HD NOW Studio Action Page

Contacts and recommended actions to take - Access from your HD NOW emails, or bookmark

(NOTE - I have placed more contact details and a sample letter at the bottom of this page to help you)

Congrats again on your choice of HD DVD. I know I don't need to pat you on the back, since you obviously know how great HD DVD is, because you are here! Make sure that you action all of these items, since although the petition is great by itself and its numbers, it is still more powerful when you contact the studios directly with your feelings.

The petition draws us all together and allows us to communicate effectively so that we can act as one.

This week is NAB, so what we do this week can count for a lot if we strike as one. If you have already sent emails to the studios, please consider doing so again and again each time the call goes out!

First - Here is standard contact info for the Main Studios you can contact first, then below, a special appeal to New Line Cinema.

---------------------------------------- Main Studios Appeal ----------------------------------------------------------

Please consider contacting the studios below via these online contact forms, and let them know you want Hi Def DVD from them NOW! The simple links take less than 30 seconds each, for a total of about 3 minutes. Together we can move mountains! But if you don't do this, imagine how many other people might be skipping it also?

---------------------------------------------- Special Appeal ------------------------------------------------------------

I'll preface this by saying up front that it is entirely speculative, no doubt. But I have a really strong feeling that New Line Cinema is holding back their entry into the HD Optical Media market because of the Bluray Player profile / BDJ problems. I'm pretty sure they don't want to be seen as disadvantaging one format over the other by releasing HD DVD versions of The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy without the Bluray version.

Contact them today and tell them you'd like it now and that it would be unfair to hold it back because the other format is not ready.

It might be a good idea to refer New Line Cinema to this poll as an FYI - a lot of folks have voted.

1) Release the HD DVD of Lord of the Rings EE (Extended Edition) now, and release toBluray whenever the format is ready (number one vote in poll).

2) Release the HD DVD of Lord of the Rings EE now, and release a Theatrical Edition on Bluray, without IME advanced BDJ features (second favorite choice). Release EE to Bluray when BD is ready.

3) Release LOTR Theatrical Edition to both HD DVD and Bluray now without IME and release the EE version later to both when Bluray is ready (least favorite choice).

Jennie Abrams-Trager
New Line Home Entertainment
jennifer.abrams@newline.com

CANDICE MCDONOUGH (LA)
NEW LINE CINEMA
Candice.mcdonough@newline.com

New Line Cinema - Contact Form http://www.newline.com/contactus.shtml
Choose the "DVD/VHS" option from the pull-down menu

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Here is a sample letter:
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April 16th, 2007

Dear New Line Cinema,

I'm writing today to ask that New Line please release The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy on HD DVD.

I could say for sure, of course, why New Line has not started HD releases yet. But given the delays to the BD player profiles, and seeing that getting BDJ to work on various planned releases has been been an issue for some studios, I would not be surprised if this has factored into the delay.

I know that New Line has traditionally been a proponent of advanced interactivity on DVDs, and perhaps is looking to do so on their HD/BD releases also. This is very commendable, however, I would really like to impress upon you how unfair it might seem to owners of HD DVD if this release was being held back due to the ongoing Bluray problems. If one format is ready, then it only seems fair that the release could go ahead.

We have seen screenshots on the internet of the HD DVD version for a few months now, so it does appear to the casual observer that the film might be ready to go. http://www.zonadvd.com/modules.php?...rtid=608&page=7

There is a discussion online, in which about 300 people have voted in 4 days, at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...26&page=1&pp=30 and the consensus seems to be as follows:

1) Release The Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition to HD DVD (Now! Please!) and worry about the other format when it's ready.
2) Release The Lord Of The Rings Extended Edition to HD DVD now, and also release the Theatrical Version to Bluray without the tricky IME BDJ code, so that there is not as much grief.
3) Release e Lord Of The Rings Theatrical Version to Both HD DVD and Bluray Now - then release the EE to both formats in November, when Bluray is ready.

Needless to say, we hi def player owners are getting a little concerned!

We also are a little worried, because an individual who claims to have "connections" has posted a thread on AVSforum.com, claiming that New Line will not release to ANY formats until November - but that they will FAVOR the Bluray format by releasing the EE ONLY to the Bluray format, with HD DVD only getting the Theatrical version! http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...highlight=rings

Now, we think that this is a scurillous rumour. I don't believe for a second that you would wait till November and then disadvantage HD DVD. I'm sure that you would release BOTH formats at that time, since you had already waited.

However, It's the "WAITING simply because Bluray isn't ready yet" part that we are most concerned about. The HD DVD format is ready for this release right now, and your sales will be phenomenal. We are simply thinking of a compromise that at least gets something into the hands of BD owners now, if that is a concern for you.

Now we don't mind getting the theatrical version NOW for both formats, in fact there was a rumour earlier in the year to this effect - http://hd-insider.com/2007/01/17/lo...ckling-out.aspx. But why not release the EE for HD DVD now as well? If the IME in the EE version for Bluray is giving trouble (and I know that this is speculative) then simply hold back that particular Bluray version till the BD specs are ready.

What we are very nervous of all the political concerns getting in the way of this fantastic release. Please pass this message on to Pamela Kelly?

Please let us have a release of The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy This Summer - please!

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(your name here)

p.s. While we're at it - could we put in a word for some of your other titles as well, like - Se7en, Blade, Rush Hour, Austin Powers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
Spawn, The Mask and Dark City? Thanks!

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