Posted by Derek Janssen on 01/11/08 01:30

Derek Janssen wrote:

> Winfield wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Microsoft offer blu-ray option(s) on Xbox-360??
>>
>>
>>> No, more like "Dear old loyal faithful MS lets Toshiba go hang when
>>> the losses start piling up, and starts dreaming of all the safety-net
>>> X-Box online-download money that they'll make by themselves on VC-1
>>> coded movies anyway, even if HD-DVD disks themselves take the fall..."
>>>
>>> ...It's nice to have friends in the industry. -_-
>
>
>> I see what you're saying but man, that is a cynical, harsh and
>> unrealistic view of Microsoft's options re: Xbox & 360-customer base.
>>
>> Lots of folks here are constantly pointing out online download
>> scenarios, which supposedly are the future.
>
> Like the DVD settlement, Toshiba eventually WANTED to settle with Sony
> back in the first '06 skirmishes, but *someone* told them to back out of
> the negotiations and stay stubborn, and fight to the last man.
>
> It's not cynical to say that MS wanted that VC-1 monopoly out of the
> whole deal, and that that particular annexation-of-Poland was the one
> single reason why the War went on a lot darn longer than it should have...
> And although we'll probably get another entire thread of disk fans

Should be clarified, btw, that that's the *REASON* we don't hear MS
saying "We'll have a future of Blu-ray disks and X-Box downloads, for
customers who want a choice of media"...
They're trying their lil' heart out to sell us on "We'll have a future
of VC-1 coded downloads on X-Boxes and Internet, because people
everywhere will eventually learn that they HATE those stupid obsolete
round things, icky-poo!--Like, are those so last year, or *what*?...Gahhh!"

IOW, with HD having gotten the temporary leap over console-network
downloads before Sony's PS Network could, they're still looking for a
"future" where the entire movie-video industry is Their Way or the
Highway, because with or without Bill Gates, MS still hasn't learned how
to play well with others.
Which's the one reason why the War turned into such an apocalyptic Good
vs. Evil battle in the eyes of their supporters, in the way that Beta
vs. VHS didn't. (And DVD vs. DiVX *did*, but that's another issue. ^_^ )

On the upside, at least we finally know why HD-DVD supporters always
kept stamping their feet and saying "Why do you keep blaming Microsoft
for us?--We're Toshiba, dammit! Toshiba bribed Paramount, not them!
We're not Bill Gates! Bill Gates doesn't even work at the company
anymore!...Quit calling us Microsoft!! :-P "

Derek Janssen (...OHHHhhh!--Okay, guess that makes sense)
ejanss1@verizon.net

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