Thread: HD Format War "News"

What I've been hearing internally for months has now made it's way into the rumor mills:

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/05/09...tral/#comments

Again, it could hold as much water as a basketball net, but I've been hearing this for a while now at work, so I'm a little more inclined to believe it.

I don't think I'll be buying my bluray yet.

Originally Posted by Deeker

I don't think I'll be buying my bluray yet.

If THIS rumor is true, and it more or less matches what I've been hearing internally for months at NBC, it will spell the beginning of the end for HD-DVD.

Originally Posted by Unfiltered

If THIS rumor is true, and it more or less matches what I've been hearing internally for months at NBC, it will spell the beginning of the end for HD-DVD.

right, IF it's true. Universal would have to figure how to get out of their "exclusive" contract first though. and HD-DVD knows as well as anyone that it would spell their doom.

Wonder if Universal has an "out" clause.

Originally Posted by Deeker

right, IF it's true. Universal would have to figure how to get out of their "exclusive" contract first though. and HD-DVD knows as well as anyone that it would spell their doom.

Wonder if Universal has an "out" clause.

Did you read the AVS thread where this report originated? It provides a little detail as to what was "said."

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6&page=1&pp=30

I ****ing hate all the backroom, boardroom BS. Just come out and say it.

I think some of the reasons behind this have some decent teeth, though. This whole "Evan Almighty" fiasco is going to make Universal the #1 loser of the summer. Bourne won't be able to overcome this. Evan Almighty has a rumored price tag approaching $200 million, it's not getting ANY summer buzz, and PETA and other animal organizations are already starting to rally against it.

Universal stands to lose some major footing to other studios, and backing a loser if HD-DVD turns out to be just that won't help them.

Originally Posted by dgrycan

Evan Almighty has a rumored price tag approaching $200 million

Think X3 money, so add another $60 million. (That's what my Home Video contact said.) The only thing that saved Fox/Paramount with Titanic were a bunch of 13 year-old girls.

Originally Posted by dgrycan

Universal stands to lose some major footing to other studios, and backing a loser if HD-DVD turns out to be just that won't help them.

And you know how NBC handles things when the entertainment division is in the crapper? They start cutting "costs" in the only division that's making them any money. My division. News. They did it last Summer and I'm expecting it again this Fall.

Regardless of their move to neutral format, or even dropping HD-DVD entirely, NBC will probably spin Uni off their stock. (a la Time-Warner from AOL.)

I just don't understand why Universal doesn't just open up to both formats UNLESS they are locked into some kind of financial agreement with Toshiba, which stands to reason since they've been so gung-ho about HD-DVD from the start.

At least the Blu-ray exclusive studios have been upfront as to why they are where they are. Both Fox and Disney wanted the extra layer of copy protection that BD provides, and Disney especially seems to be studio that expects and demands use of BDs bigger disc size for some releases. Hell, the upcoming Pirates discs are going to have the feature take up an entire BD-50, while the extras will be on a second BD-25 disc. Incredible.

We don't really have to explain why Sony/MGM/Columbia are BD exclusive.

Most of the work is done prior to discs being manufactured, so it wouldn't take a look for Universal to more than DOUBLE their HD sales/forecasts by just going neutral. There has to be SOMETHING holding them back.

From the same source:

http://rss.engadgethd.com/2007/05/09...going-neutral/

I agree with the last sentence. What else is he supposed to say?