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This guy did immense harm to the high def business of his own company and to the consumer, AFAIC. I can't say I'm sorry to see him go.
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By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 3/26/2008
Graffeo
MARCH 26 | Following the death of HD DVD, one of the format’s gurus, Ken Graffeo, will leave his high-definition marketing role at Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
Although still employed at Universal, where he has served as executive VP of HD strategic marketing since early last year, Graffeo is exploring other opportunities, including ones outside of the studio. He didn’t specify a timetable for when he’ll make a final decision of whether to leave Universal.
Conceivably, Universal will need an executive to drive the marketing of its forthcoming titles in Blu-ray Disc, which the studio started backing exclusively shortly after HD DVD’s demise.
However, Graffeo said he will not take on a Blu-ray role at the studio, which could be comparable to his responsibilities for HD DVD. That sort of transition wouldn’t work because in recent months, Graffeo had become more entrenched in his additional role as head of the HD DVD Promotional Group and less involved with handling specific Universal titles. The HD DVD Promotional Group dissolved on the heels of Toshiba’s February announcement that it was ending its support for its HD DVD hardware.
“I was setting up that infrastructure [of the HD DVD Promotion Group] on a day to day basis,” said Graffeo. “And now that group is no longer in existence. … Now I’m looking at what my different options are and what my next moves will be.”
-------------Call it, friendo.
Follow Ups:
I have never heard of Graffeo. Nor do I care.
In the time it took to write the original screed about his tragic departure and the implications for mankind, the following took place:
Somewhere quite a few people died of starvation, or were as focused on finding their next meal as our OP seemed to be about some execugeek's firing.
Somewhere, someone is sitting crying at a bedside because the love of their life is dying. I doubt they are thinking: "First HD-DVD and now this."
There is Blu-Ray. It is fine. It is not the end of this bloody spoiled world.
C.
.
A studio exec forces that studio to make the wrong business decision in a format war, screwing both that studio and its customers and your conclusion is...I'm taking it too personally? I think the entire installed base of blu-ray adopters would be interested in BD titles from universal, and I don't think the brass at the studio is too pleased they were invested in the losing side of a format battle. You gotta admit it's not about me.
-------------Call it, friendo.
.
""YEAH, 49ers!!!! YEAHHHH!!!! GIANTSS!!! WHOOOO!!! GO!!!!""""
Who gives a flying fuck, and get a life of your own, and you won't care.
-------------Call it, friendo.
at life. Having personal animosity towards a human to where you are glad he lost his job based on your loving a format is pathological. Like it or don't. He probably has a family to support, who are now scared their father has lost his job. But you want vengeance due to hi-rez formats.
Time for the doctor. Not meant as a slam, serious as can be.
That's all this is about. I don't know how it works in ambulance chaser offices like yours, but in the corporate sector, if you make bad decisions and cost your company valuable money and time, you deserve to be fired. As a result of Graffeo's love affair with HD DVD, Universal got off on the wrong foot. As Disney/Miramax, Tristar/Columbia, Fox and Warner are increasing their visibility among the rapidly growing Blu-ray market, Universal is a no-show. They should have axed Graffeo a long time ago.
-------------Call it, friendo.
GE should not have allowed Universal to be format exclusive. At minimum, they should have said "Support both: you're running our business, not a fan club, Ken.". Of course, that's assuming GE knew better (the studio support for Blu-ray should have made it obvious).
As a side note, none of their VC-1 encodes can be ported to Blu-ray (unlike Warner Bros' encodes, but they're bit-starved as it is, so that's not necessarily a good thing), though that may be a blessing in disguise -- maybe they'll opt for AVC when encoding for Blu-ray.
I have come to the same conclusion; that it may be for the best that Universal needs to start from scratch to produce Blu-ray. At least we'll get product of higher quality, albeit a year later than we should have.
On your other point, I have to disagree. It's the responsibility of the HD home video VP to decide where to take the company in any new HD format. GE isn't plugged into these issues. I'm sure the GE board expects the eletronics/appliances execs to know their markets, the pharmaceutical executives to be the experts in their markets and the Universal studios execs to be the experts in their markets, respectively. Graffeo was willfully ignoring Blu-ray's advantages and hyping HD DVD's selling points to the consumer. I'm sure he was peddling the same lies to the board. It was his responsibility and not GE's to know the market and make the right choices.
-------------Call it, friendo.
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-------------Call it, friendo.
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-------------Call it, friendo.
Jazz,
You gotta admit that you set yourself up for this one ;-)
-------------Call it, friendo.
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I don't blame you or 4seasons. If I let failures like Graffeo convince me that HD DVD was worth adopting, I'd be sore too. Luckily, I'm a more savvy consumer than that.Actually, luck has nothing to do with it.
-------------Call it, friendo.
.
Oh, that's your gig.
-------------Call it, friendo.
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