Archived: Insiders Thread

[JBlacklow]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

We have a good working relationship with the Paramount technical staff and they have told us repeatedly that they would like Blu-ray to become the single dominant format. The primarly reason for their support is that bandwidth and disc capacity are a nuisance with HD-DVD. That said, I think they were made a very generous offer (as was Uni) that was too good to pass up.

You have to recognize that there is little if any money to be made on either format at this moment. The cost of promoting a new format has to be amortized over later years when it hits the growth curve. If you can get paid to support one format, that is real money you can bank, while the opposing format potentially gains strength and grows into a substantial installed base of players. So fast forward a year or two. Your support for pay deal expires and what do you know... you get to release the same movies all over again on the dominant format with healthy sales numbers.

You make a good point, paidgeek, and I will continue to buy Blu-rays from Sony, Disney, LGF, and Fox/MGM when (if?) they get back in. But the economics of both the US and me personally can't sustain that for too long. It's a very small hope that the sales aren't affected too much.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

We have a good working relationship with the Paramount technical staff and they have told us repeatedly that they would like Blu-ray to become the single dominant format. The primarly reason for their support is that bandwidth and disc capacity are a nuisance with HD-DVD. That said, I think they were made a very generous offer (as was Uni) that was too good to pass up.

Why can we be sure Disney and Fox won't accept similar generous offers next week?

What if Warner decides to go back to being exclusive too?

Let me just say that SPHE's support has been spectacular. Still the best quality is coming from Sony and Disney.

Gary

[Scorxpion]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

The Australian version will have the same English tracks as the North American version including 24bit Dolby THD and 16bit LPCM. The Australian disc will play in all regions.

Thanks Paidgeek this is a great news for imported PS3 like me and many others in my region .

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

Your support for pay deal expires and what do you know... you get to release the same movies all over again on the dominant format with healthy sales numbers.

This is a very important point. BUT (there's always a but, isn't there? )...this only works if the BDA does what is necessary to ensure BD remains the dominant format.

Rhetorical question: How many bridges were burned in Hollywood today?

[UltimateFighter]

Well insiders? Any work being done to make New Line see the light?

[Zinn]

Fox/MGM responding

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by Banjo

Paidgeek,

Sorry to ask this again... will the special features for Spider-Man Trilogy on both Blu-ray Disc and DVD be subtitled/captioned in English? I know you already confirmed it for the BD edition of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', but a deaf friend of mine doesn't own a BD player at the moment. He'll like to know if the same is being done for the DVD edition.


Thanks.

The added value disc has a number of subtitles, but not English.

[mattym]

given the fact that paramount had been turning out nice avc encodes for BD, and these things are not made overnight, what will happen to these encodes? Stored for release to a more mature market? Paidgeek, do you know what they were working on before they found the brown envelopes of cash?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

MODS: Uhm, you can take this post away too.

People, stop commenting on other people's posts here. The insiders, currently TWO, are doing what they can.
fuad

Paid's answering your questions (thank goodness), I prefer to work behind the scenes ...........
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=2067

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

The added value disc has a number of subtitles, but not English.

That's quite a disappointment.

[danielpwnz]

My question got lost in the Paramount hoopla...have you heard anything about the Marie Antoinette Blu-ray, paidgeek?

Thanks in advance.

[Proteus]

Penton-man

Can we please make Star Wars happen now?

Thank you.

[Proteus]

I do have a serious question for the Insiders:

Does anyone know the actual length of this HDDVD Promo Group arrangement with Viacom?

I'm starting to see stuff all over the net about it only being for 'this holiday season' and a huge 'test of the consumer to be sure they want bluray' type stuff.

[gandley]

Originally Posted by Proteus

I do have a serious question for the Insiders:

Does anyone know the actual length of this HDDVD Promo Group arrangement with Viacom?

I'm starting to see stuff all over the net about it only being for 'this holiday season' and a huge 'test of the consumer to be sure they want bluray' type stuff.

i would be amazed if anything less than a year was the done deal.

[gandley]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Paid's answering your questions (thank goodness), I prefer to work behind the scenes ...........
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=2067

do some work up at newline then

Also do you think speilberg and gang will leave paramount when there contract is up late next year? Seems like Sony would make for a nice new home for Mr SS.

[monkyman]

Originally Posted by gandley

i would be amazed if anything less than a year was the done deal.

Yeah, I would think 150 mil would probibly buy a year, not much more. Remember Sony is spending 100 mil on advertising, and they will probibly get the bigger return.

My question is are the FOX titles going to be BD+ finaly?

[Blu-Light]

Any inside want to take a stab at the other "big news" coming from cedia about Hd-DVD that the used car salesman spoke of today? I figure he is probably just blowing out more untruths.

[Penton-Man]

Guys (and gals),
I know this has probably been a tough day for alot of you and you have my sympathy.

Believe me, the Blu crew has known about this potential “event” for quite awhile and I posted a purposely oblique reference to it in a codec thread on A Virtual Smackdown forum, as soon as I could fit it in, without the HD VD protagonists catching on and milking the leak to death (to further their cause) because I felt that the official announcement was just a matter of hours.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...&postcount=124

The saddest thing that I personally find (about this decision) is that the techie people at Paramount (like us on this forum) who are truly interested in the best format believe that Blu-ray is just that……the technologically superior format. Which I think is what paidgeek may have said or alluded to a couple pages back...........and he wouldn’t do so dishonestly and thusly invoke the wrath of his colleagues in town. In any case, the bean counters won over the engineers at Paramount.

Keep in mind though, that a decision like this does not win a format war. Unfortunately, it simply prolongs it for awhile. Paramount’s decision was indeed anticipated and has been *factored in* for the future.
This in no way caught the Blu crew unawares, it’s just that not much could be done about it. This war is a game of chess, not checkers.

[iceman]

Please keep this thread clean for the insiders and questions to the insiders. Use the other parts of the forum for unrelated/"unnecessary" comments and discussions. Thanks

[theknub]

thanks p-man for the update. we'll continue to look forward to better BR news in the future.