Retailers dropping HD DVD by the 3rd week of March?

[swivel]

Some guys over at HD-DVD's forum have made phone calls to their local big-box retailers and are getting the same line. Looks like many of these stores will not be supporting HD-DVD by the end of March.

I was skeptical, so I called the two BB's near me and the CC and got the same reply (the CC clerk just said that they would phase out before April). None of these guys sounded confused regarding my question, as if they have been repeating the same answer to other customers.

The thread is here:

http://forum.hd-dvd.com/showthread.php?t=3016&page=2

And I would encourage readers to take 5 minutes, call your local BB or CC, get the DVD specialist on the phone, and make an inquiry as a confused customer.

[bageleaterkkjji]

they should just stop now

[CptGreedle]

0.0 interesting.... can we get an official confirmation on this please??
Any insiders comments?

[kaliraver]

I will ask the Magnolia guys today if they know anything about this. It could be possible for Best Buy to do it since their fiscal year begins after March.

[sokrman14]

Originally Posted by kaliraver69

I will ask the Magnolia guys today if they know anything about this. It could be possible for Best Buy to do it since their fiscal year begins after March.

I work for Mag, but havent heard a thing yet. I am waiting for some sort of official release to trickle down through our stores, but management hasnt said a word yet

[kaliraver]

I just asked some of the Magnolia associates from my store and they all stated that nothing has come from Best Buy corporate so for now this is false.

[JasonR]

The way I see it, shit rolls downhill. The stores probably won't know until the month it is being done.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by swivel

And I would encourage readers to take 5 minutes, call your local BB or CC, get the DVD specialist on the phone, and make an inquiry as a confused customer.

Why? What would be the point in that. IF what you're saying is true, then it's going to happen regardless of whether we call or not.

Why should I waste my time on the phone doing this, and waste the time of some worker who probably has better things to do than waste his/her time looking into and answering these kinds of questions?

HD-DVD will be phased out of the stores when it is phased out. Calling them up and asking about it isn't going to do anything to speed up or slow down the process.

[GregBlu5]

March is going to be THE BIG Blu month regarding so many desireable titles coming out. If someone hasn't gone Blu yet, they ought to next month. So, I could easily see the retailers clearing off the shelves for all those great Blu arrivals that are going to need all the extra shelf space.

[Bullseye]

If this is true I would expect the remaining HD-DVD studios to announce BD titles.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

If this is true I would expect the remaining HD-DVD studios to announce BD titles.

Not necessarily as of yet. Despite how futile it is, Toshiba and the HD-DVD camp keep fighting this war tooth and nail. And we know Paramount signed a contract with them back in August, and it's likely that Universal has some kind of contract with them as well.

It's possible that they could get in all kinds of legal trouble if they go announcing Blu-Ray titles now, prior to being released from these contracts. I would imagine and hope that once most, if not all, store stop carrying HD-DVD, Toshiba will finally give up and release these remaining studios from their shackles, at which point we will likely here some kind of announcement.

Originally Posted by Luis_A51

He "encouraged" you, not demanded you. If you dont want to just dont.

He just want people to ask to see if this is actual fact.

Besides considering how few useful things workers at BB seem to do, its hardly wasting their time.

Regardless, it just seems like a pointless thing to do and to even 'encourage'. It will be over when it's over. Calling isn't going to do anything to change that.

[mdm1699]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Not necessarily as of yet. Despite how futile it is, Toshiba and the HD-DVD camp keep fighting this war tooth and nail. And we know Paramount signed a contract with them back in August, and it's likely that Universal has some kind of contract with them as well.

It's possible that they could get in all kinds of legal trouble if they go announcing Blu-Ray titles now, prior to being released from these contracts. I would imagine and hope that once most, if not all, store stop carrying HD-DVD, Toshiba will finally give up and release these remaining studios from their shackles, at which point we will likely here some kind of announcement.

I doubt toshiba will release them from any contractural obligations. They don't care about blu-ray winning. They just want blu-ray or both to fail.

[JasonR]

I just talked to someone, they said they won't be restocking HD DVD. He sounded about 16 though, so hard telling...

[Bullseye]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Not necessarily as of yet. Despite how futile it is, Toshiba and the HD-DVD camp keep fighting this war tooth and nail. And we know Paramount signed a contract with them back in August, and it's likely that Universal has some kind of contract with them as well.

It's possible that they could get in all kinds of legal trouble if they go announcing Blu-Ray titles now, prior to being released from these contracts. I would imagine and hope that once most, if not all, store stop carrying HD-DVD, Toshiba will finally give up and release these remaining studios from their shackles, at which point we will likely here some kind of announcement.



Regardless, it just seems like a pointless thing to do and to even 'encourage'. It will be over when it's over. Calling isn't going to do anything to change that.

I should clarify I mean they could start announcing BD titles around the end of March to coincide with the retailers dropping HD-DVD. I am positive that their contracts would include get out clauses. Having retailers dropping the hardware is an obvious one lol.

[bluperch]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

And we know Paramount signed a contract with them back in August, and it's likely that Universal has some kind of contract with them as well.

A lot of people have speculated and reported, including people like Bill Hunt [LINK], that Paramount's contract had an out-clause based on Warner (if Warner went Blu, Paramount could get out of their contract). Universal's contract was up either January or February (I've heard both dates, though the January date seems most published).

[Sporty]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Not necessarily as of yet. Despite how futile it is, Toshiba and the HD-DVD camp keep fighting this war tooth and nail. And we know Paramount signed a contract with them back in August, and it's likely that Universal has some kind of contract with them as well.

It's possible that they could get in all kinds of legal trouble if they go announcing Blu-Ray titles now, prior to being released from these contracts.

I would imagine that they have some standard performance benchmarks in their contracts, if HD-DVD is going to be phased out of retailers then they would have no way to meet those. If that happens they wouldn't be breaking their side, HD-DVD wouldn't have held up their end.

[ezcobar411]

I really want to believe this, but I'm waiting for some confirmation.

[STEVEfromLA]

Until confirmed, I don't care.

As stated it won't change anything, but could possibly just put more thought in BB and CC employees heads about all the HD_DVD calls they are starting to get. We need this Blu or nothing mentality.

[Luis_A51]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Why? What would be the point in that. IF what you're saying is true, then it's going to happen regardless of whether we call or not.

Why should I waste my time on the phone doing this, and waste the time of some worker who probably has better things to do than waste his/her time looking into and answering these kinds of questions?

HD-DVD will be phased out of the stores when it is phased out. Calling them up and asking about it isn't going to do anything to speed up or slow down the process.

He "encouraged" you, not demanded you. If you dont want to just dont.

He just want people to ask to see if this is actual fact.

Besides considering how few useful things workers at BB seem to do, its hardly wasting their time.

[mdm1699]

Originally Posted by Luis_A51

He "encouraged" you, not demanded you. If you dont want to just dont.

He just want people to ask to see if this is actual fact.

Besides considering how few useful things workers at BB seem to do, its hardly wasting their time.

+1