Widescreen Review is an HD DVD fanboy rag! – Look at the March Issue!

[Jim L]

I just got my March 2007 issue of WSR and I am fuming!

In the past year they have been unabashed cheerleaders for HD-DVD. After the launch of PS3 AND the Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic and Philips players, AND all the great titles coming out, AND the disc sales stats AND the aftermath of CES 2007 – it looked like they were changing their tune and at least taking a neutral stance in the format war. But in this issue, they have the gall to continue their biased propaganda campaign with new vigor!

Listen to some of this:

[from their opening editorial titled “Editor’s Couch”]

“Two Smart Thinkers – Warner Bros. & LG Electronics

Thanks to smart thinking on the part of Barry M Meyer, Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO, and others at the studio, the new Total High_Definition Disc (THD) can play content in both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats. And LG Electronics has announced the world’s first dual-format high-definition disc player, capable of playing both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD content.
. . .
The wise men at the two companies obviously realize that widespread consumer apathy, confusion, frustration, and indecision is rampant when consumers (and manufacturers) are confronted with the choice between two incompatible competing formats.”


[NO! This move further clouds the market making it harder for either format to achieve widespread adoption and hence plays into Micro$oft's plans]

They go on to praise both companies for being “consumer-minded” and doing a great service in bringing unity to the market. BS! It sounds like the best HD DVD supporters can hope for now is a draw where nobody wins.


The next topic in the editorial was a report on HD DVD and Blu-ray at CES 2007. At first glance it looks like they devote equal space to HD DVD and Blu-ray. Of course HD DVD comes first. To paraphrase, they regurgitate the Toshiba/Microsoft sales pitch talking about Hdi, the new coming players from Onkyo, Meridian, Toshiba, and Shinco as if it is a coming tidal wave for success. They also spin about the new TL51 discs coming (Toshiba’s afterthought to compete with BD’s capacity advantage) and all of Microsoft’s wonderful software and Windows CE to be used in future products. He totally fails to mention what many others have said about CES – that Universal was a complete no-show and there is almost no content in the HD DVD pipeline.


Next he moves on to Blu-ray. He mentions the launch of PS3 and quotes from different BDA members about optimistic projections for Blu-ray. He does mention some of the announced Blu-ray titles revealed at CES but doesn’t make much of it.

Then halfway into the paragraph on Blu-ray, he starts rambling about how the porn industry is going to support HD DVD and repeats the unsubstantiated claims that BD is way more expensive to produce than HD DVD. He sums up this report by saying that things could go either way or the formats could just end up co-existing like SACD and DVD-A.

I wanted to rip this issue into strips and hang it on my toilet tissue roll.

Are there any other WSR subscribers here? Let’s start a letter-to-the-editor campaign at Widescreen Review. Maybe we’ll get some of them published or at least make them recognize that their readers aren't going to keep swallowing this crap.

Anyone else read this issue?

[Jack Torrance]

Former subscriber here - was considering re-subscribing but won't now!

Also,thedigitalbits.com, which I have been a long time reader of, is still, perhaps more quietly, pro HD-DVD - witness today's update with TEN HD-DVD reviews (some of which are available on Blu-Ray)... and even more HD-DVD reviews in the archive and NO Blu-Ray reviews whatsoever.

I used to like this site as it championed superior technology... but despite quotes that the format war is a "bad thing" and that they are neutral, and even with the occasional Blu-Ray update... reviewers there praise HD-DVD's and only review it's content. Where's the blu-ray reviews?

Disappointed in Bill Hunt.

[Jodi]

Originally Posted by Jim L

I just got my March 2007 issue of WR and I am fuming!

In the past year they have been unabashed cheerleaders for HD-DVD. After the launch of PS3 AND the Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic and Philips players, AND all the great titles coming out, AND the disc sales stats AND the aftermath of CES 2007 – it looked like they were changing their tune and at least taking a neutral stance in the format war. But in this issue, they have the gall to continue their biased propaganda campaign with new vigor!

Listen to some of this:

[from their opening editorial titled “Editor’s Couch”]

“Two Smart Thinkers – Warner Bros. & LG Electronics

Thanks to smart thinking on the part of Barry M Meyer, Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO, and others at the studio, the new Total High_Definition Disc (THD) can play content in both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats. And LG Electronics has announced the world’s first dual-format high-definition disc player, capable of playing both Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD content.
. . .
The wise men at the two companies obviously realize that widespread consumer apathy, confusion, frustration, and indecision is rampant when consumers (and manufacturers) are confronted with the choice between two incompatible competing formats.”


[NO! This move further clouds the market making it harder for either format to achieve widespread adoption and hence plays into Micro$oft's plans]

They go on to praise both companies for being “consumer-minded” and doing a great service in bringing unity to the market. BS! It sounds like the best HD DVD supporters can hope for now is a draw where nobody wins.


The next topic in the editorial was a report on HD DVD and Blu-ray at CES 2007. At first glance it looks like they devote equal space to HD DVD and Blu-ray. Of course HD DVD comes first. To paraphrase, they regurgitate the Toshiba/Microsoft sales pitch talking about Hdi, the new coming players from Onkyo, Meridian, Toshiba, and Shinco as if it is a coming tidal wave for success. They also spin about the new TL51 discs coming (Toshiba’s afterthought to compete with BD’s capacity advantage) and all of Microsoft’s wonderful software and Windows CE to be used in future products. He totally fails to mention what many others have said about CES – that Universal was a complete no-show and there is almost no content in the HD DVD pipeline.


Next he moves on to Blu-ray. He mentions the launch of PS3 and quotes from different BDA members about optimistic projections for Blu-ray. He does mentioned some of the announced Blu-ray titles revealed at CES but doesn’t make much of it.

Then halfway into the paragraph on Blu-ray, he starts rambling about how the porn industry is going to support HD DVD and repeats the unsubstantiated claims that BD is way more expensive to produce than HD DVD. He sums up this report by saying that things could go either way or the formats could just end up co-existing like SACD and DVD-A.

I wanted to rip this issue into strips and hang it on my toilet tissue roll.

Are there any other WR subscribers here? Let’s start a letter-to-the-editor campaign at Widescreen Review. Maybe we’ll get some of them published or at least make them recognize that their readers aren't going to keep swallowing this crap.

Anyone else read this issue?

I never subscribed to WR, nor do I plan to.
I enjoyed reading the technical reviews of DVDs, particularly the comparisons of Dolby Digital sound to DTS sound. It was always enjoyable to read the DTS sound waxing the DD sound on the same DVD.
Notice all the words in past tense......"enjoyed"....."was".........
I will NEVER read pro-HD-DVD mags again!!!!!

Jodi

[Jim L]

I have to disagree with their reviews of PQ on various Blu-ray releases.

They use a 1 to 5 scale for rating. Here's a sample:

• Open Season: 4.5 (If this title doesn't have perfect PQ, I don't know what does)
• Invincible - 4.0
• The Covenant - 4.0
• Gridiron Gang - 4.0
• Flyboys - 3.5 (Are you kidding?)
• Crank - 4.5
• Transporter 2 - 3.0
• Pearl Harbor - 4.5

All of the above titles got higher PQ ratings by almost every other reviewer on different websites.

Granted, NO HD DVD titles got higher than a 4.0, but from what I've heard the HD DVD side is almost dry and they're pretty much scraping the bottom of their barrel.

4 Blu-ray titles got a 4.5:

• Open Season
• Flightplan (I thought this title looked soft and grainy)
• Pearl Harbor
• Crank

I guess we shouldn't expect much. The full page ads on pages 7 and 9 for HD DVD suggest that Widescreen Review is bought and paid for by Toshiba and Micro$oft.

[HDTV1080P]

Widescreen Review is my favorite magazine, I have been subscribing to it since the mid 90’s. I have not read the March issue yet but they are a magazine interested in the best picture and sound possible regardless of the format or name brand. They have some very nice reviews on BLU-RAY and HD-DVD movies. Widescreen review at least reviews just about every HD-DVD and BLU-RAY released. So far Home Theater magazine does not even review BLU-RAY movies at all only HD-DVD.
During the early days of reviewing BLU-RAY titles with 25GB MPEG-2 encoding Wisescreen Review compared some of the same titles in HD-DVD that used 30GB VC-1. Widescreen review accurately informed the public that HD-DVD had a better picture quality. Some times BLU-RAY has a better picture quality and sometimes HD-DVD has a better picture quality. Widescreen Review takes sides on which format has the better picture quality. In theory the new 50GB MPEG-4 encoded BLU-RAY movies will have much better sound and picture quality then HD-DVD 30GB discs. Thanks to Widescreen review they commented heavily on how the first Samsung BLU_RAY had some major problems. They were also one of the first magazines to inform us about the excellent picture quality of the Pioneer Elite BLU-RAY player.
In away it is good to have two formats on the market. Thanks to the HD-DVD format the BLU-RAY camp is making better quality players compared to the first generation Samsung. Also thanks to the HD-DVD format the BLU-RAY studios are releasing more movies in MPEG-4 and/or 50GB discs. Those early VC-1 HD-DVD 30GB discs forced BLU-RAY to go to 50GB and slowly make the switch to MPEG-4. So now BLU-RAY has the possibility to beat HD-DVD in picture and sound quality on every title if 50GB discs are used with VC-1 or MPEG-4.
Thanks Widescreen Review for demanding the best of the best regardless of format.

[JTK]

I definitely and heartily disagreed with the editorial comments as Jim does and indicated in his opening post and WSR and HT Magazine are both on probation with me.

I'm subscribed to both right now but that may change before long if I continue to see things like this or I see things like HT Magazine still not reviewing BD's at all at this late date.


As far as WSR goes: Not to put too fine a point on it, but Stacy Spears works for MS, does he not? He's always come across as a straight shooter in the magazine and on AVS, but this is this not a fact that I think can be shrugged off, either.

My point? What other kinds of connections like that do they have? These are the kinds of little details that have to be taken into consideration.

All that being said: I really like WSR a lot and I'll even go as far as saying they're my favorite AV/HT magazine outright. I won't like cancelling subscriptions to either HT M or WSR, but I will do it soon if I don't see some straightening out of things.

[Jim L]

I notice that there is also a Tricia Spears on the review staff listing.

I think I'm going to call them on this farce that they're putting on.

[HDTV1080P]

Before HD-DVD and BLU-RAY evey existed Widescreen review once and a while has given some bad reviews on picture and sound quality for DVD titles. I remember back in the days when they reviewed Laserdiscs, and as soon as DVD’s came out the very first single layer DVD’s suffered from digital artifacts and received bad reviews. On some titles Laserdisc had better picture quality then single layer DVD’s. Then when dual layer DVD’s were released they would get a better rating compared to the Laserdisc picture quality. Of course DVD’s replaced the Laserdisc format and two years later the Laserdisc format dies. I remember how Widescreen Review was pushing D-VHS 1080I format over DVD and was taken heat from people that liked optical disc better then tape. Since at the time D-VHS was the best format in picture and sound quality Widescreen Review sided with D-VHS and ticked some readers off.
The magazine over the last 15 years or so as went down hill in quality. The issues years ago use to be thicker and with more details. Now the magazine is must more thinner and less detailed articles. In some ways I like the Perfect Vision magazine better. Still I can must have both Widescreen Review and Perfect Vision for excellent over all articles.

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

I remember how Widescreen Review was pushing D-VHS 1080I format over DVD and was taken heat from people that liked optical disc better then tape. Since at the time D-VHS was the best format in picture and sound quality Widescreen Review sided with D-VHS and ticked some readers off

Hate to say it, but I never liked the D-VHS despite the fact that the video quality was better than the DVD. The thing is, I don't want to go with a bulky and clunky media format.

I'll rather stick to optical discs mainly because it's easier to make the players backward compatible with the previous formats. Thank God for Blu-Ray. :-)

[hyperdine]

Well, in my opinion, WSR is really more of an enthusiast magazine. I truly believe that most enthusiast have already made up their mind one way or the other over the two formats, so my guess is this article is going to have very little impact on changing anyone's thinking. If it were more of a mass-market rag, then it could be potentially more damaging, but seems like it's not. Of course, I may be totally underestimating the size of the subscriber base and readership. I understand the frustration though. I don't like it when media outlets have an agenda (regardless of their size).

[JTK]

Joe Kane's editorial in this same magazine is a complete shill job for HD-DVD, VC-1/Microsoft, THD discs, and the LG dual player.

If anyone ever had any doubts about where he's coming from, this editorial from him should clear the air for you once and for all.

At least he admits upfront in the piece what his ties have been in the past and largely are now. At least the pretense has been eliminated.


The more I think about it: The more I think this March 07 issue is a bunch of Bantha fodder.

Everyone owes it to themselves to either go to WSR's website and read the PDF files of this stuff, to see what kind of misinformation is being spread, or get to a newsstand and sit down and take the time to read it.

EDIT:

I fully expect to see all kinds of editorials and opinions all over the place that I won't agree with, and that's great. I certainly realize I'm far from being any kind of expert and most of these guys easily know leagues more than I do and that's also great... but the complete and sheer lack of balance that I'm seeing combined with just flat out shilling and hack-dom in some cases, like this issue of WSR as one example, really just gets to be ridiculous after a point.

There's honestly a complete lack of reality at some points in this magazine. The segment Jim L singles out is arguably more offensive because that's supposed to be a "news area" and yet we get that bunch of wishy washy drivel commentary thrown in. At least Joe Kane's colum is setup as an outright opinion and editorial piece.

When you look at what Jim L singled out combined with this...how in the hell did they come away from this BD CES 2007 blowout with this kind of perspective? Which CES did they go to?

[Spankey]

Anyone who was around during the transition from LD to DVD know the players. The names are still largely the same and their positions were as they are now. Wrong. In 1997 I remember Widescreen Review trashing DVD for jitter problems,and also wishing for a LD sized digital disc. Great forward thinkning. Also, one or two LD reviewers held out because of the "digital artifacts" that would tarnish every DVD ever produced. They never saw DVD but felt comfortable trashing it. These are the same people that are in the HD-DVD corner today.

A lot of HT sites owe their very existence to DVD. They are living in the past as well. What was the king of HT media is now being replaced. That DVD name must be hard to let go of. If Widescreen Review didn't tout VC-1 years before any HD optical format was ever released we probably wouldn't be judging individual titles by codec.

A lot of money has been handed out by M$. You want to trust these magazines whose reputations can be bought and sold?

[JTK]

Originally Posted by sltmag

Anyone who was around during the transition from LD to DVD know the players. The names are still largely the same and their positions were as they are now. Wrong. In 1997 I remember Widescreen Review trashing DVD for jitter problems,and also wishing for a LD sized digital disc. Great forward thinkning. Also, one or two LD reviewers held out because of the "digital artifacts" that would tarnish every DVD ever produced. They never saw DVD but felt comfortable trashing it. These are the same people that are in the HD-DVD corner today.

That figures. At least they're consistent, if nothing else.

A lot of HT sites owe their very existence to DVD. They are living in the past as well. What was the king of HT media is now being replaced. That DVD name must be hard to let go of. If Widescreen Review didn't tout VC-1 years before any HD optical format was ever released we probably wouldn't be judging individual titles by codec.

Especially when you have direct MS connections like Stacy Spears, who I believe is an MS employee outright, is he not? Or at the very least he's worked very closely with them?

And then we have Kane and his assocations.

At least I've never seen Spears peddle the MS Kool Aid on boards like a lot of the other MS employees do on certain boards, but after a point...you just start connecting these dots and wondering.

A lot of money has been handed out by M$. You want to trust these magazines whose reputations can be bought and sold?

Nope.

[PeterTHX]

Widescreen Review?

Don't you mean the DTS Newsletter?

I stopped subscribing in the mid-90's due to their incessant DTS cheerleading, the mindless Dolby bashing. When DTS couldn't get it together for either the ATSC standard or mandatory on DVD, Reber went nuts. He had the gall to petition the FCC to allow DTS to be added to the FCC spec...never mind that DTS at the time had no working product! Dolby was working on AC-3 all along as an HDTV standard since the late 80's...they actually put it on film as Dolby Digital in response to CDS!

Every issue, the first DD laserdiscs..."I'm surprised they sounded as good as they did, but here's these DTS CDs!". "DTS is working on Variable Bit Rate (VBR) DVD solution, it won't be stuck at a constant like Dolby!" Or publishing time phase stats as frequency response (the supposed charts that showed DTS as more efficient at the same bitrate). When the actual figures were published to the entire industry showing DD spanks DTS at the same bitrate Reber convieniently ignored it.

Or the entire off topic article (1/3 of an issue!) on him having DTS put into his gas guzzling car. I remember some wag on usenet suggesting it was the only car big enough to haul him around in.

Just go into any issue within the past 10 years and count the word "DTS". You will lose count, trust me.

and also wishing for a LD sized digital disc

The diner "interview" with Kane. That DVD was not "good enough" and too mainstream. Lord Reber doesn't like mingling with the masses.

[Spankey]

The diner "interview" with Kane. That DVD was not "good enough" and too mainstream. Lord Reber doesn't like mingling with the masses.

Exactly! How many HT sites were worried that DVD would be dumbed down for "J6P". Widescreen would go away. PQ would suffer. Chinese players were laughed at. Now these are the rallying cries for HD-DVD.

I actually do prefer DTS to DD when it comes to lossy codecs. Gary's failed petitioning to the FCC should tell you how much pull an enthusiast magazing, let alone web site really has. I wish I could go into a time capsule and bring some of these articles back. Unfortunately I trashed all my past issues when I moved. Oh well...

[JTK]

^^ Hilarious stuff. I'd forgotten some of that.

[coolmilo]

I see a similar problem with Home Theater Magazine. They never review Blu-ray movies but they sure take the revenue from the Blu-ray ads. Page 1 is always a Sony BDP-S1 ad. I just scanned the latest edition and saw comments like we will review Blu-ray products when they make a worthy product and all kinds of comments about the picture quality/sound quality compared to HDDVD.

Well now a days there are several very good players available and reference quality movies such as Crank. It's time for them to get off their duffs.

If I do not see some Blu-ray support soon I plan to drop both Widescreen and Home Theater Magazine.

I am a little hopeful however because HTM did a nice review of the PS3.

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by coolmilo

I am a little hopeful however because HTM did a nice review of the PS3.

Well at some point you can't deny the truth...just need a little bit of objectivity to stop making a complete fool of yourself in the end.

Some of these people that are trashing the PS3 are just making fools of themselves and tarnishing what little reputations they have left..there is simply no denying this is a serious piece of home entertainment hardware...an example of way the mainstream market used to make things when they took pride in what they were doing - and still possible to get - but at a much much higher price point in the audio/video realm.

[Esox50]

Well, I've subscribed to WSR from the beginning. I have not known themagazine to be anything other than an advocate for home theater and getting us the technology to make the experience the best that it can be.

That being said, it is well known that Amir was featured (from my memory, at least once) in an interview in WSR and this was long before HD DVD. Additionally, Joe Kane is a regular contributor to WSR. The link gets interesting when you have some sort of relationship between Amir/MS and Joe Kane now with regards to VC-1 being the "best codec" and all that other BS/propoganda.

I just got the issue of WSR yesterday, and haven't read it yet. But I'm interested to see how it comes across. Given the "interesting" relationships noted above, it wouldn't surprise me if it were a "pro" HD DVD issue. But you guys also have to remember that folks like Don Eklund of Sony have also been featured in WSR in the past. I think maybe you'll see one of the next few issues swing the other way and be some sort of "Blu-Ray extravagana" issue or something like that, especially when some of the big BD titles start hitting over the next few months.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Esox50

Well, I've subscribed to WSR from the beginning. I have not known themagazine to be anything other than an advocate for home theater and getting us the technology to make the experience the best that it can be.

See, that's why I'm willing to give them a pretty good shake down before I give up on them.

Despite my complaints, I still figure WSR is probably pound for pound one of the best mags of its kind out there.

Even this issue was far from being a "complete loss."

That being said, it is well known that Amir was featured (from my memory, at least once) in an interview in WSR and this was long before HD DVD.

Oh yeah. I think emailed the PDF of that love-in fest to at least 40 people.

Additionally, Joe Kane is a regular contributor to WSR. The link gets interesting when you have some sort of relationship between Amir/MS and Joe Kane now with regards to VC-1 being the "best codec" and all that other BS/propoganda.

And Stacy Spears with MS as well.

I just got the issue of WSR yesterday, and haven't read it yet. But I'm interested to see how it comes across. Given the "interesting" relationships noted above, it wouldn't surprise me if it were a "pro" HD DVD issue. But you guys also have to remember that folks like Don Eklund of Sony have also been featured in WSR in the past. I think maybe you'll see one of the next few issues swing the other way and be some sort of "Blu-Ray extravagana" issue or something like that, especially when some of the big BD titles start hitting over the next few months.

Most likely. I'll be interested to see what your take is on it after you're done reading it.