Dispelling rumors around Paramount/Dreamworks and Microsoft

kevincol · 08-24-2007, 01:14 AM

Hello everyone,

My name is Kevin Collins and I have worked for Microsoft for the last 14 years working on database technology (Jet and SQL Mobile). I have been involved in HD DVD for almost three years; from the HD DVD Video specification process in the DVD Forum to current promotion of HD DVD features. I met a lot of you with the HTF chat in January of this year and hope to do another chat when my schedule permits to have more ongoing discussions. For those that don’t know me, I am a home theater enthusiast. Starting in 1992 I had a Pioneer laser disc player, 1994 I had a Pioneer Elite 51” RPTV, in 1997 I had the Sony DVD player. In 1999 I moved to watching DVD’s on a HTPC on a Sony G70 on a 8ft wide Stewart Filmscreen Studio Tek 130 screen and currently view HD content on a Marantz 1080P DLP PJ with BOTH formats on a Stewart Filmscreen Gray Hawk RS screen. So, even though I work at Microsoft, I have been a home theater enthusiast well before I started on HD DVD at Microsoft.

At any rate, since I am constantly traveling for HD DVD I haven't had time to become active on this forum. I’m currently on vacation but something has come up that even my wife hasn’t been able to prevent me from responding to. It has to do with posts regarding why and how Microsoft supports HD DVD. Here is an example of what I am referring to:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa141.html#dp
“8/20/07 -- Well... the high-definition format war just got more confusing for consumers, and you can thank the hubris of the folks at Microsoft for it. Their HD-DVD format (because I'm sorry, can anyone really say it still belongs to Toshiba at this point?) badly needed a shot in the arm going into the holiday season, and just got it thanks to suitcases full of cash from the Microsoft camp”

I want to go on the record stating that Microsoft did not provide any financial incentives to Paramount/Dreamworks recent decision to support HD DVD. This type of “reporting” amazes me and I challenge anyone to provide proof around these statements. They are unfounded and inaccurate.

I’m not writing this to debate opinions on why one format will or will not prevail. I’m a writing this to provide some factual information on why and how Microsoft supports HD DVD to hopefully put to rest some of the incorrect information I see online.

Originally Microsoft supported BOTH formats, then two CES’s ago, Microsoft changed to only supporting HD DVD for the following three reasons:
1) Mandatory Managed copy. BD has since also supported this and we are all waiting on the “final agreement” to be completed from AACS.
2) Guaranteed hardware features on ALL HD DVD players. The mandatory features here being persistent storage, secondary video decoder and networking. Microsoft simply believes, as do the studios, including Disney, that interactivity is a reason for consumers to move from DVD. Please reference this document for reasons that the Warner Home Video and Disney put together in the DVD Forum: http://www.dvdforum.org/images/Requirements%20Specification%20for%20HD%20DVD%20Vi deo%20Application-July2005.pdf. Warner Home Video proves this out by releasing different features in 300 and Blood Diamond (networking – sharing scenes with friends and PIP) and Paramount did it with MI:3 last year with PIP only in the HD DVD version.
3) Cheaper, higher yield and greater availability of replication. A perfect case point for this is the European market where there are a multitude of HD DVD titles that are only available from the BD studios in the US. The reason for this? Cheaper replication costs and the ability to use local replicators to produce discs. BD50 discs are only produced at two plants in the world (Terre Haute, IN and Japan). Thanks to no region control in HD DVD we can all legally enjoy “Mr & Mrs Smith”, “The Prestige” and others from sites http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/hd-dvds-c-35.html and http://amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_st/203-...t=-releasedate.

For the record, Microsoft’s involvement in HD DVD rotates around supporting the format by:
1) Xbox 360 HD DVD drive
2) VC-1 support for BOTH formats
3) HDi support
4) Work in the DVD Forum from working groups up to the steering committee.

This type of support shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone as this is what Microsoft has historically done, support developers to use tools to provide the best experience for their customers.

While a lot of people disagree with data posted on Harry Knowles site (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...oap060107.html) Harry accurately reported why Paramount is supporting HD DVD moving forward when he said (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33722):
“For those of us consuming these products - it's easy to simply believe decisions are made due to just advertising incentives, but when you speak to the technology guys inside these studios - you hear that HD DVD is cheaper, serves the technological needs of the High Definition format, that the programming languages are an extension of the established DVD format - so it is easier for them to work with. This decision is about more than an intial Toshiba advertising incentive - the decision was made at a tech level, an economic level and about a cost delivery level to the public. Paramount made this decision from the tech guys up.”

I hope this clears up the misinformation that has been reported regarding Microsoft’s involvement in the Paramount/Dreamworks decision or in the “rumored” involvement with Warner. For the record, I respect Bill in that we are both enthusiast from the days of laser discs and we are both interested in seeing movies in HD the way that they were originally on film. In the meantime, I look forward to continue showing everyone, with shipping titles, why Microsoft believes in HD DVD.

Best,

- kevin

Paul_Scott · 08-24-2007, 06:45 AM

yeah, that may be all well and good Kevin...but can can you just give us a straight yes or no answer for a change- Has Microsoft stopped beating its wife or not?

seriously a reference post for the time being, and my candidate for sticky status for the near term.
I hope you can contribute more often in the future.

Shawn.F · 08-24-2007, 07:19 AM

While I appreciate the post as well, I take anything and everything that Microsoft says with a grain of salt the size of the Paramount Pictures mountain. Nothing against you, Kevin, I've just been burned too many times before by the Microsoft Corporation to fully believe anything they say.

Marko Berg · 08-24-2007, 07:52 AM

Thanks for going on the record in this matter, Kevin.

I second the motion to make this thread a sticky.

ppltd · 08-24-2007, 08:48 AM

Ditto to what Marko and Paul said. Thanks for the enlightening post and attempting the set the story straight. The misinformation that had spread on this issue was beginning to get a little deep.

It is always appreciated when someone in the know actually posts information. What a change from all of the 'nameless insiders' references that are used by other posters to push rumors as fact.

Thanks again, Kevin.

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don monteith · 08-24-2007, 08:49 AM

Very well said!! I just have 1 question. If it is so obvious that HD is the way to go as far as manufacturing goes. Why has most of the other major studios gone BluRay? You have made a vary good case for why Microsoft and others have gone with HD. So why didn't everyone go HD? There must be a counter point that made someone at the other studios say....yea, HD will do all this but we like the BD technology better because......

I have both formats so I am completely neutral. I just find it very interesting to get a "behind the scenes" look into what goes into some of the decisions made by companies. And all the trouble it causes.

Don

Jari K · 08-24-2007, 09:05 AM

Thanks for the info, but I also have to admit that "grain of salt" is always the name of the game, when we hear comments from the companies themselves (this goes both ways of course!). In the end, it´s business.

But thanks for sharing your view with us.

While I agree that B. Hunt has gone a bit too far with this matter (like everyone else at the moment, we need to chill a bit before posting), I´m not sure that Harry Knowles is the nr.1 resource when it comes to HD (I respect him and his great news/rumor site, but in the end, "Aintitcool" just isn´t a legimate "HD site"). Hunt may be biased, but he knows "HD" at least.

Marko Berg · 08-24-2007, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Hunt may be biased, but he knows "HD" at least.

In other words, he should know better.

Jari K · 08-24-2007, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marko Berg

In other words, he should know better.

Well, I guess that too.

Michael Reuben · 08-24-2007, 10:42 AM

Consistent with HTF's current policy limiting format "war-talk" to designated threads, this thread will be closed and (as suggested by several members) stuck to the top of the Hi-Def Software area.

Comment, discussion, follow-up, etc. should be directed to the officially designated thread. Thanks!

M.