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

[Jeff Kleist]

Paramount

WB typically has overseas rights on Paramount titles

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by woodlandwolf

That sucks about the Simpsons and Family Guy, now with that Im new at the HD TV thing but like TBSHD airs Family Guy so that means it isnt in HD and also why are those shows and like Married with Children and Saved by the Bell in Widescreen when the show was done in Fullscreen, just wondering.

Thanks,

Woodlandwolf

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Both of those shows were shot on analog videotape. They will never be more than SD

TBS is just cropping off the top and bottom

TBS/TNT (& History HD) use the "stretch" method, AFAIK there's no cropping, just distortion.

Luckily on my XBR I can set the screen to "Normal" and it corrects that.

[woodlandwolf]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

TBS/TNT (& History HD) use the "stretch" method, AFAIK there's no cropping, just distortion.

Luckily on my XBR I can set the screen to "Normal" and it corrects that.

Thank you for the info. But for me I like the black bars.

[woodlandwolf]

What are the chances of seeing more Robin Willium movies in the next year or so? Like What dreams may come, bicenntral man, man of the year, good will hunting, dead poets socity, patch adams?

and are there any chaces for the studos that manily do gay theme movies that they may start releasing titles on blu?

thanks

Woodlandwolf

[NoQuestion]

Originally Posted by woodlandwolf

What are the chances of seeing more Robin Willium movies in the next year or so? Like What dreams may come, bicenntral man, man of the year, good will hunting, dead poets socity, patch adams?

and are there any chaces for the studos that manily do gay theme movies that they may start releasing titles on blu?

thanks

Woodlandwolf

I would love to get good will hunting, dead poets society, and patch adams on bluray. Universal has been aggressively working on getting the hd-dvd exclusives out on blu, so Patch adams may be coming in 2009, so long as there isn't much of a need to go back and remaster it.

I am looking forward to seeing what the studios are going to be bringing out this year.

Jeff, have you heard any rumblings from the studios about what they will be announcing/showing at CES? Any big catalogs we should be looking forward to?

[coolmilo]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Paramount

WB typically has overseas rights on Paramount titles

Awesome news

This will be high on my must have list for 09.

Thank you.

[Jeff Kleist]

What are the chances of seeing more Robin Willium movies in the next year or so? Like What dreams may come, bicenntral man, man of the year, good will hunting, dead poets socity, patch adams?

Good Will Hunting is coming out in February in Canada. If it was on HD DVD probably sooner rather than later.

I expect independant studios like TLA to start dipping their toes at some point in the next 18 months, but I don't expect a huge flow of films for another year or so.

As for CES, good stuff, but much of it is in flux because typically they talk about what big catalog title they're pushing next Christmas. Seriously things change up to and including the last minute, so I think it'd be irresponsible to speculate. Hopefully another major Fox franchise in something similar to the Apes set (but hopefully with proper trays or cases and not those rubber hubs)

[NoQuestion]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Good Will Hunting is coming out in February in Canada. If it was on HD DVD probably sooner rather than later.

I expect independant studios like TLA to start dipping their toes at some point in the next 18 months, but I don't expect a huge flow of films for another year or so.

As for CES, good stuff, but much of it is in flux because typically they talk about what big catalog title they're pushing next Christmas. Seriously things change up to and including the last minute, so I think it'd be irresponsible to speculate. Hopefully another major Fox franchise in something similar to the Apes set (but hopefully with proper trays or cases and not those rubber hubs)

Always timely with your responses to everyone. I know I speak for everyone when I say thanks for all your work and insight.

Getting an idea as to what the studios are pushing for next christmas is always good. I look forward to whatever comes out of CES.

So are the studios holding off on any more announcements/press releases about titles until after CES or should we expect the studios to get back to announcing new upcoming titles this week?

[Jeff Kleist]

So are the studios holding off on any more announcements/press releases about titles until after CES or should we expect the studios to get back to announcing new upcoming titles this week?

Anything really noteworthy will be held back for CES

[Mr_Bester]

Originally Posted by NoQuestion

As much as I would like to see Family Guy on Blu, I am more curious to find out if shows like House, Fringe, and Scrubs will see release this year (their most recent seasons).

Scrubs only has 1 HD episode so far. The new season starting in a couple of weeks on ABC is supposed to be HD, but I won't believe it until it airs.

[NoQuestion]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bester

Scrubs only has 1 HD episode so far. The new season starting in a couple of weeks on ABC is supposed to be HD, but I won't believe it until it airs.

Well then hopefully we will get that season (the last season?) on blu and maybe, just maybe we will get the other seasons as well.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Hopefully another major Fox franchise in something similar to the Apes set (but hopefully with proper trays or cases and not those rubber hubs)

I hope you are talking about the Alien franchise. :-) I remember Bill mentioned it last year sometime before Paramount defected.

Its obvious you are not talking about Star Wars.

[NoQuestion]

Originally Posted by merrick97

I hope you are talking about the Alien franchise. :-) I remember Bill mentioned it last year sometime before Paramount defected.

Its obvious you are not talking about Star Wars.

Yea there were rumblings about one or all of them coming this year. At least it was semi confirmed that FOX was working on them for eventual release. Hopefully we hear something at CES about this. I hope they are fully loaded with features exclusive to bluray.

Would also like to see something about the ghostbuster films that were postponed until the Summer and of course the back to the future set that was talked about for a possible 2009 release.

Wouldnt mind seeing something about Braveheart seeing that Parmount let it slip that it was ready to be put on the release schedule.

Any news about titles that we did not know was coming (with a rough release date) would be a welcome.

[cartman781]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Fringe with a maybe, ratings are a bit shakey but Fox is pushing it hard



MGM has been spotty with what they put on Blu, I'm still ticked about Dead Like Me movie. It's been sitting on the shelf for over a year and no Blu



The only extras listed on Fox's database are trailers, but that's not always complete,especially 3 months out either.



Catalog titles are always getting shuffled around

There is a Dead like Me Movie? I love that Show and would be a definite buy if ever released.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by woodlandwolf

Thank you for the info. But for me I like the black bars.

Actually "Normal" gets rid of the stretch and adds the proper sidebars to the now 4x3 picture.

"Wide Zoom" is for those who don't like the pillarboxed 4x3 image on non-stretched HD channels (the majority thank heavens).

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Seriously things change up to and including the last minute, so I think it'd be irresponsible to speculate. Hopefully another major Fox franchise in something similar to the Apes set (but hopefully with proper trays or cases and not those rubber hubs)

Boy you got it right on the rubber hubs on the Apes set, a complete disaster, unless you are directly under alot of light, it's impossible to hook the disc onto them.

[Jeff Kleist]

Would also like to see something about the ghostbuster films that were postponed until the Summer and of course the back to the future set that was talked about for a possible 2009 release.

The discs are done, they were supposed to be cross-promoted with the game, and now will all be lumped together for the 25th Anniv

Wouldnt mind seeing something about Braveheart seeing that Parmount let it slip that it was ready to be put on the release schedule.

Nothing was let slip. It was scheduled for then, and now the time has been changed. This is common

There is a Dead like Me Movie? I love that Show and would be a definite buy if ever released.

Feb 17th, DVD only. It's called "Life After Death" and continues the series 4-5 years later

[the_dude]

Hey there, may I say, I just started reading this page recently and I'm very appreciative, my apologies if you have to repeat something before post 100 or so. To answer the question about the original Star Wars film masters, they're located in storage about 1000 ft underground in a Salt Mine in the middle of Kansas, same thing with The Wizard of Oz and a few others stored there. As a question(s), is there any news on the following?

The Big Lebowski- Obvious question i'd ask, but come on, that last dvd set was a rediculous ploy...this aggression will not stand man

The Rocketeer- Dave Stevens memory was big at comic-con, the whole indiana jones/ iron man deal sparked my interest. Ive talked to people at disney about it, and they seem that they would just like that one swept under the rug...but have you ever looked on ebay for merchandise? $400-500 for a helmet/ jackets and even more for the rocket pack? come on, don't tell me there isn't a market for it, i mean, the Spirit is going to get a blu-ray release...I think this one should as well.

Dick Tracy- Kinda the same reason as The Rocketeer

I'd like to see Dead Like Me make a comeback as well, it was ahead of it's time on SHO, it was on during the glory days of HBO, and I think having Weeds, Californication, Dexter, The L Word and this would have cemented a superb lineup for 2009 and beyond.

Also, you mention the POTA box set as well, I thought the idea was great for the packaging, but I really need to be honest that I almost broke a disc putting it back in it's rubber holder, is there any way FOX will allow a replacement for the standard discs? i would have bought them that way, but they never had anything but the first one around here, same applies to warner bros. with dirty harry and all of the digibook releases, is there any alternative besides custom cover-art? i know and trust that the marketing and creative teams did their best to create a unique product, but even the simpsons box sets on dvd kinda reset everything, and then they made the alternatives..

thanks and Happy New Year!

[Jeff Kleist]

Also, you mention the POTA box set as well, I thought the idea was great for the packaging, but I really need to be honest that I almost broke a disc putting it back in it's rubber holder, is there any way FOX will allow a replacement for the standard discs? i would have bought them that way, but they never had anything but the first one around here, same applies to warner bros. with dirty harry and all of the digibook releases, is there any alternative besides custom cover-art? i know and trust that the marketing and creative teams did their best to create a unique product, but even the simpsons box sets on dvd kinda reset everything, and then they made the alternatives..

We've been trying for years to get packaging replacements (like a tradein for those who bought the "fat" Stargate SG-1 sets to get the slimpacks), the only successful one in my memory was Simpsons with the "head" packaging

Warner wouldn't make rental slicks available for snappers, there's no way they'll make them available for digibooks

It's much more likely that Fox will simply not repeat the use of those hubs and go for a more traditional format next time, which I'm sure people will find new ways to complain about (slimpacks? The devil!)

[FourToedStatue]

Jeff there were a few titles Warner released on HD DVD that never came to blu ray (like Caddyshack, smallville season 5, etc) You'd think they'd be easier to port over than a new catalog title, why do you think these have been put on the backburner?