Microsoft: We Didn't Pay Paramount for HD DVD

[HDTV1080P]

According to this article it appears someone else in the HD-DVD camp paid Paramount to go HD-DVD exclusive. I am sure Microsoft is helping Toshiba since they are on the HD-DVD team. Could Mircosoft pay Toshiba and then Toshiba pay Paramount?

Quote
“Kevin Collins, who runs Microsoft's HD DVD unit, is denying that his company paid Paramount to exclusively back HD DVD in the high-def format war against Blu-ray.”

Quote
“However, Collins appeared to indirectly confirm that Toshiba paid the studios. The Microsoft executive says an article by the web site Ain'tItCool.com accurately described why Paramount is supporting HD DVD.”

http://www.tvpredictions.com/microsoft082907.htm

[nhaase]

Yea, so MS laundered to Paramount through Toshiba. Just ask Peter Gibbons, Michael Bolton, and Samir "Notgonnaworkhereanymore" how to do it. They'll direct you to a crack dealer.

[GarettP]

Originally Posted by nhaase

Yea, so MS laundered to Paramount through Toshiba. Just ask Peter Gibbons, Michael Bolton, and Samir "Notgonnaworkhereanymore" how to do it. They'll direct you to a crack dealer.

First though you have to look up the meaning of laundering in the dictionary!

[CptGreedle]

Originally Posted by GarettP

First though you have to look up the meaning of laundering in the dictionary!

Reminds me of Office Space. lol!

"We get caught laundering money, we're not going to white collar resort prison. No, no, no. We're going to Federal pound me in the @$$ prison!"

[Proteus]

When the story first broke it was clearly stated that the HDDVD Promotions group was the one who put up the money for Paramount/Dreamworks.

That includes Microsoft but is not them paying directly.

Just because Microsoft laundered the money through the HDDVD Promotions group (as did Toshiba) it does not me they didn't pay for it. They paid. Oh, yes, they most certainly paid.

[Branden]

Kevin Collins is right in saying MS didn't payoff Paramount because MS didn't write a $150M cheque directly to Paramount. the fact is MS is pumping alot of dough into the HD-DVD arena to keep it alive, it just so happens that $150M of that found its way to Paramount with a bit of winking and nudging from MS.

[Blue]

This site tvpredictions seems to be getting a great deal of quotes here. They were invisible until this Paramount thingo and since then have been making all sorts of claims mainly FUD for HD-DUD - their blogs are even more impressive for outrageousness. There are some sites that I take no notice of what they have to say and this site is climbing up that list rapidly.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Blue

This site tvpredictions seems to be getting a great deal of quotes here. They were invisible until this Paramount thingo and since then have been making all sorts of claims mainly FUD for HD-DUD - their blogs are even more impressive for outrageousness. There are some sites that I take no notice of what they have to say and this site is climbing up that list rapidly.

It's been very noticeable with this site and several others.

[BigB88]

Everyone on the planet knows Microsoft paid Para***** off, it doesn't take a rocket scientist, an accountant or your pet tarantula to figure this out. They (Microsoft) are just insulting everyone's intelligence by statements such as these.

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by BigB88

Everyone on the planet knows Microsoft paid Para***** off, it doesn't take a rocket scientist, an accountant or your pet tarantula to figure this out. They (Microsoft) are just insulting everyone's intelligence by statements such as these.

Meanwhile in other news...MS didn't pay their partners to stuff the ISO ballot.

The MS Business Partners who never participated in the technical process - showed up at the door in the last minute and bought the vote.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?s...70829070630660


"In an informational email that, according to Microsoft, went "to a few" partner companies, they write among other things that their partners are "expected" to join the standards insitute and "participate on the meeting the 27/8, to vote yes to Open XML”.

The partner companies are also asked to participate in some additional meeting after the ballot, this to "show their good judgment".
For the partners that do not feel they are adequately knowledgeable about the subject, Microsoft offers ready-made arguments as to why Office Open XML should be accepted by SIS.

[The partner companies] do not need to discuss the technical contents in the specification but should be prepared to offer a few arguments as to why they vote yes - these will be provided by Microsoft", the company writes. The fee for joining SIS is 15 000 SEK [appx $1200] and the partnership companies will have to cover this themselves, but the software giant offers "marketing support" and "additional support in the form of Microsoft resources" to the partners that join and participate in the ballot."

See .. they didn't pay anyone.

[patrick99]

Originally Posted by Blue

This site tvpredictions seems to be getting a great deal of quotes here. They were invisible until this Paramount thingo and since then have been making all sorts of claims mainly FUD for HD-DUD - their blogs are even more impressive for outrageousness. There are some sites that I take no notice of what they have to say and this site is climbing up that list rapidly.

This article is more friendly:

http://www.tvpredictions.com/smith082607.htm

[cartier]

The term many of you are thinking of is funneled not laundered. The money from Microsoft was funneled through the HD-DVD group to Paramount. Besides, I am sure Toshiba coughed up $1M or so after Microsoft convinced them it was a good idea.

[Blu Tiger]

Didn't Newsweek report that MS was the one to pay them?

[beatboy77]

Remember that actions speak louder then words. I have been saying since last week the easiest way to judge Microsoft's involvement is to study the codecs used in the newly announced Paramount releases.

Currently Paramount has used roughly a 50/50 split of VC-1 and AVC transfers. If suddenly everything goes VC-1, then there we have it!

Actions speak louder then words

~Josh

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by Blu Tiger

Didn't Newsweek report that MS was the one to pay them?

MS didn't pay them directly .. just hinted stongly it was in their best interest to do so and they would be compensated with other incentives.

Newsweek? Ha ha that's funny. Sorry nothing personal, but you mean the mainstream media that ignored the 360 failures for so long while dumping on the competition at every minor nonsensical detail? That "News"week. Still not sure if they ever published anything in their print magazine.

Just look at AVS and the FUD around Blu-ray and consider what might be going on at gaming magazines and game review sites ...

Bioshock has a deep flaw in it's gameplay and has no multi-player and gets 10/10. No score deductions for lack of multi-player in a $60 game.

Warhawk has been praised for it's gameplay across the board and has no single player. But gets score deductions for no single-player despite being $40.

But then again I was telling people of the 360 failure rate a very long time before it was a twinkle in anyones eyes and I was just a conspiracy theorist then as well .

[jermwhl]

Originally Posted by cartier

The term many of you are thinking of is funneled not laundered. The money from Microsoft was funneled through the HD-DVD group to Paramount. Besides, I am sure Toshiba coughed up $1M or so after Microsoft convinced them it was a good idea.

Yea...get it right...this isn't a blu forum its a english dictionary forum...let's use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and for God's sake use your words correctly in sentences too! If not, you'll be banned for improper use of the english language!

[phranctoast]

Remember that actions speak louder then words. I have been saying since last week the easiest way to judge Microsoft's involvement is to study the codecs used in the newly announced Paramount releases.

Currently Paramount has used roughly a 50/50 split of VC-1 and AVC transfers. If suddenly everything goes VC-1, then there we have it!

Actions speak louder then words

I was under the impression that MS hardly sees a dime of the royalties for vc-1 since so many other companies also have a hand in the money pot.

[Teazle]

Originally Posted by Blue

This site tvpredictions seems to be getting a great deal of quotes here. They were invisible until this Paramount thingo and since then have been making all sorts of claims mainly FUD for HD-DUD - their blogs are even more impressive for outrageousness. There are some sites that I take no notice of what they have to say and this site is climbing up that list rapidly.

I was impressed with the piece on Sunday, basically a pro-Blu opinion piece giving some historical background to the Paramount decision.

When it comes to hard news I'd trust the reportage of the New York Times over tvpredictions.com any day. I doubt the latter is in any position to investigate the claims they are repeating.