Were we this bad when Paramount left?

[plee]

Originally Posted by GregBlu5

"With malice toward none, with charity for all...."
-Abe Lincoln

It's tough to be on the losing side, whether it be real wars, elections, football games, or format wars. All too soon, some new technology will sweep in and brush away all that came before it. But, for now, we succeeded with the better format, the better product, the best technology that is now available. And we have every right to be pleased and content.

Good work all. The other side can only envy us our success. Losing was never really in the cards for Blu-ray.

-Greg

+1

We need to celebrate for alittle while then embrace the losers as they will come join the Blu side...

[Iceman_II]

It isn't optimism, its delusion.

After Ken Grafeo came out with paramounts sales figures, The HD-DVD fanbois are pissed that Warner didn't consult with Grafeo on what Warner's sales figures really were. After all, in Ken Grafeo's version of reality, HD-DVD is outselling blu, and gamers don't buy movies.

Delusional types get violent when you challenge their version of reality.

[stockstar1138]

my 2 cents on this thread.

no we didnt even come close.

however, there is a big dfference between paranount and warner. warner to them is a much bigger deal than paramount was us and i think we would have been acting like this if something to the magnitude of this had happened to us.

just some rough numbers

paramount released 32 titles on blu-ray, rougly 8% of our catalog

warner released about 125 titles on hd dvd and is roughly 33% of their catalog.

this warner to hd dvd is about 4x biggert than paramount was to us. on top of the fact that hd dvd was dying as it was with wb.

ill also note that wb provided hd dvd with its best titles. yeah, universal released more hd dvds, but most of them were poorly trasnfered mediocre catalog titles. wb provided hd dvd with things like 300, blade runner, harry potter the matrix, batman begins, casablanca, the departed, and much more. the quality of those titles exceeds anything that universal has put out minus bourne and besides trasnformers paramount hasn't put out anything worth noting either.

paramounts upcoming hd dvd/theatrical release schedule is crap too. warner has titles like I Am Legend, The Dark Knight, Harry Potte 6 and 7, where the only thing decent paramount will offer next year seems to be iron man.

go look at the hd dvd release schedule and take out the warner titles *yeah i know they don't go exclsive til may, but its a sign of what things will look like later this year. its god awful and i only expect it to get worse as i can't see universal or paramount doing much more than day and dates for hd dvd any longer.

hd dvd is going to die.

[mystiksuicide]

Actually it has the reverse affect on me f you look at the date I joined and bought my first blu-player (we have 3 now) it was shortly after the Paramount prostitution.

Note only that but Cris began to educate his fellow employees at the store he works at on the advantages of blu. I only wish he could have sold his 1,000 player before this announcement but he was ecstatic yesterday when I text'ed him with the news at work.

963 blu's stand alone since paramount defection

[richard lichtenfelt]

I can't believe they're in denial and still hoping for a way out of defeat.
Toshiba canceled their hd dvd convention address as they know there is nothing left to discuss.

[Esox50]

I think BD folks had a right to be angry with the treatment from Paramount. They actually cancelled titles we had ordered (and some of us had sold off our DVD versions of Face/Off, Top Gun, etc).

It's a class act for WB to honor it's announced HD DVD titles through May. They obvously saw the reaction of the Blu community, and didn't want their HD DVD customers to feel the same way as we did with the Paramount situation. Think about it. WB is going to go through with releasing on HD DVD through May. Who in their right minds is going to buy those discs? But nevertheless, WB is at least giving those people an option to do so (if they want to). Again, class act by WB.

[CGYBLU]

Originally Posted by Esox50

I think BD folks had a right to be angry with the treatment from Paramount. They actually cancelled titles we had ordered (and some of us had sold off our DVD versions of Face/Off, Top Gun, etc).

It's a class act for WB to honor it's announced HD DVD titles through May. They obvously saw the reaction of the Blu community, and didn't want their HD DVD customers to feel the same way as we did with the Paramount situation. Think about it. WB is going to go through with releasing on HD DVD through May. Who in their right minds is going to buy those discs? But nevertheless, WB is at least giving those people an option to do so (if they want to). Again, class act by WB.

Not only a class act, but they can empty the pockets of the delusional supporters in the process! Win for WB, win for the shareholders!

[Icemage]

As a member in good standing at both sites, I can say that this place (Blu-ray.com) was indeed a madhouse back in August when Paramount and Dreamworks defected. It was bad, folks. Very bad.

NOT as bad as the current meltdown at AVS, however. The HDTV Media forum at AVS is spiralling completely out of control, and there's more straw-grasping and completely illogical posts there in the last day than I've ever seen. Hardly even lives up with the AV "Science" part of the name, at the moment.

There are some cooler heads, especially among the format neutrals, and even a lot of the red case owners who realize the writing really IS on the wall this time, but they (and what few of us Blu supporters remain there on a regular basis) are currently being drowned out by the torrent of words from people who understandably feel just a little lost at the moment.

Remember that feeling we all had on Aug. 20? I'm sure they're going through much worse right now. Don't blame them for it. Enjoy it as payback if you must (after all, it wasn't just pieces of paper that made this possible - it was our hard-earned dollars that helped turn the tide - MAKE NO MISTAKE!).

But the big picture is that for the first time since this format war began, we've hit a turning point where one format is in a commanding and virtually unassailable winning position. Be thankful that the choices you've made were the right ones, and take some comfort in the fact that it was your money that has contributed - in its own way - to putting an early end to what was threatening to be a fight with no resolution.

[jw]

Originally Posted by jling84

I don't know if you guys have been taking a cursory glance at AVS, but WOW the posts that are still going in those threads are just pathetic. At first I was reading for amusement, but I just cannot read anymore; it's that sad.

In the general HDM forum now, there are mainly just HD-DVD supporters consoling each other and resorting to bashing the PS3 as a video game console to make themselves feel better.

In the HD-DVD forum, there are a bunch of threads proclaiming that Universal, Dreamworks and Paramount need to start releasing ONLY combo discs (No DVDs at all) to turn it all around.

There is so much more nonsense in there that it really got me to thinking... Were we that bad when Paramount suddenly jumped ship? I have to admit I was pretty shocked so I didn't really post or read any threads that day, but I definitely never posted any ridiculous claims.

The last 2 combo discs i tried to play from Universal wouldnt finish playing through, I got an error message, so I dont think thats the answer.
They were Mr Beans Holiday and Kingdom
plus they looked bad compared to the 1080p the BD player has, I think a dvd upsacled looked better

[NutsAboutPS3]

To be honest, I think the only way that the HD DVD people can come out of this with any face left is to embrace Blu-ray. I'm not just talking about consumers, I'm talking about companies as well.

How refreshing it would be to see Universal not just go neutral in the near future, but to announce a phasing out of HD DVD in similar timescales to Warner. And how refreshing it would be if Toshiba were to announce that they think it is best for consumers if they release Paramount from their contract and allow them to also resume Blu-ray releases and phase out HD DVDs. And how refreshing if Toshiba were to start making Blu-ray players etc etc. If they don't do this, they are just withholding their high def movies from people who won't buy a soon-to-be-obsolete HD DVD player.

Warner have played the "consumer friendly" card by making a decisive move. The only way for the remaining HD DVD companies to come out of this looking good is for them to follow Warner's lead so that consumers can watch all movies on what is now the clear format of the future - Blu-ray.

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by NutsAboutPS3

Warner have played the "consumer friendly" card by making a decisive move. The only way for the remaining HD DVD companies to come out of this looking good is for them to follow Warner's lead so that consumers can watch all movies on what is now the clear format of the future - Blu-ray.

Exactly!!!

[Bombthroat]

Toshiba has always maintained that when HD DUD fails their players will still be decent upconverting DVD players. Looks like they are fulfilling their own prophecy.

To answer the original question, I think a lot of people were shocked at the Para move because it was so sudden and they immediately dropped ALL support of Blu-ray.

The Warner rumor has been going on for quite a while now though and Warner is giving the HD Dead format plenty of notice regarding when they will cease shipping new titles. Besides, it's the HD Dead "insiders" that really set their fanbois up for the big fall by claiming they "knew the ink was drying on a exclusivity deal from Warner with HD Dead". If you ask me, it is the habitual FUDsters on their side they should be blaming.

[SDG]

I was pissed when Paramont left cause of their BS excuse that they used. WB can back their move by logic. Big difference

[RUR]

I think it's less about looking good and all about money. In the end, Universal, Paramount and Toshiba execs have to answer to their shareholders. There are no long-term profits to be had in HD DVD, and I suspect those execs will very quickly be scrambling to find ways and means to support the format which does represent a profitable future - Blu-ray.

[Dalese]

The feelings of hurt, anger, and fear were just as prevalent here after the Paramount annoncement.

The difference IMO is the feeling of desperation coming from the HD-DVD side due to the ramifications of what the Warner decision means. When Paramount dropped Blu-ray, there was an effort by the blu community and insiders to calm the troops. Loosing Paramount was an unexpected setback, a delay, a speedbump that in the end would not make a difference in the format war.

Warner's dropping of HD-DVD is a "deathblow" to the format. The finality of the decision leaves no realistic opportunity for HD-DVD to overcome the loss.

By nature, people do not like to loose. I only hope that those who are upset by this can understand the reality of the situation and move beyond their anger. The Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD format war may be wrapping up but the more difficult Blu-ray vs. DVD has barely begun.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by The Don

we shouldn't consider them "them" or us..."us" anymore..

some of these people will become..."us"

we must stop separating and start joining if we want to take down DVD...

+1...The fight continues now with DVD.

[reiella]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

don't fool yourself , there are many, many of them that will not buy blu-ray, they have stated they will go back to dvd or do downloads.

but your right too, a lot of them are buying blu-ray players and are part of our blu family.

Well to be fair, alot of folks are just talking. And those who are refusing to buy blu and go back to dvd are most likly the folks who came into the format war from the console war.

[Matt X]

...I really didn't look at much of the HDDUD side when para f-ed up, but I wouldn't be surprised there was some gloating. what was restrained, IMO, was much of the BR response - many people saying, "let's look at this calmly, just go by the numbers, things still look good, let's try to be objective, etc." I'd say that there's some gloating NOW on our side, but how could you blame us? EVERYONE has been restrained, pent-up, waiting for definitive news that showed where this war was going. now this warner news is like pricking a hydrogen baloon w/ a lit match. So let me jump on this bandwagon, in my best attempt at a Nelson impersonation, HA, HA!

[blukrank]

No matter what the studios do they always piss people off.I'm sure some HD DVD sopporters have sent out there nasty emails to Warner.Just like when Paramount dropped Blu-Ray there was alot of people sending out complaint letters to Paramount. Warner made the right choose in my opinion.I meen come on The 300 Blu-Ray kicked the HD DVD version's ass in sales.

[Xerious]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

my 2 cents on this thread.

no we didnt even come close.

however, there is a big dfference between paranount and warner. warner to them is a much bigger deal than paramount was us and i think we would have been acting like this if something to the magnitude of this had happened to us.

just some rough numbers

paramount released 32 titles on blu-ray, rougly 8% of our catalog

warner released about 125 titles on hd dvd and is roughly 33% of their catalog.

this warner to hd dvd is about 4x biggert than paramount was to us. on top of the fact that hd dvd was dying as it was with wb.

ill also note that wb provided hd dvd with its best titles. yeah, universal released more hd dvds, but most of them were poorly trasnfered mediocre catalog titles. wb provided hd dvd with things like 300, blade runner, harry potter the matrix, batman begins, casablanca, the departed, and much more. the quality of those titles exceeds anything that universal has put out minus bourne and besides trasnformers paramount hasn't put out anything worth noting either.

paramounts upcoming hd dvd/theatrical release schedule is crap too. warner has titles like I Am Legend, The Dark Knight, Harry Potte 6 and 7, where the only thing decent paramount will offer next year seems to be iron man.

go look at the hd dvd release schedule and take out the warner titles *yeah i know they don't go exclsive til may, but its a sign of what things will look like later this year. its god awful and i only expect it to get worse as i can't see universal or paramount doing much more than day and dates for hd dvd any longer.

hd dvd is going to die.

don't forget cloverfield (which may or may not be good)