As much as I haven't really cared about that many Blu-Ray exclusive titles so far, the STARZ announcement burned me with the likes of Dawn of the Dead and Halloween. So I decided to try and contact someone at STARZ / Anchor Bay that could explain to me why they decided to offer these only on Blu-Ray.

Today I reached the President of their PR department, Ed Peters, and I explained that I was very upset by their decision to support BD exclusively. What immediately struck me was how amazingly informed he was. He was well aware of the disc capacity of both formats, the models involved (he actually owns a Toshiba A1 and a PS3), and the sales figures involved with both formats.

But what really blew me away and gave me GREAT hope for the future of HD-DVD is that he specifically referred to today's press release by Warner Brothers, citing their breakthrough 250K unit sales of "300" and Ron Sander's quote, "This phenomenal response to '300’' is the latest proof that our approach [dual format]makes the most sense in today’s market and has enabled Warner Home Video to continue to lead the market in high definition sales."

He said to me, verbatim, "Believe me, there are many studio heads reading that quote this morning with great interest."

He also stated that he could not tell me, even off the record, their future plans for the HD market. He did say, however, that I should be "patient", implying that their stance could change in the near future.

I'm no insider, nor would ever claim to be -- I'm simply an HD-DVD fan and Anchor Bay supporter that is voicing his opinion on my preferred format. But I was blown away by his knowledge, his willingness to talk to me (for about 10 minutes), and his sincere dedication to film and HD in general. He even told me he personally prefers the HD-DVD version when a film is released on both formats. :D

I left with the impression that my favorite horror films will definitely see the light of day on my format sooner rather than later. And I'm sharing this experience with other HD-DVD supporters who share my interest in these films. I don't want to post his phone number because I don't want people attacking him on all fronts. I'm sure you could obtain the # as easily as I did if you really want to speak with him.

Good job Bob, the work you did in contacting Mr Peters and communicating with him directly is the kind of stuff that sticks. The next time Mr Peters is in a management meeting to dicuss HD products will he think of all the anonymous whining and moaning that goes on in internet forums and blogs? Nope. Will he remember talking to Bob the studio fan that's asked about HD DVD support? You bet.

Good to see you being proactive in talkting to studios and thanks for reporting back to us.

PS good to know ther are high up people in studios that actually own playback devices for both formats.

even an independent like first look made it to break even and even earn something with the contract on hd dvd. guess the format is far from dead, contrary to what trolls would like to make us believe.

I thought they were tied up thanks to their agreement with Fox?

All SHE releases are distributed by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment , which also distributes HIT Entertainment, Lions Gate Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer home video titles. Under this deal, Starz is allowed to release certain Fox titles on DVD under their label, being that Fox does not have interest in releasing these titles themselves. These titles bear the notice "Under license from 20th Century Fox" on their back packaging.

Thanks for sharing this story. I found most of the positive blu-ray news very easy to ignore lately... target, blockbuster, some small indies. None of that matters much to me.

But Anchor Bay hurt. *That's* something that I'd be very excited to see on HD DVD.

That is great to hear and may answer why I am yet to find a preorder available anywhere for their announced Blu Releases.

That is great to hear and may answer why I am yet to find a preorder available anywhere for their announced Blu Releases.

Really? Let me help you:

http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v1_list_studio.asp?studio_id=38&view=&pp=&site_id=69&site_media_id=0

Really? Let me help you:

http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v1_list_studio.asp?studio_id=38&view=&pp=&site_id=69&site_media_id=0

Thanks for the link. I haven't ordered from them before. Just a few online merchants I have used. Any luck with them?

Very interesting discussion Bob and Ed Peters sounds like a breath of fresh air studio wise. Well informed and reasonable man there.

Nice work Bob. Get the word out there that HD-DVD is alive and kicking.

It also interesting he mentioned Warner's recent press release. It seems like they really are setting the standard.

Any word if this will be released as an import on HD-DVD?

This is encouraging news. One of my favorite movies of all time is Heathers. It's an Anchor Bay film. I will look forward to a double dip on that one. (They will probably need to clean the master as I don't recall the original DVD looking that great.)

Nice work Bob - both in your proactive communication with Mr Peters, and also for sharing it with us. Much appreciated!

Bob - thank you very much for posting this. I'm a fan of Anchor Bay and was very disappointed with STARZ's decision to become a BluRay exclusive studio (though it was not a surprise since they are distributed by Fox). The thought of Romero's Dawn Of The Dead in HD had me considering going neutral. I find your post reassuring that STARZ (and possibly Fox, if you read between the lines) might start producing HD DVDs in 2008. I can certainly wait for something more definitive before I make an unnecessary hardware purchase. Until then, I got the 4-Disc Ultimate set to keep me happy.

Today I reached the President of their PR department, Ed Peters, and I explained that I was very upset by their decision to support BD exclusively. What immediately struck me was how amazingly informed he was. He was well aware of the disc capacity of both formats, the models involved (he actually owns a Toshiba A1 and a PS3), and the sales figures involved with both formats.

But what really blew me away and gave me GREAT hope for the future of HD-DVD is that he specifically referred to today's press release by Warner Brothers, citing their breakthrough 250K unit sales of "300" and Ron Sander's quote, "This phenomenal response to '300’' is the latest proof that our approach [dual format]makes the most sense in today’s market and has enabled Warner Home Video to continue to lead the market in high definition sales."

He said to me, verbatim, "Believe me, there are many studio heads reading that quote this morning with great interest."

He also stated that he could not tell me, even off the record, their future plans for the HD market. He did say, however, that I should be "patient", implying that their stance could change in the near future.

I'm no insider, nor would ever claim to be -- I'm simply an HD-DVD fan and Anchor Bay supporter that is voicing his opinion on my preferred format. But I was blown away by his knowledge, his willingness to talk to me (for about 10 minutes), and his sincere dedication to film and HD in general. He even told me he personally prefers the HD-DVD version when a film is released on both formats. :D

I left with the impression that my favorite horror films will definitely see the light of day on my format sooner rather than later. And I'm sharing this experience with other HD-DVD supporters who share my interest in these films. I don't want to post his phone number because I don't want people attacking him on all fronts. I'm sure you could obtain the # as easily as I did if you really want to speak with him.[/QUOTE]




Im sorry but i had to register for this... you mean to tell me that you phoned up Anchor Bay, told them who you were (someone with nothing to do with the Film Industry who would like to discuss his views about HD-DVD ), they then said "certainly sir we'll put you through to the president of PR" to which you then had a conversation on how Anchor Bay/Starz might be going HD-DVD? (Implied)

Seriously are you guys that deluded?

I think this is one of the most hilarious things i have ever heard.

PM me the phone number, i'll phone him, i'll confirm your conversation and if true i will post it. But to be honest i doubt that will happen will it?

Seriously are you guys that deluded?

I think this is one of the most hilarious things i have ever heard.

PM me the phone number, i'll phone him, i'll confirm your conversation and if true i will post it. But to be honest i doubt that will happen will it?

Forgive me if I trust an individual who has 800 posts and has been here for 5 years over the doubts and attempts at "confirmation" of a new member with a single post. lol

Nice first post attacking an established member there, newbie. You registered just for that?

Im sorry but i had to register for this... you mean to tell me that you phoned up Anchor Bay, told them who you were (someone with nothing to do with the Film Industry who would like to discuss his views about HD-DVD ), they then said "certainly sir we'll put you through to the president of PR" to which you then had a conversation on how Anchor Bay/Starz might be going HD-DVD? (Implied)

Seriously are you guys that deluded?

I think this is one of the most hilarious things i have ever heard.

PM me the phone number, i'll phone him, i'll confirm your conversation and if true i will post it. But to be honest i doubt that will happen will it?

So you registered just to piss all over someone else's post?

Anchor Bay isn't Universal/Fox/Paramount. They are a small company. The president of PR for Anchor Bay isn't the same thing as the president of the United States. These people are much more accessible than you realize.

What would the OP have to gain by making this post? Halloween/Dawn of the Dead, etc. are coming out on Blu-ray in October. Whether or not they are ever released on HD-DVD remains to be seen. When it comes to this format war, people continually assume just because a studio is exclusive today means they will remain that way forever. That is, to quote you, "one of the most hilarious things I have ever heard."

Thanks for your apology about registering. I'm sure you'll fit right in with the current climate on this forum.

You do know what "PR" stands for right?

You do know what "PR" stands for right?

I know I don't, but would like to learn.

You do know what "PR" stands for right?
:cool: :)

Im sorry but i had to register for this... you mean to tell me that you phoned up Anchor Bay, told them who you were (someone with nothing to do with the Film Industry who would like to discuss his views about HD-DVD ), they then said "certainly sir we'll put you through to the president of PR" to which you then had a conversation on how Anchor Bay/Starz might be going HD-DVD? (Implied)

Seriously are you guys that deluded?

I think this is one of the most hilarious things i have ever heard.

PM me the phone number, i'll phone him, i'll confirm your conversation and if true i will post it. But to be honest i doubt that will happen will it?

Hi... Welcome to avs...

I know I don't, but would like to learn.

I think that eaten's point is that there's nothing radically surprising about a member of the public getting to speak with the head of Public Relations for the company. It's sort of implied in the man's job description that he'll occasionally interact with customers.

No not piss over anything, my point was that everyone here seems to instantly believe something like this, like i said PM the number i'll phone, ill confirm. I have no problem with saying that im wrong, in fact i kind of hope i am wrong because then it will put some faith back into this website which seems to be full of lies and speculation at the moment.

PR - Public Relations, you think the president of Anchor Bay's PR Department would really have this conversation? You really don't think he would have someone else take the call?

Anchor isn't Universal but it is by no means a small Studio.

No not piss over anything, my point was that everyone here seems to instantly believe something like this, like i said PM the number i'll phone, ill confirm.
I don't "instantly believe" anything posted at AVS unless it involves something I can look out the window and verify for myself, I'm assuming I'm not the only one here who thinks the same. But I can tell I'd be even less likely to believe your confirmation considering this was your first post here.

Well anyone can contact Ed Peters via email. He works for Sue Procko PR. just google it. I don't think he's the president though. That would be Sue Procko, I'm guessing.

I just don't like ********, on either sides, hence why i felt the need to say something.

I feel exactly the same when people bring up crap like "Universal goes neutral". Its unnecessary, if people believe in the product then why resort to spreading ****** rumors?

This is probably the funniest thread I have read yet regarding the Blu-Ray/HD DVD "war" of words.

You should have asked when they will be releasing a Herzog box set in either format!

Well I just called up the PR person (Katie Walsh) at Lionsgate (because I want my Marvel animated movies on HD-DVD) and asked her when they would start releasing on HD-DVD and her comments were, " Well um we just decided to go with Blu-Ray. I guess we just want to put our weight behind them." I said, any chance of you releasing on HD-DVD in the future? "No, I don't think so." She sounded to me like she didn't know too much but, hey at least she knew what HD-DVD was :(

Bob seems like a decent guy, he even went as far as to say the name of the guy he spoke to. Wether the guy was snowballing him just so he doesn't get angry HD DVD hate mail, I don't think anybody knows. I found the below, maybe you can try and verify if you wish?

# # #
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR SCREENER REQUESTS CONTACT:
Ed Peters / Jeff Furton
Sue Procko Public Relations
edp@sueprockopr.com
323-653-5153

I have just found the exact same information myself and will do so. Nothing against the guy personally if he is telling truth, like i said i have no problem with holding my hands up and saying i was wrong.

Bob seems like a decent guy, he even went as far as to say the name of the guy he spoke to. Wether the guy was snowballing him just so he doesn't get angry HD DVD hate mail, I don't think anybody knows. I found the below, maybe you can try and verify if you wish?

# # #
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR SCREENER REQUESTS CONTACT:
Ed Peters / Jeff Furton
Sue Procko Public Relations
edp@sueprockopr.com
323-653-5153

Ed Peters works for Sue Procko Public Relations, an independent public relations firm hired by the studio and many different companies to pass along desired info. Google is your friend. :)

As much as I haven't really cared about that many Blu-Ray exclusive titles so far, the STARZ announcement burned me with the likes of Dawn of the Dead and Halloween. So I decided to try and contact someone at STARZ / Anchor Bay that could explain to me why they decided to offer these only on Blu-Ray.

Today I reached the President of their PR department, Ed Peters, and I explained that I was very upset by their decision to support BD exclusively. What immediately struck me was how amazingly informed he was. He was well aware of the disc capacity of both formats, the models involved (he actually owns a Toshiba A1 and a PS3), and the sales figures involved with both formats.

But what really blew me away and gave me GREAT hope for the future of HD-DVD is that he specifically referred to today's press release by Warner Brothers, citing their breakthrough 250K unit sales of "300" and Ron Sander's quote, "This phenomenal response to '300’' is the latest proof that our approach [dual format]makes the most sense in today’s market and has enabled Warner Home Video to continue to lead the market in high definition sales."

He said to me, verbatim, "Believe me, there are many studio heads reading that quote this morning with great interest."

He also stated that he could not tell me, even off the record, their future plans for the HD market. He did say, however, that I should be "patient", implying that their stance could change in the near future.

I'm no insider, nor would ever claim to be -- I'm simply an HD-DVD fan and Anchor Bay supporter that is voicing his opinion on my preferred format. But I was blown away by his knowledge, his willingness to talk to me (for about 10 minutes), and his sincere dedication to film and HD in general. He even told me he personally prefers the HD-DVD version when a film is released on both formats. :D

I left with the impression that my favorite horror films will definitely see the light of day on my format sooner rather than later. And I'm sharing this experience with other HD-DVD supporters who share my interest in these films. I don't want to post his phone number because I don't want people attacking him on all fronts. I'm sure you could obtain the # as easily as I did if you really want to speak with him.

My apologies to Bob Black, everything he said was true and has been confirmed (apart from a few points) sorry i ever doubted you!

My apologies to Bob Black, everything he said was true and has been confirmed (apart from a few points) sorry i ever doubted you!

Thanks for having the stones to at least come back and admit you were wrong.

I hope you've at least taken something away from this -- maybe you'll actually do your own research next time BEFORE you start calling something deluded, hillarious ********.


I'm hoping you stick around and provide some positive input to AVS. I find it more than ironic that you wanted to "put some faith back into this website which seems to be full of lies and speculation at the moment"... and ended up posting nothing but lies and speculation.

So what else did he say?

Thanks for having the stones to at least come back and admit you were wrong.

I hope you've at least taken something away from this -- maybe you'll actually do your own research next time BEFORE you start calling something deluded, hillarious ********.


I'm hoping you stick around and provide some positive input to AVS. I find it more than ironic that you wanted to "put some faith back into this website which seems to be full of lies and speculation at the moment"... and ended up posting nothing but lies and speculation.


Yeah, i hear where your coming from, like i said i was wrong, but the frustration for me is getting to boiling point with the ****** rumors. But i didn't lie about anything did i? just wanted a bit of proof that was all, ill stand up for something that i don't believe but i will admit when im wrong. Apologies again.

So what else did he say?

Not much, quite weary of me questioning him!
But his main point was "The two HD camps are very passionate about their alliances."

But i have to stress that he works for an independent PR firm which has a client, Starz Entertainment.

So a pinch of salt is needed!

This is the main reason I did NOT provide this man's phone number in this thread -- I was concerned people would start bothering him! I spoke to him on my own accord for my personal satisfaction, and he was extremely cordial and open to my suggestions. I merely intended on letting my fellow HD-DVD consumers / fans know that the Warner announcement was having an immediate impact on studio heads, and that our preferred format had some good news.

There was no need for some untrusting, arogant Blu-Ray troll to call a studio exec and "question him" as to whether or not a member of a forum was being truthful. This is what I feared when I wrote my experience on this board.

First, my story was 100% true. I left out some items, like his trying to sell me on upcoming SD DVD's which I wasn't interested in purchasing since I only buy HD-DVD's now. We discussed the HD market in general and he was convinced that HD-DVD would get more studio support soon, especially in light of the Warner announcement.

So let's get something straight...this is the HD-DVD section of the forum. It is designed for supporters of the format to discuss HD-DVD. If you support Blu-Ray, then more power to you. Have fun with your investment, as we are enjoying ours. However, we don't need folks telling us that our format (which is every bit as good as the other and better in some respects) is obsolete. We don't need people calling us liars. And I am sick and tired of reading some arrogant, immature signature stating something to the effect of, "why invest in a dead format" or "HD-DUD" or even "Blurry" for that matter. There's a growing number of members on this forum that love to fight, argue, aggravate and basically de-rail every possible thread with the same exact diatribe. And it's getting really old.

If anything, the "300" announcement is great news for both formats even if the 65/35% split is accurate. A title on HD-DVD selling nearly 100K copies in a week is very significant news, despite what some BD fanboys think. It shows that HD-DVD is, indeed, a viable format that is here for the long haul. As a supporter of the format, this makes me very happy. The market can, and will, continue to support both as long as there is $ to be made.

There was no need for some untrusting, arogant Blu-Ray troll to call a studio exec .... Uh, you did not talk to a studio exec. The guy's email address is edp@sueprockopr.com. His job at a PR firm is to always put a positive spin on any matter regarding a client.

Uh, you did not talk to a studio exec. The guy's email address is edp@sueprockopr.com. His job at a PR firm is to always put a positive spin on any matter regarding a client.

I was given this man's number from Starz / Anchor Bay and was told he was the head of their PR department. He identified himself as working for the studio in a PR capacity. He obviously is employed by Starz / Anchor Bay, he was extremely knowledgable about the HD market and their company's involvement and possible future plans. And he was very cordial and helpful.

You obviously want to trivialize his comments which spoke positively of HD-DVD, and that's fine. His comments made me believe this studio would join the format neutral studios sooner rather than later. You can believe whatever you wish, as will I.

IYou obviously want to trivialize his comments which spoke positively of HD-DVD, and that's fine. No, I just don't want to see false expectations being set. I have used outside PR firms for many years (and do now), and know how they work.

Excellent work, Bob!

Yes - what folks are missing is how Warner is being so effective not only at getting retailers to support the Hi Def formats, but also, they are showing all BD exclusive studios that there is far more revenue in supporting both, than in only suppporting BD.

When some of these studios made their decisions on BD, they were being told that BD would represent something like over 80 percent of the HD market.

Those projections have proven to be false now - to telecine a film in HiDef and enocde it, is a big part of the cost of bringing it to market. With the cheaper costs of getting an HD DVD version out also, studios will be realizing they stand to make more revenue off of these encodes than just a BD release.

It won't be long now...

No, I just don't want to see false expectations being set. I have used outside PR firms for many years (and do now), and know how they work.
Why do you care enough to argue that the fella was telling porky-pies? ;)

It's inevitable, Keith.

Ed Peters works for Sue Procko Public Relations, an independent public relations firm hired by the studio and many different companies to pass along desired info. Google is your friend. :)
So he probably KNOWS what he is talking about when he says that many studios are looking at the Warner announcements and thinking about dual-support...

Would you find a reason why he might NOT? ...seeing as how you've just shown he is well-positioned to know this.

This is the main reason I did NOT provide this man's phone number in this thread -- I was concerned people would start bothering him! I spoke to him on my own accord for my personal satisfaction, and he was extremely cordial and open to my suggestions. I merely intended on letting my fellow HD-DVD consumers / fans know that the Warner announcement was having an immediate impact on studio heads, and that our preferred format had some good news.

But wasn't that what you were doing? bothering him? He is not a "studio head"

There was no need for some untrusting, arogant Blu-Ray troll to call a studio exec and "question him" as to whether or not a member of a forum was being truthful. This is what I feared when I wrote my experience on this board.

When have i mentioned blu Ray? i have not tried to argue the case that one format is better than the other, just that i didn't believe what you said and like you said above you thought that this might happen so am i wrong for having an opinion?

First, my story was 100% true. I left out some items, like his trying to sell me on upcoming SD DVD's which I wasn't interested in purchasing since I only buy HD-DVD's now. We discussed the HD market in general and he was convinced that HD-DVD would get more studio support soon, especially in light of the Warner announcement.

Yes, what you said was true, a bit misleading as it sounds that you spoke to top guy at Starz (which you didn't) but true.

So let's get something straight...this is the HD-DVD section of the forum. It is designed for supporters of the format to discuss HD-DVD. If you support Blu-Ray, then more power to you. Have fun with your investment, as we are enjoying ours. However, we don't need folks telling us that our format (which is every bit as good as the other and better in some respects) is obsolete. We don't need people calling us liars. And I am sick and tired of reading some arrogant, immature signature stating something to the effect of, "why invest in a dead format" or "HD-DUD" or even "Blurry" for that matter. There's a growing number of members on this forum that love to fight, argue, aggravate and basically de-rail every possible thread with the same exact diatribe. And it's getting really old.

Do i have an obnoxious signature? I didn't come here to fight, this is a forum a place for ANYONE to discuss their views. Are you telling me that this section is for HD-DVD owners only? people who own Blu Ray of SD-DVDs aren't allowed to voice their opinions? That seems a bit poor.

You obviously want to trivialize his comments which spoke positively of HD-DVD, and that's fine. His comments made me believe this studio would join the format neutral studios sooner rather than later. You can believe whatever you wish, as will I.


"My personal preferences for HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray are exactly that...personal."

From his email. I think it says it all, personal preference, absolutely nothing to do with a studios future thinking of HD content.

I like hope -

Halloween is the only blue title this year that made me tear up a bit

wasn't it already mastered in HD back in 2003 (?) - please give us both formats

why any of the non-invested studios would not go neutral boggles the mind

Why do you care enough to argue that the fella was telling porky-pies? ;)Pretty telling about the quality of other threads, isn't it? :)

So he probably KNOWS what he is talking about when he says that many studios are looking at the Warner announcements and thinking about dual-support...Would you find a reason why he might NOT? ...seeing as how you've just shown he is well-positioned to know this.My point was that he is not a "studio exec", that's all, and outside PR firms do not know what goes on in detail inside a client's company, and they never say anything negative. :)

Thanks so much for posting this! I, too, have found little on BR that I missed on HD, but the Romero movies and Halloween in particular I HIGHLY desire. I think I can pass on the umpteenth re-release of the Evil Deads, as much as I like them.

so is there any chance of starz releasing on hd dvd?

does anything change after yesterday's announcment?

so is there any chance of starz releasing on hd dvd?

There's always a chance. ;)


does anything change after yesterday's announcment?

Immediately? No.

But you have to assume that every studio (including Starz) is going to reexamine its release policies. Maybe they'll wait for some concrete hardware/software sales data to come out of Q4.

Obviously, releasing on HD DVD just got a lot more appealing for a company like Starz.

This is very good news. Out of all the BR announcements the Starz announcement was the only one that got to me. Evil Dead 2 in HD! Hopefully the Paramount announcement will make them rethink their position.

Yes when considering implications of yesterday's news this was the one company that stood out to me as most likely to make a move. I can only wish that this happens soon so I can cancel my Halloween Blu-ray purchase.

I think we'll see Starz releases no later than Q2, 2008, maybe sooner. Just my opinion, but from the conversation I had with their PR dept. I got the impression that they were planning on neutrality. This new bombshell will shake the format war to its knees now! All studio heads now realize that HD DVD is going nowhere but up.

Remember folks - Starz is distributed via Fox. Fox is currently a BluRay exclusive company. Fox would either have to go neutral or Starz would have to strike a new distribution deal with another studio who supports HD DVD. I hope Fox goes neitral neing as though there are plenty of titles that I want on HD DVD from Fox and Anchor Bay.

Fantastic! Warner's statement about being neutral may click with the smaller companies. Don't count out Lionsgate either. They could go both formats.

Halloween is a big one, I'd LOVE to get that one on HD. To me that's BR's biggest title.

However I'm getting Monsters HD from Dish next week, so that should hold me over for a while.