Is this what the end of a format war looks like?
First Blockbuster announced plans to go exclusively Blu-Ray. Then Warner Brothers did the same, and recently a rumor floated of Best Buy phasing out HD-DVD. Now we’ve got definitive word that Netflix is dropping HD-DVD to concentrate exclusively on Blu-Ray. Steve Jobs even concedes that Sony’s format came out on top, though he agrees with Devin that downloads are the real future.
Selections from the Netflix press release hosted at Coming Soon:
With the industry now having picked a winner in the face-off between the two competing high- definition DVD formats, Netflix, Inc., the world’s largest online movie rental service, today said that it will move toward stocking high-def DVDs exclusively in the Blu-ray format.
Citing the decision by four of the six major movie studios to publish high-def DVD titles only in the Sony-developed Blu-ray format, Netflix said that as of now it will purchase only Blu-ray discs and will phase out by roughly year’s end the alternative high-def format, HD DVD, developed by Toshiba.
There’s one holdout that could keep HD-DVD above ground at least through the year: Wal-Mart. While the reports last year of the chain heavily investing in cheap HD-DVD players turned out to be bunk, the stores continue to stock the format. For now.
In the meantime, this will prove also to be a good barometer of Netflix’s importance. The company is already culturally synonymous with DVD, but is it enough of a market force to be the final blow?
Regardless, unless you’ve got Toshiba stock, the death of one high-def DVD format is great news. With the format war over (the disc VS disc one, at least) we might see more weight thrown behind high def discs, which means more plentiful releases and therefore more high def transfers. Hopefully that crop will show as much improvement as standard DVD transfers have in recent years.
Yes, downloads are the eventual future. There’s no fighting it. But if we’re going to have HD downloads we need good HD masters and right now, a single high-def DVD format is the fastest way to get them.
8 comments
Too bad HD downloads are complete BS at the moment. Just google and you'll see complaints of artifacts and bad compression. They're barely 720p let alone 1080p.
Current internet bandwidth is not really capable of delivering an HD picture remotely close to what you get from from an HD DVD or Blu Ray physical media.
Of course it's not, just like networks of a decade ago were barely suitable for the media streaming we're accustomed to today.
That's why I said 'the eventual future' and not 'now'.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/11/best-buys-pushing-blu-ray-to-the-front/
Looks like the Best Buy rumor is a little more solid as of today. Good.
Is it just me, or does this format war just stink of cash?
HD players can also play standard DVDs, of which millions have been sold worldwide. But if Blu-Ray wins, we have to buy them all over again!
HD never had a chance, and again, we get mugged.
Wankers – the lot of 'em.
@AndyGinner: What are you talking about? Blu-Ray players play standard def DVDs.
Now we just have to wait for Microsoft to develop an external HD-DVD player for the 360.
I just think that Internet providers need to get on the ball and improving bandwith. I read somewhere that the US has one of the slowest internet speeds of any modern country. I'd much rather but a Blu-ray movie 1) because I like having the physical movie and can take it to a friend's/ girlfriend's house and 2) I can watch it right away. I don't have to wait for a download to finish.
Maybe AndyGinner was just reading Harry's original, unedited post over at AICN where Harry said he chose HD-DVD because he can play his DVDs in it unlike Blu-Ray players. Weren't the misinformation games of the high-def war grand?
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