Washington, D.C.
(March 8, 2007)
--
Could the HDTV DVD format war be coming to an end?
That's the view of a consultant to Paramount Home Entertainment, which is backing both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD high-def formats.
TWICE magazine reports that Vito Mandato, the consultant, yesterday told an industry conference that Blu-ray could win the battle over its rival in the next three or four months. He said Blu-ray's studio supporters will likely release several major movies during that time period that will give Blu-ray a major advantage.
“When you recognize the total box office for all of last year was $9.4 billion, people are going to want those (big titles),” Mandato told the DisplaySearch Flat Panel Display Conference in San Diego. “If the Blu-ray camp can use the power of these and some of the other new releases over the next three or four months, they could win it all."
That's the view of a consultant to Paramount Home Entertainment, which is backing both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD high-def formats.
TWICE magazine reports that Vito Mandato, the consultant, yesterday told an industry conference that Blu-ray could win the battle over its rival in the next three or four months. He said Blu-ray's studio supporters will likely release several major movies during that time period that will give Blu-ray a major advantage.
“When you recognize the total box office for all of last year was $9.4 billion, people are going to want those (big titles),” Mandato told the DisplaySearch Flat Panel Display Conference in San Diego. “If the Blu-ray camp can use the power of these and some of the other new releases over the next three or four months, they could win it all."
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Seven of the eight major studios are supporting Blu-ray (Universal is the lone hold out) and four of them are backing it exclusively (they won't release titles in the HD-DVD format). This could give Blu-ray a tremendous advantage in the number of available titles in the new HDTV DVD category.
Mandato said the first major release that will test his theory is Sony's Casino Royale, which will be released exclusively on Blu-ray next week.
“For the Blu-ray opportunities with blockbuster movie releases over the next three or four months, the first of those will be Casino Royale, and we have already begun to see the campaign," the consultant said, according to TWICE. "In the magazine ad, there is a separate fractional page that calls out specifically that it is available exclusively on Blu-ray. If that hard-hitting messaging starts to appear consistently in all of the exclusive hit titles exclusive to Blu-ray, that will start to move the needle.”
Nielsen recently said that Blu-ray titles are now outselling HD-DVD by a 2-1 margin. In addition, the format has a slight advantage in overall player sales.
But Mandato said a Blu-ray victory is not a sure thing.
“There is a chance that the Blu-ray camp may not be effective in convincing enough consumers that this is a killer app and it has to be paid attention to. We’ll know soon," he said.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
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Seven of the eight major studios are supporting Blu-ray (Universal is the lone hold out) and four of them are backing it exclusively (they won't release titles in the HD-DVD format). This could give Blu-ray a tremendous advantage in the number of available titles in the new HDTV DVD category.
Mandato said the first major release that will test his theory is Sony's Casino Royale, which will be released exclusively on Blu-ray next week.
“For the Blu-ray opportunities with blockbuster movie releases over the next three or four months, the first of those will be Casino Royale, and we have already begun to see the campaign," the consultant said, according to TWICE. "In the magazine ad, there is a separate fractional page that calls out specifically that it is available exclusively on Blu-ray. If that hard-hitting messaging starts to appear consistently in all of the exclusive hit titles exclusive to Blu-ray, that will start to move the needle.”
Nielsen recently said that Blu-ray titles are now outselling HD-DVD by a 2-1 margin. In addition, the format has a slight advantage in overall player sales.
But Mandato said a Blu-ray victory is not a sure thing.
“There is a chance that the Blu-ray camp may not be effective in convincing enough consumers that this is a killer app and it has to be paid attention to. We’ll know soon," he said.
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of
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