Digital Playground, which had been using HD DVD formatting for its videos will start releasing titles on Blu-ray, due in part to the increased popularity of the format that, according to Joone, has been caused by the proliferation of PlayStation 3 console which allows users to view Blu-ray discs.
A statement reportedly issued from Digital Playground on hi-tech blog Hi-Def Digest read, “We are currently producing both HD DVD and Blu-ray. HD DVD is still a viable market for us and we’re selling a lot of units. There are over a million players out there, so it may be perceived as ‘dead’ in the long term, but on an immediate basis, it’s still a viable market.
“We will continue to grow our Blu-ray business as well, and for us, it’s going to be a smooth transition if we have to go from one to the other,” the statement said. “For the time being, we will continue to release our movies on HD DVD. We have a good, solid customer (HD DVD) base that is buying a healthy quantity, so until that number starts coming down, we will continue supporting it.”
The studio has already released its blockbuster title of 2005 “Pirates” on Blu-ray this month, with eight more videos to follow in February including “Island Fever 4,” “Babysitters,” “Island Fever 3,” “Jack’s Teen America 3,” “Jess Jane: Sexual Freak,” “Hush,” “Contract Star” and “Jesse in Pink.”
Vivid owner Steven Hirsch said that the company would continue to release most of its titles on HD DVD, reserving Blu-ray formatting for blockbusters due to the expense of the replication process.
“Currently Blu-ray is very expensive to encode and replicate. It probably won't be embraced by the adult industry until the price is lowered,” Hirsch told DailyTech.com. “We will continue to consider [Blu-ray] for some of our blockbuster titles and also continue to produce in HD DVD."
So far, Vivid has released three titles on Blu-ray disc, including Paul Thomas’ “Debbie Does Dallas… Again,” Eon McKai’s “Debbie Loves Dallas” and newly released “The Sunny Experiment” starring Vivid contract star Sunny Leone.
With declining DVD sales overall, cost is a significant factor in the slow adoption of Blu-ray by the adult industry.
“With DVD sales down as much as 50 percent for some companies, it's difficult to fund new product based on current sales,” independent adult industry analyst and consultant Kathee Brewer said. “So the price of new endeavors becomes a huge issue.”
Pushback from the official licensor of Blu-ray technology Sony, also has affected the availability of officially licensed Blu-ray replication for adult videos after the company announced that it would not deal directly with adult material, a stance they have since softened.
Several Blu-ray replicators in Asia will reportedly provide service to adult companies, and the Blu-ray Disc Association has loosened restrictions.
“There are a few replicators in Asia who’ll touch adult, but sending masters to the people who are notorious for contributing to the piracy problem is a lot like handing the chickens over to the fox with your blessing,” Brewer added.
On the floor of the AEE show in Vegas, a few domestic companies like DVDemonInc.com were there to do business with adult companies interested in Blu-ray.
