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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: 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)
CES: Warner Previews More 2007 HD DVD Titles; 'Superman Returns' Studio's Top-Selling HD DVD of 2006
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 04:22 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, Warner, Disc Sales, CES (all tags)
Pledging continued support for HD DVD in 2007, Warner Home Video this morning announced more new theatrical and catalog titles due for release on the format in the coming year.
Following a press conference by the HD DVD Promotions Group held yesterday at the show, which revealed a few of Warner's major 2007 release plans, the studio has issued its own press release promising a bountiful twelve months for HD DVD fanatics.
Among the top-tier theatrical titles on the way include 'Blood Diamond,' 'We Are Marshall' and the animated blockbuster 'Happy Feet,' plus such catalog favorites as 'Ocean's 11' and 'Ocean's 12,' and the Steve McQueen classics 'Bullitt' and 'The Getaway.'
The studio also finally set an official date for Martin Scorsese's Oscar sure thing 'The Departed,' which is now scheduled for a February 13 HD DVD release.
Finally, Warner also crowned its number one 2006 HD DVD seller, 'Superman Returns,' though the studio did not release exact sales figures. The studio also boased a claim of six of the top ten spots on the HD DVD best-seller lists for the year.
We've added all of Warner's new titles to the Release Dates Pending section of our HD DVD Release Schedule, and of course we'll post full specs for all upcoming titles as soon as they are officially announced.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Warner Home Video 2007 High Definition Slate Best Films of 2006 and 2007 and Classic Favorites on HD DVD [Press Release]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- CES: HD DVD to See 300 New Titles in 2007; Hardware Reveals From LG and Toshiba (Jan 08, 2007)
CES: Toshiba to Debut New Mid-Priced 1080p HD DVD Player
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 04:19 AM ETTags: Hardware, Toshiba, CES (all tags)
Adding to is growing line-up of second generation HD DVD players, Toshiba announced Sunday at CES that it will bring a new mid-priced deck to the market in Spring 2007.
Though full technical specs haven't been fully released, the HD-A20 will support the HD DVD, DVD and CD formats, and will handle video output at 480p 720p, 1080i and 1080p. And like it's second-generation cousins, Toshiba's HD-A2 and HD-AX2, the HD-A20 will decode Dolby TrueHD straight out of the box.
With a list price of $599, it will also be the manufacturer's cheapest HD DVD deck yet to handle 1080p. That puts it nearly on par with Sony's 20Gb model of the Blu-ray-driven PlayStation 3, which at $500 list is currently the cheapest 1080p-supporting next-gen player on the market.
Though an exact street date was not announced, the HD-A20 is expected by Spring.
Toshiba's planned release of the new deck was confirmed by Jodi Sally, VP marketing for Toshiba's Digital AV group, who spoke at the company's press conference on Sunday.
We'll be keeping you posted with all the late-breaking news to come out of this year's Consumer Electronics Show, so stay tuned for continued updates all week.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Toshiba Announces $599 1080p HD-A20 HD DVD Player [CEPro]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- CES: HD DVD to See 300 New Titles in 2007; Hardware Reveals From LG and Toshiba (Jan 08, 2007)
CES: HD DVD to See 300 New Titles in 2007
Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 03:49 AM ETTags: Disc Announcements, CES (all tags)
Firing the opening high-def salvo of this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the North American HD DVD Promotions Group held a press conference late Sunday, with format-supporting studios previewing several high profile new disc titles to come in 2007.
Though exact specs and street dates are still to be announced, primary HD DVD backers Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment released an impressive short list of some of their most highly-awaited new and catalog releases due in 2007.
Among the theatrical blockbusters promised in the coming year are 'The Departed,' 'The Good Shepherd,' 'Flags of Our Fathers,' 'Blade Runner,' 'The Matrix' trilogy and the entire 'Harry Potter' franchise, all from Warner, plus the already-announced February HD DVD debut of Paramount's 'Babel.'
TV on HD DVD will also heat up in 2007, with Warner/HBO issuing more of 'The Sopranos' in season-by-season sets, plus the new Battlestar Galactica' from Universal, and as expected from Paramount, the original series of 'Star Trek,' which was digitally remastered and retooled in HD late last year.
These titles represent just a handful of what the HD DVD Promotions Group today promised will be a total of at least 300 new titles on the format in the next year, from more than 41 studios and distributors currently supporting HD DVD worldwide, including HBO Home Video, New Line Home Entertainment, Genius Product, Inc., The Weinstein Company, Studio Canal, and Bandai Visual.
The HD DVD session came on weekend filled with pre-CES press conferences, primarily from hardware manufacturers. The other high-def disc related highlights included: a price reveal for LG's dual-format player ($1,199), which is due to hit stores in early February; Toshiba's unveiling of a new $599 1080p HD DVD player (the HD-A20), set for release this Spring; and a first look at the first HD DVD write drive for PCs, also from Toshiba.
Things should heat up considerably on Monday as CES 2007 officially kicks off in Las Vegas. Of particular note is a planned press conference from the Blu-ray Disc Association in the late afternoon. We'll be keeping you posted with all the late breaking news, so stay tuned for continued updates all week.
In the meantime, we've added all of the previewed HD DVD titles to the Release Dates Pending section of our HD DVD Release Schedule, and for more details on the HD DVD Promotions Group press conference, you can read their official press release.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Consumers Connect with HD DVD Brand, Driving Hardware and Movie Sales [Press Release via Yahoo]
- First Details on LG's Blu-ray/HD DVD Dual-Format Player [High-Def Digest]
- Toshiba to Debut New Mid-Priced 1080p HD DVD Player [High-Def Digest]
- Toshiba's HD DVD Write Drive Up Close [Gizmodo]
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- 'Harry Potter' HD DVD Secrets Revealed (Aug 10, 2006)
- 'Babel' Leads Paramount's Latest 2007 Blu-ray, HD DVD Announcements (Dec 19, 2006)
- Paramount to Boldly Take 'Star Trek' into the Next Generation of High-Def? (Aug 30, 2006)
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