Can we put money on it?

Or better yet....posting privilages?

Sure, I'll put up my posting privilages saying that Blu-Ray will not fail as a movie format.

And for the record, it was Toshiba would wouldn't back down from using smaller discs.

I think you're grasping here, but I'll try:

It's always a definitive maybe with BD isn't it? Can we deal with here and now for a minute?

Uh, the competition. Business 101. HD DVD has set the quality bar. BD is only recently matching it. Never exceeding it. And please don't come back with the PQ is equal stuff because the HD DVD releases for the most part have loads of extras which makes them a direct replacement for their SD DVD counterparts. Those extras are part of the quality, too.

BD is playing catch up. Therefore, their competition has a quality advantage.

Not in this case. The goal being to establish an HD market. The consumer is choosing HD DVD. Yes, it's small in relation to DVD, but we're replacing DVD. DVD will have a much larger marketshare for quite a while regardless of BD/HD DVD.

Didn't Sony want VC-1 out of the BD spec? Regardless, Sony said that they didn't need VC-1 and that MPEG-2 was plenty good enough. Moving to VC-1 implies they were wrong.

Grasping desperately:
See Post #279 in this thread:

Sure. Reality is that BD has 4 exclusive studios and HD DVD has 1 exclusive studio. That is a huge advantage.

Hmm... my Warner releases are the exact same versions as the HD DVD version, extras and all. Not sure what you are refering to here. Of course, extras have absolutely nothing to do with PQ, as you suggest.

Yup, so why make billion dollar decisions over a market that can't break a million sales for a long time to come?

No, they made a deal with Microsoft (which Amir just spoke about the VC-1 thread at AVS). As Spiky already mentioned, Sony has always said MPEG-2 was temporary - not that it matters.

You have no idea what an "if" statement does, do you?

Ironically, Sony ends up putting out (drum roll, please): SMALLER DISCS!!!

That's why BD50 is important (although you've categorically stated that you don't think so).

Ironically, Toshiba was arguing that 25GB was too much for a disc, and they end up putting out (drum roll, please): LARGER DISCS!!!

Consumers don't need to store so much data on discs, yet the primary delievery tool is larger than what you were criticizing?

I'm being told that BD-50 being used on a large scale is still 6-9 months away.

Yes they did. Tried to get it out.

And the rumor that started all of this is that the reality may quickly change to 2 exclusive BD studios.

Straw Man Argument. No matter which format wins, the HD market will still be billions of dollars. Note that you imply that to go HD DVD they're somehow making a billion dollar decision (as if to say they somehow lose billions by not going Blu).

Note that this same statement ("billion dollar decision") can apply to Blu-ray as well. After all why support it when it has ZERO sales (back before release). A textbook straw man argument.

Of course I do. "If" is the foundation upon which BD is built, after all. However, you'll notice that "if" doesn't appear in your quote: "No arguing that".

Oh, yea, forgot... Whatever you do, don't bet your ass! (***cough***jimmy***cough***)

I thought you didn't like 'maybes'? Change your mind?

There are costs involved. If they have so far executed to their plans, changing those plans now would cost additional funding.

Re-read what I actually wrote, not what you want to interpret.

Not to derail this conversation, but I'm going to a special "first look" banquet in chicago that is being hosted by Universal in two days. It's some big presentation where you get a sneak peek at their coming theatrical releases, DVD, and HD DVD releases. They also discuss the issues facing the movie industry today. I get to go because my boss doesn't want to. There's free food and a cash bar and i heard they give out screeners/promo material.

So, in case there's a Q&A session, anybody got any questions you want me to ask?

Awww.....Jimmy.....Blitz.

*sigh*

good times.

Choo-choo to them.

Sure. Would "not a chance in hell" be their stance on switching to BD?

Oh...and "when is Jaws coming out?"

Ummm... the current discussion is about the rumors and your question of why would a studio go neutral. Kind of hard not to stick to it. I gave facts and you tried "counter" them with maybes.

Not billions. On the one hand you're arguing that the HD market is miniscule and now it is abandoning billions.

Believe me I did. I quoted it and it is in context. You may not like it but you contradicted yourself. Not suprising really since all you did was take a factual statement I made and replaced "HD DVD" with "Blu-ray":

I said:
Your "counter argument":

True, but those titles with IME arent announced for BD yet. (Batman Begins, Terminator 3 and Troy come to mind).

WB may be neutral, but they are playing heavily on the hd-dvd side (recent V announcement and also soon to be announced HP4...both with TrueHD and IME).

FYI...those unannounced WB BD titles will remain as such until BD-50 becomes a viable reality. Until then, they will have to pick and choose which ones get it. That's why you're not seeing the Last Samurai and others thus far.

those were two of the questions i was actually thinking of asking. And maybe asking about any TV on HD DVD releases.

Or how about "why the fuck are all the L&O season sets coming out in 4x3?"

Rumors are not facts. You didn't like that I said the future maybe different than today, yet you want to discuss rumors which suggest that the future maybe different than today. Think about that, but not too hard.

If Blu-Ray dies, HD DVD will be successful. If HD DVD dies, Blu-Ray will be successful. I'm not sure why you are so confused, or would even begin the conversation with something so obvious.

Oh noes! The Searches and Unforgiven on BD50 10/31!

You know, if I were an extreme Blu-Ray supporter, Josh's arguments wouldn't make me too confident in my decision, especially after seeing this debate with awmurray. I can't help but think you're way over your head Josh; you really aren't making a very strong case for Blu-Ray. Maybes and ifs don't cut it quite as well as actual, definite results, like HD DVD HAS delivered. These contradictions of yours don't help well, either.

Oh, I see your confusion now. The unfactual part was:

I even bolded it for you in post #353 so you wouldn't be confused. See in post #279 you agreed that momentum was going with HD DVD and had been since launch.

That's the contradiction. Not the "if".

Um, its more likely that both will survive for some time....I think we all need to get used to that.

You need to understand that studios are seeing the success of hd-dvd and may be jumping on board. They see a potential market. It doesnt necessarily have anything to do with success/failure of Bluray even though you keep bringing it into the argument.

And, HD-DVD fans need to realize that BD isnt going anywhere either. So everyone chill.

Are you really trying to say that "if HD DVD dies" they will still have momentum?

That is something I've said plenty of times. Funny how the entire conversation started when awmurray responded to a comment of your by saying: