Disney wants a winner! HD or BD

[boston area dtv]

http://www.tvpredictions.com/iger030707.htm


News
Disney's Iger: HDTV DVD War Needs a Winner
Disney's chief also says download business is still modest.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (March 7, 2007) -- Disney CEO Bob Iger says the HDTV DVD business will not take off until a clear winner emerges.

The Sony-backed Blu-ray format is battling the Toshiba-supported HD-DVD format for the new high-def disc audience. However, sales of both formats have been disappointing due to consumer confusion over the disc war and high player prices.

In an address yesterday before the 2007 Bear Stearns Media Conference, Iger said that new technologies such as high-def DVDs and movie downloads are not threatening the standard DVD business.

“We’re very confident the DVD business is going to continue to be successful,” Iger said, according to Video Business. “We sold 130 million DVDs last quarter. This business is not going away for us at all.”
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The Disney chief said the growth in HDTV set sales will spark more interest in HDTV DVD players, but many consumers will hesitate to buy one until one format wins.

According to Video Business, Iger did not predict that Blu-ray would win although Disney is supporting the format over HD-DVD.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, told the conference yesterday that consumers spent only $200 million in 2006 on movie downloads and HDTV DVDs, far less than what was spent on standard DVDs.

Video Business writes that Sarandos said Netflix customers who rent HDTV DVDs report a 80-90 percent satisfaction level. However, he agreed with Iger that the business will struggle until one format wins.
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[navychop]

So maybe they will come up with a way to sweeten the pot to push Blu-ray into an early win. Fantasia on BD?

 

[JoeSp]

I think those Pirate movies with BD-Java and the Cars with BD-Java might just sweeten the pot. Especially when folks get to see what they can do with the BD-Java in HD on BD!

 

[navychop]

OK- What CAN they do with BD-Java in HD on BD?

 

[BobMurdoch]

If Disney wants a winner, it should offer both. Let the consumer dictate which format will win then instead of restricting the supply.

Right now, their withholding content is extended the war indefinitely.

Meanwhile....

http://www.dvdempire.com/index.asp?userid=99365235733333&tab_id=61&site_id=68&site_media_id=0

Even WITH all that HD DVD is selling more this month (on DVD Empire, the only site publishing regular data on demand), which shocks the bejeesus out of me since HD DVD has only released a handful of titles.

 

[navychop]

Well, I'll believe that when the other sites publish the same findings. But they aren't.

 

[BobMurdoch]

3 weeks ago, they had BluRay outselling HD DVD 60% to 40%.... Something is happening out there...... I guess all those PS3 owners aren't buying as many new BD discs anymore... I don't know.....

I expect the trend to reverse again next week when Casino Royale gets released. I'll only be buying the standard DVD unfortunately, but I'm sure it will be there biggest release so far....

 

[JamesJ]

I think those Pirate movies with BD-Java and the Cars with BD-Java might just sweeten the pot. Especially when folks get to see what they can do with the BD-Java in HD on BD!

I do have to say that I believe this will help, and might even push Towards an early winner..but time will tell!

 

[BobMurdoch]

Meanwhile Dreamworks comes out and agrees to support both. Can't wait for the Saving Private Ryan release....

 

[JoeSp]

Bob, the ONLY holdout to BluRay is Universal (that is with any titles I want to watch). So this is my personal opinion. Only by backing one format will one format win. HD-DVD is NOT regional and therefore you will never see any Buena Vista titles on HD-DVD. Disney has never supported a non-regional format and they are not going to start now.

The way for this war to end is for Universal to come over to the BLUE SIDE. Especially with the projections of 8 to 12 million PS3s sold worldwide this year. There is no-way that HD-DVD can even keep up with that. Maybe Bob, it really is Universal who is holding up the war. Because if they just go dual format it is over for HD-DVD. Once again this is my opinion but the market is leaning right now.

 

[VinceT3]

8 to 12 mil? I think sony is counting the ones sitting collecting dust at best buy, circuit city, ebgames, and toys r us..

 

[BobMurdoch]

Bob, the ONLY holdout to BluRay is Universal (that is with any titles I want to watch). So this is my personal opinion. Only by backing one format will one format win. HD-DVD is NOT regional and therefore you will never see any Buena Vista titles on HD-DVD. Disney has never supported a non-regional format and they are not going to start now.

The way for this war to end is for Universal to come over to the BLUE SIDE. Especially with the projections of 8 to 12 million PS3s sold worldwide this year. There is no-way that HD-DVD can even keep up with that. Maybe Bob, it really is Universal who is holding up the war. Because if they just go dual format it is over for HD-DVD. Once again this is my opinion but the market is leaning right now.

Weinstein and a bunch of the independents have lined up behind HD DVD as well.... It would be interesting to see if the ability to import HD DVDs from non-US markets may be skewing the numbers also. I can't buy Fox movies HERE, but I can buy several from overseas suppliers where Canal+ is the distributor...