Stage6 to Shut Down on February 28

Shazz Prominent Member

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#1

The highest quality provider that has work the best on the web as of now is shutting down!

http://www.stage6.com/

NOTE: I'm reposting the same message I put up this morning to open the blog back up for comments. Rest assured, we are reading what you write and appreciate the outpouring.

Iâ€™m Tom (aka Spinner), a Stage6 user and an employee of DivX, Inc., the company behind the service. Iâ€™m writing this message today to inform you that we plan to shut down Stage6 on February 28, 2008. Upload functionality has already been turned off, and youâ€™ll be able to view and download videos until Thursday.

I know this news will come as a shock and disappointment to many Stage6 users, and Iâ€™d like to take a few moments to explain the reasons behind our decision.

We created Stage6 with the mission of empowering content creators and viewers to discover a new kind of video experience. Stage6 began as an experiment, and we always knew there was a chance that it might not succeed.

In many ways, though, the service did succeed, beyond even our own initial expectations. Stage6 became very popular very quickly. We helped gain exposure for some talented filmmakers who brought great videos to the attention of an engaged community. We helped prove that itâ€™s possible to distribute true high definition video on the Internet. And we helped broaden the Internet video experience by offering content that is compatible with DVD players, mobile devices and other products beyond the PC.

So why are we shutting the service down? Well, the short answer is that the continued operation of Stage6 is a very expensive enterprise that requires an enormous amount of attention and resources that we are not in a position to continue to provide. There are a lot of other details involved, but at the end of the day itâ€™s really as simple as that.

Now, why didnâ€™t we think of that before we decided to create Stage6 in the first place, you may ask? Thatâ€™s a good question. When we first created Stage6, there was a clear need for a service that would offer a true high quality video experience online because other video destinations on the Internet simply werenâ€™t providing that to users. A gap existed, and Stage6 arrived to fill it.

As Stage6 grew quickly and dramatically (accompanied by an explosion of other sites delivering high quality video), it became clear that operating the service as a part of the larger DivX business no longer made sense. We couldnâ€™t continue to run Stage6 and focus on our broader strategy to make it possible for anyone to enjoy high quality video on any device. So, in July of last year we announced that we were kicking off an effort to explore strategic alternatives for Stage6, which is a fancy way of saying we decided we would either have to sell it, spin it out into a private company or shut it down.

I wonâ€™t (and canâ€™t, really) go into too much detail on those first two options other than to say that we tried really hard to find a way to keep Stage6 alive, either as its own private entity or by selling it to another company. Ultimately neither of those two scenarios was possible, and we made the hard decision to turn the lights off and cease operation of the service.

So thatâ€™s where we are today. After February 28, Stage6 will cease to exist as an online destination. But the larger DivX universe will continue to thrive. Every day new DivX Certified devices arrive on the market making it easy to move video beyond the PC. Products powered by DivX Connected, our new initiative that lets users stream video, photos, music and Internet services from the PC to the TV, are hitting retail outlets. We remain committed to empowering content creators to deliver high quality video to a wide audience, and weâ€™ll continue to offer services that will make it easy to find videos online in the DivX format.

Itâ€™s been a wild ride, and none of it would have been possible without the support of our users. Thank you for making Stage6 everything that it was.

--Tom
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Shazz, Feb 26, 2008 IP

Wuiqed Well-Known Member

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#2

Shazz said: ↑

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I concur.

One can only hope they'll be back with a solution some time in the future, but meh... wishful thinking.

Wuiqed, Feb 27, 2008 IP

pipsbank Banned

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#3

so sad...great resources over there

pipsbank, Feb 27, 2008 IP

Disguised Notable Member

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#4

Some Great Videos I've downloaded from stage6 would remind me of them (Definitely a shocking news)

Disguised, Feb 27, 2008 IP

Shazz Prominent Member

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#5

Someone could totally buy them out and keep the site up! I mean it gets traffic with no problem.

Shazz, Feb 27, 2008 IP

Slugga Peon

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#6

Damn Shame..

Slugga, Feb 27, 2008 IP

wisdomtool Moderator Staff

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#7

I think if they are shutting down means that they have exhausted this option, they would have tried to sound out interested parties or investors to bail them out before they take the ultimate step of shutting down. But it is a real pity.

Shazz said: ↑

Someone could totally buy them out and keep the site up! I mean it gets traffic with no problem.
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wisdomtool, Feb 27, 2008 IP

Proximity Banned

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#8

Sad, someone else might be taking stage6 place if they have the money.

Proximity, Feb 27, 2008 IP

wisdomtool Moderator Staff

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#9

I was thinking Google may want but pity Google never take any such action.

wisdomtool, Feb 27, 2008 IP

Shazz Prominent Member

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#10

This could be the next comming up...

http://stage7.ning.com/

Stage 7

Shazz, Feb 27, 2008 IP

raven1975 Peon

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#11

This is sad cause it took me a long time to find something like stage6 , only to see it leave us 2 months later

raven1975, Feb 27, 2008 IP

worldman Notable Member

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#12

Why don't some of us on DP approach them and offer to take it over. Or better yet start our own? I'm sure there are a couple of us who has some free time on our hands and we could handle this...am I making a joke? Yeah but seriously guys why not consider it.

worldman, Feb 28, 2008 IP

Shazz Prominent Member

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#13

worldman said: ↑

Why don't some of us on DP approach them and offer to take it over. Or better yet start our own? I'm sure there are a couple of us who has some free time on our hands and we could handle this...am I making a joke? Yeah but seriously guys why not consider it.
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That won't work... Quality and traffic is everything which I highly doubt anyone will scratch up here.

Shazz, Feb 28, 2008 IP

worldman Notable Member

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#14

you doubt your fellow DPers. But Anyway yes it would need traffic and quality. That is not too hard.

worldman, Feb 28, 2008 IP

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Stage6 to Shut Down on February 28

Shazz Prominent Member

Wuiqed Well-Known Member

pipsbank Banned

Disguised Notable Member

Shazz Prominent Member

Slugga Peon

wisdomtool Moderator Staff

Proximity Banned

wisdomtool Moderator Staff

Shazz Prominent Member

raven1975 Peon

worldman Notable Member

Shazz Prominent Member

worldman Notable Member

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