Will studios drop the ball?

[s8ist]

I think many of us would agree despite our biases that movie studios have done a piss-poor job of content delivery. Whether you are in the BD camp or the HD DVD camp, it seems every 'flood' release date we get bombarded with lame transfers of older films, and otherwise films that don't really benefit from upgraded picture quality(Do I need to see Norbit in HD?!). If studios really wanted to get people to buy HD, they'd release films that we all enjoy watching and some classics that really WOULD create a unique HD experience. Where are classics like: Blade Runner, The Shining, 2001: Space Odyssey, and the James Bond Series? What about newer releases like all the Pixar films(which can be rendered direct to 1080p), Dreamworks, and any Tarantino-directed works? LOTR?

We keep hearing about slow adoption rates, and yet the studios don't offer some of their best directors' works on the format! Sure, we get some gems (Departed, Goodfellas) that slip through the cracks, but there are just some obvious titles that it doesn't make sense for them to hold out on meanwhile they need to publish crap like the "Lake House", or "The Holiday" to high definition.

(Even comedies I loved, like "The Jerk" and "Meaning of Life" just don't NEED HD.)

 

[stck4evr]

I agree - until every new release will be available in video rental stores - sort of "in your face", that there is not much
incentive for average Joe to buy HDTV players.
Just a thought - I don't think anyone will win this format war, since you can purchase some HDTV movies from cable on demand pay per view, and some satellite companies also have one HDTV pay per view. Until there is a clear winner,
a lot of people like me will just buy that at $5 a pop instead of investing in 2 players...

 

[navychop]

Yep, I agree completely. And I think adoption could be helped if the players were available for rent. Sort of a "try before you buy."

 

[s8ist]

A kiosk could easily be set up at Blockbuster and Hollywood video showing the difference between SD and HD quality. I remember they used to let you rent DVD players and even gaming consoles. HD players stocked with all the necessary connections would be a great rental option! Whoever got on that might have the upper hand too. If Sony or Toshiba drops money on hardware rental and some HD/SD comparison kiosks, they could do some damage to their competitors.

 

[meStevo]

I think the last hardware anyone I know rented from Blockbuster was... a Virtual Boy.

 

[r.jones1116]

Adoption is going to be slow until HDTV sets are a common item in the US household.

 

[navychop]

Somewhere between 25% and 50% of U.S. households have HDTVs. But only half actually have an HD source.

 

[CochiseGuy]

I think many of us would agree despite our biases that movie studios have done a piss-poor job of content delivery. Whether you are in the BD camp or the HD DVD camp, it seems every 'flood' release date we get bombarded with lame transfers of older films, and otherwise films that don't really benefit from upgraded picture quality(Do I need to see Norbit in HD?!). If studios really wanted to get people to buy HD, they'd release films that we all enjoy watching and some classics that really WOULD create a unique HD experience. Where are classics like: Blade Runner, The Shining, 2001: Space Odyssey, and the James Bond Series? What about newer releases like all the Pixar films(which can be rendered direct to 1080p), Dreamworks, and any Tarantino-directed works? LOTR?

We keep hearing about slow adoption rates, and yet the studios don't offer some of their best directors' works on the format! Sure, we get some gems (Departed, Goodfellas) that slip through the cracks, but there are just some obvious titles that it doesn't make sense for them to hold out on meanwhile they need to publish crap like the "Lake House", or "The Holiday" to high definition.

(Even comedies I loved, like "The Jerk" and "Meaning of Life" just don't NEED HD.)

Well, first let me agree about Norbit - there are just some things I DON'T need to see in HD, and Eddie Murphy dressed up as a very obese woman is on of them. :yikes

It is a bit of the 'chicken before the egg' scenario - HD disc sales are still very small compared to DVD and studios may be holding back their biggest titles until there are enough players to generate sales, but player sales are not going to take off until their are compelling titles.

Were is New Line? A subsidiary of Warner, they should be releasing in both formats, but not a peep out of them about Lord of the Ring, or any title. Dreamworks is more complicated. The animated studio is still independent while the live-action studio was acquired by Paramount in 2006, and movies made since then are distributed by Paramount, such as "Dreamgirls" and is out on both formats.

But since you posted this in the War Zone, I gotta ad my bias that it seems the blu-ray only studios are the one really dropping the ball. No more announced titles at all from Fox and since they control the home video distribution for MGM, no MGM. While Disney did recently release two big titles - coincided to promote the 3rd (and hopefully last) installment of the POTC, but then only 2 more titles this summer, and then their big announcement for the fall is "Remember the Titans" - one of my favorite football movies, but I don't think it will compel many folks to take the plunge & buy a high def player.

Sony is the only BD exclusive studio to crank out titles, but they have a slightly more invested motivation.

An Universal continues to be very aggressive in releasing titles on HD DVD only. While Warner remains the high def leader in sales by releasing decent titles on both formats.

 

[diogen]

No more announced titles at all from Fox and since they control the home video distribution for MGM, no MGM.

They are waiting for the BD+ to be implemented (they sided with BD for this very reason) to stop AACS hackers.
Reportedly, BD+ is done and successfully tested (whatever that means) and we should see movies using it any time now.

They might also wait for BD Live to be ready (Nov/07). If true, it might take a while.

Diogen.

 

[Paradox-SJ]

They are waiting for the BD+ to be implemented (they sided with BD for this very reason) to stop AACS hackers.
Reportedly, BD+ is done and successfully tested (whatever that means) and we should see movies using it any time now.

They might also wait for BD Live to be ready (Nov/07). If true, it might take a while.

Diogen.

AACS 'crackers' will NEVER be stopped....In fact I bet anyone a case of orange Fanta that BD+ will be cracked within 10 days of it release....

(that is if it isnt already hint hint)

 

[navychop]

Anyone know if BD+ will require a firmware upgrade to current players? In other words, would a current player be able to play a BD+ title if it came out today?

Well, there's not too much complaining on the HD DVD side about having to update firmware to play new releases. Not all of them have networked internet connections. Might be a bit offputting if you take your newly purchased (or rented!) movie home, only to discover it needs an update that you might have to burn off the internet, or wait for the mail to arrive. Early adopters are more technically savvy, but they won't get away with that so easily a year or two from now.

And how might that work, anyway? If your HD DVD player needs an update, does a message to that effect appear on the screen if you try to play the movie without the update? I'd guess BD would work similarly.

 

[diogen]

Anyone know if BD+ will require a firmware upgrade to current players?

I don't think this question will be answered until we see the disks using it.

Not all of them have networked internet connections.

Do any of them do (outside PS3)?
I'm not in the loop here.

Diogen.

 

[navychop]

"... Not all of them have networked internet connections.
Do any of them do (outside PS3)?"

I meant not all HD DVD owners would have such connections at home.

 

[CochiseGuy]

Anyone know if BD+ will require a firmware upgrade to current players? In other words, would a current player be able to play a BD+ title if it came out today?

I've read repeated claims from BD supporters in other forums who adamantly claim the movie itself will play fine on older players w/o BD+. But then I also read the 1st gen Samsung BD-1000 needed a firmware update just to get the Pirate movies to load. So, diogen probably hit in the head in that we won't know for sure until BD+ enable movies are out.

And how might that work, anyway? If your HD DVD player needs an update, does a message to that effect appear on the screen if you try to play the movie without the update? I'd guess BD would work similarly.

The HD DVD movies have a small insert advising buyers the latest firmware is needed to play the movie, and to check thelookandsoundofperfect.com website. Since I always keep my FW up to date I don't know for sure, but I doubt if a message would display saying an update is needed. The most my player has told me is "No Play" when I put in a bad DVD +R recording.

 

[s8ist]

ugh... firmware issues aside (which there appear to be issues for both technologies), studios could be releasing a lot of no-brainers.

I would propose that studios providing support for HD DVD step up a bit. Provide better variety. Where does BD have the potential to really slam them? I'd say that because of Disney, they should try and crank out some family titles but ones that also identify with a lot of adults, and of course you have to pop out every eye-popping action title too:

WB: LOTR's (we already know TNT has an HD rip), Wizard of Oz, Neverending Story, US releases of all Harry Potter titles...
Universal (they do still make movies, right?): Back to the Future trilogy, Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park, and maybe something like The Dark Crystal..

A lot of people are going to want to enjoy their HD setup around their kids, and there's also the bonus of getting a vibrant picture that shows off your TV's PQ. If they're something you grew up with too, you'll probably want to see what it looks like in HD, compared to the older VHS or lower res DVD counterparts. Comedies, dramas... these probably aren't the best categories to prioritize for HD release.

Anyone have any ideas for "killer apps" for HD DVD or BD?

(If Pixar started pumping out BD releases quickly, that would probably just about win it for Sony.)

 

[CochiseGuy]

(If Pixar started pumping out BD releases quickly, that would probably just about win it for Sony.)

Disney had previous announced "Cars" from their Pixar subsidiary, but it seems to have been pushed back to at least September.

Paramount is trickling out some more releases -

"Disturbia" Aug. 7, day & date with the DVD

"Jack Ryan Collection" September 25 - 'The Hunt for Red October,' 'Patriot Games,' 'Clear and Present Danger' and 'The Sum of All Fears.', $99.95 box set

"Top Gun" Oct. 2

And, the 'killer ap' we've all been waiting for -
"Saturday Night Fever'", day & date with the "30th Anniversary DVD"!

I gotta go dust off that disco mirror ball out in the horse barn! @party

 

[diogen]

If Pixar started pumping out BD releases quickly, that would probably just about win it for Sony.

Pixar, although owned by Disney, is Steve Jobs (he is the biggest Disney shareholder). Apple is also Steve Jobs. And although Apple is a BD board member, they are very quiet about this HD/BD conundrum.
Their latest laptops have Intel's Santa Rosa (hardware accelerated playback), HDCP but no HD/BD players (unless you try to run Windows on them).
Leopard might have one, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Untill Steve decides to do something, not much will happen neither with Pixar movies, nor with Apple computers, I think.

Diogen.

 

[navychop]

There's a lot of talk about Leopard supporting both.

 

[s8ist]

Another interesting comment on the whole Apple/Blu-ray connection is that DVD Studio has built in support for burning HD DVD to DVD-R. In a way, Apple supports HD DVD now and has zero current support for Blu-ray. I think Apple is unsure, but they know their market penetration with personal computers is still scarce in the grand scheme of things, so making a decision would be bold for them. Perhaps they will pull the same thing they did with their multiple format Superdrive and make an "Extra Super-drive" if you know what I mean.

 

[r.jones1116]

If your HD DVD player needs an update, does a message to that effect appear on the screen if you try to play the movie without the update? I'd guess BD would work similarly.

There is an insert in the disc informing you that your player will require the latest firmware. You can also go into menu of player and check for updates if you're connected. Toshiba sent update disc to all registered generation 1 owners last week. Probably did the same for generation 2 owners.