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Casualties of High Definition Optical Disc Format War
On February 19th Blu-ray all but cemented its victory over HD DVD in the format war when Toshiba announced they will cease production of HD DVD hardware, software, and authoring tools. On the same day, Universal Studios dropped their seemingly unwavering support for HD DVD in favor of its counterpart. This followed a trend of shifting business alliances; Warner Bros., Wal-Mart, Best Buy, NetFlix, and Blockbuster all jumped ship. In short, Blu-ray has won.
This is disappointing to me. I really wanted to see HD DVD win, not because I think the technology is better - I have no idea - but because of the way each side dealt with the p0rn industry. HD DVD was very friendly to them. The format had a lower cost and was easier to be converted into. Moreover, most production companies actually received technical support from Microsoft and Toshiba in adjusting to this technology.
Sony Corp., on the other hand, took a strong stand against adult films. They blocked manufacturers from producing them on Blu-ray and threatened to revoke the licenses of those who do not comply. The pressure to do so came from Disney when they threatened to not cooperate with high-def video manufacturers that press p0rn titles. Sony buckled under the threat. Microsoft and Toshiba did not.
It would have been nice to see p0rn strike back, call Sony’s bluff, and pledge to only support HD DVD. This could have been a fatal blow at the height of the format battle when Blu-ray was lagging. Sony would have remembered their Betamax fiasco which lost to VHS decades ago - due in no small part to the greater availability of ex-rated movies. This p0rn biz is legit. It shot life into technologies such as streaming video on the internet, and the internet itself. It is not wise to make enemies with a $57 billion a year business.
Despite their strength, a standoff with Blu-ray would not have been beneficial for them. The home market is no longer the cash cow that it was. With DVD sales declining 15% annually, they no longer have the same leverage over companies like Sony, nor do they need it. They are focused on the inevitable and complete crossover to online films. In a few years, the format war will be a moot point because adult films won’t be sold as Blu-ray or HD DVD; they will all be on the web.
Knowing they would not fight back, Sony and Disney took this opportunity to grandstand against the p0rn industry. Now they have their headlines, seem socially conscious, and as for Disney, have refined their squeaky clean image.
Maybe people will forget that dirty movies have been played on Sony DVD players and VCRs for decades, or that Grand Theft Auto, where the hero has sex with pr0stitutes, is available for Playstation consoles. And as for Disney? They’re a virtual “Where’s Waldo” of dirty imagery in their full length animated features. Remember the castle on the cover of The Little Mermaid? They also own Mirimax Films which released Kids - an NC-17 film with drug abuse, date rape, and sex with twelve-year-olds - fun for the whole family!
Despite such glaring contradictions, Blu-ray won. The adult film industry was not able to tip the scales. But fret not. This is not because p0rn0graphy is no longer a powerful force. America has not awoken to a newfound morality. The industry simply has bigger fish to fry. It needs to stay afloat amongst all of the amateur sites on the internet giving the product away. The home video consul is a dying animal as far as they are concerned, and their eyes are set on the future. They pretty much gave Sony and Disney this victory.
Let’s see those self-righteous corporate pricks take down p0rn in cyberspace.
All that being said, “blue films” and Blu-ray will soon go hand in hand. Digital Playground Inc. has already begun releasing films on that format and Vivid Entertainment Group isn’t far behind. Sony will not stand in their way, in fact, they’ve already begun denying to have ever made the threats. And now that everything will be on Blu-ray inside of a year, Disney will not boycott the whole thing because of a couple dirty pictures.
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