Kevin Collins responds to Paramount/Dreamworks pay-off rumor
By Matt Burns 
posted Aug 27th 2007 12:32PM
posted Aug 27th 2007 12:32PM
Did Paramount and Dreamworks receive cash incentives to switch from Blu-ray to HD DVD? Many have said "hell yeah they did" but according to the Microsoft-employed Kevin Collins, official HD DVD evangelist, Redmond didn't pay 'em off. Now, that's not to say the two studios didn't receive pallets of gold bars from another source but that suga' daddy wasn't Billy Gates.
erm, they didnt pay them off but some1 else might of? If thats news, Im announcing I also did not pay off paramount but someone else may have.
So remember, Mike from the engadgethd comments also did not pay off Paramount
I think the format war is stupid! It's like the super bowl for nerds and geeks.
Doesn't matter who payed off them. A sell out is a sell out.
"Doesn't matter who payed off them. A sell out is a sell out."
They would only be a sell out if there was money accepted for the deal. As far as I have read on this whole situation, that is nothing more than a rumor being slung around. We have groups saying they there was no pay off with other "groups" claiming their was.
Until there is hard proof, I am going to believe that there was no pay off. The pay off comments really seem to have stem from BDA people, something they are constantly claiming. Which I don't blame them, they are still reeling from shock of the news.
If people still insist on a pay out with Paramount and Dreamworks. I would also like point out that they wouldn't be the only ones to accept it, as Sony and BDA has done a fine job of doing it already. BDA complaining about HD-DVD paying out money would be hypocrisy at its finest, the pot calling the kettle black.
"i didn't personally pay to have someone whack the guy in that rival mob, but i can't say that no one w/in my organization didn't have it done, and i swear on my motha, that i dont know of any information...."
substitute a few words, and kevin could easily be featured in Goodfellas II
@mike
haha, love that super bowl comment.
This was mentioned in the NY Times article the other day (the same one citing two Viacom execs as sources). MS's Amir was cited as explicitly stating MS did not take part in a Payoff to Viacom.
Is Engadget HD short on hits today?
This was mentioned in the NY Times article the other day (the same one citing two Viacom execs as sources). MS's Amir was cited as explicitly stating MS did not take part in a Payoff to Viacom.
Is Engadget HD short on hits today?
...Microsoft is in Redmond.
And mike, I am sorry you are not getting the headlines you deserve.
Who cares if HD DVD was paid off? This is a business. If I'm running a movie studio and HD DVD offers me a few frillion dollars to switch, and Blu Ray can't or won't beat it, then I just became an HD DVD customer.
* "Paramount/Dreamworks was paid off," I meant. Duhr, sorry.
"As far as I have read on this whole situation, that is nothing more than a rumor being slung around. We have groups saying they there was no pay off with other "groups" claiming their was.
Until there is hard proof, I am going to believe that there was no pay off."
So unless someone pulls up to your house in a red van with an official Viacom badge with the check stub in hand you are going to ignore everything else...
...like the two Viacom execs cited by the NY Times?
I know some people have fully swallowed the blue or red pill, but at least take off the red/blue blinders.
Wouldn't some of the most vocal members of the HDDVD be hypocrits as well? I mean that would definitely motivate them to deny the "rumor," since were it true their team would be guilty of doing things many so hate about team Blu.
you know whats funny? The fact that this is the first news on Hd-dvd in this site (not counting the release list)and its put on a negative spin. They posted on Cars release date for Blu-Ray but gloss over Shrek 3, Transformers or anyother HD-dvd release to make it balanced
Its funny how people are still talking about this. I'm an HD DVD supporter but of course there was some exchange of money involved. The BDA has done the same so whats the big deal? You think Disney and Fox freely went exclusive? There is money in supporting both because both audiences get to buy the film. Its funny how people call Paramount a sell out because they did something every major studio except Warner and New Line did. Its mainly a bunch of Blu Ray fanboys crying because Sony told them the format war was over and the reality is its not.
Hold on tight your PS3 may actually have to play video games one day. The real focus should be on Warner and New Line and if they're siding with anyone anytime soon. Warner appears to be swaying towards HD DVD by releasing films like The Matrix trilogy and Batman Begins, V for Vendetta but heck Paramount surprised us all, so we'll have to wait and see, but dont forget about New Line! Lord of the Rings!
I read Sony paid Warner to go neutral for a year..as Warner was orig a HD DVD exclussive.
No, Paramount did something no other studio has done before... they yanked previous announced support. Consumers made decisions based on availability and now they're denied that previously announced support. Disney and Fox NEVER supported HD-DVD. That's why what Paramount has done is especially anti-consumer.
"No, Paramount did something no other studio has done before... they yanked previous announced support. Consumers made decisions based on availability and now they're denied that previously announced support."
What, you mean like Fox announcing a million Blu-Ray disks back in January, only to pull all of them and not release any other information until August?
You can still get all of the announced Paramount films on Blu-Ray (until they sellout). You can't get previously announced Paramount titles on BD. The only difference is that BD will never get the disks, whereas with Fox, it only APPEARS that you'll never get the disks, but there's an outside chance that they'll actually release something this time ;)
the studios have to pick a sign at some time. it is not as profitable to produce for both formats
Paramount's previous position was to support Blu-ray. So Blu-ray users bought machines confident they'd one day get Start Trek and other properties in Blu-ray. Now they can't. They ought to begin a class action lawsuit now.
Paramount's excuses are lies. If HD-DVD is so much cheaper, why do their discs cost as much? Why weren't the concerned about consumers then?
I fail to see how this payoff is anything less than the equivalent of payola in the radio business.
Early-adopters are foolish to invest heavily in any technology where there is significant competition. For months, fan boys on both sides have been spreading propganda about how each format is near death when that couldn't be any farther from the truth. If you actually believed that FUD, or if you chose to invest a lot of money in something based on what MIGHT happen in the future, then that's a problem of your own creation. I feel for you because I bet it was a lot of money, but it's hardly the studios' fault.
A wise man once said, "Who's the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?"
"If HD-DVD is so much cheaper, why do their discs cost as much?"
I've always wondered that as well. If HD DVD discs were cheaper to make than Blu ray disc, then why are their prices so close... If HD DVD discs are in fact cheaper to manufacture, it would mean that Blu ray studios are taking a loss (on each disc) to be more competitive with HD DVD. In this case, HD DVD discs would yield more profit per disc than their Blu ray counterpart, something a studio might need to consider in any decision they make regarding the formats. That's assuming of course the "extra" cost of disc manufacturing is not subsidized by the BDA.
So is BD-50 replication no longer being subsidized? Maybe that had something to do with the Paramount decision. And why aren't subsidies to the major studios for disc replication considered a pay-off, huh?
Profit margins, people. Paramount saw the writing on the wall. Get over it.
And for all those talking class action, WTF?! You are freaking early adopters! You knew the risks going in, or you should have. Maybe it's not too late to get that D-VHS suit started as well. Have fun getting laughed out of court.
You think Blu-ray doesn't pay off studios to support their format - they are as shaddy as it gets! Check out this article from the Economist - great breakdown of what is REALLY GOING ON: http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/techview/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9689600
It's a little eery seeing mention of laser disks and "serves the technological needs of the High Definition format" in the same statement.
Reminds me of the laser disc player my brother got. The disks were great, but regular old dvd did the trick for 99.5% of people looking for movies on disk.
I'm not saying either format is headed that way, but with millions of people poised to upgrade their sets to go digital in the next year or two, sony could be headed down the laser disc path if it doesn't match hd dvd prices. They don't even have a base model that just kicks it with 720p or 1080i, for the millions of sets out there right now that can't display 1080p.
HD DVD can finish this war overnight if they want to.
It would take some balls and I guess they couldn't think about it until the player base was biggeer, but all the HD studios have to do is release combo discs at a 'realistic' price and stop releasing DVDs at the same time. People then buy the combo disc and use it with current technology until/if they purchase a HD DVD player.
Millions of HD disc sales overnight and it is something BD cant do.
It would need to happen with correct timing in the market place, my guess is the clock is ticking though....then it's finished
1st...releases are always scheduled to change... i just read universal is pulling cat people and no new release date...it happens
2nd...i never saw a star trek with a release date
3rd..as an early adopter you know if your side looses you will see less and less movies released for you..so if blue ray looses it would never get a star trek even if paramount stayed neutral.
I sure hope the digital bits reads this...they were all up in arms over the money...they said sure sony pays...but it is different cause it is their format...MS just wants to prolong the war and then blamed MS on paying someone...
Eat crow blue fanboy site.
DigitalSh!ts lost all credibility and their page views have been snowballing downhill all year. Adios shills.
You can't account for payoffs on corporate books. The total of 150 million dollars going to Paramount are "incentives."
Not only that, but don't for a second believe anything anyone from Redmond says when their back is up against the wall. It's not "lying" it's simply the corporate position. Which is that money paid to paramount is NOT a pay-off (remember it's an INCENTIVE).
A pox on both sides, don't buy EITHER until there is one format. Vote with your wallets.
It wasn't from Microsoft, but that doesn't mean Bill Gates didn't pay it. It was opaid through a wholey owned subsidiary of microsoft. Just detached enough so that microsoft can say 'we didn't pay it'. Bottom line is paramount took a payoff NOT to sell their product to the better and more solid format. hd-dvd is on welfare.
Ok, take a step back and use logic. Why would Paramount chose to go exclusive if not for a payoff? Why would they choose to support the side that was clearly losing at the time. If anything, the prudent choice would be to stay neutral and sell to both sides. Of course their was a payoff, just becuase we can't find a paper trail yet doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Now is this unethical? No. Sony does the same thing. It is disappointing for anyone other than the exclusive HD-DVD supporter though because it means that we will not see a clear winner anytime soon. Had Paramount remained neutral, the was would have been over very soon. Eventually Univerasl would have gone at least neutral and we would have had a clear winner.
From my standpoint, I could care less if Blu-Ray or HD-DVD is the clear winner, I want just one choice. I like technology so I will buy both. The problem is that the average consumer will not. Until there is a clear choice, they will sit on the fence and we as enthusists will have to continue to wait for things like Star Wars and other classics.
The truth of it is that HD-DVD can't win the war though. They can only prolong it, possibly until neither format is viable. Sony and thus MGM will never release movies on HD-DVD. This means that essentially Blu-Ray could have won the war if they landed Universal but now it looks like a stalemate. This is terrible for everyone involved.
For those of you knocking the Digital Bits. You need to check yourself. The BITS has done more for DVD than any other site. They were the ones that made the major push for Anamorphic Widescreen and helped to kill the evil DIVX pay per view version of DVD. They chose Blu-Ray because of the support of studios and because it was the one option that had a chance to win outright. They have been in the business for over 10 years and are a well respected site.
On a side note, I have no affiliation with that site and do not even know them personally. I just agree that one unified format would have been so much better than this garbage we have now.
Ben,
Although I can understand your point of view, I have to disagree. The NYT article that made mention of a payout said it was in advertising dollars, not an actual cash payment to Paramount. I often hear the payoff thrown around but no mention of that aspect. That is of course assuming the article writer had in fact been given insider info like he/she wrote. It’s often easy to quote an anonimous source when you’re not required to give proof of that source. It’s not out of the realm of possible though since, like many have suggested, it’s common practice to make such deals in the CE community. Sony more than likely had similar deals with movie studios prior to the format launch.
Sony Studios and MGM is the reason that Blu ray should not be allowed to win the format war, that would be too much power for any one company to have over a format standard. Having a format owned and controled by one company might sound like a good thing to a corporation but it’s one of the worst ideas for consumers. Any educated consumer should realize this. Remember that Sony was the one to break away from the DVD forum to release their own format. I see them as the ones holding up the adoption of a high def disc format since HD DVD is the legitimant next step from DVD. Also, all the “supriority” touted by Blu ray is no longer relavent; storage capicity has come and gone, and so has studio support.
It’s a stretch to say that Sony Studios and MGM will never release HD DVD movies. Although they would be the last hold out, it will happen if HD DVD becomes the defacto movie standard. Sony is known for going against the industry and not knowing when they’re beat. This will happen if/when Fox either goes neutral or HD DVD exclusive. At which point HD DVD will have most of the major studios supporting them.
If a pay off got them to be exclusive so what? Isnt that what Sony has been doing for a year now. I dont see any of you whining about that fact. Personally its great to see toshiba use Sony tactics. No fun when its on the other foot is it?