Bill Hunt/Graffeo HD DVD debate video from July 2007

[GasCat]

Originally Posted by Lepton

Bill Hunt is a pimp:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/ema2...332%20copy.jpg

Sacre Blu!

He's definitely a pusher too.

[Canada]

I was watching the video and the Toshiba/Universal guy was talking about about price being the number one factor in the HD format war. It might be for most people, but I would have bought a player much earlier if there was no format war. If the price is really the way companies make most of the money, I think you would want a unified format because people who loved movies would be an early adopter and ther for pay more for the newer technology. HD DVD in my opinion will never win because company that supports Blu exclusivly will go HD DVD exclusivly the way markets are going.

I am broke now from buying a PS3 but I have never have HD satalite or cable satalite and this is my first HD 1080i picture.

I am listning to part 3 with the special features comentary, I did not buy Blu Ray player/PS3 (I see it as a Blu Ray player first then a gaming machine) for special features. I don't watch most of the Special Features on DVD anyway why would I start when it is HD?

The person who said I did not buy a Blu Ray player because it's not twice the picture quality did not think of a few things.

1. Probably twice as many movies are on Blu Ray?
2. Disney, Sony/Columbia, Fox, Lionsgate are all blu ray exclusive
3. Blu Ray generally offers better audio (PCM even though 2 ch) which to my knowledge HD DVD has yet to offer. Sound is more important than video but that's just me.


I only have a part time job right now and don't have a lot of money I chose Blu Ray because of the movie selection not because of the price. If I was that worried about price I would stick with DVD.

Two of my favorite movies are Casino Royal and Black Hawk Down guess what Blu Ray only.

[Canada]

They brought up the horid transfer on The Fifth Element didn't Sony replace those disks free of charge. For any one who didn't guess it's a rhetorical question.

[helli3yte]

yes they did and i recieved mine and it was VERY NICE

[Adam_G]

Bill Hunt is awesome in this one! Did anyone else hear him yell out "Bull-$hit!" when Ken Graffeo was giving his version of history and when DVD was widely accepted?

Just to set the record strait Bill Hunt wasn't the one who said it. I won't name names, but the person who did later apologized.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Adam_G

Just to set the record strait Bill Hunt wasn't the one who said it. I won't name names, but the person who did later apologized.

OK thanks.

But, he was the one who set the record straight on DVD and DIVX versus Graffeo's revisionist history.

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by BStecke

Finally got this working. My favorite part was when the guy on the end (not Graffeo) is trying to be smart-assed when he's talking about how, "if we're going to count video game consoles (for number of players sold), we should just go ahead and count PC's, and then the picture really changes." And he's talking about how "many" people use their PC as a source for watching movies. Who does this!?? Is there a single person on this forum that plugs their PC into their home theater setup to use as their main player, or has ever even CONSIDERED doing this!? This video series really is a must-see . . . comedy ensues throughout.

yea i would of stated....yea lets count PC drive's... ..hey what about NEC...what type of HD optical are they makeing now. hey did they co found the HD DVD format. i could have sworn they founded the HD DVD format. if so what type of HD optical drive's are they makeing for PC's because it say's right here their makeing BLU-RAY DRIVES..hmm the CO-VICE chair of the HD DVD promotional group is now makeing blu-ray drives. shocking

[Sam Posten]

Yeah, the loudmouth who yelled "bullshit" was me, but I was sitting right next to Bill and he did a similar double take when that statement was made. He didnt go off like I did tho. I totally apologized for having said that, it was inappropriate for that forum no matter how much I felt my statement was true.

I dont think it was revisionist history per se, but really someone coming from it from a much different perspective than most HTF members would have. Understand that:

A. I'm a teacher at night and I deal with hundreds of questions about all aspects of technology and my students, coworkers and fellow HTF members alike were VERY worried about a world where DIVX was dominant instead of DVD.

B. A lot of us HTF vets had done a LOT of talking to consumers, studios, retailers, distributors and had a LOT of emotional investment in seeing DIVX die quickly

C. Hearing the actual threat of DIVX being brushed aside as no big deal by someone who theoretically should have known better made me really angry.

I really appreciated the panel accepting my apology and for Mr. Graffeo give a really detailed answer to my follow up question about what its like to be in his shoes getting constantly questioned about exclusivity. I think that question got cut off of Rons video tape, but his answer is there almost in full.

Sam

[hanser]

In todays 2cent of the digital bits, Bill Hunt has something to say about the missing time frame between the video segments. This is where, the interesting Graffeo comment about being under pressure got lost.

[Sam Posten]

Yeah, you can hear my apology and the start of that question here:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/files/graffeoemaclip.mp3

One thing that nobody in this thread seeemed to focus on, is that Mr. Graffeo illustrated the two things that interests Universal most:

-Low Costs of moving DVD replication to HD DVD
-Interactive elements

Of course both have benefits to the consumer, but in the end they are much more valuable to the studios. Especially as interactive SO FAR has proven to be wasted on consumers like me and it acts as a piracy deterent.

The replication response never made sense to me tho, because by focussing on cost elements the hardware manufacturers are recreating the race to the bottom that they faced with DVD, and which they all claimed to avoid in the HD era. Of course thats win/win for studios and consumers but I dont see how Toshiba wins in that or how it convinces other manufacturers to join in in making HD DVD hardware.

[BStecke]

This was funny when it was brand new, and even better now, especially Greeson's outburst at the end of the first video. "Give me a freakin' break." You're broken, buddy.

Recommended viewing for all.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/ema2...Video%201.html

[RickD]

Haha, what a douche.

Rick

[Spankey]

Originally Posted by RickD

Haha, what a douche.

Rick

Which one(S)?

[Magic]

Greeson is a douche for sure. Even knowing what we know today it still makes me mad to hear someone talking like that.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

HAHAHAHA... I'm only on the 2nd of 7 videos and I'm laughing my ass off at the truth that the HD DVD panel is completely ignoring!

[Petra_Kalbrain]

The only time that Greeson made any sense is when he was talking about physical versus virtual ownership. He actually compelled me to consider the philosophical incapability of humans to fully accept a world where virtual ownership would be the standard.

[Jason One]

It's cool to see Bill Hunt on video debating the HD DVD guys.

[RickD]

Originally Posted by Spankey

Which one(S)?

Good point. I was thinking of Greeson when I wrote that.

Rick

[dobyblue]

Is it just me or does Robert Zohn look absolutely frikkin' hammered.

He must have been absolutely blitzed just before the conference kicked off then smoked some of Graffeo's ganja.

[cakefoo]

According to Graffeo's first response

PS3 = $700
HDMI cords = $80
1 controller = $100

This videos off to a great start