Archived: Ask the Insiders: Judgment Day Edition

[elwaylite]

Whats bad is Toshiba only spent a little bit talking about warner dismay and that they werent giving up. Did not take questions and talk about new players.

Not much of a warm and fuzzy for HDDVD supporters since the HDDVD event is canceled too.

[stockstar1138]

Originally Posted by JTK

Does that include or exclude the PS3?

no it doesnt/

toshiba talked about hd dvd less than 5 min. and did not do a q and a at the end. all they said about hd dvd was that they were suprised, toshba had the most market share in hd hardware out of all compnies and that q4 sales were stronger than ever (duh! its xmas time). no other mention of how they are me back. i think they are going to throw inthe towel. they talked nothing about the future of hd dvd, which is suprising given the hd dvd conference was canceleed.


Heh...gotta point.

[Jeff®]

Originally Posted by gandley

toshiba market share for players less than 50%

from toshiba at CES. they really were starting to beat.

"We've been declared dead before...unit sales in Q4 were the best to date. Nearly 1 million dedicated HD DVD players are in the market" "HD DVD has always put the interests of consumers ahead of companies"

Link

[darinp2]

Originally Posted by Jeff®

Toshiba: "HD DVD has always put the interests of consumers ahead of companies"

Any insiders want to comment on whether this is an early sign that Toshiba will call it quits and use the best interests of consumers as one of the main reasons? Or will they turn around and claim that the best interests of consumers is to keep selling them HD DVD players, even as reasonable people out there can see that HD DVD losing the majority of their studio support (including small studios) looks pretty much inevitable?

Can any insiders comment on whether there will be anything like Best Buy informing their customers that Warner and New Line are dropping HD DVD, like by putting an informational sign in the HD DVD section? I'm sure some HD DVD fans will claim that informing customers of this wouldn't be fair if Best Buy didn't do it when Paramount switched, but if HD DVD people didn't think of it or couldn't make a convincing enough argument to Best Buy to do it, that sure isn't the Blu-ray camp's fault.

--Darin

[elwaylite]

I was very surprised to see Toshiba talking about a new upconverting tech using the cell processor. Is this the big plan, push better upconverting to us all?

[reiella]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

I was very surprised to see Toshiba talking about a new upconverting tech using the cell processor. Is this the big plan, push better upconverting to us all?

Kinda curious, if they intend to use SCE's software for it... I mean, that's already written and works [rather well imo].

[Penton-Man]

Originally posted by Superfluous G…………
? for Insiders:
Rumors are fox was flirting with hd exclusivity/neutraility. How close did Fox come to changing sides?

About as close as a drunken sailor getting a date with Queen Elizabeth II, while yelling into the window of her carriage as it is passing by in a procession.
Please, spare me anymore after-the-fact internet intrigue.

I believe that our forum has the only Fox studio Executive anywhere on the internet as an Insider and once he gets here on a regular basis, I know that he will not refute this, if you ask him about it directly. Now…..what other people looking at things through red colored sunglasses may think……..that is a different matter.

Is that *revelation* getting some sour grapes traction over the internet ….in a coulda, woulda, shoulda………. red slant kind of way?
Guys, are you forgetting the four stones (i.e. Fox, Disney, Sony, Lionsgate) I talked about several weeks back in The Fifth Element post with the appropriate YouTube link and the blasting of HD DVD into smithereens at the end of the clip by Leeloo(WB)…….
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...4&postcount=63

If people care to dwell now on past history, I think some should be asking how irritated Toshiba is about a certain software company for abandoning them during the defining moment of the format war.
In keeping with your “flirting” theme, it was kinda like ………

Tosh………
”But you promised you would marry me and it turned out to be a one night stand.”

Software Company……..
“Wam, Bam………Thank You Mam…..It’s been swell but, marry into a family with packaged goods?,…… sorry you got the wrong impression”.

P.S.
In case any new members are asking….”Penton, how do you know this about Fox – I thought you only cut hair at Sony”.
Well, for the same reason I knew and predicted explicitly that Fox would be announcing a bunch of new Blu-ray titles just before IFA 2007 (when the studio hadn’t made any public statements whatsoever in the preceding months and people were *****in to me that Fox was MIA and they beseeched me to have Fox come out its foxhole to say something for Blu reassurance)…….check my old posts, it’s all there.
For full disclosure, I think I cut hair on the Fox studio lot that day.

It’s called a track record, not make believe.
But Blu-ray loves all new comers to the winning format.
Group hug to all new members and lurkers.

[Penton-Man]

Maybe in a week or so when Chris or Iceman decides to close this thread and start a new Insider’s Thread…..perhaps entitled “Ask the Insiders: Putting the Last Nails in the Coffin” ----I hope that he or one of the other mods makes a final ending post to this thread with a link to this YouTube video as summation of the events over the past several weeks because the number of visual metaphors in this clip is truly numerable to those astute Blu-ray.com forum members as well as all the studio executives, attorneys and Directors that have been following this thread………………

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDzjFEPCePs

^
It says/shows it all……even the color palette in the embracing scene at the end.

[Penton-Man]

Wow, what a day so far.
I flew back to SoCal because our dog went into congestive heart failure (he's doing fine now) and one of the few board certified Cardiologists (in Veterinary medicine) is in Lawndale, so if Dr. Lesser is reading this, here is a BIG ………..Thank You from Penton-Man.

Anyway guys, I’ve got to hop on a plane and get back to Vegas - LVCC - Central Hall……..quick!

Later

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Wow, what a day so far.
I flew back to SoCal because our dog went into congestive heart failure (he's doing fine now) and one of the few board certified Cardiologists (in Veterinary medicine) is in Lawndale, so if Dr. Lesser is reading this, here is a BIG ………..Thank You from Penton-Man.

Anyway guys, I’ve got to hop on a plane and get back to Vegas - LVCC - Central Hall……..quick!

Later

Have fun P-Man. Looks like a great show so far.

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Wow, what a day so far.
I flew back to SoCal because our dog went into congestive heart failure (he's doing fine now) and one of the few board certified Cardiologists (in Veterinary medicine) is in Lawndale, so if Dr. Lesser is reading this, here is a BIG ………..Thank You from Penton-Man.

Anyway guys, I’ve got to hop on a plane and get back to Vegas - LVCC - Central Hall……..quick!

Later

Thanks for the updates, glad the pooch is A-OK.

[androvsky]

I've been thinking a little bit, and I've realized how spoiled I've become thanks to the insiders in this thread. There's a ton of questions I have about other areas semi-related to Sony and Hollywood (why does the xbox 360 keep getting jrpgs before the ps3, exactly what digital projector is AMC really installing in new theaters) and I realized that getting the kind of dirt and inside info is really quite rare. It's when I see press releases like Toshiba acting surprised about WB going blu and I think "I knew they were leaning that way months ago" that I know that we've got good insiders.

Oh look, I snuck in those completely off-topic questions anyway. Seriously though, thanks guys.

[elwaylite]

Philips CES show just said Target is going BLU exclusive????

[owa]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Thanks for the updates, glad the pooch is A-OK.

ditto.

[sj001]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Wow, what a day so far.
I flew back to SoCal because our dog went into congestive heart failure (he's doing fine now) and one of the few board certified Cardiologists (in Veterinary medicine) is in Lawndale, so if Dr. Lesser is reading this, here is a BIG ………..Thank You from Penton-Man.

Anyway guys, I’ve got to hop on a plane and get back to Vegas - LVCC - Central Hall……..quick!

Later

Glad to hear your dog is doing better! That's scary stuff, we had a much-loved cat of ours die a couple months back suddenly from heart failure (maybe a genetic defect or blood clot).

[sj001]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

About as close as a drunken sailor getting a date with Queen Elizabeth II, while yelling into the window of her carriage as it is passing by in a procession.
Please, spare me anymore after-the-fact internet intrigue.

Nice! Like the analogy!

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Philips CES show just said Target is going BLU exclusive????

I think you can go back in time and see that was another P-M exclusive hint a long long post ago in an insiders thread far far away

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

I think you can go back in time and see that was another P-M exclusive hint a long long post ago in an insiders thread far far away

Oh yeah, Im just surprised we heard it this quick. I can only hope some of the LARGER retailers follow.

[hollywoodguy]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

About as close as a drunken sailor getting a date with Queen Elizabeth II, while yelling into the window of her carriage as it is passing by in a procession.
Please, spare me anymore after-the-fact internet intrigue.

I believe that our forum has the only Fox studio Executive anywhere on the internet as an Insider and once he gets here on a regular basis, I know that he will not refute this, if you ask him about it directly. Now…..what other people looking at things through red colored sunglasses may think……..that is a different matter.

Is that *revelation* getting some sour grapes traction over the internet ….in a coulda, woulda, shoulda………. red slant kind of way?
Guys, are you forgetting the four stones (i.e. Fox, Disney, Sony, Lionsgate) I talked about several weeks back in The Fifth Element post with the appropriate YouTube link and the blasting of HD DVD into smithereens at the end of the clip by Leeloo(WB)…….
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...4&postcount=63

If people care to dwell now on past history, I think some should be asking how irritated Toshiba is about a certain software company for abandoning them during the defining moment of the format war.
In keeping with your “flirting” theme, it was kinda like ………

Tosh………
”But you promised you would marry me and it turned out to be a one night stand.”

Software Company……..
“Wam, Bam………Thank You Mam…..It’s been swell but, marry into a family with packaged goods?,…… sorry you got the wrong impression”.

P.S.
In case any new members are asking….”Penton, how do you know this about Fox – I thought you only cut hair at Sony”.
Well, for the same reason I knew and predicted explicitly that Fox would be announcing a bunch of new Blu-ray titles just before IFA 2007 (when the studio hadn’t made any public statements whatsoever in the preceding months and people were *****in to me that Fox was MIA and they beseeched me to have Fox come out its foxhole to say something for Blu reassurance)…….check my old posts, it’s all there.
For full disclosure, I think I cut hair on the Fox studio lot that day.

It’s called a track record, not make believe.
But Blu-ray loves all new comers to the winning format.
Group hug to all new members and lurkers.

I'm quoting it all because it's a beauty. Classic.

And... I thought so.

Thanks, Penton!!

BTW, from youtube: "Related Videos: Blade Runner on Blu-ray".

[Neo65]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Maybe in a week or so when Chris or Iceman decides to close this thread and start a new Insider’s Thread…..perhaps entitled “Ask the Insiders: Putting the Last Nails in the Coffin” ----I hope that he or one of the other mods makes a final ending post to this thread with a link to this YouTube video as summation of the events over the past several weeks because the number of visual metaphors in this clip is truly numerable to those astute Blu-ray.com forum members as well as all the studio executives, attorneys and Directors that have been following this thread………………

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDzjFEPCePs

^
It says/shows it all……even the color palette in the embracing scene at the end.

When Penton says in a week or two, I take it this is a well orchestrated plan of which WB's move is the first, and that the other events will unfold over this week before it's over.

Thing is, short of Target, BB, WM going blu exclusive, I can't really picture anything that is of the same calibre as the walmart announcement. This would be quite an amazing feat to align all the forces that way to attack and wrap up what for 18 months had seemed at times to be a quagmire. Still, the WB announcement is as a big a bomb as anything we can imagine.

As matter of fact, though WB press release sound somewhat apologetic, there is no mistaking the message that Warner believes only one should go forward at this point. The transitioning to may could be contractual obligations, but optics wise, it is a much more professional and humane way to end this. But that "only one should proceed" pretty much lets the world know the other should not.