> However producers like this guy should work with the owners of the technology and negotiate a better deal.
You really think an independent film producer, hell, even all independent film producers as a group, have any negotiating power with the Blu-Ray licensing people? Seriously? If anything, the owners are deeply in bed with the big studios, who have a vested interest in keeping anybody but themselves off the platform.
I'm not sure why negotiation with and appeasement of the Blu-Ray people would be that productive. Explaining to consumers why Blu-Ray, as a technology, sucks, and encouraging them to use something else -- which right now might be "stick with DVDs" -- so as not to give their money to Blu-Ray's owners, seems like perfectly a valid strategy, since it might result in something better than Blu-Ray down the road. Working with Blu-Ray won't do that.
Blu-Ray may be the "winner" of the HD format war, but they're not gaining traction very fast. If adoption can be slowed down enough -- if users can be convinced it's a shitty format run by a would-be cartel who want to crush independent cinema beneath punitive fees -- then it'll be that much easier for a new format to succeed.
Of course it's the economy more than anything that has slowed down Blu-Ray adoption, but I don't see how telling people about the weaknesses of the format and its backers is a bad thing. The more people who know about it, the better, and the greater demand they'll be for an alternative (whether it's USB sticks, SD cards, or some form of online distribution).
You really think an independent film producer, hell, even all independent film producers as a group, have any negotiating power with the Blu-Ray licensing people? Seriously? If anything, the owners are deeply in bed with the big studios, who have a vested interest in keeping anybody but themselves off the platform.
I'm not sure why negotiation with and appeasement of the Blu-Ray people would be that productive. Explaining to consumers why Blu-Ray, as a technology, sucks, and encouraging them to use something else -- which right now might be "stick with DVDs" -- so as not to give their money to Blu-Ray's owners, seems like perfectly a valid strategy, since it might result in something better than Blu-Ray down the road. Working with Blu-Ray won't do that.
Blu-Ray may be the "winner" of the HD format war, but they're not gaining traction very fast. If adoption can be slowed down enough -- if users can be convinced it's a shitty format run by a would-be cartel who want to crush independent cinema beneath punitive fees -- then it'll be that much easier for a new format to succeed.
Of course it's the economy more than anything that has slowed down Blu-Ray adoption, but I don't see how telling people about the weaknesses of the format and its backers is a bad thing. The more people who know about it, the better, and the greater demand they'll be for an alternative (whether it's USB sticks, SD cards, or some form of online distribution).