RipTen Videogame Blog » Blu-ray

Rumors Say The Next Xbox Will Play Blu-rays, But Not Used Games

Todd Schlickbernd — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:30:57 +0000

We just heard about Kingdom of Amalur‘s online pass content, and have been hearing about online passes for years now. People are pretty not-down with online passes, but the industry has a bone to pick with used games and Microsoft may have a strategy which, if successful, will reduce the used game industry to nothing but, well, bones. According to Kotaku, the next generation Xbox might be implementing a system which prevents used games from being played. Now what this means is rather specifically unstated, whomever informed Kotaku doesn’t know how Microsoft plans to do it. However, we do know what it means if they do implement it, sadness. Or at least that’s the immediate reaction. Let’s explore something here.

Most people were pretty shell shocked holiday 2011 with the impressive lineup of AAA titles being released from September to December, and we eventually realized one thing: we can’t buy them all. Not without selling organs, and even then some people probably had to take other people’s organs if they wanted all that the holidays had to offer. However, this crazy lineup of full price games didn’t stay full price for long, Need for Speed: The Run, Assassin’s Creed Revelations, and many other AAA games went on sale rather soon after their release because they had to compete.

Now, imagine that there was no way to buy those games used. Well now people are really pinching pennies (which is very rude to penny-kind, by the way) and only buying the games they really, really want and sometimes having to avoid even those games for a time. There’s no “I’ll buy this one now, and get the other one used later”, because there will be no used! So instead the logic might follow, “I’ll have to wait until they both drop in price”, and when an entire group of consumers thinks that way, prices will start dropping. At least in theory. Also it’ll mean the end to online passes because there would be no point. Scary as this all sounds, it’s important to consider that while the industry will (hopefully) be making all their intended revenue, there’s give-and-take and when gamers and non-gamers alike can’t afford games like they used to, the industry will have to respond.

Beyond that controversial bit, included in the rumors was the fact that the Xbox 360 will play Blu-rays, a noticeable 15 – 35gb size limit increase over that of DVDs. Yay, Blu-rays, higher graphical quality, Blu-ray movies, and… oh wait, remember what happened with the PS3 and backwards compatibility? Uh oh. Well let’s hope that plays out favorably. I didn’t pay $600 for a console six years ago and I won’t do it two years from now. I’ll just duct tape my 360 to my 720 or whatever the new console will be calling itself. I’m thinking… the Ybox. Or the Wbox, depending on the perspective.

Lastly, there are apparently features planned for the new Xbox which will better accommodate the Kinect and allow it to detect users more accurately. There’s a rather good chance the new device, if there is one, will be called “Kinect Movement Extra” and will be a small cube rammed somewhere into existing Kinects. All of this is speculation, but along with the recent news of the possibly super amazing graphics, the next Xbox may be able to land at a late 2013 release.

AC: Revelations on PS3 Will Include the Original AC as a Bonus

Garrett Hartman — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:40:47 +0000

Thanks to the storage capacity of the PS3′s Blu-Ray Disc – It looks as if Altaïr has an even larger role in the PS3 version of Assassin’s Creed Revelations than we originally thought! Ubisoft has decided to add the original Assassin’s Creed onto the Revelations disc as a free bonus.

Ubisoft released this statement:

In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio traces the footsteps of his predecessor, Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad. Now, gamers will be able to go back to the beginning of the Assassin’s Creed storyline as the day one copies of Assassin’s Creed Revelations on PlayStation®3 will include a copy of the original Assassin’s Creed.

Whether being introduced to the award-winning original Assassin’s Creed for the first time or going back to relive the start of the epic journey, players will be drawn into the secret war between Templars and Assassins in ancient Jerusalem.

If you’re a gamer like me, who missed out on the original Assassin’s Creed, this is definitely a welcome bonus and one that makes for an easier decision in choosing which console to pick Revelations up for.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations ships November 15th.

New PS3 Model Will Not Have Component Support For Movies

Dave Oshry — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:03:09 +0000

If you’re planning on getting the next PS3 model and you like to watch your Blu Ray movies through component cables for some god awful reason, you may want to think again.

According to reports:

“The new CECH-3000 series PS3 requires HDMI only for BD movie output in HD, in compliance with AACS standards, PS3 continues to support component output for HD gaming and streaming content.”

So, what that means is: in order to play Blu Rays, you will now have to use an HMDI cable. However, you can still stream content and play games with the good old component ones.

More importantly, if you’ve been watching Blu Ray discs all this time without an HDMI cable, you have bigger issues in your life that need addressing first.

Buy Mortal Kombat Blu-Rays, Get Free Content For MK9

Aaron Alexander — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:18:16 +0000

The two Mortal Kombat movies, Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation are finally coming to Blu-Ray. Though this isn’t news in itself, the movies will come with a free download code for some Mortal Kombat content, provided you have the Playstation 3 version of the game.

The movies will come to shelves on the same date as the upcoming Mortal Kombat game (April 19, 2011) and the code that comes with the movies is an unlockable “Klassic” costume for Jade. While there is no official word whether the Xbox players can secure this content, it looks unlikely as Warner Bros are very much showing their love for the PlayStation 3 (with the exclusive inclusion of Kratos, Stereoscopic 3D). The Mortal Kombat Blu-Rays will retail for $19.98 and also include free digital copies.

Let us know what you think of Warner Bros decisions on platform specific content below, or tell me directly via Twitter -@iamaaronalex

Source: IGN

Nvidia Unveils Real Gaming Power for Just $79 With the GTS 430

Dave Oshry — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:08:15 +0000

There’s a new kid on the block, and she’s the best reason yet for even the most frugal gamer to get into PC gaming. The Nvidia GTS 430 is here, and it’s about time. It’s their lowest priced fermi GPU to date and is a clear replacement the aging GeForce GT 220. So what do you get for just $79? How about full DX 11 and 3D Vision support with great framerates on all your favorite games? How about great PhysX and 1080p Blu-Ray playback as well?

See Anything You Like??

The GTS 430 is being touted as a great home theatre PC GPU as well, but at RipTen, we’re all about gaming. If you currently have a PC that uses integrated graphics, then you probably can’t play half the games you really want to, but also don’t want to shell out the cash for a high end gaming PC or GPU. Well fear not, because the GTS 430 can handle just about anything for a price almost anyone can afford.

Still Don't See Anything You Like? Really!?

Of course Nvidia still has strict competiton from ATI’s already released 5570 and 5670 models. But those cards do not offer 1080p 3d Blu-Ray playback or Stereoscopic 3d support. However, they have been on the market for quite some time and are battle tested. Yet for the price point, we fail to see how you can go wrong with the new GTS 430, she is a sexy little number.

You Dirty Girl!! Don't Show Me Your Slots!!

The GTS 430 is available from a number of retailers and manufacturers, so take your pick of the litter, for $79 you might as well bring one home today!! Be sure to look for upcoming reviews of the GTS 430 to see if this card is the one for you!!

So Many To Choose From!!

Want to talk PC Gaming with me, or ask me questions about your / my rig? Feel free to e-mail me at Dave@RipTen.com or follow me @DaveOshry on Twitter.

Blu-Ray Capacity is Now Probably Larger Than Your First Computer, You Feel Old

Gavin Bard — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:46:55 +0000

By the power of science, which I believe in some American states isn’t allowed to be taught anymore, Sony and Panasonic have figured out a way to cram even more data on the already massive Blu-Ray disc. The newer Blu-Ray dics, Blu-Ray 2: Blu Harder, will be upped from a paltry and flaccid 25GB to a majestic and impressive 33.4GB. It will do this without any need for hardware changes, only a firmware update for already existing Blu-Ray players will be needed. The first hard drive I ever ~~downloaded porn~~ researched complicated advanced mathematics on was about 20GB.

From Blu-ray.com:

Currently, disc evaluation is accomplished by analyzing disc jitter, but at higher capacity, that technique becomes unreliable. Sony and Panasonic resolved this by developing i-MLSE (Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation) evaluation index, which can perform the same function as jitter but at higher capacities.

I think advancing the thermowhatsit capabilities of the doohickey and making the hoozits jitter at max flux capacitation was a smart move. Ok, maybe I’m just pretending to know what any of this means. Either way it is kind of obvious that this is a good thing for the PS3. More space equals less compression, which can mean better textures and better audio. Considering PS3 is already superior to the rest of the next gen systems in that regard, sorry 360- you still have better games, this is a good sign for PS3 owners. Assuming that this technology is used for PS2 games and not for condensing every episode of Northern Exposure onto one disc.

[Source: Computer And Video Games]

Nintendo Wii 2 with Blu-Ray and 1080p Support Coming in 2010?

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:08:23 +0000

Fresh from the rumor department comes a supposed Wii 2 console leak being reported by Maxconsole.net. The leak apparently originates on/from the French gaming site Logic-sunrise.com, however I dug into the site a bit myself with Google Translate and couldn’t find any trace of the information Maxconsole claimed to be getting from them. It could be that it wasn’t posted on the French site itself although that wouldn’t make much sense.

All in all, the rumored “leak” states that Nintendo is working on a Wii sequel with the following:

The Wii2 system will feature a Blu-Ray drive with a secondary aim of stopping piracy.
1080P and lower resolutions will be supported, for blu-ray movies and games.
The release date is scheduled for third quarter of 2010.
The release will be worldwide and on the same day for all countries.
A scheme will be available in which it is possible to trade in the original Wii for a cheaper price on the new Wii 2.

Update: Assuming this is true, you can add the probability of Netflix coming to the next generation Wii as well.

A next gen Nintendo console? I’m not even sure I would know what to do with myself. At this point, things are far from confirmed, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if this, or something close to it, turned out to be true. Nintendo, while making a killing in the casual market, could have competition from Microsoft’s Project Natal at some point and this type of advancement could have Nintendo gobbling up more of the market like Yoshi on an all night eating spree.

Sony Announces Netflix Partnership: PS3 Movie Streaming Service Starts Next Month

Chad Lakkis — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:46:36 +0000

The “anything you can do I can do better” competition between the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 for the title of ”Master Swiss Army Knife Console King Toaster Oven” continues as Sony announced their partnership with Netflix on Monday. Remember when video game consoles didn’t cost 500 dollars and just played video games? I do.

Starting next month, PS3 owners (who are also Netflix subscribers) will be able to instantly stream thousands of movies and TV shows from the Netflix catalog to through their PS3. The only stipulation with the service out of the gate, is that PS3 owners will need to have a free Netflix-provided Blu-ray disc (available from netflix.com/ps3) in their console to utilize said service. This may be something that is eventually phased out by a future firmware update, but that’s purely speculation at this point.

Sure all these “extras” are nice to have, but its getting to the point where console manufacturers are going to need their own “Jimmy Football” and a slew of infomercials to justify the cost and explain the “jack of all trades” functionality. Geek-gate tested! Geek-gate approved! Hit the jump for the full press release.

COMING SOON: NETFLIX MEMBERS CAN INSTANTLY WATCH MOVIES AND TV EPISODES STREAMED TO TVs VIA THE PLAYSTATION®3 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

With Movies Streamed Instantly from Netflix, Blu-ray/DVD Playback and Downloadable Videos via the PlayStation®Network, the PlayStation 3 System Offers The Industry’s Most Comprehensive Options for Watching Movies and TV Shows

FOSTER CITY and LOS GATOS, Calif., October 26, 2009 – Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) and Netflix, Inc. [Nasdaq: NFLX] today announced that they are joining forces to make thousands of movies and TV episodes from Netflix available to be streamed instantly to TVs via the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system. Netflix expects to begin streaming via the PS3 system next month at no additional cost to Netflix members in the United States who have a PS3 system.

Today’s announcement pairs two of the most popular and fastest growing home entertainment brands in the U.S. The PS3 system’s installed base has reached close to 9 million units in the United States, and Netflix recently reported 11.1 million U.S. subscribers as of September 30.

The partnership further solidifies the PS3 system as the most complete home entertainment hub on the market today, enabling consumers to play high-definition games, watch Blu-ray movies, listen to music, view photos, browse the Internet, and download content from PlayStation®Network − from exclusive games to blockbuster movies and popular TV shows. PS3 system owners will soon enjoy an unparalleled experience watching their favorite movies and TV shows streamed instantly from Netflix, downloading from the PlayStation Network or watching Blu-ray/DVD media. The Netflix offering expands on the entertainment experience delivered to PS3 system owners via PlayStation Network.

For only $8.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and computers via Netflix ready devices such as the PS3 system and can receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes.

“The PlayStation 3 system has always been about more than just gaming, and it will soon be the only platform in the industry to offer consumers such a variety of convenient options for enjoying movies and TV shows,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. “Whether you want to watch content on Blu-ray disc and DVD, download it from the PlayStation Network’s video delivery service, or stream videos instantly from Netflix, the PS3 system is the only solution that offers it all.”

“As instantly watching movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix becomes an increasingly popular way to enjoy the Netflix service, our goal is to rapidly expand the devices that stream to our members,” said Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings. “As a leading game console and Blu-ray disc player, bringing Netflix to the PS3 system is a real win for both Netflix members and PS3 system owners.”
Initially, watching movies instantly streamed from Netflix via the PS3 system will be enabled by a free, instant streaming Blu-ray disc that is being made available to all Netflix members. The free instant streaming disc leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live™ technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, which must be online via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

Netflix members simply slide the disc into their PS3 systems to reveal movies and TV episodes that can be watched instantly. These titles are conveniently organized into a variety of categories based on members’ personal preferences, popular genres, new arrivals and members’ individual instant Queues. Members can use the Netflix Web site or navigate directly on their PS3 systems to add movies and TV shows to their Queues. With the PS3 system’s Wireless Controller, members can choose a movie to watch from their instant Queues or just play directly from any of the lists. They also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies. In addition, they have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding the video stream via the Wireless Controller.

Netflix members and PS3 system owners can now reserve a free instant streaming disc for PS3 systems by going to www.netflix.com/ps3. Upon availability, the instant streaming disc will be delivered for free by first-class mail, generally one business day after members request it.

Wipeout HD and Fury expansion coming to Blu-Ray for Europe

Sam Naylor — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:47:57 +0000

Joystiq reports that the acclaimed downloadable game Wipeout HD will be heading to Blu-Ray for European gamers. The bundle will cost £20 and, for now at least, is showing no signs of coming to the US.

Unfortunately, this bundle means that I no longer have an excuse to buy this game, as it will undoubtedly become a lot cheaper than £20 if you shop around. If you’ve been around these parts for a while you might remember our glowing review of the game, so this can really only be good news for everyone.

Everyone with a PS3, anyway. Everyone with a PS3 who lives in Europe, anyway. Everyone with a PS3 who lives in Europe and doesn’t already have the game, anyway. Everyone with a PS3 who lives in Europe and doesn’t already have the game and wants to buy the game, anyway. Alright, fine. Not everyone, then. Don’t be such a pedant!

God of War Trilogy Coming to PS3 this December?

Dylan Duarte — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:09:51 +0000

Rumor has it that the God of War games, including a demo for the upcoming third game in the series, are coming to the Sony PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray disc.

The rumor comes from a translated post on the Twitter account of MarkPlayStation, the supposed manager for Sony Mexico. This “trilogy” would be coming this December.

With a little over four months to go, you’d think that Sony would’ve formally announced this by now. I certainly hope it’s true, as I’ve only ever played part of the first God of War and I’m not lucky enough to own a backwards compatible PS3.

PSX Extreme via Gamezine

Final Fantasy XIII Demo Hitting US this June with Advent Children Blu-ray Release?

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:44:56 +0000

Reports are in that US production of the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Blu-ray are complete and that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment plans to release it stateside sometime in June. Blu-ray.com also reports a slew of features, the most interesting being an “Exclusive Sneak Peek at FINAL FANTASY XIII”.

Nothing is confirmed at this point, and the “sneak peek” could end up being nothing more than another blue ball educing trailer, but if you like to hope (and who doesn’t) here’s a little more fuel for your hope powered jet pack. A Square Enix spokesperson told MCV the following back in January as a part of the Japanese announcement of Advent Children:

“At present the Final Fantasy XIII demo will only be available in Japan with the Blu-ray release of Advent Children Complete, but we hope to have further news in the coming months,”

Could this be that “further news” the representative was speaking of? Only time and profit margins will tell, but considering the rate at which units moved off the store shelves in Japan, my money says you will be seeing a demo in the US release as well.

FF7 Version PS3 “Cloud Black”

Sean Mitchuson — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:43:21 +0000

All you readers mark your calendars because this is the PS3 you will more than likely want to import. The “Cloud Black”, as they are calling it, is being released to the world (okay, just Japan). Even with a just a small amount of design change, it is beautiful.

The system will be released at the same time as the Blu-Ray version of Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children Complete, both coming to stores April 16th. This is a smart marketing move by Square-Enix promoting both a PS3 model to play that wonderful new Blu-Ray disc, and not only that but something called the Final Fantasy XIII Trial Set.

Famitsu doesn’t seem to have much info on the FFXIII stuff, but the Blu-Ray will sell for about 5000 yen or $50 U.S., and the PS3 (which is a 160gb version) will go for around 50,000 yen or $500 U.S.

All they seemed to do was slap an image of the ring that Cloud wears which is also on his chest. The only problem I have with these decoration PS3′s is that all the images are on the top of the machine, and you never really get to see them but I guess it’s nice to have the bragging rights.

Source: Famitsu

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete Works Info

Sean Mitchuson — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:48:39 +0000

Famitsu has some news on the re-release of FFVII:AC in March. Square has decided to release three versions of what is called the Complete Works of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. So, what’s that mean exactly?

New stuff will include hi-res pictures of the upcoming Final Fantasy games (XIII, Agito, and Versus), a trailer, and deleted scenes from the movies. One of the more important scene modifications that I am interested in is apparently a much longer bike chase than what we saw in the original. I thought it was a really interesting fight, and hopefully adding extra to it won’t make it boring.

The three versions being released are regular DVD, Blu-Ray, and PlayStation 3 (which will supposedly have a demo of FFXIII on it, though I don’t know why that’s not just on the Blu-Ray). All three should look wonderful, but I wouldn’t mind getting my hand on that sweet-looking Blu-Ray version (I don’t own a PS3).

Source: Famitsu

Final Fantasy XIII Demo Over Two Hours Long

Rangebar Merani — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:25:11 +0000

The latest issue of Famitsu is all about the recent Square Enix DKS3713 event, and according to reports, the Playstation 3 exclusive Final Fantasy XIII demo that comes bundled with the upcoming Blu-ray edition of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete will actually run longer than the CGI film.

The FFXIII demo will come on a separate Blu-ray disc to the film, is reported to be from the begining of the game, and will run at least 90 minutes long, if not longer. That’s tight shit!

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete is scheduled for a March 2009 release.

Source: Famitsu, via PSU.com

No Blu-Ray for Xbox 360 After All

Dylan Duarte — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:04:05 +0000

Blu-Ray? More like “no way,” right? Right?!

A few days back, we reported on the Xbox 360 possibly supporting Blu-Ray in the future. That rumor has now been officially shot down by Microsoft.

Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for the console, came right out and told Reuters:

“Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience.”

He followed it up by saying that they’re the only console “offering digital distribution of entertainment content.”

Since the discontinuation of the HD-DVD player add-on, it looks like Xbox Live Marketplace is now the only option for Xbox users looking for HD entertainment.

So is the 360 Going Blu?

Dylan Duarte — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:28:35 +0000

Steve Ballmer Like Blu-Ray!

Yesterday we reported that Microsoft is in talks with Sony to bring Blu-Ray compatibility to the Xbox 360 console. Now it looks like that isn’t happening.

In a phone interview with Next-Gen, a Microsoft representative denied that the company was planning on bringing Blu-Ray to the console.

“There are no plans to introduce Blu-Ray,” were his exact words. He then went on to say that Microsoft intends to focus on bringing blockbuster games, not movies, to the 360.

However, MSoft chief executive Steve Ballmer admits that the company is looking for ways to support the format, but he doesn’t say anything about the Xbox 360 specifically.

“Toshiba has moved on. We’ve moved on, and we’ll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense,” Ballmer said.

So it looks like Microsoft is going Blu, but as of right now, the 360 is staying i’s non-Blue self.

Sources: Next-Gen (link above), Games Industry

Xbox 360 Getting a Blu-Ray Drive?

Dylan Duarte — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:13:39 +0000

In what may have seemed inevitable, Sony and Microsoft have been discussing the possibility of adding Blu-Ray capabilities to the Xbox 360.

Microsoft had previously backed the HD-DVD format, offering an optional HD-DVD drive for the 360 console. However, Toshiba’s announcement last month to abandon the format has changed things considerably.

Now the option of giving the 360 a Blu-Ray drive is being considered, though whether or not it will be a plug-in peripheral or integrated within the console itself is unknown at this point. Adding a Blu-Ray drive to the console could take away the PS3’s edge in that aspect, but it would also drive up the console’s price.

Now here’s my question: how much do you guys (and gals) value Blu-Ray?

Source: Games Industry

Duke Nukem Predicted Blu-ray Victory (Audio)

Jonathan Zungre — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:00:25 +0000

Well it seems that Duke Nukem does all things well, and that includes predicting who would win the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD war.

The Duke Nukem Forever trailer that we all saw back in December was originally part of a present to everyone who worked at 3D Realms for their Christmas party. What they didn’t show us non-employees was a four minute audio clip that played after the trailer that had Duke talking to the people at 3D Realms.

His speech was filled with inside jokes, the most notable being Duke predicting who would win the Blue-Ray/ HD-DVD war, in order to put one HD-DVD loving employee in his place. And Duke Nukem, my friends, is never wrong. Click on the link below to hear Duke’s thundering prediction made last December.

http://www.3drealms.com/sounds/duke_bluray.wav

“Blu-ray discs, yeah that’s right! Bue-ray, the true future of high definition, and you know it!” – Duke Nukem, December 2007

Also of note, 3D Realms says that the guy who does Duke Nukem’s voice is named Jon St. John. That can’t be true, can it? That seems as cruel as being named “Duke Nukem”.

Hop, Skip and a Jump: Sony’s Shares Go Up

Roly Reyes — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:35:20 +0000

Howard Stringer, Sony’s Chariman, looking smug in a marbled labyrinth.

Following the report of Toshiba officially pulling the plug on HD-DVD, Sony’s shares rose as much as 5% throughout the day.

The death of HD-DVD will likely lead to a higher adoption rate of the PS3, which in turn may lead to more NPD results in the vein of January, that had the PS3 outselling the 360 in the United States.

This then perpetuates the domino effect that we seem to be having. Both Universal and Paramount have now obviously announced their allegiance to Blu-ray, solidyfying the potential the format has to succeed.

Regardless of where our allegiances may lie, there’s no denying that a Playstation 3 that sells upwards of 250k in a US month is a good thing for the gaming industry.

Source: Next-Gen.biz

Image: Shiho Fukada for The New York Times

Wal-Mart Chooses Blu-Ray Exclusively

Michael Geslani — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:49:22 +0000

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer has decided to call it quits on Toshiba’s HD-DVD format, signaling what seems to be the end of the hi-def format war.

“We’ve listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases,” Gary Severson, head of home entertainment for Wal-Mart’s U.S. stores, said in a statement.

Just last week, online rental service Netflix Inc. has said that they will no longer carry rental for HD-DVD, allowing them to go exclusively with Sony’s Blu-ray disc.

With recent support from most studios and retailers, Blu-ray looks to be paving the way for HD-DVD’s grave. Studio support such as Disney, who supported Blu-ray from its early stages and Warner Bros, who has jumped ship to Blu-ray, are major reasons for the recent support.

Although Blu-ray may look to be the only hi-def format in the near future, HD-DVD still has an exclusive contract with Paramount Pictures, who also own DreamWorks and Universal Pictures.

According to the Associated Press, consumers are holding off buying hi-def DVD players until the format war has finally been decided.

Certainly the format war hasn’t completely ended, but with recent events, consumers are able to see which one will stay and may finally decide to go hi-def.