[Will_B]

Was Bill too hasty when he wrote "Microsoft has paid DreamWorks and Paramount so much money that they’ve decided to join Universal in the HD-DVD exclusive camp."? The LA Weekly article called it "the HD-DVD camp", without specifying which members of the "HD-DVD camp" dropped the loot off.

If Microsoft was only one of several companies that contributed to the bag o' loot, then Bill's statement can still stand. If Microsoft used another company, Toshiba for example, as a conduit, then Bill's statement can still stand. About the only way it wouldn't stand was if Microsoft was no longer funding the HD-DVD side of the war.

Singling out Microsoft may be as bad as the HD-DVD camp going on and on about Sony. But it isn't wrong.

Plus it would be very bad press if Microsoft starts going after independent websites who dare to speak out against HD-DVD.

So either Amir is aware that Microsoft was not responsible for dropping off the bags o' loot, or, Amir is worried that Microsoft may be in trouble... this is so dramatic! I'm sorry if I am not taking this as seriously as I should, but if Microsoft is that worried about being linked to the payoff, something is up, and it is always amusing to see big business have to justify its own strange sense of ethics.

[Douglas Monce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will_B

Was Bill too hasty when he wrote "Microsoft has paid DreamWorks and Paramount so much money that they’ve decided to join Universal in the HD-DVD exclusive camp."? The LA Weekly article called it "the HD-DVD camp", without specifying which members of the "HD-DVD camp" dropped the loot off.

If Microsoft was only one of several companies that contributed to the bag o' loot, then Bill's statement can still stand. If Microsoft used another company, Toshiba for example, as a conduit, then Bill's statement can still stand. About the only way it wouldn't stand was if Microsoft was no longer funding the HD-DVD side of the war.

Singling out Microsoft may be as bad as the HD-DVD camp going on and on about Sony. But it isn't wrong.

Plus it would be very bad press if Microsoft starts going after independent websites who dare to speak out against HD-DVD.

All very true...unless it's just not true at all that Paramount was paid.

Doug

[Brian Sallot]

Hi

I myself own players in both formats and yes I was more than stunned by the announcement that Paramount chose to go exclusive to HD-DVD. I will not say they were paid to join HD-DVD(150M just does not seem like a whole lot to go exclusive)so for now I will assume there are other reasons.

This Format War is starting all over again. which will either be good or bad for the consumers (us). I hope one way or another it end up being good.(But I doubt it)

Later everyone
Brian

[loganhunter2002]

I think it's all about Public Relation. You wouldn't want people to call you guilty of robbing a place if it wasn't true would you?

[Brandon Conway]

Bill Hunt's latest:

"...I'll tell you, based on some of the conversations we've had today (both on and off-the-record), when it comes to this morning's high-def news, there's a LOT more going on behind-the-scenes than meets the eye. You have NO idea. If you think the situation is as cut and dried as the press releases (or Harry's entertaining latest post over at AICN) would make it seem, you're kidding yourself. Hollywood's on fire right now - at least the studio home video portion of it. And the retailers... and the manufacturers...

Like it or not, things are going to get VERY interesting in the next few days and in the weeks ahead. You're going to see a lot of reports on all this in the media, along with a lot of quotes from studio suits. Some of it will true and some will be bullshit, and much of it will be a combination both. Yeah, I know... a lot of you guys are as sick of reading about this format war as we are of writing about it...."

I think everyone can agree with him on this, no?

[RobertR]

Quote:

You wouldn't want people to call you guilty of robbing a place if it wasn't true would you?

It never ceases to fascinate me how often people equate perfectly legal business deals with theft.

[Phil Garcia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

All very true...unless it's just not true at all that Paramount was paid.

Doug

Considering Blades of Glory on Blu-Ray was all set to release next week, methinks there's some reason why they'd do a complete 180 and go against all their multiplatform announcements in the last few months.

[Edward Mann]

If you have access to the wall street journal online:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1187..._us_whats_news

The article makes it clear there was cash and other incentives, but the person giving the information declined to disclose the amounts.

[Douglas Monce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Garcia

Considering Blades of Glory on Blu-Ray was all set to release next week, methinks there's some reason why they'd do a complete 180 and go against all their multiplatform announcements in the last few months.

As I said it could just be that they are losing money on blu-ray. And $150 million isn't the kind of money that would get a company the size of Paramount/Viacom to do much of anything.

Doug

[Will_B]

Quote:

It never ceases to fascinate me how often people equate perfectly legal business deals with theft.

Well that's capitalism for ya!