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Meanwhile it seems that LG have indeed brought out a DVD player which plays both formats. Is it too late? Quite a few pundits seem to think so.
And as the media conglomerates seem to be about to settle the squabble about how to distribute the profits from HD movies, how to lock up the content with the right sort of DRM, and possibly put an end to the format war, there is an ongoing dispute about the writers' share. Of course we all know that the pen is supposed to be mightier than the sword. But will it prove to be mighty enough to defeat the media oligopolies? Last year, the Writers' Guild started their campaign, including various stunts like mailing pencils to producers and mock exorcisms (with Warner Bros as the Target).
It is possible that the Golden Globe Awards and Oscars ceremonies may be cancelled. It appears that without someone to write the patter, acceptance speeches etc, the celebrities would not be very impressive. Some of them (celebrities) may also be reluctant to cross the picket lines. This would mean that the ceremonies, which at the best of times are as dull as ditch-water, might be about as exciting as watching a fresh coat of paint dry on a humid day.
It seems that the corporations cry foul when pirates "steal" the Intellectual property, which they claim to own. They cry loud and long about the theft of this content. And they remind the public of the writers, actors etc, whose property is being stolen. It comes as no surprise to discover that a lot of writing staff are hired on contract. And when there are further sales (e.g. DVD sales), many of them miss out altogether. So just whose Intellectual Property is it? And who are those naughty pirates actually stealing from?
And there is always the danger that the goose that lays the golden egg might get slaughtered in the process ... It looks like 2008 is going to be an interesting year for the entertainment media.