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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  • 46 Posted by catmanjack2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    Mr. Null: How much stock do you own in the BDA companies anyway?

  • 47 Posted by ruckum_fruckum on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    benjaminjoel2000, I agree with you. I think that in a few years it will be irrelevant. All content will be streamed over the internet and we'll have a box that decodes it all. For now, I think BD is the way to go but pretty soon we won't even own a DVD much less a DVD player. I chose BD because Netflix supports it and that where we rent our movies. I don't plan on purchasing any BD movies, however.

  • 48 Posted by jazzman90405 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's just another example of the industry manipulating and controlling the consumers, who spend their hard-earned money on their products. Hey, we're the big-shot Hollywood suits. We control you. Be smart - BOYCOTT. I'm glad I did not buy an HD-DVD player. Also, I will not purchase any DVD's by Universal [and studios] who make it difficult or impossible to skip over their promo's & previews before the feature. They put a "disable" function on their DVD's, hoping to force some people to sit through them. If you're smart, you will watch TV shows until their promo's are over. Then continue watching TV while pressing the play button a few more times, until you see the final counter display start. Then stop it and get ready to finally watch the movie. Don't give in to the capitalist pigs who wouldn't survive without our money. Also, rent DVD's from the library for free. Another way to hit those shister jerks back.

  • 49 Posted by hidari_07 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    Didn't anybody else besides me see this coming? To be fair the fact that Sony (PS3) is backing Blu-Ray and the fact you can get a PS3 for the same price or cheaper for a stand alone player doesn't hurt either.

  • 50 Posted by erinbear_21 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    I believe if Paramount switches sides it won't leave Dreamworks behind.

  • 51 Posted by jason_peralta on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's about time the Blue-Ray wins the war in next generation DVD. But I don't think they really succeeded because the market in Blu-ray is not that exciting compare to dvd's. Maybe next year I will start to buy Blu-ray Films for my PS3.

  • 52 Posted by hwhdd986 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Which one will play my beta tape?? I have a lot of porn on beta and would love to watch it again... a lot of porn..

  • 53 Posted by rmw184 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is false: http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8555&Itemid=2 This is an updated statement released today from paramount. They aren't going anywhere.

  • 54 Posted by mbeech_1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    If I am going to buy a Blu-Ray the should be able to play standard DVD's, or give a discount for used DVD's. I have to many to reduild my library from scratch.

  • 55 Posted by daocampo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think the combo systems that read both HD DVD and Blu-ray format are the best choice.

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

    motesobe...Paramount has never stated that it would drop HD-DVD. It has the option to do so. For someone to state "Paramount Set to Drop HD DVD for Blu-ray" and "...exercising that clause is what's about to happen" is drawing a conclusion based only on what the company *can* do. I'll believe it when Paramount or someone credible states it.

  • 57 Posted by nygopgraphics on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    Um... Microswipe sees nothing coming until Apple or Sony does it first. The reason the 360 has no high capacity drive is it was rushed to market a full year before the PS3 by Sony's "fake" launch date and this will be the 360's downfall. They are stuck cramming games onto dinky DVDs while PS3 owners are experienceing vast deep games off Bluray disks with nearly eight times the capacity. Game over indeed.

  • 58 Posted by sheldonwh on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    OMG! I'm having flashbacks to the early 80s fight between VHS and Beta! And the evil VHS won out! Beta tapes were smaller, had better audio and video, and were far more numerous in video stores at the time, but a backroom deal took care of it without any consumer input whatsoever. I get the feeling this will happen again with DVDs, kids.

  • 59 Posted by ricardojavieresparza on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    Listen we the consumers really don't give a ----- who wins the darn war. All we care about is that the movies we like are available in hi def for a reasonable price. I wish they can hurry this, and let us carry on with our enjoyment rather than wonder!

  • 60 Posted by bidude4u2112 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    blah blah blah Now i have to go out and get a different version than my HD-DVD and they call this progress .I call it a monopoly .To all of the ones who cant afford all this crap to watch a movie lets raise a fist to the ones who can .

  • 61 Posted by mr_paperman42 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    my dvd player died last week and had to buy a new one. I decided to by a $60 up conversion standard since I didn't know which way the format was gong to go. I am glad I waited. By the middle of the year the chinese will be shipping

  • 62 Posted by declaude on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    Anything to make consumers have to spend more money. What happens in 2009 when everything switches over to HD? Are we going to have to change everything again in 2010? Jeez! Leave well enough alone for a while.

  • 63 Posted by mistabozak2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    PlayStation 3 is the way to go don't be a fool and waste your money on the corny Wii or obsolete HD DVD player

  • 64 Posted by tgomez2325 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    well the consumers lose again! Why should I get punished for buying a xbox360 over a ps3 ( the games are so much better for the 360 ) I can't afford another gaming console so I purchased a HD DVD player for christmas because the price was better than blu-ray. I've seen both formats I don't see any difference. sony and disney should not try and corner the market!

  • 65 Posted by didikong99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    This probably means that TRANSFORMERS will be coming out on Blu-Ray soon.., I have a PS3 so I am glad they are winning the DVD war... makes up for the betamax/VHS war they lost 20 or so years ago...

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