Re: BREAKING NEWS: Warner Goes Blu-ray only

For me it looks like a surprise attack.
Toshiba Comments

But then again. It could be Toshiba spin.

Hmm but they are still losing money on those players. At least that's what a lot of people have been posting here.

Well Henning, I seriously doubt Toshiba would put out a press release saying "we knew Warner was considering going exclusively Blu-ray since October, and we apologize to all our customers who recently bought our players and media..."

The "rumors" started by executives from other studios makes this statement sound what it is: The only thing Warner can say at this point. I am however interesting in what these "contracts" were

I apologize to Skyhawk and Tony. That was unfair and I generally try to conduct myself better.

That said, it works me up more as a consumer to be considered "collateral damage". I work for that money, dammit, and without that they'd be nothing.

I have both formats, so in the end, it affects me minimally. I still have my HD-DVD player and can still watch those movies for a least a few years until the player breaks down. And actually beyond the HP boxset (which I'd likely rebuy in a few years after they are all together anyway) and The Matrix, I havent really lost much to Warner's decision.

I do think this will hurt the overall HD format, though.

I agree Skyhawk.

However, if it was not by surprise you could simply have left it out of the press release.

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[Post edited by Henning on Jan 4, 2008]

Though I do still fell its kinda lame to blame HD-DVD for this. I mean, really Skyhawk? I know you're more intelligent than to believe that.

Ok, We can make a difference here. Please tell all of your friends not to buy warner products go online and check out who they are affilliated with. Next call the numbers below and flood there phone lines and emails with why you choose hddvd over blue ray and don't say retard things like f-blueray and things like that tell them how hddvd is more affordable to consumers right now in our economic times and how hddvd releases bonus footage, deleted scenes, and other extra footage. Tell them if they made there decicsion because of the consumer then where was that survey and how can i write to them telling them my views about HDDVD. So flood all there lines , tell your friends, and make it legit. We can make this happen and remember still keep your hddvd also find out from toshiba what can you do im sure them can give you more contacts too.

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I already canceled all my WB pre-orders from Amazon.

Quote:
Though I do still fell its kinda lame to blame HD-DVD for this. I mean, really Skyhawk? I know you're more intelligent than to believe that.

Perhaps I'm not that intelligent, but I'm not naive. Remember a certain executive from Warner spilling the beans before thanksgiving? How about this snippet from Businessweek in early Decmember?:

Quote:
"The rumor is that Warner is coming aboard soon," says Michael Burns, vice-chairman of studio Lionsgate.

Are you suggesting that although we heard this rumor, to Toshiba this came as a big surprise because their entire corporation lives in a complete media vacuum? And only now they're considering alternative strategies to deal with Warner's decision? Corporations don't survive by living in the denial of what might become reality. They entire day-to-day operations are overlaid with strategic decision making and alternative strategies for various market scenarios.

This doesn't mean I "blame" HD DVD for Warner going to Blu-ray. That's silly.

I think it may be too late to call WB and tell them anything, however logical... They've clearly already cashed the check from Sony.

Consumers (if they choose) will now pay top dollar for movies that DON'T have picture-in-picture, players that won't update, movies that won't play, etc etc etc.