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

[badboi]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Studios don't really make money on rentals so how can you expect them to care?

Well someone does, otherwise the rental market wouldn't exist. But that's not my concern really. My concern is the supposedly "dumbing down" of rental BD discs. First it started with certain studios releasing rentals without extras. Some people got their tits in a twist over that, some didn't. Now (supposedly) they are dicking around with the audio formats (don't know first hand, but I will get those discs soon and find out).

Do you buy every disc out there? I certainly don't. I buy enough (probably more than enough), but there are certain films I doubt I'd watch more than once. In that case I rent them. As someone who rents a film, shouldn't I be entitled to at least the same audio and video as someone who purchases?

[Jeff Kleist]

Hey, he needs to find more victims for an endless supply of replacement livers

I expect "Repo Men" to be selected by his Genius playlist

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Lord Stevie's at it again

Jeff, I promised myself I'd never address the Apple "issue" with you again, but perhaps because we agree on this one, it can ride smoothly...

I think Steve is absolutely correct on about 80% of the opinions on which he takes a public stand, but on this one, he's shamefully full of crap for so many reasons. So much for Apple being a leader in desktop video.

An early comment on that article put it nicely, relating Steve's response to an old comment from Ridley Scott. To paraphrase: when complimented on Blade Runner being so far "ahead of its time", Sir Ridley noted that a product being so was no more helpful in the marketplace than if it were woefully behind the times. Either way, it's equally out of touch with the needs and desires of the audience, today, and isn't serving anyone's needs.

There's no product or service on the market today which can even begin to compete with Blu-ray's performance, on multiple fronts. Apple products used to represent a higher standard in media presentation; now, it's "Let them eat iTunes."

[Jeff Kleist]

There's no product or service on the market today which can even begin to compete with Blu-ray's performance, on multiple fronts. Apple products used to represent a higher standard in media presentation; now, it's "Let them eat iTunes."

Honestly, I expect to see Apple dump the computer business entirely in the next 10 years. Before the iPod, they needed to keep those people happy, now with JoeSixPack overpaying 5x instead of the nerd/professional's 3x for their products, they just don't need them any more, and physical media interferes with their profits.

He should also note that the new Droid X has a user replaceable battery, runs flash, has the ability to use microSD cards, and apparently plays DiVX and MKV natively, PLUS it has an industry standard miniHDMI port so you can easily hook the thing to a TV. All for the same $199 price Iphone 4 is going for.

Seems Motorola is handling all of their supposed hurdles just fine And if it's anything like Droid 1 it's built like a tank to boot

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Honestly, I expect to see Apple dump the computer business entirely in the next 10 years.

Well, I expect, to a large extent, iPod and iPad and the like will be the computer business in another 10 years.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by badboi

Big help.

There are some movies I prefer to rent (i.e., the two I mentioned in my post) before purchasing — or not purchasing them at all because they have no replay value (again, probably those two I mentioned). And just because I haven't purchased that title, it doesn't mean I shouldn't get the HD audio as well.

And FWIW, I think I've been too kind to the studios. With over 500 BD discs in my library, I'd say I've been more than supportive. But to screw around with the audio on rentals is really taking a piss (if they are doing that). What's next, 720p because it's "good enough" for people who rent?

Jeff, as soon as these two get to me from Netflix I'll let you know what the audio is on them.

Something may be funky on Netflixs site. They list both as Dolby 5.1 and they are listed here as DTS. I bet Netflix has it listed wrong. But I'd only bet .50 cents though.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Honestly, I expect to see Apple dump the computer business entirely in the next 10 years. Before the iPod, they needed to keep those people happy, now with JoeSixPack overpaying 5x instead of the nerd/professional's 3x for their products, they just don't need them any more, and physical media interferes with their profits.

He should also note that the new Droid X has a user replaceable battery, runs flash, has the ability to use microSD cards, and apparently plays DiVX and MKV natively, PLUS it has an industry standard miniHDMI port so you can easily hook the thing to a TV. All for the same $199 price Iphone 4 is going for.

Seems Motorola is handling all of their supposed hurdles just fine And if it's anything like Droid 1 it's built like a tank to boot

The Ipod with a 160GB for $249.99 harddrive isn't really that overpriced since no other mp3 player offers that. MS could have had something GREAT with Zune but they blew it, just like they are going to majorly blow it with Kinect on 360.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by badboi

Well someone does, otherwise the rental market wouldn't exist. But that's not my concern really. My concern is the supposedly "dumbing down" of rental BD discs. First it started with certain studios releasing rentals without extras. Some people got their tits in a twist over that, some didn't. Now (supposedly) they are dicking around with the audio formats (don't know first hand, but I will get those discs soon and find out).

Do you buy every disc out there? I certainly don't. I buy enough (probably more than enough), but there are certain films I doubt I'd watch more than once. In that case I rent them. As someone who rents a film, shouldn't I be entitled to at least the same audio and video as someone who purchases?

Netflix doesnt mind charging us extra for BDs as well. I'm with you.

[aygie]

Agree with everyone about Job's comments on BD (see my post on the Mac thread) but don't like the way you guys rip someone for an illness. Very un-cool.

[Jeff Kleist]

Agree with everyone about Job's comments on BD (see my post on the Mac thread) but don't like the way you guys rip someone for an illness. Very un-cool

They're not ripping on his illness, We're ripping on his personality traits, and creating cartoonish situations where the extremes of that would show themselves

[SpaceDog]

Originally Posted by merrick97

The Ipod with a 160GB for $249.99 harddrive isn't really that overpriced since no other mp3 player offers that. MS could have had something GREAT with Zune but they blew it, just like they are going to majorly blow it with Kinect on 360.

I think it's way too soo to suggest Kinect will fail. As much as I'm not a fan of MS - and somewhat a Nintendo (And even Apple) fanboy - I'm enthusiastic about playing Child of Eden with Kinect moreso than Move.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by SpaceDog

I think it's way too soo to suggest Kinect will fail. As much as I'm not a fan of MS - and somewhat a Nintendo (And even Apple) fanboy - I'm enthusiastic about playing Child of Eden with Kinect moreso than Move.

I don't think anyone said Move won't also fail.

[SpaceDog]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

I don't think anyone said Move won't also fail.

My statement wasn't meant to suggest that one would do better than the other. I am simply aware that the game will be available to both platforms and was drawing a distinction associated with my desire to play it.

Plenty of people predict different forthcoming technologies will fail. Rarely do they have appropriate insight to actually know if their speculation has any merit.

Wasn't very long ago whole forums were dedicated to the idea that blu-ray would fail. HD-DVD Forever

[garyrc]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris

Anything remotely grainy is WSS would be a dupe from 5250 stock. Dance at the gym, etc.

If one wants to actually see grain in 70mm, they have to run Woodstock, and even that is a good looking film.

RAH

I forgot they blew Woodstock up to 70 mm, yeah, the grain was hard to miss in that one. I just remembered the 70 mm blow up of Days Of Heaven had some grain, but was still beautiful, and I would rather that they not scrub it out. But, as we both have said, it is unusual to notice grain in most 70 mm.

We (a group including three dedicated photo hobbyists) moved down to the front row for some of our repeated viewings of 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70 mm. The theater had a deeply curved screen that was 85 feet across the chord of the arc. The image was so big that it more than filled the field visible through my glasses with average-sized lenses (not grannies, despite it being 1968). Through most of the movie, the grain did not call attention to itself, despite the image size. In some of the high contrast scenes in space it was virtually invisible. The instructions on how to operate the Zero Gravity Toilet were readable. In The Dawn of Man sequence there was some very noticeable grain, but it was amazingly small given our proximity to a screen that large. The faces of the primates were wire sharp, reach-out-and-touch-them, when those faces were within the focus zone. The Monolith had smooth, sharp edges. There was also some stationary grain in some of the long shots ... someone said some backdrops were derived from special 8 x 10 Ektachromes. All in all the grain seemed finer than in several 35 mm films we had viewed from normal seats maybe 10 to 20 rows back in a theater.

[garyrc]

Originally Posted by Bobby Henderson

The only ways to reduce grain on a 70mm print is shoot with the tightest grain stocks on 35mm or better yet shoot in VistaVision or 65mm.

Or the tightest grain stocks in the form of 65 mm negatives (or horizontal 35 mm, like Technirama), which I believe happened several times in the 50s and 60s.

I agree, the color saturation was amazing in the 70 mm v.s. 35 mm prints, for every film I saw both ways.

I'm looking forward to the day when pq such as this will be available in the home. Maybe my daughter will live to see it.

[tvine2000]

Originally Posted by fitprod

He addressed it in his HTF review... He had plenty to say...

fitprod

Thanks

[Uxi]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Well, I expect, to a large extent, iPod and iPad and the like will be the computer business in another 10 years.

If you like their vision of only getting 'apps' aka programs through their official channel. Mac users would never stand for that today, which is what makes so many of the iProduct users happy to receive such arbitrary allotment allowed via the App Store such an interesting phenomena.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Uxi

If you like their vision of only getting 'apps' aka programs through their official channel.

How does what I do or do not like factor into anything?

[Uxi]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

How does what I do or do not like factor into anything?

Nothing at all with your preference, but only on your expectation of seeing their computer business model resembling the iProduct business model.

Othewise, that was colloquial use of 'you.' Substitute as appropriate

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

I don't think anyone said Move won't also fail.

I honestly IMO don't think Sony is really very serious about pushing Move as something HUGE the way MS is pushing Kinect. I think Sony believes catering to the more traditional gamer is more important to the overall business model than gimmicky motion controls. I feel they released Move just so they would have something similar just in case it turns out to be more popular than they thought.

In all honesty I dont know many people who have claimed that they get a better gaming experience using the Wii controller vs the traditional controller. I know I would prefer to use the a traditional controller that would allow me to play relaxed.