Some HD DVD owners decide to completely stop doing business with companies that announce plans to withdraw their support. A good example is Netflix who announced that they would stop stocking new titles and would allow their inventory to phase out from natural attrition. Warner is another.
I can understand why people might get upset, but I’m not sure that boycotting these companies actually solves the problem. In fact, I think it only helps those companies come up with real numbers later that solidify and demonstrate their initial statements about a weak HD DVD market (whether those statements were well-founded or not). I also wonder if the sacrifice is the right one to make, especially if it feeds into the company’s self-fulfilling prophecy.
Stopping all business with these companies only gives their bean counters some smaller numbers on the HD DVD side to count up. Many months later, they’ll come out and note that demand has fallen off and their decision is now sealed, and they might even consider accelerating their exit.
On the other hand, continuing to get your HD DVD titles from these companies demonstrates that there’s demand for the format. In fact, if there’s enough of a reliable source of income from the format, it’s a little harder for those companies to ignore the money that they’d throw away.
If you don’t believe me, then read this posting at DVDTown.com where a Warner executive said, “If there is product available in HD DVD and there is a request from a retailer, we will provide.” Ronee Sass, VP of Publicity and Promotion also went on to say, “There may be isolated instances that an HD DVD title will be created, but as a general rule our titles will be out in SD and BD only.”
The extremely optimistic might get carried away and interpret that statement as saying that Warner is coming back. No, that’s not what Sass said. What she said is that if there’s a good reason to make a disc, then they will. She didn’t say they’d make brand new movies come out. But she did say that Warner is basically not going to ignore consumer demand for a product.
Lastly, there’s the sacrifice that you have to make when you elect to stop doing business with a certain company. Most boycotts are designed to hurt the company’s financial prospects. If a company has already decided to boycott you, then boycotting them ends up being a one-way loss — yours. Your loss is that you have closed off one additional way to enjoy HD DVDs.
- Warner will restock if needed at DVDTown.com
February 14th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I’d love to hear from HD DVD owners about their decisions to either boycott or keep it business as usual. Comments from detractors who are essentially only here to say or imply negative things about the format are unlikely to be approved (even if you’re a nice person and I’ve chatted with you before on other comment threads). This is a site for HD DVD owners and fans, and there are many other places where people of the Blu persuasion can go to voice their thoughts and opinions.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:11 am
I canceled my Netflix account almost immediately upon hearing the news, and I e-mailed them and let them know why, got a response, e-mailed back, and got another response. I made sure that I didn’t just “disappear”. One of the main reasons I signed up for Netflix was to receive HD DVD’s… if they are no longer offering that service (new releases), why stay with them? There are other services who offer HD DVD new releases (such as Blockbuster Online), so I may sign up with them. The way I see it, Netflix does not want me as a customer, so I will take my business elsewhere.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I did the opposite. I bought a Warner HD DVD from Amazon. It came in today. My valentine gift
Terminator 3.
Microsoft has to show some more HD DVD love if you ask me. Certainly now Sony is promoting the PS3 with the remote control to support blur even more. There are 20 million Xbox 360 owners out there. lowering the add on was a first step. Now a nice Xbox 360 + HD DVD add on and a movie package or something like that.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:42 am
I did not cancel my netflix account but I did sent them and email expressing my negative thoughts on their decision.
I agree with what Martijn said. I also think that it would be nice to see a HDDVD/360 bundle with substantial discounts. Or even a rebate if you buy
both separately.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I am planning on cancelling my Netflix account once my current queue of HD-DVDs is done. I signed up with them for the sole purpose of renting HD-DVDs so there is no reason to stay. Also, I don’t agree that it hurts HD-DVDs cause. If they see a large amount of cancelled accounts as a result of this decision it will show that HD-DVD had support, whereas if we keep the accounts and go to just standard DVDs or Blu-Ray it will show that it was the right move.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:52 am
I agree with you I canceled my subscription when I heard that to, I think that these companies are a bunch of faggets leaving HD for bluray and I will never give them any business of mine for that. I won’t buy a blu-ray system with their prices high, so for some people the switch to blu-ray is not going to hurt tany ways. If everyone would stop buying blu-gay and buy HDDVD then we would not have this problem, atleast half the country and also toshiba and HDDVD needs to market their product a little better go to other big companies and try to get them on board, like target stores, family video stores, meijers, and kmart etc…… I hope that HDDVD can come up with something to succeed because I don’t want a blu-gay system on my entertainment shelf. So pay more money if you have to or something to retailers to sell your product, tell BILL GATES at Microsoft to help throw that money out he has more than any of them companies it won’t hurt his pockets; do something, start your own ” Rental store” and prove to them. I would as well as others would become a members and rent HDDVD’s. Market, pay more to have HDDVD’s hooked up to the good t.v.’s like blu-gay did.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:59 am
The Netflix decision does not affect me since I do not rent my movies (in any format). I bought my HD DVD player the exact same day they lowered the price at Best Buy (after the Warner announcement), and I own 22 HD DVD titles already (including the 7 free movies).
Regarding Warner, I agree with the article, I won’t stop buying Warner titles, I am buying my HD DVDs movie as I see fit, and so far I don’t have that many Warner titles because I already own most of them on DVD and I am not replacing my DVD library just yet, I only buy titles that I don’t own already or new editions of the ones that I already own (Blade Runner and Kubrick’s new black-cover titles).
Concerning Blu-Ray disc, I will only buy a player if the following conditions are ALL met:
1st… HD DVD has to be officially dead as a media to deliver movies.
and then… a Blu-Ray Disc profile 2.0 (or later) of the same quality of the Toshiba HD-A30 must be available at $200
February 14th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I am a full supporter of HDDVD myself and i got netflix for the full purpose of renting hddvd. But i am not going to give up my netflix account b/c i propbably just go out and by a Duo HDDVD player that plays both. And since amazon is having those specials on HDDVD i just go ahead and buy them.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
The tittles I recently aquired were from Warner. There is maybe 1 M HD DVD owner, but the problem might be that they are not buying HD DVD movies that much.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I don’t use Netflix. But a friend of mine uses it and has canceled his account. He said most of his HD DVDs from Netflix had problems playing anyway. I support HD DVD and I am still purchasing Warner titles. I’ve pre-ordered titles from Warner even with the supposed delay in release. I could care less who puts out the titles. I’m just guessing, but I think I’ve ordered and pre-ordered 30 HD DVD titles since January started. I’m buying the titles until they stop coming. I do still buy SD DVD. I do want the best picture and sound if possible. But I don’t let that get in the way of the content of the movie. I buy the movies because I love movies.
February 14th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I would love a HD DVD rental service but it’s not available here in The Netherlands, but why rent if you can own them. With the affordable prices right now I mean.
Looks Microsoft is showing some HD DVD love in Europe as well. Some sites report prices of 100 euro for Xbox HD DVD add on in Germany (my country neighbour). Not bad for a player that also works with your Vista PC for some up close and personal HD DVD experience. Like to buy to one for the Xbox and one for the PC
February 14th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I’ve also cancelled my Netflix account and sent them an email explaining that I will go to a competitor online rental service due to the lack of HD DVD support. Since HD DVD is not dead, I think it is wrong of them to “decide” for us which format “we” should use. I was thinking about not purchasing Warner titles, but then I thought about it, and came up with the same train of thought as this article. Honestly, there isn’t something that netflix does that I can’t get somewhere else, and to be honest, that doesn’t put any of “US” at a disadvantage.
Honestly, I don’t care about this format war. I hope that both formats could live together similarly like DVD+R and DVD-R. The competition that this format war has had a lot of advantages. I mean who doesn’t like getting 7 free titles with a player? Or buy one get one free sales? Who doesn’t like instant price drops on players? This never happened with DVD, and it could have never happend without healthy competition.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I have been supporting HD DVD for about a year now (137 HD DVD’s and counting) and I will continue to support Warner and I am looking forward to some new releases that are coming. If we want HD DVD to continue we have to show our support by buying movies. The only way Warner is going to continue to support us if we continue to buy their products.
February 14th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I plan on canceling the Netflix account at the end of this month and using the money to buy more HD DVDs. They may be “going Blu-Ray,” but in the midst of a recession and sky-high credit card bills, I sure as heck am not!
February 14th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
It is not Microsoft’s responsibility to save HD DVD. Sure MS invested some money in HD DVD, but it isn’t their product. There will never be an Xbox 360 with built in HD DVD because HD DVD is not needed for gaming on Xbox 360. MS would also have to deal with the anger of millions of current Xbox 360 owners that would feel ripped off because they didn’t get this feature. As for developers they are not going to write games that take advantage of HD DVD, but don’t work with the vast majority of existing Xbox 360 consoles. The best we can hope for is cheap HD DVD add-ons which are purchased along with many movies.
I will continue to buy HD DVD movies that I want from all the studios that support the platform. If you don’t buy Warner Brothers then you are guaranteed to make the BD decision permanent. Increasing HD DVD sales for players and movies are the only thing that will save HD DVD.
As for Netflix I have been happy with their service, and I had no playback problems on my HD-A2. I intended to upgrade my plan when I received the exclusive Blu-Ray announcement. I will continue with the Netflix service as long as the HD DVD movies keep coming. But if all of the HD DVD movies in My Queue are converted to DVD with no hope for future HD DVD movies then I will have no choice but to cancel my Netflix account. I sent Netflix an e-mail to let them know. If their decision remains the same then I will have no choice but to go exclusive HD On Demand from my cable company, and I won’t be coming back.
I will not buy BD for years to come if ever. The players are too expensive and they don’t have the capabilities of the cheapest HD DVD player. I will never reward Sony for their “exclusive” backroom deals. I will wait until there are no more HD DVD’s if it comes to that. If BD really establishes itself as the replacement for DVD then I will consider a fully functional (2.0 profile with the bugs removed) sub-$200 non-Sony BD player several years from now. So BD only has around 99% of the movie customers to conquer before I will relent. Good luck BD you’re going to need it.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I’m helping you guys:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ib77125d96b22e860b14b889b10defb59
February 14th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
fair enough, protonman, I’ll let that one go by. I have read/heard about something along those kinds of lines, but rumors are like that. The speculation is sometimes more interesting than the real outcome.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
i honestly dont understand why peopel are freakign out. so what hd dvd dissolves and goes away, you still have anothe rhd format to get. its not liek ALL hd formatts are gone and we are stuck with just standard def movies. i mean, honestly unless you have stock in toshiba or your brother is the ceo, do you really have to stand behind a corporate buiessnss that only lieks you casue you give them your money? im seriosly, stop it already. we are early adapters, this is whast happens you take a gamble. soemtiems its worth it sometimes its no. its liek goin to vegas and beign pissed at the dealer that you lost at blackjack.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
As I have stated on posts in the past I own and am a fan of both formats but I did cancel my Netflix membership when this news came out as well. There are still titles coming out exclusively to hd dvd that I don’t plan on buying so netflix is no longer an option for those movies. I believe their decision is a bit premature. Hd dvd is obviously struggling to mantain its place but there is still plenty of support. I disagree with “Randy” in boycotting Sony for their “backroom deal.” Toshiba has made them too and frankly the business world is based upon those relationships. It is known that Toshiba was still in talks with Warner up till the last minute and I doubt people like Randy would all of a sudden have shunned hd dvd and Toshiba if more of those deals had gone in their favor. If your not fortunate enough to be able to enjoy both formats then that is fine but we shouldn’t be one sided in our thinking
February 14th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Joe - the same can be said about the fans on the Blu side, with respect to the extreme kinds of things they say and do. Believe me, I get to see a lot of it here at the site.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I just finished writing Netflix, and told them that when their HD DVD library is gone, I will no longer be their customer. I do this as a warning-I am not closing my account immediately, but when the library is finished, why should I continue to give them money? Choices for viewing movies are so great these days, that if I want to watch it in HD, I will probably just go out and buy it for my own collection. The only time I rent a movie is if I haven’t seen it, and wondering if it is worth buying. From now on I will just be more thoughtful in my selections.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
QUOTE: protonman “http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ib77125d96b22e860b14b889b10defb59″
These are rumors, just like how “sources” said that Paramount and Universal were leaving over a month ago, and they’re still here. Toshiba is the pillar of HD-DVD, and it’s how they go from here that will determine their success. Some strategic advertising and merchandising would definitely put them back in the game. And let’s see some exclusive HD releases soon (i.e. gladiator, star trek, back to the future) to help stimulate more interest for consumers.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
I just signed up for NetFlix, and loaded my queue with exclusively HD DVD movies, no problem, no warning EMAILS, GOT 3 IN THE MAIL TODAY….
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM????