Blu-Ray wins the High Def video format, blu-ray in Xbox360 soon?

The 1080P High Definition Video format war is over. When HD-DVD exclusive Warner Bros studios switched to support the Blu-Ray format exclusively, the winner was effectively decided. Shortly thereafter, Toshiba (the main player in the HD-DVD format) too announced that they will cease to produce new HD-DVD players and withdrawing from the format war.

Now, its reported that Sony is talking to Microsoft about adopting the Blu-Ray format to its systems. While Sony have approached Apple for the same talks too (Microsoft and Apple are supporters of HD-DVD format), there are now strong rumors that Xbox360 may feature Blu-Ray as standard drive format.

While these are rumors at this point of time, it is not impossible for Xbox360 to adopt the Blu-Ray as the format due to the larger storage capabilities and as games becomes bigger (Lost Oddessey will fit in one dual layer Blu-Ray disc instead of four dual layer DVD dics). Alternatively, Microsoft could come up with a Blu-Ray add-on drive, as they have done with the HD-DVD add-on drive.

This will be interesting to keep watch, to see how Microsoft will react.

Xbox360 HD DVD prices cut to USD130 each

Microsoft had announced further price reduction of the Xbox360 HD-DVD addon peripheral. With immediate effect (from last week, I was slow in reporting this), you can get it for only USD130 (RM560), down from USD180 previously.

While this latest move will undoubtly save HD DVD from losing the format war (Blu-ray have many exclusive studios, with Warner being the latest to run away from HD DVD to be Blu-ray exclusive), its a good time to invest in one unit if you are wanting to see high defination movies via the Xbox360.

Me? I will stick to my blu-ray playing PS3 for my high def movie fixes.

The Best of Blu-ray collection from Warner Home Video

The DVD (Standard Def, Blu-Ray and HD-DVD) releases for this week is lenghty list, with some very anticipated titles like Troy (Director's Cut) on DVD, Alexander (The Unrated Final Cut) on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, as well as series such as Boston Legal Season 3 and Smallville Season 6.

On the Blu-Ray releases this week, there are 3 very interesting titles that caught my eyes, namely: The Best of Blu-Ray: Volumes 1, 2 and 3. There are even The Best Of Blu-Ray: Action and Family pack too. These blu-ray collections are by Warner Home Video and they are a collection of four movies, all in Full HD, assembled into one box-set with 4 blu-ray disc. What's even more exciting are the prices, Amazon.com and Ebay are selling them at less than US$60 per set as of today (the Vol. 1, 2, 3 are released in the US on Sept 18th).

Here are the movies titles for each volume:-

The Best of Blu-Ray, Volume One :

(Lethal Weapon / Mad max 2: The Road Warrior / Swordfish / Training Day)

The Best of Blu-Ray, Volume Two:

(The Phantom of the Opera / The Fugitive / Unforgiven / The Last Samurai)

The Best of Blu-Ray, Volume Three:

(Blazing Saddles / GoodFellas / The Departed / Superman: The Movie:

The Best of Blu-Ray, Family:

(Happy Feet / Tim Burton's Corpse Bride / The Ant Bully / Scooby-Doo)

The Best of Blu-Ray, Action:

(Troy: Director's Cut / Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut / Blood Diamond / Wyatt Earp)

The last two collections (Family and Action) are not given any release dates, will keep you posted on their availability. Let's hope if Warner Home Video will release a The Best of Blu-Ray: The Matrix real soon.

I doubt the Action collection will be out so soon, as the blu-ray version of Troy (Director's Cut) and Alexander (The Unrated Final Cut) is released in this week. I am not sure when our region will get these awesome collection but I believe they will be available in stores (especially in SG) real soon. Look forward to having such good collection at a fraction of the cost.

Michael Bay kools down.

Michael Bay, the possible director of Transformers 2, have back pedaled on his earlier statement about Paramount's decision not to release Transformers in the blu-ray format.

He has posted in his blog forum that he "drank the Kool-Aid.... yadda yadda yadda... so I think I might be back on to do Transformers 2!"

Hahaha.... so much for standing up to your beliefs...

Michael Bay responds to Paramount's decision to go HD-DVD exclusively.

Michael Bay, director of Transformers, have reportedly stated in his blog forum that that Paramount's decision to go HD exclusively has pissed him off.

In his blog forum title "Paramount pisses me off!" Michael goes on the record saying "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! "

Oh no!! No Transformers 2.... curse you Paramount!

Paramount and Dreamworks on HD-DVD exclusively.

The format war between HD-DVD and blu-ray is heating up even more.

Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks Animations have been releasing movies in both HD-DVD and Blu-ray format for a while now. In fact, they started in the HD-DVD camp before they decided to release them in blu-ray format too. Now all this is about to change again.

Both studios have announced that they are dropping the blu-ray format and be exclusive to the HD format. This means that latest summer blockbuster movies such as Transformers, Shrek The Third and Blades of Glory (which will come out first) will not be getting the blu-ray edition. To view them in HD, you have to use the

Reason given for the switch? Cheaper HD-DVD players and manufacturing costs will trump out the more expensive blu-ray players (which are mainly PS3).

Oh no! Do I have to get the Xbox360 (a 30% failure machine) and the HD-DVD attachment, or get the Toshiba player, to see Transformer in high def?? Why cant I use the PS3?

Curse you Paramount! Hahaha....