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Paramount to Drop HD DVD?
zeromemory writes "The Financial Times reports that " Paramount is poised to drop its support of HD DVD after Warner Brothers' recent backing of Sony's Blu-ray technology, in a move that will sound the death knell of HD DVD and bring the home entertainment format war to a definitive end." According to the Times, Warner Brother's recent defection to Blu-Ray allowed Paramount to terminate their exclusive relationship with HD DVD. Universal Studios remains the only major studio to exclusively support the HD DVD format, though rumors have surfaced that their contract may also contain a termination provision similar to that exercised by Paramount."
I don't think the death of HD-DVD (even if it happened) would be a victory for Blu-Ray. All those pissed-off HD-DVD customers, the general ``HD video is a good way to get ripped off'' buzz, in a tightening economy, spells trouble. DCC was `beaten' by MiniDisc, but in the end it was a pyhric victory.
No, Microsoft is not to blame. Assuming HD DVD is dead (and the lead story here is false, but it does feel right now like it's a matter of time), then I blame a number of groups. Microsoft shouldn't have put HD DVD in to the X-Box 360, it would have hurt X-Box 360 owners just as Blu-ray did Playstation 3 buyers. I'm not going to criticize them for doing the right thing.
Microsoft's support for HD went beyond what was right for Microsoft. They ruined Vista in part by implementing a viable DRM and "secure path" systems to make it easier for Windows based systems to play AACS based content. This delayed Vista, reduced its compatibility with previous versions of Windows, and made the operating system less friendly to end users.
And to their credit, they pushed for features of the HD DVD standard that, had (or if...) HD DVD taken off, would have been net gains for consumers, notably the mandatory managed copy system that would have provided some means for format and space shifting of access controlled content. Had/if HD DVD taken off, we'd see HD DVD players that can store entire libraries of movies, and stream them around the house. You'd be able to store HD DVD movies on your laptop computers instead of carrying the discs around with you. You'd be able to condense movies into forms storeable on compatible portable video players.
What's happened is that the DVD Forum didn't push hard enough. Before Christmas, I saw huge amounts of advertising for Blu-ray and nothing for HD DVD. I saw stores locked up so they only sold and marketed Blu-ray. HD DVD advertising has concentrated purely on high quality video, the only area where it's identical to Blu-ray in features.
The equipment making supporters of HD DVD didn't push out the equipment fast enough. HD DVD burners are hard to come by. HD DVD jukeboxes and other devices that make use of the managed copy features are non-existent. Toshiba was also pretty close to alone in pushing the format, with most of the other manufacturers making token efforts but skimping entirely on the marketing.
Today if you want HD DVD, you can get a player to do it that has no major advantages over a Blu-ray player except in that it doesn't need constant firmware updates. And as most consumers have never heard of firmware, and aren't aware that Blu-ray isn't finished and that discs sold within the next couple of years will be unplayable on current equipment without updates, consumers have largely gone for the marketing pushed brand.
The DVD Forum would have won if they'd gone either positive or negative on the advantages over Blu-ray. They instead have ignored it. They have a few months to turn this around, and I think it's doubtful they'll be able to do it.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.