Archived: Ask the Insiders: Judgment Day Edition

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

haha! well that confirms it.

they are going neutral for sure within the next few months.

If Ken was speaking as co-president of HD DVD PG:
* Paramount is not mentioned AT ALL.
* Universal's current plan is to support the HD DVD format; he didn't say "HD DVD only". So, all he said was currently, they will continue to produce HD DVD. This leaves open neutrality, OR plans changing tomorrow to support Blu only. LOL. Why even bother saying anything then?

If Ken was speaking as an employee of Universal:
* Universal's current plan is to support the HD DVD format; he didn't say "HD DVD only". So, all he said was currently, they will continue to produce HD DVD. This leaves open neutrality, OR plans changing tomorrow to support Blu only. LOL. Why even bother saying anything then?

[ezcobar411]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

"current plans" are easy to change.

im pretty sure warner had "current plans".

i think they are going to finish up what they have announced, which i believe is only elizabeth, then its proabaly going to be blu-ray exclusiveness. i think i mispoke when i said they would go neutral.

penton seems to be good buddies with kg now. and kg suddenly has a much different tune to sing about hd dvd. its not about how its winning, its just that they still plan to support it.

I surely hope this is the case. This war shouldn't be going on anymore. Based on the comments that KG made it appears that the company will be supporting Blu soon.

[JohnAlden]

http://www.betanews.com/article/HD_D...ors/1199974983, Penton-Man you must gave him the good old pep talk when saw him.

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by spicynacho

You must be in college or somehow not practicing as an engineer. Are you saying that you sympathize with someone in a marketing position? These are the folks that love to say that the refrigerator you designed will not only keep the customer's beer cold but pop the cap and shoot the bottle directly to their hand without ever missing. Then they come back and tell you to make it pop the cap and shoot open beer bottles without spilling a drop or breaking a bottle.

I assure you, I've been around long enough to have my share of Dilbert moments. But as any politician would tell you privately, it's all a game. As a newspaper article once opined, there are occasions when it is "time to shoot the engineer."

I grok http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeXAcwriid0

Peace.

[JohnAlden]

Originally Posted by The Don

who said they were going to drop HD-DVD?...

that doesn't answer the question

they should have asked him if they plan to support Blu....at all..

he would have probably responded with..

"not at this time we don't"

Did not say anything about them droping hd-dvd. He just seems that maybe he had changed his perspective on blu-ray. and I want to thank Penton-Man for doing what he does best to help bring more to studios on are side.

[blindcat87]

Not only does the statement seem like a near carbon copy of the Paramount statement which in turn sounded like a carbon copy of the WB statements of months past, but does anyone really think it was a coincidence that Penton posted his request to go easy on KG shortly before this came out.

Those of us who use their brains can read between the lines just fine. To certain folks, this is going to read like the iron clad statement of eternal loyalty that they have been hoping for. But when has what someone actually said ever mattered to that bunch?

Chris

[blitz6speed]

Guys, a certain very reliable insider posted that he had signed a NDA on anything regarding Universal 2 days ago, but then quickly had the post removed. This is a Blu-Ray insider. Universal is going to be releasing on Blu-Ray this year, guarenteed, 100%, take it to the bank. Be patient.

[PaulGo]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

Guys, a certain very reliable insider posted that he had signed a NDA on anything regarding Universal 2 days ago, but then quickly had the post removed. This is a Blu-Ray insider. Universal is going to be releasing on Blu-Ray this year, guarenteed, 100%, take it to the bank. Be patient.

I read that also. Within a month or two both Uni and Paramount should be announcing they will have Blu-ray titles. We just need a little patience.

[RickD]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

Guys, a certain very reliable insider posted that he had signed a NDA on anything regarding Universal 2 days ago, but then quickly had the post removed. This is a Blu-Ray insider. Universal is going to be releasing on Blu-Ray this year, guarenteed, 100%, take it to the bank. Be patient.

I hadn't noticed that post was removed. I hope the insider in question didn't get into any trouble!

Rick

[Dalese]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

Guys, a certain very reliable insider posted that he had signed a NDA on anything regarding Universal 2 days ago, but then quickly had the post removed. This is a Blu-Ray insider. Universal is going to be releasing on Blu-Ray this year, guarenteed, 100%, take it to the bank. Be patient.

IMO Penton was forewarning everyone about the upcoming Ken Graffeo press release.

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Guys, be kind to Ken G. in some of the other threads here. Fact is, he is/was just a messenger for the HD DVD word.

Is it any coincidence that this press release is almost word-for-word identical to the other announcements of "continued support for HD-DVD" that have come out in the last week. These are narrowly focused statements, nothing like the past multi-paragraph explanations of why the studios support HD-DVD.

Patience is key. Warner had weeks, if not months, to get all of their ducks in a row before announcing. Leaks are coming out in the press of what is happening, HD-DVD player and software sales are falling. Retailers go where the sales are. The end of HD-DVD is near.

For our insiders, has the "pressure" being given to Universal, Dreamworks, and Paramount by the retail segment to end the format war had any impact in the movement toward Blu-ray by these studios (from your perceptive)?

[mycroft]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Various forms of *planned obsolescence* are being considered.
It will all take time………just like the WB decision/announcement.

Penton, do you really think the studios will be willing to play with the "cash cow" DVD has become? Looking at the writer's strike, they're not even willing to pay an extra 4c per disc, why would they threaten the business model entirely by promoting another format (with only a couple of million players, and only about 30% HD sets in the market) over it?

[jason_grumpy]

Originally Posted by Dalese

IMO Penton was forewarning everyone about the upcoming Ken Graffeo press release.

Couldn't agree more. I was going to post a thank you for the heads up of the 'denial' that was scheduled for today when he first posted. Now that I didn't, I feel a day late and a dollar short, but thank you Penton.

[TheRealBob]

Originally Posted by jason_grumpy

They are only setting up the 'right' way to do it, and I do not expect either of them to so blatantly flip sides like Paramount did a while back. That was a PR nightmare that I'm sure Universal doesn't wish to go through, and Paramount more than likely doesn't want to re-live it.

There's a big difference, and it's not just because I'm pro-Blu. When Paramount did it, they were switching to the losing side, thereby pushing things back toward a stalemate. Some people even thought that would lead to HD DVD eventually winning, so they really stuck it to BD owners with that one.

Universal and Paramount at this point are supporting not just the losing but the dying format. They are sticking it to HD DVD owners by convincing them, especially the non-diehards, that HD DVD is viable. They are doing a real disservice to anyone that sees their movies and picks up an HD DVD player without realizing what is going on.

The humane thing to do would not be to continue to support HD DVD indefinitely, but to do an end-of-life announcement just like Warner did. Maybe even tie it to the exact same end date. That way HD DVD owners see their format is dead and have until May to get the money for a Blu-ray player or to continue buying HD DVDs in an informed way, as opposed to buying them in same futile belief that this format is going to win.

This would quickly lead to B&M stores dropping HD DVD entirely. People who still wished to pick up HD DVDs through May could do so online, but those are the people who would tend to already know that this was a dying format, so there would be less chance of consumer confusion.

So who's buying into the theory (which I've seen hinted at in various places by reputable people) that Paramount and Universal are doing the retailers a favor by holding off on their announcements to stem a tide of HD DVD player and disc returns from Christmas sales? I hope that's not true, because that's not doing the consumers any favors, and the consumers are likely to take it out on the retailers in the end. Better to bite the bullet and get it over with.

[Esox50]

In thinking about Penton's post from earlier today, I think perhaps I've come to the root of why the BD community view people like Mr. Graffeo as public enemy #1 (or number #2, #3, whatever. You could make a case for #1-4 with the 4 @ssholes over at M$...but i digress).

Am I way off base in stating that perhaps it is not Mr. Graffeo himself, or even what he's been quoted as saying, that is "offensive" to informed and smart BD supporters? Rather, I believe we are subconsciously angry that his quotes were latched on to and used in constant arguments/trolling by HD DVD fanboys (like rdjam, Lee Stewart, etc) over at places like AVS. They used this PR/Marketing nonsense as "proof" of HD DVD viability and caused hell for BD supporters (and even some of our own Insiders).

Naturally, we track it back to guys like Graffeo, who as Penton says was doing his job, in promoting what may have been, until the PS3 launched, a viable format. So, maybe we should be angry and down on the HD DVD fanboys/trolls, rather than someone who it seems will be giving us what we want very soon.

Just my humble $0.02.

[MerrickG]

Paidgeek, COME BACK!!!!

[JTK]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...d=1#post501287

My opinion on Graffeo. Also wanting to see paidgeek again real soon! My belated thanks to all the insiders for a heck of a month or so. You all had to really be careful but I think you all did a great prep job.

[mh466]

Originally Posted by gandley

i was tracking some of dave Vaughn,s comments over at HTS.

He wont let the fox thing go, but thats cool.

heres what he thinks based on information from his sources.


By the way Dave seemed very positive about the move to blu and ending the war. This not a take down of Mr D so dont get in attack mode.

Insiders, care to comment, or not but i think its clear things are a movin in favour of Blu

Didn't this..

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=1988

put the Fox thing and DV's apparent obsession with how 'close' things were to bed?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Dalese

IMO Penton was forewarning everyone about the upcoming Ken Graffeo press release.



Is it any coincidence that this press release is almost word-for-word identical to the other announcements of "continued support for HD-DVD" that have come out in the last week. These are narrowly focused statements, nothing like the past multi-paragraph explanations of why the studios support HD-DVD.

Patience is key. Warner had weeks, if not months, to get all of their ducks in a row before announcing. Leaks are coming out in the press of what is happening, HD-DVD player and software sales are falling. Retailers go where the sales are. The end of HD-DVD is near.

For our insiders, has the "pressure" being given to Universal, Dreamworks, and Paramount by the retail segment to end the format war had any impact in the movement toward Blu-ray by these studios (from your perceptive)?

^ ^ ^
That should be more significant in the post-CES mopping up phase…….if, indeed positive *encouragement* is needed to see the Blu-light for some content providers that might choose to drag their feet.

[JasonS]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

^ ^ ^
That should be more significant in the post-CES mopping up phase…….if, indeed positive *encouragement* is needed to see the Blu-light for some content providers that might choose to drag their feet.

*cough* Universal *cough*

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

^ ^ ^
That should be more significant in the post-CES mopping up phase…….if, indeed positive *encouragement* is needed to see the Blu-light for some content providers that might choose to drag their feet.

Glad to hear it.

At this point, either the studios, the retailers or a combined effort can swiftly(speaking in months) put an end to this.

Good to see the gears are turning.