NetFlix Drops HD DVD

[MOVIEGEEK]

They will continue to rent them but they will not buy anymore:

http://netflix.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=265

[zoobie]

the industry is not going to wait for the confused consumer, lose millons in the meantime, and will decide this for us

[bigstusexy]

I don't like it at all actually. I don't care what format wins, really I don't. I wish there never was a format war its just stupid. What I don't like it that blueray costs more than HDDVD, lots more and the rumors about a spec update that might not be compatible with current players.

If I could find a PC usable $129 player and not have to spend any money on software to play a blue ray player I'd be happy but as it is I'll have to spend alot more than that and may not be able to use it on the PC.

[ebenton]

...and I just dropped Netflix because of it!

We're Going Blu-ray

Dear Ebenton,

You're receiving this email because you have asked to receive high-definition movies in the HD DVD format. As you may have heard, most of the major movie studios have recently decided to release their high-definition movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. In order to provide the best selection of high-definition titles for our members, we have decided to go exclusively with Blu-ray as well.

While we will continue to make our current selection of HD DVD titles available to you for the next several months, we will not be adding additional HD DVD titles or reordering replacements.

Toward the end of February, HD DVDs in your Saved Queue will automatically be changed to standard definition DVDs. Then toward the end of this year, all HD DVDs in your Queue will be changed to standard definition DVDs. Don't worry, we will contact you before this happens.

You can click here to change your format preferences.

We're sorry for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call us at 1 (888) 638-3549.

-The Netflix Team

[Conquest10]

I just got the email and I am very disappointed in Netflix over this. One of the reasons I loved them was that they didn't play games. They didn't choose selection depending on popular demand. For them to pull this now is just inexcusable. I would have thought that as long as HD-DVD movies would be released they would carry them. That's why I hate Blockbuster. They limit their selection to only what they want to offer. Next Netflix will start limiting their selection to only those "blockbuster" hits.

[ViRaL1]

Netflix is a business just like any other. They're in business to make money, and they recognize that the HD-DVD market is quickly shrinking. Before anybody jumps the gun, I'm not on anyone's side. I own a PS3 and an HD-A3 and about the same number of movies in each format. I can't say that I blame them.

[stiltman]

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9869591-7.html?tag=nefd.top

Already starting the week off on a bad note, HD DVD's day just keeps getting worse.

Starting next month Best Buy says it will prominently display Blu-ray players and discs in its stores and recommend the format over rival HD DVD, according to a Reuters report.
"Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products," Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement Monday.

It's not an exclusive arrangement since Best Buy says it will still continue to offer HD DVD. But having Best Buy's valuable endorsement in the form of Sunday circulars, front-and-center store kiosks, and staff recommendation seems to be the icing on the cake for a Blu-ray victory in the format war, and potentially the death rattle for HD DVD.

continued...

[Conquest10]

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9869591-7.html?tag=nefd.top

Already starting the week off on a bad note, HD DVD's day just keeps getting worse.

Starting next month Best Buy says it will prominently display Blu-ray players and discs in its stores and recommend the format over rival HD DVD, according to a Reuters report.
"Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products," Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement Monday.

It's not an exclusive arrangement since Best Buy says it will still continue to offer HD DVD. But having Best Buy's valuable endorsement in the form of Sunday circulars, front-and-center store kiosks, and staff recommendation seems to be the icing on the cake for a Blu-ray victory in the format war, and potentially the death rattle for HD DVD.

continued...

Isn't that how its always been though? Here the HD-DVD section has always been all the way in the back with the CRT TVs. Blu-Ray's section is at the entrance. As you walk in there's a giant plasma hooked up to a Blu-Ray player.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

...not have to spend any money on software to play a blue ray...

you can't even do this with DVD...

[SCDVD]

I didn't have a favorite in the format war. But I, like many others, felt the two HD format war was slowing everything down for everybody. The only specific feeling that I had was that I don't like Sony. But all things considered, I believe it is in everyones interests to have one standard. If it's BlueRay, so be it. Businesses like Netflix aren't interested in playing sides in some sort of "cause". They did carry both until it became apparent that BlueRay had "won" the format war. It's time that everyone accepts what has happened - either your side won or lost but it's time to move on. With one standard, the whole market will stabilize. One area that is in its infancy is HD software. With one standard, the software companies can justify adding more resources (money) to HD software development. The same goes for hardware development. So even if your "side" of the format war lost, it's still better to have only one format.

[bbanderic]

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9869591-7.html?tag=nefd.top

Already starting the week off on a bad note, HD DVD's day just keeps getting worse.

Starting next month Best Buy says it will prominently display Blu-ray players and discs in its stores and recommend the format over rival HD DVD, according to a Reuters report.
"Because we believe that Blu-ray is fast emerging as that single format, we have decided to focus on Blu-ray products," Brian Dunn, Best Buy's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement Monday.

It's not an exclusive arrangement since Best Buy says it will still continue to offer HD DVD. But having Best Buy's valuable endorsement in the form of Sunday circulars, front-and-center store kiosks, and staff recommendation seems to be the icing on the cake for a Blu-ray victory in the format war, and potentially the death rattle for HD DVD.

continued...

Isn't that how its always been though? Here the HD-DVD section has always been all the way in the back with the CRT TVs. Blu-Ray's section is at the entrance. As you walk in there's a giant plasma hooked up to a Blu-Ray player.

Not in my local Best Buys or Circuit City's for that matter. The HD-DVD players were right there next to the BD players, same with the software. I haven't seen any favortism one way or the other up to this point.

[FulciLives]

I am happy that a clear winner is emerging. The end of the war!

Guess I am lucky in that I bought a PS3 this past Christmas and no HD-DVD hardware/software.

I feel for the HD-DVD crowd but when you are an early adopter in a war then you know you have taken sides and that your side may WIN or may LOOSE.

It appears HD-DVD has lost.

Can we now move on to Blu-Ray and stop the bickering

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Rich86]

Well, the good news is - I checked my Toshiba HD-A30 today - and my hd-dvd movies - and they all apparently have not heard the news, since they all still work just fine.

I have no axe to grind over this - except disappointment going forward. I fear that having blu-ray be the standard bearer for the future of optical media based high definition dooms the format to a very small niche - much like laser disc was - due to the prices that will be around for a long time without competition. Sony can still screw this up royally.

From a personal point of view, I got a top notch hd-dvd and std dvd upconverting player and 10 free high def movies for much less than half what a bottom of the line blu-ray player would have cost by itself. And that blu-ray player would have to deal with bd+ firmware required updates in order to play new releases periodically, and be stuck in profile 1.0 forever - without features available in all hd-dvd players now.

So although all the news since early January has been disappointing to us hd-dvd owners, I'm still enjoying my stuff and it was a terrific bargain.
The Best Buy stores in our area have shoved blu-ray players in our faces and stuck hd-dvd players in the back for a long time - so their press release simply put in print what they've been doing for quite a while.
And I'm not a Netflix customer anyway - so I really don't care what they do . .

[poorlyhdlvr]

I also read that Toshiba is coming out with a BD player? Could that be? Toshiba makes great players and I look forward to them. I am purple but appreciate that that hard fought battle is now coming to an end and everyone can enjoy a single format which they can improve upon.

http://www/1080living.com

[SCDVD]

I also read that Toshiba is coming out with a BD player? Could that be?

Of course they will. So will everyone else. The format war was fought; there was a winner and a loser but now it's time to move on. All of the manufacturers will now build BlueRay products. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Although the stakes were not as large with the DVD+R and DVD-R war, Sony, who was a arch proponent of DVD+R, started making + and - dual mode burners and media when that war was lost. Once something like this becomes a fait accompli, it doesn't do any good to pout and whine. That's life; you win some and you lose some.

[lordsmurf]

...not have to spend any money on software to play a blue ray...

you can't even do this with DVD...

I use VLC. It's free. WMP is free with the OS.
They give out WinDVD and PowerDVD so often that I owned at least a half dozen copies.

[ViRaL1]

WMP is free with the OS but won't play DVDs out of the box without a decoder.

[donschjr]

Who cares who, won for myself and almost everyone I know, nobody has any intention of buying any kind of HD player. To the vast majority of people it just isn't worth the price for the difference in quality from a SD DVD.
Don

[dphirschler]

I am sad that BluRay won because it seemed to me to be an inferior product. And it also costs more to make and has that fragile layer. So they have to use that scratch-resistant coating, which only drives the price up more. But I was not invested in either format, so screw it.


Darryl

[somebodeez]

No skin off of my nose.
We don't even have an HDTV yet.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Who cares who, won for myself and almost everyone I know, nobody has any intention of buying any kind of HD player. To the vast majority of people it just isn't worth the price for the difference in quality from a SD DVD.
Don

I agree,out of all my friends and relatives I only know one other person who has a HD player.
HD players will always be a niche market because:
1.Only 15% of US households have an HDTV,this is growing but not that fast.
2.The cost of the players(especially Blu Ray) are out of most consumers budget.
3.The media retails for 2-3x the price of SD.

[Ollie6431]

...
I agree,out of all my friends and relatives I only know one other person who has a HD player.
HD players will always be a niche market because:
1.Only 15% of US households have an HDTV,this is growing but not that fast.
2.The cost of the players(especially Blu Ray) are out of most consumers budget.
3.The media retails for 2-3x the price of SD.

One more reason to add to the list:

4. Most (99.9%) of consumers cannot tell the difference in video quality between Bluray and upconverted DVD-video on a typical HDTV setup (TV less than 55 in, viewing distance more than 10 feet ).

[Rudyard]

In order to provide the best selection of high-definition titles for our members, we have decided to go exclusively with Blu-ray as well.

lol...I have nothing in this war as no HDTV but I found this amusing and similar to when the bank sends me a letter.

'in order to provide the best selection of movies for you, we are giving you less of a selection of movies'!!!

Usually my bank says 'in order to provide you with the a better banking experience your fee will now double'

[bigstusexy]

...not have to spend any money on software to play a blue ray...

you can't even do this with DVD...

If you mean regular DVD, yes you can play it without paying for any extra software, legally. HD-DVD I don't think so but I already have a 360 so I can do it after I buy the drive.

[mmcguigan]

If you mean regular DVD, yes you can play it without paying for any extra software, legally. HD-DVD I don't think so but I already have a 360 so I can do it after I buy the drive.

Buy the drive then. http://1saleaday.com/ Only five hours left.