Fan's Petitions: Let HD DVD Die Or Save HD-DVD!

Some fans of HD formats want to either prolong the HD format war or end it now. So, both group started petitions. I will be fair and will link to both so that you can decide. Let HD DVD Die (Pro Blu-Ray and end of format war) This one, I have signed with 4381 others.

To: DVD Forum, Movie Studios, CEMA, and related companies After months of the HD DVD group trying to save their doomed format, With the loss of Warner, New Line and HBO, After Paramount's defection to HD DVD, after fire sale pricing during the busiest shopping season of the year, HD DVD has not won over consumers or the Consumer Electronics community. It is time to accept defeat and do the right thing for consumers. To Paramount: Please exercise your exit options from your agreement with the HD DVD Group and begin producing Blu-Ray discs again. To Universal: Please begin to produce Blu-Ray discs so that the fans of your movies can enjoy them in the format of their choice. To Both of the above: Please make clear your intentions to do so as soon as possible, to end the confusion and fence sitting among consumers. To Toshiba: Please do as you've said you intended to and do what is right for consumers: Please take HD DVD off life support and let the HD packaged media community and market heal and grow. Please let HD DVD Die.

Sincerely,

Save HD DVD (Pro HD-DVD and prolong the format war) They were 12172 but it was apparently started sooner(?). HD-DVD has more signatures because fans have more to loose than Blu-Ray fans.

To: Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures Dear High Def movie fans, I'm starting this petition in order to support HD-DVD and hopefully save it, and to show Warner Brothers that the consumer has not "clearly" chosen Blu-Ray. Warner Brothers switched to Blu-Ray exclusive claiming that its the best thing for the consumer, but how about all the consumers that bought HD-DVD movies and hardware for the holidays, or all the loyal HD-DVD fans like myself that own Warner HD-DVDs? Warner just screwed them all. HD-DVD is more alive than ever, with cheaper hardware prices, and better technological capabilities, both of which are better for the consumer. I guess Warner feel higher prices and less features are better. The only thing Blu-Ray has going for it is 20GB of extra storage space, and a big name like Sony backing it up. HD-DVD on the other hand has PIP, web-enabled features, in movie menus, and much more. And if extra space is needed, use another disc, big deal. So please, sign this petition, and lets get as many votes as we can so we can hopefully change Warner's mind to return to being format neutral, or go HD-DVD exclusive. This would also show the remaining HD-DVD exclusive studios, Universal & Paramount, that HD-DVD still has supporters, thus they shouldn't switch to Blu-Ray. We have a chance to save a superior format from collapsing under the weight of the greedy Sony corporation and its inferior Blu-Ray format, let's do it! Sincerely,

Notes about the last one: "HD-DVD on the other hand has PIP, web-enabled features, in movie menus, and much more. And if extra space is needed, use another disc, big deal." The above is a bit misleading for 2 reasons:

1. Recent or upgraded Blu-Ray players or PS3 (profile 1.1) now have PIP. The PS3 will be web enable in profile 2.0. This part is minor and many may not care that much.
2. The reason HD-DVD has sold more players was the lower price. Yet, the petitioner want an extra disc because it has 20GB less. Adding another disc will rise the price of the movie or TV series. Yes, 51GB HD-DVD are now possible but how much more will they cost to make. HD-DVD fans already pay the same price than Blu-Ray on the same content. The cost saving in not there.

Conclusion The only way that HD-DVD can survive is if Toshiba start adding Blu-Ray capability(A4, A40 or A5, A50) to it's own HD-DVD players. Doing so, Toshiba would have happy HD-DVD supporters while ending the HD format war. But to work, both Universal and Paramount must do the same. They can start to release movies in Blu-Ray and still release in HD-DVD. HD-DVD would become an extra feature(niche at first) that Blu-Ray supporters won't have to pay for. Eventually, Toshiba could sell it for a dollar per player or make it free that it becomes standard in other players. So, people on the fence will be able to jump into Blu-Ray(with 100% studio support) while HD-DVD supporters can be able to preserve their current investment. Even if no more movies are available in HD-DVD, they could count on Toshiba to have the HD-DVD capability in their own players for a long time. I don't see any problem with that scenario and everyone wins otherwise, Let HD DVD Die! ;) P.S. if someone know the date they were started, please leave a comment.