With the USA going for HD-only broadcasts in 2009, the year 2008 promises to be *the one* in the trend towards HDTV to being the most popular format worldwide. Most major retailers are burying or eliminating their non-HD and tube-based televisions, even if consumers are still returning some HD equipment. Releases are still primarily in DVD, but again, the trend may crossover to HD (Blu-Ray and HD DVD, and downloadable) as the consumers start plugging in devices such as sometimes-free PlayStation 3 gaming consoles that allow HD Movie playback.
For 2008, this site - HDmovies.org - will look to revamp the look and usability of the website, and blend in web 2.0 graphics to modernize the look. Traffic to the site continues to increase overall, and there is a lot that can be offered to people looking for information.
For a change of pace - this video is a partially-accurate view of life in 1999, as seen from a Plilco-Ford 1967 video. It is remarkably familiar, in how a home computer would allow bill-paying and how electronic mail (though hand-written) would happen instantaneously. The idea of high-definition TV was surely going to be in the sequel to this… along with portable electronic music players (MP3’s):
Our new HDmovies Newslist will give you instant updates to the site, and also keep you informed of the latest (no more frequently than weekly) news & tips:
Both of the two main HDTV formats, Blu-Ray and HD DVD, allow more interactivity than older technologies such as DVD (and, heh, VCR’s!). And since movies - the ones destined to be classics, at least - have a life span of decades, then perhaps it’s not too much to expect savvy HD-movie releases that build in social networking into the take-home discs.
The article - Getting More From Your High-Definition Movies - mused about the current state of HD interactivity, including shopping while viewing. Think if a “Devil wears Prada” type of movie release might make it worthwhile for studios to give away the discs and make it up on the long-term and perhaps exclusive shopping tie-ins. The same business model works for tv. Practically give away the childrens programming to hook in market share, and make a bundle on licensed products.
We’ll have to see how the Evan Almighty release fares with in-movie shopping. The movie “will contain a simple Web browser that connects to Universal’s online store” (AP article).
As to the social and marketing aspects, not everyone will want to get to know people watching the same movie that they are, or be cine-spammed to buy a travel vacation to search for their own “Under the Tuscan Sun” villa. But no one should rule out tie-in possibilities along the lines of “Buy the movie by November 20 and chat with the stars of the film (with compatible HD players) on November 21″.
With a recent upgrade to the iPod line, including the new iPod Touch (and the similar-format iPhone’s iPod player), Apple is poised to upgrade the content side, according to rumor. Apple TV will always benefit from more HD content, and iTunes already has HD-format podcasts. This Mac Daily News article - HD content coming to Apple iTunes Store, Apple TV - discusses the potential for the fall-winter selling season.
But, some news that Paramount could support Blu-Ray by 2009, and also included - a reference to the other format war: “the prospect of HD movie downloads via broadband”.
Someday all the buzz about limitations of HD movies being downloadable via the internet will be old news… until then…
The article “”Why HD movie downloads are a big lie“” discusses how a DVD has more data than the HD movie download streams do, and it also contrasts this with HD IPTV.
