AfterDawn: News

200 HD DVD movies for 2006

Backers of the Toshiba-developed HD DVD format have promised consumers 200 movies releases in 2006, with about 50 by May. Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, HBO Video, New Line Entertainment and Warner Home Video gave details of the movie releases at CES. Harry Potter 4, Million Dollar Baby, Sahara and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow were among the list of new movies to be released on the HD DVD format. Some classics such as Full Metal Jacket and Blazing Saddles were also named.

Nancy O'Dell, host of Access Hollywood, said that the five studios represent over half of the movies ever made. Europe's Studio Canal and the Weinstein Co., responsible for hits such as Shakespeare in Love, also will come out with movies in the HD DVD format, according to the HD DVD Promotion Group. "HD DVD is now playing," said Yoshiihide Fujii, CEO of the Digital Media Network Co. of Toshiba. "HD DVD delivers a quantum leap in how consumers view video."



Toshiba also today unveiled the first HD DVD players that are set to be released in the U.S. in March. Also, Bill Gates revealed at CES that Microsoft would be releasing an external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360 console later this year. Now Xbox 360 owners will only have to pay for an add-on to enjoy HD-DVD movies instead of spending at least $499 for one of the first HD DVD players.

Source:
News.com

Interested in HD DVD? Don't forget to visit our HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discussion forum.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 5 Jan 2006 18:48

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• 24 comments

• dubire

  thats nice 200 old films what will be new tell me why i should buy the new player and i'm sure the new format will cost more than a dvd
  not everone has a top of the range tv costing 5000 euro
  if anyone could answer i would love to know

  5.1.2006 22:58 #1

• killa85rz

  How much were DVD players when they first came out? They were heaps and the price dropped after a few years. And you could easily buy a good LCD or Plasma TV these days cheap. I have seen decent sized high definition TVs for under $3,000 Aus.

  6.1.2006 05:06 #2

• P2OG

  Everything is about money my friends and I guarantee you these movies will harder to copy and they will send out the gestapo on us who attempt it.

  6.1.2006 05:22 #3

• kwit

  Yup - they'll be on em like bloodhounds. I'd expect they will retail at at least 150% of a normal dvd too.
  I'm happy with dvd qual for the next few years anyway :P

  6.1.2006 06:08 #4

• PRCOQUI

  Movie industry will force the production HDD movies in any format, Blue-ray or Hd-DVD. This will make impossible or harder to copy this films. An any company that try will be hunted by lawsuits. It will not be the consumer who will decide what format will dominate it will be the one harder to copy, and that's the one the movie industry will support. Forget all nice talk about the power of the people, it is the power of conglomerate industry who will decide for us. I fill sorry for us.

  6.1.2006 07:31 #5

• plasterer

  well America think yourselves lucky.
  
  I live in the uk and all the major stores are pushing us to buy hd tvs at over £1200 ago.
  
  the sad thing is we don't even have hd television signals to receive like in America and when we eventually do it will only be six channels from sky tv in February at a extra cost to the usual monthly subscription fee we already pay.
  
  the plus is I can buy a hd ready dvd player now for around £140 but nothing to play on it even thought the shops say so.
  
  next will be the hd tv /dvd recorders why not sell it all at once and stop delaying the release and making us pay over and over again for the same thing but slightly upgraded each time.
  
  in the end it's all about money and the companies just been dam right greedy.
  
  sell more products cheaply priced instead of less highly priced = same profit instead of using the snob factor that only the rich can afford it then after ripping the rich off for a few years sell to the poor for a fraction of the price.
  
  funny that a dvd player here 2 years ago cost over £200 now can be bought for £20 HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

  6.1.2006 11:26 #6

• domie

  sorry but those facts are not accurate, you can get an HD ready TV from 500 pounds..an HD DVD player with MPEG-4 playback will set you back only 75 pounds at the moment in the UK.
  an HD DVD player can take a normal DVD and turn it into an HD image on an HD TV via the HDMI interface.
  opinions do vary however, if it looks better or not...i think it depends on the hardware.
  i use an HD-DVD player connected to a Hitachi 42" plasma HD ready TV and the visual effect on DVDs released in the last 3 years is quite noticeably improved (but not actual HD quality)

  6.1.2006 15:14 #7

• jdkay20

  yea the greatest movie ever Blazing Saddles coming as one of the first to HD-DVD

  6.1.2006 18:28 #8

• plasterer

  Ok for those who want specifics and to be geeky a good quality sized hd lcd tv lets say 37 inch will put you back around £1200 and the good quality hd ready dvd recorder/ player to match will cost around £140 but hey you always seem to get someone trying to prove you wrong seeing that the post was about lcd tvs in the first place not the standard hd tv you can get for less than £500 to be precise so my facts weren't wrong whoops sorry they was sky are only actually broadcasting five channels in hd quality which are Sky movies,sky one,arts world,sky box office and sky sports all for extra money.hope this helps all.

  7.1.2006 06:59 #9

• plasterer

  Ok for those who want specifics and to be geeky a good quality sized hd lcd tv lets say 37 inch will put you back around £1200 and the good quality hd ready dvd recorder/ player to match will cost around £140 but hey you always seem to get someone trying to prove you wrong seeing that the post was about lcd tvs in the first place not the standard hd tv you can get for less than £500 to be precise so my facts weren't wrong whoops sorry they was sky are only actually broadcasting five channels in hd quality which are Sky movies,sky one,arts world,sky box office and sky sports all for extra money.hope this helps all.

  7.1.2006 06:59 #10

• PRCOQUI

  There is a goo article at BetaNews page call:
  
  HD DVD: Blu-ray Has Problems
  
  http://www.betanews.com/article/HD_DVD_Bluray_Has_Problems/1136673259

  7.1.2006 15:11 #11

• rihgt682

  he he

  7.1.2006 15:29 #12

• S2K

  It is too funny the exact same comments were mad about dvd format and players when introduced. clearly DVD went nowhere.

  8.1.2006 03:57 #13

• akitchens

  Are you all ready for some uptraining this year with this launch? Do we know anything about the copy protection on these disc? First Arcoos and soon to come HD-DVD.... learning curves!

  8.1.2006 09:05 #14

• rick5446

  As I recall DVD Players dropped to around 99bucks the first year with APPEX being one of the first cheapo's on the market,Shit I was looking at VCR still being sold 69 to 89 bucks & thought what the hell DVD Players aren't going to get any lower 99bucks.Holy shit was I wrong within 6mons U COULD GET THEM 39,49bucks.Now 2006 U can get them for 20bucks.I just bought a COBY W/5.1 hook ups on the back for 20bucks

  8.1.2006 16:07 #15

• j0j081

  "I just bought a COBY W/5.1 hook ups on the back for 20bucks"
  -Good luck with that lolz.

  8.1.2006 22:18 #16

• a3lkx

  removed

  9.1.2006 08:01 #17

• rick5446

  @ j0j081..I have'nt even opened the bx yet!Maybe I should.What do U meen by good luck with that?Something wrong with the unit

  9.1.2006 08:44 #18

• creaky

  @a3lkx
  
  no advertising and no email addresses. Forum Rules are in my sig.
  

  gif created by phantom69, he's a good lad
  Forum Rules - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487
  'Verbatim Taiyo Yuden', Verbatim DataLifePlus, Taiyo Yuden & Ritek G05 are the ONLY media allowed near my Burners.
  ..Memorex/CMC/Imation/TDK - don't let them near your Burner... - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/232406

  9.1.2006 09:06 #19

• samshizze

  Well, Im glad I didnt buy a Xbox360, cause who knows how much greedy Bill Gates is gonna charge for the External HD DVD Drive for the Xbox360. Should of included it right from the start, considering it is going to be essential.

  10.1.2006 08:21 #20

• evilh0ly

  hd movies hmmmm hmmmm only setback is that we gotta spend loads of time trying to rip it to our hd

  10.1.2006 17:51 #21

• Reasons?

  Don't flame on me for having an opinion, but I seriously think that HD-DVD will be the new betamax, and that the tables will turn a little bit.

  10.1.2006 18:36 #22

• shivang

  how exactly r we gona copy them 2 r HDs

  15.1.2006 14:19 #23

• Reasons?

  We don't know yet, no one does. The only people who have any indepth knowlege of how this DRM works and how to break it, are the very people who's jobs depend on it working well.

  15.1.2006 15:34 #24