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October, 2005 - Our understanding is that Paramount Home Entertainment
also continues to support HD DVD, a position established in comments from
Paramount officials in press reports. We see
Paramount's
continued commitment to releasing HD DVD titles as proof that the studio still
recognizes HD DVD's advantages: accelerated time to market, greater proven
capacity, lower expected price, and enhanced consumer features. We look forward
to continuing to collaborate with the studio in this important product area.
We understand that studios want to
see precisely what will happen in the CE and IT industries, and that they will
want to support all potential markets for their products.
However, once HD DVD comes to
market at the end of 2005 in Japan, and early next year in the
United
States as planned, it will not take long to
know which format really delivers the benefits of high definition to the
consumer.
In terms of development, HD DVD is
far in advance of Blu-ray. Volume production of discs will see decisive cost and
productivity advantages in favor of HD DVD. On the strength of these facts, we
are convinced that Hollywood studios and other
content holders will eventually opt for commercialization in the HD DVD format.
The HD DVD format is the only
next-generation DVD format defined by the DVD Forum, the international
organization that determines DVD specifications. The Forum has approximately 240
member companies around the world, including major Hollywood studios and leaders in the CE and IT industries.
The HD DVD format was arrived at only after extensive, open discussions and
technical evaluations among the membership. Moreover, development of HD DVD is
in the final phase, and we are proceeding with necessary preparations for
commercialization.
HD DVD features compatibility with
current DVD, and to this adds advanced characteristics, including efficient
manufacturing of discs and hardware, cost efficiency, superior connectivity with
PCs through iHD software. As HDTV and large-sized flat panel TVs continue their
market penetration, HD DVD alone offers the ability to meet rapidly increasing
consumer demand for high definition DVD content in a timely manner. Last but not
least, HD DVD will adopt AACS, created by major IT and CE companies, and so
realize Hollywood's most pressing concern: robust
content protection '“ a great benefit to content holders.
Source: Toshiba
