Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

starman · Jul 27, 2007, 02:35 PM

I can't find a single link about the new Denon HD-DVD player, even on the HD-DVD web site.

Apple's logo is not on the HD-DVD web site.

I have Leopard (legally) so I'll check on the rumored HD-DVD support myself.

Target having endcaps for BR is a big deal. Having Disney flicks on an endcap is big. Why do you deny that?

You should read this thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=879796

I'm trying hard to stay format neutral, but it's getting very, very hard to. With all this Blu-Ray support, and Close Encounters coming out this November, it's going to be a big year for Blu.

What big news items came this week from HD-DVD? None. Nada. Zip.

Eug · Jul 27, 2007, 02:39 PM

I think Batman Begins is the highest seller overall on HD DVD, but Planet Earth is the highest seller recently. (It hasn't been out for very long.) Actually, it's impressive that Planet Earth is doing so well, considering it's a documentary, and it costs quite a bit.

RCA's HD DVD player is a Toshiba rebrand. For standalones, as of this time the only real manufacturer is Toshiba (aside from the hybrid players). (Several companies make HD DVD PC drives though, and Chinese manufacturers amongst others are supposedly releasing HD DVD players this year.)

Apple already has limited HD DVD support. DVD Studio Pro makes un-DRM'd HD DVDs with H.264. These discs will play in any HD DVD player. Ironically, Apple currently has no support for Blu-ray at all AFAIK.

As for Close Encounters, I do think it's a significant release for some, although not for me. I never liked that movie much, and never bothered with it on DVD, much less hi-def. I'm very interested in Blade Runner though.

starman · Jul 27, 2007, 02:42 PM

It would be nice if SOMETHING exclusive was coming for HD-DVD. Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, SOMETHING. Fox and Disney alone have enough to crush HD-DVD. I don't want to sound cynical, but it seems to me people are loving these cheap HD-DVD players because it doesn't cost them much to watch the few movies on that format that they want and still stick with BR.

/shrug.

Eug · Jul 27, 2007, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by starman

It would be nice if SOMETHING exclusive was coming for HD-DVD. Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, SOMETHING. Fox and Disney alone have enough to crush HD-DVD. I don't want to sound cynical, but it seems to me people are loving these cheap HD-DVD players because it doesn't cost them much to watch the few movies on that format that they want and still stick with BR.

Fox and Disney have a good catalogue, but what I find odd is that they are simply not releasing them. Well, Disney to an extent, but Fox is awol. And this is despite Fox's declarations in the past about how awesome Blu-ray is. If it's so awesome, then they should actually release on the format.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. They are certainly not the so-called blockbusters like Casino Royale, but they are more up my alley. (Or at least Shaun of the Dead is. I haven't seen Hot Fuzz yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.)

jokell82 · Jul 27, 2007, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by starman

I can't find a single link about the new Denon HD-DVD player, even on the HD-DVD web site.

My mistake, it was Denon Germany:
Denon setzt auf Blu-ray Disc - und sp�ter auch auf HD-DVD - Golem.de

The last line translates as: "Denon Germany cannot say at the moment when the first HD-DVD player will be introduced, but confirms respective plans (for such a player)."

Originally Posted by starman

Apple's logo is not on the HD-DVD web site.

And that means, what, exactly? They have *announced* in press releases support for both formats, and already support the creation of HD-DVD discs in DVD Studio Pro. This has been discussed (for several pages) in this thread already.

Originally Posted by starman

Target having endcaps for BR is a big deal. Having Disney flicks on an endcap is big. Why do you deny that?

Who is denying that? You again seem to read stuff that isn't written. What I *am* denying is Target going BluRay exclusive. THEY ARE NOT. Period.

As for the thread you linked to, most of that stuff has already been discussed. As for where the HD-DVD news is, it's that THEY HAVE A $199 PLAYER. Does BluRay have anything close to that? Nope...

starman · Jul 27, 2007, 03:03 PM

So HD-DVD has a cheap player and less movies. Blu-Ray has more expensive players and the bulk of the studios with the big titles.

I fail to see the relevance of a cheap player when the selection of titles is lower than the competition. This way might NOT be won on the price of the hardware. I thought it would be too, at first, but I'm seeing now that there's much more to it than that.

EDIT: and yes, Target *IS* going Blu-Ray exclusive with the *HARDWARE*.

jokell82 · Jul 27, 2007, 03:06 PM

And has already been stated, HD-DVD has 10 less total movies with US distribution right now, and if you include imports they have a bigger catalog.

So they have cheap players and MORE movies. Oh, and less DRM. And no region codes. And cheaper movies. And higher sales of players.

Eug · Jul 27, 2007, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by jokell82

And has already been stated, HD-DVD has 10 less total movies with US distribution right now, and if you include imports they have a bigger catalog.

So they have cheap players and MORE movies. Oh, and less DRM. And no region codes. And cheaper movies. And higher sales of players.

Well, around here, sometimes HD DVD is more expensive, because of those combo discs.

Kenneth · Jul 27, 2007, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by jokell82

And that means, what, exactly? They have *announced* in press releases support for both formats, and already support the creation of HD-DVD discs in DVD Studio Pro. This has been discussed (for several pages) in this thread already.

Back in Final Cut Studio age, the FC Studio marketing booklet mentioned HD DVD. However, I don't think 'HD DVD' = 'HD-DVD'.

starman · Jul 27, 2007, 03:16 PM

Combo discs suck. I have three and I paid $5 more for each one over the Blu-Ray counterparts. Am I supposed to feel good about that or something? Yay for HD-DVD.

That said, I will no longer support combo discs which means I will not be buying the $220 Star Trek Season One box set. I will buy it cheap/used at a later date, but not for that much since I'm paying for SD discs I won't ever be using.

Staying format neutral was easy up until about a month ago. Now I'm not so sure. I don't see how HD-DVD can survive with the upcoming onslaught of Fox and Disney films.

Where
Is
Jurassic
Park?

jokell82 · Jul 27, 2007, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by starman

So HD-DVD has a cheap player and less movies. Blu-Ray has more expensive players and the bulk of the studios with the big titles.

I fail to see the relevance of a cheap player when the selection of titles is lower than the competition. This way might NOT be won on the price of the hardware. I thought it would be too, at first, but I'm seeing now that there's much more to it than that.

EDIT: and yes, Target *IS* going Blu-Ray exclusive with the *HARDWARE*.

Again, no they aren't. They're still selling the 360 addon. They're going exclusive with standalones, and by exclusive they mean adding one.

Originally Posted by Kenneth

Back in Final Cut Studio age, the FC Studio marketing booklet mentioned HD DVD. However, I don't think 'HD DVD' = 'HD-DVD'.

The options exist in FC Pro to make HD-DVDs *now* - burning the disc onto an HD-DVD with a Mac is another story, but you can create the image.

jokell82 · Jul 27, 2007, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by starman

Where
Is
Jurassic
Park?

That is a damn good question!

starman · Jul 27, 2007, 03:30 PM

Are you REALLY considering the 360 addon as a player? It's not. It's an accessory and you need the 360 to use it.

If the HD-DVD drive was included in the 360 (like it should have been) then it would be a different story.

jokell82 · Jul 27, 2007, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by starman

Are you REALLY considering the 360 addon as a player? It's not. It's an accessory and you need the 360 to use it.

If the HD-DVD drive was included in the 360 (like it should have been) then it would be a different story.

I dunno, it's a device whose sole purpose is to play HD-DVDs. I'd call that a player. It's not like anyone is buying them accidentally and never buying movies.

icruise · Jul 27, 2007, 03:54 PM

If you go back and look at the last few weeks of this thread, there seems to be a common theme. Something apparently good happens for Blu-ray, and HD-DVD supporters explain why it doesn't mean anything. You don't have the opposite happening nearly as much. By this I mean that there just hasn't been that much promising news from the HD-DVD camp recently (and that one article about HD-DVD's supposed majority of marketshare in Europe was just embarrassing). Now, this might be because BR has better PR people, but even if that's the case, they're contributing to a general feeling that BR is doing better than HD-DVD.

jokell82 · Jul 27, 2007, 03:57 PM

The good news for HD-DVD is that price of systems are way down, sales are going up, and standalone marketshare is phenomenal. But you're right, the BD propaganda machine is good at what they do.