Paramount Says 'There Will Be Blood' on HD DVD

[BluOgre]

Originally Posted by Morety

Why would Paramount release Toshiba from the contract, when it's Toshiba paying them?

And they look like bigger idiots by not releasing any Blu-ray. Not to mention they're losing a lot of money. If they aren't waiting for Toshiba to buy them out of their contract (speculation), I have no idea why they're being so stupid.

1) They were already paid. What exactly do you expect Toshiba to pay?

2) Do you honestly think Toshiba wouldn't have a clause in the contract that IF they dropped out of the business they are no longer required to pay any marketing dollars towards Paramounts titles. Look at the 2nd season of Star Trek....it's been out right cancelled because Toshiba refused to pay for it's developement further. How is this any different?

3) Paramount already authored and made the HD-DVD discs. Not releasing it makes it NO sense. Marketing wise would be easy because you just piggy back on DVD commercials/ads.

4) They can't announce a Blu-ray version because there isn't one yet. I hate to break this to you guys but these titles are prepared for high-def way before they are announced. My guess is the BLu-ray version would take a couple of months just to get made.

And yes, Paramount and Universal both look like idiots at this point but what can they honestly do....public flogging?

[unreal1080p]

Originally Posted by hc666

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...1&postcount=12

Haha unreal1080p... Office Space on blu would be sweet.

[hc666]

I think the annoying part here is that no announcement from Paramount on Blu BUT they go ahead and announce a new HD DVD.

I agree, they are probably already pressed and ready to ship.

[BlurayManiac]

paramount is either being dicks or they just do not want to deal blu-ray or thosiba wants there money back.

[quaylie]

this is disturbing that Paramount has not made a statement yet..maybe there was some bad blood between Paramount and the BDA when they split back in August.

[BluOgre]

Originally Posted by hc666

I think the annoying part here is that no announcement from Paramount on Blu BUT they go ahead and announce a new HD DVD.

I agree, they are probably already pressed and ready to ship.

This title was announced from my distributor a week ago. It was just now publicly announced. So actually it's not like they did this to stick a finger to Blu-ray owners. It was something they already had announced unoffically.

I do agree Paramount being silent on ANYTHING concerning Blu-ray is a little disturbing though. You would think they would be coming out stating they are going to release everything as soon as humanly possible (like Universal did yesterday). Paramount has some real issues with their PR department.

[Brian Cash]

Their trying to get every penny they can out of hd dvd customers before they switch to blu

[BluOgre]

Originally Posted by BlurayManiac

paramount is either being dicks or they just do not want to deal blu-ray or thosiba wants there money back.

I do believe insiders have already stated the only way toshiba would get their money back from Universal or Paramount is if they broke the contract and released on Blu-ray. One of the ways they could release on Blu-ray without giving up the blood money was Toshiba releasing them by quitting.

[Spankey]

Somehow I get the impression that Paramount moves more as a giant corporation than Universal or even Warner. Discs are showing up in CC databases so it is safe to assume the movies are coming. I think the wording of the announcement is what is being worked on. Give it time. It's only been a day.

[Whytewash]

I think all of the Paramount execs are on some beautiful white-sand beach with cocnut/umbrella drinks basking in their $150,000,000... I dont think that they ever got the memo. When they come back to the states, they'll be like "whoa, what the hell did we miss?!?!"

[Sylin]

This disc is probably already authored and pressed... just pending shipment to retail. Can't blame them for not wanting to melt them all, or pull an Atari and stick them all in a vault somewhere. But it would have been, IMHO, more prudent for Paramount to announce a bunch of movies on Blu, and include this as an afterthought in the press release.

[TruBlu2]

Originally Posted by quaylie

this is disturbing that Paramount has not made a statement yet..maybe there was some bad blood between Paramount and the BDA when they split back in August.

DUH, wtf....para***** stabbed us in the backs last summer. Of course they are going to be dicks and not say anything. para***** wants things to be the way they were prior to its abrupt defection, The BDA says NO and should. para***** are a-holes. You people need to realize that.

[Morety]

Originally Posted by BluOgre

1) They were already paid. What exactly do you expect Toshiba to pay?

Were they monthly payments or paid up front? I have no idea.

Originally Posted by BluOgre

2) Do you honestly think Toshiba wouldn't have a clause in the contract that IF they dropped out of the business they are no longer required to pay any marketing dollars towards Paramounts titles. Look at the 2nd season of Star Trek....it's been out right cancelled because Toshiba refused to pay for it's developement further. How is this any different?

I have no idea what they're contracted for. But if Toshiba were the aggressor in getting Paramount to sign, it would be Paramount with the parachute clause, not Toshiba.

Originally Posted by BluOgre

3) Paramount already authored and made the HD-DVD discs. Not releasing it makes it NO sense. Marketing wise would be easy because you just piggy back on DVD commercials/ads.

Agreed, as I said in an earlier post.

Originally Posted by BluOgre

4) They can't announce a Blu-ray version because there isn't one yet. I hate to break this to you guys but these titles are prepared for high-def way before they are announced. My guess is the BLu-ray version would take a couple of months just to get made.

But the lack of any statement to that fact is what's disturbing, and for the life of me I can't figure out why they haven't said anything. Hence my conspiracy theory about money being involved.

Originally Posted by BluOgre

And yes, Paramount and Universal both look like idiots at this point but what can they honestly do....public flogging?

They should announce their intentions. My conspiracy theory about the money is a possible (not probable) reason.

[Petra]

I do think there's bad blood between Paramount and BDA. And let it be, right now Paramount is all alone. I think BDA extended an offer to Universal, but not Paramount. That's what they get for being a jerk back in August

[maximiza]

Oh god they make me sick

[BluOgre]

Originally Posted by Morety

Were they monthly payments or paid up front? I have no idea.

Only the insiders know for sure but publicly Toshiba said it was payments and it was in the form of marketing dollars to promote their titles. I work for a Blockbuster franchise and these marketing dollars are used by stuidos all the time....it's just another way to give you money to support their titles. They can say they are not giving you a "discount" but we still get money (just like Paramount did and was probably getting through marketing their titles).

In this case why would Toshiba continue to PAY Parmount if they killed the format? You honestly don't think the contract they signed doesn't have a clause that lets Toshiba stop the marketing dollars for Paramounts titles? Essentially they would have to be the biggest goober lawyers I've ever seen if Toshiba made a contract that stated they were FORCED to support Paramount even after they throw in the towel. What you are saying makes no sense.

[Morety]

Bad blood and no blu-ray releases by Paramount does not serve Paramount, the BDA nor the consumer.

Bad blood and holding out would be stupid for either side, causing them both unseen profit.

[krisztoforo]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

This disc is probably already authored and pressed... just pending shipment to retail.

I highly doubt that they have the disks pressed. If this was the case then they should also have a boatload of Transformers BDs in their basement...(hey maybe they do )

My suspicion is that they're trying to capitalize on a last surge of fanboys trying to buy the last releases of this dead format...

[StilettoViper]

Originally Posted by hc666

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...on_HD_DVD/1485

Kind of funny I thought.

These guys are total clowns. Paramount is now officially a laughing stock. It is definitely funny in a lot of ways. Total morons at that studio.

[zuulboy]

I spoke with a publicist at Paramount. She said she's not sure "when the official switch will happen or what titles it affects," but said the studio "likely can't keep supporting HD DVD when Toshiba isn't making players anymore." So it's just a matter of time, but they might drag their feet on this one for some reason.