More HD DVD vs BD back and forth

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by bruceames

I don't know how much, if any, "bribe calls" have been made and accepted to keep the studios exclusive (on both sides). But eventually, if HD DVD keeps selling a decent amount of players (as they have been doing so far this year), they will reach an ownership base too large for any amount of bribe money to work (and the studios will all go nuetral except Sony). The question becomes, will the BD content advantage be too great and hinder HD DVD player sales to the point where they never get to critical mass? If Universal stays HD DVD exclusive all this year, that alone will sell a lot of players. Porn will sell players (although how many is highly debatable). Price will sell players and so will quality.

The 'bribe' on the BD side comes in the form of disc subsidies from Sony/MEI, which I imagine is pretty significant. On the HD DVD side it is a bit more complicated as there can't be too direct a link between MS and Universal as that would be cause for anti-trust court filings, Toshiba are probably used as an intermediary, i.e. MS gave Toshiba the Zune contract, Toshiba spends money getting Uni to use their new type of filming process on KK.

The only problem is if the BDA marketing succeeds in convincing potential buyers that a "Blu-ray victory is inevitable", and thus people who would have bought an HD DVD player, now decide not to. I just hope these buyers look at all the facts presented to them from both sides, and make as educated a decision as possible, and not go by hype alone.

The problem with that is, the BDA are very good at marketing and the HD DVD PRG aren't. So what if the BDA won through superior marketing, it happens all of the time, why do you buy Coke ahead of Pepsi, or Hershey's ahead of other chocolate brands, it is all to do with marketing.

A win is a win, regardless of the shape or form it comes in.