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[captive]

So what's your most anticpated HD title in Q4? Mine has got to be Blade Runner. I've been dying to bust a nut on that for years now! It better be a superb transfer.

Idunno man Close Encounters has me pretty psyched.
Im looking forward to prison break as i never saw the first season only the second and been watching the thrid.
Die Hard 1 and 3
And Blade Runner. No particular order after Close Encounters.

Stardust specs, about the only thing on HD DVD that actually makes me jealous. Was such a good movie.
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/s...Reveals_Stardust_HD_DVD_Specs,_Cover_Art/1151

 

[jjasper]

do we know how many of the Spiderman 3 sales were blu-ray?

130,000

 

[jobber]

LOL web enabled features

So what I didn't tell you guys is that I managed to get in on the Best Buy deal too (got a player for my dad, who just wants to watch movies in HD and doesn't give two shits about this stupid format war...I got him a PS3 last Xmas so this makes him format neutral)...

I picked up my two free HD DVDs, Transformers and Bourne Supremacy...decided, ok, let me see what these web enabled extras are all about.

Pop Transformers in, wait for it to boot and get past all the unskippable logo movies. I select web enabled features and get a "can't connect to the network" error. I try to click "try again" but next thing I know, the disc appears to reset and I am looking at the Dreamworks intro for a second time.

I eject the disc, and enter the setup menu. Yup, DHCP is turned on, so is DNS, and it seems to have an IP address. Boot the movie again, same thing happens.

This is on an A2 with FW 2.5 (latest AFAIK) - is anyone else having this problem?

nope.

 

[OokieSpookie]

do we know how many of the Spiderman 3 sales were blu-ray?

Uh...130000?
Plus however many of the boxed sets sold?

 

[SUPREME1]

Or they have multiple TVs but only one player of a given format.

I stand corrected.

Still, HDMI does make the world (of HD) go 'round. Couldn't someone just swap players if need be? I mean, it'd easily save someone hundreds of dollars..

considering they have a large collection as mentioned before.

 

[womfalcs3]

Uh...130000?
Plus however many of the boxed sets sold?

The number is probably combined for the trilogy and Spider-Man 3. Now depending on the fraction of trilogy sets sold (which should be significant), you can multiply that number times the 3 (or 4?) discs that come inside.

 

[Chemo]

The number is probably combined for the trilogy and Spider-Man 3. Now depending on the fraction of trilogy sets sold (which should be significant), you can multiply that number times the 3 (or 4?) discs that come inside.

Read. The fucking. Thread.

 

[womfalcs3]

Read. The fucking. Thread.

Thanks for the candor. I just read the previous page in its entirety due to your post. The fact somebody JUST asked how many were sold indicated to me that that hasn't been answered yet. So my assumption, although proven to be invalid, wasn't illogical.

 

[Argyle]

On your router make sure you have UPnP enabled and try turning off your router's internal firewall

UPnP is enabled, and if I have to disable the firewall to get it to work, then I want no part of it

Seriously though, can anyone see if it uses UPnP to set up any port forwards? I didn't see any set up for the Toshiba in my router's table...

Edit: I put the A2 in the router's DMZ. Still no luck, so maybe something is really wrong with my A2. Good thing I don't really care about web enabled crap (seriously - is there a good reason why you didn't put it on the disc?) but it is annoying nonetheless.

Edit 2: Yup, the clock is set.

Were you able to update the firmware online? Regarding the issue of softness, see my 720p/1080i post above. I found my new A3 to be quite 'soft' at 720p (on my 720p set), but 1080i looked much better.

No, I updated it from the out of the box 1.3 to 2.5 with a CD-R.

The player seems to be outputting 1080i (as reported by both the player and my projector) so I think that is being set up correctly, although I saw a thread on AVSForum about how it would always default to the native res on 720p native displays over HDMI...my projector is 720p native but since the projector itself is reporting 1080i I am thinking this is not the problem.

 

[Solo]

So what's your most anticpated HD title in Q4? Mine has got to be Blade Runner. I've been dying to bust a nut on that for years now! It better be a superb transfer.

Finishing off getting the rest of the Kubricks, then Blade Runner. Reports of screening of The Final Cut pretty much all gush over how immaculate the print is, so Im expecting the HD home video versions to sparkle too.

 

[VanMardigan]

Argyle, did you set the clock on the player. It may sound like a stupid suggestion, but it worked for someone to be able to connect to Toshiba's servers way back in this thread iirc.

As for my most anticipated movies, I'm a Will Ferrell fan, so:

 

[Chemo]

So what's your most anticpated HD title in Q4? Mine has got to be Blade Runner. I've been dying to bust a nut on that for years now! It better be a superb transfer.

Blade Runner by far. It's one of my favorite films, and the wait for this multi-version mega set has been going on for years and years. I'm so, so glad it's coming to high def formats... both of them. No one should miss out on it.

 

[BotoxAgent]

yeah, I'm looking forward to Blade Runner the most.

I recently got Galopagos and the Dave Matthews Blu-Ray. Everyone was raving about the PQ of these two discs, but I just don't see it. Both looked good...but no where near the quality of other Tier 0 releases.

I also got Ratatouille which looks downright awesome!

 

[OokieSpookie]

Most anticipated...

Close Encounters
Pirates 3
Ronin
Blade Runner Ultimate
Pan's Labyrinth

Fuck too many..
Harry Potter collectors set

 

[VanMardigan]

Intereresting article on Gizmodo about the current state of Blu Ray. Some stuff I picked up:

-Pioneer and Sony have maybe been reluctant to go 1.1? It seems like there is some disagreement about the importance of it.

-Current Sony Blu Ray players (excluding Ps3) will never be 1.1

-Denon considering dual format, SACD/DVDA super player

-Disney set to launch BD Live (web enabled) content next year. "There is a chance the PS3 will be compatible with the online interactive portion."

 

[captive]

yeah, I'm looking forward to Blade Runner the most.

I recently got Galopagos and the Dave Matthews Blu-Ray. Everyone was raving about the PQ of these two discs, but I just don't see it. Both looked good...but no where near the quality of other Tier 0 releases.

I also got Ratatouille which looks downright awesome!

I dont believe anyone was raving about the PQ on that one. I mean its a concert where two guys play guitars the whole time. However Audio wise it is aboslutly reference quality. Time Reynolds Martin D35 sounds better through my speakers than any of my guitars do in person.

 

[mollipen]

-Pioneer and Sony have maybe been reluctant to go 1.1? It seems like there is some disagreement about the importance of it.
-Current Sony Blu Ray players (excluding Ps3) will never be 1.1
-Disney set to launch BD Live (web enabled) content next year. "There is a chance the PS3 will be compatible with the online interactive portion."

Now, as I've said before, I don't in the least care about special features on Blu-ray/HD-DVD/whatever. Still, I know other people do, so this cluster-f**k of a situation with Blu-ray waiting and waiting for special features could really make things worse. If Blu-ray continues to sell above HD-DVD, to a point that the war is all but decided, then the blue side could decide that obviously special features aren't THAT big of deal, because hey, they won with a far crappier effort in that regard than HD-DVD had.

At that point, that's all the reason that is needed for the dragging of feet in getting Blu-ray's situation sorted out.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Intereresting article on Gizmodo about the current state of Blu Ray. Some stuff I picked up:

-Pioneer and Sony have maybe been reluctant to go 1.1? It seems like there is some disagreement about the importance of it.

-Current Sony Blu Ray players (excluding Ps3) will never be 1.1

-Denon considering dual format, SACD/DVDA super player

-Disney set to launch BD Live (web enabled) content next year. "There is a chance the PS3 will be compatible with the online interactive portion."

me = white on rice.

 

[Chemo]

-Disney set to launch BD Live (web enabled) content next year. "There is a chance the PS3 will be compatible with the online interactive portion."

I really wish that companies wouldn't waste time and money on that shit. The money they spend working on polls and other ridiculous wastes of time could be spent readying something like Tron for a BRD release.

 

[distantmantra]

So what's your most anticpated HD title in Q4? Mine has got to be Blade Runner. I've been dying to bust a nut on that for years now! It better be a superb transfer.

Paprika is my most anticipated release. Blade Runner is probably second.

 

[Days like these...]

Pan's Labrynth (sp?) and Blade Runner are my most anticipated releases for the rest of the year.

 

[VanMardigan]

Looks like the truth was somewhere between our guesses, ignatz:

The HD DVD camp is glowing over reports that the temporary price cut of the entry-level Toshiba HD DVD player is pushing U.S. household penetration toward the 500,000-unit mark.

Industry sources say that in the three days after Wal-Mart lowered the price of the second-generation HD-A2 player to less than $100, the big discount chain sold 60,000 units. Other chains that matched the price, both in stores and online, brought the total sold to nearly 100,000 units. Add that to the estimated 320,000 dedicated HD DVD players already in homes, and total household penetration is at about 420,000 units — a number format backers expect will exceed 500,000 units by the end of this month.

The Toshiba player previously sold for the list price of $299, but then Wal-Mart and other retailers a few days before Halloween went down to below $200 and, on Nov. 2, $99.

On the Blu-ray side, the cheapest stand-alone players — from Sony, Samsung and Sharp — list for $499, with Amazon.com selling the Sony BDP-5300 for $439, the Samsung BD-P1400 for $405 and the Sharp Aquos BDHP20U for $414. All three are 1080p, while the Toshiba HD-A2 is 720p/1080i. The PlayStation 3, which also plays Blu-ray discs, lists as low as $399. It’s $389 at Wal-mart.

This week, the HD-A2 is back up to $199 on Wal-Mart’s Web site, with a mail-in offer for five free HD DVD movies. The Sony BDP-S300 is $449 and comes with seven free movies.

 

[OokieSpookie]

Intereresting article on Gizmodo about the current state of Blu Ray. Some stuff I picked up:

-Pioneer and Sony have maybe been reluctant to go 1.1? It seems like there is some disagreement about the importance of it.

-Current Sony Blu Ray players (excluding Ps3) will never be 1.1

-Denon considering dual format, SACD/DVDA super player

-Disney set to launch BD Live (web enabled) content next year. "There is a chance the PS3 will be compatible with the online interactive portion."

No offense but the writer totally comes off like he has hd-dvd do far up his ass that his eyes are 1080i.

As far as the current players not doing 1.1 this is not news at all, and since PS3 is the vast majority of players it is honestly a bit of a non issue.
Newer players will have the spec so again not really an issue.
I know this is going to sound like a bit of a prick statement but if you buy a $600+ media player without doing any research you get what you get.
The 1.1 spec was never something that could just be added into most players with just a firmware update, you can not add storage with an update.

 

[The Main Event]

So what's your most anticpated HD title in Q4?

 

[Kolgar]

The root of the problem is that Blu-ray did not have a finished specification when devices went into production.

This is the part that gets me. And people are claiming Blu-ray should win? The format's not finished! It shouldn't even be released!

Sorry, but when you get beat to market by a format with a finished spec, you're redundant. When that finished format reaches mass-market prices before you, you're redundant. When you finally get around to completing your spec and releasing movies with the new features, you've effectively screwed everyone who's bought your product up to that point.

(Yeah, yeah, PS3. Well, where's the BD 1.1 update for the console? And forgive me for thinking it's not acceptable that the only BD hardware that has a shot at full functionality is a video game console.)

Personally, I think a next-gen movie format should be capable of more than just higher-resolution video and audio, and the incomplete profile problem with Blu-ray is a glaring deficiency in the format. It's going to cause problems. Either a bunch of current owners are going to get screwed or possibly EVERYONE will get screwed if Blu-ray wins and BDA just says "to hell with it, we don't need those features."

Blu-ray players are the ones that should be selling for $99, if you ask me.

 

[plagiarize]

Looks like the truth was somewhere between our guesses, ignatz:

i prefer IMDB's take on it...

$99 HD DVD Players Fly Off Shelves


A weekend campaign to expand the base of HD DVD users apparently was successful in spades, according to Video Business magazine. The publication said on its website Tuesday that $99 sales of Toshiba's high-definition DVD player resulted in 90,000 players going out retailers' doors. The players usually sell for about $199.99, discounted from Sony's MSRP of $299.00

wait... what?

anyways, i know you guys arguing against two formats love these kind of mistakes, so there's another for the files.

Personally, I think a next-gen movie format should be capable of more than just higher-resolution video and audio, and the incomplete profile problem with Blu-ray is a glaring deficiency in the format. It's going to cause problems. Either a bunch of current owners are going to get screwed or possibly EVERYONE will get screwed if Blu-ray wins and BDA just says "to hell with it, we don't need those features."

the reason it pisses me off is that the BDA had a vote on whether to use Microsoft's iHD or Java and iHD won. the power players in the group vetoed it and said 'we're using java'. one it pisses me off that they put something to a vote when they were only going to go with the results of that vote if it was what the power players wanted, and two it pisses me off because iHD was ready to go.

for all the ways that java may one day be better, iHD was there... working already... and it was what the majority of the BDA wanted!

 

[Chemo]

Blu-ray players are the ones that should be selling for $99, if you ask me.

Be careful what you wish for. If Blu-ray players were $99, HD DVD would be dead within a quarter.

 

[OokieSpookie]

This is the part that gets me. And people are claiming Blu-ray should win? The format's not finished! It shouldn't even be released!

Sorry, but when you get beat to market by a format with a finished spec, you're redundant. When that finished format reaches mass-market prices before you, you're redundant. When you finally get around to completing your spec and releasing movies with the new features, you've effectively screwed everyone who's bought your product up to that point.

(Yeah, yeah, PS3. Well, where's the BD 1.1 update for the console? And forgive me for thinking it's not acceptable that the only BD hardware that has a shot at full functionality is a video game console.)

Personally, I think a next-gen movie format should be capable of more than just higher-resolution video and audio, and the incomplete profile problem with Blu-ray is a glaring deficiency in the format. It's going to cause problems. Either a bunch of current owners are going to get screwed or possibly EVERYONE will get screwed if Blu-ray wins and BDA just says "to hell with it, we don't need those features."

Blu-ray players are the ones that should be selling for $99, if you ask me.

Must suck that they are still winning too.
Lower PQ in the beginning due to bad transfers
Inferior versions of big movies

Do not get me wrong, I definitely do not think it was handled right but it is something that can still be addressed.as they did with the PQ issues.

 

[mollipen]

for all the ways that java may one day be better, iHD was there... working already... and it was what the majority of the BDA wanted!

That's actually one of the reasons why I'm pro-BR: less Microsoft influence versus HD-DVD. I know, some people don't care, but I'm bothered a bit by how much Microsoft is sneaking its software/IP into everything. (That's also why I wish BR was AVC across the board, with no VC-1.)

 

[Forsete]

The less Microsoft proprietary bullcrap, the better.

 

[Kolgar]

Must suck that they are still winning too.

Do not get me wrong, I definitely do not think it was handled right but it is something that can still be addressed.

See, your second comment was productive. The first, not so much.

 

[Shepherd]

That's actually one of the reasons why I'm pro-BR: less Microsoft influence versus HD-DVD. I know, some people don't care, but I'm bothered a bit by how much Microsoft is sneaking its software/IP into everything. (That's also why I wish BR was AVC across the board, with no VC-1.)

Are there any VC-1 Blu-Ray discs?

 

[plagiarize]

The less Microsoft proprietary bullcrap, the better.

yeah it's shame VC-1 and iHD aren't open formats.

oh no wait... THEY ARE.

 

[VanMardigan]

That's actually one of the reasons why I'm pro-BR: less Microsoft influence versus HD-DVD. I know, some people don't care, but I'm bothered a bit by how much Microsoft is sneaking its software/IP into everything. (That's also why I wish BR was AVC across the board, with no VC-1.)

So you're the Blu Ray equivalent of those senseless Sony haters ignatz complains so much about, right?

The less Microsoft proprietary bullcrap, the better.

Hey, found me another one, mousey!! What was that again about the differences between HD DVD and Blu Ray fans? Seems like there are about as many MS haters as Sony haters, and it's all console-war linked. Just as so many people suspected.

 

[plagiarize]

Are there any VC-1 Blu-Ray discs?

yeah. i know a bunch of warner blu-rays are VC1.

 

[OokieSpookie]

So you're the Blu Ray equivalent of those senseless Sony haters ignatz complains so much about, right?



Hey, found me another one, mousey!! What was that again about the differences between HD DVD and Blu Ray fans? Seems like there are about as many MS haters as Sony haters, and it's all console-war linked. Just as so many people suspected.

I have seen your post count on Highdefdigest and here Van, do you HONESTLY believe that the percentage of HD backers who are guided by Sony hate and the Blu backers guided by MS hate are close to equal?
I mean there is no denying that they exist, but seriously close to the same?

 

[VanMardigan]

I have seen your post count on Highdefdigest and here Van, do you HONESTLY believe that the percentage of HD backers who are guided by Sony hate and the Blu backers guided by MS hate are close to equal?
I mean there is no denying that they exist, but seriously close to the same?

I don't post much over there, do I? Over there it's not even close, here (considering it's a gaming forum first and foremost) yeah, it's about the same. All these Ps3 fans apparently choosing to prefer Blu Ray for reasons other than the fact that it came with their Ps3. Not everyone can be honest about that, now can they?

 

[Wulfer]

Be careful what you wish for. If Blu-ray players were $99, HD DVD would be dead within a quarter.

And I guess we'd live with unfinished specs.... Wouldn't you perfer a complete product? Just asking. The fact that it has to be added to the PS3 speak volumes to me. AKA they never intented it happen! Another words Sony was happy with just another pretty DVD look alike.

 

[gkryhewy]

And I guess we'd live with unfinished specs.... Wouldn't you perfer a complete product? Just asking. The fact that it has to be added to the PS3 speak volumes to me. AKA they never intented it happen! Another words Sony was happy with just another pretty DVD look alike.

In my opinion (as an HD DVD-only guy for now), Sony is right. The online functionality is a complete non-starter for the mass market. The mass market does not have an ethernet line running into their living room's entertainment center. That said, my new A3 is wired, and I'll be checking out the transformers stuff tonight.

 

[BotoxAgent]

I dont believe anyone was raving about the PQ on that one. I mean its a concert where two guys play guitars the whole time. However Audio wise it is aboslutly reference quality. Time Reynolds Martin D35 sounds better through my speakers than any of my guitars do in person.

Yeah, the Audio is definitely reference material and a joy to listen to.

For the PQ, I was referring to the people at the AVS forum...not the GAFers, sorry. The disc is even listed on the top spot in Tier 0.

 

[Chemo]

And I guess we'd live with unfinished specs.... Wouldn't you perfer a complete product? Just asking. The fact that it has to be added to the PS3 speak volumes to me. AKA they never intented it happen! Another words Sony was happy with just another pretty DVD look alike.

The product is complete as far as *I* am concerned. I've gone on the record time and again to say that I think IME and web-enabled features are retarded. These are films, not video games.

The point of a high def format is high definition... not little software toys you're only going to play with once and never think about again.

 

[OokieSpookie]

And I guess we'd live with unfinished specs.... Wouldn't you perfer a complete product? Just asking. The fact that it has to be added to the PS3 speak volumes to me. AKA they never intented it happen! Another words Sony was happy with just another pretty DVD look alike.

Do you honestly think that it will stay incomplete or are you just typing to try and make yourself feel better before the numbers come in?
Also perhaps you are not taking into account the firmware updates that have been needed for HD also...

 

[Kintaro]

Another words Sony was happy with just another pretty DVD look alike.

Shit, *I* would be happy with HD movies and only HD movies. Throw some "making of" mish mash if you like, but all of this interactive and connectivity bullshit is just that: bullshit. Who here, truly truly cares about all that shit? I'm not defending BR here, but I mean across the board. HD-DVD and BR alike? Who really gives a shit to connect their player to the net to download some bullshit (that should be on the disc anyways) or play around with interactive games or whatever else shit they're talking about?

Just give me the best looking movie you can give me and stop wasting all this money on this interactive bullshit. =(

 

[plagiarize]

Shit, *I* would be happy with HD movies and only HD movies. Throw some "making of" mish mash if you like, but all of this interactive and connectivity bullshit is just that: bullshit. Who here, truly truly cares about all that shit? I'm not defending BR here, but I mean across the board. HD-DVD and BR alike? Who really gives a shit to connect their player to the net to download some bullshit (that should be on the disc anyways) or play around with interactive games or whatever else shit they're talking about?

Just give me the best looking movie you can give me and stop wasting all this money on this interactive bullshit. =(

you sound just like the guy i posted a link to yesterday who was explaining why VHS was better than DVD. one of his points was that extras were crap, and that cause VHS can't do as many extras, the extras you get on VHS will be the good ones and yadda yadda.

some of us like these features. you don't have to, but having them is better than not having them, and i look forwards to them being implemented on blu-ray and my PS3 being patched to support them.

 

[VanMardigan]

It's hard to appreciate something you don't have. I've become accustomed to HDi and to a lesser extent web enabled stuff on my movies. I get pretty disappointed with releases that don't have it.

On a rental, it don't matter much, but on a movie I own, it's practically essential for multiple viewings IMO.

 

[jjasper]

I don't care for extras. I will watch them every once in a while but when you are paying for movies getting more is always better.

 

[Shepherd]

yeah it's shame VC-1 and iHD aren't open formats.

oh no wait... THEY ARE.

Does that mean it is free to use or do studios still have to license it from Microsoft?

 

[Kintaro]

you sound just like the guy i posted a link to yesterday who was explaining why VHS was better than DVD. one of his points was that extras were crap, and that cause VHS can't do as many extras, the extras you get on VHS will be the good ones and yadda yadda.

some of us like these features. you don't have to, but having them is better than not having them, and i look forwards to them being implemented on blu-ray and my PS3 being patched to support them.

Yeah, cuz that's what I said. VHS forever baby. Woo!

You like this stuff? That's fine. I don't. That's fine too. I do like "making of" features, director's commentary, behind the scenes and so forth. However, I don't need movies to turn into mini video games. They're a waste to me and I'd be interested to see a survey on who actually gives a darn about connecting to the net for features and stuff like that. I'd also like to see how much these things cost to them and us.

 

[gkryhewy]

It's hard to appreciate something you don't have. I've become accustomed to HDi and to a lesser extent web enabled stuff on my movies. I get pretty disappointed with releases that don't have it.

On a rental, it don't matter much, but on a movie I own, it's practically essential for multiple viewings IMO.

Oh right - HDi is the in-movie special feature stuff, not the online crap. I do enjoy the HDi functionality of Children of Men, for example.

 

[Chemo]

It's hard to appreciate something you don't have. I've become accustomed to HDi and to a lesser extent web enabled stuff on my movies. I get pretty disappointed with releases that don't have it.

On a rental, it don't matter much, but on a movie I own, it's practically essential for multiple viewings IMO.

I don't have a fifth wheel on my car because I know for a fact that I don't need it.

This isn't a case of not appreciating something just out of ignorance, it's a case of legitimate lack of interest in something that adds absolutely nothing to the film itself. Interviews, commentary, deleted scenes -- those are extras that add to a film, and can even clarify it to better your understanding of it. Web enabled toys? Not so much.

If you enjoy it, that's fine... but those features aren't going to make a great film any better, or make a shitty film stop sucking. They're trinkets used for bullet-pointing the back cover.

(To note, I don't care for PIP either because I'd really rather watch the film and the extras separate. I do find it at least a bit more valid than web-enabled crap, though.)