Paramount sides with HD-DVD

Paramount Pictures has decided to go exclusively with HD-DVD dealing what could be an important blow to Sony’s Blu-ray format. Blockbusters such as Transformers and Shrek the Third will now only be available in HD-DVD.

Sony seemed to have the upper hand with 2 to 1 ratios in sales, thanks to their PS3 console, and exclusive deals with Blockbuster and Wal-Mart but maybe again Sony’s decision to go with a proprietary format will backfire. Betamax anyone?

Blu-ray players are more expensive than HD-DVD players so this may be a deal-closer to many. In those early years, Betamax seemed like a superior format but it shared a problem with Blu-ray: high price. Some may remember Sony’s MiniDisk, an alternative to CD, while most won’t because it had a similar problem. it’s as if history is repeating itself, especially with some studios complaining about the high price of Sony’s Blu-ray players.

Paramount says that its decision was influenced mainly by price though some say Paramount received a hefty sum in “promotional consideration” fees. At this moment approximately 1 percent of homes in the US own a high definition player so the prudent move would be to wait. I guess the ones most affected by this move are PS3 owners, who have been denied their chance for high-def Energon blasts, Decepticon debris and, most important, high-def Megan Fox.

Read [TG Daily] Also Read [LA Times]