Support NeoGAF

[VanMardigan]

Well, I guess we'll disagree on that. And that's fine, but I don't think I'm showing some sort of illogical bias by proposing that a WB move to HD DVD (and the increased software ratio it will bring) would sway some BD only studios into neutrality.

By the way, now that you're neutral, why do you even care? You were saying a two-format future was fine with you, but why would you mind a one-format future?

I'm not sure what you mean. Why do I care where WB goes? If so, the impact of such a move would determine things such as what format player to pick up for my other tv and which format to buy WB movies for.

And as far as your other point, I would be perfectly fine with a one format future, regardless of which one it is. A little inconvenient if it's BD, since I'll have a lot of HD DVD movies, but otherwise I'm not the whiner you are in terms of that, since I've sold a ton of stuff on Ebay and to friends. If I had to unload my entire HD DVD collection tomorrow, it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience to me. Nothing to cry over.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Only because of the reasons I stated.

Hey, I added a bit while you posted:

Why do you care, anyway, now that you're neutral? What do you have against a one-format future?

 

[Forsete]

Where did the Warner + Toshiba + MS + God rumour come from anyway?

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Well, it's probably time for me to just buy an HD-DVD standalone player. My 360 just red ringed and it's the perfect excuse to pick up an A30 while we wait the 3-4 week repair process.

I have like 15 unwatched movies from Christmas and nothing to watch them on. :lol It's too bad we watched all our new Blu-rays already.

 

[Kolgar]

Where did the Warner + Toshiba + MS + God rumour come from anyway?

Blu-ray "insider" posters Penton-Man and MaxPower, I assume at Blu-ray.com but I don't know for sure.

 

[Forsete]

Blu-ray "insider" posters Penton-Man and MaxPower, I assume at Blu-ray.com but I don't know for sure.

Ah thanks, I found it. Basically they had a meeting, the insider said this wasnt un-expected.. And amir on AVS started talking about downloadable movies being the future. :lol

 

[Chiggs]

I don't understand this line of thinking. It reminds me of child saying If I can't have (insert item) I don't want anything. So you'd sit the whole thing out?

That's not what I was getting at. I think WB going Red would only make things worse for the market, and at that point both formats would be niche, unless 20th Century and Disney made the leap, too. And I'm not convinced they would.

Also, I'm not too thrilled with HD-DVD's spec (unless they can get that triple layer disc working with all players).

And amir on AVS started talking about downloadable movies being the future. :lol

So Warner Bros. rejected Microsoft, basically.

 

[StoOgE]

So Warner Bros. rejected Microsoft, basically.

amir isnt on the hddvd team anymore, he's in the dd department, so i wouldnt read so much into that.

hell, we dont even know if that meeting happend.

 

[Chiggs]

amir isnt on the hddvd team anymore, he's in the dd department, so i wouldnt read so much into that.

hell, we dont even know if that meeting happend.

Well, Penton said something about it, so it's quite possible it did. He also seemed to be pretty sure that Warner Bros. wouldn't accept it, given some of the rumored Microsoft stipulations.

CES: Blue Balls or Megaton? I'm guessing the former, but hoping for the latter.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I don't think we can assume anything at this point, other than taht talks are going on and that they probably also include DD rights.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

I can't find any screen caps on AVS of Blade Runner, are there any?

Also:
Today I found the old old old Directors Cut from 1997 in my house and watched it. I wanted to wait until I got it on BD, but I couldn't and just watched it.
I'm wondering, are the differences between the Directors Cut and the Final Cut major?

edit: Also also:
So this version right here comes with 5 discs? I mean, they aren't talking about the DVD? There's 5 Blu-ray discs in this?

three Blu-Ray/HD-DVD and two DVD. retarded? Yes.

 

[plagiarize]

three Blu-Ray/HD-DVD and two DVD. retarded? Yes.

still awesome though. blade runner looks so fucking good in hd.

basically, the extras (which weren't shot in HD) are on two DVDs. not that retarded really espescially since it means that those discs only have one version across all three sets.

 

[Beer Monkey]

three Blu-Ray/HD-DVD and two DVD. retarded? Yes.

Can't beat it for the price regardless. SD supplements are a reality in many cases, sometimes they are on the same disc, but if they are on a different one no reason to not make them DVD.

 

[theBishop]

Penton-Man said Microsoft was unwilling to open the money faucet unless the deal included an exclusive downloads as well.

On the music side, we're seeing RIAA labels (many of which are also MPAA) going so far as to drop DRM just to loosen themselves from Apple's grip in the download space. I wouldn't expect any of these companies to jump into an exclusive movie deal at this point. Apple has them by the balls now that iTunes is one of the biggest music sellers in the world.

 

[Chiggs]

On the music side, we're seeing RIAA labels (many of which are also MPAA) going so far as to drop DRM just to loosen themselves from Apple's grip in the download space. I wouldn't expect any of these companies to jump into an exclusive movie deal at this point. Apple has them by the balls now that iTunes is one of the biggest music sellers in the world.

Yeah, the movie studios are far more forward-thinking than the music guys. iTunes is a monster and, like you said, most movie studios don't want to get caught by the balls.

 

[Warm Machine]

The only reason that Itunes is anything is because of the Ipod. Take the hardware component out of the equation and the popularity would be equivalent to any other music store.

Movie DDs don't have a piece of hardware yet and PCs are not where people want to watch movies.

 

[Chiggs]

The only reason that Itunes is anything is because of the Ipod. Take the hardware component out of the equation and the popularity would be equivalent to any other music store.

Movie DDs don't have a piece of hardware yet and PCs are not where people want to watch movies.

Good point. I just wonder if that holy grail of hardware, the one which spurs the transistion from disc movies to dd movies, will end up like all those "net appliances" that were supposed to destroy the personal computer. :lol

 

[VanMardigan]

DRM free music is the best thing that's happened to music in a long time. I can't blame MS for wanting some sort of deal for themselves if they were to spend big money. And I wouldn't blame WB for refusing, although if they took a short them approach, maybe 18 months like Paramount, I doubt they'll be able to generate that much revenue elsewhere on HD movie downloads, since that space is REALLY young.

I think the main problem movie studios have with apple has nothing to do with their monopoly, and more to do with variable pricing.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

still awesome though. blade runner looks so fucking good in hd.

basically, the extras (which weren't shot in HD) are on two DVDs. not that retarded really espescially since it means that those discs only have one version across all three sets.

Can't beat it for the price regardless. SD supplements are a reality in many cases, sometimes they are on the same disc, but if they are on a different one no reason to not make them DVD.

well, I guess I'm not complaining per se. I didn't know the extras were all SD so I guess it's not so bad. They could have made it a 4 disc set and put all of that stuff on one HD disc and we would have better packaging for it. you know, wish in one hand...

 

[HocusPocus]

Penton-Man said Microsoft was unwilling to open the money faucet unless the deal included an exclusive downloads as well.

Isn't he avidly pro Blu-Ray?

 

[Chiggs]

Isn't he avidly pro Blu-Ray?

Absolutely. Didn't seem to matter when he broke the story on the Paramount/HD-DVD deal a couple of days early, though.

 

[avaya]

Yeah, the movie studios are far more forward-thinking than the music guys. iTunes is a monster and, like you said, most movie studios don't want to get caught by the balls.

Paramount took $500mn hook-line and sinker.

 

[Chiggs]

Paramount took $500mn hook-line and sinker.

Pretty forward-thinking in comparison to what the music guys got. :lol

 

[Forsete]

Well, Penton said something about it, so it's quite possible it did. He also seemed to be pretty sure that Warner Bros. wouldn't accept it, given some of the rumored Microsoft stipulations.

CES: Blue Balls or Megaton? I'm guessing the former, but hoping for the latter.

The BD-insider guys seemed pretty confident when the Lionsgate mentioned the Warner news, I dont remember if Penton was one of them though.

 

[avaya]

Pretty forward-thinking in comparison to what the music guys got. :lol

To be fair to the Big Four no one could predict the explosion of iPod vs. generic MP3 playback devices. After all it was Apple, at the time not mainstream at all. All were waiting on Sony(whose ATRAC/DRM obsession opend the door for Apple), Panasonic, Philips and Samsung.

Then that 50cent video happened.

 

[Warm Machine]

Good point. I just wonder if that holy grail of hardware, the one which spurs the transistion from disc movies to dd movies, will end up like all those "net appliances" that were supposed to destroy the personal computer. :lol

This is looking like it is beginning to gain some ground. www.vudu.com

In Home Entertainment magazine they were saying quality was slightly sub DVD and up. Looks like HD is part of the equation now. No wait to watch a movie either, it downloads in chunks and works peer to peer. Decent pricing strategy too.

 

[avaya]

This is looking like it is beginning to gain some ground. www.vudu.com

In Home Entertainment magazine they were saying quality was slightly sub DVD and up. Looks like HD is part of the equation now. No wait to watch a movie either, it downloads in chunks and works peer to peer. Decent pricing strategy too.

That's interesting! They really have to go P2P for DD to ever work.

 

[adamsappel]

Best Buy is having a $19.99 sale for Ratatouille Blu-Ray and I used a Disney e-coupon for $5 off. Very nice flick for $16.

Please let this format war continue. The free Blu-Ray offer is up to ten movies now. I just can't fathom a MSRP of $30 for most HD titles. We're going to see lower prices faster with a format war than we are with a clear winner.

 

[Warm Machine]

Best Buy is having a $19.99 sale for Ratatouille Blu-Ray and I used a Disney e-coupon for $5 off. Very nice flick for $16.

Please let this format war continue. The free Blu-Ray offer is up to ten movies now. I just can't fathom a MSRP of $30 for most HD titles. We're going to see lower prices faster with a format war than we are with a clear winner.

Unfortunatly the lower prices are not what the studios want. They want to sell you $30 movies and you to buy them just like in DVD's heyday. The price erosion just makes the entire HD market seem pointless to studios as a regular DVD could get them the same revenue of a HD-DVD or BRD.

I blame studios though. They made DVDs disposable entertainment with $6 purchasable movies and created a glut. They will do the same for HD and then they will be all pissy that they are not making their bottom line or growing sales.

The hardware price drop makes the panasonics, pioneers, and hitachis of the world among others not invested in the hardware either as they can't make bottom line on it.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Kind of a doom and gloom article, but WHAT THE HELL IS ANDY PARSONS SMOKING?

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/business/31dvd.html?em&ex=1199250000&en=c37fce785786c3f4&ei=5087

Excerpt:

What if nobody wins the high-definition DVD format wars? That increasingly looks to be the situation for the next-generation DVD technology, which is available to consumers in two incompatible formats.

A little more than 18 months after their introduction, the two systems — Blu-ray, developed by Sony, and HD DVD, from Toshiba — have sold around one million stand-alone players combined. Both sides promote their technologies, their movie studio allies and the growing list of movies available in the new formats.

Yet neither has a clear advantage, either in terms of technology, number of movies or, increasingly, the price of the equipment. According to data from Adams Media Research, 578,000 HD DVD and 370,000 Blu-ray machines will be sold by the end of this year.

The winner of the format wars could be determined by which company has the most content, in the same way the VHS-Betamax VCR war was decided. But both formats offer about 400 movies. Studios allied with the Blu-ray camp include Columbia, Disney, Fox, Lionsgate, Miramax, New Line and Sony.

In the HD DVD camp are DreamWorks, Paramount, Universal, the Weinstein Company, and several smaller TV and motion picture companies. Warner Brothers releases movies for both systems.

In November, Howard Stringer, the Sony chairman, publicly acknowledged that the formats were in a stalemate, and predicted that neither side would fold.

High-definition DVDs of both formats provide superior picture and sound quality compared with standard DVDs.

They also offer advanced interactive features like multiple camera angles, games, picture-in-picture commentaries and, in the case of HD DVD, a connection to the Internet to download more content.

But the visual and audio differences depend on the size of the TV screen used to display them.

“You start to enjoy the benefits of high-definition DVD at 40 inches and above,” said Chris Fawcett, vice president for product marketing at Sony Electronics’ home video group.

Only high-definition sets can display high-definition DVD images. And only the highest-resolution displays, the so-called 1080p HDTVs, for progressive scan, can show the images at their best. As a result, the potential customer base is limited. With a lower-resolution 720p set, “you are not as likely to see a dramatic a difference” between standard and high-definition DVDs, according to Andy Parsons, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association.

What is he doing? Self-sabotaging? Despite the fact that the statement is wrong, why would he say something like that?

 

[VanMardigan]

Chris from Sony talking about needing 40 inch tvs and above doesn't help, either.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Looks like he wants to sell TVs! :lol

 

[polyh3dron]

Amir is doing damage control at High Def Digest right now in the smackdown forum.

EDIT: Link for lazyasses added.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Amir is doing damage control at High Def Digest right now in the smackdown forum.

Link for the lazy!

 

[DarkJediKnight]

Looks like he wants to sell TVs! :lol

Yup. The jump from 480p to 720p is much greater than 720p to 1080p.

 

[Oni Jazar]

Looks like he wants to sell TVs! :lol

Well he *does* work for Pioneer.

 

[The Main Event]

"As of January 1 2008, BLU-RAY discs cannot be played on ANY standard DVD players" :lol

 

[bishoptl]

shit, I'm gonna go try Superbad in my dvd player before midnight!

 

[VanMardigan]

amir, once again (this is for you, ignatz):

Yes, I am denying any and all favors/cash offers, directly or indirectly, in kind or otherwise, through our company or other subsidiaries, or any other means you can conjure up that we caused Paramount to drop support of BD.

We have offered our engineering support to them to make better HD DVD titles as we have done with other studios. That is all. You can see proof our assistance to them and other studios before Paramount made its decision. I assume it is general knowledge that Sony was encoding Paramount early titles so their assistance went well beyond what we are providing to them.

And just in case you are searching for other ways we could have paid them, let me deny those in advance also . I am on record with NY Times denying the same accusation. As an executive at Microsoft, one would think this settles the matter. Yet we are in a thread caused by Michael Bay being told we paid off Paramount. Think about who would tell him that and the validity of their sources/information!

 

[Lhadatt]

amir, once again (this is for you, ignatz):

:lol :lol :lol :lol

Why is an "executive" at MS posting on an internet forum full of fanboys? That's a good way to get fired.

 

[VanMardigan]

:lol :lol :lol :lol

Why is an "executive" at MS posting on an internet forum full of fanboys? That's a good way to get fired.

He's retired..................and even when he wasn't, so what? Isn't that a good thing for us? Many do it anyway, but they hide behind aliases.

And hey, poly went over there and started spouting the same stuff he did here. Good thing, I'm glad amir gets a chance to respond to that rather than me.

Toshiba was originally going to fold until somebody got mad that Java and H264 were going to undermine someone's plans for World Domination.

OK, time to bust that myth also. The meetings around unfication were between Toshiba, Sony and Matsushita. We were not present and our opinion was not asked. We knew about it and are aware of what was discussed, but not one bit it had to do with codecs or interactivity.

BD group asked Toshiba to give up completely on HD DVD as a technical offering, and without a real compromise, the meeting didn't go anywhere.

I am happy to challenge any BD insider on what happened in those meetings. Please have them come here or any other forum and I will debate this with them. My confidence could not be here about the reality versus myth here.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Van, that does nothing to demonstrate a healty skepticism of Amir on your part, which was my point. You were criticising somebody else for taking one side's companies' statements at face value and scrutinizing the others'-- and you do the same.

By quoting Amir, you're making my point.

 

[VanMardigan]

You were criticising somebody else for taking one side's companies' statements at face value and scrutinizing the others'-- and you do the same.

By quoting Amir, you're making my point.

It wasn't just amir that denied the MS payment. Toshiba pretty much admitted it was them, other execs at MS backed that up, and even your boy bill hunt concurred. It's like we're going in a circle here. IT WASN"T JUST AMIR!!

 

[Gary Whitta]

Kind of a doom and gloom article, but WHAT THE HELL IS ANDY PARSONS SMOKING?

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/business/31dvd.html?em&ex=1199250000&en=c37fce785786c3f4&ei=5087

Excerpt:



What is he doing? Self-sabotaging? Despite the fact that the statement is wrong, why would he say something like that?

Wow, that is an INSANELY ill-informed thing to say. The difference between SD and 720p is HUGE. It's the difference between 720p and 1080p that is much more difficult to discern.

So comforting to know that this is the caliber of the people in charge of our HD future...

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Van, show me again exactly how you question the public statements of BD Group companies and HD-DVD group companines alike. Please.

My example was Amir because you're find of quoting him as a truthful source, yet quick to poke at statements made by BD group people.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Well Fox having an agreement with Apple rules out my theory.

 

[TAJ]

"As of January 1 2008, BLU-RAY discs cannot be played on ANY standard DVD players" :lol

Firmware updates for DVD-Video players bring Blu-Ray playback to the masses on January 2, 2008. Believe.

Spoiler

Why are people so stupid? The new formats look like blank discs to a DVD-Video player, FFS

 

[Kolgar]

.... hehehehehe.

Happy high-def New Year, everyone!

Here's hoping HDM enjoys a more successful year in 2008 than it did in 2007, what with the limited market penetration and all the confusion among customers/retailers/high-ranking movie execs.

"Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right!"

 

[Chiggs]

"Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right!"

And god knows they better.

 

[Snah]

.... hehehehehe.

Happy high-def New Year, everyone!

Here's hoping HDM enjoys a more successful year in 2008 than it did in 2007, what with the limited market penetration and all the confusion among customers/retailers/high-ranking movie execs.

"Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right!"

Here's to a Blu-Warner new year.