[ajzman]

• 0

Artikel i IDG angående Toshibas senaste prisutspel... Jäkla synd att detta bara gäller USA dock, hade EP-35an kommit ner runt 2500-3000 spänn här i Sverige hade jag lätt slagit till, trots ovissheten om HD DVDs framtid... Oh well...
http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.140309

[Unregisteredae963e03]

• 0

Artikel i IDG angående Toshibas senaste prisutspel... Jäkla synd att detta bara gäller USA dock, hade EP-35an kommit ner runt 2500-3000 spänn här i Sverige hade jag lätt slagit till, trots ovissheten om HD DVDs framtid... Oh well...
http://www.idg.se/2.1085/1.140309

Jag såg detta.
1000kr för en dvd-spelare med bra uppsklning och HDMI måste ju anses som ett bra köp.
Att dessutom få HD-DVDfunktion i priset kan ju inte ses som något negativt.
Når dessa priser Sverige så tänker inte jag tveka!

[Alezman]

• 0

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=friS4OOcdgQ

[FiRREN]

• 0

Alezman, fyfan vad rolig den var

[Unregistered8147b14e]

• 0

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=friS4OOcdgQ

Åhgud, det kom ut lite kiss mellan mina skrattanfall!

[Hoff]

• 0

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=friS4OOcdgQ

Va roligt när de gjorde det med alla som blev bannade på xbox live sen har det kommit upp åtskilliga versioner av denna. blir bara sämre o sämre...

Edit. Såg klart den nu och denna var helt klart en av de bättre. Men som sagt börjar bli lite tjatigt:D

Redigerat av Hoff, 15 januari 2008 - 20:20.

[dealerovski]

• 0

hitler videon är guld

[Alezman]

• 0

Hysteriskt rolig haha

[Audio Code 3]

• 0

Amazon delar ut HD DVD för amerikaner helt gratis!

[henke007]

• 0

BBC will not drop HD DVD

BBC Video is released on under Warner Bros. and it was believed that they would follow WB and go Blu-ray only.

A BBC spokesperson recently talked with TVShowsOnDVD.com and said that they would continue to support both HD DVD and Blu-ray and continued "we will evaluate the marketplace before committing to one format."

No doubt reports on "Planet Earth" selling more copies on HD DVD than on Blu-ray has contributed to the decision.

http://www.dvdtown.c...rop-hd-dvd/5130

Redigerat av henke007, 16 januari 2008 - 12:33.

[Unregisteredcadb2904]

• 0

där kom en....

[Unregisteredc4a90337]

• 0

HD DVD - Nyheter och Rykten är var tråden skall innehålla. kan vi inte försöka hålla oss till det så gott det går?

[Unregistered3ece8f6f]

• 0

Visst är det väl bra att bbc väljer att fortsätta släppa till båda formaten och sett till försäljningen så är ju det ett helt riktigt beslut. Är dock inte så säker på att det är något man kan "dra så stora växlar på...."

Det känns ändå lite som om luften gick ur i och med Warners avhopp, vill se lite mera "confidence" från hd-dvd sidan mycket snart. Är sugen på en hd-dvd spelare men har just nu begränsad budget i väntan på bebis....Vågar därför inte komma hem till sambon med en spelare som kanske inte behövs om ett år?

Raka besked från Universal och Paramount samt lite action nu!

[Audio Code 3]

• 0

Prestige Nyheter!

Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player Wins Sound & Vision Editors' Choice Award

WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. ("Toshiba") today announced that Sound & Vision magazine, "the preeminent source for consumers of home theater, audio, video and multimedia products," has selected the Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD player for its prestigious 2007 Editors' Choice Award.

"Toshiba has maintained its position as a leader in delivering quality high definition products to the market," said Mike Mettler, Vice President and Editor-In-Chief of Sound & Vision. "The Toshiba HD-XA2 is a great example of a product that combines outstanding engineering and design to create an excellent value for the consumer."

The HD-XA2 was selected as one of the top products of 2007 from a large field of consumer electronics devices. The player was chosen because its "boot-up and disc-load times are vastly reduced, connections are more robust and its Silicon Optix video processor turns the HD-XA2 into one of the best upconverting DVD players we've seen," said Mettler.

"Toshiba is thrilled to receive an Editors' Choice Award from such a highly regarded publication in the industry as Sound & Vision," said Jodi Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Toshiba America Consumer Products Digital A/V Group. "Toshiba HD DVD players continue to be recognized as one of the best home theater products in the high-definition category from both A/V enthusiasts and everyday movie lovers alike. As Sound & Vision has noted, the HD-XA2's outstanding picture and audio capabilities and cutting edge interactive and Web-enabled networking features create the ultimate entertainment experience."

About Toshiba's HD DVD Players

All of Toshiba's HD DVD player models are backward compatible, allowing users to enjoy their libraries of current DVD and CD software while enhancing the look of regular DVDs by upconverting their output to near high definition picture quality. With the HD DVD format, select HD DVD players allow consumers to experience true high def 1080p for extraordinary resolution that matches the latest state of the art 1080p HDTVs. These same players display images at 24 frames per second, the same frame rate used by directors when using film to create motion pictures for a smoother, more film like, viewing experience. Thanks to the Ethernet port and memory built into every Toshiba HD DVD player, movie lovers also can enjoy the benefits of web-enabled network connectivity. Consumers can download the latest movie trailers as they become available, share favorite movie clips with friends, vote in online polls and enjoy the experience like never before.

For more information on HD DVD, please visit http://www.toshibahddvd.com/.

About Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.


Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, a world leader in high technology products with subsidiaries worldwide. Toshiba is a pioneer in HD DVD, DVD and DVD Recorder technology and a leading manufacturer of a full line of home entertainment products, including flat panel TV, combination products and portable devices. Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey. For additional information, please visit http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/.

About Sound & Vision

Established in 1958, Sound & Vision has led the category in the coverage of consumer electronics products for nearly 50 years. From early adopters to everyday shoppers, people come to Sound & Vision for the latest product reviews, recommendations and information on home theater, high-definition TV, digital surround sound, and more. Published ten times per year, the title has a rate base of 200,000.

Important Notes:

HD DVD with high-definition content required for HD viewing. Upconversion of DVD content will result in near HD picture quality. Viewing high- definition content and upconverting DVD content may require an HDCP capable DVI or HDMI™ input on your display device. 1080p capable display required for viewing content in 1080p. Firmware update may be required for some interactive features depending on content, which may also require an always-on broadband internet connection. Some features may require additional bandwidth. To take advantage of web-enabled network content, installing the latest firmware (ver.2.4 for HD DVD player models HD-XA1, HD-A1, and HD-D1; ver.2.7 for HD-XA2, HD-A2, HD-A2W, HD-D2, HD-A2C, and HD-A20; and ver.1.3 for HD-A35, HD-A30, and HD-A3) is required. Web-enabled network features require an always on broadband connection along with specific movie titles that include this form of content. For 24p output, content that was created in 1080p/24 frames/sec is required. Viewing 24p output requires an HD display capable of accepting a 1080p/24Hz signal. MP3/WMA audio files not supported. HDMI audio output requires connection to a PCM capable device. Because HD DVD is a new format that makes use of new technologies, certain disc, digital connection and other compatibility and/or performance issues are possible. This may, in rare cases, include disc freezing while accessing certain disc features or functions, or certain parts of the disc not playing back or operating as fully intended. If you experience such issues, please refer to the FAQ sections of http://www.toshibahddvd.com/ or http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/ for information on possible work-around solutions or the availability of firmware updates that may resolve your problem, or contact Toshiba Customer Solutions. Some features subject to delayed availability. While every effort has been made at the time of publication to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product specifications, configurations, system/component/options availability are all subject to change without notice.

HD DVD and DVD are trademarks of DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation.

HDMI, the HDMI Logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing, LLC.

http://www.newscom.c...0080116/NEW034A

[diabolo]

• 0

HD DVD-R Playback Now Possible On Both HD-XF2 & HD-XA2
Toshiba (Japan) has released v2.8 firmware update for the HD-XF2 and HD-XA2 HD DVD players released in Japan.

Among other improvements and changes, this firmware update also adds HD DVD-R playback.

Video content burned onto an HD DVD-R disc (conforming to applicable HD DVD and AACS specifications) can now be played back on both players. For instance, TV programmes recorded on a HD DVD-R disc by Toshiba's VARDIA HD DVD/HDD DVR can now be played back on both HD DVD players.

Further details of this firmware update plus instructions on how to obtain/install this firmware update can be found here.

Do expect similar firmware update being announced for HD DVD players released in other countries... probably within the next few weeks.

[toska]

• 0

En liten undran, är det någon av er som skicka dessa mail som campaignhd.com vill att vi ska skicka?

[Unregistered2e3b64ba]

• 0

En liten undran, är det någon av er som skicka dessa mail som campaignhd.com vill att vi ska skicka?

Skickade ett men tror knappast det gör någon nytta, det fastnar säkert i deras spamfilter

Redigerat av Unregistered2e3b64ba, 17 januari 2008 - 18:04.

[diabolo]

• 0

Pornographic Film Industry Still Firmly Behind HD DVD

[diabolo]

• 0

Halvering av priset på HD DVD spelare
^{[2008-01-18 17:37]}

HD-DVD-formatet tillsammans med Toshiba tar krafttag och halverar priset på hd-dvd spelare här i Sverige. Den billigaste hd-dvd spelaren kostar nu under 2 200 kronor.

[henke007]

• 0

Och jag som precis ska köpa en NY HD DVD spelare då
min gamla gick sönder och är inne på Service i några månader

Redigerat av henke007, 18 januari 2008 - 19:23.

[ajzman]

• 0

Och jag som precis ska köpa en NY HD DVD spelare då
min gamla gick sönder och är inne på Service i några månader

Vi kanske borde samordna ett gruppköp av EP35an från Hifi-klubben?

[henke007]

• 0

Precis, hej vi är 10 pers som läste på prylportalen
si och så, kan vi säga 30K för 10 spelare??

[ajzman]

• 0

Precis, hej vi är 10 pers som läste på prylportalen
si och så, kan vi säga 30K för 10 spelare??

Why not? Diabolo lär ju vara på iallafall!

[diabolo]

• 0

Jag tror att det blir en EP30 för min del (Måste ha cash kvar för en Reg A BD )

Tur att man inte köpte Toshen innan Jul

[henke007]

• 0

Jepp snabbaste prissänkningen i världshistorien

[ajzman]

• 0

Jag tror att det blir en EP30 för min del (Måste ha cash kvar för en Reg A BD )

Tur att man inte köpte Toshen innan Jul

Indeed! Jag var på väg in till Hifi-klubben för att köpa in EP35an samma dag som Warner droppade HD DVD!
Som tur var kollade jag på minhembio först (as always) och avvaktade med mitt köp... Ser ut som att det lönade sig?

[Hoff]

• 0

haha vafan. Jag fick spatt o sa åt min morbror att köpa en HD-A2 till mig i somras när den gick lös på 299$. Tyvärr fick han inte hem den förrän nu vid jul. Så jag la alltså 2k på en HD-A2 som jag haft 1 månad och är bunden till reg1. på vanliga dvds.

Men jag e så grymt nöjd med kvalitén ändå så jag har svårt att klaga:)

Men visst hade en europeisk hd-ep30 varit ngt att ha istället för min Sony-dvd som är regionsfri nu.

Redigerat av Hoff, 18 januari 2008 - 19:58.

[Kalekulan]

• 0

HD-DVD's räddning är snart här?
http://www.amazon.co...D/dp/B000NU2M6C

Alfons2

[Johan78]

• 0

HD-DVD's räddning är snart här?
http://www.amazon.co...D/dp/B000NU2M6C

Alfons2

Den har väl legat uppe rätt länge. Det verkar som att Amazon "garderar" sig inför kommande filmsläpp och har gjort så med flera filmer. Gudfadern har än så länge inte utannonserats för HD DVD.

[Audio Code 3]

• 0

Gudfadern ett måste köp, hoppade över den på dvd'n faktiskt (planering och tålamod)

[hassesolo]

• 0

Personligen så tycker jag vårens releaselista ser riktigt tunn ut. Nästan inga filmer som jag är sugen på. Det är inte mycket bättre (men lite) på BD-sidan heller. Om det inte tillkommer överaskningar så blir det en billig vår.

[Machinegunjoe]

• 0

Om Toshiba är smarta nu så släpper de en combo spelare. If you cant beat them, join them

[Johan78]

• 0

En kombospelare från Toshiba skulle med andra ord bli dödsstöten för HD DVD. Då har de erkänt Blu-ray som segrare.

[Chris Ya]

• 0

Personligen så tycker jag vårens releaselista ser riktigt tunn ut. Nästan inga filmer som jag är sugen på. Det är inte mycket bättre (men lite) på BD-sidan heller. Om det inte tillkommer överaskningar så blir det en billig vår.

Håller faktiskt med. Inga speciella titlar att se fram emot förutom American Gangster och kommande Cloverfield.

[Unregisteredb38af287]

• 0

Halvering av priset på HD DVD spelare
^{[2008-01-18 17:37]}

HD-DVD-formatet tillsammans med Toshiba tar krafttag och halverar priset på hd-dvd spelare här i Sverige. Den billigaste hd-dvd spelaren kostar nu under 2 200 kronor.

Då blir det en sån istället för en HD-DVD till datorn.

Kompatiblitet med DVD/CD och att slå jäkla skit-Sony på näbben är bara en bonus.
Får dom som dom vill så går ju mediet knappt att använda till slut, på grund av alla otyg dom använder sig av.
Och dyrt lär det bli när en eventuell dominans är vunnen. Vill vi ha kartellverksamhet?

Go HD-DVD! - Här kommer jag =)

[diabolo]

• 0

Microsoft and Sundance Institute Award HDi Grant to Bring Leading Interactive Capabilities to Independent Films

Grant gives 2007 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winner 'Manda
Bala' resources to develop interactivity using Microsoft HDi and publish to
HD DVD and other digital delivery scenarios.

PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today at the 2008
Sundance Film Festival, Microsoft Corp., together with Sundance Institute
presented the Microsoft HDi Grant to director Jason Kohn and producer Jared
Goldman for their 2007 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winning
documentary "Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)." Worth an estimated $100,000, the
grant provides Kohn and Goldman with resources to author "Manda Bala" in
pristine high definition and develop immersive interactive experiences
using Microsoft's industry-leading HDi technology. HDi technology enables
filmmakers to complement their work with features such as
picture-in-picture director's commentary and character biographies that
enhance the home viewing experience. The grant also includes support for
production of the finished product on HD DVD along with other digital
delivery scenarios.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.c...000822/MSFTLOGO)

"We put several years into making 'Manda Bala,' and this grant lets us
explore the digital canvas of HD DVD and HDi and express the work we've
done in entirely new ways," Kohn said. "Considering all the extra footage
we have to work with and the award-winning capabilities of HDi on HD DVD,
Jared and I are excited to get started."

HDi is Microsoft's implementation of the advanced interactive layer in
the HD DVD format. The technology has provided the foundation for HD DVD's
leadership in interactivity by taking advantage of mandatory features in
every HD DVD player (for example, a secondary video decoder, persistent
storage and an Internet connection) to enable in-movie experiences such as
picture-in-picture director's commentary, and Web-enabled features that
allow fans to discuss the movie during playback and enable a director or
producer to provide new content downloads in the future. Based on Web
standards, HDi easily and efficiently extends the benefits of Web
connectivity to the movie-watching experience and can be applied to both
optical and digitally distributed scenarios.

"We've always believed that the creative community behind filmmaking
would best define how HDi should be used, and this grant is meant to put
the technology in the hands of the people who will explore its full
potential," said Jordi Ribas, general manager of the HD DVD Group at
Microsoft. "Sundance Institute has long been an important part of
Microsoft's history with digital media technologies, and we look forward to
continuing to work together to advance the spirit of independent film."

Microsoft Continues Support of Independent Films

The HDi Grant further extends Microsoft's support of independent films,
which also includes the 1,000 HD DVD Indies Project announced earlier this
year with Amazon.com Inc.'s CreateSpace. Due to its heritage in DVD, as
well as the inherent authoring and disc replication efficiencies over other
optical formats, HD DVD can scale to support the independent film community
in a cost-effective way. The 1,000 HD DVD Indies Project was designed to
provide independent filmmakers with free access to HD DVD authoring and
on-demand replication. A number of Sundance films are already taking part
in this program, including the acclaimed comedy from David Wain, "The Ten"
(City Lights Home Entertainment); "Manda Bala" (City Lights Home
Entertainment); "We Are the Strange;" and the Sundance Channel original
series "Big Ideas for a Small Planet."

In addition, on Jan. 18, 2008, Microsoft began offering digital rentals
of Sundance Film Festival short films on Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points,
which can be purchased at retail or online. The Video Store on Xbox LIVE is
the leading provider of high-definition on-demand content, with the most
hours of high-definition content available, offering movies for video on
demand and TV shows and music videos for electronic sell-through. More
information about content being offered on Xbox LIVE Marketplace is
available at http://www.xbox.com/...tplace/moviestv.

More information about Microsoft's support of independent film and how
HDi is transforming the way movies are made and experienced is available at
the Microsoft House at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival (301 Main St. in
Park City). More information about Microsoft HDi and HD DVD can also be
found at http://www.thisishddvd.com.

[Johan78]

• 0

LoL 2200kr för en EP30, känner mig ganska blåst som pröjja 3995 för 2 veckor sen

[ajzman]

• 0

LoL 2200kr för en EP30, känner mig ganska blåst som pröjja 3995 för 2 veckor sen

Mm, det förstår jag... Men funkar den bra iallafall, EP30n?

Själv är jag på jakt efter en EP35a att ersätta min nuvarande X360 addon spelare och hoppas innerligt att priserna verkligen sänks denna vecka!

[Unregistered36883]

• 0

Personligen så tycker jag vårens releaselista ser riktigt tunn ut. Nästan inga filmer som jag är sugen på. Det är inte mycket bättre (men lite) på BD-sidan heller. Om det inte tillkommer överaskningar så blir det en billig vår.

I brist på annat så kan man ju alltid hoppas att dom släpper lite gamla klassiker.... finns ju en hel del guldkorn där...!!

[ajzman]

• 0

Personligen så tycker jag vårens releaselista ser riktigt tunn ut. Nästan inga filmer som jag är sugen på. Det är inte mycket bättre (men lite) på BD-sidan heller. Om det inte tillkommer överaskningar så blir det en billig vår.

I brist på annat så kan man ju alltid hoppas att dom släpper lite gamla klassiker.... finns ju en hel del guldkorn där...!!

Indeed...

Men jag tycker ändå det ser hyffsat ut med Jack Ryan boxen, Sweeney Todd, Bee Movie, Beowulf, American Gangster. Sen har jag fortfarande inte fått tag på Zodiac eller Easter Promises (verkar vara slutsålda på både HDMS och Axel...), och dessa är ju givna inköp också!

Men man hoppas ju på att Universal annonserar lite intressanta nyheter snart...

[Johan78]

• 0

LoL 2200kr för en EP30, känner mig ganska blåst som pröjja 3995 för 2 veckor sen

Mm, det förstår jag... Men funkar den bra iallafall, EP30n?

Själv är jag på jakt efter en EP35a att ersätta min nuvarande X360 addon spelare och hoppas innerligt att priserna verkligen sänks denna vecka!

Funkar kanon med min Panasonic PT-AE2000 projektor.

[crest]

• 0

Universal har en egen HD DVD sajt på nätet men Paramount har inte haft särskild sajt som lyfter fram formatet, men dom öppnat upp en hemsida just för HD DVD.

Paramount HD DVD

Edit: Jag hade inte sett just denna sajt tidigare, men så ny verkar ju den inte att vara.
Dessutom ser det ut som om den behöver uppdateras lite.

Redigerat av crest, 21 januari 2008 - 15:31.

[Unregistered36883]

• 0

Indeed...
Men jag tycker ändå det ser hyffsat ut med Jack Ryan boxen, Sweeney Todd, Bee Movie, Beowulf, American Gangster. Sen har jag fortfarande inte fått tag på Zodiac eller Easter Promises (verkar vara slutsålda på både HDMS och Axel...), och dessa är ju givna inköp också!

Men man hoppas ju på att Universal annonserar lite intressanta nyheter snart...

Just American Gangster tyckte jag var en rejäl flopp.... enbart min åsikt... tur man kunde snabbspola igenom den..!!
Som att titta på när målarfärg torkar...!

Edit: Fel av mig... målarfärg som torkar känns snäbbet bättre.....

Redigerat av Unregistered36883, 21 januari 2008 - 16:23.

[Sussii]

• 0

Edit...

Redigerat av Sussii, 21 januari 2008 - 20:22.

[Unregistered2e3b64ba]

• 0

Indeed...
Men jag tycker ändå det ser hyffsat ut med Jack Ryan boxen, Sweeney Todd, Bee Movie, Beowulf, American Gangster. Sen har jag fortfarande inte fått tag på Zodiac eller Easter Promises (verkar vara slutsålda på både HDMS och Axel...), och dessa är ju givna inköp också!

Men man hoppas ju på att Universal annonserar lite intressanta nyheter snart...

Just American Gangster tyckte jag var en rejäl flopp.... enbart min åsikt... tur man kunde snabbspola igenom den..!!
Som att titta på när målarfärg torkar...!

Edit: Fel av mig... målarfärg som torkar känns snäbbet bättre.....

Hmm visste inte att den var släppt på DVD än

[diabolo]

• 0

Interview: Universal EVP Ken Graffeo says HD DVD is here to stay

By Nate Mook, BetaNews
January 21, 2008, 4:40 PM

In an exclusive interview with BetaNews, Ken Graffeo, executive vice president for Universal Studios and also the co-president of HD DVD, provided a behind-the-scenes look at the high-def industry and said that, despite the rumors, HD DVD is here to stay. But he does leave the door open to ending the format war by coming to some sort of an agreement with Blu-ray.

Nate Mook: Let's start with a little background. You work for Universal, but you are also the co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group. Does this create a conflict of interest?

Ken Graffeo: I am the executive vice president of high-def strategic marketing. So my role at Universal is in the high-def format, and being that we're in HD DVD exclusively, that's where I'm concentrated. We setup the Promotional Group in the early summer of 2006, and board members include Microsoft, Toshiba, HP, Intel, Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros. It's very similar to the Blu-ray Disc Association -- we have committees and our goal is to work together educating the consumer and our retailers on the format.

Nate Mook: How does it change things in the Promotional Group now that Warner Bros. has stated its intention to go Blu-ray exclusive once its contract obligations end?

Ken Graffeo: Well, we heard about the whole move when everyone else did -- when a lot of us were on planes flying to CES in Las Vegas. To be very honest with you, we have not addressed that yet -- Warner is still releasing HD DVD titles up until May. Warner has always been in two formats, and prior to Paramount's switch, they had been in two formats, so now that Warner is exclusive... we just haven't addressed it yet.

NM: There was a lot of surprise when you canceled the CES press conference and meetings after Warner jumped ship. It appeared to many that you were simply giving up. Two weeks after the fact, do you regret canceling everything?

KG: It's very easy to look back and say "I could have" because you always know the result. But at the time... imagine the orchestration of a press event with the presenters, the scripts, the entire presentation, videos that were produced -- everything. The crew was already setting up and we were on a plane on Friday, so not being able to get back to everyone to say "how do we make a change for Sunday" was very difficult. And what are the answers? We had no idea because we were reading and hearing about Warner's move the same time everyone else was.

If we had our press event on Monday, it would have been different, but because it was right there on Sunday and we heard Friday afternoon we couldn't even get to everybody. If I had to go back, it was probably the right thing to do. The entire flow of the presentation would have had to been changed. When we found out at the last minute, we had to regroup and say "Toshiba, what are you doing?" and we didn't have any answers. I hate to stand in front of someone and say I don't have an answer, I don't know what's going on.

At that time, not knowing and being so last minute, we had to make some changes. I will say that Toshiba went forward with their press event, which I applaud them for.

NM: After Warner essentially stabbed you in the back, speculation was rampant that Universal and Paramount would do the same, effectively killing HD DVD. There was also a lot of talk about the phrase "current" being used in the statements. Where does Universal stand on this -- are you willing to say you have an ongoing, future commitment?

KG: First of all, I want to say that none of those rumors were substantiated. Nobody ever talked to us. I know nobody talked to Paramount because Brenda, their PR person, sent out a statement immediately. This is business as usual for us and there are no plans to make any changes. We just made an announcement of our new HD DVD titles yesterday, with American Gangster. We also have a lot of other things planned. It's business as usual.

NM: Sony claims that the PS3 has given Blu-ray the market lead -- is this just posturing so Blu-ray can tout higher sales numbers? Is the PS3 really seen in Hollywood as a device that sells movies?

KG: I'll go back to what we've said over and over: the set-top player is the primary movie device. If you look at the attach rate of how many movies are bought for dedicated HD DVD players versus how many movies were sold for the PS3 and the Blu-ray set-top players combined, it's a 4 to 1 gap. Which says that people who own game machines are not buying at the same rate as someone who owns a set-top. And on the DVD side, your primary player is a set-top.

If you go to a store -- let's say a Best Buy or a Circuit City -- and buy an HDTV and then you want to get your movies to look better, you go to the DVD section -- you don't go to the game section. We have always been believers, not only historically but looking at a lot of recent research that has been done, that for the consumer their preference is a set-top.

The one thing that's different now compared with VHS is that when you bought a DVD player, you could not play your VHS on it. People didn't really have libraries in the days of VHS, because movies were really rented -- 80% of the business was rental. Today it's different because both Blu-ray and HD DVD are backwards compatible, so you have to take that into consideration. In turn, people want a set-top player that lets them play their current movies just as they do now, not on a game console.

NM: Price seems to be the major leverage HD DVD has, even with less studios than Blu-ray. Do you still believe other studios will come around if you sell enough players? This was the belief when we spoke to Microsoft's Kevin Collins 8 months ago.

KG: I can't speak for the other studios, because I don't know how they are thinking. But what was very encouraging is that when we were at CES we met with a lot of retailers. And the retailers openly said, that as much as they hate having two formats they are not making any changes, because they want to wait for what the consumer does. We've always said we want to follow the consumer.

Consumers right now are buying upconverting players -- they are outselling the next-gen players combined by 10 to 1 every month. They are affordable because they are under $200 -- the average price is $85 -- and consumers want to see their movies better. So pricing is very important. We saw that on DVD: as soon as price point went under $200 and as soon as it started getting close to $100 players really started taking off because you're hitting very consumer-friendly prices. If you want to hit the mass market, you have to be consumer-friendly in price. If you want to be a niche electronic, you're going to be high priced.

NM: From a strictly consumer standpoint, HD DVD seems to make the most sense: players are cheaper, combination discs are possible, which enables a smooth transition. Blu-ray players are still in flux and current models except the PS3 won't be upgradable to Profile 2.0. Blu-ray is pitching players that will be obsolete in a year, and discs that lack the interactivity found on HD DVD. Why hasn't there been more of a marketing message on this from HD DVD?

KG: The consumer today is very confused about HD. Only 12% of all households are getting HD programming, but 35% of households have HDTVs. We have spent a lot of time, and will continue to try to educate the consumer because there's a lot of confusion on what this means. When you're watching a TV show and the logo says in high definition and you don't have your source for high definition, it further adds to the confusion. People don't understand this.

People have a library of DVDs, people understand HD and know it looks better. But they're not thinking about it from a format perspective, they are thinking "I want my movies in high-def."

I think education has been very important and is something we have to continue doing. In Toshiba's recent press release, they said they will have an aggressive marketing campaign that will be launched very soon that will complement their new pricing strategy.

Next: Steve Jobs says the future is in digital delivery, but will people give up their physical discs? And Ken talks about the potential for unifying the dueling HD formats.

Nate Mook: Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently said that "clearly, Blu-ray won the format war," but noted that all next-generation physical media won't serve a purpose, because consumers will receive content digitally. What are your thoughts on this? NBC Universal is investing in online delivery of content and Hulu.com.

Ken Graffeo: First off all, the technology today is not ready to provide that full experience of getting the high-quality video instantaneously to the home. You've got broadband issues and things like that. Will that technology be there? Yes. Can I tell you when? It's not next year. I think you're beginning to see a lot more open systems and more collaboration, because right now you have so many unique systems and nothing is compatible. That's been the biggest problem, but you're beginning to see the walls break down.


I always look at VOD (video on demand) that goes right to the house, and DVD buy rates never change. I think what you have to do is look at the consumer today -- the younger consumer -- and say "where are they going," because that's going to be the future. Today when you look at who is purchasing movies, it's those 35 and older -- and they're not as savvy with technology as the younger audience is. The younger audience is the one that would be more comfortable with digital delivery.

The DVD player was the fastest selling electronics product ever. In 5 years, you had over 50% of the market. The reason why is because it was plug-and-play. You put a disc in and you pressed play. With HD DVD, the DVD Forum was looking at the future -- that's why you have an Ethernet and USB port mandatory, because they are thinking of the transition to the next generation.

But people collect movies like they did records, and share movies, which isn't possible in digital. And today, in order for the digital world to take off, it has to be very consumer friendly -- like plug and plug. As soon as you get complicated, you can't go after the mass market. Once it gets to being plug-and-play, you could see a shift. People once thought rental would always be the king, and now you have sell-through.

Over the course of the upcoming years -- the next 5, 8, 10 years -- physical media is still going to be dominant. That's not to say you're not going to have digital, because it's going to come, but it won't reach the masses very quickly.

Nate Mook: Is this format war going to be decided by the Hollywood studios and the manufacturers, or can the consumers have a voice? Over 1 million HD DVD owners is not a small number, and those consumers clearly don't want the format to go anywhere.

Ken Graffeo: Where the consumer has a say is what they do and what they purchase. That's probably the biggest statement that could be made. Word of mouth is the most powerful way to communicate. If you walk into someone's house and watch a football game on their HDTV, you'll want one. Most people are very happy with their DVD, but when they see a 1080p movie, it blows them away.

1 million units starts word of mouth -- people get exposed, people see it. When you're dealing with 200,000, you're at the early adopters and that's not really going to spread. That's why HDTVs finally started taking off, because consumers walked into their neighbors' houses and said "Look at that flat thing on the wall, that's great." You saw in November and December, everyone was aggressive with pricing. You could see how consumers are willing to buy HD movies when you get to an affordable price.

We released American Gangster and put it on combo disc (with DVD format on one side and HD DVD format on the other), because if there was confusion about the future, you don't lose an investment because you have both an HD DVD and a DVD. Look at how many machines exist with DVD. We don't want to limit our customers; we want to be as consumer-friendly as possible. It's hard to communicate everything, but once you start getting into the mass world, word of mouth is also very important.

NM: Is there any possibility of coming together with Blu-ray to unify the standards at this point, perhaps with hybrid players?

KG: Well, I'm never going to say it never can be done. I think everyone would like to see things work out, and I don't think anyone has any ill intention in this. It was a year and a half ago when we tried to put things together and it was unfortunate when it fell apart before. I think anything is possible, and again it comes back to the consumer who has the final voice.

NM: A recent report showed Blu-ray with 90% of the DVD recorder market in Japan. Does HD DVD plan to invest in this market? It seems there is little demand for DVD recorders in the States.

KG: DVD recorders are very big in Japan. In fact, I think the majority of DVD hardware in Japan is DVD recorders. There has never been a market here in the US, even though DVD recorders have been available. HD DVD does have recorders in Japan, but not in the United States, where most people have digital video recorders instead.

NM: What's the next step for HD DVD?

KG: I think Toshiba has put a very aggressive program in place not only with price, but also with marketing. We have been talking to the consumer, letting them make choices. We also had our big new release yesterday announcing American Gangster. The film has all of the interactivity and Internet features, and we're continuing to release titles. When I say business as usual, it's business as usual in releasing. But Toshiba has really stepped up with their campaign to the consumer.

NM: Where do things stand on CH-DVD, the Chinese format that's based on HD DVD. It seems to me that is a huge market with 2 billion people, and it's compatible with HD DVD. If studios want to sell in CH-DVD in China, wouldn't it make sense to also sell HD DVDs in the Unites States?

KG: Well, I know that CH-DVD players are in production and their date is in time for the Beijing Olympics. They are forecasting sales of somewhere around 8 million HDTVs because the Olympics are broadcast in high-def and the CH-DVD players are going to be launched in conjunction with that.

When you look at the Chinese market form a studio distribution standpoint, because of a lot of the past piracy issues it's not a developed market like most of Europe and US for the studios selling movies. Everybody is working to try to move forward with that, but I think it's further down the road. The more important issue than high-def in China right now is how to distribute without a fear of piracy.

NM: Will all future Universal HD DVD releases be combination discs?

KG: All of our new releases that Universal has made since last September have been combo discs [with standard DVD on one side]. We have no plans to change that, and our retail partners are saying if you want to go to the mass market, you don't want to limit consumers into only being able to play it on one device.

NM: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, Ken. We, and our readers, appreciate it.

[HD-Ready]

• 0

KG: All of our new releases that Universal has made since last September have been combo discs [with standard DVD on one side]. We have no plans to change that, and our retail partners are saying if you want to go to the mass market, you don't want to limit consumers into only being able to play it on one device.

Men i Europa går det tydligen bra?

[Dreadlock]

• 0

Jag upprepar.

Bara för att Warner beslutat sig att släppa blå skivor (ja, ja, alla är blålaser men ni förstår vad jag menar) så betyder inte det att det är okej att dumpa BD-propaganda med tillhörande PS3 snack i denna tråden. Dolde lite inlägg.

[JockeJ]

• 0

Det ligger en del motsägelsefullt i den här delen av intervjun.
Bl.a. kan man fråga sig hur mycket vikt som ska läggas vid vad som anses vara en "primär film apparat", när man ser på hur filmförsäljningen ser ut. Vad är viktigast? Attach rate eller antalet sålda filmer?

KG: I'll go back to what we've said over and over: the set-top player is the primary movie device. If you look at the attach rate of how many movies are bought for dedicated HD DVD players versus how many movies were sold for the PS3 and the Blu-ray set-top players combined, it's a 4 to 1 gap. Which says that people who own game machines are not buying at the same rate as someone who owns a set-top. And on the DVD side, your primary player is a set-top.

Lite intressant vinkling på den här frågan

NM: After Warner essentially stabbed you in the back, speculation was rampant that Universal and Paramount would do the same, effectively killing HD DVD.

Redigerat av JockeJ, 22 januari 2008 - 13:50.

[Johan78]

• 0

Senaste försäljningssiffror för hårdvara:
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Enbart standalones alltså, inga PS3 eller 360 addons. Det ser tungt ut för HD DVD-sidan trots billigare spelare.

Redigerat av Johan78, 22 januari 2008 - 09:46.