Could Warner Bros. Abandon HD DVD in 2008?

[1more4HDDVD]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Hmmm. That article linked from 630 seems pretty specious to me...

Universal studios, who doesn't even sell Harry Potter and has a vested interest in HD DVD exclusivity, is stepping in, in place of WB, to tell us that the HP HD DVD is outselling the BD version? They can't even track that sales data!



Is this the best our stealth Toshiba reps can do... link to stats provided by Universal Studios making claims about another studio's HD DVD/BD sales ratios? Now, it's quite possible that the HD DVD, at least at walmart, has outpaced the BD by a small margin. But whether that's even true is hardly confirmed by Universal Studios' conjecture, and it doesn't mean that the total would necessarily offset the BD's lead in the other sources tracked by Nielson where the BD clearly outsold the HD DVD version.

This is so far askew of Disney's approach to HD media it's not even remotely accurate, no matter how declaratively you phrase it. Disney wants one format, and they want Blu-ray. and they believe with all conviction that one format would engender the consumer confidence to encourage adoption and software investment: precisely the opposite of what you suggest.

HD DVD is going down very fast and very soon. Toshiba and Microsoft can circulate whatever rumors they'd like about Disney going neutral or in some way favoring neutrality by other studios, but that doesn't change reality. This agenda is 100% transparent to anyone connected to Disney and what's really going on.

Here’s the thing: Ken Graffeo’s quotes in the article do not sound like the words of a studio that is about to follow Warner into Blu-ray.

No matter what the actual percentages are, it’s pretty clear that Harry Potter sales are far cry from the 2:1 ratio that occurred with the movie ‘300’, and it shows that HD DVD closed the gap when comparing apples to apples. Sure, Blu-ray has had more blockbuster hits this holiday season and that skews the weekly percentages, but Warner’s movies have proved about equal on both platforms lately. More proof is shown with titles like “Planet Earth”, ‘2001’ and “We are Marshall.” A 750k strong HD DVD base keeping up with a 2.7 million strong Blu-ray base.

[PRO-630HD]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Hmmm. That article linked from 630 seems pretty specious to me...

Universal studios, who doesn't even sell Harry Potter and has a vested interest in HD DVD exclusivity, is stepping in, in place of WB, to tell us that the HP HD DVD is outselling the BD version? They can't even track that sales data!

How do Neilson's and videoscan track over half of it then?

[PRO-630HD]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

HD DVD is going down very fast and very soon. Toshiba and Microsoft can circulate whatever rumors they'd like about Disney going neutral or in some way favoring neutrality by other studios, but that doesn't change reality. This agenda is 100% transparent to anyone connected to Disney and what's really going on.

Correction David!!! Toshiba and Microsoft never spread any such rumor of the sort. If you can find one please link it here. Unlike rumours started by Dunn from Fox or Burns from Lionsgate the HDDVD side does not need to start false rumours for a switch to occur!

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Hmmm. That article linked from 630 seems pretty specious to me...

Universal studios, who doesn't even sell Harry Potter and has a vested interest in HD DVD exclusivity, is stepping in, in place of WB, to tell us that the HP HD DVD is outselling the BD version? They can't even track that sales data!

What? The HD DVD PRG can't track sales? Really? Since when?

The fact is this:

Harry Potter outsold BD on HD DVD by according to him 55 to 45. I heard officially 56 to 44 from Warners. I've said that for days. Now you have an official statement from someone who would know and you claim the HD DVD PRG would be ignorant of sales.

Is this the best our stealth Toshiba reps can do... link to stats provided by Universal Studios making claims about another studio's HD DVD/BD sales ratios? Now, it's quite possible that the HD DVD, at least at walmart, has outpaced the BD by a small margin. But whether that's even true is hardly confirmed by Universal Studios' conjecture, and it doesn't mean that the total would necessarily offset the BD's lead in the other sources tracked by Nielson where the BD clearly outsold the HD DVD version.

Yes he has a position with Universal. He also has a position with the HD DVD PRG.

At Wal-Mart, Amazon, 80% of internet outlets. Videoscan tracks approximately 60% of the market and "guesses," based on the 60% saying the other 40% is just like the 60%.

You might have your conspiracy claim if Videoscan tracked say 90% or 80%. They only track 60%.

Videoscan says 20%. That is clearly? I'm sorry what kind of crazy spin is that?

It wasn't conjecture he stated a fact. It is a fact. You just want to fog things up before CES and Warner's announcement?

This is so far askew of Disney's approach to HD media it's not even remotely accurate, no matter how declaratively you phrase it. Disney wants one format, and they want Blu-ray. and they believe with all conviction that one format would engender the consumer confidence to encourage adoption and software investment: precisely the opposite of what you suggest.

HD DVD is going down very fast and very soon. Toshiba and Microsoft can circulate whatever rumors they'd like about Disney going neutral or in some way favoring neutrality by other studios, but that doesn't change reality. This agenda is 100% transparent to anyone connected to Disney and what's really going on.

If you're right then Disney is switching to HD DVD.

I'm connected to Disney. I'm told totally different things. They have TL test discs authored. You do that because you love BD?

This isn't a rumor. That is a fact. Their CEO routinely says the opposite of their VP that they are constantly monitoring both sides and remember Iger as recently as a few months ago again stated they were monitoring both sides. Last December he said it was likely they would be neutral at some point. Sony signed them to a 1 year exclusivity deal for pretty much free BD50s. That is up in January.

[PRO-630HD]

Originally Posted by Lotus

This isn't a rumor. That is a fact. Their CEO routinely says the opposite of their VP that they are constantly monitoring both sides and remember Iger as recently as a few months ago again stated they were monitoring both sides. Last December he said it was likely they would be neutral at some point. Sony signed them to a 1 year exclusivity deal for pretty much free BD50s. That is up in January.

Kind of like how Paramount dropped bluray right after their subsidized BD-50 deal ended.

[TheMoose]

Originally Posted by PRO-630HD

Kind of like how Paramount dropped bluray right after their subsidized BD-50 deal ended.

And right after the 100 million dollar pay off they got.