Want to hear more criticism of HD DVD supporters? You’re in luck because Disney CEO Robert Iger released comments regarding Paramount and DreamWorks abandoning Blu-ray for rival format HD DVD.
While some key supporters of Blu-ray left camp recently, there are still some heavy companies behind it, including Disney, Sony, MGM and Fox.
The AP reports that Iger said Blu-ray’s victory in the format wars will be a "forgone conclusion" and expressed disappointment for the studios that jumped ship. He said, "It’s disappointing that the industry hasn’t managed to be cohesive."
News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch also released some comments about Fox’s support for Blu-ray and praised that Blu-ray will ultimately offer the best picture for consumers. He said, "The public can tell the difference."
Fighting back, Viacom (who owns Paramount) CEO Philippe Dauman mentioned that one of the reasons Paramount left Blu-ray for HD DVD was because HD DVD players are generally cheaper. He acknowledged that the entry-level HD DVD player is $299 while the entry-level Blu-ray player is $499.
In the end, I don’t really think Sony has that much to worry about since Blu-ray still has some heavy supporters. I don’t see the PS3 dropping off the map in the future either. But Sony could be sweating a little bit, since they asked Microsoft and Toshiba, who are two very big HD DVD supporters, to jump to Blu-ray. Just a joke or is that early signs of cracking?
[Via TV Predicitions]
