Warner Bros. painfully still backing HD DVD

[atdm71]

Check out this quote from Steve Nickerson, senior vice president, high hefinition media at Warner Bros:
http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/ne...vd-claim.phtml

Why does Warner persist with this nonsense? Seriously!!...

[TheOmegaSoldier]

because he is clearly smoking something too good for the rest of us

[ReduxInflux]

seriously...how frustrating is this? fighting facts with speculation...

now someone needs to do a study finding out how many video game users use their consoles for movie watching? i used my xbox, 360 and now ps3 for exactly those things...moreso than videogames. his assertion is ridiculous...especially considering the statistical landslide of blu-ray player sales (including the ps3 and pcs with blu ray drives) over hd-dvd machines. so lets say that only 1/2 of ps3 owners actually use their systems for blu-ray playback (which is a ludicrous statistical hackjob to give hd-dvd a handicap) - blu ray would still be leading the market... in an instance like this...we have to look at dvd sales and blu-ray is clearly winning (plus its even more clearcut when you consider the fact that hd-dvd had a significant head start)

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by ReduxInflux

now someone needs to do a study finding out how many video game users use their consoles for movie watching?

Actually you don't. That would just be giving creedence to the entire sideshow. Look at the movie sales and you have your answer. There is no logical reason why anyone who buys an HD-DVD standalone would have a different attach rate than someone buying a blu standalone... both are enthusiasts. Ok, so let's assume the same attach rate for standalones.

Now let's assume that those of us who also see our PS3 as a movie player, have an HDTV and all the other junk one would need for HD movie viewing also would have a fairly similar attach rate. I mean why wouldn't we? Are we not enthusiasts? Are there lots of people out there just buying 1 or 2 movies? Doubt it, you either see it as a movie player or you don't for the most part.

Now you can figure out the rest w/ simple math. Howveer the bottom line is just look at the sales of movies. Then the real scale-tipper will be that many current PS3 owers who do not use their console for movies will in the future. They already have the darn machine. They'll figure it out sooner or later or maybe they just have to buy the rest of the equipment.

[jrchisholm]

His statement:
"This is simply because those who buy a standalone player are interested solely in buying and watching movies and other video content, whereas those with HD drives built into games consoles are primarily interested in games."

Not true:
I own 3 PS3 games and 140 blu-ray movies. I bought the PS3 to watch movies. I watch usually 1 a night, but I wanted the option to play games when I want to. I usually play games 1 or 2 times a month.

[MasterXeus]

Originally Posted by jrchisholm

His statement:
"This is simply because those who buy a standalone player are interested solely in buying and watching movies and other video content, whereas those with HD drives built into games consoles are primarily interested in games."

Not true:
I own 3 PS3 games and 140 blu-ray movies. I bought the PS3 to watch movies. I watch usually 1 a night, but I wanted the option to play games when I want to. I usually play games 1 or 2 times a month.

I agree with you. I own a PS3 and have 53 Blu-ray movies and growing. 95% of the time my PS3 is use for watching DVD and Blu-ray moives. The PS3 price is just to good for a blu-ray player, it just happens to have the bounus of being able to play video games.

But most people are still stuck in the 90s were a video game system is for games and a DVD player is for Moives.

I'm sure WB is making money off HD-DVD and Blu-ray, so why stop. Look at the best selling HD-DVD movies of 2007 so far. I believe most of them are from WB. Why would they give up the profit?

[Zvi]

40+ BD movies and 0 ps3 games for my PS3

[Dadds]

I have never owned a standalone player and never plan too. I used PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, laptop and my desktop to watch movies for the past 7 years.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by jrchisholm

His statement:
"This is simply because those who buy a standalone player are interested solely in buying and watching movies and other video content, whereas those with HD drives built into games consoles are primarily interested in games."

Not true:
I own 3 PS3 games and 140 blu-ray movies. I bought the PS3 to watch movies. I watch usually 1 a night, but I wanted the option to play games when I want to. I usually play games 1 or 2 times a month.

He's just trying to oversimplify because it makes his point.

[theknub]

"These figures are especially important because the standalone player market is by far the biggest driver of movie sales in the long-term."

"This is simply because those who buy a standalone player are interested solely in buying and watching movies and other video content, whereas those with HD drives built into games consoles are primarily interested in games."

long term, yes standalones are more important. however, in what ways do you introduce your product to the consumer? right now, you can offer only standalones, or incorporate it into a product that the mass market wants that will intoduce it to millions of people without them having to buy one single extra. then, these people go out and buy a standalone later. makes sense to me...

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by theknub

long term, yes standalones are more important. however, in what ways do you introduce your product to the consumer? right now, you can offer only standalones, or incorporate it into a product that the mass market wants that will intoduce it to millions of people without them having to buy one single extra. then, these people go out and buy a standalone later. makes sense to me...

Wrong. Standalones will not be more important long term. Convergence is a real trend. I'll never but a standalone because I can just add another PS3.

[mikem471]

Originally Posted by Blu-Ray Buckeye

Wrong. Standalones will not be more important long term. Convergence is a real trend. I'll never but a standalone because I can just add another PS3.

Actually standalones will be more important long term! There are quite a few consumers that won't buy a "video game system" to watch movies, it's a stigma that seems like it won't go away anytime soon. Not too mention, standalones will get cheaper and cheaper, and low prices help a new technology reach the masses more than convergence.

[dialog_gvf]

^^^ True. But, every PS/3 now owned is hooked up to something. And it is a total waste if it isn't a nice HD capable display.

Convincing people who already own an HD disc player to spend $25 on Pirates of the Carribean 3 would seem to be a heck of a lot easier than convincing them to spend $250 on an HD DVD player and then join in the harassment of Disney for a couple of years to convince them to put out product for it.

Gary

[donricouga]

What an idiot. Why then does hddvd lead bluray in standalone sales yet bluray leads hddvd in disc/movie sales ?
Easy ! The PS3 !
(In napoleans voice .... Gosh !)

[Sir Terrence]

Alot of these studio guys do not understand that Sony has completely changed the game by putting a blu-ray drive in the PS3. Honestly, I am not a gamer, and the PS3 is not just a gaming machine, and these studio executives need to learn this. They are thinking in an old business model in a new world.

Yes, I would have normally purchased a stand alone if it could do what the PS3 can. However, none of the current blu-ray players can play SACD's, allow me to stream music into my system or store it, allow my god-children to play games, or can be updated via the internet. It was also at the time the cheapest way to get into blu-ray. Alot of us went that direction early in this war, and that has changed the game completely and the studio exec's need to get hip to this news. We are not in the DVD, VHS or CD model. The lines have blurred considerably with the PS3, so to dismiss it as much as the HD DVD group has is their undoing. They are not paying attention to disc sales at all, or it would be impossible to dismiss the effect of the PS3.

[ReduxInflux]

ps3 owners vote here: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=11680

[GasCat]

From what I have read, Nickerson is a liason for the HD-DVD Promotions Group from Waner Brothers. He is like Amir and fighting for his job.

Blu-ray Association hits back at HD DVD sales claims
Wants consoles included in figures to measure success
http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/ne...vd-claim.phtml

According to the Blu-ray Disc Association European Promotions Committee, it says that this claim is “misleading and misrepresentative” of the real and clear market trends in Europe, before admitting that HD DVD “does have sales advantage for several reasons.”

Where is has a gripe however, is that the HD DVD figures fail to include the European PC drive sales or Sony’s PlayStation 3 console.

According to the BDA European Promotions Committee including these would mean that Blu-ray Disc accounts for almost 95 per cent of all next generation hardware sales in Europe this year.

We rest our case.

[GoldenRedux]

Perhaps Warner should call up the RIAA, because they have known for years that they were losing sales amongst their prime demographic to DVDs and video games. How is it all of a sudden now, that people cannot figure out that the PS3, which has a Blu-ray player built-in to each and every one that ships, is being used to - you guessed it - actually play Blu-ray movies? Blu-ray movies which, I might add, cost less than your average console game.

[KenThompson]

Warner has been giving us the shaft for some time now. Why does a dead format rate Batman Begins and we don't. I want Forbidden Planet but if I want to see it I need a dead player.I have more Warner titles than any other companies and its a shame because they don't put the same effort into it as does Disney and Sony. Paramount has recently started to give us our avc ,now they just need to get with the program in the sound dept.

[calcajun]

My PS3 doesn't even know what a game is.
I purchased it for Blu-Ray.