Archived: Insiders Thread

[Hussla]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Just because you don't hear nothin' doesn't mean things aren't brewing. Remember that 4Q starts in October.

paidgeek, barring any censorship issues, would it not be a good idea to e-mail foreign distributors of the current encode work SPHE is doing for a pending or future BD release just so that they don't have to spend time doing an encode themselves or waste time finding out the right person to contact SPHE about reusing an encode? That way if there are titles they own and want to replicate on BD, they can just contact BD and iron out the details.


fuad

True, true.

Although the feeling im getting at the moment is that things are losing momentum and I'm fearing that BDA is dragging its feet whilst HD-DVD is cooking something sinister.....

What's this rumours im hearing about fox releases been held back due to manufacturing problems? any truth to it?

[dobyblue]

Paidgeek

With the rumours getting stronger about a 40GB PS3 for $399 in the works I wondered if you might be able to pull a few strings and find out the following information:

Is there a chance that either the 80GB or a newer upcoming model of the PS3 would have a different chipset in it that would allow for the passing of bitstream DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD?

I'm starting to lose hope in SCEA getting DTS-MA decoding into the PS3. With the amazing work they've done getting DSD to PCM at 24/176.4 and CD upsampling/DVD upscaling, etc., it really feels like if DTS-MA decoding were coming it would be here by now.

[Wet1]

Hey Kjack,

I see it didn't take AV$ long to delete your post (actually the entire thread) regarding your new turn key BR offerings and how someone could offer a complete player in no time.

BTW, Nice job laying the smack-down on jmpage2...

[Wet1]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Paidgeek

With the rumours getting stronger about a 40GB PS3 for $399 in the works I wondered if you might be able to pull a few strings and find out the following information:

Is there a chance that either the 80GB or a newer upcoming model of the PS3 would have a different chipset in it that would allow for the passing of bitstream DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD?

I'm starting to lose hope in SCEA getting DTS-MA decoding into the PS3. With the amazing work they've done getting DSD to PCM at 24/176.4 and CD upsampling/DVD upscaling, etc., it really feels like if DTS-MA decoding were coming it would be here by now.

I REALLY hope/expect Sony to get DTS-MA working on all PS3's via a FW update sometime soon. If it's not going to happen, I will be upset.

[Hussla]

Originally Posted by Wet1

I REALLY hope/expect Sony to get DTS-MA working on all PS3's via a FW update sometime soon. If it's not going to happen, I will be upset.

I'm just really hoping that they finally get the 1.1/2.0 profile on the PS3, not because I care about PIP (personally I think its a waste of time) and i'm not a fan of internet connectivity for my movies.....but so the HD-DUD fanbots can shut the f**k up about it!

[depooter]

Paid:
I love the new icons/identifiers visible via the PS3 for new BDs such as Memoirs, Surf's up, etc. Will this become a standard for all BD discs or just those from Sony?

thanks

[Steverhcp02]

Originally Posted by depooter

Paid:
I love the new icons/identifiers visible via the PS3 for new BDs such as Memoirs, Surf's up, etc. Will this become a standard for all BD discs or just those from Sony?

thanks

Paid or any Insider....my question sort of piggy backs on this and I'm wondering if this can be added for previous titles via a firmware update.

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Lion, if you or other readers are really interested in Animation, this title and such, a very interesting course was given down in San Diego during Siggraph last August by the production team…………

(click on the……. here by Sony Imageworks phrase).
http://www.185vfx.com/2007/08/surfs-...e-at-siggraph/

Hey, this is cool!

-Jim
(former member of ACM SIGGRAPH)

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Whew, my physical terrorist finally took a coffee break, so…………..

Here’s a quick heads-up to film fans regarding a title that isn’t out on Blu-ray yet but is particularly appropriate regarding the fact that you are seeing images of monks protesting in the streets of Myanmar and people actually spoke about it at the General Assembly of the United Nations today.
...

Makes me reminise about the old B&W version of "Lost Horizons".
Sadly, I wonder if BD can do anything for films that old...

-Jim

[scott1256ca]

I'm just really hoping that they finally get the 1.1/2.0 profile on the PS3, not because I care about PIP (personally I think its a waste of time) and i'm not a fan of internet connectivity for my movies.....but so the HD-DUD fanbots can shut the f**k up about it!

I was never that interested in PiP, and I don't know how many people really are. To me PiP and internet connectivity are more HD DVD talking points than selling points. When I found out HD PiP wasn't going to be mandatory, I lost most of what little interest I had in it.

HD PiP might have been an interesting feature in, for example, a concert where you have the main shot from a distance, and a PiP closeup of the singer. Then if you could interchange the two, while not pausing, so the music never got interrupted, that might be interesting.

For movies, I'm never going to care.

That brings me to my insider question.

Do you know if there are plans to use HD PiP when it becomes available? Do you know if that will become the norm, or will it be the exception with SD PiP the norm?

Also, any idea when the first players to support HD PiP might hit the market?

Thanks

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by cjamescook

Makes me reminise about the old B&W version of "Lost Horizons".
Sadly, I wonder if BD can do anything for films that old...

-Jim

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/losthorizon.html

^ ^ ^
That is probably one of the best articles that sheds some light on the restoration of Lost Horizon, which was spearheaded by Robert Gitt (working with Sony Pictures Entertainment and through the UCLA Film and Television Archive). Gitt previously spent 25 years in researching and recovering this film.

One of the ways to help make sure that more films aren’t lost for future generations, The Film Foundation (TFF) was founded (1990) by Mary Scorsese (in the leadership role) and other respected directors including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, Stanley Kubrick, Sydney Pollack and Robert Redford.

Peter Jackson, Ang Lee, Alexander Payne, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, and Curtis Hanson recently joined TFF’s board of directors.

Since 1990, this nonprofit organization has funded the restoration and preservation of about 500 films that were in jeopardy of being lost forever.
In 1999, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) negotiated as part of its Basic Agreement with the Motion Picture Producers the creation of a “Conservation Collection”, requiring that studios provide a new print of films directed by Guild directors to the UCLA Film and Television Archive………in that way, this protected archive of release prints could be used as masters should the studios’ original film elements not survive in optimal condition due to suboptimal handling, storage or some unforeseen event.

I think that the Conservation Collection is now up to around 1,000 motion pictures and the cost of storing this back-up film archive is funded by the DGA. In 2002, TFF became officially affiliated with the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and works out of the Guild’s offices in L.A. and New York.

With the above information in mind, when I hear of some posters (on other childish online forums), rag on any of the directors mentioned above, for any reason at all, it grates on my nerves.

[whippersnapper]

Question for Paidgeek -- I know you're not in Sony itself, but have you heard whether Sony is considering a promotion something along the lines of a "free" Blu-ray player and choice of two free Sony Blu-ray videos with the purchase a Bravia HDTV? Something such as this would lend considerable support to the Blu-ray format during the critical Christmas and first of year sales season.

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/losthorizon.html

^ ^ ^
That is probably one of the best articles that sheds some light on the restoration of Lost Horizon, which was spearheaded by Robert Gitt (working with Sony Pictures Entertainment and through the UCLA Film and Television Archive). Gitt previously spent 25 years in researching and recovering this film.

Thanks for the pointer. I have the Laserdisc version (talk about orphaned technology) that had much of this.

Amen to the rest of the preservation efforts.

-J

[jon s]

Originally Posted by whippersnapper

Question for Paidgeek -- I know you're not in Sony itself, but have you heard whether Sony is considering a promotion something along the lines of a "free" Blu-ray player and choice of two free Sony Blu-ray videos with the purchase a Bravia HDTV? Something such as this would lend considerable support to the Blu-ray format during the critical Christmas and first of year sales season.

altho I am not Paidgeek, it is really doubtful Sony will be giving away Blu-Ray players with the purchase of a Bravia set. The profit margins on their tv sets is not great enough for them to be giving away $500 players....

[Frode]

Originally Posted by whippersnapper

Question for Paidgeek -- I know you're not in Sony itself, but have you heard whether Sony is considering a promotion something along the lines of a "free" Blu-ray player and choice of two free Sony Blu-ray videos with the purchase a Bravia HDTV? Something such as this would lend considerable support to the Blu-ray format during the critical Christmas and first of year sales season.

I'm not paidgeek, but I've seen some stores do offers like this with a Sony HDTV and PS3. There's a norwegian webshop doing it right now in fact:

http://www.deal.no/produkt.cfm?kid=5511&id=109573

(I've also seen some US sites do the same kind of deal, so it's not just local)

[navychop]

Originally Posted by scott1256ca

Also, any idea when the first players to support HD PiP might hit the market?

PiP is part of profile 1.1. There are several 1.1s coming, even one or more 2.0s. See the first post of this thread for a list.

The PS3 on the market now is expected, but not known, to be one day upgraded to 1.1 and 2.

[CptGreedle]

I find the conservation of film fascinating and definitely an admirable act. I for one restore still images almost every day, archiving them for digital storage. I have seen some films that I thought were surely lost to time (such as Rock N Rule) restored through some very creative means at times, and the result is remarkable.
It is good to know that there is the TFF, thanks for the info.

[PaulGo]

From another thread - should we expect any good news tomorrow? If you cant give an hints just say wait until tomorrow.

[L or S of Perfect?]

Originally Posted by PaulGo

From another thread - should we expect any good news tomorrow? I f you cant give an hints just say wait until tomorrow.

On that note, just a smiley or frowny would suffice.

[Dave Mack]

Originally Posted by Ben

Interesting link, Penton! There are several scenes in the trailer that Mr. Mack provided screencaps for. Looks like the BD edition is more accurate than the superbit version.

First of all there are MANY shots in that trailer that aren't even in the film, alternate takes, scenes that were cut. Also there still is MUCH more detail in the shadows in that then on the BD disc. When Harker is shaving and Dracula takes the razor from him, MUCH more detail.

Look, don't listen to me. Get the disc for yourself. It looks like a flat, dull, washed out SDdvd. Go to the AVS thread. EVERYONE there who has seen it agrees. The same clips in HD in the documentaries look MUCH better.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=909863


Early in that thread I was in as much denial as anyone. Then I got the disc. Actually gave it a couple of days. It didn't get any better.

Even putting ASIDE and color timing, there is SO much missing picture info. now because of the crushed blacks. The same shots in the trailer I just watched look much better.