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!

Well, it's just about done. We told you the other day that Toshiba would most likely concede to Blu-ray this week, and they have officially done just that. With the manufacturer and distributor of HD-DVD consumer products out of the way, one assumes Blu-ray will reign supreme within the next couple of months. For those that have already invested in Toshiba's HD-DVD products, they will still offer support and continue to stock parts for the next eight years. There's no word as of yet whether Paramount and other Hollywood HD-DVD supporters will turn, though we should expect announcements in the very near future.

Keep in mind I don't know all the technical differences between the two formats (sorry folks, I'm limited in that area), but at first glance -- and from a marketing standpoint -- I totally thought HD-DVD would eventually win this war. My friend and I always said that consumers would go with the name they most easily related to. If they had an HD TV, they would buy an HD-DVD player. It just seemed right. But I guess the flashier name won out. On a personal note, I'm happy I opted to side with Blu-ray this past Christmas, because now I'm not out all that money. Had you picked a side yet? And how do you HD-DVD supporters feel about all this?

For the complete Toshiba press release, head on over to our sister site Engadget.

Today I'm glad to be cheaper than cheap. Had I not been so frugal, I would have bought myself an HD-DVD player this past weekend after seeing a commercial advertising one for less than $150. And then, I would have been excited about renting HD-DVD discs from Netflix, to which I've been a very happy subscriber for more than four years. But then I would have received an email (like the one seen here), stating that Netflix has just decided to exclusively support Blu-ray as its sole hi-def format. Thankfully, I am cheaper than cheap and have no plans to purchase one of those expensive Blu-ray players. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe I no longer plan to spend the $20 a month on Netflix.

Actually, my cheapness combined with my laziness will probably keep me a Netflix customer, but I can't imagine others will be so loyal. Apparently Blockbuster's online rental service still offers both HD-DVD and Blu-ray, so perhaps a number of HD fans will be switching over. Of course, also considering how significant a player Netflix is, this could be a heavy hit on the coffin nail for HD-DVD. The decision made by Netflix comes soon after last month's moves by Paramount and Warner Bros. to also go Blu-ray exclusive. It may only be a matter of time before Blockbuster, which primarily rents Blu-ray at its stores, will dump HD-DVD itself.

According to the Netflix emails going out today, any "Saved" HD-DVD selections in your rental queue (meaning for releases not yet out) will be switched to regular DVD by the end of the month. However, it seems you will still be able to rent HD-DVD discs that Netflix already currently offers throughout the year.

I'm actually glad we sat on this story a bit today, because now more info has come out of the CES show in Las Vegas. First off, the London Financial Times reported that Paramount was preparing to follow Warner Bros. and drop HD-DVD to sign an exclusive deal with Blu-ray. Should such a move take place, it would leave Universal all alone in the HD-DVD camp, and most likely signal an end to this long, hard-fought format war. How could Paramount do this? Would they be breaking a contract with HD-DVD? According to sources, there's a clause in Paramount's contract that states if Warners goes Blu-ray, they would have the option to do the same. So did Paramount leave? Was there a huge announcement today?

YES! Only it was a different kind of an announcement from Paramount. Basically, they denied all rumors and issued the following statement: "We are still supporting HD DVD." Ah, but then later on in the day, Paramount said they would not be announcing the titles of future HD-DVDs during the CES conference. Hmm. They're sticking with HD-DVD, but they refuse to announce future titles? Seems a bit ... sketchy.

I know what you're about to ask, so let me beat you to the punch -- what does Michael Bay (who, you might remember, threw up a stink when Transformers came out in only HD-DVD) think of all this? Am I right? That's what you were thinking, right? Well, following the Warner Bros. announcement, Bay had this to say over on his official site: "Well another studio down. Maybe I was right? Blu ray is just better. HD will die a slow death. It's what I predicted a year ago. Now with Warner's down for the count with Blu Ray. That makes it easier for Wal-Mart to push Blu Ray. And whatever Wal-Mart pushes - wins. Hd better start giving out those $120 million dollars checks to stay alive. Maybe they can give me some so I can give it to my Make-A-Wish charity, just to shut me up. Have faith people Transformers will come out in Blu-ray one day!"

So how long before Paramount and Universal give in and switch teams?

Warner Brothers' decision to side with Blu-Ray has caused early HD-DVD adopters to feel like losers while Blu-Ray supporters are gleefully congratulating themselves for their great foresight. On the assumption that the format wars are actually over -- not everybody agrees -- you might think this would be the final nail in the coffin for Bill Gates. He's already halfway out the door at HD-DVD backer Microsoft, but multi-billionaire Bill has always been a positive thinker.

When USA Today asked for his reaction, he replied in part: "HD DVD did well over the holidays. The other trend we're seeing is that direct download over broadband - I think the greatest example of that is XBox Live - (is) becoming an important choice. Over time, that will be the dominant way that people get their movies."

Is he trying to say everybody loses? I think he's just acknowledging that high-def DVD is only a stopgap measure. The format wars may or may not have fostered innovation and lower hardware prices, but the elephant in the room has been downloading over broadband, an idea whose time has finally (apparently) come. In addition to XBox Live, Netflix recently announced a deal with LG for a new download box, Apple is talking about renting movies through iTunes, Sony is hinting they'll roll out something similar to XBox Live for the Playstation 3 this year, and so on and so on.

Why does this matter for movie fans? Beyond the obvious, if you have an interest in non-blockbusters and don't live in one of a handful of big cities, movie downloading holds the prospect of opening up the playing field to smaller distributors and independent filmmakers. Right now we tend to look down on films that go straight to DVD (or iTunes), but if Radiohead can make a success of a completely independent release structure, why can't filmmakers?

Score one for Blu-ray! According to a press release, Warner Brothers has struck a deal to release all of their films exclusively on DVD and Blu-ray, beginning in May 2008. The studio will continue to release their films on both HD-DVD and Blu-ray until May, but from then on out they're going strictly with the latter. Which is great for me, seeing as I finally chose to side with Blu-ray this past Christmas when I received a PS3 from Santa. We'll have to see how this breaks down for HD-DVD in the long run, but having Warners exclusively on your side is definitely a great thing. Now, in your opinion, how big of a move is this? And is Blu-ray in a great position to finally win the format war? Check out the official press release below:

(January 4, 2008 – Burbank, CA) – In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

"Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want," said Meyer. "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers."

More after the jump ...

[via Engadget HD]

Since the holidays are upon us, and since I've finally decided to pick a side in the HD format wars (as I'm sure a lot of you will be doing come later this month) I felt it was appropriate to not only ask you which format you prefer better (blu-ray, HD-DVD), but also ask for some advice. For awhile now, I've remained in the "wait until there's only one format" camp. I cannot stand the fact that some movies come out in blu-ray, while others come out in HD-DVD, and so the penny pincher in me had been against shelling out money for one when there was a chance it could become obsolete in the next year or several. But that all changed earlier this year when I finally received my first ultra-awesome flat-screen HD TV (a 46-inch Sony Bravia, in case you're wondering). Now I'm hooked on HD. It's like friggin' heroin. And if I can't watch something in HD, I throw a fit. It's pretty lame.

That being said, with Christmas upon us, I finally decided to take the plunge and choose a side; if only so that at least I could watch some movies in HD. The route I took? Playstation 3. Yup, this way I get the games and the blu-ray player. Worse comes to worse, at least I'll always have a gaming system. But here's my dilemma: What film do I premiere? When I first bought the TV, I opted to premiere Boogie Nights (because when you upgrade your screen, the first thing you want to check out is nudity). The film I wanted to premiere in HD was The Bourne Ultimatum (until I found out it was only coming in HD-DVD form). So now I'm stuck. I'm throwing a little 'Davis Goes HD Launch Party" and I need a good film (available in blu-ray) to premiere. So this poll asks two questions: Which format do you prefer, and which film should I premiere? Any and all help is appreciated.

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.

Well-known for his strong, quick-trigger personality, Michael Bay has reportedly stomped on the idea of doing a sequel to Transfomers -- despite earlier saying that he already had "a lot of ideas" for it -- because distributor Paramount Pictures has decided to make future releases available exclusively on HD-DVD. That would leave Blu-Ray owners out in the cold. A story on IGN.net points to a message board posting on Michael Bay's official site that was supposedly written by The Man Himself: "I want people to see my movies in the best formats possible. For them to deny people who have Blu-ray sucks! They were progressive by having two formats. No Transformers 2 for me!"

The post was up -- and widely reported -- Tuesday morning, but then it seems that cooler heads prevailed and the message disappeared. Forum administrator "nelson" posted a message shortly past noon: "I spoke to Michael a few minutes ago. He said he just wants people to know that we should be able to view his movies in the format of our choice. Period. Nothing more, nothing less." Admin nelson later posted: "It has nothing to do with just not wanting to do another TF movie. It's the whole undermining of DVD sales -- which are way higher than any box office gross."

I had trouble reading the message board because I kept getting "Service temporary unavailable" notices -- the forum was likely trampled by traffic, indicating the passion that people feel both about Transformers (despite what our critics had to say) and the whole debate about HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Who wants to invest in one system over another when the marketplace keeps shifting like the sands in an hourglass, with studios switching formats like they change their underwear?

UPDATE: Thanks to commenter jason7343 for pointing out that Michael Bay now says on his blog he "overreacted," has "heard where Paramount is coming from" and "might be back on to do Transformers 2."

Seeing as I just received a marvelous 46-inch Sony flat-screen LCD TV (w/HD) for my 30th birthday (yes, in true movie geek fashion, I chose to celebrate this monumental event with a new TV instead of a party), I feel like I can finally start entertaining the idea of purchasing an HD-DVD player. Like most of you out there, I am more inclined to wait until a) prices go down and/or b) HD-DVD and Blu-ray either merge or fight to the death. With everything so divided right now, I refuse to cough up six beans for a player that might be obsolete in a year or two. Ah, but there is good news on the horizon ...

According to Film Junk, there's a rumor going around in certain "we know way more about this than you" circles that claims Wal-Mart has just made a deal with a Chinese electronics manufacturer for two million HD-DVD players at $50 a pop. That means the ginormous retail outfit would be able to turn around and sell those HD-DVD players for $299 USD or less, making it the most affordable player on the market by at least $100, so says Film Junk. Only problem is, we have no idea which format this player is in. Since the original source was in Chinese, the translation has been a bit sketchy. Seeing as -- and this is a direct quote from Film Junk -- "Wal-Mart is supposedly responsible for 40% of all regular DVD sales," choosing a side (be it HD-DVD or Blu-ray) on a deal like this could potentially destroy the other party. It's important to note that nothing has been made official, but, for those out there who watch the majority of their programming in HD (myself included), seeing any kind of light at the end of that long, dark tunnel is (hopefully) a sign of good things to come.

For those that currently own an HD-DVD player, what kind of advice can you give to us folks who want desperately to join the party, but are afraid of wasting a little too much of their hard-earned cash?

[via Movie Blog]