Archived: Ask the Insiders: Judgment Day Edition

[Steverhcp02]

i like the word expedited

[JAGUAR1977]

Originally Posted by SpikesBluBlooded

All this talk about Warner being bought out by the HD DVD camp is utter nonsense. Times are far different now than when Paramount/Dreamworks were paid off, and it would be suicide for Warner in regards to software sales to take any kind of payoff to go HD DVD exclusive at this point. The amount of money to offset the future losses at this stage of the game would have to be closer to several hundred million dollars (closer to 1 billion), not just a couple hundred million. I think you will find (and the insiders can confirm/deny this if they choose) that the general consensus in the industry is that this war going on very much longer will result in the death of both formats. And with DVD sales in decline, hi-def is the future of the market, if it's going to have a future. Warner's neutrality is at an end. There are far too many reasons not to support both formats any longer, and since they started HD DVD exclusive and then went neutral, I would say barring all else, Blu-exclusivity is the next logical step... The sales back it up, the number of potential players in the market (read: PS3) far exceed the competition, and there's more support from the CEMs, other studios, and home entertainment groups. Blu is the future, join us, or be left in our dust...

I agree, I just wonder if the major players have given up and accepted a MS controlled download future, hoping DVD will pull 'em through in the meantime.

Afterall, we all know WB going to HD-DVD would stall the market, while staying neutral will drag the war on for too long to be a true successor to DVD.

The consumers have done their part.

Exactly right, we've paid through the nose to help Blu-ray to a comanding lead, worldwide at least. When BD only needs to secure WB to end this war, you just hope the will and dollars are there.

[HeavyHitter]

Keep in mind too the new CEO of Time Warner (as of 1/1/08) is very pro Blu which should hopefully steer things in the right direction more quickly.

Still, the sooner the better this all gets done. Each passing day still leaves open at least that slight possibility of the worst.

[Steverhcp02]

To insiders (PM)

It seems painfully obvious, but can anyone care to comment on knowledge of the delay?

From the WB thread posted by me:
================================================== =======
Okay, now its my turn to read something into nothing

WB delays the Invasion on both HD D DVD and BD from Jan 8th to January 29th. Why do i think this is significant? Because Dispatch: Zimbabwe, WB's next scheduled HDM title was schedule for this day, the 29th. Why so significant? Well, with CES the week of The Invasions original release date why would WB delay a day and date title to their next scheduled titles date? They have nothing scheduled until the 29th now.

Seems strange to shoot themselves in the foot on a day and date (even the shatty ones sell decent) and force themselves into a catalog position doesnt it?

Maybe they didnt want to pull a paramount when they go BD exclusive and the next day pull an HD DVD movie, so they pushed it back until the 29th?

I cant help but feel im 100% correct here

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by Steverhcp02

To insiders (PM)

It seems painfully obvious, but can anyone care to comment on knowledge of the delay?

From the WB thread posted by me:
================================================== =======
Okay, now its my turn to read something into nothing

WB delays the Invasion on both HD D DVD and BD from Jan 8th to January 29th. Why do i think this is significant? Because Dispatch: Zimbabwe, WB's next scheduled HDM title was schedule for this day, the 29th. Why so significant? Well, with CES the week of The Invasions original release date why would WB delay a day and date title to their next scheduled titles date? They have nothing scheduled until the 29th now.

Seems strange to shoot themselves in the foot on a day and date (even the shatty ones sell decent) and force themselves into a catalog position doesnt it?

Maybe they didnt want to pull a paramount when they go BD exclusive and the next day pull an HD DVD movie, so they pushed it back until the 29th?

I cant help but feel im 100% correct here

I had a similar thought the first time i read this article.

[Woody]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

I had a similar thought the first time i read this article.

FWIW, it could work both ways.

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by Woody

FWIW, it could work both ways.

not arguing that, my first thought was just paranoid both ways.

[Steverhcp02]

Originally Posted by Woody

FWIW, it could work both ways.

Absolutely, but thats what PM's post at the top of the last page is for

[Woody]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

not arguing that, my first thought was just paranoid both ways.

I agree it seems pretty dumb to pass on a day and date for a catalog on HDM.

[stockstar1138]

im confused, did the dvd version not get delayed too. did just the blu-ray and hd dvd versions get delayed?

[Steverhcp02]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

im confused, did the dvd version not get delayed too. did just the blu-ray and hd dvd versions get delayed?

it seems all 3 versions are delayed. But now, id have to wonder if they did so based primarily around delaying the HDM versions. Keep HDM day and date with the standard def release, and delay the HDM verisons due to an announcement at CES?

How often to DVD releases get delayed? Everything seems to be happening in obvious fashion for an announcement, i just hope an insider can give us a legit reason for the delay so as to qualm my rampant speculation

[blitz6speed]

While i am very confident in blu-ray and all involved in making it a success, I also want it known that if the BDA doesnt do everything in its power to keep WB with them, then they should just quit now and not even bother with HD movies anymore. If they go HD DVD exclusive, i will become a Usenet fanboy vs a Blu-Ray fanboy. Seriously, the BDA messed up once with paramount, if they allow it to happen again, then just dont bother showing up.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Keep in mind too the new CEO of Time Warner (as of 1/1/08) is very pro Blu which should hopefully steer things in the right direction more quickly.

Still, the sooner the better this all gets done. Each passing day still leaves open at least that slight possibility of the worst.

I've apparently been asleep. Who is going to be the New CEO?

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

While i am very confident in blu-ray and all involved in making it a success, I also want it known that if the BDA doesnt do everything in its power to keep WB with them, then they should just quit now and not even bother with HD movies anymore. If they go HD DVD exclusive, i will become a Usenet fanboy vs a Blu-Ray fanboy. Seriously, the BDA messed up once with paramount, if they allow it to happen again, then just dont bother showing up.

the bda got blindsided by paramount. they really didn't have time to react from what i understand. the contract was basically signed by the time they found out.

really paramount was the defining moment of this war. i really, really doubt that without paramount going red, a flame would have been lit under the bda to persue wb so strongly.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by SDG

I've apparently been asleep. Who is going to be the New CEO?

Jeff Bewkes

I seem to recall that he was the person at Time Warner who pushed for Warner to go neutral in the beginning and was also the person who had a hand in rejecting Toshiba's original offer to go HD-DVD exclusive after Paramount.

That cant be bad for bluray.

[patrick99]

Originally Posted by merrick97

Jeff Bewkes

I seem to recall that he was the person at Time Warner who pushed for Warner to go neutral in the beginning and was also the person who had a hand in rejecting Toshiba's original offer to go HD-DVD exclusive after Paramount.

That cant be bad for bluray.

I hadn't heard that specifically before, although it certainly makes sense.

[zMadMonk]

I didn't see any mention of this elsewhere, so I figured I'd ask here.

Any reason why we are seeing a ton of "best of Hi-Def" Blu-Ray commercials on the Universal HD channel? First time I saw one, I was like "meh" but I DVR'd some movies this week, and they keep repeating the commercials, over and over.

Just a paid advertisement thing, or something else? Since Universal is as red as Sony is Blu, I can't imagine Sony running multiple HD-DVD commercials if they had a channel.

I just kind of found it a bit odd. (And perhaps it was addressed elsewhere... I do try to search before I post, honest!)

~F

[sj001]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

While i am very confident in blu-ray and all involved in making it a success, I also want it known that if the BDA doesnt do everything in its power to keep WB with them, then they should just quit now and not even bother with HD movies anymore. If they go HD DVD exclusive, i will become a Usenet fanboy vs a Blu-Ray fanboy. Seriously, the BDA messed up once with paramount, if they allow it to happen again, then just dont bother showing up.

I think the BDA is very well aware of what is going on, and they know the dirty tricks the Red side has pulled. They will not allow this with WB, and I have a feeling that WB will not be bribed, they will make their own decision, judging by what Penton has said, it looks to be a Blu one.

[JAGUAR1977]

Originally Posted by blitz6speed

While i am very confident in blu-ray and all involved in making it a success, I also want it known that if the BDA doesnt do everything in its power to keep WB with them, then they should just quit now and not even bother with HD movies anymore. If they go HD DVD exclusive, i will become a Usenet fanboy vs a Blu-Ray fanboy. Seriously, the BDA messed up once with paramount, if they allow it to happen again, then just dont bother showing up.

Very harsh, but as stated, the Paramount blindside was dissapointing, but understandable.

With consumers having done their part to put Blu-ray into a position of strength, there really are no excuses to lose WB support, even if MS offers up the dollars.

No MS payoff could hope to come close to the HD/BD disc market stalling in stalemate, rather than Blu-ray prospering for another decade, being milked, as the studios always do, like DVD.

[DaViD Boulet]

let's all remember that this is an insider's thread meant for Q/A with insiders... not general discussion among regular members that can/should/does take place in all the other threads. I know with CES taking lots of paidgeek's and Penton's time it's a slower thread than usual... but so be it... let's let the thread discussion evolve from real content when it's provided rather than laymen's commentary from the sidelines.