So... Microsoft is trying to buy out the war!

[Blu-Light]

Call me paranoid but I am beginning to think that Fox released their fall release lineup not to counter what Paramount just did but to try to head off what we are about to get in the next week with a defection by Warner to go HD-DUD exclusive.

Here is another thought:

This was all planned out by Warner and Paramount well before we got to this point. They were both HD-DUD exclusive in the beginning. Why not put on a facade for a year to have the most impact of going back to HD-DUD exclusive when it mattered most to the war. And as a bonus they get these big money kick backs from MS and crew in the process. At this point I would not put it past either.

[BTBuck1]

Originally Posted by Blu-Light

Call me paranoid but I am beginning to think that Fox released their fall release lineup not to counter what Paramount just did but to try to head off what we are about to get in the next week with a defection by Warner to go HD-DUD exclusive.

Here is another thought:

This was all planned out by Warner and Paramount well before we got to this point. They were both HD-DUD exclusive in the beginning. Why not put on a facade for a year to have the most impact of going back to HD-DUD exclusive when it mattered most to the war. And as a bonus they get these big money kick backs from MS and crew in the process. At this point I would not put it past either.

Hopefully you overthought this.

[Blu-Light]

Originally Posted by BTBuck1

Hopefully you overthought this.

Makes perfect sense doesn't it? I forgot to mention that they get to keep the revenues from their dip into blu-ray for a year.

All of this stinks to high heaven. DUD was losing bad and the final death blow was about to come. Problem is we may have overplayed our side's hand and DUD has the ace up their sleave in having two people at the table working with them to put us out of the game right before we were going to close it out.

[Blu-Light]

If microsoft IS INDEED at Warner today then I fear that this will get realy ugly real fast. Hold on tight.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Blu-Light

If microsoft IS INDEED at Warner today then I fear that this will get realy ugly real fast. Hold on tight.

And I repeat what I said several posts ago, maybe even on this thread:

Warner has their very shirt invested in TotalHD--They literally can't afford to go one-format ANYTHING right now.
Microsoft, you don't have enough money in the world to cover the unrecoupable R&D losses Warner would incur by throwing their Total disks in the trash tomorrow, and they know that even if you don't.

[supersix4]

even if they do BUYING POWER OF THE CONSUMER !! just like with 300 buy buy buy if sony studios is all we have then when a new sony movie comes out we buy that and make it #1 over all the other junk

[JAGUAR1977]

If Warner go HD-DVD exclusive it's game over, I'll buy a HD-DVD player the next day, no doubt about it, dual format will be the future.

It's about time the BDA used some of the their financial muscle to keep Warner onboard/exclusive AND reduced player prices to sub $250 within weeks.

[LeoneFan]

Originally Posted by JAGUAR1977

If Warner go HD-DVD exclusive it's game over, I'll buy a HD-DVD player the next day, no doubt about it, dual format will be the future.

It's about time the BDA used some of the their financial muscle to keep Warner onboard/exclusive AND reduced player prices to sub $250 within weeks.

If Warner goes HDDUD exclusive then it's game over for both Blu-ray and HDDVD since it will be SACD vs DVD-A part 2. So you'd be wasting money on a junk HDDVD player.

[supabilly8]

Originally Posted by LeoneFan

If Warner goes HDDUD exclusive then it's game over for both Blu-ray and HDDVD since it will be SACD vs DVD-A part 2. So you'd be wasting money on a junk HDDVD player.

theres no way warner can go hd-dvd

they strongly promote being neutral and i doubt a fat check can change that

paramount was quiet on the format wars and thats why they were brought out so easily

warner wont cave in like that

[Blu-Light]

Originally Posted by supabilly8

theres no way warner can go hd-dvd

they strongly promote being neutral and i doubt a fat check can change that

paramount was quiet on the format wars and thats why they were brought out so easily

warner wont cave in like that

Why are you so sure? I thought the only direction exclusive studios would go is in the direction of blu-ray. I learned the hard way yesterday. I am ready for anything now (I think) when it comes to the low levels that the HD-DUD group will stoop too.

[richard lichtenfelt]

Some of the top execs. at Viacom/paramount must have received under the table monies. They stood as a company to make well over $150 million just off of the sale of Transformers and the dreadful Shrek 3, let alone of of their other titles. This move shafts their co., their stockholders, and the blu-ray consumers.
DEATH TO pARAMOUNT.

[CAB]

Originally Posted by richard lichtenfelt

Some of the top execs. at Viacom/paramount must have received under the table monies. They stood as a company to make well over $150 million just off of the sale of Transformers and the dreadful Shrek 3, let alone of of their other titles. This move shafts their co., their stockholders, and the blu-ray consumers.
DEATH TO pARAMOUNT.

Hmmm, what's the net profit from the sale of a copy of a movie on Blu-ray? Even if it is $10 of the $25 paid (which I doubt) they'd have to sell 15-million on BD to make what HD-DVD just handed them in cash and rebates. There's no way they'd sell 15 million BDs in the next 18 months. It's a great deal for VIA because it cuts their production costs in half and they make a profit while they see how the format war plays out. Seeing how fickle the consumer is, they can start producing BDs in a year and a half and we'll all be praising them for returning to the fold as we blaze a trail to Amazon.com.

It does make me thankful for the companies that are taking risk like Disney, FOX (now), Pioneer, Sony, etc. Paramount wasn't in a position to be profitable. You watch - they'll have their cake and eat it too.

-CB

[jw]

I was wondering if maybe we all wrote letters to our congressmen stating that there might be some sort of violation, if any, with the 150 million buyoff. I wonder if they receive enough complaints would they start an investigation into monopolistic practices of microsoft? Just an idea......

[The Don]

I haven't read the posts in this thread...

but basing off the title, this is what I have to say...

MS isn't trying to buy out the war...because they are not trying to win..

MS just wants the war to go on for as long as possible so they can get their downloads out there and try to make that format appear superior to the "confusion" going on between HD DVD and BD...

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by The Don

I haven't read the posts in this thread...

but basing off the title, this is what I have to say...

MS isn't trying to buy out the war...because they are not trying to win..

MS just wants the war to go on for as long as possible so they can get their downloads out there and try to make that format appear superior to the "confusion" going on between HD DVD and BD...

+2

[95pgtproject]

my next pc is gonna be apple. **** MS! what there doing is complete bs

Sony could bribe $$$$ studios just the same but there not stupid cause in the end it would be a complete waist of money....................

[blublublu]

Originally Posted by Blu-Light

Call me paranoid but I am beginning to think that Fox released their fall release lineup not to counter what Paramount just did but to try to head off what we are about to get in the next week with a defection by Warner to go HD-DUD exclusive.

Here is another thought:

This was all planned out by Warner and Paramount well before we got to this point. They were both HD-DUD exclusive in the beginning. Why not put on a facade for a year to have the most impact of going back to HD-DUD exclusive when it mattered most to the war. And as a bonus they get these big money kick backs from MS and crew in the process. At this point I would not put it past either.

If Warner does go exclusive, they will be the largest bunch of hyprocrites the format was has seen. They've boasted again and again about the benefits of being neutral.

So I don't see that happening.

I suspect the next punch is on the hardware side, such as the past rumoured Walmart cheap-HD DVD player announcement. Previously I thought that would not fly due to the studio inbalance (why would Walmart back a loser?). But with the Paramount buy out the HD DVD camp has not given them an in to enter with a more neutral studio landscape.

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by blublublu

If Warner does go exclusive, they will be the largest bunch of hyprocrites the format was has seen. They've boasted again and again about the benefits of being neutral.

So I don't see that happening.

Surely you don't believe that a CORPORATION would turn down cash and other incentives for fear of being called hypocritical!?!?

[krinkle]

The BDA nees to do something and now!

If Warner goes HDDVD exclusive the war will be OVER.

The BDA consortium put together is much bigger than Microsoft. We cannot afford another defection.

[Blu-Light]

Originally Posted by krinkle

The BDA nees to do something and now!

If Warner goes HDDVD exclusive the war will be OVER.

The BDA consortium put together is much bigger than Microsoft. We cannot afford another defection.

Well, if you believe "HD-DVD" insider used car salesman boozer bob three more defections are coming at cedia, one major studio and two minors.