Paramount/DreamWorks fallout... a primal scream therapy thread for Blu-ray fans

[Pilam69]

Originally Posted by The Don

I have a feeling that Sony knew this was coming and held back the Fox news to neutralize the news from Paramount...

They are off balance. If that was the case then the announcement would have been ready to go minutes afterwards. This isn't a transparent business. Sony doesn't get to find out everything that M$ is paying for prior to it happening. If there is one thing M$ is good at it is subterfuge and sabatoge. It's really a sign of desperation more than anything and I really believe that people will see it as such. Sony hasn't (to my knowledge) had to pay anyone off to get them to be Blu.

[jctash]

Good point but I'm not sure how the money exchanges hands.

[hyperdine]

Well, some of you old-timers will remember that when Blu-Ray first launched, we didn't even have titles from Paramount. Remember how long it took to get Italian Job, Sleepy Hollow, etc. on Blu-Ray? Blu-Ray survived without Paramount before, and Blu-Ray will thrive without it this holiday. Sure, the announcement stung a little bit, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't change the fact that Blu-Ray is winning and will continue to win the format war.

[Pilam69]

Originally Posted by DiggerBlu

Being a superior format doesn't matter to the studios, the problem is that bluray is a Sony format, which is also a competing movie studio. By supporting this format the studios are surely making money from the software, but are also indirectly sharing profits from all of their movies with Sony. I think that is the underlying problem. What are your thoughts?

Toshiba gets a peice of every DVD. This is pure M$ trying to get their way because they don't like that Blu-Ray doesn't work with what they are trying to do.

[clyon]

Well, when I see a movie, it because of story & plot. I do not see a movie because Sony (or whomever) made this movie so I am going to see this movie.

[groovyone]

HD DVD is supporting Toshiba. What's your point?

[JTK]

Record breaking day for trolls and troll threads today!

[moverob]

Here is the email I sent to Paramount:

"Ms. Ciccone:

I was stunned and disappointed to read that Paramount, with the exception of Steven Spielberg movies, will no longer be supporting the Blu-ray videodisc format, choosing to exclusively support HD-DVD.

I do not understand why your company would abandon and, quite frankly, insult so many thousands and thousands of movie fans by not supporting both high-definition disc formats.

First, I believe the technical specifications show that Blu-ray is the superior format. Why would Paramount ally themselves only with an inferior format?

Second, worldwide sales figures show Blu-ray is outselling HD-DVD by more than a 2-to-1 margin. Why would Paramount choose to settle for only about a third of a loaf of bread, so to speak, instead of going with both formats, and having a bite at the entire loaf? That does not make any economic sense. Did the Paramount shareholders sign off on such a confusing sales and marketing strategy?

Finally, in a free-market economy like the U.S., shouldn't it be up to consumers to decide which format, if either, wins the battle? Paramount is a software company, not a hardware company. While both formats are alive, your company should not be taking some kind of mysterious stake in which hardware format survives.

For my part, I will continue to exclusively support the Blu-ray format. If that means Paramount doesn't want my business, then so be it. That's your illogical and nonsensical choice, not mine.

Robert Lee"

[CJ P]

Sorry, but the Fox news doesn't even begin to counter this (don't flame me without at least checking my posting history, I'm not an HD-DVD fanboy come to pour salt in your wound). Basically we have two studios yanking support from BD and the resposne is hey this studio that is supposed to already be supporting us but hasn't released a title in 4 months is going to maybe release some. I thought the Fox announcement actually came off as weak in light of the Paramount/Dreamworks news and they should have put it off until later, not released it the same day.

[DiggerBlu]

Toshiba does not make movies, Sony does. It's more in beneficial for the studios to have Bluray fail, not that they wan't HD-DVD to win, but the bluray failure severely hurts their direct competitor (Sony). Someone will be making high-definition disks, they know that, I think the studios prefer to have it anyone but Sony.

[Pilam69]

Originally Posted by groovyone

HD DVD is supporting Toshiba. What's your point?

Because if so you might note I said DVD, not HD-blah. DVD is a Toshiba format and they get a royalty on every disc sold. Much like Sony would with Blu-Ray.

[Pilam69]

Originally Posted by JTK

Record breaking day for trolls and troll threads today!

Very true.

[halon]

Originally Posted by DiggerBlu

Being a superior format doesn't matter to the studios, the problem is that bluray is a Sony format, which is also a competing movie studio. By supporting this format the studios are surely making money from the software, but are also indirectly sharing profits from all of their movies with Sony. I think that is the underlying problem. What are your thoughts?

It seems we have a HD-DUD/MICROSOFT fanboy in our midst?

[hyperdine]

Originally Posted by JTK

Record breaking day for trolls and troll threads today!

No kidding. I find it interesting that we have so many "new members" all of a sudden.

[bda4life]

The interesting part will be what Paramount says if they respond to our e-mails, phone calls, letters, faxes, etc.

[DiggerBlu]

guys, read my post:

Toshiba does not make movies, Sony does. It's more in beneficial for the studios to have Bluray fail, not that they wan't HD-DVD to win, but the bluray failure severely hurts their direct competitor (Sony). Someone will be making high-definition disks, they know that, I think the studios prefer to have it anyone but Sony.

I am one of the first ones to own a BDP-S1, I'm trying to figure out why the heck would a studio like Paramount would want to do this. No support for HD-DUD here. You have any ideas besides under the table money they might have gotten.

[Lsalas76]

Im not sure if sony has a say in it or not but imagine if they cut down the price of not only the blu-ray stand alone players but also the blu-ray movies.

If they put prices to par with those of standard dvds it can go well for them. Standard dvds are so much cheaper nowadays.

[BigB88]

Originally Posted by hyperdine

Well, some of you old-timers will remember that when Blu-Ray first launched, we didn't even have titles from Paramount. Remember how long it took to get Italian Job, Sleepy Hollow, etc. on Blu-Ray? Blu-Ray survived without Paramount before, and Blu-Ray will thrive without it this holiday. Sure, the announcement stung a little bit, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't change the fact that Blu-Ray is winning and will continue to win the format war.

This hurt the HD fomat more then it hurt Blu Ray or helped HD-DVD and this is exactly what M$ wants to do, so they can capitalize on HD digital download.

[CJ P]

Sony can cut the price of their players obviously but they have to be careful not to screw all their business partners as well. Its more complex then them just gettign in a conf. room and saying cut the price of the BDP-S300 to $199. Panasonic, Samsung, Pioneer etc. would rightly be pissed off. As far as the discs, they might be able to subsidise a price cut by paying off all the BD studios but this is extremely unlikely.

[cawgijoe]

I sent mine.