Are Sony, and others invested in Blu-Ray playing fairly??? (1 Viewer)

[Travis Hedger]

Link to news article


I don't forsee a lot of good coming out of this other than delays delays and more delays of either format. UGH!!!!

 

[Brian-W]

It'll be funny to see what jurisdiction the Justice Department thinks it has on an international forum (DVD Forum) by a group of international companies that have already launched a new format (Blu-Ray) in Japan.

If past experience with the Justice Department holds true, we end users can all expect $20 coupons good for the purchase of (insert manufacturer of choice) HD-DVD players.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

Sony has manufacturing plants in the U.S. I think that's good enough for jurisdiction.

 

[Brian-W]

Nope, has no effect because one has nothing to do with the other.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

Tell it to the judge.

 

[Bolivar G]

Judge Brown? Or Texas Justice?

 

[RobertR]

This kind of thing pisses me off. It smacks of government playing political favorites, all in the name of "protecting the consumer".

 

[Brian-W]

I know Robert, and you and I both know what's next - Blu-Ray versions of Showgirls with little opaque circles over 'offensive' portions of certain actors bodies all in the name of protecting us consumers

 

[RobertR]

LOL Brian.

 

[Mohsen Sadeghi]

You mean their brains, right?

 

[Rolando]

Not sure I got it right. DVD Forum is trying to get legal action against companies promoting Blu-Ray?

Is that what this is? On what grounds? That they are creating a superior product that will create a loss of revenue for the DVD Forum?

 

[Sean Laughter]

If the DVD Forum is mad that companies "broke rank" (which is no doubt the real motivation behind this) then they should try and see why the people behind Blu-Ray aren't happy with the DVD Forum's progress. There's a reason Blu-Ray was never presented to the DVD Forum - because of its members' continous efforts to kill the format. Let the marketplace decide, or is the DVDForum scared of that?

 

[Joshua Clinard]

I for one am glad the Justice Department is doing an investigation. Sony has not played fairly AT ALL by trying to block the DVD forum from voting on a standard, and thus advancing their own agenda to sell their own format before the standard was approved. Again, they created Blu-Ray, and they hold the patent. Their decision has nothing to do with the idea that they don't like the progress the DVD Forum is making. They never even submitted Blu-Ray for consideration as a standard, and I for one hope they lose money on Blu-Ray! This is all about money, and the fact that they want to hold the patent, so they can be the one to collect the royalties for every player sold, instead of letting the DVD forum members hold the patent and collect the royalties that all the DVD forum members have agreed to.

 

[Rolando]

ok wait, am I thinking of the wrong blu-ray? is this not the technology that holds MUCH more info than what the forum wants to use. I believe the DVD forum is clinging to red laser tech for backwards compatibility at the cost of bad quality due to high compression.

no?

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

No.

The DVD Forum has a blue laser standard forthcoming, developed by Toshiba and NEC. But it wasn't until they expanded the steering committee membership and changed the rules about counting abstaining votes that they could get enough votes for it, because Sony and pals who are behind Blu-Ray were squatting on the committee.

 

[Chris Will]

I hate sony. They make products that break quickly and then screw you by saying they can not do anything about it. I will not buy a sony created formate as I will never buy sony products again. The company has no ethics and does not respect the consumer. Blue-Ray will bomb. Most studios will not support it, most will support the DVD forum. I smell Beta all over agian. It bomb b/c Sony would not share the technology. Same thing will happen to Blue-Ray. Burn Sony, burn!!!

Can anyone tell that I have had some horrors dealing with Sony. Bought $1000 DVD player and it broke. Got it serviced, work for a while and broke again. Serviced again but now the problem is back and Sony will not replace it, they want to service it. I said it is not a car, I should not have to send it in every few months for an "oil change." $1000 dollars I spent on this company and they screwd me with a defective product and will not even replace it. I wish they would die!

 

[Cees Alons]

An unnecessary political comment (and its spawns) has (have) been deleted. Do not go that direction again.

Thanks, all.

Cees

 

[John_Berger]

I'll try to ask the question that was asked in the appropriately deleted statement -- but without the totally unnecessary, political rhetoric that the original poster used.

But since when is that an issue that deserves intervention by the U.S. Justice Department? The idea of usurping one product over another has gone on since the beginning of buying and selling. As long as no laws are broken, it's called "marketing", "capitalism", or just plain "fighting the competition". What laws are being broken here? Why is the U.S. Justice Department getting involved?

Considering that we're not even really talking bout a viable product here also clouds the whole issue of the Justice Department intervention. This sounds more like the Justice Department thinks that they have a right become involved in product development. I have a serious problem with that if no U.S. corporate laws are being broken.

Wouldn't this be something more for the FCC or other such body? Actually, wouldn't an INTERNATIONAL body be more appropriate considering the international nature of the companies involved?

 

[Joe Schwartz]

I'd guess it's an antitrust investigation. One could argue that Sony and the other Blu-Ray partner companies are in collusion to prevent NEC and Toshiba from developing a competing product. I don't necessarily agree, but that would explain why the Justice Dept is involved.

 

[RobertR]

As opposed to NEC and Toshiba acting in collusion to prevent Blu-Ray from coming to market? It all boils down to group of companies A competing with group of companies B. So long as no criminal behavior is involved here (theft, extortion, etc.), I don't see the point of this sort of thing at all.

I find many "antitrust" investigations to be insane with respect to their supposed goals ("protecting the consumer").