It’s the last day of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and Blu-ray news has being flooding in (starting with Warner’s dropping of HD DVD just a few days before the show began). Here’s the latest updates from the show.
Warner’s Profile 1.1 releases on the way.
Several films were released on HD DVD by Warner last year but the Blu-ray releases were delayed due to Picture in Picture Capability (included in Profile 1.1) not being available. Now that problem is out of the way, High-Def Digest spoke to Warner yesterday and were told the following:
“We held off releasing them on Blu-ray because we wanted to be able to have the full interactivity. At this point in time, we’re still working out all the kinks [with the technology], but they will be released soon.”
They named Batman Begins and the Matrix trilogy as titles being prepared – but didn’t give a date away.
New Line Cinema on their Blu-ray exclusivity.
It wasn’t announced, but having the same parent company as Warner, we really already knew New Line would be going the same way. High-Def Digest spoke to a New Line rep at CES, who told them that they were now Blu-ray exclusive, effective immediately (although they only ever released one film on HD DVD anyway). We look forward to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy exclusively on Blu-ray in the future.
HBO has also confirmed that they are supporting Blu-ray exclusively.
Comment by Ajay — Jan 10, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
Also Constantin and Cinefacts which appear to distribute some Blu-ray exclusives on HD DVD in Germany.
Game over man, game over.
Comment by Shin-Ra — Jan 10, 2008 @ 7:24 pm
Sorry, cinefacts is REPORTING that Constantin have dropped HD DVD:
http://www.cinefacts.de/news/news.php?newsid=10173
Comment by Shin-Ra — Jan 10, 2008 @ 7:25 pm
Universal’s commitment to backing HD DVD exclusively has ended, they might announce Blu-ray support soon. Paramount also has an escape clause in their HD-DVD contract.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978760.html?categoryid=20&cs=1
Comment by VG Aficionado — Jan 10, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
The Lord of the Rings in BluRay!!! OMG!
I want that naoooo
Comment by HenryMax — Jan 10, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
Toshiba should just save itself some money and start retooling for Blu-Ray production of it’s players.
Comment by Savage — Jan 10, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
Universal is quitting. The Variety story is kind of hazy, but Universal’s announcement reeks of PR: We don’t want to make anyone angry with us, so we will beat around the bush a respectable amount of time, but…
It really is game over. Paramount is the only one left, and they’re not saying anything. But Paramount has a contractual out clause based on Warner going BD exclusive. They don’t *have* to say anything because everyone knows they can now quit whenever they wish. So why upset anyone they may have to work with in the future by actually making a formal statement they are bailing out when it’s obvious they will bail out very, very soon?
Comment by capa — Jan 11, 2008 @ 1:59 am
For a while there, I was wondreing (but never out loud) if blue ray was in trouble.
“Oh god please don’t be a betamax, please.”
And you know what? My own little god answered. In the form of a shiny PS3 he said, “Chill my friend, there is method to all this madness, for I am punishing the non believers.”
He was right, as were we. Of course, I always knew Blueray was the right move. Phew!
LOTR, BatmanBegins, TheMatrix; on blueray! That’s the ticket. Good looking films, with slow pans and lush action to let the detail fall from the screen. Shame about the damage this will inflict on my wallet.
Comment by LordOfRuin — Jan 11, 2008 @ 7:11 am
@8
You’ll have to change your name to LordOfRuinedWallet soon.
Ignoring Lord Gates of Silicon Valley’s spluttered comments about downloading hi-def movies, can anyone predict what Blu-ray’s inevitable triumph will mean to M$ and their place in the console market?
Comment by rooee — Jan 11, 2008 @ 9:39 am
Microsoft have already said they will support Blu-ray if customers demand it and if there is a clear winner in the format war. So Expect a 2010 release of an Xbox 360 with a built in Blu-ray drive.
Comment by Savage — Jan 11, 2008 @ 10:20 am
@9 - MS will probably decide to release another XBox which xbots will lap up. I’ve already heard talk that a release due for the 360 has been canned and will be worked on to work with the next Xbox instead…
But then again the release was probably only Duke Nukem and I couldn’t see that coming out for at least another console generation anyway.
Comment by Dave Vincent — Jan 11, 2008 @ 10:22 am
@11
Are you confident it will ever come out? I have been following the debacle since Duke 3D and I have given up beleieving it will ever be released. I think William Hill are offering better odds on that than on Elvis singing live at the 2nd annual ‘We finally acheived world peace” festival
Comment by TheShirts — Jan 11, 2008 @ 11:56 am
By the time Duke Nukem Forever comes out the Duke will be less Jesse Ventura and more Wolf from Gladiators.
Comment by rooee — Jan 11, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
Matrix blu-ray FINALLY. I have been praying for a long time
Comment by Ricky — Jan 11, 2008 @ 4:05 pm
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