Don't throw out your DVD players just yet. The war to become the next home entertainment format has stepped up another gear, as Paramount and Dreamworks Animation have announced that they are going HD DVD exclusive , having previously supported both formats.
It's a big boost for HD DVD, which previously only had one major studio supporter on an exclusive basis (Universal), as well as several of the independent and European labels. The move marks a step back for Paramount, which intially supported HD DVD only, then went format-neutral, and has now switched back.
And that's not the only thing that has switched. Dreamworks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg said in March of the hi-def formats, "They're not going to become the next platform. I think for the general consumer, there is not a big enough delta between the standard DVD in terms of where it is today and the next generation." He said yesterday, "We believe the combination of this year's low-priced HD DVD players and the commitment to release a significant number of hit titles in the fall makes HD DVD the best way to view movies at home."
There's one very significant exception to this decision to release all Paramount films on the format, however - Steven Spielberg's films for Paramount and Dreamworks-as-was are not included, leaving the hi-def world without one canon of work that would be a very major draw.
Blu-ray's still outselling HD DVD 2 to 1 (roughly), but with 8 times as many players on the market, thanks to the PS3, HD DVD's supporters argue that this means that HD is in fact ahead. The claim, by Blu-ray, to have more titles available will also be weakened by Paramount's defection to the other camp, and there are rumours in Hollywood of a backstage deal to secure this latest move.
Whatever the case, it looks like the war won't be over any time soon, and that downloading will have taken over by the time either format declares a win. So our advice? Buy yourself an upscaling DVD player and wait it out.