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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Almost over for HD-DVD

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  • #1

    Almost over for HD-DVD

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080105/...zzQ0wJTWqs0NUE

    Warner Bros. picks Blu-ray over HD-DVD By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer
    Fri Jan 4, 7:54 PM ET



    LOS ANGELES - Warner Bros. Entertainment said Friday it will release movie discs only in the Blu-ray format, becoming the latest studio to reject the rival HD DVD technology and further complicating the high-definition landscape for consumers.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Warner Bros., owned by Time Warner Inc., was the only remaining studio releasing high-definition DVDs in both formats.

    It is the fifth studio to back Blu-ray, developed by Sony Corp. Only two support the HD DVD format, developed by Toshiba Corp.

    Both formats deliver crisp, clear high-definition pictures and sound. But they are incompatible with each other, and neither plays on older DVD players, which means consumers seeking top-quality playback face a dilemma.

    Warner said it decided to go with Blu-ray because consumers have shown a stronger preference for that format than HD DVD.

    "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger," Warner Bros. chairman and Chief Executive Barry Meyer said in a statement.

    "We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers and, most importantly, consumers," the statement said.

    The company said sales of Blu-ray discs in the U.S. generated $169 million last year, while sales of discs in the HD DVD format totaled $103 million.

    About 60 percent of Warner's sales of U.S. high-definition discs were Blu-ray titles and the other 40 percent were HD DVD, said Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

    Outside the U.S., the divide was far wider, with Warner's Blu-ray discs outselling titles in HD DVD in Britain and Japan, among other markets, Tsujihara said.

    Sales of set-top high-definition disc players in the fourth quarter of 2007 also factored into Warner's decision.

    The company saw an acceleration in sales of Blu-ray players at the end of the quarter, particularly in December, Tsujihara said.

    "We always viewed set-tops as the most significant indicator" of consumers' format preference, he said.

    Still, one alarming trend Warner keyed on was that consumers didn't appear motivated by price reductions on high-definition disc players.

    "When we saw that was not impacting sales in the level that it should have, and the consumer research that we did indicated that the consumers were holding back from buying either one of the two formats ... we thought it was the right time to act," Tsujihara said, noting that even sales of standard DVDs were affected because consumers appeared unsure over which format to go with.

    "That was kind of the worst of all worlds for us," he said.

    There are some differences between the formats. Blu-ray discs can hold more data — 50 gigabytes compared with HD DVD's 30 GB — but the technology's new manufacturing techniques boosted initial costs.

    HD DVDs, on the other hand, are essentially DVDs on steroids, meaning movie studios can turn to existing assembly lines to produce them in mass.

    Warner Home Video will continue to release new titles in HD DVD until the end of May.

    Pali Capital analyst Rich Greenfield said in a Web posting Friday that he expects the HD DVD format to "die a quick death, versus a prolonged format war."

    "While we still expect overall consumer spending on DVDs to decline at least 3 percent in 2008, the risk of an even worse 2008 DVD environment has most likely been avoided by Warner's early 2008 decision," Greenfield wrote.

    The North American HD DVD Promotional Group Inc., a trade association that promotes the HD DVD format, did not have an immediate comment Friday.

    Calls to representatives for Toshiba, Sony and the Blu-ray Disc Association were not immediately returned.

    Studios and retailers have been choosing sides in the high-def format war in recent months.

    Blu-ray got a big boost in June when Blockbuster Inc. announced it would stock only Blu-ray titles as it expands its high-definition offerings.

    Target Inc., the nation's second-largest retailer, decided in July to sell only Blu-ray DVD players.

    Among the other major studios that have decided to go with Blu-ray: The Walt Disney Co., Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

    Viacom's Paramount Pictures, which also owns DreamWorks SKG, dropped its support for Blu-ray and said it would start distributing films exclusively in the HD DVD format.

    Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric, also releases films only in HD DVD.

    Time Warner shares slipped 42 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $15.91 Friday.

    __________________________________________________ _______________________

    I'm glad that a format is actually taking the lead. I really want to buy an HD player but I don't want to waste my money cause the one I buy is done for. Great news. Now it will be interesting to see how long it takes UNI to go strait BR. I think Paramount has an actualy contract to be with HD-DVD.
    AKA Sactolover05
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

    Just when I buy an HD-DVD player for my 360......

    I need a cheap way to get Blu-Ray without buying a PS3.
    Super Bowl XLI Champions
    2000 Eastern Conference Champions




    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

      Originally posted by Lord Helmet View Post
      Just when I buy an HD-DVD player for my 360......

      I need a cheap way to get Blu-Ray without buying a PS3.
      Just get the PS3 so we can play some games online.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

        I haven't messed with any HD-dvd's, but I understand that the discs play on regular players when flipped over. Seems like that's more practical, and if it's true I'm suprised that HD-dvd isn't selling way more than Blu-ray. Maybe the PS3 consoles themselves are giving Blu-ray the edge.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

          Originally posted by Irk Woodsman View Post
          I haven't messed with any HD-dvd's, but I understand that the discs play on regular players when flipped over.
          That's probably a technical possibly and it wouldn't surprise me if some maybe did do that, or if it's maybe done on more rental versions of the HD discs (to make it cheaper for a rental house to stock reg/HD DVD versions... But...
          If the HD disc has a big label on one side, flipping it over isn't going to be an option. I just took a look at a couple of my HD discs and they just have data on one side and a label on the other.

          I just checked two HD rental discs that I hadn't opened. Same thing- Label on one side.

          As to the topic at hand. I wonder if this really is the death knell for HD-DVD or if there will be another shoe to drop in the near future? It seems way sooner than I expected either format to find itself on the ropes.

          -Bball
          Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

          ------

          "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

          -John Wooden

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

            I'm honestly surprised that it looks like Blu-Ray is going to win this. I thought HD-DVD had a big edge in name-recognition alone. I guess the internet has just allowed even the casual consumer to be more informed these days.

            I'm happy, though, as I have a PS3. And I don't like Toshiba.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

              Originally posted by Irk Woodsman View Post
              I haven't messed with any HD-dvd's, but I understand that the discs play on regular players when flipped over. Seems like that's more practical, and if it's true I'm suprised that HD-dvd isn't selling way more than Blu-ray. Maybe the PS3 consoles themselves are giving Blu-ray the edge.
              Some do, but not all.

              And, yes, I think the built-in user base for PS3 users helps Blu-Ray considerably. I know that if my PS3 didn't include Blu-Ray, I wouldn't own either format.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                HD-DVD absolutely seemed the way to go. But BR it is.

                I'll still be skipping this generation entirely, so it doesn't much matter to me.
                This space for rent.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                  You know what's funny? My three least favorite studios/film companies (Toshiba, Universal, and Paramount) are the only HD-DVD backers left. Makes my choice pretty much a no-brainer.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                    Btw, following this announcement (made Friday), the HD-DVD promoters cancelled the CES Press Conference they had scheduled for today.

                    I think they realize that this was pretty much the death knell.

                    http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/06/l...ss-conference/

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                      Originally posted by Shade View Post
                      I thought HD-DVD had a big edge in name-recognition alone. I
                      Now I am wondering if it's just the opposite that occurred- HD-DVD maybe didn't differentiate itself enough from good ol' DVD's in name.

                      I think the biggest factor is probably the money/perks Blu Ray paid to the companies to be exclusive...

                      I still can't help but feel there's another shoe yet to drop.

                      -Bball
                      Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                      ------

                      "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                      -John Wooden

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                        I always hoped and figured Blu-Ray would somehow win

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                          Originally posted by Irk Woodsman View Post
                          ...but I understand that the discs play on regular players when flipped over...
                          Only titles marked with HD-DVD Combo are able to be flipped like that. One side is HD, the other is regular, but not every title released is a combo.

                          I always assumed that Blu-Ray would win this thing anyway, now it's all but certain. I've said all along that the companies that were in Blu-Ray's corner were far better outfits to have with you than HD-DVD had.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                            Sounds like HD has given up yet. MSRP at $149 bucks for the lower line and $299 for the top of the line.

                            http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...008/0004735440


                            --------------------------------------------------------------------------------



                            Toshiba Deploys New HD DVD Marketing Initiatives Based on Strong Fourth Quarter Unit Sales



                            Mass Market Acceptance Confirms that HD DVD is the Consumer's Choice for
                            Next Generation High Def Entertainment

                            WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Consumer Products,
                            L.L.C. ("Toshiba") today announced that it is stepping up its successful
                            marketing campaign for HD DVD as it experienced record-breaking unit sales
                            in the fourth quarter of 2007. Major initiatives, including joint
                            advertising campaigns with studios and extended pricing strategies will
                            begin in mid- January and are designed to spotlight the superior benefits
                            of HD DVD as well as the benefits HD DVD brings to a consumer's current DVD
                            library by upconverting standard DVDs via the HDMI(TM) output to near high
                            definition picture quality.

                            As Toshiba achieved the #1 sales volume in the next generation DVD
                            category with an approximately 50 percent market share in 2007, HD DVD is
                            proven to be the format of choice for consumers. Coupled with an 80 percent
                            plus market share of all next generation DVD equipped notebooks for the 4th
                            quarter 2007, the HD DVD format has already paved the way to a high
                            definition digital AV solution by eliminating the boundaries between the
                            consumer's living room and on the go.

                            HD DVD not only creates the ultimate high definition entertainment
                            experience, leveraging all of the promise of the format such as superior
                            audio/video performance, Web-enabled network capabilities and advanced
                            interactive features - it also has a high-level of compatibility with DVD.
                            With DVD upconversion via the HDMI output, HD DVD players instantly make a
                            movie lover's existing DVD library look better than ever.

                            "HD DVD is the best way to watch movies in high definition," said Jodi
                            Sally, Vice President of Marketing, Toshiba's Digital A/V Group. "Our HD
                            DVD players not only play back approximately 800 HD DVD titles available
                            worldwide and deliver an entirely new level of entertainment but also
                            enhance the picture quality to near high definition on legacy DVD titles by
                            all studios. In short, we added high def to DVD which already is the de
                            facto standard format created and approved by the DVD Forum that consists
                            of more than two hundred companies."

                            New Marketing Strategy for Mass Market Adoption

                            Taking the holiday season sales based on promotional prices into full
                            consideration, these new manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) are
                            designed to meet the potential demand for HD DVD players in the U.S.
                            market. Effective on January 13, 2008 the MSRP of the entry-model HD-A3
                            will be $149.99, the HD-A30, with 1080p output, $199.99, and the high-end
                            HD-A35, $299.99.

                            "While price is one of the consideration elements for the early
                            adopter, it is a deal-breaker for the mainstream consumer," said Yoshi
                            Uchiyama, Group Vice President Digital A/V Group. "Consumer sales this
                            holiday season have proven that the consumer awareness of the HD DVD format
                            has been elevated and pricing is the most critical determinant in
                            consumers' purchase decision of

                            the next generation HD DVD technology. The value HD DVD provides to the
                            consumer simply cannot be ignored."

                            Extended Advertising Campaign

                            Toshiba plans to execute an extended advertising campaign that will
                            further enhance consumer awareness of the benefits of HD DVD and drive
                            sales to retail among potential consumers. Advertising strategies will
                            include television, print and online media channels. Toshiba will also work
                            with its dealers and studio partners on joint marketing and promotional
                            initiatives to promote HD DVD. Current promotions include "The Perfect HD
                            Offer" - a mail-in offer allowing consumers to select five HD DVD titles
                            for free from a selection of 15 with the purchase of any Toshiba HD DVD
                            player.

                            Consistent Viewing Experience and More

                            With advanced interactivity and Web-enabled network capabilities built
                            into every HD DVD player through a dedicated Ethernet port as mandated by
                            the specifications approved by the DVD Forum, Toshiba delivers on the
                            promise of a consistent entertainment experience through firmware updates
                            as studios launch new applications. HD DVD allows studios to flex their
                            creative muscle in ways never before seen. The latest of these new
                            experiences is online streaming. Now, when consumers connect their HD DVD
                            player to the Internet, they can stream new content or trailers, as
                            available, directly from a movie studio's server.

                            Universal Home Video, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG
                            have reported that an average of 30 percent of HD DVD owners have accessed
                            Web- enabled network features and continue to do so regularly.

                            Ongoing Customer Commitment

                            In order to ensure that its customers will receive complete
                            satisfaction from their new players, Toshiba introduced the "HD DVD
                            Concierge" earlier this month. Consumers can now call 1-888-MY HDDVD
                            (1-888-694-3383) for answers to general questions about HD DVD, for
                            operational assistance or for assistance with various promotions.

                            About Toshiba HD DVD Players

                            With the HD DVD format, select HD DVD players allow consumers to
                            experience true high def 1080p for extraordinary resolution that matches
                            the latest state of the art 1080p HDTVs. These same players display images
                            at 24 frames per second, the same frame rate used by directors when using
                            film to create motion pictures, for a smoother, more film-like, viewing
                            experience.

                            Important Notes:

                            HD DVD with high-definition content required for HD viewing. Up-
                            conversion of DVD content will result in near HD picture quality. Viewing
                            high-definition content and up-converting DVD content may require an HDCP
                            capable DVI or HDMI input on your display device. 1080p capable display
                            required for viewing content in 1080p. Firmware update may be required for
                            some interactive features depending on content, which may also require an
                            always-on broadband internet connection. Some features may require
                            additional bandwidth. To take advantage of web-enabled network content,
                            installing the latest firmware (ver.2.4 for HD DVD player models HD-XA1,
                            HD-A1, and HD-D1; ver.2.7 for HD-XA2, HD-A2, HD-A2W, HD-D2, HD-A2C, and
                            HD-A20; and ver.1.3 for HD-A35, HD-A30, and HD-A3) is required. Web-enabled
                            network features require an always on broadband connection along with
                            specific movie titles that include this form of content. For 24p output,
                            content that was created in 1080p/24 frames/sec is required. Viewing 24p
                            output requires an HD display capable of accepting a 1080p/24Hz signal. Use
                            of REGZA Link, which is a feature based on HDMI-CEC, requires an HDMI-CEC
                            compatible display device. Depending on the specifications of your TV, some
                            or all REGZA Link functions may not work even if your TV is HDMI-CEC
                            compatible. Dolby(R) Digital Plus, Dolby(R) TrueHD and DTS(R) support for
                            up to 5.1 channels (DTS HD(R) support for DTS(R) core only). MP3/WMA audio
                            files not supported. HDMI audio output requires connection to a PCM capable
                            device. Because HD DVD is a new format that makes use of new technologies,
                            certain disc, digital connection and other compatibility and/or performance
                            issues are possible. This may, in rare cases, include disc freezing while
                            accessing certain disc features or functions, or certain parts of the disc
                            not playing back or operating as fully intended. If you experience such
                            issues, please refer to the FAQ sections of http://www.toshibahddvd.com or
                            http://www.tacp.toshiba.com for information on possible work- around solutions or
                            the availability of firmware updates that may resolve your problem, or
                            contact Toshiba Customer Solutions. Some features subject to delayed
                            availability. While every effort has been made at the time of publication
                            to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product
                            specifications, configurations, system/component/options availability are
                            all subject to change without notice.

                            About Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C.

                            Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. is owned by Toshiba America,
                            Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, a world leader in high
                            technology products with subsidiaries worldwide. Toshiba is a pioneer in HD
                            DVD, DVD and DVD Recorder technology and a leading manufacturer of a full
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                            visit http://www.tacp.toshiba.com.
                            You know how hippos are made out to be sweet and silly, like big cows, but are actually extremely dangerous and can kill you with stunning brutality? The Pacers are the NBA's hippos....Matt Moore CBS Sports....

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Almost over for HD-DVD

                              The price drop (AKA Fire Sale) could be a little too little a little to late.

                              I -thought- the deals over the holidays were a grrrrreat idea but I was surprised to see the prices then go back up (like the 99.00 deal at Wal Mart went back to 149.00).

                              I think Toshiba would've been well served to keep selling basic 1080i models at the 99.00 pricepoint with lots of marketing (or 75.00 if they could do it). Get a solid toehold in the market which should've helped forestall the studio's decisions to go to Blu Ray. Then have some 1080p models with more frills filter into the market at higher price points.

                              Altho the quoted piece is marketing hype, if true what it's saying, HD DVD just wasted the momentum they started in the 4th qtr. I'm not sure if any of that matters now.

                              -Bball
                              Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                              ------

                              "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                              -John Wooden

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