Paramount's CTO Alan "capacity is overrated" Bell fired

[Grubert]

From Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily:

I'm told Paramount has laid off the following executives: Louise Kaufman, who's been head of PR in NY for 12 years; Alan Bell, chief technology officer; Megan Burrows, president of domestic home entertainment; and, as I'd previously reported, Nick Meyer, president of Paramount Vantage.

This is the Paramount Chief Technical Officer who tried to persuade everybody that they had dumped Blu-ray because of objective reasons and not because they were getting a big subsidy. (There was also a rather infamous interview on Widescreen Review but I don't think I have that issue anymore.)

Of course, then Transformers came out on BD with a lossless audio track, and another Paramount VP confirmed that that was possible because of the added capacity.

Thanks to zombieflanders for posting this.

[Elandyll]

You mean "dumped Blu Ray" in 2007 right?

[Alan Gordon]

Paramount's CTO on Why His Studio Is Dumping Blu-ray

Couldn't happen to a "nicer" Alan!

~Alan

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by Elandyll

You mean "dumped Blu Ray" in 2007 right?

Of course.

[Musashi]

Well, the stuff he said in the interview was more than likely spoken for him by the ppl who signed the Toshiba check. As such, without proof of him playing a hand in it, I can't really revel in this.

[kjacobs03]

Karma's a *****!

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Musashi

Well, the stuff he said in the interview was more than likely spoken for him by the ppl who signed the Toshiba check. As such, without proof of him playing a hand in it, I can't really revel in this.

He played a big part in it.

You can revel in it. Anyway, it's not like him getting laid off is going to affect his family or wellbeing, this guy is extremely wealthy...

[Jeff Kleist]

Well, the stuff he said in the interview was more than likely spoken for him by the ppl who signed the Toshiba check. As such, without proof of him playing a hand in it, I can't really revel in this.

Alan Bell literally developed much of the technology behind the physical layer of HD DVD. As red ants go, he was a queen

No words were written for him, that should show you what side his bread was always buttered on

He's obviously a very talented engineer, he'll land somewhere

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by Musashi

Well, the stuff he said in the interview was more than likely spoken for him by the ppl who signed the Toshiba check. As such, without proof of him playing a hand in it, I can't really revel in this.

Bullsh!t. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. If what you say is true, then it's just as bad to not voice your true opinion...

[dialog_gvf]

Being the CTO, he was instructed by the CEO to provide a technical reasoning for their grasp for Toshiba cash. So, he spewed a bunch of nonsense.

Gary

[welwynnick]

Originally Posted by Grubert

From Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily:

This is the Paramount Chief Technical Officer who tried to persuade everybody that they had dumped Blu-ray because of objective reasons and not because they were getting a big subsidy. (There was also a rather infamous interview on Widescreen Review but I don't think I have that issue anymore.)

Of course, then Transformers came out on BD with a lossless audio track, and another Paramount VP confirmed that that was possible because of the added capacity.

Thanks to zombieflanders for posting this.

I remember that interview like it was yesterday; I was incensed!

The reasons they gave for adopting HD at that time were exactly the same reasons given in favour of HD before the format war even began.

That showed that HD had accomplished nothing, while BD had racked up a whole bunch of NEW reasons for supporting it.

I think that, the best they could come up with, made it obvious to the industry what the right outcome was going to be.

I hear that Amir Majidimehr doesn't have his old job any more, either....

Nick

[Tok]

Now we have another MSFT croonie, benwagoner, at AVS spouting this new streaming tech currently in alpha that is going to destroy BD. MSFT can shove that crap you know where.

I am really starting to despies the computer industry's attempts to force their way into my living room.

[The Big Blue]

God Bless us all!

[Twankies08]

Good thing for us blu-rayers because Paramount
"dumped" him!!

[Sean4000]

Originally Posted by CraigW

I am really starting to despies the computer industry's attempts to force their way into my living room.

Same here. I refuse to use iTV and any other apple or Ms crap that tries to make its way in.

Blu-ray is the best there is right now. I'm sure everyone on here knows that.

This rat getting fired is a great sign. Like I said before "Bet he wishes there was a greater capacity for higher ups at Paramount!"

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

[HeavyHitter]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but between Warner, Paramount, and Universal, Bell was the last major pro HD DVD exec. to be let go? Good riddance.