Interview: Universal EVP Ken Graffeo says HD DVD is here to stay

[CAB]

I think we are seeing the wisdom of the BDA having a CE head the group. It's impossible to tell by any of Ken's comments whether he is speaking on behalf of the HD DVD PG or for Universal. These comments seem to me to be more tame with no new attacks on Blu which leads me to believe Toshiba is now the only member of the HD DVD PG putting up any money. Ken's strings are getting pulled by toshiba. There is no new offensive plan here. The toshiba strategy has to be a hope that BD hardware suddenly has some massive and unrepairable bug which renders all players useless. In the mean time, don't spend any more money thanwhat was already committed and create peace with the BDA.

[Bluray_ne1]

Originally Posted by HighDefChief

Whoa way too much text. Summarize please

From Digital Bits:

'Among the comments Graffeo makes, he says that in the wake of Warner's decision to drop HD-DVD, retailers "want to wait for what the consumer does. We've always said we want to follow the consumer." He later adds, "Where the consumer has a say is what they do and what they purchase. That's probably the biggest statement that could be made." And once more, near the end of the piece: "I think anything is possible, and again it comes back to the consumer who has the final voice." Given this, it will be interesting to see what Universal does if the hardware and software sales numbers continue to favor Blu-ray going forward in 2008.

In addition, we'd like to point out that nothing in this interview precludes Universal from announcing a move to support Blu-ray at some later date in 2008. What Graffeo says is: "This is business as usual for us and there are no plans to make any changes." You'll recall that Warner had no plans to abandon their dual format strategy... until the day they suddenly did... You can be sure that Universal will continue to officially have no plans. Until they suddenly do.'

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by Fozziwig

Do I detect that the interviewer is a rabid HD DVD fanboy?

A new article by the same author:

NPD: Free Blu-ray player deals led to boosted sales this month

[The Big Blue]

but NPD itself won't stand behind the numbers

What a dork. Maybe someone should tell NPD that Mr. Mook is claiming that they are calling BS on their own numbers.

NPD's numbers do not include online sales from the likes of Amazon, where Toshiba's HD-A3 HD DVD player is the number one seller in the DVD player category and number 14 in all of electronics. By contrast, standalone Blu-ray players do not make either list.

[ranma]

And Jodi Sally thinks the drastical fall of HD DVD players sales due to end of instant rebate promotion.

"We all know that it is not accurate to make long-term assumptions based on one week of sales. In fact, putting it into perspective, during that specific week, it's important to recognize that the instant rebate promotions that had previously netted our players' manufacturer's had ended when the research was done.

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by The Big Blue

What a dork. Maybe someone should tell NPD that Mr. Mook is claiming that they are calling BS on their own numbers.

More nuggets of journalism by Mr Mook:

Blu-ray may have taken a commanding lead in the next-generation format war, but the group has a big problem looming: early supporters of the format will be left out in the cold when the Blu-ray Disc Association introduces BD Profile 2.0

http://www.betanews.com/article/Blur...nto/1199841379

[to Ken Graffeo]Warner essentially stabbed you in the back

Sony claims that the PS3 has given Blu-ray the market lead -- is this just posturing so Blu-ray can tout higher sales numbers?

http://www.betanews.com/article/Inte...tay/1200951636

HD DVD cancels CES press conference after Warner's snub

While it's not clear what exactly led the studio to change its mind, there is much speculation that Sony offered Warner a large incentive.

The author omits that Warner specifically gave reasons (backed by actual sales numbers), and gaves weight to the payoff suspicion.

http://www.betanews.com/article/HD_D...nub/1199508012

Each time BetaNews has met with Microsoft’s Kevin Collins, who heads up the company’s Consumer Media Technology Group and has active duties promoting HD DVD (more on Microsoft’s connection to HD DVD later), he is happy to show off -- and demo -- his collection of every single Blu-ray title as well. The same cannot be said about our meetings with the Blu-ray promotional group.

A little confidence can explain why: HD DVD believes its format is simply that much better in terms of features (video and audio quality is identical, as both use the same codecs). When placed side-by-side with Blu-ray versions of films, it will be a no-brainer for buyers to choose HD DVD, the group says, enumerating a number of reasons why.

Foremost is compatibility. All new movie titles from Universal and soon Warner will be combination (or twin-format) discs - HD DVD on one side and standard DVD on the other. This means that HD DVD discs will also play on older DVD players, which is crucial for portability. Collins noted that Blu-ray owners will end up buying two discs to watch the movie on their laptop or in the car on a road trip.

Beyond that are features such as picture-in-picture and network capabilities. For example, both the HD DVD and Blu-ray version of “300” include a “blue screen” extra that allows the viewer to see how the complex battle scenes were actually filmed. But only the HD DVD version lets you watch the blue screen version alongside the actual movie, and the comparison is what makes the extra actually interesting to watch.

HD DVD’s networking (Blu-ray is network capable, but it’s not required) opens the door to quite a few possibilities. On 300, one of the first films with such capability, viewers can set bookmarks and upload their favorite scenes to a central location, where other 300 owners can watch them. Ringtone and wallpaper downloads are available as well, which get sent to a cell phone automatically.

However, the network-enabled features are not all gimmicky; HD DVD owners will eventually be able to download new subtitle languages, trailers, and other extended content for films, keeping them fresh well past their sell date. Downloads are kept on the player's built-in storage, another requirement of HD DVD.

On Monday, both Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced support for HD DVD, citing the lower cost and better features available to customers. This decision apparently stemmed from the studios evaluating both formats for a year, and Collins expects more studios to follow this route.

Here, unlike Warner, the reasons Paramount gives are reproduced. No mention of a possible payoff (though they were reported by reputable media).

http://www.betanews.com/article/HD_D...ray/1187630265

The man has always had a pro-HD DVD bias, but now he is in an all-out campaign. And who ran the defection denials by Paramount and Universal?
http://www.betanews.com/article//119...ply_to=1299806
http://www.betanews.com/article/Univ...ply_to=1312547

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Grubert

A new article by the same author:

NPD: Free Blu-ray player deals led to boosted sales this month

Well that's a load of crap.

The fact is that player sales should decrease at this time of year, especially with the uncertain economic climate in the west, and they didn't. Not for Blu-ray.

Simple as that.

[Fozziwig]

Originally Posted by reiella

What would be a reasonable response in your eyes?

"You're right, it's over, we lost" isn't a reasonable response you should realize.

Well, it would be honest at least.

Instead of addressing the implications of the Warner decision (which absolutely HAS been addressed by all parties that make up the HD DVD Promotion Group - collectively and individually) ken decided to evade the question completely.

Imagine you owned a sweet shop and then one day a larger sweet shop opened next door decimating your sales, how long would you wait before you addressed it?

Read the reply one more time:

Ken Graffeo: Well, we heard about the whole move when everyone else did -- when a lot of us were on planes flying to CES in Las Vegas. To be very honest with you, we have not addressed that yet -- Warner is still releasing HD DVD titles up until May. Warner has always been in two formats, and prior to Paramount's switch, they had been in two formats, so now that Warner is exclusive... we just haven't addressed it yet.

Reasonable?

[blindcat87]

Virtually every word coming out of that person is a complete load of crap. He has had 'SHILL' tattooed across his forehead pretty much the whole time he has been "reporting" on the format war. It is one of the sad things about the internet age that unethical, obsequious, craven bits of dung like this can get even a smirch of legitimacy as a "journalist" while others with spotless records and strong ethics and integrity report truthfully and either neutrally or with full admission of their slant get smeared and slandered by others of the ilk of this useless blogger.

While I am sure that NPD and BDA members probably find this sort not worth giving any attention to, the part of me that is so sick of watching these untruths bandied about as absolute facts would love to see them sued and/or C&Ded out of existence. I guess in the end it will be all the more satisfying when the war is completely over, but this sort will probably just move on and try to pretend that either nothing happened or that things went against them in some unfair way making them sad sullen victims. Of course, at that point they can suffer all they want while I continue to enjoy a vast array of Blu-Ray glory.

Chris

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Well that's a load of crap.

The fact is that player sales should decrease at this time of year, especially with the uncertain economic climate in the west, and they didn't. Not for Blu-ray.

Simple as that.

[partridge]

This is a guy saying what he has to so as not to lose face. The trouble is that what he is saying is that despite the ever increasing blu-ray hardware and software sales, he and Toshiba are going to carry on flogging this dead HD-DVD horse for no other reason than to not look silly. It's a face saving exercise now and that is sooooo irritating it's untrue.

He argues that standalone sales are the only important ones. No they're not; it doesn't matter whether I have a panasonic blu-ray player or a PS3, the fact is that I am buying and watching blu-ray movies; hardware doesn't matter.

Sales are sales are sales and right now blu-ray is leading every sales figure for the HD format. How much more consumer opinion does this guy need?

The longer they drag it out the more stupid he and Toshiba are going to look.

Oh, and yes, the interviewer bias is cringing!

[Razzy]

Nobody believes in HD DVD more than Universal Studios executive vice president Ken Graffeo, who also serves as the co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.

Ken Graffeo:

“We saw that on DVD: as soon as price point went under $200 and as soon as it started getting close to $100 players really started taking off because you're hitting very consumer-friendly prices,” he said. “If you want to hit the mass market, you have to be consumer-friendly in price. If you want to be a niche electronic, you're going to be high priced.”

What about the total lack of movies on the HD DVD format Ken? The damn players could be 50 bucks and I still wouldn't buy one.


http://www.dailytech.com/HD+DVD+Boss...ticle10478.htm

[jayd]

Originally Posted by Razzy

Nobody believes in HD DVD more than Universal Studios executive vice president Ken Graffeo, who also serves as the co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group.

Ken Graffeo:

“We saw that on DVD: as soon as price point went under $200 and as soon as it started getting close to $100 players really started taking off because you're hitting very consumer-friendly prices,” he said. “If you want to hit the mass market, you have to be consumer-friendly in price. If you want to be a niche electronic, you're going to be high priced.”

What about the total lack of movies on the HD DVD format Ken? The damn players could be 50 bucks and I still wouldn't buy one.


http://www.dailytech.com/HD+DVD+Boss...ticle10478.htm

No, no more crazy Ken quotes, this guy is blind as a bat. He just can't see reality at all.

[Irishwiseguy2006]

Ken is an idiot! Remember he said the 93% -7% victory for blu was a consumer shock to the WB announcement and it would go back to normal. Then the last numbers were what 83% - 17%. Ya pretty much normal I guess.

[kolasi]

maybe theyre smoking something really good at their meetings?

[chrisshea]

even if they gave me a hd-dvd player at the door too best buy for free i would just sell it to some idiot lol or do a SMASH a HD-dvd Website and take a sledge hammer to it

[Razzy]

I hope execs at GE does something about this soon. How much longer can they put up with this? They can't all be as blind as Ken can they?

[Sporty]

I think he wears his HD-DVD Forum hat more then his UNI Home Video hat these days. But he'll have to come around or get another job some day if he starts hindering Universals profits with his true believer status.


I personally think the disc costs are more important then player costs these days.

This isn't like selling DVD players to first time buyers. This is Hi-Def players to people that paid a lot of money for their TVs and have Surround sound systems. If he's targeting the ~$100 crowd he needs to wait till HDTVs get to about $300

[Fozziwig]

Originally Posted by Razzy

..........................

What about the total lack of movies on the HD DVD format Ken? The damn players could be 50 bucks and I still wouldn't buy one.


http://www.dailytech.com/HD+DVD+Boss...ticle10478.htm

This is not a new comment from Graffeo. It's just recycled from the interview published on January 21st. There's a discussion already here:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=33148

That interview was the last time we heard from Graffeo. Let's hope the next words out of his mouth are "we surrender".

[Whytewash]

a few more weeks at an 80:20 split and he will come around... You cant be permanently retarded. they got pills and shit for that now

[Razzy]

Originally Posted by Fozziwig

This is not a new comment from Graffeo. It's just recycled from the interview published on January 21st. There's a discussion already here:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=33148

That interview was the last time we heard from Graffeo. Let's hope the next words out of his mouth are "we surrender".

Agreed. This has to end.

Mods, please delete or merge with above thread.