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HD DVD Day at IFA 2007
Fri Aug 31, 2007 at 02:41 PM ETTags: IFA (all tags)
It was the HD DVD camp's turn in the spotlight today at IFA (the European consumer electronics trade fair), with several HD DVD supporting companies speaking out at a well-attended press conference.
While yesterday's BDA press conference was heavy on new hardware announcements for the European market, the HD DVD camp took a decidedly different approach, focusing less on new products and more on what its backers see as the format's advantages over Blu-ray.
The centerpiece of the presentation was a brief appearance by Chris Saito of Paramount, the company that famously shook up the high-def format war earlier this month when it announced it would drop support of Blu-ray, and would instead exclusively back HD DVD.
Saito said that his company's decision came after a year's worth of evaluation, and was based on the format being the best value not only to consumers, but to Paramount as well, in terms of cost of replication.
Other speakers at the conference emphasized the format's "ever growing list of worldwide supporters," its affordability, its lead in stand-alone player sales, and its higher attach rates, (4 discs per player, 7 times that of BD).
"The HD format is about stand-alone players, not game systems. We don’t think gamers will buy movies," said HD DVD Promo Group co-chairman Ken Graffeo.
In a direct dig at the BDA, Graffeo pointed to the HD DVD group's mandatory interactive specs, stating that all HD DVD players are required to support the format's advanced interactive features. "Sadly, that's not the case with Blu-ray," said Graffeo. "Many Blu-ray owners will only get advanced features if they buy the next-generation players".
Other highlights from the session:
90 new HD DVD titles will be released between now and the end of 2007, bringing the European total to 400 by the end of the year.
Toshiba will roll out two new HD DVD players to the European market in October, the 1080p/24 HD-EP30 (349-399 euro) and the higher-end HD-EP35 (449-499 euro).
The HD DVD Promo Group's "Five Discs Free" promotion with sales of new HD DVD players will be extended to Europe.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- IFA 2007: HD DVD Group Press Conference [DVD Times]
- IFA 2007: HD DVD Group announce next-gen price war [Pocket-lint UK]
- HD DVD Camp Touts Advanced Features, Low Cost [TWICE]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- IFA Underway in Berlin; Blu-ray Takes Center Stage
Blu-ray Supporting Studios Respond to Payoff Question
Fri Aug 31, 2007 at 07:55 AM ETTags: IFA, Industry Trends (all tags)
Asked directly whether they'd accepted financial incentives in exchange for their Blu-ray support, four BDA studios denied any such thing, while one remained conspicuously mum.
According to the British web site Pocket-lint, studio execs visibly wriggled on stage as they were put the Yes/No only question at yesterday's BDA press conference at IFA 2007 in Berlin, Germany.
Ultimately, execs from Warner Bros, Fox, MGM and Sony all denied having accepted financial incentives from the BDA, while Disney's European Marketing VP responded with a "no comment."
The question came as rumors continue to swirl around Paramount's decision to drop Blu-ray support, with published reports stating that the studio received financial incentives amounting to roughly $150 million in exchange for its HD DVD exclusivity.
For its own part, Paramount has stopped short of denying that it received incentives to make the switch, but has consistently emphasized the HD DVD format's manufacturability, reliability and cost as the key factors in its decision.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Blu-ray partners confirm no sweetner from Sony [Pocket-lint]
- Two Studios to Support HD DVD Over Rival [New York Times]
Sony: Domestic Blu-ray Disc Sales Nearing One Million Mark
Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 02:05 PM ETTags: IFA, Sony, Disc Sales (all tags)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has revealed that it is close to having sold one million Blu-ray discs in North America since the format's launch in June of 2006.
The news came in a press release from Berlin's IFA show, where the studio announced that it has sold over 250,000 Blu-ray discs in Europe alone.
Sony says expects to pass the one million mark here in the US as it heads into a jam-packed fourth quarter slate, which includes such highly anticipated titles as 'Spider-Man 3' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.'
"These sales milestones across the world illuminate the positive reception from retailers and consumers alike for Blu-ray," said David Bishop, President, Worldwide, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. "Our strong fourth quarter line-up will underscore the confidence in this format."
This latest news from Sony comes amidst a stream of announcements today from Blu-ray supporting companies at Berlin's IFA trade fair. According to Sony's release, Blu-ray discs now account for 69% of the total high-definition market in Europe, with Sony titles making up more than 47% of the total European Blu-ray market.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Total Blu-ray Disc Sales Across Europe Reach the 250,000 Milestone [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- IFA Underway in Berlin; Blu-ray Takes Center Stage (Aug 30, 2007)
IFA Underway in Berlin; Blu-ray Takes Center Stage
Thu Aug 30, 2007 at 01:45 PM ETTags: IFA (all tags)
Europe's IFA consumer electronics fair began with a bang Thursday, with a series of announcements from Blu-ray supporting companies new and old.
With virtually all of today's announcements specific to the European market, it would seem to indicate a growing focus on the region by BDA-supporting hardware manufacturers (both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc have sold in lower quantities in Europe than elsewhere).
Among the many announcements made this morning were new hardware devices from Phillips (the BDP7100 Blu-ray Disc player), BenQ (the BR1000 BD-ROM PC drive and the BR1001 Blu-ray Disc Writer), Daewoo (the DBP-1000, the first known BD player to to support Profile 2.0), and Loewe (the Blutech Vision Blu-ray player).
Additionally, Sony announced a European release for its BDP-S300 Blu-ray player (which has already launched here in the US), as well as a higher end model -- the BDP-S500. Samsung, meanwhile, unveiled further details about its long-awaited dual-format player, while Sharp announced plans to display its upcoming Aquos BD-HP20S Blu-ray player at the show.
Also announced were the addition of two new companies to the BDA ranks -- Taiwanese computer manufacturer Acer and China's Hualu Group.
For its part, the HD DVD camp has hinted that it will release its own share of announcements from IFA in the coming days. Needless to say, we'll let you know as news continues to stream in.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- 2007 IFA Consumer Electronics Fair [Official Site]
- Samsung unveils first dual-format player details: BD-UP5000 [HDTV UK]
- Sharp Aquos BD-HP20S Blu-ray Player [Blu-ray.com]
- China Hualu Group Joins Blu-ray Disc Association [Press Release]
- Acer Inc. Joins Blu-Ray Disc Association [Press Release]
- Philips showcases the latest advances in consumer lifestyle technology at IFA [Press Release]
- BenQ Announces $199 BD-ROM PC Drive [Blu-ray.com]
- Daewoo demos 'Blu-ray Disc 2.0' player [Reg Hardware]
- Loewe Introduces Blutech Vision Blu-ray Player [Blu-ray.com]
- Sony launches BDP-S500 Blu-ray player [EngadgetHD]
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