Blu-Ray Releases: Is anyone else angry at Paramount/Universal

Since the HDDVD standard is dead and no longer being manufactured what is taking so long for the previously HDDVD studios to release their new movies on Blu-Ray? For the second week in a row I have been denied the option to purchase a Blu-Ray disc. Last week, I went to several stores looking for a non-existent Blu-Ray version of Sweeney Todd (I thought it was a Warner title, but it is actually released by Paramont). This week, I have been denied the option to purchase There Will Be Blood on Blu-Ray. Since I was unable to buy these movies on Blu, I am simply renting these movies.

Are any other Blu owners getting frustrated with the former HDDVD exclusive studios not getting their act together? I dont see any excuse for not having a single release from these studios. HDDVD transfers were most likely already in production at the time of HDDVDs death, and seeing as how many neutral studios simply used the same transfer for both discs anyway, what is the freakin holdup?! Blu-Ray discs (such as Transformers) should already have been manufactured at the time of Paramount's defection to HD. Why not simply make Transformers available now since they already produced the disc?! Why not simply transfer HDDVD product over to Blu-Ray discs??!

Perhaps the biggest salt in the eye is that I have been noticing that many releases are available on Blu-Ray overseas. I have seen German copies of Beowolf and There Will Be Blood, and a Blu release of Sweeney Todd in Japan. I live near Hollywood, why cant I buy "Hollywood" movies on the new format??!

The way I see it, these studios are loosing my money. I have a Blu-Ray player, there is no longer any competitor to the format, and I want the studio's product. They are loosing my (and other Blu owners) business. Have there even been any announcements of release dates and specific movie titles from Paramount/Universal?

Anybody else getting very annoyed like I am?

I didn't think it was officially dead till the end of April, which would mean those companies would still not be allowed to release Blu-Ray movies yet.

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Good point. But I think the end of March was the cutoff date (at least for manufacturing/shipping of hardware). Studios are also not releasing HDDVD content, so I would think that the studios should be make the move. Although yes, we don't know what the terms of the contracts were.

Im getting very frustrated at the silence from those studios. I cant think of ANY news about them switching format that I have read since the day that HDDVD died. Nothing at all. I understand that there should be a delay with Universal since Blu is completely new to them, but Paramount really should be saying at least something (along with an apology for playing Benedict Arnold).


The only previously HD only titles that have been announced for blu that I know of are Band of Brothers (previously available only in Japan) and Batman Begins. Although both of these are Warner titles, and Warner was format neutral until the end.

I woulden't get angry about it, big companies are lumbering beasts and these sorts of things take time to organise reguardless of what they might already have lying around.


Because stuff is often distributed by different studios in different parts of the world, titles coming out on opposing formats in different regions has been happening since the start of the war.

It doesen't mean that Universal and Paramount coulden't buy in the assets from the other studios to avoid doing the work themselves thougth.

Yeah it annoys me too. I did read this morning that Firefly (the entire series) was coming to bluray soon, but that's Fox releasing, not Universal.

Unfortunately they know that because of the lack of competition, they can release Transformers whenever they want, and we'll still buy it.

More to the point, theres a confirmed sequel next year and cross-promoting with that will generate more mass market sales then releasing it now that public interest has moved on to this years movie fads.

Everytime I hear this, I get more and more excited.

confirmed sequel next year

It's not as though Paramount and Universal had a secret Blu-Ray factory up and ready to run the minute HDDVD was declared dead. While I'm not sure the terms of their HDDVD contract (I believe there was an escape clause for event such as the ones we've seen), they would still need to come to agreements with the BR consortium, retailers, manufacturers, etc. The discs are coming. Just be pateint.

You realize that they just can't take the HD DVD content and slap it on Blu-ray, right? Stuff that originally used HDi will need to be redone to use BD-J. Not to mention, these studios may be waiting to take advantage BD-Live.