Disney considering HD DVD support, sees Blu-ray as eventual winner
3/13/2006 6:43:47 PM, by Ken "Caesar" Fisher
With the ground war phase of the next-generation optical format tussle only weeks away, you might think that the battle lines are clearly drawn. Strangely enough, they're not. Before the real battles have even begun, a long-time studio Blu-ray backer is considering embracing HD DVD—a first for a format that has seen its own supporters largely slide to the competition.
The "who's who" of studios is a confusing morass when it comes to next-generation support, but it hasn't always been this way. In the early days of the brewing conflict there were three positions to take: HD DVD, Blu-ray, or "wait and see." The big studios originally lined up behind either HD DVD or Blu-ray, while a few notable giants such as Twentieth Century Fox waited a little longer to see how things would shake out.
Over the course of the last year things have become more complex as studios seemed to rethink their commitments to either standard. Original HD DVD supporters Paramount and Warner Bros. both announced last year that they would also support Blu-ray, leaving Universal as the only major studio backing HD DVD alone. On the Blu-ray side of the fence, Sony, Disney, MGM, and others all appeared to be strongly committed to the Blu-ray push. The landscape looked particularly favorable to Blu-ray owing to the fact that practically all major studios have plans for Blu-ray products, while only half have plans for HD DVD. Those looking at studio support alone have given that column's checkmark to Blu-ray.
Now it appears as though a Blu-ray backer may opt for a bit of neutrality as well. During the company's annual meeting with shareholders last week, Disney CEO Robert Iger said that HD DVD support is a real possibility. Saying that "we're very exited about next generation DVD formats," Iger made it clear that Disney has been supporting Blu-ray because they believe it "offers more features and higher quality than the competing format." However, before saying that that company still believes that Blu-ray is going to ultimately prevail, Iger admitted that the company "will probably publish in both formats." That is, Disney will likely release titles in both HD DVD and Blu-ray.
As of yet no formal announcement has been made, and there is a chance that Disney will ultimately not tap HD DVD as a next-generation optical format. Iger's comments, however, indicate a willingness to support both formats and that is perhaps a bit surprising. With HD DVD launching in North America later this month and Blu-ray's launch scheduled for the end of May, now might not seem like the best time to ponder changes in allegiance. Yet with analysts predicting a format war that could last years on account of consumer confusion and mixed studio support, content producers such as Disney may be concerned about limiting their options to one side of the divide. If HD DVD sees a strong launch, more Blu-ray-only studios may ultimately show where their true allegiances lie: making money.
3/13/2006 6:43:47 PM, by Ken "Caesar" Fisher
With the ground war phase of the next-generation optical format tussle only weeks away, you might think that the battle lines are clearly drawn. Strangely enough, they're not. Before the real battles have even begun, a long-time studio Blu-ray backer is considering embracing HD DVD—a first for a format that has seen its own supporters largely slide to the competition.
The "who's who" of studios is a confusing morass when it comes to next-generation support, but it hasn't always been this way. In the early days of the brewing conflict there were three positions to take: HD DVD, Blu-ray, or "wait and see." The big studios originally lined up behind either HD DVD or Blu-ray, while a few notable giants such as Twentieth Century Fox waited a little longer to see how things would shake out.
Over the course of the last year things have become more complex as studios seemed to rethink their commitments to either standard. Original HD DVD supporters Paramount and Warner Bros. both announced last year that they would also support Blu-ray, leaving Universal as the only major studio backing HD DVD alone. On the Blu-ray side of the fence, Sony, Disney, MGM, and others all appeared to be strongly committed to the Blu-ray push. The landscape looked particularly favorable to Blu-ray owing to the fact that practically all major studios have plans for Blu-ray products, while only half have plans for HD DVD. Those looking at studio support alone have given that column's checkmark to Blu-ray.
Now it appears as though a Blu-ray backer may opt for a bit of neutrality as well. During the company's annual meeting with shareholders last week, Disney CEO Robert Iger said that HD DVD support is a real possibility. Saying that "we're very exited about next generation DVD formats," Iger made it clear that Disney has been supporting Blu-ray because they believe it "offers more features and higher quality than the competing format." However, before saying that that company still believes that Blu-ray is going to ultimately prevail, Iger admitted that the company "will probably publish in both formats." That is, Disney will likely release titles in both HD DVD and Blu-ray.
As of yet no formal announcement has been made, and there is a chance that Disney will ultimately not tap HD DVD as a next-generation optical format. Iger's comments, however, indicate a willingness to support both formats and that is perhaps a bit surprising. With HD DVD launching in North America later this month and Blu-ray's launch scheduled for the end of May, now might not seem like the best time to ponder changes in allegiance. Yet with analysts predicting a format war that could last years on account of consumer confusion and mixed studio support, content producers such as Disney may be concerned about limiting their options to one side of the divide. If HD DVD sees a strong launch, more Blu-ray-only studios may ultimately show where their true allegiances lie: making money.
