Dan Ramer also calls end to format war

[DaViD Boulet]

http://www.dvdfile.com/index.php?opt...k=view&id=6496

First Bill Hunt, and Now Dan.

Dan has some very worthwhile statistics in his post worth considering.

[Blu Titan]

Nice to see that everyone is on the same page on this (with a few notable exeptions like Ken Graffeo). It is over and the world knows it. noneed to spend any more more and effort on HD DVD.

[Croweyes1121]

www.dvdreview.com is saying the same thing in their margins...go check it out.

[quaylie]

i predict Circuit City announcing dropping of HD-DVD..and Paramount or Universal dropping out in the next two weeks..things are falling quickly.

[cj-kent]

Great editorial. Good info in it. Maybe I'm two-dimensional, but it seems so obvious to me that Toshiba is purposefully misleading HD-DVD consumers with the idea that there is any way HD-DVD can pull out any kind of victory. It's really starting to bother me.

[Zazou]

After a bit of a lull immediately following CES, I'm starting to notice a bit of momentum building up again, articles from respected media journalists calling for HD DVD to do the honourable thing, retailers like Circuit City in the US and Woolworths in the UK discontinuing HD DVD. Let's hope the momentum grows.

[savage1984]

I really enjoyed that post. Thanks. The public's choice on the HD war looks a little like this pssst... HD-DVD's the horse

[DaViD Boulet]

If anyone hasn't yet read Dan's article, be sure to check it out: he says about comparing Blu to HD DVD hardware on ebay. Not sure if anyone has used ebay before at a litmus test for a "dumped" format (a test to show when owners of a product attempt to dump it: ie, rejection from it's own base).

Another interesting figure he mentions:

In a Home Media Magazine survey, the publication asked, “Will Warner siding with Blu-ray make you convert to high-definition faster?” As of the morning of January 26th:

32.4% answered “Yes”
5.1% answered “No”
43.9% responded to “I have already converted to Blu-ray”
9.9% responded to “I converted to HD DVD and will stick it out”
8.6% responded to “I had converted to HD DVD, but will convert to Blu-ray”

85% of respondents have or will be embracing Blu-ray Disc as their HD disc format of choice, leaving 10% in a state of limbo and 5% biding their time. That consumers have made their choice would seem to be an understatement.

After a bit of a lull immediately following CES, I'm starting to notice a bit of momentum building up again, articles from respected media journalists calling for HD DVD to do the honourable thing, retailers like Circuit City in the US and Woolworths in the UK discontinuing HD DVD. Let's hope the momentum grows.

Agreed. The "fallout" is actually a new form of entertainment. Sort of like watching the movie Titanic... you know how it's going to end, but it's still fun to watch how we get there.

[pokerface]

I agree things are dropping quickly now. If this Circuit City thing is true then BB may be the next to drop hd-dvd. If that happens the red camp only has the air left in the coffin.

[cj-kent]

I would expect BB to make announcements after the end of this first quarter, after they've had a chance to clear out more of their HD-DVD hardware inventory.

[CptGreedle]

Great articles! I hope to see more articles like this on more main stream websites as well. It is time the war ended, and no online petition is going to change that.

[Deane Johnson]

I don't understand this "saving face" BS for Toshiba. There is no face to save. They lost. Now, they're making themselves look silly by not admitting defeat and moving on. Everyday they delay, they look more and more stupid and out of touch with reality.

And, so far as Dumb and Dumber (Paramount and Universal), they just plain look ridiculous and will for years to come. This Graffeo guy should be clear out of the industry for good. He has nothing to contribute to the future.

[Sylin]

I agree with Dan that it makes good business sense (and thus protects shareholder interest, which is their primary responsibility) for Toshiba to discount and sell off existing player inventories first, before giving up. If they didn't at least TRY, they could be accused of negligence. So if you're confused as to why they haven't thrown in the towel yet, this is why, and it's the right thing for them to do as a corporation.

But I disagree with comments that "Toshiba is misleading the public". How so? Over-zealous morons like Ken Graffeo can spit out whatever tripe they want, but he doesn't speak for Toshiba as a corporation, he's HD-DVD PG. It's not as if they're out there with TV advertisements stating they are going to beat Blu-ray--they're just selling their product. (For all we know, the Super Bowl ad will be their concession speech!) I actually haven't seen an HD-DVD TV commercial in WEEKS, personally.

Given the data WIDELY available about Blu's superior sales figures, if any consumer buys into HD-DVD now and thinks it's the format of choice, they have no one to blame but themselves.

Please, people, remember that they make more than HD-DVD.

[CptGreedle]

They want to either:

A) Promote DVD more since they make more money with DVD than they will with Blu-ray so they have their HD DVD players advertised as up-converting DVD platyers

B) Want to make a big enough impact to give them leverage so that they have something they can negotiate with against Sony so they can get something out of this

C) Still want their HD DVD fans (they are still out there) to be loyal so they will not abandon them when the make any change.


The face they intend to save is the face of business. They had a good product. And they have to let it fade out, pretending it is doing so on their terms. I think it's failing myself, and they look bad for holding on so long, but it's their call.

Read this Toshiba:

[davidPS3]

Unless he can give both UNI and Para alot of $$$$ his comments will be ignored. If these company's can't see what is happening out at retail then no comments from this level will mean a thing. Reality.

[Thegide]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

They want to either:
B) Want to make a big enough impact to give them leverage so that they have something they can negotiate with against Sony so they can get something out of this

They want to make things as difficult as possible in hopes of Sony buying them off somehow...maybe, but I think Sony knows the writing is on the wall and I would hope they respond with ignorance to watch them die a slow, agonizing death. Why give them a consolation prize? Toshiba has been a dick in this whole endeavour and I see no reason why anyone should be handing out 2nd place ribbons.

Seriously, Toshiba needs to clear stock and that should be their only focus in hanging onto HD DVD. Their delusions that there is some future for their format are going to cost them dearly. Rip the band-aid off quickly, then move on... preferably to making combo players or something.

[MerrickG]

I have a hard time believing that retailers will "announce" that they are dropping HD-DVD. I think it will more or less be a phase out.

[blu-backer]

This is good stuff. The really entertaining stuff, IMHO, is watching the HD-DVD fanbois on the other forums try to spin each story as it comes out, try to discredit the authors of the articles, and try to offer that "the war isn't over yet."

That's the funny stuff.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by blu-backer

This is good stuff. The really entertaining stuff, IMHO, is watching the HD-DVD fanbois on the other forums try to spin each story as it comes out, try to discredit the authors of the articles, and try to offer that "the war isn't over yet."

That's the funny stuff.

Funny in a sadly pathetic kinda way.

Logan

[beavis667]

Originally Posted by blu-backer

This is good stuff. The really entertaining stuff, IMHO, is watching the HD-DVD fanbois on the other forums try to spin each story as it comes out, try to discredit the authors of the articles, and try to offer that "the war isn't over yet."

That's the funny stuff.

Yeah, they are only F'ing each other over spreading their "Field of Dreams" approach to the format war: "If you buy it they (studios) will come".

What each one of them needs to realize is that much how Warner still sold HD-DVD during december, milking the format for all it was worth before dropping it, HD-DVD's other players are doing the same thing. Right now, Toshiba's firesales and Universal/Paramount's disk sales are just clearing out inventory and making as much money as can be made before the inevitable end. The HD-DVD fanbase is doing each other a disservice by spreading this euphoria that the format war isn't over.