Did Warner just increase video bitrates? (photo inside)

[Grubert]

Just asking...

[stockstar1138]

yeah, they said they were due to blu-rays higher bitrate capability.

what movie is this.

id like to see a side by side comparison of the old bitrate to the new bitrate intro.

[Alan Gordon]

Yeah Grube... what movie is this?

"Dirty Harry" (or it's sequels)
"The Bucket List"
"Natural Born Killers"

Inquiring minds want to know?

~Alan

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

yeah, they said they were due to blu-rays higher bitrate capability.

what movie is this.

Bucket List (rental!)

The movie sucks but it looks great. The freckles on Morgan Freeman's face are really lifelike.

Pity about no lossless audio though.

id like to see a side by side comparison of the old bitrate to the new bitrate intro.

I checked a couple others and the bitrate never went above 24 during the Warner intro.

[WickyWoo]

Higher bitrates mean less work, because you're not trying to shoehorn the image into HD DVD space. The second they went Blu the order came down to use Blu specs on future titles

[Blu Titan]

I see they are still using VC-1?

[w_tanoto]

also applies to sweeney todd. glad that HD DVD is dead. they're the reason that we got low warner bitrate.

[w_tanoto]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I see they are still using VC-1?

I don't really like VC1 as well. AVC is the best.

[Esox50]

I don't know why this should come a a surprise. Maxpower said it would take Warner about 2 or 3 quarters to "clear" the pipeline of HD DVD spec'd releases. We are starting to see the fruits of their labor hat started AFTER their decision to ditch HD DVD.

Also, for those complaining about VC-1, let's not get ridiculous. At a bitrate in the high 30s and low 40's (as per the picture above), I doubt any of you could tell the difference on consumer equipment between VC-1 and AVC. As long as the studios encode to Blu spec, we should have no problem with VC-1 or AVC looking incredible!!!

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Grubert

Bucket List (rental!)

The movie sucks but it looks great. The freckles on Morgan Freeman's face are really lifelike.

Pity about no lossless audio though.

My copy arrived from the WB Store today... but I've been at work (and will remain at work for quite a few more hours) so I haven't had time to check out the PQ.

Shame about the lack of "lossless" audio though as I was REALLY hoping it was a mistake (ala "The Perfect Storm") and would come out with it. I'm still hoping for it on "Fool's Gold" and "Batman: Gotham Knight" though... but I'm not holding my breath!

~Alan

[BStecke]

Hopefully we don't have to drag out the AVC/VC1 argument. It doesn't really matter. Great to see Warner catching up, hopefully the lack of lossless audio is their last slip up.

[Barnum]

Originally Posted by Esox50

I don't know why this should come a a surprise. Maxpower said it would take Warner about 2 or 3 quarters to "clear" the pipeline of HD DVD spec'd releases. We are starting to see the fruits of their labor hat started AFTER their decision to ditch HD DVD.

Also, for those complaining about VC-1, let's not get ridiculous. At a bitrate in the high 30s and low 40's (as per the picture above), I doubt any of you could tell the difference on consumer equipment between VC-1 and AVC. As long as the studios encode to Blu spec, we should have no problem with VC-1 or AVC looking incredible!!!

I think the anti VC-1 one mentality comes more from peoples hate of Microsoft more than anything else.

[jkwest]

I think the AVC/VC-1 banter is now moot...the crush on some early VC-1 releases was to due to the size limitations of HD-DVD....now that that is no longer an issue, I think VC-1 will find more likers...hell...just look at Cloverfield!!! Absolutely stunning, IMO...

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Esox50

I don't know why this should come a a surprise. Maxpower said it would take Warner about 2 or 3 quarters to "clear" the pipeline of HD DVD spec'd releases. We are starting to see the fruits of their labor hat started AFTER their decision to ditch HD DVD.

It's not a surprise... as "Dirty Harry" was shown to have BD encodes.

While we figured that WB would start using BD encodes with their first BD exclusive titles since New Line released their FIRST BD encoded title at the first of the year... we still don't know a lot in regards to WB's catalog titles. "The Shawshank Redemption" was supposed to be coming back in 2006... will it be BD optomized?

Plus, even though WB may have cleared the pipeline in regard to D&D HD DVD spec'd releases, upcoming "catch up" titles (like "Batman Begins", "The Matrix", etc.) means we'll have at least a year of ports ahead of us.

Not to mention that it appears that "Smallville" S7 will be brought to us at HD DVD bitrates...

~Alan

[Clark Kent]

The tyranny of HD DVD limited video encodes from Warner is finally over!!! I watched the Natural Born Killers BD today and this is a high bitrate VC-1 encode that frequently reaches into the high 30's, meaning it could never have been released on HD DVD as is. I just hope Warner doesn't have some old dusty HD DVD ports that they had finished months ago used for anymore titles.

[Alan Gordon]

While I've been very clear to state that I have no preference in regards to video codecs, what ever happened to this:

Warner authoring facility, selects Scenarist BD-J authoring CineVision AVC encoding

I realize that the thread wasn't that long ago, so it might take some time still to see a AVC title... but I was just curious?

~Alan

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

While we figured that WB would start using BD encodes with their first BD exclusive titles since New Line released their FIRST BD encoded title at the first of the year... we still don't know a lot in regards to WB's catalog titles. "The Shawshank Redemption" was supposed to be coming back in 2006... will it be BD optomized?

Plus, even though WB may have cleared the pipeline in regard to D&D HD DVD spec'd releases, upcoming "catch up" titles (like "Batman Begins", "The Matrix", etc.) means we'll have at least a year of ports ahead of us.

Not to mention that it appears that "Smallville" S7 will be brought to us at HD DVD bitrates...

~Alan

I 100% agree. That's why I put "clear" in quotes above. Obviously, there will be "catch up" titles that will be HD DVD ports.

It is quite disappointing that WB decided NOT to go back and re-do Batman Begins. Maxpower had said that WB was considering it. Now, it seems as though we'll have to wait for a new special edition, which possibly will include some new footage. Part3 is slated for 2011, so maybe we'll get a proper BD optimized Batman Begins then. In the meantime, while not as could as it most likely could be, I'm not going to hesitate picking up Batman Begins on July 8. It will be a pretty significant upgrade from the DVD, based on what I saw/heard on the HD DVD (EDIT: <--- For the record, I never owned any HD DVD product. Blu all the way since Dec 22, 2006. )

Good point on Shawshank. That will be interesting to see how that one turns out...

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

While I've been very clear to state that I have no preference in regards to video codecs, what ever happened to this:

Warner authoring facility, selects Scenarist BD-J authoring CineVision AVC encoding

I realize that the thread wasn't that long ago, so it might take some time still to see a AVC title... but I was just curious?

~Alan

Interesting link. I missed that (or my memory is going, which is possible ).

Hmmm, maybe we'll see some AVC on some big titles from WB later this year...

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Esox50

In the meantime, while not as could as it most likely could be, I'm not going to hesitate picking up Batman Begins on July 8. It will be a pretty significant upgrade from the DVD, based on what I saw/heard on the HD DVD.

I had BB on HD DVD... so I know EXACTLY what I'm getting into with it... and while I think a new encode could certainly have helped it (as I found it somewhat of a lackluster HD title)... I already have it pre-ordered.

Originally Posted by Esox50

Good point on Shawshank. That will be interesting to see how that one turns out...

I'm just really curious to see WHAT happens with their catalog titles as some could have been done when they were encoding for HD DVD... and decided to hold off a bit (due to promotional tie-ins, etc...).

WickyWoo also brought up an interesting point (that sounds very likely to me)... in that WB could have been encoding episodes of "Smallville" Season 7 as they were finished... which helps explain why WB is able to fit 20 episodes of "Smallville" on three BD-50s.

So what else could they have already been working on?

~Alan

[Mr. Cinema]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I see they are still using VC-1?

What does it matter? Disney has used VC-1 on several titles.