Will Warner release HD DVD through May as originally planned?

[DaViD Boulet]

Or do you think that they'll stop releasing HD DVDs prior to their original May contracted-deadline now that Toshiba as relinquished the war and HD DVD sales are almost nill.

After the Toshiba's announcement Warner publically stated that they'd still produce HD DVD through May as planned. Do you think that they'll stay the course or change their minds?

[Mr. Spiffy-Pants]

Warner seems to do as they say, which is nice. I think they'll stick to their May 31, 2008 deadline (technically it's June because the last week of releases in May is delayed 3 weeks for HD-DEAD).

[DaViD Boulet]

Warner seems to do as they say, which is nice.

I agree that Warner has a great deal of integrity (unlike Payamount), but don't forget that they publically denied any possibility that they were going to go single-format just weeks before pulling the rug out from under HD DVD.

[scragham]

it seems more likely that they will.

the entire "release until end o' may" thing seems like part of their strategery to avoid giving toshi any legs to sue them on; now that it's known that toshi actually considered suing them anyway, it seems even more unlikely to me that they're going to not carry through.

[radagast]

Let's also consider the possible legal problems. In another thread, the spectre of Toshiba suing Paramount over getting some or all of their money back looms. If there are contracts with Warner, they may continue until May just to keep themselves legally clean as possible.

[HeavyHitter]

Hard to say - my guess is they will follow through.

Related, looks like Paramount is not going to be releasing one of its scheduled HD DVD titles.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...od_HD_DVD/1501

[owa]

I think they'll follow through with their original plan.

[DaViD Boulet]

Let's also consider the possible legal problems. In another thread, the spectre of Toshiba suing Paramount over getting some or all of their money back looms. If there are contracts with Warner, they may continue until May just to keep themselves legally clean as possible.

They could also be waiting to see the outcome of Paramount's legal conclusions. If Paramount finds legal ground to break their contract early without penalty, that would give Warner more footing to stop HD DVD production early. If Paramount's legal team determine that they need to pay back 50 Mil to Toshiba or risk a legal case, Warner may conclude they should continue forward as planned to minimize legal problems.

It seems that Toshiba was already ready to sue Warner over their pull-out in January (someone had a link to that somewhere earlier) so Warner may be chosing to purposefully keep things as amicable as possible with them right now.

[RIPSeanTaylor21]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Or do you think that they'll stop releasing HD DVDs prior to their original May contracted-deadline now that Toshiba as relinquished the war and HD DVD sales are almost nill.

After the Toshiba's announcement Warner publically stated that they'd still produce HD DVD through May as planned. Do you think that they'll stay the course or change their minds?

who knows

[Glow007]

I believe they will, for one they stated that the would. But also, most of the titles are probably already in production and being worked on for HD so I dont see them throwing away all that money and time.

Paramount had alot of titles in the works that they completely dropped but they had a big fat check to make it worth while, Warner I believe will finish out the releases through May and the HOPEFULLY get there act together and start pumping out more quality transfers.

It seems to me like alot of the ports from Warner just dont make the grade compared to say Disney. But of course Disney never lets me down quality wise. Disney's Nice High Five!

[savage1984]

i think they feel obligated to keep selling and distributing the dead format out of curteousy(sp?) to their consumers. Many took the "cheap" plunge into hd-dvd and lost out. Some still won't give up and will still buy the dud. This is for them. For the rest of the sane people, they are releasing everything on blu-ray still, so what does it matter? They are still making money off these silly people.

[DaViD Boulet]

Sure, but since all HD DVD consumers will have to go blu to stay in the HD game, they'll be going blu anyway... why saddle them with more red titles that won't have any resale value on ebay in 3 months?

Paramount had alot of titles in the works that they completely dropped but they had a big fat check to make it worth while, Warner I believe will finish out the releases through May

but with HD DVD sales coming to a complete hault, Warner will only be losing money selling those discs at a fraction of their production cost to move them off the shelf. Already some retailers are working on agreements with the studios on getting a refund for the return of HD DVD software product!

[Sonny]

Its really dumb to keep making something that has no future, but if they hav to they hav to

[Glow007]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Sure, but since all HD DVD consumers will have to go blu to stay in the HD game, they'll be going blu anyway... why saddle them with more red titles that won't have any resale value on ebay in 3 months?



but with HD DVD sales coming to a complete hault, Warner will only be losing money selling those discs at a fraction of their production cost to move them off the shelf. Already some retailers are working on agreements with the studios on getting a refund for the return of HD DVD software product!

I agree that they are probably not going to be make very much if any profit. All that Im saying is if they have already spent the money and time to encode the movies then they most likely will release them. There are still some crazy HD nuts that arnt going to go Blu anytime soon and will buy some movies.

Also as mention above in another post there has be alot of talk that they may have a contract with Toshiba to continue to release those movies until the end of May.

[alain turgeon]

Who cares!!!!

[DaViD Boulet]

Now the Paramount and both Dreamworks flavors have announced an end to HD DVD production (Bee Movie canceled), the irony is that Warner, who literally ended the war by going blu in January, will now be the last studio releasing HD DVD discs... all the way thru June if they really do what they've said.

Given that, anybody changed their mind about WB sticking it out with releases that are basically going to end up in a landfill?

[tron3]

Of all the companies who played the neutral / exclusive HD DVD game, Warner appears to have the most scruples. I say they will, though I hope not. This dead fish has flipped its last flop.

[sj001]

I believe they will stick to their guns and release what they said they would release. They seem to be one of the more reliable studios when it comes to those things.

[Sylin]

I wish they WOULDN'T, but considering they just announced yesterday that they'll release Dirty Harry for HD DVD in June (after their May 31st cut-off, no less), and after previously stating that Twister would be their last HD DVD title... I have to say I think they'll follow through. However, I have no idea what they are smoking.

[w_tanoto]

unlike paramount, warner has class. the treatment para showed to us, then our arch-enemy, tells me that para does not care about consumers