Interesting information:
Looking for the link: I got this e-mailed to me:
Quote:
About 3 to 6 weeks prior to CES 2008, Warner Bros. already decided to join HD DVD exclusively BUT ONLY if the HD DVD Promo Group can attract one more studio (FOX). Warner Bros. wanted to make sure once they join HD DVD the war would no longer linger and Blu-Ray would slowly die off.
HD DVD was the logical choice for long term success due to gaining the backing by the DVD Forum along with its popular "HD" "DVD" name which people already recognize and trust.
HD DVD's user base was also people with HDTV's and home theatres. Blu-Ray "ONLY" relied on the PS3 which in fact inflated BD sales artificially.
The HD DVD Promotional Group proposed a deal with FOX to join HD DVD exclusively. The HD DVD Promo Group really thought they had this one in the bag because FOX was quite happy with the offer which came in terms of incentives and free advertising along with paying for movie transfers etc.
FOX pondered the offer for about a week when around the same time Sony found out what was going on due to an insider from FOX. Sony quickly offered FOX an extremely large sum of money (Over $400 Million). FOX took the bait after a couple weeks time.
Warner Bros. was still planning on backing HD DVD exclusively but were not very happy with FOX's decision. Later that same week Warner Bros. took a $500+ Million pay-off from Sony to completely drop HD DVD and to help end the format war as soon as possible.
This is one reason why Warner announced Blu-Ray exclusivity just days before CES 2008. It was a calculated risk by the BDA to announce the bad HD DVD news at this time and too catch everybody off guard.
The BDA assisted in a chain reaction by Sony & Panasonic and paid off retail chains to drop HD DVD. (Chains like Best Buy and Wal-Mart to completely DROP HD DVD).
The end result was the fact HD DVD owners were kicked in the rear by money laundering bribes by Studios and Manufactures. The HD DVD format was already chosen to succeed SD DVD and in time it most likely would have done just that.
The winners are people that own Playstation 3 game consoles with more than 80% of them don't even own a HDTV. What helped boost Blu-Ray movie sales? Sony bribes and Sony buying 100's of 1,000's of Blu-Ray movies to artificially inflate the numbers to their favour.
The industry insiders already stated this info above. People did not choose Blu-Ray the CE Manufactures did.
So right now HDM as we know it may be lost. Even Sony doubts Blu-Ray's success this is why they are investing a lot more time and money in Hi Def Downloads, not Blu-Ray.
If Blu-Ray player and movie prices do not match SD DVD by this Christmas, Blu-Ray may be lost in translation.
DVD movie sales this time round = 18 Billion / Blu-Ray movie sales this time round = 200 Million. Need I Say More!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Part of HD DVD losing was also the result of bad choices in advertising and decision making. TLTwin and TL-51 took way too long and never had a chance to hit the market.
TLTwin (HD DVD & SD DVD on one side) would have been the killer blow for Blu-Ray providing the price was competitive enough vs. the single SD DVD version of the movie.
TL-51 would have gotten rid of the myth that more space is better than less space. This is why HD DVD 30GB movies were equal or better than Blu-Ray 50GB movies.
Cheap HD DVD player prices were released way too late in the game. They should have been released ASAP 4 to 6 months before the Warner Bros. news. Venturer HD DVD players should have stocked up in Wal-Mart allot sooner than it did.
Toshiba should have been giving away FREE HD DVD players for every HDTV they sold. And yes in the holiday season they sold more than I can count in North America alone.
Toshiba and the HD DVD Promotional Group along with the DVD Forum should have taken the BDA and Sony to court for false advertising but they ended up not doing so.
Anyway Facts are Facts regardless how you read them.
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