Warner Pulls Support For HD DVD and Backs Blu-ray

[PRO-630HD]

Originally Posted by Lotus

That's just absurd people! Law suits!?!?

Toshiba just decided to fight. Why?

Toshiba is doing what was asked of them by Universal and Paramount.

Plus they are going all out after two studios and I mean all out.

*IF* they get the third studio they expect to join HD-DVD it will also kick in the HD-DVD software sales drop of $5 on all titles that was supposed to be announced at CES.

Going after 2 studios huh! I would love to see this. Even more the studios have to be loving this! Fox, Paramount and Warner have made a combined $800,000,000 in the last 6 months. Does Warner still hold many of the patents on the format since they jumped ship? It would be funny if Toshiba could turn this around watch Warner **** away their royalties.

One potential problem I see is if the studio agrees to go hddvd they pull a Fox and tell the BDA and get paid off by the BDA instead. Toshiba and Microsoft have to essentially corner these 2 studios and make them a lucrative offer and have them sign right now at this moment and if they leave the table the deal is off.

I whole heartedly agree with Lotus's comments on player profiles. I asked an BDA insider about this at AVS and he said the format was incredibly thought out but was rushed 6 months at launch. Kind off a contradiction in terms. He was eaten alive by a # of posters there after. To save money they didn't offer their players with secondary audio and video encoders, an ethernet port and 1gb of persistent storage. At $1,000 to $1,500 at launch it seems like alot of BS that the BDA implemeted 1.0 players to save money. The BDA's official response to consumers not being able to access special features like PIP and internet capabilities. "They knew what they were getting into".

Lotus I guess we can safely assume these 2 studios they are going after are not Warner, New Line, HBO or Fox?

Disney was initially part of the hddvd prg then defected to bluray, I am sure due to a payoff. The CEO even stated in the summer of 06 they would probably release on both formats.

It would be nice if Weinstein would get back in the game.

[1more4HDDVD]

Hey Lotus,

Any info regarding the pricing on the Xbox drive & Venturer players? Seems they belong in the $89 to $129 range given Toshiba’s recent price cuts.

Thanks!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by PRO-630HD

Disney was initially part of the hddvd prg then defected to bluray, I am sure due to a payoff. The CEO even stated in the summer of 06 they would probably release on both formats.

It would be nice if Weinstein would get back in the game.

If he even went neutral this war would get white hot and Disney would be the real winner!

[Ken S]

Sales of HD DVD Players Plunge After Warner Move:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/te...gy/28disc.html

I noticed BB has a buy one get one free on selected HD-DVD titles this week.