Sony CEO Sees 'Stalemate' In Disc Fight

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Fans of the Blu-ray format are not going to like what Sony’s CEO said yesterday. Howard Stringer called the format war a “stalemate” and said he wishes he could go back and strike a deal with HD DVD for a unified solution. It kinda takes the wind out of your sales when the CEO of your company says that winning the format war is just a “matter of prestige.”

"We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides," Stringer said. At the same time, he played down the importance of the battle, saying it was mostly a matter of prestige whose format wins out in the end.
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I do agree he needs to go back in time and fix things to where there is a unified solution.
 
Typical Sony. They always wait til the damage is far too done before they make an apology, but then do nothing about it "because it's too late". Is John Smedley running this side of Sony as well? :p
 
And of course, if someone that invested in the outcome says it's a "stalemate," that almost certainly means he thinks his side is losing.
 
Anyone that has remained objective or "format neutral" shouldn't be surprized to hear this from Sony's CEO.Sony has been hemoraging cash for a long time now(mostly thanks to the PS3) and has cut prices on their BRD/PS3 models as much as they can.With the recent defection of Paramount to the HD DVD side(which Stringer partly blames),the 90,000 strong sale of the $97 Toshiba HDA1 HD DVD players in one weekend, and even the rumor of a possible Time/Warner defection has obviously made Sony rethink it's BlueRay strategy.The constant delays of BRD Java support and thePS3 being relegated to 3rd place in the console wars hasn't helped either.

It looks as though Stringer is either trying to say "Don't be surprized IF BlueRay loses the war." or "Can a unified architecture still be a possibility?".Sony has an extremely bad track record when it comes to it's proprietory technology so all of this comes as no surprize to me, though i would never have thought i'd hear something like this from Sony/Stringer.This unfortunately doesn't bode well for BlueRay at all.
 
A stalemate, unified architecture? Ummm, too late for that bud. Consumers don't like the added BS of buying for two different formats, but had Sony/Toshiba (?) come to an agreement in the beginning, it *may* have been a viable thing - not now.

Sony is losing, and this guy's comments are proof positive that even Sony thinks they're on the Titanic of the format "wars." That really is the death knell, if one of your top guys doesn't have any faith in you, without a cheer squad or fans, how do you know you're winning (for the lack of a better term)? I for one wouldn't mind Sony just disappearing, I used to like them but not now. With all the lies, double-talk, deceptive and IMHO illegal things they've done as of late, I wish they'd just die. There's plenty of far more competent electronics companies that can take Sony's IP ball and run with it.
 
Kurgen said:
Anyone that has remained objective or "format neutral" shouldn't be surprized to hear this from Sony's CEO.Sony has been hemoraging cash for a long time now(mostly thanks to the PS3) and has cut prices on their BRD/PS3 models as much as they can.With the recent defection of Paramount to the HD DVD side(which Stringer partly blames),the 90,000 strong sale of the $97 Toshiba HDA1 HD DVD players in one weekend, and even the rumor of a possible Time/Warner defection has obviously made Sony rethink it's BlueRay strategy.The constant delays of BRD Java support and thePS3 being relegated to 3rd place in the console wars hasn't helped either.

It looks as though Stringer is either trying to say "Don't be surprized IF BlueRay loses the war." or "Can a unified architecture still be a possibility?".Sony has an extremely bad track record when it comes to it's proprietory technology so all of this comes as no surprize to me, though i would never have thought i'd hear something like this from Sony/Stringer.This unfortunately doesn't bode well for BlueRay at all.
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QFT.
 
It was actually the Toshiba HD-A2 that was on sale for $99 last weekend. When BestBuy sold out, they even substituted in HD-A3s to complete the sale. Selling 90,000 players in one weekend was definitely a wakeup call and put a lot of attention on the HD DVD camp. I've been having fun with mine.

The dual format players seem to have promise, but they are currently so expensive that a person can save money by buying individual HD DVD and Blu-ray players.
 
i think they were destined to fail from the start. calling their tech blu-ray when the other side called theirs hd dvd. ask joe sixpack if he would rather have a blu-ray player or a hd dvd player and he's probably say, "whats a blue ray?" they would have done better calling it super duper hi def dvd i think.
 
The only way Sony/BR can redeem itself is by working with Toshiba in effort to create an affordable multi-platform player/license/partnership. Having already burnt their bridges, there’s no way Toshiba is going to budge on their HDDVD specs and screw their consumers…
 
Sony is losing, and this guy's comments are proof positive that even Sony thinks they're on the Titanic of the format "wars." That really is the death knell, if one of your top guys doesn't have any faith in you
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I dont think they are losing yet, at least in terms of sales. However i think the guy either knows one more big studio is off to HDDVD land, or he see's the sales of his media disappearing or becomming in line with HDDVD quickly.

I'd like to see Sony fail, after buying lots of there hardware over the years, which in most cases was exceptional, the software and formats they expected me to use were absolutely horrible and have put me off buying anything of theres ever again.

However i was searching for the release dates of LOTR in HDDVD/Bluray earlier this week, whilst i found nothing for the dates there was an interesting article i read that stated that an EE of each would either require 2 HDDVD's for the movie or 1 HDDVD at a significantly lower bitrate than a bluray version, due to the fact that its almost 4 hours long. Now i dont mind changing discs for games, but changing a disc half way through a movie is a big no-no for me. I know bitrate isnt the end all, but as both versions will be taken from the same master and using the same techniques you would have expected a higher bitrate Bluray version to offer a better picture, how much is to be seen, but im sure the Bluray fans will be all over it, if it gets a dual release
 
I hope that the poor sales of BOTH formats (very low compared to DVD) make the two sides come together and get a unified format out there if it is at all possible. Stringer, whether he meant to or not, has opened the door to the HD DVD camp for talks. Let's hope we see Toshiba step up and everyone get the ball rolling on a worry free HD format that we can all start buying.
 
Toytown said:
I dont think they are losing yet, at least in terms of sales. However i think the guy either knows one more big studio is off to HDDVD land, or he see's the sales of his media disappearing or becomming in line with HDDVD quickly.

I'd like to see Sony fail, after buying lots of there hardware over the years, which in most cases was exceptional, the software and formats they expected me to use were absolutely horrible and have put me off buying anything of theres ever again.

However i was searching for the release dates of LOTR in HDDVD/Bluray earlier this week, whilst i found nothing for the dates there was an interesting article i read that stated that an EE of each would either require 2 HDDVD's for the movie or 1 HDDVD at a significantly lower bitrate than a bluray version, due to the fact that its almost 4 hours long. Now i dont mind changing discs for games, but changing a disc half way through a movie is a big no-no for me. I know bitrate isnt the end all, but as both versions will be taken from the same master and using the same techniques you would have expected a higher bitrate Bluray version to offer a better picture, how much is to be seen, but im sure the Bluray fans will be all over it, if it gets a dual release
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I wouldn’t hold your breath for a “single disc” disc version of LOTR EE on either format. It will be released exactly the same way the DVD version did (on multiple discs). Why, because it’s a “collectors edition”. Having multiple discs in a “collector’s edition” adds “value” to the item. Furthermore, they will split the movie into 2 parts in order to give the viewing audience a break. Not very many people want to watch 4+ hour movie without intermission…
 
A duel(triple- dvd) player would be best in most cases.
HD-for most, Blu-ray for long uncut movies
The article said the $200 HD were hurting but as said cutting that in HALF again for now (I think $120 regular retail after thanksgiving) just means they have to run the production lines 24/7 for this year.
 
You realize that if they come together and make a new joint format that no one will buy it? One side has to win. The only way that they could come together now with a joint format is to make one that will work in ALL HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players, so if you were an early adapter, you will be fine.
 
I jumped in with the $99 A2 and it's great. However, standing in target and looking over their selection of HD titles, and their selection of Blu-ray sucked. I longingly looked at the Disney titles for my kids, and some others that I wanted to see. I'm trying to NOT buy any regular DVD and just focus on the HD side of things. I can easily imagine a Blu-ray owner looking at their titles and then gazing longingly at HD side of things.

All in all, this format war sucks.
 
I've aready invested in a PS3 ( 60Gb ) Xbox 360 w/hd-dvd and a Toshiba Q35 Qosimo and I have been looking to add blu-ray to pc. On both formats I have at least 20 movies and they wish they could have worked a solution before. I bet this ceo wish he would have keeped his mouth shut. :mad:
 
obviouslytom said:
You realize that if they come together and make a new joint format that no one will buy it? One side has to win. The only way that they could come together now with a joint format is to make one that will work in ALL HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players, so if you were an early adapter, you will be fine.
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We've said from the very beginning "Just because one format kills the other one doesn't guarantee that the winner will be a successful format"

Just because (insert your flavor) wins the format war, that doesn't mean it will be successful. At best, it is going to take a looong time and hella lower prices for HD content to overtake standard DVDs.
 
I'm amazed they didn't cut the prices down on HD formats of movies in the first place. Sure, it may be selling at a loss, but if a person sees that getting the high-def version of the same movie is virtually the same price (within 50 cents to a dollar of the DVD price, or better yet, dead even) then chances are, they'd be more inclined to buy the HD version. Why? Because if it costs the same, why sell yourself short on what you can have?

Had either of the camps done this, I think it would've helped their sales tremendously. And over time they could gradually inflate the prices up anyway, as you know they naturally will.
 
Stalemate means losing. Next will be something like,"Blu-Ray is still competitive." Which will mean it's basically over.
 
SamuraiInBlack said:
I'm amazed they didn't cut the prices down on HD formats of movies in the first place. Sure, it may be selling at a loss, but if a person sees that getting the high-def version of the same movie is virtually the same price (within 50 cents to a dollar of the DVD price, or better yet, dead even) then chances are, they'd be more inclined to buy the HD version. Why? Because if it costs the same, why sell yourself short on what you can have?

Had either of the camps done this, I think it would've helped their sales tremendously. And over time they could gradually inflate the prices up anyway, as you know they naturally will.
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Well, Amazon.com had this promotion that I jumped on last year: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=160066011. With a 10% discount on HD titles, that brought the price down to within a few dollars of the price of a SD title. I'm still not interested in replacing all 800+ titles in my DVD library with the HD version though. I'm just glad that they've stopped producing the combo HD-DVD discs. Who wants to pay more just to have two versions of the same movie on one disc?
 
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Read between the lines. The war is ending and Sony has lost.

Me and all my best friends went out early this week and bought HD-DVD players. They got theirs for $100 and I got the Xbox player to use on my HTPC for $165. We each got at least 7 movies/series with the deals.

We've decided, and unless Sony is going to sell players for $100 this Christmas, it's OVER. Blue ray is going the way of BetaMax.

If we are going to play hindsight, then yes, Sony should have merged formats when they had the chance. Now only the crying is left.
 
It's nothing a boot up your @ss can't help rectify.

"In hindsight, we probably should have just done what was right for the consumer, instead of trying to control the market. Ah well."
 
FYI guys, READ THE FUKING ARTICLE, while I agree thats BDA is getting some bad blows, this article is NOT one.

Not ONCE is the CEO of Sony quoted saying stalemate, rather THE REPORTER IS.

These are the only direct quotes in the article...

* "It's a difficult fight,"
* "We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides,"
* "It doesn't mean as much as all that,
* "We are coming back up again,"
 
Chilly said:
These are the only direct quotes in the article...

* "It's a difficult fight,"
* "We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides,"
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Fixed that for you.
 
How many Blue Ray players have actually been sold? I can't seem to find any hard numbers that do not include PS3s sales.
 
Well the word "stalemate" is actually in quotes in the article. Whether that means that the exact word is attributed to the Sony CEO or whether it is the writer taking artistic license is unclear. We certainly do not have the full text of the speech.
 
That's a great motivating interview. I kinda feel bad for the guys who are developing this stuff right now. On the other hand, it's nothing new for Sony to lose a format war.
 
Commander Suzdal said:
And of course, if someone that invested in the outcome says it's a "stalemate," that almost certainly means he thinks his side is losing.
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QFT, always admitt the absolute least possible.

Also

We were trying to win on the merits, which we were doing for a while, until Paramount changed sides
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This means to me, they know its going to be fought on price now. Kinda stupid that they didn't realize that in advance.

Anyway, with Toshiba cranking them out for $200, there's very little risk to getting an HD-DVD player now (over the cost of a standard upconverting DVD player that outputs 1080i).

I'm going to be taking the plunge to HD-DVD soon. UNLESS a combo player comes out of nowhere for super cheap, which I don't see happening as the only one out has held its price at $1100-1200 for the past year+.
 
Troy directors cut is the same length as the extended LOTR and it fit on a single HD DVD with extras. The HD version didn't have the uncompressed audio, but it's a rare person who has the equipment to be able to tell the difference between the BR and HD DVD audio.
 
What a tool. We HAD a single format. It was HD-DVD. The forum voted on it. Sony is the company that decided they didn't like the vote and would make their own format. You reap what you sow.
 
Sony has always been arrogant, and determined to do things THEIR way. This is what Stringer meant when he said "win on the merits". It's always been a pissing contest with Sony against all other Japanese electronic companies. So if they loose their butts, I have no sympathy for them. None.
 
I don't think this means much.
He is just stating how we all feel right now and saying he pretty much feels the same way.

He just happens to be slightly more involved.
 
Toytown said:
I dont think they are losing yet, at least in terms of sales. However i think the guy either knows one more big studio is off to HDDVD land, or he see's the sales of his media disappearing or becomming in line with HDDVD quickly.

I'd like to see Sony fail, after buying lots of there hardware over the years, which in most cases was exceptional, the software and formats they expected me to use were absolutely horrible and have put me off buying anything of theres ever again.

However i was searching for the release dates of LOTR in HDDVD/Bluray earlier this week, whilst i found nothing for the dates there was an interesting article i read that stated that an EE of each would either require 2 HDDVD's for the movie or 1 HDDVD at a significantly lower bitrate than a bluray version, due to the fact that its almost 4 hours long. Now i dont mind changing discs for games, but changing a disc half way through a movie is a big no-no for me. I know bitrate isnt the end all, but as both versions will be taken from the same master and using the same techniques you would have expected a higher bitrate Bluray version to offer a better picture, how much is to be seen, but im sure the Bluray fans will be all over it, if it gets a dual release
Click to expand...

Sony isn't losing the HD-DVD/BRD format war but Stringer's comment's due have the tone of a little desperation on Sony's part.They've done pretty much everything they can afford to do as far as economic incentives, so if they still do intend at making an attempt to "win the war", then they had better start thinking creatively and fast.The only ones that would refute any of this are BRD fanboys that somehow think IF BRD "DOES" lose the war at some point that it will mean definite doom for their PS3's.Those words came from Sony's head honcho himself which definitely mean Sony is worried about Blue Ray to some extent.The PS3 won't be going anywhere and has a more important war to fight vs. the other 2 consoles and shouldn't have it's fate grouped with the success and/or falure of BlueRay.The players themselves, their prices (of both formats)and consumers will ultimately decide BlueRay Disc and HD-DVD's fate.
 
Sony and Blu-Ray can blow it out their ass. Learn from your own companies history, stop with the stupid ass proprietary formats. This is the same company that had the walkman 15 years ago and couldn't come up with an iPod. Did you know the Blu-Ray specs are not even finalized today? HD-DVD's spec was complete before the first player ever shipped to a store, and everyone since then has met or exceeded the specs. Sony has demonstrated that you don't always get what you pay for, somtimes you just get ripped off.
 
The jokes on them... I will hang on to my money until they sort out what the final ONE format will be. If most consumers stick to that policy, the companies can have all the fun they want competing on principle, but they wont be making any money doing so. :rolleyes:
 
If they have done all they can do financially (as in cuts) that would mean that their players have no more "down" room, so they have just lost the war.

If Blu-ray players cannot hit that "sweet spot" by christmas, then there is nothing to fight over consumer wise except maybe the PC market with recordables.

I don't even think that there is anything on the professional side like there has been with BetaMax that would keep it alive
 
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