Archived: Insiders Thread

[azure_blue]

thanks paidgeek for your follow up with the future of DSD/SACD inquiry

I recently received my *free* PS3 promo copy of Casino Royale over here in Australia. This was a "region free" release. Apparently, from what has been said at various forums over here.. the Australian/European "region free" edition is "uncensored" compared to the US being censored and region coded.
Is this an exemption to the rule.. ie if US censors want parts deleted and their EU counterparts don't we will find a EU "all region" edition?
This leads me to ask what the studios have in mind regarding future interactivity features.

There is talk that studios could use these new features to present different certificate versions on the one discs... like say a PG or a M version..
Considering parents can set a "certificate ceiling" .. surely the censorship and classification boards would not have any objections to this.
Is this one feature the studios are seriously looking at?

And how does the whole concept of "unrated" titles work in your country.
Here I gather if a title is not classified .. its not permitted to be released locally and you must import it.
I recently noticed a John Wayne Warner BD title stating "unrated"
This I gather is very different to "exempt from clasification."
Furthermore, take for instance all of the director cuts which were released on LaserDisc.. you would think these new HD optical media would be the home for such versions.
Take for instance the unrated director cut of [the original] Basic Instinct .. which Pioneer released on LD...
I'm sure Liongate will only release the "standard" version"
Should the studios focus more on releasing director cuts on this new medium?

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin

Music to my ears!

Oh, finally Mr. Tomlin responds, when we've been dangling this bit of news in his face.

(puts another US$1 in the coffer) To paidgeek: You're basically the official person to talk about the technical side of SPHE's BD releases and the unofficial person in regards to actual release schedules.

Could you rope in other persons from Disney, Fox or Lionsgate that handle either encoding or marketing of their BD titles into this forum's discussion? That way they could have their hands on the pulse of the early adopter's response to their titles and maybe learn a thing or two. Right now, they either are going through you to get the skinny or are just lurking.

If you know them personally, then it'd be good.

If anybody else who know those in the BD authoring side of things or in BD-J and BD-Live profile development, rope those folks in too!

1000th post!


fuad

[POOPonYOU]

What's LOA?

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by POOPonYOU

What's LOA?

LoA

[JTK]

Can any of our insiders shed any light on a rumor that's gaining all sorts of new life again: Samsung going for a dual format player.


http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/P...413_0000338109

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/04/12...player-on-the/

Needless to say, I find news like this to be bitterly disappointing to say the least.

[paidgeek]

[QUOTE=azure_blue;74926]QUOTE]

thanks paidgeek for your follow up with the future of DSD/SACD inquiry

I recently received my *free* PS3 promo copy of Casino Royale over here in Australia. This was a "region free" release. Apparently, from what has been said at various forums over here.. the Australian/European "region free" edition is "uncensored" compared to the US being censored and region coded.
Is this an exemption to the rule.. ie if US censors want parts deleted and their EU counterparts don't we will find a EU "all region" edition?
This leads me to ask what the studios have in mind regarding future interactivity features.

There is no relationship between censorship and region coding, So "Casino Royale" does not define a business practice in that sense.

There is talk that studios could use these new features to present different certificate versions on the one discs... like say a PG or a M version..
Considering parents can set a "certificate ceiling" .. surely the censorship and classification boards would not have any objections to this.
Is this one feature the studios are seriously looking at?

Using seamless branching to create multiple rated versions is difficult at best because there are technical limitations on where the branch points can be. When we visted this subject for DVD, there was also a concern about the fact that censored scenes can still be accessed on the disc in countries where they are prohibited by the listed rating.

And how does the whole concept of "unrated" titles work in your country.
Here I gather if a title is not classified .. its not permitted to be released locally and you must import it.
I recently noticed a John Wayne Warner BD title stating "unrated"
This I gather is very different to "exempt from clasification."
Furthermore, take for instance all of the director cuts which were released on LaserDisc.. you would think these new HD optical media would be the home for such versions.
Take for instance the unrated director cut of [the original] Basic Instinct .. which Pioneer released on LD...
I'm sure Liongate will only release the "standard" version"
Should the studios focus more on releasing director cuts on this new medium?[/

I'm not sure I fully understand your question, but yes, in the U.S.,using unrated versions is fine where that becomes a feature that appeals to a certain audience. It does not work at all for family movies because that sort of customer relies on the ratings.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Oh, finally Mr. Tomlin responds, when we've been dangling this bit of news in his face.

(puts another US$1 in the coffer) To paidgeek: You're basically the official person to talk about the technical side of SPHE's BD releases and the unofficial person in regards to actual release schedules.

Could you rope in other persons from Disney, Fox or Lionsgate that handle either encoding or marketing of their BD titles into this forum's discussion? That way they could have their hands on the pulse of the early adopter's response to their titles and maybe learn a thing or two. Right now, they either are going through you to get the skinny or are just lurking.

If you know them personally, then it'd be good.

If anybody else who know those in the BD authoring side of things or in BD-J and BD-Live profile development, rope those folks in too!

1000th post!


fuad

I have mentioned this to my collegues at the other studios, but it is not an easy sell. The time commitment and the liability of speaking about studio business is a problem for some.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by JTK

Can any of our insiders shed any light on a rumor that's gaining all sorts of new life again: Samsung going for a dual format player.


http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/P...413_0000338109

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/04/12...player-on-the/

Needless to say, I find news like this to be bitterly disappointing to say the least.

We are also quite disappointed as we have been working closely with Samsung and were led to believe that this was not going to be offerred. I'll get more information next week.

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Oh, finally Mr. Tomlin responds, when we've been dangling this bit of news in his face.

"Mr." Tomlin?

My dad does NOT post here!

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by POOPonYOU

What's LOA?

I'm going to pretend that I didn't just read this.

[Josh]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

We are also quite disappointed as we have been working closely with Samsung and were led to believe that this was not going to be offerred. I'll get more information next week.

I sincerely hope that this is just a bluff to get a hold on some new technology or to force people's hands. If this ends up coming out, it will only work to extend the format war, something that no one benefits by.

[Longshot]

Originally Posted by Josh

I sincerely hope that this is just a bluff to get a hold on some new technology or to force people's hands. If this ends up coming out, it will only work to extend the format war, something that no one benefits by.

Josh,

You're right. A lot can happen over the next 7-8 months. Let's hope the BDA studios will pick up the release pace and widen the sales margin to 5-1. If sales are at this level by Thanksgiving why would Samsung release this player?

[LembasBread]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

No, the players are supposed to fully support it [BD+] as they are.

Not to sound like a d**k or anything, but I just wanted to note that all players are also supposed to be BD-J 1.0 compliant, yet there were still hiccups with BD-J interactivity on certain players that weren't ironed out until upgrades were implemented. So while all players are also supposed to be BD+ compliant, I'm still expecting there to be a few hiccups, but nothing major.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

We are also quite disappointed as we have been working closely with Samsung and were led to believe that this was not going to be offerred. I'll get more information next week.

Much appreciated.

[LFletcher]

Question for Paidgeek,

On another forum there is a poster that has access to retail information and often posts release date information before an official press release is out. For instance he has recently posted dates for,

The Patriot, Wild Things and Flatliners (all for 07/03/2007).

Assuming these are true, at what stage are you happy to discuss these titles? (i.e. you've seen them and they looked good, or codec/audio information)

He also posted that The Lives Of Others was also scheduled (for June I believe), but has now disappeared. Assuming this was a Sony release (it was a Sony Pictures Classics theatrical release), would you know if it was ever on the schedule and why it disappeared if it was?

Thanks

[Banjo]

Paidgeek,

I know I asked this question before and would like to ask again since there are still no Sony titles on Blu-Ray where the special features are subtitled in English for the deaf and hard of hearing.

I do feel that it is important for Sony to empathize on this issue especially when we, deaf and hard of hearing customers pay the same price as the other customers do but we do feel like we are getting the end of the stick because of the special features being too inaccessible.

Paramount subtitle all of the special features on both DVD and Blu-Ray, I imagine it's the same on HD-DVD. Buena Vista has subtitled nearly all of the special features on their titles so far.

Fox, Lionsgate, Sony and Warner Bros. continue to not subtitle all the contents but the main presentation.

I hope Sony will take the time to realize how frustrating it is for people like me to not understand what's being said on the special features.

Thank you.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by LFletcher

Question for Paidgeek,

On another forum there is a poster that has access to retail information and often posts release date information before an official press release is out. For instance he has recently posted dates for,

The Patriot, Wild Things and Flatliners (all for 07/03/2007).

Assuming these are true, at what stage are you happy to discuss these titles? (i.e. you've seen them and they looked good, or codec/audio information)

He also posted that The Lives Of Others was also scheduled (for June I believe), but has now disappeared. Assuming this was a Sony release (it was a Sony Pictures Classics theatrical release), would you know if it was ever on the schedule and why it disappeared if it was?

Thanks

"The Lives of Others" is still coming this year, they just moved it out a bit.

Can you forward me a link to the original posts?

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by Banjo

Paidgeek,

I know I asked this question before and would like to ask again since there are still no Sony titles on Blu-Ray where the special features are subtitled in English for the deaf and hard of hearing.

I do feel that it is important for Sony to empathize on this issue especially when we, deaf and hard of hearing customers pay the same price as the other customers do but we do feel like we are getting the end of the stick because of the special features being too inaccessible.

Paramount subtitle all of the special features on both DVD and Blu-Ray, I imagine it's the same on HD-DVD. Buena Vista has subtitled nearly all of the special features on their titles so far.

Fox, Lionsgate, Sony and Warner Bros. continue to not subtitle all the contents but the main presentation.

I hope Sony will take the time to realize how frustrating it is for people like me to not understand what's being said on the special features.

Thank you.

I understand your point and will pass this along...

[phloyd]

Since it is an 'insidery' type show I figure I should ask here if any insiders are heading to NAB in Las Vegas next week... I should be there for Monday Tuesday... happy to meet up with any BD enthusiasts... PM me if you like...

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

I understand your point and will pass this along...

I back up Banjo on this one too. At least English SDH.

Hopefully when BD-Live is in full swing, blind folks can download the Descriptive Audio tracks to go along with the BD.

Share these requests to other studios, paidgeek!


fuad