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

[Jeff Kleist]

Thanks Anthony, math was not my subject in school, and you expressed it better than I have been

[Vincent Pereira]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

I would say that the vast majority of the general public never even knew Laserdisc existed, and it certainly wasn't advertised on television past the early 80s when they were fighting with CED, if at all...

Actually Pioneer tried to give LD a bit of a push in the early 90s. I remember they had a TV commercial for their newer "low cost" combo-players (combo as in they played LDs and CDs), and the tagline was something like, "Pioneer LaserDisc- it is a huge idea!" as a family stands on their front lawn at night gazing into the sky at some sort of graphic that had to do with LaserDisc. I remember seeing that commercial on primetime TV a couple times and being surprised that they were pushing a niche format like that, and I'm pretty sure I had my Panasonic LD player at the time which I bought in 1991 (and still have, and it still works beautifully).

Vincent

[Drewza89]

A lot of people have people have expressed their concern over the fact that Disney hasn't put a priority on their live-action catalog titles. Is there a chance that they might consider licensing out some of their Touchstone/Hollywood Pictures films to another blu-ray distributor kinda like how Paramount has been doing it with Lionsgate? While we're at it, can we expect to see more titles from the Paramount/Lionsgate relationship?

Thanks!

[Jeff Kleist]

Very unlikely

Don't forget that a lot of Disney's live action catalog just went byebye with Miramax

There are classic Disney live actions besides Tron in the pipeline, my sadness is that The Black Hole, which was in the pipe early on is hanging on whether Tron 2 does well, because the director wants to remake Black Hole if it does. The stuff Parmount has been licensing has by and large been C list, and they're hurting right now. Disney doesn't have that problem.

Catalog titles are not doing that well on Blu, and the best way to encourage more releases is that if there's something you want, drop the extra $5 and buy it release week, because that's when the bean counter's eyes are watching.

Lionsgate has been pursuing a volume strategy for Blu-ray. ABC TV licensed them some stuff, but I don't see the film departments going for it. I don't know how many films are in the Paramount/LG deals, but if the first batch sold well I assume they'll go for some more. But they won't get anything most people will be jumping up and down about.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Very unlikely

Don't forget that a lot of Disney's live action catalog just went byebye with Miramax

There are classic Disney live actions besides Tron in the pipeline, my sadness is that The Black Hole, which was in the pipe early on is hanging on whether Tron 2 does well, because the director wants to remake Black Hole if it does. The stuff Parmount has been licensing has by and large been C list, and they're hurting right now. Disney doesn't have that problem.

Catalog titles are not doing that well on Blu, and the best way to encourage more releases is that if there's something you want, drop the extra $5 and buy it release week, because that's when the bean counter's eyes are watching.

Lionsgate has been pursuing a volume strategy for Blu-ray. ABC TV licensed them some stuff, but I don't see the film departments going for it. I don't know how many films are in the Paramount/LG deals, but if the first batch sold well I assume they'll go for some more. But they won't get anything most people will be jumping up and down about.

Was wondering what the hold-up was with Disney live action, especially the ones from the past decade. I know they want more release week purchases but honestly a lot of the prices not on Amazon are prohibitive.

[FlipperWasIrish]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Was wondering what the hold-up was with Disney live action, especially the ones from the past decade. I know they want more release week purchases but honestly a lot of the prices not on Amazon are prohibitive.

Look on the positive side, you have the answer and don't have to wonder anymore. Hopefully things (the economy) will improve in a few years and people will spend $$ again.

[Jeff Kleist]

Was wondering what the hold-up was with Disney live action, especially the ones from the past decade. I know they want more release week purchases but honestly a lot of the prices not on Amazon are prohibitive.

I'm in total agreement with you there. It seems to me they're pursuing the high price/discount route, and since Amazon is probably moving more non-major catalog Blu than any other retailer, that's why you see the specials there. The people who are buying the discs are finding the discounts, and the general public who's not so hot on upgrading even if they were $24.95 SRP will get them later down the line when they're much cheaper.

Using IMDB to check Touchstone and Hollywood pictures, I honestly don't see a lot there that are appealing to what's selling well on Blu. A lot of titles that are niche or cult hits like The Rocketeer, Ed Wood, Count of Monte Cristo and Mission to Mars. There's maybe ten movies left on both lists that are "motivated upgrades" from what I can see.

Even looking at the live action from the last 30 years of Walt Disney Pictures isn't very inspiring. Take a look for yourself and it might be clearer why they're parcelling them out. Miramax's loss takes a ton of movies out of the equasion.

[FlipperWasIrish]

I would snap up Mission to Mars for $24.95 in a heartbeat. While not a great movie but I think it would look very nice on Blu-ray. Given a choice I would rather see John Wayne's "The Quiet Man" on Blu-ray with all those wonderful Irish country scenes.

I apologize for going off-topic.

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by Vincent Pereira

Actually Pioneer tried to give LD a bit of a push in the early 90s. I remember they had a TV commercial for their newer "low cost" combo-players (combo as in they played LDs and CDs), and the tagline was something like, "Pioneer LaserDisc- it is a huge idea!" as a family stands on their front lawn at night gazing into the sky at some sort of graphic that had to do with LaserDisc. I remember seeing that commercial on primetime TV a couple times and being surprised that they were pushing a niche format like that, and I'm pretty sure I had my Panasonic LD player at the time which I bought in 1991 (and still have, and it still works beautifully).

Vincent

Some of those old LD Players were built like tanks! I have two Pioneer Elite's that still work.

[Drewza89]

Jeff,

While we're still talking Disney live-action, I was wondering about Warren Beatty's version of Dick Tracy. I read that there's a lot of issues involving the rights to the character. Are there any legal issues holding Disney back from releasing a blu-ray?

Thanks!

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Drewza89

Jeff,

While we're still talking Disney live-action, I was wondering about Warren Beatty's version of Dick Tracy. I read that there's a lot of issues involving the rights to the character. Are there any legal issues holding Disney back from releasing a blu-ray?

Thanks!

Dick Tracy is one blu-ray I'd be all over for sure, always loved that movie. Possibly one of Warren Beatty's best performances of his career.

[abintra]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

IUsing IMDB to check Touchstone and Hollywood pictures, I honestly don't see a lot there that are appealing to what's selling well on Blu. A lot of titles that are niche or cult hits like The Rocketeer, Ed Wood, Count of Monte Cristo and Mission to Mars. There's maybe ten movies left on both lists that are "motivated upgrades" from what I can see.

Even looking at the live action from the last 30 years of Walt Disney Pictures isn't very inspiring. Take a look for yourself and it might be clearer why they're parcelling them out. Miramax's loss takes a ton of movies out of the equasion.

Does Disney still control the Dimension catalog (The Crow, etc.) or did that go with the sale?

Hopefully some of those 10+ titles will start to trickle out. In addition to the aforementioned titles, how about?

:Hollywood Pictures:

Dead Presidents
Evita
While You Were Sleeping

Maybe 'Quiz Show' and 'The Joy Luck Club'.

:Touchstone Pictures:

25th Hour
Cocktail
Color of Money, The
Dead Poets Society
Good Morning, Vietnam
High Fidelity
Horse Whisperer, The
Insider, The
Kundun
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Open Range
Splash
What About Bob?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by abintra

Does Disney still control the Dimension catalog (The Crow, etc.) or did that go with the sale?

Hopefully some of those 10+ titles will start to trickle out. In addition to the aforementioned titles, how about?

:Hollywood Pictures:

Dead Presidents
Evita
While You Were Sleeping

Maybe 'Quiz Show' and 'The Joy Luck Club'.

:Touchstone Pictures:

25th Hour
Cocktail
Color of Money, The
Dead Poets Society
Good Morning, Vietnam
High Fidelity
Horse Whisperer, The
Insider, The
Kundun
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Open Range
Splash
What About Bob?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit

On that list the only films that I am interested in is Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Maybe What About Bob?

[Jeff Kleist]

While we're still talking Disney live-action, I was wondering about Warren Beatty's version of Dick Tracy. I read that there's a lot of issues involving the rights to the character. Are there any legal issues holding Disney back from releasing a blu-ray?

There shouldn't be any rights to the character that would be an issue, dunno about other stuff


Out of the films that are listed, I forgot Roger Rabbit was Touchstone, but a sequel is moving forward.

None of the rest are Blu-ray material in terms of what's selling with the possible exception of O Brother, cause the Cohens tend to be appreciated by this crowd. Think HD porn, not quality of the movie

[Joe Cain]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Out of the films that are listed, I forgot Roger Rabbit was Touchstone, but a sequel is moving forward.

Is it really? Interesting...

I remember a couple years ago when Roger on BD was teased by BVHE France and then it dropped off the radar.

[Paul H]

Originally Posted by abintra

Does Disney still control the Dimension catalog (The Crow, etc.) or did that go with the sale?

Hopefully some of those 10+ titles will start to trickle out. In addition to the aforementioned titles, how about?

:Hollywood Pictures:

Dead Presidents
Evita
While You Were Sleeping

Now “While You Were Sleeping” is a good Christmas theme title that my whole family likes to watch! Wouldn't hesitate to pick that up on Blu-ray.

Also, it would be an opportune time to cash in on Sandra Bullock's current popularity .

Paul

[AKORIS]

[QUOTE=Paul H;3764949]Now “While You Were Sleeping” is a good Christmas theme title that my whole family likes to watch! Wouldn't hesitate to pick that up on Blu-ray.

Also, it would be an opportune time to cash in on Sandra Bullock's current popularity .



totally agree--- a "chick flick" that my wife dragged me to upon release--
and I was thoroughly won over-- a charming, wonderful film that would be great to watch every Christmas season on blu-ray!

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Dick Tracy is one blu-ray I'd be all over for sure, always loved that movie. Possibly one of Warren Beatty's best performances of his career.

this could look incredible on blu-- a movie that's more style over substance but very fun .... kinda like the recent Flash Gordon release-- a movie that's main entertainment is actually the incredible "look" of the movie...

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

No, you are just completely wrong

Thank you for your opinion.

First, are you seriously arguing that total $ is a better determination of consumer interest then individual title %?I really don’t get that

Um, it's pretty simple. You just blathered a bunch of hypothetical numbers and situations. I'm talking about hard data.

The hard data shows that the percentage of home video dollars spent on Blu-ray, compared to DVD, each week has remained relatively the same over the past year.

You can sit and make up as many situations and exceptions that you wish. However, that does not change the fact, that out of all the money spent on home video media each week, roughly the same percentage is being spent on DVD vs. Blu as was one year ago.

How anyone can dismiss that as insignificant is beyond me. A million variables determine the why's and how's, but looking at the total picture each week the percentage of sales that are from Blu-ray as opposed to DVD have remained about the same. Approximately $1 to $1.20 each week out of every $10 spent on home video is spent on Blu-ray, the rest on DVD.

I have no idea why in hell this makes me "wrong" to point this out. It's factual information, and a very simple concept. The consumers decide how much they are going to spend on home media each week, and they are consistently making the same buying decisions with their dollars as they have been for a year. For some reason people want to talk down to me and act like I'm some idiot because I supposedly don't understand this or that other way of measurement; I AM NOT COMMENTING ON THOSE NUMBERS BUT ONLY MARKET SHARE.

Market share. The share of the home video market that Blu-ray occupies as opposed to DVD. So you can waste all the time you want inventing scenarios and making yourself feel all warm and fuzzy by discussing other numbers, but that has nothing to do with anything I have said or make me "wrong" about this.

Blu-ray market share of the entire home video market has remained relatively the same for the past year. If total revenue for Blu-ray, DVD, or both combined is higher, lower, or not recorded, it doesn't make any difference to that fact. The percentage of dollars spend on Blu-ray, compared to DVD, has stayed just about the same. That's the only point I have tried to express, and I am absolutely correct - I'm not going to bother to link to the numbers again, because obviously people either just want to argue and put me down, or they don't know how to follow a link.

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by abintra

Evita

This is screaming for Blu.

The DVD isn't even anamorphic.