Paramount to Back to HD-DVD Exclusively
Rumors of the death of HD-DVD have been - well, you know the old saying. Recent moves by retailers like Blockbuster have led to speculation about the demise of HD-DVD. Today, however, Paramount gave HD-DVD a needed boost, by saying, rather than releasing titles on both Blu-ray and HD-DVD, as they had decided in 2005, they were switching to HD-DVD support exclusively.
Paramount had sold titles in both the new high-definition formats
-- HD DVD and Blu-Ray -- but settled exclusively on HD DVD after
deciding that it offered better quality, lower-priced players and lower
manufacturing costs, Kelley Avery, president of Paramount Home
Entertainment, told Reuters.
"This has been the biggest summer on record for movies, it will be the biggest fourth quarter for popular movies for consumers," Avery said. "At the same time, we have HD DVD players that are truly affordable."
When they first made the decision in 2005, the PS3 and its Blu-ray drive were given as one of the reasons for backing both formats. Now, as can be seen by the quote, it seems that low player cost is the driver - and the PS3 is not even mentioned. The lowest-priced, stand-alone HD DVD player sells for $299, compared with $499 for the lowest-cost stand-alone Blu-Ray player.
