Why is there a delay in posting reviews?

[Bullseye]

Why is Blu-ray.com so slow at getting reviews out. Surely it is important to get reviews out before the film is out for general release. Otherwise what is the point. Other sites and magazines are beating this site to reviews on too many occasions. Surely the studios should show this site more respect.

[tilapiah6]

In the past, they've answered such inquiries by saying that it takes a while sometimes to get a review copy. I'm assuming that means they review it quickly once they get the review copy.

I agree that studios should show the site more respect.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Although I think our reviewers are paid for what they do, I don't think it's a full-time position for them. If that is the case, then it's completely understandable that reviews take a little longer at times.

John

[paperthrower2000]

It must be had to keep up with the reviews now compared to a year ago when only a couple new movies a week were coming out.Now the flood gates have opened,which is a good thing.

[Ben]

I agree with everything you've said and I think reviews, ideally, should always be done before a title streets. Unfortunately, many of the studios are unable to get review copies out to sites in time to make this a reality and, as a result, we are forced to post reviews when they arrive and occasionally not in time for the release. Now, when comparing our review timing to other sites, 95% of the time we are the first site up with a review. When a title is a re-relase of a HD DVD title, some reviewers reprint their HD DVD review and have something up within a matter of minutes after a title arrives. Reviewers all receive their screeners from the studio at the same time, so it's pretty easy to see when this is happening. There are also some sites that regularly post reviews of titles that have NOT been made available to reviewers at the time that their reviews go up. I'll leave it up to you to decide how this is happening...

The studios have been very respectful of Blu-ray.com and we have an excellent working relationship with all of them. There has never been a case when we were the last to receive a copy of a particular title. In fact, the studios ensure that no favoritism is ever played and that all the review sites have the same materials at the exact same time.

There are a couple of sites, however, that always post reviews before anyone in the industry even has copies... sometimes before the studio even has final product. As I said before, I'll leave it up to you to decide how that might be taking place.

Having said that, there have been some occasions where we simply missed a title for a variety of reasons, none of which I'll offer as an excuse for not getting all of you the reviews you need in a timely manner. I can personally guarantee that we are committed to reviewing every title, so long as we receive it in time, before street date. We'll also be playing catch-up on the titles we've missed over the past few years, so don't be surprised to see some older titles popping up on a weekly basis. While we might have missed the boat when the titles were released, we still want to offer reviews for those who might still be considering the titles for purchase.

Was there a particular title you were concerned about?

[Bullseye]

thanks for the reply. No title in particular. Butyou guys have only just reviewed the Mission Impossible film. The Bond films are out tomorrow and QoS is already out.

[kiskiboy97]

We reviewed the Mission: Impossible films because they were released before this site began publishing reviews, and we want to have reviews available for all titles.

As far as the Bond titles, Fox and MGM are notorious for sending titles out very late. We have yet to receive Princess Bride and have only QoS and Never Say Never Again. Often, there is far more going on behind-the-scenes than readers know that affects our ability to publish reviews on-time.

[JJ]

Does this count as a complaint thread?

[Ben]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

thanks for the reply. No title in particular. Butyou guys have only just reviewed the Mission Impossible film. The Bond films are out tomorrow and QoS is already out.

Quantum of Solace has already been reviewed We had a review posted within 24 hours of receiving the title. Never Say Never Again will be out shortly, but as Martin said, we still haven't received the other Bond titles. No site has, actually.

[the48thronin]

I'd like to see a review for Bolt.

[Mubbly]

Originally Posted by the48thronin

I'd like to see a review for Bolt.

Me too! It'll be up today, I'm sure..

[Ken Brown]

Originally Posted by Mubbly

Me too! It'll be up today, I'm sure..

It'll actually be tomorrow guys. Unfortunately, Disney Distribution had a small shipping error that affected a few sites (including ours). As a result, I'll be renting/buying the disc tonight and getting a proper review up ASAP. Thanks for your patience!

[Bullseye]

Guys I am not blaming you for getting reviews out late I am just surprised the studios are not getting these titles out to you in time. You should have them a week or two before hitting the shelves.

[squall_line]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

Guys I am not blaming you for getting reviews out late I am just surprised the studios are not getting these titles out to you in time. You should have them a week or two before hitting the shelves.

While studios understand the value of having reviews available for consumers to aid in their purchasing decisions, they have to weigh the benefit of those reviews against the risk of piracy.

Now, I understand that most reviewing web sites and magazines are likely required to sign all sorts of agreements not to pirate movies, etc. (b-r.com had to sign specific agreements for screenshots, for example), but that doesn't mean that every person that signs an agreement with a studio will abide by that agreement. Heck, stores won't even abide by street date agreements...

Studios have concerns about piracy after a title is released, but they significantly increase their exposure for every day or week a title is sent out before its actual release date.

That might not be their actual reason (they might just be lazy, or rightfully more concerned with sending paid copies out the door than screeners), but I'm sure it's one of the factors they take into account.

[xander]

Just curious if we would be seeing the Fast and The Furious Trilogy getting a review in the near future?

[kiskiboy97]

Yes, probably late next week. I didn't receive it until after street.

[xander]

Awesome. Thanks for letting me know and the work you put in to deliver the reviews.

[AppleCrumbDlite]

Originally Posted by kiskiboy97

Yes, probably late next week. I didn't receive it until after street.

Can the main quote on the review for the trilogy be "whoa, fellas, fellas. I know my tags are outta date but damn!"

[xander]

Originally Posted by kiskiboy97

Yes, probably late next week. I didn't receive it until after street.

Is this still being reviewed by the site or did it get bumped? Thanks.

[Grubert]

The review of the Fast and Furious trilogy is up now:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movie...93&show=review