HD-DVD Alliance Forms North American HD-DVD Promotional Group

[fitbabits]

TeamXbox (http://www.teamxbox.com) is reporting that Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Entertainment, HP, Intel, Microsoft and Toshiba have formed the North American HD-DVD Promotional Group. A non-profit endeavor, it will be responsible for promoting each companies' common interests in the success of HD-DVD.

You can read more here (http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/11335/North-American-HD-DVD-Promotional-Group-Formed/).

The non-profit group will promote the companies' common interests in the success of HD DVD and to educate consumers on the quality and value of HD DVD.

A new advertising and marketing campaign, also unveiled today, showcases HD DVD as "The Look and Sound of Perfect". The campaign will be the cornerstone of efforts to be undertaken by the group. The group and its member companies plan to back the campaign with an anticipated $150M in trade and consumer marketing, advertising and promotion through the 2006 Holiday season and into 2007.

I guess we can expect to see a full frontal media battle with Blu-Ray supporters.

[digitalErich]

I wonder how much this group is going to play the 'superior technoloy' angle with HD-DVD (as a marketing campaign, not saying it is superior). When it comes to the lay person and technology, Intel and MS are powerful brands.

[torrefaction]

Oh good. More consumer confusion. I'm an engineer and this shit throws me off.

[Rakael]

I wish we could just fastforward time until this bullshit "battle" is over.

[Goronmon]

I wish we could just fastforward time until this bullshit "battle" is over.QFT.

Black text owns you.

[easi]

This battle is irrelevant to me. I'm going to build a nice fat fileserver, connect it to a HTPC and never bother with discs again.

Just waiting for AACS to be cracked.

[net7runner]

"non-profit" indeed...

[RMan]

"non-profit" indeed...
Hehe, yea, that cracked me up too.

Funny, though, I was just talking about this yesterday. I'm not sure how much money MS/Intel and company are willing to invest in this, not surprising that they’re circling their wagons though, it’s a significant thing (and I didn't consider the interest Intel would have in it). Still not sure this education/propaganda will make much of a difference, without an extremely affordable direct commercial competitor for the PS3, I just don’t see them pulling it off.

[absolut taco]

Why North American? Why not world wide?

[RMan]

Why North American? Why not world wide?
I think NA is where they feel they can change the most minds, in short, maximizing the consumers they convert vs. money they spend.

[GrinR]

BluRay is shit and will die a laughable death. It will have nothing to do with HD-DVD and everything to do with that Sony is currently allergic to success.

[RMan]

BluRay is shit and will die a laughable death. It will have nothing to do with HD-DVD and everything to do with that Sony is currently allergic to success.
Hehe, your profile description to put the comment into perspective, nice :).

[Deadend]

Wait, this is a non-profit formed by companies to advertise their products?

Is that even legal?

[torrefaction]

Wait, this is a non-profit formed by companies to advertise their products?

Is that even legal?

Yeah, it's competing companies forming a shell that won't actually make any money. They have a common goal, and formed a non-profit to push that goal.

[pavlovscow]

The funniest part of all of this, is that I still don't have a TV that gives me full quality DVD's!!!

[fitbabits]

The funniest part of all of this, is that I still don't have a TV that gives me full quality DVD's!!!
That's funny? :confused:

[pavlovscow]

Yes. All the hoop-la is about better quality movies and I'm sure the majority of people don't even realize that the current DVD's they own, haven't been viewed in their full glory.

I just don't see the public clamoring for better quality. In my games, yes, but not in my movies.

[fitbabits]

Yes. All the hoop-la is about better quality movies and I'm sure the majority of people don't even realize that the current DVD's they own, haven't been viewed in their full glory.

I just don't see the public clamoring for better quality. In my games, yes, but not in my movies.
While it's arguably true that most people have yet to truly appreciate the quality of DVDs as a whole, should that alone be a barrier to exploring new technology? I'm absolutely not sold on any of the new HD formats, but should the many audio and videophiles out there 'suffer' while they wait for the rest of the world to catch up to them?

Just a question, in no way intended as an accusation or attack.

[torrefaction]

Damnit...you people are going to keep me from seeing my HD! I'm pissed about the format wars, but there's just no comparison between HD content and DVD content to me. When it's filmed in HD, I prefer watching movies at home on my HDTV (Not even *that* nice of one...$1400 with warranty like...2 1/2 years ago) because it just looks so much better.

I can barely even stand to look at standard content anymore. I always flicker to the HD channels first.

[pavlovscow]

While it's arguably true that most people have yet to truly appreciate the quality of DVDs as a whole, should that alone be a barrier to exploring new technology? I'm absolutely not sold on any of the new HD formats, but should the many audio and videophiles out there 'suffer' while they wait for the rest of the world to catch up to them?

Just a question, in no way intended as an accusation or attack.

No offense taken. I guess I don't get the hype, even as a technophile. I know its going to look better, but a battle that is going to take 4-5 years is fine by me. In the mean time, I'm going to get my 1080p HDTV. Play my awesome games. And when the battle is finally one, start downloading all my content from HDflicks. ;)

(Note: HD Flicks is not real. But I truly imagine, that downloading content at whatever resolution is currently the best, will be here soon. Assuming WB and Sony don't shut it down, hoping I buy there HD-Bluray crap.).

[RMan]

Yes. All the hoop-la is about better quality movies and I'm sure the majority of people don't even realize that the current DVD's they own, haven't been viewed in their full glory.
Yea, make no mistake, the effort here will not be so much about convincing people of the worth of HD-DVD, but that it's something they'll want to support INSTEAD of blueray. MS and Intel have little interest in HD-DVD sales, but rather, they want to stop Sony from succeeding with PS3/Blueray. It’s interesting though, the companies likely to fund the group the most really don’t care much for the product, I’m sure it’s not unprecedented, but I can’t think of a similar ‘battle’. Kinda interesting stuff.

[GrinR]

Hehe, your profile description to put the comment into perspective, nice :).

Hopefully you're smart enough to notice the quotes.

Man, you really love Sony, huh?

[pseudopseudo]

Sorry, I can't read stories like this anymore without thinking:

"THUNDERDOME!!! TWO DISCS ENTER, ONE DISC LEAVE! TWO DISCS ENTER, ONE DISC LEAVE!"

[RMan]

Man, you really love Sony, huh?
No, just seems that way on this website.

Actually, you just asked me at a very bad time, last night XP automatically downloaded an update, installed it, and corrupted my personal profile (this is while I had automatic updates disabled). So yea, right now I'm a pretty big Sony fan. I'm sure my PS2 will freak out soon and everything will be back to normal.

[GrinR]

No, just seems that way on this website.

Actually, you just asked me at a very bad time, last night XP automatically downloaded an update, installed it, and corrupted my personal profile (this is while I had automatic updates disabled). So yea, right now I'm a pretty big Sony fan. I'm sure my PS2 will freak out soon and everything will be back to normal.

I'm not particular. I have the dough to not worry about it. I'll get the PS3, just like everyone else, I just don't like the bullshit about it being described as anything less than prohibitively expensive.

[RMan]

I'll get the PS3, just like everyone else, I just don't like the bullshit about it being described as anything less than prohibitively expensive.
Yea, same here, and I agree with it being too expensive. I definately think I come off as pro-Sony anti-MS because there's just so much more anti-Sony/Pro-MS BS flying around that it's naturally what I have to work with :). Heck, I'd even call the $300 360 a deal if they just let you use USB memory sticks as a replacement for the HD (like I'd assumed they would) and allowing the marketplace stuff. That's really what I'd prefer, I don't really care about a HD in my system (mostly because my current Xbox's HD makes a horrendous noise). For me that option would really change things for the Core system, making it an acceptable option and perhaps even a prefered one for me (it sounds odd, I know). Sorry to get way off subject though.

[Siraris]

Wasn't this group announced months ago? I'm pretty sure it was.

[Bargash]

This is probably the coolest non-profit organization I've ever heard of. Its A non-profit organization like the United Way or the Make-A-Wish foundation but instead of helping needy or terminally ill children this one helps the down trodden mega corporations of North America! That is fucking cool!