Like the days of DIVX...

[Julman]

If I remember correctly, back in the day of the DVD vs. DIVX format war Paramount supported DIVX hoping to do away with DVD. They lost millions due to their incompetence and lack of technical awareness. DVD is still going strong. When's the last time you heard of someone playing a DIVX disc. Much will be the same with HD-DVD. Paramount will learn the hard way once again.

[BLUE BALLS]

Originally Posted by Julman

If I remember correctly, back in the day of the DVD vs. DIVX format war Paramount supported DIVX hoping to do away with DVD. They lost millions due to their incompetence and lack of technical awareness. DVD is still going strong. When's the last time you heard of someone playing a DIVX disc. Much will be the same with HD-DVD. Paramount will learn the hard way once again.

Ya Disney also backed DIVx so one may want to rethink the studio bashing before one steps in the droppings left behind.

[Matt X]

...along w/the underhanded tactics that supporters of the INFERIOR format pulled. I worked @ CC during that battle, and they were pulling s&*t like tripling the commissions on the DIVX players vs. DVD. some of the sales guys were just about making a buck, but many saw through the BS-----

[Julman]

True but Disney learned from their mistake and now are backing the right horse. Sadly Paramount has not learned from their million dollar mistakes in the past and now are doomed to repeat it. Much like Circuit City/Divx paying out companies for their support. The same is happening with HD-DVD. Looks like a last ditch effort and history repeating itself.

[BLUE BALLS]

Originally Posted by Julman

True but Disney learned from their mistake and now are backing the right horse. Sadly Paramount has not learned from their million dollar mistakes in the past and now are doomed to repeat it. Much like Circuit City/Divx paying out companies for their support. The same is happening with HD-DVD. Looks like a last ditch effort and history repeating itself.

Yes but Disney's CEO even said at teh annual meeting that they would be backing both formats in the coming year. So unless he goes back on the statwement he made to many many shareholders and doesn't care about keeping his lofty perch at TWDC he had best live up to his statement or he may find himself looking for a new position by way of being voted out by the shareholders he made priomises to. I will personally cast my vote to remove him if he goes back on this statement he made to myself and every other shareholder in attendance and by proxy.

[monkyman]

Originally Posted by BLUE BALLS

Yes but Disney's CEO even said at teh annual meeting that they would be backing both formats in the coming year.

I highly doubt it since they are haveing the Bluray tour as we speak.

[BLUE BALLS]

Originally Posted by monkyman

I highly doubt it since they are haveing the Bluray tour as we speak.

You are correct they are having a BR tour just remember a tour doesn't mean the be all and end all of support. I can see them releasing BR for the remainder of the year and start with HD DVD support after that. Remember even a CEO is held accountable by shareholders and if they say they are going to do something and then don't to their shareholders there are reprecussions.

[alpinewiz]

Originally Posted by BLUE BALLS

Yes but Disney's CEO even said at teh annual meeting that they would be backing both formats in the coming year. So unless he goes back on the statwement he made to many many shareholders and doesn't care about keeping his lofty perch at TWDC he had best live up to his statement or he may find himself looking for a new position by way of being voted out by the shareholders he made priomises to. I will personally cast my vote to remove him if he goes back on this statement he made to myself and every other shareholder in attendance and by proxy.

If you can please post a link to the notes on that shareholder meeting.

[BLUE BALLS]

Originally Posted by alpinewiz

If you can please post a link to the notes on that shareholder meeting.

I wouldn't even know where to begin to look for any minutes that would have been taken from teh meeting. I guess we could start with Disney directly I am sure they must have taken minutes and notes at the meeting but not 100% sure.

[Chris Gerhard]

Originally Posted by Julman

True but Disney learned from their mistake and now are backing the right horse. Sadly Paramount has not learned from their million dollar mistakes in the past and now are doomed to repeat it. Much like Circuit City/Divx paying out companies for their support. The same is happening with HD-DVD. Looks like a last ditch effort and history repeating itself.

If Paramount has received a $150,000,000 payment/incentive package, how do you figure they have not learned from their mistake? Paramount would never and I mean never make $150,000,000 profit from the sales of Blu-ray discs. How could they turn this deal down and if the same deal is offered to Warner, how can they turn it down? I don't hold anything against Paramount for making this business decision. The really puzzling part is how in the world does the $150,000,000 get recouped by the companies that paid it? There just isn't that kind of market possible, particularly as long as the format war continues. I would like to see the return on investment calculation for that deal in a few years.

Chris

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Chris Gerhard

If Paramount has received a $150,000,000 payment/incentive package, how do you figure they have not learned from their mistake? Paramount would never and I mean never make $150,000,000 profit from the sales of Blu-ray discs. How could they turn this deal down and if the same deal is offered to Warner, how can they turn it down?

They can turn it down when it suddenly gets a lot of bad industry press they, um, didn't expect it to, not to mention buzzings about having your company investigated by the SEC, legitimate deal or not.

There are easy ways of doing things, and there are hard ways, and one of the easy ways is to wait and see what happens to somebody else.

(Also, Warner's only continuing to support HD to keep their TotalHD dual-disk investments alive, a bit of money they would also ironically lose if they gave up Blu tomorrow--
Whether Microsoft likes it or not, Warner's forced to be neutral, because they just don't have much darn choice.)

[BigB88]

Originally Posted by Chris Gerhard

If Paramount has received a $150,000,000 payment/incentive package, how do you figure they have not learned from their mistake? Paramount would never and I mean never make $150,000,000 profit from the sales of Blu-ray discs. How could they turn this deal down and if the same deal is offered to Warner, how can they turn it down? I don't hold anything against Paramount for making this business decision. The really puzzling part is how in the world does the $150,000,000 get recouped by the companies that paid it? There just isn't that kind of market possible, particularly as long as the format war continues. I would like to see the return on investment calculation for that deal in a few years.

Chris

Paramount is already suffering, they are getting bad press, talent is beginning to move against them and all for a couple of bucks in the short term. The long term implications could be catostrophic for them. The majority of people in this country (and in others) don't like Corporate greed and this is exactly what this is. You are going to witness a pretty substantial backlash because Paramount didn't make this move for any reason but Corporate greed. IMHO, they are going to lose way more then 150 million.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by BigB88

Paramount is already suffering, they are getting bad press, talent is beginning to move against them and all for a couple of bucks in the short term. The long term implications could be catostrophic for them. The majority of people in this country (and in others) don't like Corporate greed and this is exactly what this is. You are going to witness a pretty substantial backlash because Paramount didn't make this move for any reason but Corporate greed. IMHO, they are going to lose way more then 150 million.

And again, before we bash the messenger, keep in mind Dreamworks, Nickelodeon and MTV would have been much more lucrative HD cash-cows for Microsoft to gain a foothold in, and more public jewels in the crown to covet--
(We seem to see a lot of promotion over Transformers and Shrek3, both DW films, but no handsprings over Stardust or Hot Rod...)

And the only way Micro could have gotten HD's hands on Dreamworks and Nickelodeon and MTV and SNL Films and Paramount would have been to do exactly what companies do, Microsoft included--Go to the Source. Namely Viacom.
All Paramount is guilty of doing is giving in to their corporate masters, and toeing the press-statement line...The Mountain may be taking the blame, but good detectives don't fall for the decoy.

[mikem471]

Originally Posted by BLUE BALLS

Ya Disney also backed DIVx so one may want to rethink the studio bashing before one steps in the droppings left behind.

What are you still doing here, asswipe? Are you that much of a nerd that as soon as the Paramount announcement was made you had to rush over to this site? Piss off