DreamWorks Drops HD DVD

Well that didn't take too long. Just after we reported DreamWorks was hanging around and pondering what to do about HD DVD, word comes along it has followed parent studio Paramount out the front door.

Paramount told High-Def Digest it is scrapping a bunch of titles it had planned to release to HD DVD in the coming weeks. In addition DreamWorks, which had planned to release Bee Movie to the doomed format in mid-March, has now dropped those plans as well.

DreamWorks Stays HD DVD For Moment

Even with the HD DVD format now dead in the water and everybody is getting off of the sinking ship, DreamWorks told Reuters earlier this week it wasn't sure whether or not it would abandon the format yet. The reason? An exclusive deal with Toshiba.

"We have a partnership with Toshiba and have an obligation to see this through," DreamWorks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg told Reuters. The studio is taking a wait and see approach to see what Toshiba's next moves are.

The studio, which is set to release "Bee Movie" on DVD shortly, wants to know how it should plan its next generation optical disc release for this title.

Best Buy + Toshiba= 9 Free HD DVDs!

If you have not yet purchased a HD DVD player and are waiting for the right deal to lure you in Best Buy is currently offering a very sweet promotion. It nets you a player + nine free HD DVDs.

This special limited time promotion, according to Best Buy, has you first select any two HD DVD titles under $35. You then choose from a sales list of Toshiba HD DVD players. From there you can follow rebate instructions to get five more HD DVD titles by mail for free.

The first two titles chosen become free when you pick which player you want. This is in addition to getting two free HD DVDs which come packaged with the chosen player.

[via Punch Jump]

Paramount Announces 1st Quarter 08 HD DVD Titles

Panasonic Home Entertainment has detailed its HD DVD line up for the first quarter of this year. 10 titles are expected to be released over the next few months.

Highlights of upcoming releases include Zodiac, Beowulf and The Kite Runner. You can get the full details via Panasonic's press release after the jump.

Universal, Paramount: We Are Staying Put

A post we put up earlier today over at BluRayFreak reported how the last two major studios backing HD DVD, Universal and Paramount, might be thinking about departing for the Blu-ray camp. Breaking news and further digging has in fact revealed those two studios will not be departing the HD DVD side anytime soon:

• Paramount told Bloomberg its current plan is "to continue to support the HD DVD format."
• Universal just issued a statement as well saying "contrary to unsubstantiated rumors from unnamed sources, Universal's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format."

There you have it - no more defections from the HD DVD camp. Those cries of happiness in Japan just got louder.

Warner Brothers Drops HD DVD

2008 finds things not so well for the HD DVD camp. Warner Brothers Entertainment, the last major studio to produce movies in both next generation optical disc formats, announced yesterday it was walking away from HD DVD to favor Blu-ray Disc only.

Warner Bros. seemed unfortunately to find Blu-ray only as "the most direct way to give consumers what they want" and that "consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience." The movie studio will continue to release videos in the HD DVD format until the end of May.

As was expected, the HD DVD group did not take well to this major blow. The HD DVD Group canceled its scheduled Consumer Electronics Show press conference for Sunday evening and is "currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps." 

New HD DVD Movies This Week

 

What are the new HD DVD Movies released this week?

Here the list:

Universal takes the lead with "The Bourne Identity", "In Good Company", "The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps", "Scent of a Woman" and "Streets of Fire". Not bad at all!

Music lovers will also be happy to know that Rhino brings "Yes: Live in Montreux" and "Santana: Hymns for Peace – Live at Montreux 2004".

"The Host" has also been released by Magnolia and Warner brings "Out fo Justice" and "Purple Rain" in the catalog of HD DVD movies. The last release but not the least for this week is "The Contract" by First Look.

That's it folks! The score is now 257 HD DVD movies available against 267 Blu-ray movies released to date.

Enjoy the movies!

Dreamgirls, The Hitcher and Alpha Dog on HD DVD Discs

Fans of Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé and Eddie Murphy will be happy to know that Paramount's movie "Dreamgirls", featuring all three actors is now available on HD DVD discs.

Based on the 1981 Broadway musical comes Dreamgirls, a story of greed, tough hate, and romance. Three young women Deena Jones (Knowles), Effie White (Hudson), and Lorrell Robinson (Rose) desire to become pop stars and get their wish when they're picked to be backup singers for the legendary James "Thunder" Early (Murphy). Then they're set free for leads, but Curtis Taylor (Foxx) and Effie's brother C.C. (Robinson) decide for Deena to be lead which upsets Effie. This movie contains both original Broadway and new songs.

Universal brings two new HD DVD movies to the market this week. "Alpha Dog" and "The Hitcher" are released today.

"Alpha Dog" is a drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to be on the FBI's most wanted list.

"The Hitcher": Collegiate couple Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush) and Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) hit the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to spring break , but their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare after encountering the mysterious hitchhiker John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher (Sean Bean). The initial encounters with Ryder are increasingly off-putting for Grace and Jim, and they bravely fight back when he ambushes them. But they are truly blindsided when he implicates them in a horrific slaying and continues to shadow them. The open road becomes a battleground of blood and metal as, in trying to elude not only Ryder but also New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Esteridge's (Neal McDonough) officers, Grace and Jim must fight for their lives and face their fears head-on.

Five New HD DVD Movies

Home cinema fans will be happy to know that their video Guru, Joe Kane, finally released "Digital Video Essentials" for HD DVD. The DVD version of this calibration disc as been very popular but a HD version was still not available until now. The Blu-ray camp will be jealous of that one because no date have been announced for a Blu-ray version.

But probably the most interesting new title is "Planet Earth: The Complete Collection" from the BBC. This wonderful documentary is a HD video, so no standard film transfer here! The series is already the top HD seller on Amazon, it's released on HD DVD discs also, and it does even better than "Casino Royale".

Universal released "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Nutty Professor" (1996). Paramount released "Failure to Launch" on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.

Five New HD DVD Movies

For the first time in a long time, HD DVD has more new titles released in a week. Universal is taking the lead with "The Game", "The Jerk" and "Smokin' Aces". Genius is releasing "School for Scoundrels" and Weinstein is bringing "Feast" to the HD DVD library.

Warner is the only studio releasing Blu-ray titles this week. "The Dirty Dozen" and "Enter the Dragon" are released on Blu-ray discs but the have been available on HD DVD discs for some time.

The count is now 203 Blu-ray movies and 176 HD DVD movies.