The REAL reason HD DVD is doomed!

[Kayne314]

Here it is. WB may have started the domino effect. Blu-Ray may have all the market share in movies. And all the other reasons you've heard. But that isn't the greatest reason that HD DVD is dead and buried.

Its canceling the CES Press conference.

I work at a fairly large retail/electronics store in Canada. We have buyers, and CEO's and a general hodge-podge of big wigs that every year all head out to CES to see "the next big thing."

The tone of CES helps the big wigs decide the market shifts, and helps them decide what technologies to support in our store. It lets them know where the "safe" bet is on the money they spend to stock our store with all the new goodies.

The Buyers were already well aware of the format war, and have been hedging their bets by trying to have equal shelf space for both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Now with HD DVD conspicuously absent, their minds will be made up.

No excitement or Jazz from HD DVD will equal no shelf space in our store. I'm sure that goes for electronics stores around the world. No matter what HD DVD does from now on. The fact they ducked out of CES, has sealed their fate.

HD DVD has lost the electronic buyers for all of North America, and probably the world. No matter what foolish stunts they pull from now on. The damage has been done.

[PLASMA-1080P-FULLHD]

I am sure they did not stand a chance in the first place.

[Seretur]

Are you sure you're not confusing cause and effect?

[Kayne314]

Originally Posted by Seretur

Are you sure you're not confusing cause and effect?

I'll give you that WB started the domino effect. And rightly so! I'm not saying Warner Brothers doesn't deserve all the praise it is getting. It does.

I'm saying HD DuD could have stayed in this war by spouting FUD at the press conference, and acting like nothing was wrong. They could have dazzled the big-wigs and buyers into continuing to stock Duds on their shelves.

They could have prolonged the format war, and continued to confuse consumers. But, by canceling the CES press conference, they've lost the opportunity to do that, and will die horribly because of it. They can't get back the kind of momentum CES offers.

It was a decision by the red camp to not continue to fight. Its a concession of defeat. It's the decision to cancel that really spells defeat. The move by WB alone severely injured HD DVD. But it is the the decision to not fight, to not advertise themselves that has had the killing blow.

The final coup-de-gras came from HD DVD themselves.

[Beta-guy]

Originally Posted by Seretur

Are you sure you're not confusing cause and effect?

I agree with the OP, Warner going Blu was bad (for HD-DVD) but if they showed strength in thier format by continuing thier conference then it's would have set a tone for HD-DVD something to the effect "we down but not out" but by canceling they threw in the towel, I viewed it as a death blow for HD-DVD, and now all HD-DVD has is trying to undo the damage they did by canceling...

the real question is if Paramount and/or Universal change thier status, will they have been more motivated by Warner's move or the cancellation of the conference?

[bhampton]

No matter how you look at it 50>30, 1080p>1080i, Higher Bandwidth>Lower Bandwidth.

I'm just happy the better format won for whatever reason because it doesn't always go that way.

-Brian