Toshiba Goes Ahead With Its HD DVD Plans...

I was thinking about what hurts HD DVD the most. I am wondering if maybe the biggest factor is everybody saying or believing it is all over, basically giving up. What Toshiba and HD DVD studios need to do to stay in the game is to give confidence to buyers that it is not over and their product can come back. If they can move a couple million players, studios could follow. I know very few people who have either format (actually, I know some people with HD DVD players and none who have Blu Ray), so most of the people I know are potential customers. And most know very little about either format and are waiting. If they do know something, it is what they read in the paper or on the net, whether that information is true or not. If they understood that for as low as $125 they can pick up a pretty good HD DVD player that comes with 7 free HD movies, and it will make their SD movies look better than their current player, in most cases, a lot of them might make the move, if there was confidence the format was not going to go away soon. That last part is important and is what I feel Toshiba needs to concentrate on the most in their advertising. With that low cost of admission, they really would not have much to risk. They probably would be a lot less interested in putting out $400 for a Blu Ray player if they were not really ready to jump into the HD player market. I can easily live with upconverted SD movies from the studios who are Blu exclusive and still have the treat of watching the HD DVD collection I already have and will have with the HD DVD movies I will still be able to pick up over the next coming months. If I did not have a Toshiba, I would not yet want to pick up a Blu Ray player, at least until a profile 2 player was out for less than $200, which is probably a log ways in the future. I would purchase a Toshiba at the current prices, though, even being fully aware of the studio situation. If Toshiba can change the perception of their chances of staying in the game, maybe they can find enough people who will feel the cost of dipping their toe in the HD player market is low enough with an A3 to pick one up. I know people who have done that recently. The average consumer has not even voted with their wallet, yet people are saying it is all over. I hope we see some sales figures on players for the next week after the Superbowl ads and the BB and CC ads this Sunday which finally feature the Toshiba's at their new lower prices. It would be a kick if they came back even more.
 
Wow, talk about folks daydreaming on the keyboard! Just so that some of you can look at this in the real world -- Warner has shown HD-DVD the door. After June 1st they will not only not be providing any new HD-DVD content but as their current HD-DVD content sells out there will not be any more pressed. Why is this important -- Warner is the top seller of HDM on both formats. They account for 33% of all HDM disc sales. I am sure that their percentage of HD-DVD disc sales is much higher considering that there were only 3 majors supporting HD-DVD when Warner announced their choice.

No smaller studios nor any of the big BD studios are going to go HD-DVDs way. In fact, every week some small studio somewhere either here in the USA or in Europe annouces BD only support. The reason that this is happen is simple, Toshiba BOUGHT Paramount and Dreamworks for two titles and those did not carry the day for HD-DVD. But it did do something very important to the format war - it let the BDA know that Toshiba would stop a nothing to prevent BD from succeding. And why not, as long as DVD is selling Toshiba is making money but once DVD dies so does Toshiba's cash cow over the last 12 years. The BDA now knows that they have to attack DVD -- to convince the consumer that BD is better than DVD and if they can succeed and getting the prices down then they just might succeed.

Sigh, that is what happens in busness. My only amazement is how some keep pushing Sony's name in there to stir the pot when they KNOW that Sony is only one of over a dozen CE manufacturers that support BD. And it was not Sony by themselves that came up with BD or the specs but the majority of CE and Studios that did. It was Toshiba that took the I can do it alone road. Well, they can't, couldn't and won't. Warner, who by the way was one of the first studios to work with Sony, Pioneer and Samsung along with Buena Vista and Fox on the specs of BD finally put an end the their support of HD-DVD. And no amount of wishing -- especially with the 83% to 17% discs sales ratio and 65% to 35% of standalone sales favoring the BDA. These numbers continue and the only thing left is for the BDA to PAY Toshiba to quit.

I favor this very much as it would finally put an end to this rediculous format skirmish and would perhaps help Toshiba to save some face. See, they could say they were bought out and not beat. Makes sense, the BDA needs to get on it.

Those hoping for a turnaround or some other studio to come to their aid are just wishfull thinking. Nothing wrong with that but life just doesn't work out that way.
 
Wow, talk about folks daydreaming on the keyboard! Just so that some of you can look at this in the real world -- Warner has shown HD-DVD the door. After June 1st they will not only not be providing any new HD-DVD content but as their current HD-DVD content sells out there will not be any more pressed. Why is this important -- Warner is the top seller of HDM on both formats. They account for 33% of all HDM disc sales. I am sure that their percentage of HD-DVD disc sales is much higher considering that there were only 3 majors supporting HD-DVD when Warner announced their choice.

No smaller studios nor any of the big BD studios are going to go HD-DVDs way. In fact, every week some small studio somewhere either here in the USA or in Europe annouces BD only support. The reason that this is happen is simple, Toshiba BOUGHT Paramount and Dreamworks for two titles and those did not carry the day for HD-DVD. But it did do something very important to the format war - it let the BDA know that Toshiba would stop a nothing to prevent BD from succeding. And why not, as long as DVD is selling Toshiba is making money but once DVD dies so does Toshiba's cash cow over the last 12 years. The BDA now knows that they have to attack DVD -- to convince the consumer that BD is better than DVD and if they can succeed and getting the prices down then they just might succeed.

Sigh, that is what happens in busness. My only amazement is how some keep pushing Sony's name in there to stir the pot when they KNOW that Sony is only one of over a dozen CE manufacturers that support BD. And it was not Sony by themselves that came up with BD or the specs but the majority of CE and Studios that did. It was Toshiba that took the I can do it alone road. Well, they can't, couldn't and won't. Warner, who by the way was one of the first studios to work with Sony, Pioneer and Samsung along with Buena Vista and Fox on the specs of BD finally put an end the their support of HD-DVD. And no amount of wishing -- especially with the 83% to 17% discs sales ratio and 65% to 35% of standalone sales favoring the BDA. These numbers continue and the only thing left is for the BDA to PAY Toshiba to quit.

I favor this very much as it would finally put an end to this rediculous format skirmish and would perhaps help Toshiba to save some face. See, they could say they were bought out and not beat. Makes sense, the BDA needs to get on it.

Those hoping for a turnaround or some other studio to come to their aid are just wishfull thinking. Nothing wrong with that but life just doesn't work out that way.

This really bothers you, doesn't it? Why should you care? More than likely, HD-DVD will "go away". You will revel in that fact. So? :rolleyes:
 
Jon, why mislead folks coming into this forum for the first time? My amazement is that anytime someone comes to the aid of BD's image the question is asked why do you care? Well, lets turn it arround shall we, everyone and their mother knows that HD-DVD while not dead is over. Lets face it nothing is going to turn this around for them because without movies what the heck are you selling?

So why don't we try to sell the new guy on a dying product that has no legs and no out and for a price Toshiba would end tommorow? Yeah, I see how this would appeal to the consumer.:rolleyes:
 
On another note, what I am trying to address is all this Sony hating. It is clouding the debate. If you don't like Sony you have multiple choices and you also have alot of studios to select your movies from. This I am never going to watch another HDM on disc if it is BD again sounds just like a teenager whinning because they did not get their way. Sorry, but it just does.
 
Look, your points are valid (did I really say that? :D) The problem is that, just like a song that gets played too much, when you say them over and over and over......., it only irritates those that may not feel the same way, won't admit that they feel the same way, or get tired of the patterns.

We're not talking huge bucks here. The players are basically "free" with the discs that come with them, and the discs will always be able to be viewed. For $150, I don't think that the "message" needs to be repeated in every thread about the format. If someone has the inclination to seek out a site like this for info, (s)he's smart enough to know the situation without it being beaten into them.

I am sure that there are folks here that went out and bought HD-DVD players just because they are sick of the repetitive rhetoric. The thing I've always said is that we are ALL BROTHERS IN ARMS. We are here because we like this high tech crap, we like HD movies and HD TV, and there is no need to "fight" among ourselves or create "bad feelings". A point stated is all that's needed.

Look at this thread. Toshiba goes ahead with HD-DVD plans. One post where you point out that in all probablility, those plans are futile is all that is needed, if it needed a negative post at all.

Instaed, we're on post #87 and how many of those posts actually address the topic??

That's all I mean.
 
On another note, what I am trying to address is all this Sony hating. It is clouding the debate. If you don't like Sony you have multiple choices and you also have alot of studios to select your movies from. This I am never going to watch another HDM on disc if it is BD again sounds just like a teenager whinning because they did not get their way. Sorry, but it just does.

I agree. It's childish. I don't like a lot of the things Sony has done, but that doesn't mean I won't buy things from them. I prefer the Panasonic BD players. So? Doesn't mean I won't buy a Sony released disc. That's just stupid.
 
I agree that Blu Ray is in the driver seat at this point because of Studio support, but I find it interesting how it is bad that Toshiba "bought" Paramount and would do anything to avoid Blu Ray from succeeding when it was OK for Sony to blead cash on every single PS3 and that they reportedly paid a whole lot more to Fox and Warner to prevent HD DVD from succeeding.
 
Last edited:
Wow, talk about folks daydreaming on the keyboard! Just so that some of you can look at this in the real world -- Warner has shown HD-DVD the door. After June 1st they will not only not be providing any new HD-DVD content but as their current HD-DVD content sells out there will not be any more pressed. Why is this important -- Warner is the top seller of HDM on both formats. They account for 33% of all HDM disc sales. I am sure that their percentage of HD-DVD disc sales is much higher considering that there were only 3 majors supporting HD-DVD when Warner announced their choice.

No smaller studios nor any of the big BD studios are going to go HD-DVDs way. In fact, every week some small studio somewhere either here in the USA or in Europe annouces BD only support. The reason that this is happen is simple, Toshiba BOUGHT Paramount and Dreamworks for two titles and those did not carry the day for HD-DVD. But it did do something very important to the format war - it let the BDA know that Toshiba would stop a nothing to prevent BD from succeding. And why not, as long as DVD is selling Toshiba is making money but once DVD dies so does Toshiba's cash cow over the last 12 years. The BDA now knows that they have to attack DVD -- to convince the consumer that BD is better than DVD and if they can succeed and getting the prices down then they just might succeed.

Sigh, that is what happens in busness. My only amazement is how some keep pushing Sony's name in there to stir the pot when they KNOW that Sony is only one of over a dozen CE manufacturers that support BD. And it was not Sony by themselves that came up with BD or the specs but the majority of CE and Studios that did. It was Toshiba that took the I can do it alone road. Well, they can't, couldn't and won't. Warner, who by the way was one of the first studios to work with Sony, Pioneer and Samsung along with Buena Vista and Fox on the specs of BD finally put an end the their support of HD-DVD. And no amount of wishing -- especially with the 83% to 17% discs sales ratio and 65% to 35% of standalone sales favoring the BDA. These numbers continue and the only thing left is for the BDA to PAY Toshiba to quit.

I favor this very much as it would finally put an end to this rediculous format skirmish and would perhaps help Toshiba to save some face. See, they could say they were bought out and not beat. Makes sense, the BDA needs to get on it.

Those hoping for a turnaround or some other studio to come to their aid are just wishfull thinking. Nothing wrong with that but life just doesn't work out that way.
Lets not forget that Warner selected HD DVD based on ALL THE FACTS but because they couldn't get another studio to join them they stabbed HD DVD in the back. Also you forgot to mention why their 33% of HDM, because they were the only studio releasing in both formats.
 
I agree. It's childish. I don't like a lot of the things Sony has done, but that doesn't mean I won't buy things from them. I prefer the Panasonic BD players. So? Doesn't mean I won't buy a Sony released disc. That's just stupid.

QFT
 
I agree that Blu Ray is in the driver seat at this point because of Studio support, but I find it interesting how it is bad that Toshiba "bought" Paramount and would do anything to avoid Blu Ray from succeeding when it was OK for Sony to blead cash on every single PS2 and that they reportedly paid a whole lot more to Fox and Warner to prevent HD DVD from succeeding.

That was one of the smartest things Toshiba has done, but to not get Warner at the same time was a big mistake. It let the BDA know the gameplan and there were just to many players on the BD side.

As far as the PS3 bleeding money, the only company that I know of that has launched a video game system and not lost money at the start is Nintendo. Every other generation they hit one out of the ball park. Everyone else loses tons of money the first two to three years. Sony's idea that by including a BD player in the PS3 would be offset by BD disc purchases has been pretty much on target. Now they are breaking even or making a little on the PS3 when they did not expect to get there untill 2009. It is the way the hardware game is played.
 
We do not know that Sony is brealing even on the PS3 yet. We only know that the video game divisionas a whole is making money and that one key factor was a cost reduction on the PS3---but it may still be hurting overall profitability.
 
Sony will drop the ball at some point with BD...they are known to drop the ball...they have many times.......They are not as good as they use to be...dvd players suck now.....Home Theaters suck now....when you got Samsung and Toshiba in my opinion make better devices
 
The BDA now knows that they have to attack DVD -- to convince the consumer that BD is better than DVD...
That I'd love to see happen...
...as long as DVD is selling Toshiba is making money but once DVD dies so does Toshiba's cash cow over the last 12 years.
Before you order a eulogy for DVD, make sure you order a casket for BD.
...it was not Sony by themselves that came up with BD or the specs but the majority of CE and Studios that did.
Lie. Sony created the physical specs. The CEs and studios had a hand in adding video/audio formats to it.
BD is more Sony's than DVD is Toshiba's.
Warner, who by the way was one of the first studios to work with Sony, Pioneer and Samsung along with Buena Vista and Fox on the specs of BD finally put an end the their support of HD-DVD.
Lie. Warner was one of the last studios going BD.
Now they are breaking even or making a little on the PS3 when they did not expect to get there untill 2009.
How many more times will you repeat this lie?

Diogen.
 

I am now Purple. Time for a contest giveaway!

Toshiba Plans HD DVD Super Bowl Spot