It’s not often that we report on pure industry business newsy-type items like who got promoted or what sales figures were grown in forumla, spun in a cetrifuge then released into the wild, but the recent decision by Netflix to drop HD-DVD seemed like a worthy target and judging by the traffic that bit got some of you actually give a shit about this whole DVD format war thing.
(gasps for breath.)
Which is now officially over.
(dramatic pause.)
OK, ok, by saying ‘officially’ I’m speaking as far above my pay grade as Dana Barrett sleeps above her covers, but with Wal Mart deciding that blu is the chain’s favorite color (surprised? have you seen their logo?) then only a member of Toshiba’s inner circle or one of the misbegotten Xbox 360 designers at Microsoft (who, I think, should collectively be packed into a hamster ball and shot into a pool of lava to pay for my three dead 360s) will still be singing the same old song about the virtues of HD-DVD.
(insert clip from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang of Michelle Monaghan talking about 35-year old actresses here.)
Wal-Mart will phase out HD-DVD by June, which gives Paramount and Universal not much time to get on the right side of the fence. Will I be able to spin high-def copies of Hot Fuzz and Raiders of the Lost Ark in my PS3 by year end? Bet on it now.