Star Trek TOS season 2 cancelled on HD-DVD
 

I have yet to upgrade to BluRay, but I am still apalled at the apathy treated to HD DVD buyers. Yes, maybe they are pulling HD players from the market, but for crying out loud, they were able to stretch 8-tracks out until around 1988 or so. I am sure a lot of diehard Trekkies decided to go for HD DVD instead of BluRay simply because of that one series, yet a confirmed season 2 release is cancelled because of the demise of the format? Surely they could've just slowed down the format instead of stopping everything cold turkey, making hundreds of thousands with a piece of junk they spent $400 on.

Hmm, I guess it's too late for Paramount to cancel Beowulf, but I wonder if they'll also cancel other high profile announcements like Cloverfield, which is supposed to be due out in March.

Yeah, but the cancellation is due to Toshiba who pulled funding it. Not Paramount.

Paramount is canceling on us, so I'm doing the same to them. I canceled my Beowulf and Into the Wild preorders. I'll wait for Blu-ray and hopefully lossless audio.

Read the link Qui Gon Jim posted. It's -NOT- Paramont. It was Toshiba who was funding the project so they would have something to entice people to buy HD-DVD, among other reasons. They pulled funding for the project because HD-DVD is dead, so Paramount cancelled it.

nothingfails,

It was Toshiba who gave the final royale-with-cheese ass-fucking to HD DVD consumers. When the orginator of the funding announces they are going to stop funding, all contracts are now void. Because it was Toshiba who made them with all these movie studios.

Unfortunately, I expected more from Toshiba. I was told to the side Toshiba was probably going to make a combo, but apparently not. And they won't even make Blu-ray players which would have been great for current HD DVD owners, and even non-HD DVD owners who wanted to have another brand to buy from.

What's funny, is Toshiba is paranoid enough to even state they will still support DVD. I mean, really. I wouldn't be surprised if Toshiba announces they will still retain their name, Toshiba.

If Paramount was only releasing HD Trek because of Toshiba, then does this mean a Blu version is unlikely for the series?

More than likely...nope. Just a delay for Star Trek to get on Blu-ray. But they might get bitchy. Many girls lost their bangs and curls in this format war. I lost my panties.

Honestly, anyone who bought into either format before the "war" was settled slid his panties down at least halfway on his own. Maybe even bent over a little.

Well I guess I bent over a little because I purchased both? I will buy another HD DVD player and put it away just in case my current two die. I have over 50 HD DVDs and 75 Blu-ray movies. I do not feel back about backing HD DVD when it first came out. I can still watch the movies for years to come...I am willing to bet Toshiba will product a Blu-ray player that will pay HD DVDs down the road.

I agree with you. I bought into both formats too, and I did so knowing that HD DVD would likely lose the battle in a year or so. You won't hear me complaining, though. I paid what I felt was a price that I could absorb if the format went belly-up.

DVD Polizei's comment that Toshiba ass-fucked its customers is unwarranted sour grapes. He knew there were competing formats, and he knew that HD DVD might not survive. It was his choice to take the risk, if it can even be called a risk.

I also agree with you that Toshiba will eventually make Blu-ray players. They're a major electronics manufacturer. They can't afford to let their customer base erode.

Naive, huh. Well, only a month ago you had Toshiba saying it was supporting HD DVD users.

There is competition all the time in the electronics industry, so you're basically saying any tech consumer runs a risk of having their products being obsolete, and well, "Too bad so sad! Don't be so sour!" I expect more from a company.

If it wasn't for people like myself and many others who bought these HD movies, you wouldn't have an HD format at all. So, I'd expect just leetle bit of support from a company who said they were going to support me. :lol:

Hey, I'm cool with this in many ways. I'm ok with the HD DVD discs being clearanced as well as players. No complaint from me.

Reading Toshiba's press release however, they're Cuttin' and Runnin' from HD DVD altogether. I hope some of you are right they will make Blu-ray players which support HD DVD, because I thought the same. So, I don't have any issues with my equipment per se. I just would have thought Toshiba would have been a little more supportive, other than saying they will provide support for purchased HD DVD players.

Their press release doesn't exactly wreak of HD DVD and Blu-ray optimism. If anything, they're going to side with Microsoft for the downloadable HD future--they're moving AWAY from HD discs and probably are going to make a Microsoft add-on for the 360.

Problem is, Toshiba doesn't realize they have a stigma attached to them, and it would have been in their best interest to AT LEAST announce a development of Blu-ray combo players. A development announcement doesn't mean shit, but it at least shows they are thinking about it.

Toshiba's customer base? It's not going to be the Blu-ray combo player. It's going to be LCD monitors, memory, and other products. But for now, there ain't no HD DVD or Blu-ray being spoken from Toshiba's developmental mouth. Their cash is now being invested in things OTHER than HD discs.

Hell, Toshiba announced today they are partnering with SanDisk for a NAND flash memory plant site. Big bucks. So, the next SanDisk memory card you buy after 2010, will more than likely be Toshiba inside. They're thinking ahead. Way ahead. And HD DVD and Blu-ray apparently aren't a part of it.

Toshiba could change its mind in the future. Hek, companies flip-flop almost as much as politicians, so I'm not ruling a combo player or Blu-ray player out...but I currently don't think it's likely.

Finally, a possible minor point, but Toshiba isn't getting any royalties if they make Blu-ray players, so they may not want it. It kind of makes sense now why Sony thought up Blu-ray instead of something with "DVD" in it.

So, I still like Toshiba. They've always made great products than I own, anyway. So, I'm not going to just tell everyone to avoid them--like I do another company. :D But I did expect something more optimistic for their consumers.

I don't get the hatred towards Toshiba. They're a company and made a business decision. They basically saw HD DVD as a big money lose and it was better to cut bait now then to just consistently lose money for the foreseeable future. What exactly did you expect them to do? Cater to your every need no matter what?

As to what was announced by Toshiba today, don't read much into it. Some people put great weight on what is basically PR spin. It's like those sports fans that hang on every word a coach or a player says. Most of it is cliches and BS. Toshiba didn't announce a Blu-Ray player? So what? Doesn't mean squat.

They actually did say they'd still support HD DVD, which is something and is vague enough that it may mean something down the road too. But like I said, I wouldn't read into the words of today too much. Toshiba will do what logic and business dictate them to do, including the likelihood of a Blu-Ray machine.

I don't hate Toshiba. My post is far from. You better re-read their press release:

"Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders..."

I don't get "support" out of that sentence. At all.

Toshiba did mention they will support current owners of HD DVD equipment. Well, duh. I think that's required by law. And you'd be talking Class Action if otherwise.

Toshiba doesn't get royalties for making DVD players or most any other product they make. That doesn't stop them from making them. Royalties are not the only source of profit from selling electronics.[/QUOTE]

They are not going to announce the demise of HD DVD and the start of Blu Ray on the same day! That would make them out to seem like "traitors" or "jumping ship". They are trying to save face. I wouldn't doubt at some point, probably by the holidays or early next year, there will be a Tosh BR player, possibly with HD DVD legacy support.

i guess i don't understand what kind of support you were looking for in that press release. is "support" to you a combo Blu-ray/HD DVD player from Toshiba? if so, there's nothing in that press release that precludes them from doing so. they can make a Blu-ray player that also plays HD DVD discs as a feature, without contradicting anything in the press release. but seriously, did anyone truly expect Toshiba to immediately announce that they would make Blu-ray players (let alone combos)? no corporation (and definitely no Japanese corporation) would concede defeat and get in bed with the enemy in one fell swoop.

i'll be shocked if toshiba doesn't release a blu-ray player by the end of 2009. they'll wait for the format war noise to die down, the blu-ray hardware to stabilize and become cheaper, consumer adoption to become more mainstream, and then jump into the blu-ray hardware fray with every other major electronics manufacturer. they may throw a bone to HD DVD disc-owners and include HD DVD support in their players, but they certainly don't owe that to anyone.

are they going to have separate releases for bluray and dvd or are are they not going to release sdvd versions of the remastered episodes I wonder?

I just cant understand why people wanna buy back-up players in case thier current HD DVD player dies. HD DVD players have a life-span of what? Five, maybe ten years? By the time thier player wears out, there will be better re-releases of most every HD DVD title they have. But they will be on blu-ray instead. Now that Toshiba has pulled the plug, and Universal has announced support for blu-ray. Wouldnt it be better to not buy another HD DVD player. Every movie that is on hi-def or will be on hi-def WILL be made for blu-ray. Save the money for non-combo format universal blu-rays!

Toshiba gets a portion of $3 per every DVD player sold. They also get around $.05 per every DVD disc sold. These amounts are split between 9 participating companies. These 9 companies are called the DVD6C Licensing Group. Google that and you should find some info on the royalties. It's a worldwide patent licensing program, and was recently in the news because they lowered their royalty fees and offered new programs.

I didn't say royalties were the only source of money, but it's a no-brainer. If you have media and the hardware selling to tens of millions of consumers, you're makin' a shitload of money. On top of your other financial interests. You don't even have to waste money on overhead. The companies who license from you, are doing all the work, and are paying you so they can manufacture your product for their consumers.

kefrank, et al...

I just found out some interesting news (while responding to Mr. Salty).

Today, Toshiba has announced it has partnered with Sony to make semiconductors for their Playstation console (in all fairness, other electronics as well). More specifically, "high-performance semiconductors, including Cell/B.E., RSX graphic engine, and Toshiba's leading edge SoCs...".

Ok, so maybe Toshiba will announce a Blu-ray player. :lol:

The only rational answer I have read so far is pricing. There is logic behind wanting to stock on titles that are sold for impressively low prices. As such have not become a reality yet and everyone acts on the assumption that they would the "stocking"-philosophy is the least to say quite shaky.

I personally can understand picking up discs within .99-4.99$. Anything over that however will likely offer quite a bill to those who want to follow the "bargains" route given that plenty have expressed desire to obtain a back-up, or two, player(s).

Pro-B

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/18/so...ll-to-toshiba/

Indeed, it was announced. Anyone mention it back then. Or was it because of a quick Google search in the last few minutes.