Netflix to drop HDDVD

[Anthony]

According to Endgadget, Gizmodo, and Bizjournal, Netflix is dumping HD-DVD.

Looks like I'm ending my subscription there, which is a shame, because we were really enjoying it.

I have vowed never to buy a Sony or Sony backed product again -- so I guess I'm sitting this one out until a download (to own, not rent) medium comes about.

Oh well, maybe I'll get back to music and reading.

[TwisterZ]

I just looked on there website and found Bluray but no HD-DVD. Blockbuster online still has about 300 titles listed for HD-DVD.

[wbassett]

I wonder what they did with the titles then? I was hoping if they did drop the format they'd sell them off as previously viewed like they do with their SDVDs. I was going to jump on a few if they did that and the price was right!

[HomeTeam]

TwisterZ wrote:

I just looked on there website and found Bluray but no HD-DVD. Blockbuster online still has about 300 titles listed for HD-DVD.

They still have them. I just went there and found the HD-DVD section. I'd be mad if it wasn't because I still have some movies on my queue that are HD-DVD.

[PhotoByMark]

Kind of a bummer as I just bought a used HDDVD and figured I could rent HDDVDs from NetFlix...... I have plans to buy a PS3 for Blu-Ray, I guess I am doing that sooner than I thought since I mostly just rent/watch movies from NetFlix.
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FYI: Just Rx'd From NetFlix:

We're Going Blu-ray

Dear Mark,

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.

-The Netflix Team

[Anthony]

got the go-ahead from the wife. Netflix is officially dumped. Sadly there was no feedback form to tell them why. Maybe they'll correlate the e-mail announcement with the cancellation on the same day.

[nova]

Looks like the race may be nearing an end. Wonder if HD DVD or Toshiba have anything left up their sleeves?

[fibreKid]

I just saw the same email today also. Looks like they are trying to cut their losses, I guess they don't want to purchase anything that will have a perceived limited return. This could hurt the HD-DVD & Blu Ray community. I was hoping for a dual format war a little longer to drive the prices down. This may not be a good thing for either side.

[Radec]

It looks as if they aren't the only one getting away from HD-DVD:

Best Buy Recommends Blu-Ray over HD-DVD

[tcarcio]

They will still rent the movies that they already have they just won't get any new ones. I cancelled also.

[wbassett]

I just saw the email too, but have no plans on cancelling. We still get regular DVDs through them plus we have a Bluray player too.

This isn't a death blow, Warner was the death blow, these are the nails in the coffin.

Best Buy... they always did lean more towards Bluray so that's no surprise to me at all. When I bought my HDTV last year they were all Bluray all the way as if it was the only format. They only talked about HD DVD when I brought it up, and then they didn't have any players in stock.

Block Buster and Netflix are a bigger deal than BB and CC to me. Stores can and do pick favorites (mainly it's a money thing... paid premium space, endcap displays and things like that) but when Block Buster and Netflix dump a format, it's over. Again going back to the Beta/VHS 'war', when Block Buster started dumping Beta movies, people complained but ultimately it was more like a whimper and they just bought VHS players and rented VHS.

I really wouldn't fault Netflix and cancel just because of this. If the reverse happened and instead of Warner announcing they went Bluray exclusive, say Disney and Warner announced they were going HD DVD exclusive, Netflix would be dumping Bluray. I'm sure people would cancel over that too, but again it's not really their fault, they are a business. They will still have their existing titles, they just won't be spending money on any new HD DVD releases, which are starting to dwindle anyway.

Hey though... if everyone cancels, when they start selling off their previously viewed HD DVDs that's more for me! Just kidding guys, but there probably will be some good deals when they start selling their inventory.

Seriously though, I know to some people this is emotional and feels like a loyaty thing, but step back and think about what you would do if you ran a business. Would you keep spending money on a format that is on the way out?

[PhotoByMark]

What Bill says above makes sense to me. I do not plan to quit NetFlix. In fact, it was already my intention to get a BluRay player as I already planned on having players for both formats.

[bobgpsr]

If Universal, Paramount and Dreamworks hang tough with exclusive HD DVD then Netflix's statement: "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." does not make any logical sense. How does eliminating the high definition offerings from these three studios give Netflix customers a better selection?

Not that I really care a lot at the moment. I'm happy with what I got and do not rent titles by mail. Only buying must-have hi def titles like Elizabeth-TGA, Beowulf, and Die Fledermaus at this time. My wife will happy that I am no longer buying a lot -- she does not like "large" collections of stuff. So the Warner decision and my buying slowdown help. Since I do not yet have a >50" display missing out on Blu-ray high def titles is not a big deal. Renting SD DVD at the local video rental store and upconverting to a < 40" display still works for me.

If I wait long enough using 32 GB SD HC flash memory for renting/collecting high def movies will become viable. Load them at a movie vending kiosk in a convenient store which solves the high bandwidth "last mile" network connection to the home issue? It is a race between that and < $200 profile 2.0 (BD Live) players for me.

[Anthony]

Well my biggest fear on the kiosk/download front is that it will be the DivX fiasco all over again. Studios will only cater to rental places and not to an ownership model so they can make more money.

So I'm holding out for a download to own or other fixed ownership model that does NOT have Sony's claws all over it. Upconverted regular DVD is fine by me, and for a great many titles I could not tell the difference (it's only as sharp as the source material).

The only reason we went with Netflix was so that we wouldn't get caught with a bunch of obsolete movies while the format war was ongoing. Since they chose, we decided to dump them (that and their streaming movies were problematic at best). Plus, there's no downside. We could reactivate for the same price later -- it was more important to send a message to them NOW.

[OvalNut]

There isn't a message to be sent anymore. It's over.

All that's left is for existing in process HD-DVD projects to be published, and existing inventory to be bought up.

With no significant studio support to create new product, and no significant distribution channels to sell new or existing product, there is is no product flow, no cash flow.

What we're looking out at right now is a battlefield with the smoke lifting as we hear sporadic skirmishes in the distance between lost units who just haven't run out of bullets quite yet.

It's over.

Tim