Paramount Set to Drop HD DVD for Blu-ray

Tue Jan 8, 2008 10:54AM EST

See Comments (209)

UPDATE: Paramount is denying the story.

How many "death blows" will it take for Blu-ray to finally win the format war against HD DVD? I've been hearing that phrase (and writing about it) since July 2007. Well here comes another one. Following in the footsteps of Warner Brothers' abandonment of the HD DVD format, reports are surfacing that Paramount is headed to Blu-ray as well.

This is huge news not just because it would leave just one major studio (Universal, plus the mini-major DreamWorks) producing HD DVD content. It would mark the first time in the high-def war that a studio has abandoned one exclusive format and switched to another. Warner was producing both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs and merely dropped the HD DVD ones. Paramount will have to switch entirely to Blu-ray, which it has not been producing up to now.

According to the Financial Times, Paramount has a clause in its contract with the HD DVD camp allowing it to switch to Blu-ray in the event that Warner was to do so. And exercising that clause is what's about to happen. It's also theorized that DreamWorks will follow Paramount, since the studios are closely tied together.

Nothing's been announced yet, but this should be wrapped up in fairly short order. Stay tuned.

LINK: Paramount in HD DVD blow

Comments on Paramount Set to Drop HD DVD for Blu-ray

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  • 29 Posted by zuul023 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 11:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    Jeese. Paramount flip-flops more than John Kerry! I am so glad I haven't invested in anything and decided to take a "Wait and See" approach regarding HD vs Blu-Ray. IMHO I've seen the difference between the two and it's rather negligible. Blu-Ray is barely better than HD in resolution and contrast.

  • 30 Posted by scorpio808 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    Time to Go BLU baby!! I am glad as now I can continue my blu ray collection. PS3 all the way for '08!!!

  • 31 Posted by sparky_mahoney on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't really care about either format. I haven't adopted either for the same reason most people haven't. The players and DVDs themselves are exorbinantly overpriced. When I see DVDs (Blu/HD) selling for 30 or 40 dollars vs. 5-10 bucks for their non-hi-def versions, I keep thinking the people who set the prices for the hi-def versions really don't want to succeed.

  • 32 Posted by themojonixon on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Its so stupid whens the last time you were watching a dvd and you thought to yourself god this is so darn blurry its over priced and tierd

  • 33 Posted by lkung1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Check your sources, Chris. Paramount Denies Report It Will Drop Toshiba's HD DVD: "Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format," Brenda Ciccone, a spokeswoman for Paramount, said in an e-mail today. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aQMGgh2LV_bU

  • 36 Posted by soulja1369 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    Am I the only person that noticed that HD DVD just plain LOOKS better than Blu Ray? I have the XBOX360 HD DVD and PS3 and the HD DVD is by far a better quality picture. Blu Ray movies always look grainy. Solid colors are always a bunch of pixilized crap. That takes into account that my PS3 uses HDMI cables and the 360 only uses composite and the 360 still looks better. Just my 2 cents

  • 37 Posted by avorce on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ha. I predicted this. Blu-ray is the superior disc format. 66% more storage capacity, higher video bitrate, higher data rate & a protective, scratch-resistant hard coat (which is why they cost more).

  • 38 Posted by motesobe on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    lkung1..what do you expect a bottom level PR person to say???? "well it's true, we're dropping support for HD DVD, but shhhh..don't say anything yet!"

  • 39 Posted by charlieofwilliamstreet on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought my first VHS recorder in 1980 at Crazy Eddies for $900! It was a big Hitachi with a wired remote and one control, pause. Then I bought a huge Pioneer laser disc player because the picture quality was so much better than VHS,then I bought a DVD player because the picture was so much better than Laser,now I have to buy something else?? How many times am I supposed to buy the same movie in a different format??

  • 41 Posted by motesobe on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    lkung1..what do you expect a bottom level PR person to say???? "well it's true, we're dropping support for HD DVD, but shhhh..don't say anything yet!"

  • 42 Posted by jubalpalooza on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    Rogueist, lets not stop at class-action lawsuits, what about Sony creating a monopoly over High Def movies. Who are you going to buy movies from in 2 years? Sony. That is if Sony does win the battle. On a personal note, i cannot wait until movies are "officialy" put into SD cards.

  • 43 Posted by iridium190 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    Too bad since HD DVD has outperformed Blu ray from the beginning.

  • 44 Posted by jumpinhowie on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    John311 Why do you think the company is obligated to give you anything. This was a format war, and earlu adoptors take a change that their purchase will be obsolite. Do you think Betamax early adoptors got anything after VHS won? It will work just the same way. And a single format is not a Monopoly as many companies have there hands in the pot both verticaly and horizontaly. Luckily I chose a Blu-Ray stand alone unit early on, and it has been a great ride.

  • 45 Posted by vssdgames on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    Anyone that thinks hd-dvd is better than blue ray is definitely living in a locked room away from the rest of the world. The visual quality is exactly the same - hd is hd, 1080p you cant make 1080p and 1080p with more pixels, sorry bud. Individual players may vary but thats true on both sides (the PS3 infact is a great quality blue-ray player compared to many of the other blue-ray systems) Add to the fact that blue-ray has more physical space on its disks and you have a winner - plus all the studios behind it, gaming system, etc blue-ray was the only choice I was willing to make in the "hd wars"

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