[Chapter 707: Assessment]
Once wealth reached a certain level, having more became pointless. For William White, spending more time with his family mattered more at that moment.
Well, some might call him a jerk.
Yeah, there was no denying that; he definitely wasn't a good guy.
If you wanted to talk about how bad he was, that was really up for debate. Buffett had two wives; did anyone say anything about that?
As long as you weren't a politician, it didn't really matter. William White had just been a little greedy; after all, he hadn't done anything too heinous.
"Tom, will the MPEG organization accept us as members?"
"Sir, it looks difficult. The role of digital video is very broad, and they want to become an independent organization that everyone can accept."
William White didn't buy Tom's words. He might as well be saying it's exclusive; it was clear that some had already seen the potential of this technology.
"Filson, what do you think?"
"Sir, it's not realistic. Right now, internet speed isn't good enough. If speeds improve in the future, what happens to video phones? Will they charge for it? What if I want to watch some videos on my computer? Will I need a license?"
"Yeah, that's definitely an issue. By the way, Jason, is the internet better now?"
"Boss, there has been some improvement domestically. If I send an email to Hong Kong or Japan, the reply is still quite slow. With pictures or compressed videos, the internet isn't reliable. Files under two megabytes are fine."
William White had lost interest in the so-called information superhighway. Those folks were all talk and no real substance.
But, this video format absolutely couldn't be left in someone else's hands.
"Filson, contact Philips, Sony, and Panasonic. Notify all the companies that produce recorders and cameras."
"Sir, are you planning to start your own thing?"
"Of course. If they can do it, I can too. Tell those guys that as long as they become members, they can use the patents for free. What's the big deal about a digital video format? Don't I have it at Bell Labs? Remember, I'm only saying this once: third-tier companies focus on production, second-tier companies look at design, and first-tier companies look at standards. Think about it. If all the standards for digital video are in someone else's hands, why should we push for digitization?"
William White genuinely wanted to know if those guys would still remain so calm once they realized he was planning to start a new initiative.
This wasn't just a VCD issue; even in the streaming era, MPEG was quite influential. It didn't matter if it was Apple or Sony -- without tolls, they'd be stuck. This was the real way to make easy profits.
Filson completely agreed with William White's views. Furthermore, it was an urgent matter; if this couldn't be settled, how could they determine PS4 specifications?
At their level, if they couldn't even see future trends, they were really just occupying positions without contributing anything.
Regular phones were already out of date; everything was digital now. While cassette tapes hadn't yet been entirely replaced by CDs, that trend was clearly on the horizon.
"Boss, the future of this world is truly frightening. It seems like everything will be made up of strings of numbers."
William White paused. Yeah, everything would be numerical -- convenient, certainly. But what would happen if there were problems? You'd find yourself without cash right next to you.
"Ha ha, Jason, while things are developing quickly, it hasn't reached the extent you're talking about. Besides, by the time we get there, it'll be something for our kids to think about. We old folks will probably be retired by then."
The group smiled in silence. Yeah, with William White retiring before fifty, there were less than twenty years left. How much could they really develop in that time?
"Sir, what if those guys compromise?" Filson hesitated but still planned to clarify.
"It depends on how you all negotiate. Philips' attitude isn't that important. The people who love video recorders the most are probably the Japanese. If I'm right, they've pretty much already made them commonplace."
"Haha, especially those single guys. If they don't have this, life would be dark."
"Overdoing it can be catastrophic, Jason. Occasional indulgence is fine, but if it becomes a habit, it not only affects the prostate but also impacts other qualities. If you really face ED, there are no miracle drugs for that."
Was there a hint of mockery in Jason's understanding? William White's lewd expression clearly meant something.
Naturally, with those last words, Jason and the other two couldn't help cracking up, and Tom's chubby face twitched a couple of times.
...
Since they reached a consensus, it was time to get back to their lives. With year-end approaching, everyone was busy.
As for whether they would fail, nobody seemed to want to ponder such a useless question. The specifications you created from the outside were clearly inferior to what came up within industry associations. Most importantly, William White didn't plan on profiting from it.
In fact, those who preferred independent formats were notably the Japanese. If you developed a high-definition format, they insisted on creating a Blu-ray version.
Sony was really shooting itself in the foot. It battled with Panasonic over recorders, only to end up failing miserably. Later, when others moved to MP3s, they insisted on sticking with MDs.
Alright, whether it was the recorder or MD, your technology truly was top-notch. Blu-ray wouldn't necessarily be worse than high-definition. However, nobody wanted to play along with you.
The Japanese really had a different mindset. As an industry giant, if you established the standard, wouldn't we all simply close our doors and stop?
If Blu-ray really became mainstream, the otaku would surely be ecstatic.
What? Mosaic?
Well, that was indeed an obstacle hindering human advancement. For the Japanese, the tragedy was doubled.
Only authentic 'action' movies contained mosaics. As for all the random stuff that circulated, well, there weren't really any limitations on that.
Of course, not all Japanese followed the rules. At least, those in certain circles didn't care about that. This also formed a significant part of their industry.
This self-destructive behavior seemed deeply rooted in their souls. At the very least, Sony was in that state now. William White's proposal found support from Panasonic and other companies. While there were various demands, the general direction remained consistent.
As for Sony, they politely declined. Even though William White had anticipated this, he couldn't help but tease them. This time, they truly were facing a bigger collapse.
*****
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