“Vivid is not in the business of choosing one format over the other,” Hirsch told DailyTech. “We are content producers and will distribute our movies on whatever formats are available. We will produce and let the consumer decide which format they like best.”
On Jan. 12, XBiz reported that Digital Playground had decided to go with Sony’s Blu-ray format, making it the first adult production company to take a stand on the issue.
Digital Playground founder Joone told XBiz that his decision was based on several factors, including the ability to play Blu-ray discs on Sony’s PlayStation 3 as well as the format’s larger storage capacity and advanced security features.
Hirsch addressed the latter issue by saying, “As with Hollywood movies, it is very important to protect our movies. We believe that both formats will offer an acceptable DRM solution. If they do not, they will certainly have difficulty getting product.”
The Digital Playground decision was good news for Sony, considering the impact adult entertainment has traditionally had on the adoption of new technologies.
But given Vivid’s position in the industry — Forbes magazine estimates that a third of all adult DVDs sold in the U.S. carry the Vivid name — Hirsch’s announcement could similarly bolster Toshiba and its supporters in the HD-DVD camp.
