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CES: First Look at Warner Total Hi Def Packaging, Plus 'Lord of the Rings' in 2007?
Wed Jan 10, 2007 at 03:36 PM ETTags: Total HD, High-Def Disc Packaging, Warner, CES (all tags)
High-Def has not quite yet gone purple: Warner showed off the packaging concept for its Total Hi Def hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD disc, which looks to be the equivalent of a next-gen 50/50 Bar.
During a press conference held late yesterday, Warner tantalized the CES masses with the first official details of its can't-we-all-just-get-along dual format high-def disc, and demonstrated a working Total Hi Def disc prototype of 'Superman Returns.'
The fine folks over at Engadget HD snapped a picture, as seen here, of disc's preliminary box design, which again appeases both sides with a very rainbow-friendly, dual red/blue box design. Though we're not quite sure about that bland "T HD" logo thing, it's hard to imagine loyalists on either side complaining about the studio's separate-but-equal approach to the packaging.
In addition, we've compiled a few additional nuggets that were revealed at the conference by Warner reps, but not outlined in the studio's concurrent press release:
• The 'Superman Returns' demo played without a hitch on both the Blu-ray
and HD DVD sides of the disc
• Manufacturing costs for a Total Hi Def disc will not be "materially
more expensive" than standard DVD
• Currently, only Warner and subsidiaries New Line and HBO are onboard
• Other content providers who support Total Hi Def will not have to pay any
additional licensing fees to Warner Home Video
• Warner will move to supporting Total Hi Def discs exclusively by the end
of the year
• Finally, the studio reps answered the inevitable "When is 'Lord of
the Rings' coming out in high-def?" question with the answer, "They
(New Line) are working on it now and are determining a release date."
In other words, be patient, hobbits!
Note that all of the above statements were made by Warner execs during the press conference, and have yet to be confirmed in any other manner. We'll certainly be looking forward to seeing how this all plays out as Warner begins releasing its first Total Hi Def discs in the second half of 2007.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Warner Officially Announces Total Hi Def Hybrid Disc [Engadget HD]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Warner Intros Total HD; First Titles Due Second Half 2007 (Jan 09, 2007)
- Warner to Unveil First Blu-ray/HD DVD Hybrid Discs at CES (Jan 04, 2007)
CES: Warner Intros Total HD; First Titles Due Second Half 2007
Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 09:58 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Warner, Total HD, CES (all tags)
In an early evening press conference from CES, Warner Home Video today previewed its groundbreaking Total HD Blu-ray/HD DVD combo disc, and promised to deliver its first dual-format releases in the second half of 2007.
The hybrid format, which Warner is officially dubbing a "Total Hi Def" disc, was pioneered with the aim of bridging the two competing formats. The studio said that while Warner has found that both Blu-ray and HD DVD are pleasing early adopters with top-notch picture and sound, the format war continues to create apprehension in mainstream consumers.
"The Total Hi Def disc is about giving consumers complete choice, providing creators and artists the greatest possible distribution of their work, and helping retailers thrive in the marketplace," said Kevin Tsujihara, President of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, in a statement via press release. "By eliminating potential apprehension over formats, we believe this new disc could help consumers fully embrace the greatest home entertainment experience available."
Tech specs for the hybrid disc are strong, and should ease fears that Warner's combo strategy might sacrifice storage space or quality. The physical structure of the disc is 1.2 mm, the same as standard-def DVDs, HD DVD and Blu-ray discs. The Total Hi Def disc also has the ability to contain both single layer and dual layers for both formats enabling either 15 GB or 30 GB on the HD DVD side, and 25 GB or 50 GB on the Blu-ray side.
Though Warner made no formal announcement of titles or street dates, they did pledge that their first Total Hi Def releases will be available in the second half of 2007. Titles will also be announced "in a time frame consistent with the company’s standard trade announcements for home entertainment titles," according to the release.
Warner's pricing strategy for Total Hi Def was also unavailable at presstime.
This is certainly a major development in the format war, and the second half of 2007 should bring yet another new chapter in the next-gen saga. We can't wait -- and as always, stay tuned for the latest as this story continues to develop...
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Warner Announces Creation of Total Hi Def Disc [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Warner to Unveil First Blu-ray/HD DVD Hybrid Discs at CES (Jan 04, 2007)
CES: No New HD DVD Announcements from Universal
Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 04:24 PM ETTags: Universal, CES (all tags)
In a rather surprising move, primary HD DVD backer Universal Studios Home Entertainment confirmed today that they will be making no major title announcements at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, despite the formidable presence of all major studios supporting rival format Blu-ray.
Universal, the sole major Hollywood studio to be supporting HD DVD exclusively, was expected to bringing out its big guns for 2007 at CES -- or at least make enough new announcements to dazzle the early adopters who have been passionately backing the format thus far.
But when we contacted Universal to find out if anything further is to come from the studio out of CES, they confirmed they will not be unveiling any new street dates or detailed title info at all for the duration of the show. The studio stressed that they continue to support HD DVD and are planning to announce new titles "throughout 2007."
We must say, it seems like a strange promotional strategy to arrive at CES with nothing to brag about, especially given the highly visible nature of the show in the mainstream media, and that Blu-ray's showing has been quite muscular.
To be fair, a promotional flyer has been issued to the press and is available on the show floor, listing several notable HD DVD titles expected from Universal over the coming year, though many were already bandied about by Universal at last year's CES. Among the hits due in in 2007 are: 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin,' 'American Pie,' Bruce Almighty,' the 2003 remake of 'Dawn of the Dead,' 'Pride & Prejudice,' the original 'The Bourne Identity' and 'Inside Man.'
We'll keep you posted in the coming weeks and months as Universal officially announces street dates for these titles and more. We've also added all of the titles listed above to the "Release Dates Pending" section of our HD DVD Release Schedule.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
CES: Warner Blu-ray Announcements Mirror HD DVD
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 09:30 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Warner, CES (all tags)
Unveiled today, Warner Home Video's 2007 Blu-ray title line-up should look familiar to those following the studio's exploits on rival format HD DVD.
In fact, in what has to be a first, Warner's Monday Blu-ray press release is just about identical to its Sunday HD DVD announcement, seemingly aided only by a handy "Search and Replace."
While the studio previewed several high-profile titles bound for Blu-ray in 2007, Warner gave only one new title a firm street date, the Martin Scorsese flick 'The Departed,' which will hit Blu-ray simultaneously with the HD DVD version on February 13.
Other A-list new releases due in 2007 are to include 'Blood Diamond,' 'We Are Marshall' and the animated blockbuster 'Happy Feet.'
Catalog, too, will highlight Warner's upcoming Blu-ray plans, including the much-anticipated 'Matrix' trilogy, all the 'Harry Potter' films, both 'Ocean's 11' and 'Ocean's 12,' plus the Steve McQueen classics 'Bullitt' and 'The Getaway.'
Hopefully, Warner has a bit more exciting news up its sleeve for later in the show -- perhaps a look at the studio's first Total HD combo-disc releases?
In the meantime, we'll be updating our Blu-ray Release Schedule to include all of the titles referenced in today's announcement.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Best Films of 2006 and 2007 and Classic Favorites on Blu-ray from Warner Home Video [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Warner Previews More 2007 HD DVD Titles; 'Superman Returns' Studio's Top-Selling HD DVD of 2006 (Jan 08, 2007)
CES: 'Casino Royale,' MPEG-4 Support Highlight Sony's Q1 Blu-ray Plans
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 07:33 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Sony, CES (all tags)
In what is fast becoming unofficial 'Blu-ray Day' at CES, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment threw its new title announcements into the ring, with a Q1 slate led by the powerhouse 'Casino Royale.'
Offering a somewhat more restrained press release than fellow Blu-ray backers Fox and Buena Vista in terms of disc titles, Sony outlined only their first quarter 2007 release plans for the format.
Divulged in the release are full specs for such already-announced titles as 'Stranger than Fiction,' 'Running with Scissors,' 'Open Season,' 'Resident Evil: Apocalypse,' 'Layer Cake' and 'Vertical Limit.' All are much more feature-packed than originally anticipated, and are a sure sign that Sony won't be holding back when it comes to fully-loaded BD-50 dual-layer releases in 2007.
Of course, the big Q1 announcement from Sony is what is expected to be a very hotly-anticipated format-booster, the latest James Bond blockbuster, 'Casino Royale,' which finally gets an official street date of March 13.
Other announced-but-not-scheduled titles include 'A Few Good Men,' 'Jerry Maguire' and 'Hostel.'
Of course, Sony also crowed about the strong sales of the PlayStation 3, which now puts the installed base of Blu-ray players in the U.S. at over 1 million, which the company will aggressively feed with a healthy spate of new titles throughout the coming year.
"With software sales up 700 percent since the mid-November launch of Playstation 3 and other Blu-ray hardware from manufacturers, the market is poised for maximum impact blockbusters like Casino Royale," said David Bishop, President, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. "This is just the tip of the iceberg for Blu-ray in 2007."
Finally, in a last bit of surprise news, Sony is promoting their toe-in-the-water testing of the AVC MPEG-4 codec on two upcoming Q1 titles, 'Open Season' and 'Casino Royale.' Sony had previously been the most vocal and ardent supporter of MPEG-2. We'll certainly be looking forward to reviewing Sony's first two MPEG-4 titles as soon as we our hands on them.
We'll be adding all of Sony's new titles to our complete Blu-ray Release Schedule as the day progresses, including full specs. Stay tuned!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- SPHE Announces Q1 Blu-Ray Slate - Casino Royale to Make Its Debut on High Def [Press Release]
CES: Buena Vista 2007 Blu-ray Booty to Include 'Pirates,' First Pixar Release with 'Cars'
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 02:43 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Disney, Pixar, CES (all tags)
Blu-ray title announcements continue to make a strong showing at CES, with Buena Vista set to unleash an extensive wave of major blockbusters and top catalog hits in 2007.
"Blu-ray is quickly becoming the high-definition standard on the market today, and we are very pleased to add this amazing slate of Blu-ray releases that will appeal to our core demographic," stated BVWHE President Bob Chapek stated via a prepared press release. "With the dual-layer, 50GB discs, the possibilities for exciting new interactive features and additional bonus content are endless."
Like most of the title announcements pouring out of CES, there are no hard specs for any of the Disney titles, but we remain confident and hopeful for plenty of bonus features and other goodies, especially given Chapek's statement of continued support by the studio for BD-50s.
Expected from Buena Vista/Disney in the coming year are the following titles, all newly announced for Blu-ray release:
March 20: 'Chicken Little,' 'Finding Neverland'
April 3: 'King Arthur Director's Cut,' 'G.I. Jane'
May (Exact Date Not Announced): 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'
June 8: 'Con Air,' 'Crimson Tide,' 'The Rock'
Summer: 'Cars,' 'The Recruit,' 'Open Range,' 'Remember The Titans'
The studio also plans to begin the worldwide roll-out of Blu-ray into Europe and Asia beginning in March, a line-up that will also include the 'Pirates' films' and 'Cars,' plus a variety of titles that, in the U.S. at least, are not distributed by Disney on video, including hits like 'Bruce Almighty,' 'Scary Movie 4' and 'Starship Troopers.'
Another impressive, very thorough spate of great titles, and we've added all to our Blu-ray Release Schedule. Stay tuned for further news as it is officially announced.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment Unveils Unparalleled Blu-ray Disc Release Slate for North America, Europe and Asia [PR Newswire]
CES: Fox, MGM Plan 2007 Blu-ray Assault
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 02:21 PM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Fox, MGM, CES (all tags)
New title announcements continue to pour out of CES, with Fox/MGM announcing an extensive lineup of Blu-ray new release and catalog hits to come throughout 2007.
In advance of the Blu-ray Group's press conference to be held this afternoon at CES, the studios have issued a joint press release detailing their upcoming Blu-ray release plans. Among the many titles due for release this year from Fox include a very balanced, impressive assortment of both blockbuster theatrical hits and catalog favorites: :
April 3: 'The Fly (1986),' 'Tristan & Isolde,' 'Me, Myself & Irene,' 'Dude, Where's My Car?'
April 17: 'Turistas'
May: 'Master & Commander,' 'Man on Fire,' 'Edward Scissorhands,' 'Predator,' 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' 'The Siege'
June: 'Independence Day,' 'I, Robot,' 'Cast Away'
And from MGM:
April: 'The Silence of the Lambs,' 'Hannibal'
May: 'Platoon,' 'The Graduate,' 'Battle of Britain,' 'A Bridge Too Far'
June: 'Ronin,' 'To Live & Die in L.A.,' 'A Fistful of Dollars,' 'Out of Time,' 'Walking Tall,' 'Bull Durham'
No specs for the above have yet to be unveiled, but according to release, Fox/MGM plans to aggressively support Blu-ray's cutting-edge interactive technology, including BD-Java and the increased storage capacity of 50GB dual-layer discs.
Looks like a very fine lineup for the first half of 2007. We've added all the titles to our Blu-ray Release Schedule, and stay tuned for further news as it is officially announced.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Continues Blu-ray Industry Leadership with Aggressive Release Strategy [CNW Group]
CES: Blu-ray and HD DVD camps Reveal 2006 Hardware Sales Figures, Both Claim Victory
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 01:57 PM ETTags: CES, Disc Sales, Industry Trends (all tags)
In dueling CES press conferences Sunday, representatives for both HD DVD and Blu-ray used 2006 sales numbers to claim early victory in the high-def format wars.
For Blu-ray backer Sony, this meant emphasizing the one million PlayStation 3 units unleashed on the market in the fourth quarter of 2006. Since each PS3 comes equipped with a Blu-ray drive, Sony's clear victory was in extending Blu-ray's installed base far beyond that of rival format HD DVD, whose supporters announced at their own press conference an installed base of just 175,000 players sold.
But the HD DVD camp had its own story to tell, emphasizing their format's high attach rates (which they annualize at 28 discs per player), while implying that most PS3 owners had yet to actually buy a single Blu-ray movie disc. HD DVD backers went so far as to differentiate buyer intent between the two competing game console high-def playback solutions, including this statement in their CES press release: "With the knowledge that every Xbox 360 HD DVD player sold is purchased by someone who wants to watch high definition movies, studios supporting HD DVD see significant value in the player, as a great way to bring "The Look and Sound of Perfect" to gamers while helping ensure strong movie attach rates for each and every player sold."
Without publicly available (and independently reported) overall high-def disc sales for either HD DVD or Blu-ray, there's no way of officially telling which format might be benefiting most from their stated advantage, although Blu-ray backing studio Fox said this morning in a new press release (look for a separate story on that topic shortly) that Blu-ray disc sales surpassed HD DVD for the first time the week of December 24 -- by a healthy 20%. The studio also cited internal research indicating a growing sales gap that would see Blu-ray outselling HD DVD by a 3.5-to-1 ratio by the end of March this year.
Perhaps the Blu-ray camp's planned CES press conference late Monday afternoon will shed some more light on this subject. Stay tuned...
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CES: Toshiba Surprises with 50GB HD DVD
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 05:14 AM ETTags: CES, Toshiba (all tags)
In yet another unexpected announcement to come out of the Consumer Electronics Show, Toshiba has reportedly developed a new 50GB HD DVD disc format -- the world's first.
The news first broke during yesterday's press event held by the HD DVD Promotions Group, and though tech details were few and far between, the news could dramatically change the competitive landscape of the high-def format wars.
A 50GB HD DVD would up the format's maximum dual-layer storage capacity by a cool 20GB, but more importantly, it would close the gap between HD DVD and Blu-ray. Blu-ray currently supports 50GB discs, which so far has been one of the primary tech advantages it holds over its rival.
We should stress that no working prototype of the format was previewed, but given the flurry of next-gen news that's already hit in the hours before the event officially kicks off later this morning, the best may be yet to come.
Stay tuned...
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- HD DVD to See 300 New Titles in 2007 (Jan 08, 2007)
CES: First Details on LG's Blu-ray/HD DVD Dual-Format Player
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 05:04 AM ETTags: Hardware, LG, CES, Dual-Format Players (all tags)
As announced late last week, LG Electronics officially debuted its Super Multi-Blue dual-format Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player, the BH-100, at the Consumer Electronics Show on Sunday.
The much-anticipated new player, which LG says will retail for $1,199, is capable of playing both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, with output up to 1080p via HDMI 1.2.
The first such dual-format player to hit the market, the company developed the deck as a solution to what it perceived as growing consumer frustration over the high-def format war, as well as indications that neither Blu-ray nor HD DVD would be going away anytime soon.
"Sometime last year, we recognized that the two formats are here to stay," said Michael Ahn, president and CEO, LG Electronics USA. "It [the BH-100] will be much more convenient to our consumers. They are confused by two formats and hesitate to buy a player -- we [are giving] them a solution."
The new player is expected to hit stores early February. We'll keep you posted as any further tech specs for the BH-100 come in. Stay tuned!
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- LG's Super Multi Blue Player Debuts [CEPro]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- High-Def Goes Purple with LG Dual-Format Blu-ray/HD DVD Player (Jan 04, 2007)
MORE HIGH-DEF DISC NEWS TAGGED "CES":
- CES: Warner Previews More 2007 HD DVD Titles; 'Superman Returns' Studio's Top-Selling HD DVD of 2006 Jan 08, 2007
- CES: Toshiba to Debut New Mid-Priced 1080p HD DVD Player Jan 08, 2007
- CES: HD DVD to See 300 New Titles in 2007 Jan 08, 2007
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