Archived: Ask the Insiders: Judgment Day Edition

[myst420]

Question about non-USA publishers. It seems like there has been a lot of focus on WB and Uni, however, whats keeping the other publishers supporting HD DVD when the sales ratio seems even more loopsided in the rest of the world?

I would love to see the import argument dry up for them. Also if couldn't hurt in making it clear which was headed to be the long term winner.

[electric turd]

Funny thing is, all this time the dud's over at AVS and Hd Digest called the BDA a "cartel". Funny how things unfold isn't it?

[juanleche]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Seconded! The outing of the so-called "source" about HD Now's claims is too funny!

did anyone notice mr stewart with BANNED status in that forum?

[mystiksuicide]

There is one factor nobody has brought up. What do the big retailers and CE think about this latest M$ proposal? Digital downloads would kill a huge revenue section for stores.(Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and probably kill all together Amazon)

What about the CE like Panasonic ,Pioneer, Samsung, even Toshiba? This M$ deals if it where to go through would kill a huge chunk of revenue for many companies like billions a year.

For that reason and that reason alone I don't see any studio going digital download only in the foreseeable future.

And you all wonder why in my signature it says clearly NO MICROCRAP IN THIS HOUSE

[electric turd]

Is all this news fairly true or is it just a rumor? I feel like a kid a christmas hoping that this true.

[Crackbone]

Originally Posted by electric turd

Is all this news fairly true or is it just a rumor? I feel like a kid a christmas hoping that this true.

Penton pretty well confirmed it in his post earlier.

[JasonR]

Rumored, but confirmed by the insider today.

[MerrickG]

Thats another thing and it IS a big deal if u ask me. I took a trip to South Houston (Bay Area Blvd if anyone knows this area) and went into several electronics stores such as Frys, Best Buy, Target and Circuit City and noticed that ALL of them were favoring bluray in terms of shelf space. I have a hard time believing that the retailers could possibly favor HD-DVD. But unfortunately I have learned when it comes to corporations is to NEVER underestimate their short sighted ability to make a quick buck.

The studios now realize that HDM will not be as successful as DVD was and if the right amount of dollars are offered they will take the money.

With that in mind, if the BDA wants to atone for letting Paramount defect then they MUST get Warner. I really hope the BDA is prepared to offer them whatever they want.

Originally Posted by mystiksuicide

There is one factor nobody has brought up. What do the big retailers and CE think about this latest M$ proposal? Digital downloads would kill a huge revenue section for Stores.(Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and probably kill all together Amazon)

What about the CE like Panasonic ,Pioneer, Samsung, even Toshiba? This M$ deals if it where to go through would kill a huge chunk of revenue for many companies like billions a year.

For that reason and that reason alone I don't see any studio going digital download only in the foreseeable future.

And you all wonder why in my signature it says clearly NO MICROCRAP IN THIS HOUSE

[electric turd]

Well hopefully m$'s latest mis-step will finish this whole thing off and put an end to this war. As much as I like my 360, any studio would be stupid to hinge their future on a console that has the worst failure rate in the history of consumer electronics. As Mystik pointed out earlier, if this were to go the way of m$ if would effectively kill most retailers (b&m/online) and other electronic companies.

[sj001]

Not too shocked by this turn of events, we knew the hidden motives of M$ all along. Microsoft are only in this for themselves, I would hope any of the studios, including Universal and Paramount along with the CE's like Toshiba who are involved with HD-DVD, drop it like a hot potato, and now. Hopefully they really they are being used, and Toshiba has essentially been backstabbed, but hey, they bought into it, they reap what they sow.

[sj001]

Originally Posted by JasonR

Buena Vista and Disney are one in the same. They are still considered seperate studios.

Hehe, but Rdscam seems to think they are completely separate.

[irfoton]

If I were MS, I would request online exclusivity for only 1-2 months for each movie. That way you don't tie up the studios forever and you get the initial surge buying. That along with a ton of cash to a studio would make it rather appealing.

[JasonR]

You also have to consider the save in manufacturing they are talking about too...

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by merrick97

I need Collateral

+1

[mystiksuicide]

Originally Posted by electric turd

Well hopefully m$'s latest mis-step will finish this whole thing off and put an end to this war. As much as I like my 360, any studio would be stupid to hinge their future on a console that has the worst failure rate in the history of consumer electronics. As Mystik pointed out earlier, if this were to go the way of m$ if would effectively kill most retailers (b&m/online) and other electronic companies.

That's why I don't believe this has any chance. Now if your asking me if they are asking for exclusive download rights and cutting of Apple itune then I would say there is a good possibility. But they would allow Warner and every other studio to put they're movies in hard disk format meaning blu.

M$ has money of course but they can not afford to piss off all those companies

[flyingdutchman]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

The issue isn't what WB think, what they think is mostly irrelevant. The issue is MS making these sorts of big money offers a la Viacom and what they have proposed to WB. WB aren't weak enough to take them up on this, but other studios are a different story. Universal already got sucked in once, what do you think they will do if MS come in with the velvet suitcases for exclusive digital distribution rights...

For them, the format war is all but over, HD DVD has sort of served its purpose, maybe it could have delayed Blu for an extra year or two, but it was enough for them.

Boy, I see antitrust lawsuits all over this one.

[mystiksuicide]

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

Boy, I see antitrust lawsuits all over this one.

I was think that as well.

[sj001]

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

Boy, I see antitrust lawsuits all over this one.

M$ has a whole department for antitrust litigation. Hopefully they really get some *****-slapping this time.

[FilliamHMuffman]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

It's definitely not advantageous to HD DVD, no one I have spoken to thinks any of the big seven are stupid enough to enter this kind of exclusive deal for an unproven technology. So the fact that MS have basically said that it is over for HD DVD and stated that they now feel downloads are the way forwards doesn't help them, no.

It was sort of on the cards though. You forget that when people like Michael Bay speak up, Hollywood listens. So I imagine the studios have been half expecting a move like this from MS for a while now and have been ready for it. We have been advising our clients in Hollywood on this matter extensively over the last six or seven months, we know they were ready.

It would seem to me that that puts Toshiba at a severe disadvantage in the negotiations, because nothing would stop Warner from making a deal with the BDA to drop HD DVD and make a separate deal with Microsoft to make their catalog available to download exclusively through Live if they wanted. Essentially, if I'm reading this correctly, MS' offer has no relevance to HD DVD and Blu-ray at all.

[binarymelon]

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

Boy, I see antitrust lawsuits all over this one.

"Monopoly is just a game Senator, I'm trying to control the ****ing world."