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[MaX_PL]

yeh seriously. should i accept his payment or just keep this stuff?

my friend says i am getting ripped off...

 

[C.Dark.DN]

yeh seriously. should i accept his payment or just keep this stuff?

my friend says i am getting ripped off...

the hd dvd addon is worth $180 and you're getting 3.75$ per dvd. i say you are getting ripeed off.

if sure you could get closer to 10 dollars each for the movies alone.

 

[OokieSpookie]

The Hd add on is not worth $180 even if a pixie popped out and gave handjobs.
You will be lucky to get $100 for the add on alone, game stop gives $65 and the going rate on Craigslist is about $80.
The movies are a toss up.
You could try posting the movies in the buy sell trade forum for between 10 and 15 each depending on the movie and see what sells in a week and then do whatever is left with the add on.

 

[MaX_PL]

The Hd add on is not worth $180 even if a pixie popped out and gave handjobs.
You will be lucky to get $100 for the add on alone, game stop gives $65 and the going rate on Craigslist is about $80.
The movies are a toss up.
You could try posting the movies in the buy sell trade forum for between 10 and 15 each depending on the movie and see what sells in a week and then do whatever is left with the add on.

yeh thats how i think of it. not the add on being 180 and movies 3.75 per title.

add on is worthless right now, but i'm just considering the value of the recent movies i purchased. specifically blade runner, the kingdom, and eastern promises which i picked up during the recent B2G1 sale. that cost me 55 i believe. 30 for transformers. mostly everything else was a bogo B1G1 for 20.

i guess my biggest issue is that the all the movies have value to me now yet a year from now i'll look at em and wanna sell em. 255 though, i wonder if i could get higher on ebay or by selling everything individually.

 

[Nicodimas]

*Waiting for cloverfield release..damnit they better give it DTS-HD-MA

Imagines the extras.

 

[OokieSpookie]

David Vaughn seems to be trying hard to show that new leaf thing.
He is saying now on AVS that Best Buy will definitely be going blu only.

 

[Costanza]

was this posted?

http://gizmodo.com/346689/why-i-wish-hd-dvd-had-won-the-format-that-loved-me

:lol :lol :lol :lol

 

[DarkJediKnight]

*Waiting for cloverfield release..damnit they better give it DTS-HD-MA

Imagines the extras.

I have never seen a non-Dreamworks Paramount movie with DTS. Ever. Maybe they exist, I don't know.

 

[ManaByte]

I have never seen a non-Dreamworks Paramount movie with DTS. Ever. Maybe they exist, I don't know.

Are you talking about HD or DVD in general? Because Paramount has been using DTS since the DVD releases of the Jack Ryan Special Editions. Don't know about HD.

 

[M3wThr33]

was this posted?

http://gizmodo.com/346689/why-i-wish-hd-dvd-had-won-the-format-that-loved-me

:lol :lol :lol :lol

That's sad. What he doesn't point out is that the 300 list looks longer simply because they had to make it double-sided because of HD-DVDs lower storage capacity.

 

[border]

I understand that some HD-DVDs had more special features, but did anyone honestly give a shit about something like 300's Picture-in-Picture commentary? Most people aren't even interested in the audio commentary, much less a static shot of someone speaking the commentary (which offers almost nothing visually, but blocks out a large section of the film's frame).

Maybe you touted it as a great feature at the time, but the war is over. You can admit it now, if you really don't care. Just looking at that 300 disc, it mostly just seems like a bunch of nonsense designed to increase the number of bullet points....Pick Your Favorite Scene? Yawn. Cheapass videogame? Snooze. Bluescreen footage versus CG footage? ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[mrklaw]

Rental has already moved to mailorder non-bricks and mortar with netflix etc. So I think DD is a logical extension of then when people are already managing their lists on PCs. How much more difficult is it to click a box marked 'download'?

But ownership (for movies at least, and IMO for boxset TV content) will be pretty split. discs are cheap to produce and easy to store, and very quick to start watching - really, how much of an issue is it to grab a disc and put it in a player.

the quality issue for video is IMO higher than for music, especially as average screen sizes grow.

The complex ecosystem is a good point too. we have satellite VOD, cable VOD, netflix, DD all doing rental. DD ownership hasn't really taken off yet, even on itunes.

 

[Snah]

yeh seriously. should i accept his payment or just keep this stuff?

my friend says i am getting ripped off...

I would take the money and run, personally.

Also, be comforted in knowing that you can find pretty good deals on most Blu-Ray movies now.

 

[border]

Rental has already moved to mailorder non-bricks and mortar with netflix etc. So I think DD is a logical extension of then when people are already managing their lists on PCs. How much more difficult is it to click a box marked 'download'?

Yeah, but as I've already said before.....how much interest is there in VOD right now? It's been around for years, but you almost never hear people talking about it or saying they used it. It may seem like a natural extension of Netflix, but the whole experience (from interface to performance to quality) is years away from perfection.

Netflix is a verb. It's pretty common to hear someone say "I Netflix'ed the whole season of <insert TV show here>". But I've never heard someone say "I OnDemand'ed the last season of The Sopranos".

 

[Warm Machine]

I understand that some HD-DVDs had more special features, but did anyone honestly give a shit about something like 300's Picture-in-Picture commentary? Most people aren't even interested in the audio commentary, much less a static shot of someone speaking the commentary (which offers almost nothing visually, but blocks out a large section of the film's frame).

Maybe you touted it as a great feature at the time, but the war is over. You can admit it now, if you really don't care. Just looking at that 300 disc, it mostly just seems like a bunch of nonsense designed to increase the number of bullet points....Pick Your Favorite Scene? Yawn. Cheapass videogame? Snooze. Bluescreen footage versus CG footage? ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The 300 bluescreen thing was pretty cool. I'm personally interested in how movies are made and what elements are used for compositing. It also showed, for me, how the performances actually looked better after the color treatment which was interesting.

 

[Arthas]

Exclusive bluescreen features only work within highly stylized settings I'd say. Although it's hard to tell these days with the quality of cgi.

 

[acabado]

...
over a dozen brands have either recently launched or are planning to introduce lines of makeup aimed at making you look stellar whenever your face gets captured on an HD camera / camcorder. Believe it or not, even the likes of Cargo and Dior are getting in on the fun with their blu-ray Collection...


http://www.engadgethd.com/

 

[VanMardigan]

Most people aren't even interested in the audio commentary, much less a static shot of someone speaking the commentary (which offers almost nothing visually, but blocks out a large section of the film's frame).

You're talking out of ignorance, and it shows. Even if the feature doesn't appeal to you, at least don't pretend like you know what you're talking about.

I enjoyed those features on HD DVD, and I hope BR studios push the 1.1 and 2.0 envelope as well.

 

[p_xavier]

You're talking out of ignorance, and it shows. Even if the feature doesn't appeal to you, at least don't pretend like you know what you're talking about.

I enjoyed those features on HD DVD, and I hope BR studios push the 1.1 and 2.0 envelope as well.

Actually he was right, MOST people are not interested in these features. It doesn't mean that nobody cares.

 

[VanMardigan]

Actually he was right, MOST people are not interested in these features. It doesn't mean that nobody cares.

I don't care if most people don't care, I was commenting on the contents of the features.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

I've replaced most of my WB HD-DVD titles with BRD ones. Only ones I still need to do are Goodfellas, Unforgiven, 2001, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Terminator 3 (when the 1080p version is re-released) and Troy: DC.

Of course I still want Batman Begins, V For Vendetta, Dukes of Hazzard, Constantine, Forbidden Planet, The Matrix Trilogy, and all the other exclusive Warner titles to go to BRD.

what? really?

this reminds me: wth takes a site like HDD so long to review movies?

 

[MaX_PL]

I would take the money and run, personally.

Also, be comforted in knowing that you can find pretty good deals on most Blu-Ray movies now.

well of course you would say this...

but yeh i will be taking the money and not buying anymore HD movies.

 

[The Main Event]

Regarding the HD extra features, it's not necessarily just the extras itself that's appealing, it also takes part of an important aspect of the overall presentation, especially since we're still paying premium price for HDM. Studios should take the time not only on the transfer, but the overall look of their discs as well.

The HDi extra features are a big step up from regular DVDs, and should appeal more to people who didn't care about extras before. Universal is doing an awesome job with their top titles, even offering some fancy improvements over their early HD DVD releases. I think some of the best features yet are in Children of Men, being able to see all those fake commercials in PIP is a neat feature.

All those HDi & BD-Live features on HDM are important things that will differentiate itself from DVDs and Digital Downloads in the upcoming years.

 

[Tiduz]

Was this posted already?

Blu-Ray crushing rival DVD format in Japan: study
Due to the price difference, next-generation DVDs made up a lucrative 35 percent of the total value of DVD recorder sales in the last two months of 2007, it said.

Blu-Ray, the format created by Sony Corp., accounted for a crushing 90 percent of next-generation DVD recorder sales in the three-month period, the study said.

Blu-Ray is used in Sony's PlayStation 3 video-game machine, but the study only looked at living-room DVD recorders.

Three Sony models were the top-selling next-generation DVD recorders, with the electronics giant accounting for some 60 percent of total sales in the sector.

Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. took 27 percent of sales, with Sharp Corp. coming in third at nearly 10 percent. Both Matsushita and Sharp support Blu-Ray.

Toshiba Corp., the main supporter of HD-DVD, enjoyed only four percent of the sales, the study said.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/2008011...ectricaldvd;_ylt=AqKlPh0zQe76iZVJxHqjCygjtBAF

what this means:

Japanese consumers dealt another crushing blow to HD-DVD during the last few months of 2007. The proportion of DVD recorders sold that were next-generation rose from 6.1 percent in October to around 20 percent in November and December. Blu-ray recorder sales made up 90 percent of those sales. This means that as a brand, Toshiba only enjoyed 4% of the total sales for next gen HD recorders. The study of 2,300 electronic stores across Japan did not include sales of PS3's.

 

[Nicodimas]

They are helpful:

http://hddvdstats.com/
http://www.blu-raystats.com/stats.php

Also these don't seem to have imports.

 

[Kolgar]

David Vaughn seems to be trying hard to show that new leaf thing.
He is saying now on AVS that Best Buy will definitely be going blu only.

I don't know what this means. I don't keep regular tabs on the guy, but he seems to have been a pretty reliable source for good information about numbers and industry scuttlebutt, these past few months at least.

Like anyone else, the man has his preferences, but I think he's consistently framed his posts as fairly and objectively as any of us would. Probably moreso, as he doesn't hide behind fake forum names like "OokieSpookie," for example. As an editor for a home media magazine, his reputation and credibility are at stake with every post he writes.

So, if Dave is anticipating that Best Buy will drop HD DVD, and posting about it, I hardly think that qualifies as "turning a new leaf." In the posts I've seen on the matter, he's simply stated that if Best Buy doesn't continue to make money off HD DVD, then they will drop it. To which all of us should reply, "Duh." You don't need an MBA to understand this.

In any case, it sounds like you're riding Dave and I don't know why. Let's move on. Anyone with any sense knew that the Warner decision was IT. There is nothing to be gained by being a sore winner or harboring grudges against those whose opinions differed from our own.

 

[Raistlin]

yeh seriously. should i accept his payment or just keep this stuff?

my friend says i am getting ripped off...

Are you talking ebay?

Since when can you just deny someones payment? And if you found a loophole, you're a piece of shit.

 

[Raistlin]

was this posted?

http://gizmodo.com/346689/why-i-wish-hd-dvd-had-won-the-format-that-loved-me

:lol :lol :lol :lol

Wow ... read some of the posts in there :lol

They find it just as pathetic as we do :lol

 

[MaX_PL]

uh i'll say i aint selling it or send the money back to his paypal.

who cares if someone bids, i should always have a way out of an auction.

anyway, i sold the stuff anyway. i'm done with HD movies for now. will wait a year and see how this digital download vs. bluray things plays out.

 

[xaosslug]

...
over a dozen brands have either recently launched or are planning to introduce lines of makeup aimed at making you look stellar whenever your face gets captured on an HD camera / camcorder. Believe it or not, even the likes of Cargo and Dior are getting in on the fun with their blu-ray Collection...


http://www.engadgethd.com/

after seeing an episode of I'm Sorry, I Love You in HD, this is greatly needed. :lol

 

[VanMardigan]

They are helpful:

http://hddvdstats.com/
http://www.blu-raystats.com/stats.php

Also these don't seem to have imports.

Those are actually pretty helpful sites. I'll refer to those when buying discs.

after seeing an episode of I'm Sorry, I Love You in HD, this is greatly needed.

When I was watching Edward Scissorhands, the image was so clear it made the makeup for the scars obvious. Also the makeup around the eyes. Especially on close ups of Depp's face, it was obvious how the makeup was applied for the scars.

 

[Gary Whitta]

Saw a Samsung BD player on Amazon last night for $279, that's about as cheap a standalone as I've seen. They still need to get cheaper though - frankly I find it a little surprising that BD beat HD-DVD given the disparity in player prices and that for a while there the studio suport was fairly equitable.

 

[Gary Whitta]

When I was watching Edward Scissorhands, the image was so clear it made the makeup for the scars obvious. Also the makeup around the eyes. Especially on close ups of Depp's face, it was obvious how the makeup was applied for the scars.

Yeah this is a real issue for a lot of catalog HD releases. Visual/make-up effects are a lot better now and they're aware of working in HD so it should be much less of a problem in the future.

 

[Raistlin]

Saw a Samsung BD player on Amazon last night for $279, that's about as cheap a standalone as I've seen. They still need to get cheaper though - frankly I find it a little surprising that BD beat HD-DVD given the disparity in player prices and that for a while there the studio suport was fairly equitable.

The studio support never really was equitable, both in terms of studio backlog (total and 'quality') ... and especially in terms of releases (again, both total and 'quality').

 

[VanMardigan]

George Ou over on Zdnet wrote an excellent piece outlining why those too-good-to-be-true HD downloads we see in Xbox 360, ABC.com and even Apple TV are a bit bogus. He points out that while these services deliver on their 720p resolution promises, the encoded bitrates are so low, compressing the data to such small proportions, that the image within the said resolution has inadequate fidelity. And though we have some major reservations regarding Ou's theory, it's tough to entirely disagree when you see the cold, hard numbers:

480i DVD movies: 5 to 8 mbps
HD Steaming: 1.5 to 4 mbps
XBOX360 Dloads: 6.8 mbps
HD DVD: 28 mbps (max)
Blu-ray: 40 mbps (max)
Uncompressed 1080p video at 60fps: 3000 mbps

Note: Apple reports HD movies will be about 5GB, which would represent a bitrate more on par with DVD standards.

What's missing from this data, of course, is that DVD is based upon the older, less efficient MPEG2 codec, rather than modern, sexier H.264 and VC-1 codecs. But Ou argues that the bottom line is still the bitrates, and that companies offering HD downloads have compromised too much in their compression to claim HD resolutions. (Then again, it should be noted that you can rip a ton of color information out of an image to cut bitrates while maintaining resolution).

It reminds us of all those new bajillion megapixel point-and-shoots that take craptastic pictures...and we haven't even started on issues of sound. Don't expect Blu-ray's successful fallback of classic, uncompressed PCM to make its way into streaming HD.

So just how much will we see from that extra $1 in Apple TV download, anyway? A dollar's worth?

That's one thing I noticed about Next on XBLM, that the bit rate seemed low and had trouble keeping up with fast moving scenes.

 

[MaX_PL]

Saw a Samsung BD player on Amazon last night for $279, that's about as cheap a standalone as I've seen. They still need to get cheaper though - frankly I find it a little surprising that BD beat HD-DVD given the disparity in player prices and that for a while there the studio suport was fairly equitable.

its not surprising at all. bd has ps3 and that is the only reason it won.

 

[Gary Whitta]

The studio support never really was equitable, both in terms of studio backlog (total and 'quality') ... and especially in terms of releases (again, both total and 'quality').

True but in the eyes of dead-eyed consumers the price should have been the compelling factor. HD-DVD had a clear advantage in player prices and still got squeezed.

 

[Gary Whitta]

its not surprising at all. bd has ps3 and that is the only reason it won.

I wonder how long it'll be before we can flip that statement and say "PS3 has BD and that is the only reason it won."

 

[VanMardigan]

I wonder how long it'll be before we can flip that statement and say "PS3 has BD and that is the only reason it won."

Not gonna happen with the standalone prices dropping. But that's a console debate and it's always a bad idea to bring it here.

 

[MaX_PL]

yeh thats entirely true. ps3 may win because of bd, however, i dont see it passing wii anytime soon; the console with no dvd and no hd.

 

[Gary Whitta]

How long before we see a $249/$199 BD player? Then maybe we'll really see some units start moving.

 

[OokieSpookie]

its not surprising at all. bd has ps3 and that is the only reason it won.

I love how back and forth that statement goes.
I mean, I thought the PS3 didn't matter right?
STAND ALONES are what people want, PS3 owners do not watch movies on it after all.
Wait, not stand alones but dedicated players...that is what people want and the PS3 is a gaming system and people do not want a format backed by a gaming system.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

its not surprising at all. bd has ps3 and that is the only reason it won.

Yes. I think that's a fair statement initially. However, Blu-ray standalones outsold HD DVD standalones in Q4. That has nothing to do with the PS3. In fact, you can argue that PS3 stole a lot of sales away from the standalones because of its future proof-iness.

I've been saying this till the cows come home. It's all about content. Fact is, movies that sell are generally action movies or stuff for the whole family. Blu-ray had HD DVD beat big time here - even before the Warner move.

 

[Gary Whitta]

What's the current LTD Blu-ray best-selling title?

 

[bill0527]

The Sony BDP-S300 was discounted during the month of December to $299. It was $276 at the wholesale clubs like Sam's and Costco. I'm sure this helped a lot. I remember walking through Sam's Club a couple of weeks before Christmas and seeing a whole pallet of those Blu-Ray players. I thought about picking one up for my dad, but when I went in the week after Christmas to see if they still had them, they were all gone.

After the holidays, the price was jacked back up to $399 at most places.

 

[xaosslug]

yeh seriously. should i accept his payment or just keep this stuff?

my friend says i am getting ripped off...

skipping out on an eBay auction is bullshit, man. Whether it's buyer or seller.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

What's the current LTD Blu-ray best-selling title?

300 with 315,000 + (2007, US)

 

[Raistlin]

True but in the eyes of dead-eyed consumers the price should have been the compelling factor. HD-DVD had a clear advantage in player prices and still got squeezed.

I don't think history agrees with this. Generally, content is what sells a platform.

 

[Raistlin]

How long before we see a $249/$199 BD player? Then maybe we'll really see some units start moving.

When did DVD hit this price point? If anything, BD is ahead of the curve. Regardless, CE's are only going to sell with a certain level of margin.


Toshiba took the risk of attempting to bypass the standard curve, and it backfired ... terribly.

 

[mollipen]

uh i'll say i aint selling it or send the money back to his paypal.

who cares if someone bids, i should always have a way out of an auction.

It is VERY scuzzy to back out of an auction. If you're worried about the price you'll get for the stuff, put a reserve on it. Otherwise, if you're going to put it up on ebay, then be good enough to actually follow through for whatever price you end up with.