Report: Sony may have paid up to $400 million (U.S.) to Warner Brothers

WASHINGTON, TORONTO -- Howard Stringer made history in 2005 for being the first non-Japanese executive to take the helm at Sony Corp. But he may be better remembered as the one who won the high-definition war, erasing the stain on the electronics firm's image ever since it lost the videotape war two decades earlier.

Although celebrated yesterday, the victory was sealed last month when Sony swayed Warner Bros. to back Sony's Blu-ray technology and quit producing movies using Toshiba Corp.'s rival HD DVD format.

What remains a mystery is just how big a push Warner needed to pick sides. Analysts say Sony only prevailed following a heated bidding war against Toshiba, with the reward reaching as much as $400-million (U.S.). Neither side has confirmed the size of any bids or payments.

[From globeandmail.com: Stringer makes his mark]

$400 million is pocket change when compared to either Warner's or Sony's marketing budget for one year. Now think of a war of attrition, trying to sell people into picking one format or the other. That's up to ten miserable years blowing millions in advertisement, free discs with each drive bought, and Black Friday loss leader sales of drives. And no promise of resolution at the end of the ten years. For all we know, at the end of these 10 years we would either still have to figure out which disc to buy, or end up paying more for a dual mode disc. And let's not forget that Sony had the superior format (Betamax) the last time, yet there are still plenty of VHS tapes around (and now that I think about it, mini discs).

Blu-ray's day: Toshiba quits HD DVD - Gadgets- msnbc.com

And then, there was one ...

TOKYO - Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer develop, make or market HD DVD players and recorders, handing a victory to rival Blu-ray disc technology in the format battle for next-generation video.

"We concluded that a swift decision would be best," Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida told reporters at his company's Tokyo offices.

The move would make Blu-ray — backed by Sony Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products, and five major Hollywood movie studios — the winner in the battle over high-definition DVD formatting that began several years ago.

[From Blu-ray's day: Toshiba quits HD DVD - Gadgets- msnbc.com]

To kick-off the festivities, let's have Douglas Adams' Singing Dolphins Chorus:

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

You may not share our intellect
Which might explain your disrespect
For all the natural wonders that
grow around you

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

The world's about to be destroyed
There's no point getting all annoyed
Lie back and let the planet dissolve

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
pregnant women

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

(yeah)

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

(oh dear)

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
pregnant women

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish