We were all just waiting for the announcement. And here it is, finally and inevitably. Blu-ray called, "red rover, red rover let Paramount come over," and Paramount went over. Now all six major studios are on board, and HD DVD is being fitted for its casket. Thank goodness. The format war is over! And no, I won't be telling anyone to go out and buy any HD DVD products this time around (although Roger Ebert mentioned the other day that this is a great time to buy VHS tapes, so he's apparently even more insane than I am). But I'm not just going to jump on the Blu-ray wagon just yet either (remember: I'm a cheap bastard). Who knows how soon the next format war will come about anyway? It's best to just sit around and read books. They'll never be obsolete. Oh wait, I forgot that I'm a movie blogger. Never mind. Buy movies! And buy them on Blu-ray!

Forget all those retailers and studios abandoning HD DVD. Here's the biggest domino to fall: Toshiba, which was surely the biggest and most important exclusive supporter from the beginning, releasing the first commercially available HD DVD player back in 2006. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Japanese company is expected to discontinue production of HD DVD products, including players and other devices related to the format. Apparently, however, they will continue selling existing equipment and have only ceased development and manufacture of new HD DVD products. There has been no formal announcement, though, from Toshiba. The trade quotes a vp of marketing for Toshiba America as saying the company still believes HD DVD to be technologically the best high-def format (over Blu-Ray) for customers. The decision, if in fact true, comes on the heels of, and is surely an effect of, last month's news that Warner Bros. and then (maybe) Paramount were going Blu-ray exclusive and recent announcements from Netflix, Best Buy, Blockbuster and Wal-Mart that they would each stop renting and/or selling HD DVD discs (or in Best Buy's case, stop selling HD DVD players yet continue selling the discs, but push/recommend Blu-Ray as the favored format) within the year.

The Hollywood Reporter details some of the more recent HD DVD history, including Toshiba's desperate moves to stay in the game after Warner's abandonment. The company significantly cut the cost of their players, but still Blu-ray was the champion in the market. Additionally, new Blu-ray movie titles are constantly out-selling new HD DVD movie titles. The trade mentions that Toshiba's "last ditch effort" was a TV commercial that ran during the Super Bowl and which cost the company $2.7 million. Now all eyes are on the few HD DVD supporters that are left: Microsoft; Universal; DreamWorks and Paramount. How long before they all admit defeat? Within the week?

Paramount Pictures shocked Hollywood this week by announcing it would no longer distribute its movies in the Blu-Ray format. Instead, Variety reports the studio would have an exclusive deal with HD-DVD, a partnership that would include films from DreamWorks Animation (like Shrek the Third). Since 2005, Paramount had been releasing videos in both formats while DreamWorks had not released any high-definition discs in either format. With a large consensus in the biz decidedly declaring Blu-Ray the winner in the hi-def war, it was definitely strange to hear about Paramount and DreamWorks' decision. However, according to the New York Times, the studios are receiving $150 million in incentives to stay exclusive for the next 18 months, or through Christmas 2008. The Times couldn't reveal where the incentive was coming from, though, only clarifying that Microsoft claims to have not been involved in such a deal.

One film that won't be released in HD-DVD is Indiana Jones IV, which Paramount puts in theaters next Memorial Day. The studio's deal with HD-DVD doesn't include films directed by Steven Spielberg. None of the Indiana Jones movies, nor Saving Private Ryan nor War of the Worlds will be put on HD-DVD disc. This isn't too unusual, as Spielberg actually favors Blu-Ray, though it took him a long time to jump aboard the hi-def wagon. His first hi-def video release is scheduled to be Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which Sony releases on Blu-Ray this November. According to Spielberg spokesman Marvin Levy (also a DreamWorks marketing exec), there are currently no plans for more of the director's films to hit either hi-def format. He also pointed out Spielberg's still-active support for Blu-Ray. However, a short film by Spielberg included as a segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie gets both a Blu-Ray and an HD-DVD release in October. Supposedly the Spielberg stipulation means that the director can put his Paramount and DreamWorks titles on Blu-Ray if he wants. As for his Universal titles (including Jaws, Schindler's List, E.T.), we probably won't see them on hi-def for a long time, because that studio is also HD-DVD exclusive.

Almost every weekend I see people on the sidewalks of Brooklyn attempting to sell their used VHS collections. And I get sad -- not for these people desperately trying to make a little extra with their tag sale, but for the poor videotapes that have absolutely no place in the modern world of DVD. I'm often reminded of The Brave Little Toaster and my eyes well up for the poor obsolete items of yesterday. I too have a box of VHS in my closet, but I know there's no use trying to find people who will buy them. But at least I never got into the habit of collecting DVDs, because the currently popular video format will also one day be replaced.

The European chairman for the Blu-ray Disc Association claims that day will come within three years. While addressing the crowd at the CeBIT technology trade show in Germany, he also stated that Blu-ray, not its competitor, HD DVD, will be the format to succeed DVD as the home video standard. Of course, there is no definite front-runner in the hi-density disc format war, and representatives from HD-DVD argued that in terms of sales of movie titles, the two are about even. Blu-ray's reason for declaring a lead is based on sales of Blu-ray players, which include Playstation 3 consoles -- how many PS3 owners do you know who were primarily interested in its ability to play Blu-ray discs?

As a huge fan of technology, especially technology that make movies and TV shows more fun to watch, I'm pretty interested in the whole HD DVD vs Blu-Ray debate, controversy, war ... or whatever you want to call it. We've been following the developments as they happen in the -- let's call it a war because war sounds more exciting -- with interest. To recap, there are two competing High Def DVD standards that want your business: HD DVD and Blu-Ray. Studios such as Universal, Paramount and Warner Bros. are fans of HD DVD. Sony is leading the charge for Blu-Ray with support from Fox and several others not committed exclusively to HD DVD.

Recently, there have been some developments that might help push HD DVD and give it the edge it needs to come out on top. And now, according to an article over at HDTV Bulletins, it looks like HD DVD is going to get yet another push from one of the big boys: Universal Studios. According to the article, Universal will be pulling out all the stops in 2007 and releasing over 100 new movie and TV titles on the HD DVD format. They will tap into their vast library to release older titles, and in addition, will be bringing out new titles at the same time as they are being released on regular DVD.

Some of the titles to be released this year include quite a few great films like Children of Men, Inside Man, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Brazil, Erin Brockovich, Shaun of the Dead, Slap Shot and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Plus a couple of my all-time personal favorites: The Big Lebowski and Battlestar Galactica. So it seems HD DVD might turn out to be the winner in the end -- especially with all this support. No wonder Microsoft is selling so many of its HD DVD add-ons to the XBox 360. I got mine, how about you?

In any war, real or started because of misleading or faulty information, there are usually two sides. The war between competing High Def DVD formats is no exception. The battle between HD DVD and Blu-Ray has raged since before either format was officially launched. More recently, there's been controversy and speculation as to what format of High Def DVD -- HD DVD or Blu-Ray -- is going to dominate a certain market. That market, of course, is porn.

As it did with the Beta vs VHS war of many years ago, porn's adoption of one High Def DVD format over another will most likely be a huge factor in whatever one eventually comes out on top. We've been covering this story here at Cinematical and as I recently wrote, it seemed as if High Def DVD was finally going to get the leg up it needed to dominate the porn market. The porn industry, it seemed, was poised to adopt HD DVD over Blu-Ray. The reason? Sony was purposely going to prevent adult content from being put onto Blu-Ray disks. But now, according to an article at EE Times, Sony is saying its not true and that they, in fact, are fine with porn producers releasing content on the Blu-Ray format.

In the "war" between competing DVD formats, the porn industry had apparently settled on Blu-Ray over HD DVD and was preparing to roll out some new Blu-Ray-based products. That is, until recently. According to an article at Memphis Rap, the porn industry may be changing its mind and switching to HD DVD instead. Why? Well, for several reasons. The biggest reason, according to the article, is that Sony is apparently going to be banning manufacturers from accepting adult content. So, that means adult producers will not be able to release their content on Blu-Ray even if they wanted to.

Also, according to Jackie Ramos, a rep for Wicked Pictures, one of the biggest adult producers: "It's a lot less expensive to use HD DVD." She didn't elaborate as to the exact economics of it but Wicked this week put its money where its mouth is by releasing the first HD DVD adult video, Camp Cuddly Pines Power Tool Massacre, at the AVN trade show is Las Vegas. Like I said, I don't know much about porn but now that the industry is apparently leaning towards HD DVD, I'm even more happy that I've chosen to embrace the format using the player attached to my XBox 360. Like the VHS vs Beta "war" before it, this new format war may also be settled by porn producers with HD DVD coming out on top and becoming the standard.

As its been at least a full day or two since my last bit of movie-related technology news, I feel its time for some more. This time around we cover the recent and somewhat heated rivalry between competing High Def DVD standards (aka the HD DVD vs Blu- Ray debate) and a new technology that may help sway the "war" to one side or the other. As highlighted by a recent New York Times article, those busy tech gurus over at Warner Bros. (who I've written about before) have done it again -- maybe.

What have they done you ask? Well, they've invented, and plan to formally announce next week, a new kind of DVD disk that can be played on either HD DVD or Blu-Ray players. So, that means all those people waiting to see which shoe drops and which format finally dominates may not need to worry about it so much anymore -- that is, if the major studios besides Warner Bros. decide to hop onboard. They might -- I guess anything is possible, right? Although, I have a feeling there might be one major holdout at least ... Sony. I can't see them giving up their real or imagined market superiority with Blu-Ray.

Really, I'm not that worried about what format will eventually win. What I think will actually happen is that consumers will wait for these competing formats to burn themselves out and not pick a clear winner. By that time, we'll probably be able to download whatever programming we want from places like the iTunes store or XBox Live instead of worrying about having the right player to play this format or that one. If the companies that started this "war" don't watch out, they might just end up fighting themselves out of business.

With the holidays fast approaching, your thoughts have surely turned to gifts -- whether for that special someone or for yourself. Hey, why not? You've been good this year, right? And, as you happen to be reading this at a site whose focus is movies, it stands to reason you may want to watch a few of them once in awhile. I'm sure many of you remember the good old days when you went to a theater to watch a movie in all of its wide-screen, THX enhanced splendor. These days, with ticket prices, parking, waiting in line and those jerks on cell phones, actually going to the theater is something people do less and less.

Instead, people are staying home, curling up on the couch and watching their favorite movie on DVD in the comfort of their homes. I have to admit that its getting harder and harder for me to go to the theater too. Even though I can go to screenings and all that, its still, in many cases, much more of an ordeal than it needs to be -- or that it seems to be worth. Consequently, I spend more and more time watching movies at home. And that, friends, is why we're here today.

If you watch movies at home and want to maximize the "cinematic experience" of those movies, following are some essential tools that will help you get there. As its not possible for me to have owned every different kind of equipment out there, this list will focus primarily on the items that make up my personal home theater setup -- which was put together over the last few months after exhaustive research. Plus, these items make great gifts too. So, on with the show!

Our readers may have noticed that I've been following the HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray format war on Cinematical. Some readers have also observed -- and pointed out in comments -- that I am not an expert in the least on either format. But I enjoy a good format war and I like keeping a layman's point-of-view (besides, I don't usually understand the technical stuff), so I shall continue representing the typical consumer without a great knowledge of hardware and software specs. Because, after all, it is we regular folk who influence the success of entertainment products in the end. Therefore, I believe if is likely that the winner of this war will be the one who has the most attractive item for average Americans.

From this stance, I have so far put my bet on HD DVD. Yet Disney just announced a new incentive with some of its Blu-ray titles, and it just might be enticing enough to some parents out there. On September 19, the studio will release its first discs in the format, and two of them, Dinosaur and Eight Below, will feature exclusive short films shot in HD specifically for inclusion on the discs. One month later, three more of their titles, Glory Road, Gone in Sixty Seconds and The Haunted Mansion, will also come with their own shorts. Each short will be inspired by the movie it is packaged with, and all were shot by Louie Schwartzberg. Based on Schwartzberg's previous work, the shorts are likely to be pretty little documentaries with wide landscape cinematography and a lot of time-lapse footage.

A lot of people like extras, but it is hard to imagine the shorts in question will be that attractive. I'm guessing one's a little piece on paleontologists, the next about real dog sledding, another showing some college basketball and finally one on classic racing cars. I'm not sure about the Haunted Mansion short. Maybe a tour of old southern mansions? Anyway, when I first heard the news of this announcement, I thought Disney was including new, original animated shorts featuring familiar and beloved characters from its catalog. Who isn't in the mood for some new Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons? Who is in the mood for disposable docs?

In the competition between high-definition video formats, HD DVD seems like the easy choice for consumers, if only because it is called what it is and because people can play some of the new discs on their current DVD players. I personally think Blu-Ray sounds cooler (actually I think it just reminds me of a character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and I'm more interested in Blu-Ray's promised higher storage capacity. Plus, Blu-Ray may soon have the same cross-compatibilities as HD DVD. Unfortunately, Sony is likely going to repeat history and Blu-Ray will go the way of its other format loser, Betamax.

To work toward ensuring HD DVD wins the format war, its supporters, Universal, Warner, Paramount, HP, Intel, Microsoft and Toshiba have formed the North American HD DVD Promotional Group. This non-profit  trade organization will work on advertising and marketing the format and its products, first with the slogan "The Look and Sound of Perfect," on television, in print, online and on billboards. The seven companies are contributing a collective amount of $150 million through the 2006 holiday season.

For a great comparison review between the formats, check out Jonathan Takiff's article in today's Philadelphia Daily News.

Feel free to buy your HD DVD player ... now.

Today on the show: victim families praise United 93, the porn industry beats Hollywood to the burn-able download, and the little Cruise missile begins its evil reign of junket-cancelling terror. Just two days left to vote for our name - do it!

Get the podcast
[Watch] Online (please make sure you have the latest version of Quicktime for best results).
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS] Add the Cinematical Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator to have all of Cinematical's rich content delivered automatically.

Hosts
Karina Longworth

Editor
Randall Bennett

Music
Love as Laughter - I'm a bee

Format
4:55, 28.6 MB

Program
00:00 - United 93 donating some proceeds to 9/11 survivor fund
01:22 - CinemaNow has $30 useless downloads, or $20 fully functional porn
02:37 - HD-DVD out on da streetz
04:27 - Katie Holmes' new baby puts freeze on MI3 press cruise

Warner Brothers has announced it is ready to roll out the first in its new line of High Definition (HD) DVDs - and they are seizing the chance for another double-dipping (triple-dipping by now) opportunity by releasing - not new titles - but rather titles which already exist on regular old DVD.  Batman Begins, Constantine, and The Matrix will represent WB's initial HD offering. Please note, I'm happy to be getting old titles that look new and snazzy - but c'mon. How many copies of Batman Begins do I have to buy* before I get can the nicest looking one with all the features?

And let's not forget that the HD DVD will be utterly non-compatible with Sony's Blu-ray technology, because Sony doesn't like playing with others. I was mentioning this fact to my supervisor at my full time job (a gentleman who lurks ambiguously around the appearance of 60 years old) and he told me he used to record reel to reel when he was a college student and he could record fine between equipment of any manufacture - except, of course Sony. You apparently needed a special adapter to make Sony's junk compatible. Welcome to the future.


*Okay, if we're being perfectly honest, I haven't actually purchased Begins yet, because we all knew the shiny, expensive edition was on the way.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein have reached an agreement with Toshiba that their spandy-new company, The Weinstein Company, will support the HD DVD format. The boys based their decision on a number of factors, most notably that they think they can make more money by supporting the format. In a mutual statement, the brothers said, "We are impressed by Toshiba's technology and very much look forward to working with them."

The Weinstein Company will have a slew of films coming out on DVD, including Kevin Smith's new film The Passion of the Clerks, School for Scoundrels, with Billy Bob Thornton, and Grind House, which will unite one of my fave directors, Quentin Tarantino (who, hopefully, will not be acting in the film) with one of my least fave directors, Robert Rodriguez (yeah, I know Sin City rocked, but I still haven't forgiven him for the 90 minutes of my life I wasted screening The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D).