Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[Marcusarilius]

Originally Posted by Paradiso

You said it, Marcus. At that time I was still living in Arlington, VA. We had a music store (now out of business) called The Wiz. They were selling cds at 8.99-11.99. They sure got a lot of my business. Heh of course I got my first credit card then (maniac!) so I went nuts there.

"Nobody beast the Wiz!"

Ahhh, sooo long ago...

Speaking of Wiz, All the coffee is catching up to me. I'll be back in a moment.

[Memnoch71]

Originally Posted by merrick97

I would like to add that I feel that this is why MS needs to make a bluray addon for the 360 and quick. Then offer those who bought the HD-DVD addon a nice discount.

I made a thread about this on AVS and none of the MS insiders have said anything.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but even if they did that isn't the 360 still limited to 720p? I didn't think it was capable of 1080p output.

On another Note,

Bill, I just wanted to say that thanks to reading TheDigitalBits for over 10 years now I have gone with your picks both times and have loved every minute of it.

[Slec]

Bill,
If, as it sounds, Toshiba drop their format next week, do you think Warner will still produce their promised discs through May? They would have a justifiable way to cancel I would think...

I wish no ill will on HD DVD fans, but as you said earlier, this is a business and if something they promised to support has OFFICIALLY thrown in the towel, WB could soften their stance on this and not really be to blame.

Thanks for your insights during this awful mess..

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Slec

Bill,
If, as it sounds, Toshiba drop their format next week, do you think Warner will still produce their promised discs through May? They would have a justifiable way to cancel I would think...

I wish no ill will on HD DVD fans, but as you said earlier, this is a business and if something they promised to support has OFFICIALLY thrown in the towel, WB could soften their stance on this and not really be to blame.

Thanks for your insights during this awful mess..

Good question, but I suspect they'll stick to May. Universal and Paramount could actually join Warner in that timing. We'll have to wait and see.

[Fozziwig]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

I think we could normally put it down to early adopters curse, but with the type of people that Toshiba were attracting with HD DVD it may not be as easy as that...

Excellent point. These people have not been shrugging their shoulders and saying "C'est la vie". They've been marching into retailers, dumping their HD DVD player on the counter and demanding their money back.

That Toshiba hadn't worked out the consequences of selling premium, new to market, products at commodity prices is unfortunate (for them). I'm surprised the retailers went along with this ludicrous plan for so long.

Toshiba have done some serious damage to their reputation and it will cost them millions in lost sales (and I'm not talking about HD DVD). At least they have finally begun to come to their senses.

I really hope they don't release a $99 Blu-ray player in Q4.

[DaViD Boulet]

Bill,

if Toshiba closes their HD DVD factories, were will the "through May" HD DVDs be produced? With demand for HD DVD software all but dropping to zero after Toshiba's announcement, it would seem like a lot of effort and financial investment for something that even many HD DVD consumers at this point might be leary to buy.

[Marcusarilius]

Originally Posted by Fozziwig

Toshiba have done some serious damage to their reputation and it will cost them millions in lost sales (and I'm not talking about HD DVD). At least they have finally begun to come to their senses.

Yes, but it was only when they were backed into a corner with no way out anymore. They deserve the same finacial losses and headaches that they were so willing to dish out to an unsuspecting public.

I have negative ZERO (if such a thing were posssible) respect for this company, and I will NEVER buy any Toshiba product as long as I live.

[Sporty]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Bill,

if Toshiba closes their HD DVD factories, were will the "through May" HD DVDs be produced? With demand for HD DVD software all but dropping to zero after Toshiba's announcement, it would seem like a lot of effort and financial investment for something that even many HD DVD consumers at this point might be leary to buy.

Although I'm not 'in the know' as Bill, HD-DVD discs aren't produced by Toshiba. Several DVD replicators have been upgraded to press HD-DVD's. I would think producing on HD-DVD through may is a courtesy's to current owners.

The 'continuing to sell HD-DVD players for the time being on the news stories is most likely hardware already in the retail chain (in route, warehouse, stores).

[sj001]

Bill, your original article stating your position on Blu-ray as the winning format was what got me into this war to get started with. I trust your opinion, and I applaud your efforts and your reporting style during this period of time. You are not afraid to speak your mind under fire either, and that takes balls.

Great job Bill! The Digital Bits will always be one of my top fav sites!

[Ops2p]

Bill thanks again for all the info
I'm kidda curious, what happens to Para/Dream money they got. Did they just make out like a bandit due to Toshiba dropping out and Para kept to their end of the deal and stuck it out. Or do they have to pay the prorated amount back.

If you know how all that works...Thanks

[LynxFX]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

And for those who still claim Blu-ray's prices are too high, apparently you don't remember what it was like just ten years ago, in the first days of DVD.

Hell they don't even remember just less than 2 years ago when their own HD DVD players cost more than what current Blu-ray players do. And while they may claim it had a complete spec, I think they are missing the most important feature of all....those players don't play Blu-ray discs.

And sorry to see that you are still receiving unwarranted flack over at HTF. Out of pretty much all of the forums and tech websites you were the only one that was right and made the call publicly well in advance. You didn't fake neutrality, hide behind advertising money, and even with your public format choice you still didn't bash the competition and gave out their news (good or bad) just as much. So thanks!

[U4K61]

Originally Posted by Ops2p

Bill thanks again for all the info
I'm kidda curious, what happens to Para/Dream money they got. Did they just make out like a bandit due to Toshiba dropping out and Para kept to their end of the deal and stuck it out. Or do they have to pay the prorated amount back.

If you know how all that works...Thanks

Seems like one can put a spin on anything here. Here is one possibly: Paramont goes HD-DVD last year to get 150 million. They knew all along that DUD was a gonner - that Toshiba would drop the ball. They would then go back to blu and keep the money, claiming the rug was pulled out from under them. And if DUD did hang in there, how many more suitcases of money would they have gotten to stay on their side? Short term win win for Paramount. The war may be over, but perhaps we are just in act two in a three act play.

Thanks Bill for all the advice over the years, have been a fan of the Bits since your dissertation on anamorphic widescreen.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by LynxFX

And sorry to see that you are still receiving unwarranted flack over at HTF. Out of pretty much all of the forums and tech websites you were the only one that was right and made the call publicly well in advance. You didn't fake neutrality, hide behind advertising money, and even with your public format choice you still didn't bash the competition and gave out their news (good or bad) just as much. So thanks!

I agree, Bill you got alot of respect from me. I have argued on threads about this, it was your right, as your site owner, to do anything you wanted, you chose a format you felt was better and said so, to me that is honest press and far better than listening to some of these other sites hiding behind what they were really feeling. You were the only one with the guts to say which format you felt was better and which you thought would win. I've been a Bits reader since the start and stop by every day.

[Sporty]

Originally Posted by Craig Ruchman

Seems like one can put a spin on anything here. Here is one possibly: Paramont goes HD-DVD last year to get 150 million. They knew all along that DUD was a gonner - that Toshiba would drop the ball. They would then go back to blu and keep the money, claiming the rug was pulled out from under them. And if DUD did hang in there, how many more suitcases of money would they have gotten to stay on their side? Short term win win for Paramount. The war may be over, but perhaps we are just in act two in a three act play.

Probably, from what I read Warner's BD profits last year were about $67 million for Blu-Ray sales alone. So looks like Paramount made out ok with sales from HD-DVD and 'incentive' to lose out on BD sales (which they still made most of the year)

[Spike68]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Bill,

if Toshiba closes their HD DVD factories, were will the "through May" HD DVDs be produced?

If i'm not mistaken the plants that toshiba are closing are for hardware production only. Am i right about that bill?

P.S. I love the digital bits Bill, have been a loyal reader for years. Just wish I could win one of the many giveaways.

[Mobe1969]

Harry at AICN seems to have forgotten his glowing endorsement and winner picker from last year. I loved the response the AICN HDDVD endorsement provoked at Digital Bits.

And seriously, the amount of HDDVD fans quoting the old porn will win the war argument was just hilarious.

[HeavyHitter]

Bill,

Do you expect we'll see some executive or management changes over at Toshiba as a result of the mess they created? It would be nice to see someone held accountable over there. For the longest time, I almost felt that this format war became personal for Toshiba - as if there were some serious egos and emotionalism driving their madness and loss of millions of dollars. It almost seemed they were willing to give players away with the free movies...oh wait. I'm wondering if someone finally stepped in and said, "enough is enough, we're ending it all - now!"

[WickyWoo]

Harry at AICN seems to have forgotten his glowing endorsement and winner picker from last year. I loved the response the AICN HDDVD endorsement provoked at Digital Bits

Read it again, he hasn't forgotten at all who backed a truckload of pwesents up to his doorstep

[NutsAboutPS3]

Bill, I just want to say I think you deserve a huge pat on the back for the stance you took on the format war and the advice you gave out to readers of your site. Anyone who followed your advice will be happy with how things turned out. People who didn't listen only have themselves to blame.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

And for those who still claim Blu-ray's prices are too high, apparently you don't remember what it was like just ten years ago, in the first days of DVD. It took DVD FOUR YEARS after launch to reach $199 and $99 prices. We're only two years into Blu-ray, and we're already down to $499 and $399. So Blu-ray is right on the same price curve path. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a $299 unit this holiday season and a $199 in 2009. And there's your four years. Blu-ray software will come down too. And for god's sake, how can anyone complain about Blu-ray software prices when you've been able to get HUGE discounts and 10 FREE DISC offers for months now. If you want Blu-ray titles for low prices, discount offers are out there all over the place.

At a risk of sounding elistist, it will be nice to return to a point where people enter this arena (at this stage) because they demand the finest video and audio quality. If $400 is too much for a player, then you shouldn't be buying into things right now.

The normal CE cycle encourages makers to compete with continuous improve improvements in their top models, and these improvements filter down to the value models. This died in DVD because the Chinese stole the market by royalty cheating, and killing margins (a la Toshiba) thus destroying any incentive to innovate.

Perhaps we're finally back to the way things should be. And we'll now see a decade of amazing improvements that made Laserdisc such a joy (LPCM, AC-3, DTS, commentary tracks, special editions, director's cuts ...)

If you think about it, DVD stood on the shoulders of the videophile Laserdisc, and didn't innovate much at all (heck, it didn't even have DTS to start, and never had LPCM used much due to capacity issues!)

Gary