Archived: Insiders Thread

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

BTW, everyone BEWARE: HTF has just insituted a "no war talk" policy which means folks can't discuss bit-rate or storage capacity in any thread regarding mastering quality etc. Only two threads have been deemed safe-zones for format-difference conversation.

Not sure if I'll be able to participate over there anymore...

Say what you want about AVS, it doesn't hold a candle to what has happened at HTF in my opinion. That site has really become painful to me, much more so than AVS! I mean really bad.

It used to be a pretty fun place to post. But that was quite some time ago.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

BTW, everyone BEWARE: HTF has just insituted a "no war talk" policy which means folks can't discuss bit-rate or storage capacity in any thread regarding mastering quality etc............

Not sure if I'll be able to participate over there anymore...

Well DaViD from what I’ve been told privately, they also may have had some “storage capacity” problems in their video coverage of the recent EMA, so I’m not surprised.

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Did you attend EMA or are you commenting upon some secondary source ?

The reason I ask is you'll notice that between parts 5 ? and 6 ? of the HTF video for EMA, there appears to be a sloppy edit where suddenly Ken G. is speaking in mid-stream. There is no context to his remarks and it is obvious that something has been removed or was missing to begin with. Apparently, he was commenting at the time, about being under “pressure” – from whom or what I don’t know for sure as I did not attend.

The above has come to my attention in that I am assisting in defense of a possible pending Civil Action Complaint against a member of the audience for an entirely different matter unrelated to Ken G.

If you or anyone from the AVS forum was in attendance for this event and is willing to give a statement under oath as to what they recall, please send me a PM to make arrangements.

It would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You.

^ From…………………………
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&#post11219541

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

This all relates to the problems they have over there and have been having for quite a while.
Even talkstr8t had enough of it at one point when he said....
“I'm looking forward to a break from your questions, rdjam (which I suspect are aimed at finding some way to represent this as the next big Blu-ray Disc scandal for your website).”

Yeah, rdjam REALLY cares about HD recording. He just seeking a weapon.

Goodness knows how not having full capability is a disaster, and not having any capability on HD DVD (where are the burners?) is going to be the answer.

Gary

[WickyWoo]

Which website is RDJam's?

Too bad they can't give us a separate set-up for TrueHD all by itself. Maybe that would solve the problem?

They can't pass over 2-channel PCM TrueHD or DTS HD-MA over anything but HDMI-HDCP or analog due to copy protection issues

So unless you have an HDMI audio capable reciever, and therefore probably already have TrueHD and/or DTS HD-MA in there, you're pretty much screwed on PS3.

[Frode]

*puts in 20 kroner in the tip jar*

Question for paidgeek. In Japan, Bandai Visual is releasing Steamboy on 8/24 on blu-ray. Their other BD titles have English subtitles but this one doesn't. I see on the Sony UK site it's listed as 1/7-08 (I realize that's very tentative). Similarly BV are releasing Metropolis on 11/23, again without English subtitles. Is the reason these two BV titles don't have subtitles because Sony has the international distribution rights, and they don't want to intrude on the market, so to speak? I realize you may not be able to answer that, but I figured I'd try anyway. It's a break in the release pattern for them and Sony/Columbia Tristar is the only common factor that I can see.

Is Metropolis being considered for release by Sony on BD any time soon?

[Jack Torrance]

* puts an out of state, post dated check for a million $ in the tip jar *

Paidgeek:

SNATCH has been playing a lot on the HD Net movie channel. I'm sure this a fave title of a lot of forum members here, and a big catalogue title I'm sure for Sony.

Any chance this will be on BD soon?

[DaViD Boulet]

Is Metropolis being considered for release by Sony on BD any time soon?

wouldn't *that* be cool. And Woman in the moon. But this time with REAL orchestral music... not the electronic piano-crap on the existing DVD...

[4K display]

paidgeek,

I was wondering if you would consider posting exclusively on this website?

[DaViD Boulet]

Well DaViD from what I’ve been told privately, they also may have had some “storage capacity” problems in their video coverage of the recent EMA, so I’m not surprised.

That missing footage is very apparent: I thought that I had accidentally skipped a whole video section and kept re-clicking a few times until I realized that the omitted video content was intentional. I wonder if the edit was per Universal's request or perhaps there was an issue with changing tapes?

update Aug 10
NOTE: Ron Epstien has addressed the missing footage at HTF in this thread:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...d.php?t=260570

[DaViD Boulet]

I was wondering if you would consider posting exclusively on this website?

Please no. He's one of the very FEW voices of reason over at AVS, and he handles himself with dignity and without trashing HD DVD unlike Amir who constantly throws up BD FUD at every turn. Without Paidgeek there, AVS would be pure and unadulterated microsoft-land...

[jadafa]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

wouldn't *that* be cool. And Woman in the moon. But this time with REAL orchestral music... not the electronic piano-crap on the existing DVD...

Wrong Metropolis. This is the anime, Frode is referring to.

[DaViD Boulet]

Well... even so! would be cool...

[WickyWoo]

Question for paidgeek. In Japan, Bandai Visual is releasing Steamboy on 8/24 on blu-ray. Their other BD titles have English subtitles but this one doesn't. I see on the Sony UK site it's listed as 1/7-08 (I realize that's very tentative). Similarly BV are releasing Metropolis on 11/23, again without English subtitles. Is the reason these two BV titles don't have subtitles because Sony has the international distribution rights, and they don't want to intrude on the market, so to speak? I realize you may not be able to answer that, but I figured I'd try anyway. It's a break in the release pattern for them and Sony/Columbia Tristar is the only common factor that I can see.

As someone who deals in anime a lot, the answer is almost certainly, and it's also almost certain the UK release will be region B locked.

If standard anime deals are in place, any US release is likely 6-12 months behind.

[Josh]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Got a link Josh ?
As I just gave a heads-up about this title last night to any enthusiasts left on A Virtual Smackdown Forum……..

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&#post11171369

I know this is a couple days late, but here is my review:

http://www.hollywoodinhidef.com/revi...ail.php?id=112

[Frode]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

As someone who deals in anime a lot, the answer is almost certainly, and it's also almost certain the UK release will be region B locked.

Given that Sony's not region coding European releases I wouldn't be so sure. They have the rights to Steamboy and Metropolis in both the US and Europe, so that shouldn't be a factor. I want to hear it from the geek's keyboard, so to speak .

[Ben]

So, I just read Josh's news item regarding Kornblau's comments at hollywoodinhighdef.com. Unbelievable. Would any of the insiders like to comment on this development? Penton-Man?

[WickyWoo]

Given that Sony's not region coding European releases I wouldn't be so sure. They have the rights to Steamboy and Metropolis in both the US and Europe, so that shouldn't be a factor. I want to hear it from the geek's keyboard, so to speak

Paidgeek has stated they only code titles they don't own in all territories covered by the region. Since both Japan and the US are region A, and they don't own it in the US, and the version with subs is in region B territory, they don't want to cannibalize future US sales, or interfere with Japan, where the disc will likely be MUCH more expensive, probably twice as much.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by hanser

Hello Paidgeek!

I have a question regarding Spiderman 3 in Germany. It seems that only the German soundtrack is offered in PCM. I thought, that now the European releases use TrueHD on English AND the respective language of the country? I am very disappointed not to be able to hear the original English soundtrack in uncompressed sound. Any chance to change this still?

Thanks a lot,

Hartwig

The information was incorrect. The SM3 release will have 24bit Dolby THD for both German and English.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by drsiebling

So, I just read Josh's news item regarding Kornblau's comments at hollywoodinhighdef.com. Unbelievable. Would any of the insiders like to comment on this development? Penton-Man?

Well Doctooooor,

Scott H. is correct in his reporting. The Blu crew did approach Uni directly this past summer to offer enhancements for them to follow the Blu bricked road and get in step with everyone else in the parade.

Unfortunately, these incentives appear to be not comparable to what is delivered in soft red suitcases regularly.

At the present time, all is quiet and I mean dead quiet on that front and will be for the foreseeable future. Uni and Blu-ray supporters should not expect the Blu crew to approach them again – with more enticing incentives. Aint gonna happen. Uni got the best proposal there was to offer.

Uni is a difficult nut to crack because I believe that Craig K. personally really sees digital distribution as the pie in the sky and just doesn’t have the passion for high-def optical discs like other studio Presidents such as Bishop and Chapek. He just isn’t that motivated (yet) and almost seems to even question the longterm viability of ANY high-def optical disc format with the mass consumer.

So, not only are you dealing with the solely exclusive HD DVD major studio trying to salvage their initial position and investment in this war but, you also have to contend with a studio Pres. that is smacking his chops over the potential and longterm revenue from digital distribution (once the pipeline is complete)– which for avid videophiles and audiophiles will be a step backwards from the quality of Blu-ray.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by LembasBread

paidgeek,
What is the resolution of all those lossless audio tracks on Immortal Beloved?
Thanks

They are 24bit encoded, but as I recall, they originated as 44.1K 16bit masters.