The Digital Bits: $150 million NOT from Microsoft

[BStecke]

According to the Digital Bits today, they have traced the $150 million payoff to Paramount, and it did not come from Microsoft. Word is it came from Toshiba and other sources, but Microsoft didn't cut the checks. Take that however you want . . . I'm kind of glad it came from Toshiba . . . if they keep throwing money away, hopefully this whole thing will be zipped up sooner than we thought.

[WickyWoo]

Note the qualifiers

Just because MS didn't write the "Pay to Paramount" doesn't mean they didn't write "Pay To Toshiba (note: For Paramount bribe)"

[spam.curitiba]

Toshiba is M$'s puppet...anything from them means it came from the puppet master.

[T-Wrecks]

month after month because...

[BigB88]

Originally Posted by BStecke

According to the Digital Bits today, they have traced the $150 million payoff to Paramount, and it did not come from Microsoft. Word is it came from Toshiba and other sources, but Microsoft didn't cut the checks. Take that however you want . . . I'm kind of glad it came from Toshiba . . . if they keep throwing money away, hopefully this whole thing will be zipped up sooner than we thought.

Oh come on already are you that gullible to believe this. Toshiba doesn't have this kind of $$ to throw around at present. This came from Microsoft period. Perhaps it came into Toshiba or the HD-DVD group in different ways, but it is almost completely sourced from Microsoft. End of discussion.

[lymzy]

Originally Posted by BStecke

According to the Digital Bits today, they have traced the $150 million payoff to Paramount, and it did not come from Microsoft. Word is it came from Toshiba and other sources, but Microsoft didn't cut the checks. Take that however you want . . . I'm kind of glad it came from Toshiba . . . if they keep throwing money away, hopefully this whole thing will be zipped up sooner than we thought.

I could care less about who show them the money. I want to know whether that money is the icing on the cake or the cake itself. I hope it is the later.

[CAB]

So Microsoft bought $150 million in non-voting convertible shares? I guess I'll be taking a look at their SEC filings again this year.

[BStecke]

Originally Posted by BigB88

Oh come on already are you that gullible to believe this. Toshiba doesn't have this kind of $$ to throw around at present. This came from Microsoft period. Perhaps it came into Toshiba or the HD-DVD group in different ways, but it is almost completely sourced from Microsoft. End of discussion.

I personally don't give a shit. But, this topic is talked about all the time, so I figured I'd report the news.

[dialog_gvf]

$150 million / $200 per player cost = 750K free players

or

Stopping Blu-ray owners getting new Paramount and Dreamworks titles (except Spielberg's).

Ummm.

[lymzy]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

$150 million / $200 per player cost = 750K free players

Look at this way. $100 subside/player=1.5 M $99 players. Although I think 1.5M players doesn't make you a volume business. It has to be >10M at least.

I highly suspect M$ has something to do with those China OEM in this HD DVD thing. At least they could provide the SoC design free of software charge. But Keith Jack said their SoC design was free on software IP also. I wonder maybe Microshiba did gave Chinese OEM a break on the royalty IP through the China HD DVD deal?

Royalty on these two formats should be at least >$10/player?

This war is about who could first become a viable volume business.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by lymzy

Look at this way. $100 subside/player=1.5 M $99 players. Although I think 1.5M players doesn't make you a volume business. It has to be >10M at least.

This war is about who could first become a viable volume business.

Right, there's another idea. Seems they could have done a lot better things with $150 million than stopping us buying Transformers and Shrek3.

Gary

[lymzy]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Right, there's another idea. Seems they could have done a lot better things with $150 million than stopping us buying Transformers and Shrek3.

Gary

How do you know they didn't? It is not like there is only $150M in the bank.

Actually they have to whether they got Paramount or not. If they couldn't achieve the volume business goal by the end of next year, the game is over for HD DVD.

[JAGUAR1977]

Originally Posted by BStecke

According to the Digital Bits today, they have traced the $150 million payoff to Paramount, and it did not come from Microsoft. Word is it came from Toshiba and other sources, but Microsoft didn't cut the checks. Take that however you want . . . I'm kind of glad it came from Toshiba . . . if they keep throwing money away, hopefully this whole thing will be zipped up sooner than we thought.

Even if Microsoft was involved, this suggests they simply want to prolong the war rather than win it outright.

Guess this is why they were so pissed the 18 month limit was leaked, gives the announcement less impact.

[Maximus]

Well I alluded to this a while ago, MS didn't write any cheques.

[javaman_idn]

Microsoft = Toshiba
Zune = Gigabeat

[scott87]

we all know it came from microsoft! And this topic has been discussed a zillion times

[patrick99]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Well I alluded to this a while ago, MS didn't write any cheques.

They did a wire transfer instead?

[javaman_idn]

Originally Posted by patrick99

They did a wire transfer instead?

NO... cash.....

[aygie]

Originally Posted by patrick99

They did a wire transfer instead?

hahaha paypal

[patrick99]

FYI (for entertainment purposes only)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...2&postcount=37