May 10, 2007 4:49 am

I guess it was to be expected after all the dust this stirred up. Universal is denying any plans to switch sides. There's a follow-up at Heise to that effect.

Let's see how this one turns out- there have been similar patterns for rumoured dual-system drives. :roll:

G
User avatar
MediumRare
CD-RW Translator
 
Posts: 1768
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2003 3:08 pm
Location: ffm

Postby Ian on Thu May 10, 2007 10:25 am

Yeah, they contacted Engadget as well:

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/05/09/un ... g-neutral/
"Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt." - Steve Jobs
User avatar
Ian
Grand Poobah
 
Posts: 15127
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2001 2:34 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Postby dolphinius_rex on Thu May 10, 2007 11:51 am

Well, with engadget you can't be sure if it wasn't some HD DVD fanboy spoofing an e-mail address. But with Heise you can be relatively confident they've made sure it's a valid response.

So I guess it's back to waiting for CES 2008. In the end Universal will be kicking themselves for not going neutral sooner though. They're going to miss a LOT of sales this holiday season if they ignore Blu-Ray.
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby MediumRare on Thu May 10, 2007 3:27 pm

A lot of comments in the heise forum focused on the name of the Universal vice president (translated as "borrows" by google fish :wink: ): Wayne Borg.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

G
User avatar
MediumRare
CD-RW Translator
 
Posts: 1768
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2003 3:08 pm
Location: ffm

Postby dolphinius_rex on Thu May 10, 2007 4:00 pm

MediumRare wrote:A lot of comments in the heise forum focused on the name of the Universal vice president (translated as "borrows" by google fish :wink: ): Wayne Borg.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

G


Hahaha, that is too funny!!
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby vinnie97 on Mon May 14, 2007 5:06 am

sheesh, some people are a bit TOO excited to count their eggs before they hatch.

This format war is still in its infancy (first year), with DVDs outselling all high definition content by a wide margin. I love the knee-jerk responses in this thread.

The one factor that may actually tip the scales is the hardware shortage (optical heads) that both formats use, since it will keep HD DVD from gaining a significant price advantage. However, this will also serve to prevent Sony from dropping the price of the PS3 this year (which they have repeatedly denied anyway and which Sony fanboys and PS3 hopefuls continuously ignore).
Last edited by vinnie97 on Mon May 14, 2007 5:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
vinnie97
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 388
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Postby vinnie97 on Mon May 14, 2007 5:07 am

dolphinius_rex wrote:Well, with engadget you can't be sure if it wasn't some HD DVD fanboy spoofing an e-mail address. But with Heise you can be relatively confident they've made sure it's a valid response.

So I guess it's back to waiting for CES 2008. In the end Universal will be kicking themselves for not going neutral sooner though. They're going to miss a LOT of sales this holiday season if they ignore Blu-Ray.

So sayeth a Blu-Ray fanboy. :roll: :wink:
vinnie97
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 388
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Dallas, TX


Return to Blu-ray Disc Drives

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

All Content is Copyright (c) 2001-2024 CDRLabs Inc.