http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 7:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 7:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 7:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 8:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 8:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 8:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 8:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


"This is what there afraid of, because they will be "screwed" from two directions"

My bad :)]]>Dec 29th 2005 9:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


Think of the millions of PS3s that will be sold this year and hooked up to shiny HDTVs...



Sony will almost certainly include a demo disc that shows off what Blu-Ray movies will look like and as a result many consumers will run out and purchase a few of the initial Blu-ray movie offerings.



Once the avalanche starts, there won't be any stopping it.]]>Dec 29th 2005 9:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


Microsoft DOES care about royalties, but NOT about player royalties.



Microsoft cares about the WMV-HD royalties that they will make PER DISC shot out in that format. That is where the money is -- even with today's DVD, it's in the disc, not the players.



While BD also supports WMV-HD, with HD-DVD, the capacity is too small to use anything but WMV (H264 yes, but WMV has a lower royalty). I'm guessing that Microsoft is backing the lower-capacity format because it will all but require WMV-HD, and provide a bigger payoff.



-Pie]]>Dec 29th 2005 9:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


This article is intersting in the respect that Sony could be subsidizing Blu-Ray by selling the PS3 with a Blu-Ray drive under what stand alone Blu-Ray players may cost. Advantage: Sony



So in turn, Microsoft may be offering incentives for HD DVD, when installed in a computer. Advantage: Microsoft, especially considering there are far more PCs in the world than game consoles.



Sounds like a competition to me.



Hopefully this will benefit the consumer as the two go to war trying to undercut one another.



]]>Dec 29th 2005 9:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/
O]]>Dec 29th 2005 11:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 29th 2005 11:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/
Microsoft should be careful. Even though the Bush Justice Dept probably wouldn't go after them, Europe is another story.



And I want the better format to win, not the one Microsoft pushes.]]>Dec 29th 2005 11:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 30th 2005 12:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 30th 2005 1:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 30th 2005 2:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


I don't want to be locked into a Sony format after they pulled the rootkit scam.



I'll vote for Microsoft with my wallet.]]>Dec 30th 2005 2:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


I would never have thought that I would agree to even some extent with the above statment! ;)]]>Dec 30th 2005 2:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


Also, Microsoft is the lesser bear of two bears ;)]]>Dec 30th 2005 4:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


Anti-Microsoft sentiment seemed to be the only thing that united the world these days, but some people I guess fancy a change of blind-sided sheep opinionism.



And besides, BluRay isn't all about Sony - they are merely the pioneers, so I don't think it's a case of "them winning" (@ #17), look at all the other BluRay companies involved and trying to develop the format:



Maxell

TDK

Verbatim

BenQ

HP

Hitachi

JVC

LG

Mitsubishi

Panasonic

Philips

Pioneer

Samsung

Sharp

Sony

Yamaha

Zenith



to name but a few.



]]>Dec 30th 2005 7:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


I don't get it.]]>Dec 30th 2005 7:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/Dec 30th 2005 4:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/
SONY two thumbs down.



XBOX 360 is a great product for the lack of HD material and for the price

?do you really think BLUE RAY drive on PS3 wont cost any extra, SONY is full of B.S ]]>Dec 30th 2005 5:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


Beta/Betamax

MiniDisc

ATRAC

Sony-BMG Audio Disc (they are NOT CDs)

UMD-Video





What do these all have in common? Sony uses their own format to try to control who can produce for them, and what consumers can do with it once they purchase it.



Beta lost because Sony wouldn't allow the X-rated movie industry to use it.



MiniDisc lost because it required Sony players and recorders, and had limited end-user rights.



ATRAC is failing because it's a pain to use, it only works on Sony products/software, and it's got more DRM than any other digital music format.



Sony-BMG Audio Disc is being recalled because it was intrusive, had severely limited end-user rights, and compromised the end-user's computer equipment and internet security. This was bad enough to result in a class-action lawsuit.



UMD-Video is failing because many studios don't want to pay for the right to put out movies on a format that is only supported by ONE consumer electronic item in the United States, not to mention it limits end-user fair-use rights and costs no less than DVD, despite being smaller and less versatile than DVD.



So now Sony wants us to use Blu-Ray. We can expect it will be:



* Full of DRM schemes. We'll have to pay to use it on more than one device.



* Limited in terms of fair-use rights. We won't be able to make backups.



* Expensive for small distributors to use. The porn industry will KILL Blu-Ray. They've already embraced HD-DVD because of their past problems with Sony.



* Unlikely to see a price drop, ever. Sony will artificially keep the price high because they will own the rights to all the materials and/or design.



Sorry. Sony has screwed consumers on formats too many times. Game consoles aside, it's clear Sony's interest is in ironclad control of YOUR media.]]>Dec 30th 2005 10:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/


This simply means that a Vista PC with HD-DVD will always be cheaper than one with a Blu-Ray-drive.]]>Dec 30th 2005 11:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/
I don't care that MS is paying for OEM's to use HD-DVD, and neither should people in Europe. It just helps the consumer. I wish the Xbox 360 had come with and HD-DVD drive, but neither BluRay or HD-DVD was ready. By next Christmas at the absolute latest, MS should be offering and HD-DVD 360, and offer to exchange all previously shipped 360s. It wouldn't be hard, all they would have to do is ship a new HD-DVD 360 to you and you send yours back, or they bill you or charge your card. You wouldn't miss any game time. They could then take your old 360 and plug in a new HD-DVD drive, make sure it's up to specs and sell it as a refurbished unit.

If the Europeans sue, MS should do what they should have done long ago, pull all support for their products from Europeans and let them whine.

]]>Dec 31st 2005 7:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/microsoft-to-pay-up-to-oems-for-using-hd-dvd/
Look at the PSP with both memory stick pro duo and UMDs, and the root kit fiasco. I'm like Eric, I want to be able to rip the HD-DVD to my media server, then stream it to any TV in the house or download it to my portable video player, but definetly not the video iPod -- Apple is just like Sony. I don't care that MS is paying for OEM's to use HD-DVD, and neither should people in Europe. It just helps the consumer. I wish the Xbox 360 had come with an HD-DVD drive, but neither BluRay or HD-DVD was ready. By next Christmas at the absolute latest, MS should be offering an HD-DVD 360, and offer to exchange all previously shipped 360s. It wouldn't be hard, all they would have to do is ship a new HD-DVD 360 to you and you send yours back, or they bill you or charge your card. You wouldn't miss any game time. They could then take your old 360 and plug into a new HD-DVD drive, make sure it's up to specs and sell it as a refurbished unit.

If the Europeans sue, MS should do what they should have done long ago, pull all support for their products from Europeans and let them whine then.]]>Jan 1st 2006 9:14AM