Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[NoQuestion]

Bill,

On the movies forum there is a thread about New Line movies coming. Showing titles like rush hour, rush hour 2, dark city, the golden compass etc. Is there any confirmation that these will make US release? the source of the list is from a european site.

Thanks

[owa]

Originally Posted by Esox50

I disagree David, Bill Hunt has in the past come back from CES and trade shows with "rumored" title lists many times in the past.

The first post in the thread specifically says not to ask about unannounced titles.

Please conduct your inquiries in a professional manner and avoid asking "chicken little" questions or asking when unannounced titles will come out, or if the studios have any plans for those titles.

[scott1256ca]

Bill:

You mentioned today that Paramount may be going to support BD again around 2nd Q this year and also mentioned Best Buy phasing out HD DVD. This is not the first time we have heard these rumours connected and with this time frame. In fact, the original rumours probably started with an insider on this forum.

You have, in the past, put yourself somewhere between hobbyist and reporter. So how many sources do you confirm with before you print statements like these? Do they have to have certain credentials, or a particular track record before you take them at face value?

Thanks

[DaViD Boulet]

Folks,

let's police ourselves so the mods don't have to. Bill doesn't work for a studio and he's not the gate-keeper of release-date information... the info he does get on certain titles is sporadic and generally will cover an important release that's worth industry attention (why he hears about it).

On the movies forum there is a thread about New Line movies coming. Showing titles like rush hour, rush hour 2, dark city, the golden compass etc. Is there any confirmation that these will make US release? the source of the list is from a european site.

Let's rephrase questions like this to say "Does the appearance of certain Paramount titles for pre-order on Blu-ray Disc in the UK suggest anything going on behind the scenes with Paramount's Blu-ray Disc support?"

That's a "Bill Hunt question". Not "when is such and such a movie going to come out in the US".

[WickyWoo]

Yes, but the handful of titles he *may* know about pales in comparison to the bombardment of title-requests he gets in this thread which more than likely target titles that he hasn't heard about. The Mods have already asked that folks use self-control in not hounding insiders (other than Penton) about title requests. If Bill *does* know something about a specific title, he'll tell us: we don't even need to ask.

As it says at the beginning of every insider thread. These are not 'When is title X coming to Blu" threads. This is the second time this has been stated in this thread. Further violations will result in infractions.

[Seretur]

To backtrack a little bit, Bill -- I'm very grateful for the return of the Rumor Mill column after a three-month hiatus. Hope it turns into a more regular feature of The Bits from now on.

Also, the news on Universal going back to retransfer and reencode some of their titles is EXTREMELY welcome! This is what I've hoped for throughout 2007, as the bad reviews of their HD DVD releases kept piling up. I dearly do hope that the BDA lends them a helping hand here, to the benefit of us all. This is not about the one-upmanship with the other format anymore -- it's truly about getting definitive versions of their films in HD. If this rumor does pan out, I'll be one very happy (and very spent) customer.

And finally, happy MLK day!

[Rob Tomlin]

Interesting article at Gizmodo:

http://gizmodo.com/346783/the-truth-...hd-dvds-demise

This article says that Universal has a contract to remain exclusive to HD DVD through 2009 and that the contract is null only when the format is declared non-viable. "Graffeo repeatedly placing the onus on Toshiba to declare HD DVD dead seems to confirm this".

Can you comment on the accuracy of this Bill?

[elwaylite]

Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin

Interesting article at Gizmodo:

http://gizmodo.com/346783/the-truth-...hd-dvds-demise

This article says that Universal has a contract to remain exclusive to HD DVD through 2009 and that the contract is null only when the format is declared non-viable. "Graffeo repeatedly placing the onus on Toshiba to declare HD DVD dead seems to confirm this".

Can you comment on the accuracy of this Bill?

Good grief. BDA better be glad Apple tv's new box is only 720p and has weak audio. Considering they have ALL studio support.

[zipbags]

Wouldn't a exclusivity contract be made public for the shareholders? I mean if I was a Universal shareholder. I would be concerned that the company is stuck with a dying format.

[doctorsteve]

I'm curious Bill - with your Late Monday/Pre-Tuesday Edition of your 2 cents - You wouldn't by chance be putting up a billboard of sorts (Reminiscent of the "It's the Economy, Stupid!" signs in political campaigns of old), would you?

It would tickle me (pink?) to know that by you putting solid stats and Duh!-data RIGHT IN THE FACE of the hold-outs, and in plain view of the consumers, retailers, and the media -and, in particular, supplying quotes - the WORDS of one of the big shots themselves (and what good is a man whose Word is worthless?) - One of the Unholy Trinity would give up the ghost and make the announcement that marks the beginning of the end of the end.

You wouldn't be doing anything like that... would you, Bill?

Cheers,

Doc

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by zipbags

Wouldn't a exclusivity contract be made public for the shareholders? I mean if I was a Universal shareholder. I would be concerned that the company is stuck with a dying format.

GE owns NBC and NBC owns Universal. So the company is actually GE/NBC/Universal. NBC is in bed with Microsoft (e.g., MSNBC).

I don't believe Blu Ray or HD DVD sales are that significant for the Bozos at GE (David Letterman called them that and got in trouble with NBC). It is a complicated matter.

[Bill Hunt]

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the absence this weekend. Been watching football, went to see There Will Be Blood and I've been a little under the weather today. I've already posted tomorrow's early report on The Bits, as I see some of you have already discovered. Some proof in the pudding, so to speak. In any case, I'll try to check in later tomorrow to answer a few of the questions that have cropped up over the weekend. But let's try to keep it away from "Is this movie coming?," or "Is that movie coming?" That's what the Bits is for, and also there are plenty of other such threads here at Blu-ray.com. Thanks.

Bill

[Sporty]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I don't believe Blu Ray or HD DVD sales are that significant for the Bozos at GE (David Letterman called them that and got fired by NBC). It is a complicated matter.

Letterman wasn't fired. He wanted the 11pm timeslot, NBC said 'maybe' after Leno's contract expired but Dave entered into CBS negotiations and the rest is history.

[cueman98]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Good grief. BDA better be glad Apple tv's new box is only 720p and has weak audio. Considering they have ALL studio support.

Dude, seriously. Think for a minute. Its 2008, and a large proportion of u.s. households are still using dial-up for internet connection. esprcially in rural areas.

Hd downloads won't truly be a viable alternative until technology supplies high speed access to most of the country for a good price. Trust me when I tell you, I know from experience that satellite delivery systems are too expensive, slow, and unreliable.

If I was to try and download a file anywhere near the size required for an hd movie, it would take up about 40% of my hard drive.

My point is, unreliable download systems will never replace most consumers preference for a physical media.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Sporty

Letterman wasn't fired. He wanted the 11pm timeslot, NBC said 'maybe' after Leno's contract expired but Dave entered into CBS negotiations and the rest is history.

You are correct. However, before the final decision was made, Letterman had already offended too many people at NBC and GE.

I replaced the word "fired" with "got in trouble" in my original comment.

[Elandyll]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Good grief. BDA better be glad Apple tv's new box is only 720p and has weak audio. Considering they have ALL studio support.

Even if it was 1080p DTS True HD, I'd still buy discs. I like to build meself a collection, something physical, and that won't disppear on a deffective HD (and yeah I'm aware that you "can" re-DL everything).
Oh, and I'd rather not collect Hard Drives on my shelves instead of pretty BD cases too

Ntoe to Bill: Thanks for keeping us updated, appreciate all the hard work !

[thebluemax]

Bill

Just curious what your opinion is of Ken Graffeo? Read His latest interview and the man is totally out of touch with reality. Maybe a drug/alcohol problem? He claims Universal wants what the consumer wants....HELLO!!!!!

[cartier]

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Good grief. BDA better be glad Apple tv's new box is only 720p and has weak audio. Considering they have ALL studio support.

Besides the other comments made it is important to remember that these are rentals. Movie studios are nowhere near wanting to sell content online, disc sales and a physical media are to important to them.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by thebluemax

Bill

Just curious what your opinion is of Ken Graffeo? Read His latest interview and the man is totally out of touch with reality. Maybe a drug/alcohol problem? He claims Universal wants what the consumer wants....HELLO!!!!!

I was just saying this elsewhere, so it bears repeating here: I have nothing but respect for Ken. We disagree on the format war, obviously, but it's nothing personal. Ken's just doing his job, and it's not an easy one these days, given recent events. We all just have to remember not to take any of this stuff personally. No puppies and kittens will be harmed, regardless of how this turns out.

[martinstraka8282]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

I was just saying this elsewhere, so it bears repeating here: I have nothing but respect for Ken. We disagree on the format war, obviously, but it's nothing personal. Ken's just doing his job, and it's not an easy one these days, given recent events. We all just have to remember not to take any of this stuff personally. No puppies and kittens will be harmed, regardless of how this turns out.

Do you think he truly believes what he said in that ninterview, or is he just giving the company line cuz he has to until they give up on HD DVD? I have a hard time believing that ANYONE at this point can believe that HD can win the format war no matter how biased they may be.