TotalHD delayed until ’08
Early this year, Warner Bros. announced the TotalHD disc format meant to put an end to the high-def format war. This double-sided disc features Blu-ray on one side and HD DVD on the other. Last month, Warner announced a couple titles would be released on TotalHD only to recall that comment. It now looks like TotalHD is pushed back until the beginning of next year at the earliest.
No reason for the delay was officially announced, but speculation within the industry suggests Warner is waiting to see if the ’07 holiday season shakes out a definitive win. In my judgment, TotalHD sounds like a cool idea, but it may only create more confusion in a market already overrun with ennui. Retailers have already been mixing HD DVD software in the DVD rack, and offering Blu-ray deals along with Toshiba players, so adding another format in the mix will make things even more dificult for the average consumer to understand.
It is uncertain if the TotalHD disc would cost more for the consumer, but I’ve already heard many HD DVD supporters complaining about the HD DVD/DVD combo discs making the cost higher. Universal has re-released combo HD DVD “flippers” removing the DVD side, and Warner has announced a slew of titles going the same route. Perhaps time will only tell if TotalHD is a genius marketing move or a half-baked idea.
What do you think of the TotalHD format?
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I believe an old statement from Warner said something along the lines of “TotalHD discs will not cost significantly more to manufacture”
What does “significantly more” mean? No ones knows at this point, but we might be able to make an estimate on the total cost by looking at the former Blu-ray vs HD DVD replication costs article that I published earlier.