People at EMA taking Uni to task

[nhaase]

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6461381.html

Some good excerpts:

Graffeo, Collins and other panelists acknowledged that PS3 owners far outweigh HD DVD player owners. But they argued that Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard are soon releasing a slew of HD DVD drives for notebooks and PCs.

“I don’t watch movies on my computer,” shot back Deganis, which was met with cheers from the audience.

Point to Deganis.

Digital Bits Web site founder Bill Hunt told the panelists about a family friend who bought a Toshiba player quickly after the company reduced prices to $299. The machine was just as quickly returned to the store after the friend’s wife mistakenly bought Blu-ray titles Ice Age and Pirates of the Caribbean, not realizing they were incompatible with the new player.

“The average consumer is just sitting out on the sidelines,” said Hunt, adding that a lot of people are enjoying the advanced quality on upscaling DVD players, not feeling it’s necessary to also buy true high-def players. “How can this ever be a mass market?”

Digital Bits Web site founder Bill Hunt and HTF members also questioned Universal’s and Microsoft’s stance that interactivity gives HD DVD a serious leg up over Blu-ray.

With picture-in-picture, HTF’s Sam Posten bemoaned the complexity, saying “I can’t even explain this stuff to my mom. It makes it harder to get to the actual [film] feature. Who is going to sit through a movie three times to hopefully see a bug in the corner of the screen?”

Hunt chimed in, “And who is to say that a year from now, Blu-ray won’t be able to add these things anyway?”

Points to Bill Hunt and Sam Posten. Nice to see them tell Graffeo the truth of interactivity.

[WriteSimply]

I could almost feel sorry for the HD-DVD guys for that *****slappings.

Almost.


fuad

[Spankey]

I will check out the occasional interactive stuff. Make that, rarely. The VAST majority of movie viewers just want to watch the damn movie. The HT enthusiast wants the best picture and audio quality. High def making of features, etc. are fine. If I was still single, I could not imagine renting a movie with my girlfriend and wasting time checking out the interactive features of a movie when I would rather be getting interactive with her.

[dialog_gvf]

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is adamant about exclusively offering HD DVD titles, despite protests by enthusiasts during the Home Media Expo here that it should work to end the high-definition format war.

How long does a company stay in business with an attitude that it doesn't need to worry about the desires of key early-adopters?!

Think of the crap that they will push as HD if that attitude succeeds.

Graffeo, Collins and other panelists acknowledged that PS3 owners far outweigh HD DVD player owners. But they argued that Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard are soon releasing a slew of HD DVD drives for notebooks and PCs.

“I don’t watch movies on my computer,” shot back Deganis, which was met with cheers from the audience.

Notice the MS-centric concept of the future here? Notebooks and PCs over stand-alones, which were supposed to be the key component. Oh yeah, we elevate something to key whenever it is convenient.

[dialog_gvf]

“In Europe, 80% of the high-def content is HD vs. Blu-ray,” said Graffeo. “We need to look at this business on a global basis.”

BS. And even if true, how about Japan?

Gary

[Deciazulado]

The French numbers a French site quoted from a Warner's placard weren't 80/20 if i recall correctly..

[The Big Blue]

Looking forward to watching the video which is supposed to get posted at hometheaterforum in the next few days.

Apparently attendees that went to the Blu-ray party are getting free Pannys!

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by sltmag

If I was still single, I could not imagine renting a movie with my girlfriend and wasting time checking out the interactive features of a movie when I would rather be getting interactive with her.

LOL - nearly spewed milk out of my nose on that last bit!

Originally Posted by The Big Blue

Apparently attendees that went to the Blu-ray party are getting free Pannys!

Well, that explains why I can't find one retail!

[RichiPuppy]

When he says 80% in Europe, he is talking about stand alone players, and not including the PS3 as usual.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by The Big Blue

Looking forward to watching the video which is supposed to get posted at hometheaterforum in the next few days.

Apparently attendees that went to the Blu-ray party are getting free Pannys!

I do love how the BDA always seems to one-up Toshiba, they have a special $99 offer for the A2 (a terrible machine), and Panasonic are giving their wares away (especially since it is an excellent player).

Awesome!

[The Don]

Originally Posted by sltmag

I will check out the occasional interactive stuff. Make that, rarely. The VAST majority of movie viewers just want to watch the damn movie. The HT enthusiast wants the best picture and audio quality. High def making of features, etc. are fine. If I was still single, I could not imagine renting a movie with my girlfriend and wasting time checking out the interactive features of a movie when I would rather be getting interactive with her.

when you purchase a "high definition player"....you want higher video and audio quality.....

you don't say "well, the HD DVD version of this movie has these interactive features....let's get the HD DVD player....even though I can get all the top movies on the BD player"

and why spend over a G on a combo player when the majority of the movies you want will be available on Blu-ray....it's only common sense..

[nhaase]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

I do love how the BDA always seems to one-up Toshiba, they have a special $99 offer for the A2 (a terrible machine), and Panasonic are giving their wares away (especially since it is an excellent player).

Awesome!

The best was that Toshiba responded to the Panny by offering the A2 for free and the XA2 for $299. So the only one they offer for free can't do 1080p, and the one which does that is $299. Panny won that game.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by nhaase

The best was that Toshiba responded to the Panny by offering the A2 for free and the XA2 for $299. So the only one they offer for free can't do 1080p, and the one which does that is $299. Panny won that game.

Well the Panny is superior to the XA2, isn't it?

[Sylin]

“We are targeting the MySpace generation,” said Ken Graffeo, Universal executive VP of marketing and head of high-definition.

Well there's the problem right there. Someone needs to replace this idiot. Their target demographic is "the MySpace generation"? Has he stopped to think that the MySpace generation is a bunch of teenagers w/o the disposable income to buy a $300 DVD player and a $600 (min) HDTV to go along with it???

Graffeo, Collins and other panelists acknowledged that PS3 owners far outweigh HD DVD player owners. But they argued that Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard are soon releasing a slew of HD DVD drives for notebooks and PCs.

“I don’t watch movies on my computer,” shot back Deganis, which was met with cheers from the audience.

EXACTLY! This is a home THEATER technology, not portable tech. I can just see the new HD-DVD ad campaign with HP: "HD-DVD - The look and sound of a 15" screen and cheap airline headphones."

You'd think from the response the crowd gave to Deganis' comment that Universal execs are scratching their heads going, "Hmmm... maybe we need to re-think this?"

Who wants to bet that once HD-DVD drives in PC's and notebooks start selling, that Toshiba will count them in their "total number of players sold" category, but still ignore the PS3 as a valid Blu-ray player?

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by RichiPuppy

When he says 80% in Europe, he is talking about stand alone players, and not including the PS3 as usual.

or actual disc sales

[What'sHD]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

EXACTLY! This is a home THEATER technology, not portable tech. I can just see the new HD-DVD ad campaign with HP: "HD-DVD - The look and sound of a 15" screen and cheap airline headphones."

hehehe, priceless. Good one

[Polyh3dron]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

Who wants to bet that once HD-DVD drives in PC's and notebooks start selling, that Toshiba will count them in their "total number of players sold" category, but still ignore the PS3 as a valid Blu-ray player?

This is going to happen without a doubt.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

Who wants to bet that once HD-DVD drives in PC's and notebooks start selling, that Toshiba will count them in their "total number of players sold" category, but still ignore the PS3 as a valid Blu-ray player?

Until they talk about attach rates, and then they'll eliminate all the laptops and include all the PS/3.

Gary

[Blu As Hell]

Someone at Universal needs to wake up and realize that Graffeo is making their company look like the Village Idiot.

[Ender]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

Well there's the problem right there. Someone needs to replace this idiot. Their target demographic is "the MySpace generation"? Has he stopped to think that the MySpace generation is a bunch of teenagers w/o the disposable income to buy a $300 DVD player and a $600 (min) HDTV to go along with it???

Disposable income or not, the "Myspace Generation" is downloading bootlegs from Bittorrent sites, not buying $25 HD discs in either format.