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[rc213]

The way I see it, the DVD Forum, which included Sony, wanted a industry standard, which would be most affordable to consumers and the studios. Sony disagreed, and left to start their own forum, therefore splintering the next gen video market. They also made no considerations as to costs to consumers.

Definitely buying the propaganda. DVD Forum wasn't ever tasked with defining an HD format, two seperate groups did that. We see those formats today. DVD forum endorsed HD DVD after the fact.

Yes, I blame Sony, and yes I admit to having a bias against Sony. I simply do not understand why one would want to pay more for less. That, and I have a penchant for cheering on underdogs.

The whole price advantage is quickly shrinking and pretty soon will be moot. Toshiba is not the underdog in any way shape or form, They just mishandled the huge lead they had to the market. Also why would anyone want something that costs less when the content isn't there?

 

[ManaByte]

Fifth Element:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/fifthelement_remastered.html

As promised, Sony has gone back to the drawing board with the video for this re-issue, and it's clear from the get-go that this is not just another serving of damaged goods.

In addition to striking a brand new master, the studio has doubled its pleasure from a BD-25 single-layer disc to a BD-50 dual-layer disc, and has switched from the earlier MPEG-2 encode to a brand new AVC MPEG-4 encode.

Since the original Blu-ray release of 'The Fifth Element' has been so resoundingly denounced by both fans and reviewers, there is no need to rub much more salt in the wound. In short, while it wasn't a total disaster, the print was surprisingly dirty, softness was rampant, compression artifacts and noise were frequent, and more often than not, the Blu-ray just looked like poorly upconverted standard-definition.

Even at first glance, this re-master is head and shoulders above its predecessor. The source print, the colors, the detail -- this is finally the real high-def deal 'Fifth Element' fans have been waiting for.

The most noteworthy improvement is undoubtedly detail and sharpness. The original Blu-ray release looked soft and woefully lacking in fine texture. Though close-ups benefit the most on this new version, the improved clarity of the image is apparent even on medium- and long- shots. Shadow delineation is also boosted, so minor details in clothing, set design and even some of the digital effects that were lost before in the murk are now are much more clearly visible. Depth is also improved -- it is not exponential but certainly noticeable. Lastly, all those dreaded compression problems have been eradicated -- this AVC MPEG-4 encode looks smooth throughout, and artifact-free.

After all the bad buzz for the older version, it's interesting to revisit that disc and remember that several aspects of the original edition were actually not all that bad. Doing a fresh compare between old and new, blacks on the original transfer hold up surprising well, and the new version is likewise consistently deep and pure. However, contrast is a bit better with the re-master -- whites seem a bit cleaner yet remain safe from blooming. Colors (which were also quite strong on the original release) appear to be even more robust -- reds, greens and purples in particular are noticeably more vivid and distinct. Some of the inconsistencies in tint have also now been rectified -- gone is the reddish cast, and I was particularly impressed with how much more accurate fleshtones are now, especially for a movie that is so highly stylized.

Are there any problems? Sure. The biggest issue is that there is some noticeable edge enhancement applied. It's certainly not the worst I've seen, but in an apparent effort to boost sharpness, some slight halos are clearly visible, and grain can be exacerbated as a result. Is this fatal? Not at all, but it does knock the video down a half-peg.

Still, a four-and-a-half star video rating for a ten year-old catalogue title is pretty darn impressive, and should rate as great high-def in anyone's book. Sony is definitely to be commended -- not only for returning to the scene of their past crimes and righting old wrongs, but also for providing this remaster absolutely free to those who purchased the old version.

 

[thaivo]

The whole price advantage is quickly shrinking and pretty soon will be moot. Toshiba is not the underdog in any way shape or form, They just mishandled the huge lead they had to the market. Also why would anyone want something that costs less when the content isn't there?

Content isn't there? There's more good and buyable content than I can afford! :lol

Also as far as I've been able to see, none of the studios presently releasing HD-DVD's have changed their release lists.

 

[krypt0nian]

Fifth Element:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/fifthelement_remastered.html

Rock on! I just sent in my shit copy this afternoon for replacement.

Multipass!

 

[Manmademan]

Functionality mainly.

Oh good. because it certainly isn't less content (of which Blu Ray has substantially more)
or less space per disk (of which Blu ray has substantially more)
or more industry support (of which...yadda yadda etc)

look, you can let your ridiculous anti-sony bias color your preferences all you want, but pretending that Blu-ray somehow has "less" than HD-DVD is completely asinine.

you can fiddle around with bonus features all you want, the rest of us will be watching movies.

 

[rc213]

Content isn't there? There's more good and buyable content than I can afford! :lol

Also as far as I've been able to see, none of the studios presently releasing HD-DVD's have changed their release lists.

You might want to go back some pages and check the sales charts for both formats. The waves of catalog titles are doing next to nothing to help HD DVD where it counts.

 

[Chemo]

Functionality mainly.

Holy shit, you're right. It does have more functionality. I guess that's the main thing. Here I was, thinking that having more content was what was important.

 

[Gary Whitta]

That's pretty good of them to replace those Fifth Element BDs like that.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Fifth Element:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/fifthelement_remastered.html

Thank goodness! I love this film.

Oh yeah, baby...give it to me!

 

[rc213]

Now if only they could get the Original Resident Evil Movie I could be truly happy.


Fifth Element
Resident Evil
UnderWorld

 

[XMonkey]

Maybe not grim, but not overyly positive. If you look at the numbers, they show that HD has a significant grasp on the CE market.... even with the PS3, the ratio for software sales is not overwhelming, and read somewhere that it's 1.9 million discs vs. 1.6 million disks... considering that there are much more BD players out there, you'd expect that ratio to be much more in favor of BD.

Tie-in ratios. Tie-in ratios!

*head explodes*

 

[thaivo]

Oh good. because it certainly isn't less content (of which Blu Ray has substantially more)
or less space per disk (of which Blu ray has substantially more)
or more industry support (of which...yadda yadda etc)

look, you can let your ridiculous anti-sony bias color your preferences all you want, but pretending that Blu-ray somehow has "less" than HD-DVD is completely asinine.

you can fiddle around with bonus features all you want, the rest of us will be watching movies.

From an HD-DVD insider

"First off, HDi isn't just about IME, or PIP, or any particular aspect of the HD DVD user experience. On all the studio HD DVD titles, HDi is responsibel for ALL the user interaction. I think even people who don't watch commentary appreciate the much better menuing experience of HD DVD, where you're able to look at options while playing. That's HDi.

HDi enables a huge number of great experiences, many of which haven't even been doing in shipping titles yet. Wait until you see what's going to happen when you can interact with other users from within a movie .

The other important thing about HDi is the ease of authoring. It's just a XML markup plus JScript for scripting, so it's something that a typical web programmer or designer can jump right into. It isn't impossible to write without an abstraction layer like DVD, or require software engineering skills like Java.

So, basically, HDi provides:

Great user experiences
That can be authored easily, meaning there are more of them"

I don't think my bias against Sony is all that ridiculous, especially considering the amount of people that share such a bias. There's reason behind the madness.

 

[Manmademan]

From an HD-DVD insider

"First off, HDi isn't just about IME, or PIP, or any particular aspect of the HD DVD user experience. On all the studio HD DVD titles, HDi is responsibel for ALL the user interaction. I think even people who don't watch commentary appreciate the much better menuing experience of HD DVD, where you're able to look at options while playing. That's HDi.

HDi enables a huge number of great experiences, many of which haven't even been doing in shipping titles yet. Wait until you see what's going to happen when you can interact with other users from within a movie .

The other important thing about HDi is the ease of authoring. It's just a XML markup plus JScript for scripting, so it's something that a typical web programmer or designer can jump right into. It isn't impossible to write without an abstraction layer like DVD, or require software engineering skills like Java.

So, basically, HDi provides:

Great user experiences
That can be authored easily, meaning there are more of them"

Silly me, thinking that a "great user experience" would be being able to watch more of the movies I want on the player of my choice.

HD-DVD fails miserably here, and the SECOND Universal decides to go format neutral, HD-DVD is dead. period.

Blu-Ray has been absolutely crushing HD-DVD in software sales since inception, and that was with the Ps3 selling miserably by game console standards. As of the last week or so, we've seen a spike in hardware sales that HD-DVD has no way to match or catch up with. The price drops Toshiba has pulled so far don't seem to be making any difference.

How do you think the sales charts are going to look once the Ps3 is actually selling units? :lol

Universal can't afford to stay HD-DVD exclusive if things keep going the way they have been.

 

[thaivo]

Silly me, thinking that a "great user experience" would be being able to watch more of the movies I want on the player of my choice.

HD-DVD fails miserably here, and the SECOND Universal decides to go format neutral, HD-DVD is dead. period.

I don't dispute the fact that BD has more content... but are you saying that you are happy to pay more, and get less functionality? Especially, when that functionality is one of the primary reasons for the upgrade to next gen video mediums?

To me it is interesting that BD supporters seem to downplay all these great functionalities, when they are constantly bringing up some technical advantages (i.e., capacity) that simply doesn't appear to materialize on screen. The fact that 300 on HD-DVD is much better means something to me, and there is a reason for the added functionality. If the sides were reversed, I'm sure you would trumpet the fact that 300 on BD was better too.

 

[Petrarca]

From an HD-DVD insider

"First off, HDi isn't just about IME, or PIP, or any particular aspect of the HD DVD user experience. On all the studio HD DVD titles, HDi is responsibel for ALL the user interaction. I think even people who don't watch commentary appreciate the much better menuing experience of HD DVD, where you're able to look at options while playing. That's HDi.

HDi enables a huge number of great experiences, many of which haven't even been doing in shipping titles yet. Wait until you see what's going to happen when you can interact with other users from within a movie .

The other important thing about HDi is the ease of authoring. It's just a XML markup plus JScript for scripting, so it's something that a typical web programmer or designer can jump right into. It isn't impossible to write without an abstraction layer like DVD, or require software engineering skills like Java.

So, basically, HDi provides:

Great user experiences
That can be authored easily, meaning there are more of them"

I don't think my bias against Sony is all that ridiculous, especially considering the amount of people that share such a bias. There's reason behind the madness.

user interactivity...... :roll my big eyes:

if I want interactivity, I socialize, play games, **** my gf, .....if I want to watch a movie, I watch a movie

it's basically useless shit that average movie fans don't give a shit about

 

[Suikoguy]

That's pretty good of them to replace those Fifth Element BDs like that.

Yeah, it really was unexpected.

Good PR move though, it probably did not cost them much to exchange them out.
And looks really awesome to early adopters.

 

[Chemo]

I don't think my bias against Sony is all that ridiculous, especially considering the amount of people that share such a bias. There's reason behind the madness.

So every time large groups of people hate someone there's a good reason? Think about what you just said.

No, I really think that a great deal of the anti-Sony sentiment, at least on GAF, is a direct result of the PlayStation soundly and deservedly beating the ever living shit out of the Nintendo 64. Don't bother confirming or denying that, mind you... if that's not the reason, I'm sure whatever it is happens to be equally laughable and incredulous. Or maybe you have a good reason. Who knows! I haven't seen a lot of people who have legitimate reasons for blind hatred though.

 

[XMonkey]

Especially, when that functionality is one of the primary reasons for the upgrade to next gen video mediums?

Says who? You? Not everyone sees better special features as the reason for going to an HD movie format. I think, ya know, the better picture quality and sound are the reason. Oh, and having more movies.

 

[Manmademan]

I don't dispute the fact that BD has more content... but are you saying that you are happy to pay more, and get less functionality? Especially, when that functionality is one of the primary reasons for the upgrade to next gen video mediums?

To me it is interesting that BD supporters seem to downplay all these great functionalities, when they are constantly bringing up some technical advantages (i.e., capacity) that simply doesn't appear to materialize on screen. The fact that 300 on HD-DVD is much better means something to me, and there is a reason for the added functionality. If the sides were reversed, I'm sure you would trumpet the fact that 300 on BD was better too.

Are you telling me you'd rather pay less to get less? because that's the way I see your argument.

"functionality" is meaningless. The primary reason for the upgrade is to watch films in high definition, and hopefully with better sound as well. Period. all the HDi in the world makes no difference if the films aren't there.

I don't think my bias against Sony is all that ridiculous, especially considering the amount of people that share such a bias. There's reason behind the madness.

you mean all the people buying HD-DVD players and software over PS3's and Blu Ray discs? OH WAIT....

 

[Oni Jazar]

For those who love this stupid war:

Finally today, there's interesting Indy and Star Wars news: At the Star Wars Celebration event in Europe this past weekend, George Lucas' longtime producer, Rick McCallum, spilled the beans on some interesting release plans at Lucasfilm. It seems that the first of several volumes of Young Indiana Jones episodes will finally be released on DVD on 10/13. According to this link at the official Star Wars blog, the first batch of discs will street in October, followed by another in January and one more right after the theatrical release of Indy IV. There's an audio recording at that link of some of McCallum's presentation. Several Bits readers who were on hand at the event have e-mailed us to say that Rick also told the gathering that the Star Wars films will NOT be released in high-definition until there is a clear winner in the Blu-ray Disc/HD-DVD format war (implying that they'll eventually be released on only one of the two formats). I expect we'll hear more about this next week at Comic-Con in San Diego.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

 

[thaivo]

How do you think the sales charts are going to look once the Ps3 is actually selling units? :lol

Universal can't afford to stay HD-DVD exclusive if things keep going the way they have been.

Well, so far the PS3 hasn't exactly been buring up the charts...

What is most surprising to me, and what many people don't seems to have commented on, is that without the PS3, BD would be dead in the water. Even with the PS3, Sony has not blown Toshiba out of the water as much as everyone predicted. I agree BD discs are outselling HD-DVD, but just not by as much as you seem to be asserting.

Additionally, I think it is interesting that Sony is fighting a two front war, like Napolean and Hitler... : ) (no, I don't mean Sony = Hitler).... and they are losing badly in the console side. My hope is that like Napolean, they will fall. :lol (I'm kidding, sorta)

 

[thaivo]

Are you telling me you'd rather pay less to get less? because that's the way I see your argument.

"functionality" is meaningless. The primary reason for the upgrade is to watch films in high definition, and hopefully with better sound as well. Period. all the HDi in the world makes no difference if the films aren't there.

you mean all the people buying HD-DVD players and software over PS3's and Blu Ray discs? OH WAIT....

Actually, I disagree. The primary reason for DVD's win over VHS was not picture quality. It was functionality, and convenience. People didn't have to rewind, could skip to chapters, and the media was much more durable.

The majority of people with HDTV's don't even watch any HD content. They bought their TV's because it was flat, and "looked cool."

That is actually next gen media's greatest weakness. Although the functionality is much better than regular DVD's, not many people know about it, and many, many people can't or don't notice the difference between regular DVD and HDM until you point it out... and then they just go "oh...I see" and roll their eyes.. :lol

Finally, are you saying that Blu-Ray discs have better picture quality than HD-DVD's? This doesn't seem to be the case, at least when I've compared to two at stores, and the comparison pics that I've seen.

 

[Manmademan]

Well, so far the PS3 hasn't exactly been buring up the charts...

What is most surprising to me, and what many people don't seems to have commented on, is that without the PS3, BD would be dead in the water. Even with the PS3, Sony has not blown Toshiba out of the water as much as everyone predicted. I agree BD discs are outselling HD-DVD, but just not by as much as you seem to be asserting.

Additionally, I think it is interesting that Sony is fighting a two front war, like Napolean and Hitler... : ) (no, I don't mean Sony = Hitler).... and they are losing badly in the console side. My hope is that like Napolean, they will fall. :lol (I'm kidding, sorta)

Thats the whole point. with the ps3 selling like crap, HD-DVD is getting the tar beaten out of it, and pretty much everyone agrees this is due to the effect the PS3 has on the market.

Since the price drop was announced pre-E3, sales have been up. substantially so. It's selling out in places where it NEVER has. Sales are currently 2-1 or even 3-1 in favor of blu ray.

What will charts look like once Ps3 sales double? Even if it matches Xbox sales at 160,000 units a month (which are actually modest, in terms of console sales) HD-DVD has NO WAY of spurring sales to catch up. Short of literally giving them away, there's nothing they can do.

The writing is on the wall man. whether or not your bias lets you see it is your own problem.

 

[thaivo]

What will charts look like once Ps3 sales double? Even if it matches Xbox sales at 160,000 units a month (which are actually modest, in terms of console sales) HD-DVD has NO WAY of spurring sales to catch up. Short of literally giving them away, there's nothing they can do.

The writing is on the wall man. whether or not your bias lets you see it is your own problem.

Since the rebate and price drop to $299 MSRP, HD-DVD players have been selling significantly better. Something like 70,000 in one month, which effectively doubled their installed base. Now, with the MSRP at $299, street prices are likely to fall even lower (I bought one from Costco at $250).

Considering this, and the fact that the attach rates are so high for HD-DVD, there should be a healthy market for HD-DVD for a good time.

I'm not blind to the fact that HD-DVD has a hard road to walk. I see it, but I also think that you make too light of what is already there, and what is going to be there for the foreseeable future.

 

[XMonkey]

Let Toshiba sell all the players they want. Until we see all of them making a difference in movies sold, don't bring it up as an advantage.

And do not ever mention tie-in ratios or attach rates again.

 

[thaivo]

And do not ever mention tie-in ratios or attach rates again.

Why's that?

 

[XMonkey]

Why's that?

It means you drink the AVS kool-aid.

 

[Manmademan]

Actually, I disagree. The primary reason for DVD's win over VHS was not picture quality.

what?? no one mentioned DVD vs. VHS. we're talking about the reasons for upgrading from DVD to BRD/HD-DVD. the two situations are NOT comparable at all.

It was functionality, and convenience. People didn't have to rewind, could skip to chapters, and the media was much more durable.

er, and they can rewind, skip chapters, and have durable media with DVD and BRD/HD-DVD. functionality is irrelevant here. NO ONE is buying HD-DVD's to fiddle around with the HDi. look at the marketing materials, and ask yourself what the ads are emphasizing? Next Generation Picture and Sound? or HDi bonus features? The answer to this is beyond obvious.

The majority of people with HDTV's don't even watch any HD content. They bought their TV's because it was flat, and "looked cool."

this might have been true years ago, but is no longer necessarily the case. I get HDTV through BASIC cable (ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX/CW/TNT and amusingly enough Universal HD) without having to subscribe to anything, and need nothing more than a coax cable. Everyone with comcast in the area is in the same boat. HD is substantially more accessible than it used to be, and DirectTV and Digital Cable companies are seriously pushing it.

That is actually next gen media's greatest weakness. Although the functionality is much better than regular DVD's, not many people know about it, and many, many people can't or don't notice the difference between regular DVD and HDM until you point it out... and then they just go "oh...I see" and roll their eyes.. :lol

bull. you can't watch TV OR go to the theatre these days without seeing long ads for BRD/HD-DVD. Even my 63 year old mother knows what it is by now, and she couldn't care less. Everyone I know of that's actually SEEN high definition content sees an immediate difference, ESPECIALLY with sports. do you want to know how many people I get over here for Phillies games? and the Phillies STINK.

Finally, are you saying that Blu-Ray discs have better picture quality than HD-DVD's? This doesn't seem to be the case, at least when I've compared to two at stores, and the comparison pics that I've seen.

nowhere in any of my posts did I say this. Don't attempt to derail the conversation by putting words in my mouth.

 

[VanMardigan]

Cry me a river, Nancy.

If you have a point, bring it. Don't hide like a bitch behind OMGBANSTICK. I don't give a shit either way.

You obviously don't give a shit since you skipped the rest of the post.....which "brought" my point. Feel free to respond. Or not. I don't give a shit either.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

All I know is when I look at Blu-Ray and HD-DVD at a Best Buy, the image quality difference (i.e., none) does not justify the fact that one player is 2 times the price of another. Why would a consumer want to pay more for almost identical performance?

I got a game system with my player, made a lot of difference in justifying the price. And probably why so many people who want BluRay buy a PS3.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Which is why Blu-Ray's success is so undeserved as the ball was fumbled so badly out of the gate and for many months after that.

I somewhat agree, although the studio support was there from the start, and that's a lot more important than whether the early releases are bad.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

The way I see it, the DVD Forum, which included Sony, wanted a industry standard, which would be most affordable to consumers and the studios. Sony disagreed, and left to start their own forum, therefore splintering the next gen video market. They also made no considerations as to costs to consumers.

Want to source that story? The DVD forum did not come up with HD DVD. And there's only one major company making HD-DVD players vs several making Blu-Ray. One major studio exclusive to HD DVD and several exclusive to Blu-Ray. Which format is proprietary?

 

[favouriteflavour]

I dont think universal minds being the big supporter of HD DVD. They are probaly doing really well on it. What % sold of HD DVDs are universal titles?

With regards to the debate between superiority of the two formats I havent seen any big difference between picture quality. No bluray movie i have seen is far better than any HD DVD movie I have seen. So that additional space has so far meant nothing. I dont care at all about special features so picture and sound quality is all i want from my movies and on that front both are at this point level. It will be like dvd where the best picture and sound will come from people who make an effort. One facet that to me makes HD DVD better is that its region free, as an australian where releases are often months later if at all this is a big deal to me. However this advantage is also a reason why many studios are reluctant to support HD DVD which is unfortunate.

 

[Manmademan]

I dont think universal minds being the big supporter of HD DVD. They are probaly doing really well on it. What % sold of HD DVDs are universal titles?

With regards to the debate between superiority of the two formats I havent seen any big difference between picture quality. No bluray movie i have seen is far better than any HD DVD movie I have seen. So that additional space has so far meant nothing. I dont care at all about special features so picture and sound quality is all i want from my movies and on that front both are at this point level. It will be like dvd where the best picture and sound will come from people who make an effort. One facet that to me makes HD DVD better is that its region free, as an australian where releases are often months later if at all this is a big deal to me. However this advantage is also a reason why many studios are reluctant to support HD DVD which is unfortunate.

It doesn't really matter what percentage of HD-DVDs sold are universal titles, when all blu ray titles are outselling HD-DVD by such a wide margin. If this continues (and looking at PS3 sales, it will) universal's investors won't be able to overlook the stranglehold blu-ray is going to have on the next gen market.

Yes, blu-ray has regions, but they're incredibly more lenient than those that were present on DVD.

DVD had 8 regions, of which australia was region 4, in with south america. (the US was region 1, Europe was region 2, Japan was 3, Asia/russia was 5...)

Blu-Ray only has THREE. The entire western hemisphere and japan is region 1, Europe, africa, and australia are region 2, and the rest of asia and russia is region 3.

So even if region coding is still in place, it's WORLDS better than what you had before, and you'll see releases at the same time as the rest of europe.

 

[favouriteflavour]

It doesn't really matter what percentage of HD-DVDs sold are universal titles, when all blu ray titles are outselling HD-DVD by such a wide margin. If this continues (and looking at PS3 sales, it will) universal's investors won't be able to overlook the stranglehold blu-ray is going to have on the next gen market.

Yes, blu-ray has regions, but they're incredibly more lenient than those that were present on DVD.

DVD had 8 regions, of which australia was region 4, in with south america. (the US was region 1, Europe was region 2, Japan was 3, Asia/russia was 5...)

Blu-Ray only has THREE. The entire western hemisphere and japan is region 1, Europe, africa, and australia are region 2, and the rest of asia and russia is region 3.

So even if region coding is still in place, it's WORLDS better than what you had before, and you'll see releases at the same time as the rest of europe.

I would still prefer no region coding at all. With reference to Universal undoubtedly they will switch to bluray at some point, its looking ineivitable really, but for now given that the entire HD market in small, cornering the HD DVD market will not harm them at all, in fact it may be to their benefit. If a bluray owner wants a movie they have a large range of studios to choose from, HD DVD buyers have fewer and if most of them are universal then universal wins. Afterall they will still make money off Bluray buyers eventually.

 

[XMonkey]

Universal can really only ride on their catalog hits. Most recent big box office hits have come from studios other than Universal over the last couple of years.

 

[Manmademan]

I would still prefer no region coding at all. With reference to Universal undoubtedly they will switch to bluray at some point, its looking ineivitable really, but for now given that the entire HD market in small, cornering the HD DVD market will not harm them at all, in fact it may be to their benefit. If a bluray owner wants a movie they have a large range of studios to choose from, HD DVD buyers have fewer and if most of them are universal then universal wins. Afterall they will still make money off Bluray buyers eventually.

"cornering" the HD-DVD market would undoubtedly sell them less discs (and thus make them less money) than supporting both formats would. bottom line, no way around it. they're ignoring 2/3rds of the HD buying public at the moment.

supporting only one format certainly DOES harm them, since they're not selling as many discs as they could, and the longer the market stays "split", the slower EITHER format will grow, since there's still a sizable number of fence sitters out there. Once universal caves, HD-DVD is finished, and Toshiba knows this. I imagine moneyhats a-plenty have gone into keeping Universal on the side of HD-DVD so far.

 

[Cosmic Bus]

Warner comfirmed today that they'll be releasing the five current Harry Potter films in a set on both HD and Blu-Ray this fall, with only Order of the Phoenix being available seperately at first.

They're also doing a full 5-disc HD/BR set for Blade Runner.

 

[krypt0nian]

Warner comfirmed today that they'll be releasing the five current Harry Potter films in a set on both HD and Blu-Ray this fall, with only Order of the Phoenix being available seperately at first.

They're also doing a full 5-disc HD/BR set for Blade Runner.

GOOD LAWD! Where is this news?

 

[rubso]

Yeah, it really was unexpected.

Good PR move though, it probably did not cost them much to exchange them out.
And looks really awesome to early adopters.

Actually, I was expecting they would release re-mastered version of almost every blu-ray movie have used MPEG-2 codecs sooner or later, now I think they have to re-encode over 100~ blu-ray movie just to make it look more "HD-ier", now I want "Stir of Echoes" and "Memento" remastered versions for great justice >.<.

 

[distantmantra]

Warner comfirmed today that they'll be releasing the five current Harry Potter films in a set on both HD and Blu-Ray this fall, with only Order of the Phoenix being available seperately at first.

They're also doing a full 5-disc HD/BR set for Blade Runner.

Well, that's my Christmas list right there.

 

[XMonkey]

Actually, I was expecting they would release re-mastered version of almost every blu-ray movie have used MPEG-2 codecs sooner or later, now I think they have to re-encode over 100~ blu-ray movie just to make it look more "HD-ier", now I want "Stir of Echoes" and "Memento" remastered versions for great justice >.<.

Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not... but The 5th Element Bluray looked exceptionally bad, and just because a release used MPEG2 doesn't make it obsolete or inferior. Several of the best looking titles have used MPEG2.

 

[rubso]

Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not... but The 5th Element Bluray looked exceptionally bad, and just because a release used MPEG2 doesn't make it obsolete or inferior. Several of the best looking titles have used MPEG2.

true, I like Black Hawk Down PQ, it was awesome, but I didn't like Memento nor Stir of Echoes PQ, I'm hoping for a remastered version of these two gems.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Actually, I was expecting they would release re-mastered version of almost every blu-ray movie have used MPEG-2 codecs sooner or later, now I think they have to re-encode over 100~ blu-ray movie just to make it look more "HD-ier", now I want "Stir of Echoes" and "Memento" remastered versions for great justice >.<.

Had little to do with Mpeg-2, and more to do with shitty encoding and taking a terrible master to do so.

 

[thaivo]

what?? no one mentioned DVD vs. VHS. we're talking about the reasons for upgrading from DVD to BRD/HD-DVD. the two situations are NOT comparable at all.

Not comparable at all? The transition from one prevailing video format to another more advanced format is not comparable at all? Are you serious?

er, and they can rewind, skip chapters, and have durable media with DVD and BRD/HD-DVD. functionality is irrelevant here. NO ONE is buying HD-DVD's to fiddle around with the HDi. look at the marketing materials, and ask yourself what the ads are emphasizing? Next Generation Picture and Sound? or HDi bonus features? The answer to this is beyond obvious.

Everyone of Warner's HD-DVD discs has a trailer that expounds those very features. Most marketing materials for HD-DVD also focus on these features. I myself did not buy my HD player for these features, but to ignore them, and say that they are meaningless is not to be honest. They matter, and just because BD is currently not meeting such standards, doesn't mean that once such functionality on BD appears it will still be meaningless to you...

bull. you can't watch TV OR go to the theatre these days without seeing long ads for BRD/HD-DVD. Even my 63 year old mother knows what it is by now, and she couldn't care less.

Bull? I didn't say that people didn't know of the new formats, I was saying that they didn't know I was playing a HD-DVD until I told them. This is from first hand experience.

Perhaps our frame of reference is different. What I am saying is not "bull". I agree that there is a big difference between broadcast SD and broadcast HD. There is a markedly smaller difference between DVD and HDM... and that was what I was speaking of.

nowhere in any of my posts did I say this. Don't attempt to derail the conversation by putting words in my mouth.

You said that resolution and picture quality was the only reason people upgrade. I was just saying that it isn't, and I backed it up with first hand experience, as well as past format changes. I don't see how I am putting words in your mouth.

 

[rubso]

Had little to do with Mpeg-2, and more to do with shitty encoding and taking a terrible master to do so.

Agreed.

 

[thaivo]

You might want to go back some pages and check the sales charts for both formats. The waves of catalog titles are doing next to nothing to help HD DVD where it counts.

I admit future BD releases have more sales potential, seeing as it's mostly new titles.

However, I'm 31, and I don't simply like newer releases. Catalog titles are usually quality titles that have stood the test of time, and are worth buying. Whereas some of the newer releases such as Ghost Rider, etc. aren't worth the plastic their etched on.. Again, I would certainly love more newer titles, but to say what the poster that I was responding to said (i.e., there is no content) is wrong.

 

[thaivo]

Want to source that story? The DVD forum did not come up with HD DVD. And there's only one major company making HD-DVD players vs several making Blu-Ray. One major studio exclusive to HD DVD and several exclusive to Blu-Ray. Which format is proprietary?

cut down for brevity...

http://www.crn.com/digital-home/18835979

By Junko Yoshida & Yoshiko Hara, CRN
11:22 AM EST Fri. Nov. 14, 2003
From the November 14, 2003 issue of CRN
There's division in the ranks of the DVD Forum, whose steering committee will meet in New York next week to vote on a next-generation optical-disk format.

Sixty companies took part in the forum's technical working group to develop the high-definition (HD-DVD) format, and some of them are also members of the opposing Blu-ray Disc ROM (BD-ROM) camp. Blu-ray was developed by 10 powerful consumer electronics companies, including Sony, Philips, Hitachi, Sharp and Samsung. All 10 are members of the DVD Forum's steering committee.

Some industry observers believe HD-DVD could offer a smooth, seamless transition from today's standard-definition DVD to high definition, but they also acknowledge that the proposal faces a battle. The HD-DVD camp is hoping to commercialize its products in time for Christmas 2004. BD-ROM proponents are planning to introduce their high-definition optical-disk player, which will not be compatible with the DVD Forum's specification, in late 2005.

Aside from working on the 0.9 spec, the BD-ROM proponents appear to be doing their best to make the DVD Forum's HD-DVD-related activities irrelevant. With all 10 of Blu-ray's founding members retaining their seats on the DVD Forum's 17-member steering committee, Blu-ray backers either voted "no" or abstained on the HD-DVD proposal at a June meeting. The six companies that voted "yes" included IBM, Intel, NEC, Time Warner and Toshiba. Because a majority of eight steering committee members abstained, the HD-DVD proposal will be voted on again next week.

Others accused the Blu-ray group of a blatant attempt to undermine more than a year's worth of technical development efforts by engineers from 60 companies in the DVD Forum's working group, who labored to complete the HD-DVD proposal.

Many in the Blu-ray camp don't see any conflict of interest, however. Sony's Fidler made it clear that Blu-ray backers "believed in the need for a new organization outside the DVD Forum due to the new technologies the [BD-ROM] format adopted, including a new physical-disk format and laser technology." Just as the consumer electronics industry moved from infrared with CD to red laser with DVD, and now on to blue laser for high definition, the Blu-ray camp sees it as a natural progression to set up a completely new industry group outside the DVD Forum.

Further, because HD-DVD maintains the same physical-disk format as standard DVD, Yamada stressed that Hollywood studios and replicators can switch from DVD to HD-DVD without changing their production lines.

Industry watcher Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, Tiburon, Calif., is among those who believe Blu-ray is "not the answer" for next-generation DVD. He described the technology as something pushed by Sony and others that have heavily invested in the blue-laser technology.

 

[Chemo]

true, I like Black Hawk Down PQ, it was awesome, but I didn't like Memento nor Stir of Echoes PQ, I'm hoping for a remastered version of these two gems.

Kinda off topic, but are you format-neutral now (or at least purchasing both)? I don't remember this happening.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Everyone of Warner's HD-DVD discs has a trailer that expounds those very features. Most marketing materials for HD-DVD also focus on these features. I myself did not buy my HD player for these features, but to ignore them, and say that they are meaningless is not to be honest. They matter, and just because BD is currently not meeting such standards, doesn't mean that once such functionality on BD appears it will still be meaningless to you...

Hdi is amazing. I have always been in favor of extras. IMO, it is integral that the next gen discs separate themselves from DVD through extra features. It will attract many. However, they are what they are: extras. The true showpiece is and always will be PQ and SQ. This is something the HD DVD supporters (Universal, Warner, Paramount) doesn't get.