Paramount Denies Report It Will Drop Toshiba's HD DVD (Update2)

[bowl-o-rama]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aQMGgh2LV_bU

Paramount Denies Report It Will Drop Toshiba's HD DVD (Update2)

By Andy Fixmer and John Liu

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures denied a newspaper report that the studio is poised to follow Time Warner Inc. in abandoning Toshiba Corp.'s HD DVD technology.

``Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format,'' Brenda Ciccone, a spokeswoman for Paramount, said in an e-mail today.

Toshiba, the leading promoter of the HD DVD format for high- definition video discs, fell in Tokyo trading after the Financial Times reported Paramount is poised to adopt Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray format instead.

Paramount can defect because a clause in its contract with the HD DVD camp allows the studio to switch to Blu-ray if Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. dropped its support of Toshiba's standard, the newspaper reported today, citing unidentified people familiar with the plan. Warner Bros. said on Jan. 4 it would drop its support of HD DVD.

Keisuke Ohmori, a spokesman for Tokyo-based Toshiba, said the report is speculative. Masayo Endo, a spokeswoman for Sony, declined to comment on the report.

Toshiba's shares fell 0.1 percent to close at 782 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after dropping as much as 1.3 percent. Sony's stock rose 3.4 percent.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andy Fixmer in Los Angeles at afixmer@bloomberg.net ; John Liu in Shanghai at jliu42@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: January 8, 2008 01:39 EST

Paramont needs to snap out of it already. Staying with HD-DVD is not the right move for them. Once the smoke clears and HD-DVD sales start to fall we'll see the switch.

[bt12483]

Warner - Dec. 13 2007: "We have made no decision to change our present policy which is to produce in both HD DVD and Blu-ray."

http://www.dvdtown.com/news/warner-b...clusively/4999

Paramount - Jan. 8 2008: "Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format,'' Brenda Ciccone, a spokeswoman for Paramount, said in an e-mail today".

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aQMGgh2LV_bU


It took WB about 21 days to change their mind. Let's see how long it takes Paramount...my guess, the end of Jan.

[Blinx123]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aQMGgh2LV_bU



Paramont needs to snap out of it already. Staying with HD-DVD is not the right move for them. Once the smoke clears and HD-DVD sales start to fall we'll see the switch.

Funny how many guys are at the forums knowing what's better for the studios even before the studios know it by themself. *sarcasm

[ScoBro828]

Funny how many guys are at the forums knowing what's better for the studios even before the studios know it by themself.

I think it's because "guys at the forums" are free to say it publicly whereas Paramount cannot publicly say what they feel. Not yet at least.

[Llamadeus]

I imagine this isn't something that Paramount could do over night even if they wanted to.

[Blinx123]

I think it's because "guys at the forums" are free to say it publicly whereas Paramount cannot publicly say what they feel. Not yet at least.

Actually my sentence was sarcasm.

EDIT: Fixed my post before this one. Now everyone should know what I mean.

[bt12483]

Funny how many guys are at the forums knowing what's better for the studios even before the studios know it by themself.

What are you going to say when Paramount and/or Universal leaves? Will there be another petition?

Look at what has happended since Friday. How can you honestly think that HD DVD has a chance?

Just in case you missed it, WB is going Blu exclusive, HD DVD PRG was invisible at CES, MS has left the room, Paramount did not show announce any new HD DVD titles at CES, and a reputable publication (Financial Times) rumored that Paramount is looking at ways to get out of their HD DVD deal. This isn't CSI here, how much blatant evidence do you want?

[RoadLizard]

I think it's because "guys at the forums" are free to say it publicly whereas Paramount cannot publicly say what they feel. Not yet at least.

That and ther fact that everyone here is apparently the self-annointed know-it-all of High Def.

Why even read any news, just come here and read whats going on the in the world. A regular focking CNN of High Def.....

[ScoBro828]

Actually my sentence was sarcasm.

I speak sarcasm; I knew what you were really saying, so my answer to your rhetorical question remains the same.

[Phillysports8982]

Warner - Dec. 13 2007: "We have made no decision to change our present policy which is to produce in both HD DVD and Blu-ray."

http://www.dvdtown.com/news/warner-b...clusively/4999

Paramount - Jan. 8 2008: "Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format,'' Brenda Ciccone, a spokeswoman for Paramount, said in an e-mail today".

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aQMGgh2LV_bU


It took WB about 21 days to change their mind. Let's see how long it takes Paramount...my guess, the end of Jan.

exactly..using the word "current" is very foretelling..

[ScoBro828]

That and ther fact that everyone here is apparently the self-annointed know-it-all of High Def.

Or too full of pride to know and admit when they are wrong.

[SRFan]

Not to mention they don't have to drop HD DVD. They can go neutral and it'd be just as damaging to HD DVD, and they wouldn't be lying.

[mrroy]

I am willing to bet that Paramount can't legally say that they are going to drop HD totally while under contract. However, they have not said that they won't make BD. As soon as they use some "out clause" that they have, they will be neutral and shortly thereafter drop HD.
I swallowed the red pill and have come to accept the war is over. Universal and Paramount/DW need to cover all their bases before making an official statement.

[szhjcn]

IMHO: In the absence of any real news, we are free to try and spin this anyway we want. In the end until they announce something more convincing, they have left the door open to BD.

Paramount:

We will continue to support RD !! - But that does not mean they won't also go back to supporting BD. If the went back to Neutral and sales were 90% BD and 10% RD or simular this would probably justify dropping RD completely.

WHY did they not announce any new titles at CES? Is this because they would then be legally bound to release these on RD? The same as it appears WB are, hence the waiting till end of May to drop RD entriely??

In the end:

ONLY TIME WILL TELL and I think this will be weeks rather than months (IMHO)

[Blinx123]

What are you going to say when Paramount and/or Universal leaves? Will there be another petition?

Look at what has happended since Friday. How can you honestly think that HD DVD has a chance?

Just in case you missed it, WB is going Blu exclusive, HD DVD PRG was invisible at CES, MS has left the room, Paramount did not show announce any new HD DVD titles at CES, and a reputable publication (Financial Times) rumored that Paramount is looking at ways to get out of their HD DVD deal. This isn't CSI here, how much blatant evidence do you want?

I still hate panicing just before anything that bad has happened. Warner left right. But guys: Don't tell me you only buy Warner movies? No one made such a hurry out of Paramount leaving Blu-Ray. The CES isn't over and if Toshiba isn't releasing something for CES they will make this after the CES (obviously). And if you really want to know some real news and not just rumors about Paramount,then look into my blognews please. The 2nd newest is all about Toshiba,Universal and Paramount/Dreamworks.

And BTW: Microsoft isn't the official representative of the HD-DVD forum. Toshiba is. They don't need to release any news and it wouldn't be very clever to release some news only 1 day after the Warner announcement (Think first speak later. That's what business is about).