Archived: Insiders Thread

[JadedRaverLA]

Paidgeek --

I know you don't work for SCEA, but if you're ever talking with them, can you ask them about changing the resolution labeling on the back of game boxes. At first, some of the game boxes were just flat out wrong (saying they supported 1080i or 1080p when they didn't), and now games like Call of Duty for state they support 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. In reality COD4 is really a 720p game, that uses the new devtools to fake a 1080i or p signal if 720p is deselected as a supported resolution on the XMB. If I see 1080p listed the way it is on the box, and I have a 1080p TV, it's rather annoying when the game starts up in 720p. I end up having to search online to see what's wrong. Couldn't they list a "native" or "preferred" resolution separately from any "supported" resolutions? I can't be the only one massively confused by this on various titles. Thanks in advance.


xradman -- I'm not an insider, but your issue isn't with the PS3. The way DTS-HD MA works is by having both a lossless track and a regular DTS track together (for legacy support). For all intents and purposes they are separate tracks. The legacy track can be either 1.5Mbps or 768kbps... whichever the studio chooses to use. In most cases, the studios use the higher bitrate, but in some cases, the half bitrate DTS encode is used (possibly because the mix was already done at that bitrate for DVD and simply recycled). Not a problem, exactly, but rather annoying, I agree.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by tobytobe2002

Penton-Man or paidgeek:

I just posted this in another thread regarding Mr. Stringer's interview - just wondering if my impression of him jives with yours and also if you can give any further insights on him (I personally admire him and his candor) - thxs

I was personally disappointed in what was captured in the interview, but having been involved with the press from time to time, I know how these things can happen... I am expecting some clarifying statements to be coming...

[turtlesoup]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

It did not include the box or the PS3 packins

Using the HMR chart, the box sold 93,000 copies



Look at the timeline of DVD prices. They were $399 Christmas 98, and $325-$299 when I bought mine in May.

EDIT- in fact I'm depressed because coincidentally today is that day that deck is finally being retired. I got the Pioneer 400 upconverter today

Sorry guy, but there's NO WAY the 130K doesn't include the box set. Look at the weekly percentage numbers.

The top ten was 87% blu-ray, 13% hddvd but the overall average was 71/29. If spiderman 3 sold over 220K total then the top ten total would be over 310K.

Assuming the SI average of 60/40 (blu-ray/hddvd) for the non-top ten titles, that means the non-top ten titles totalled over 450K.

So, unless you're saying all HD media sold 760K last week, that 130K includes both SM3 single and box set.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by mdm1699

Penton, Paidgeek.

The numbers are 71:29 for this week. They will only get better as the year progresses. Will anything EVER be good enough for Warner to go blu? HD-DVDers DO NOT SPEND ON MOVIES. lol. It will always be that way as long as the name is associated with DVD.

None of these decisions are as straightforward as they should be. Pragmatism is clearly not driving the bus these days...

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by space2001

quick question for insiders, was teh 130,000 for SM3 include the box set?

Yes.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by SuprSlow

A slightly different kind of question for the insiders:

What kind of HT setups do you have in your homes? Dedicated theatre room, balls out "family room", or what?

Thanks

46" LCD, ATC 100's + velodyne Ls,Rs,C, PS3.

Need a much bigger HD screen (60" would be perfect), but I need to bribe my wife a bit more...

No more that 3 picture heights from the screen is my goal. I'm about 4 right now....

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

Insiders - all of Fox's new releases advertised in the current Home MEdia Magazine only mention the DVD, not the Blu-ray. This includes Sunshine as well as the new Kevin Bacon one.

Should anything be read into this?

Fox is rolling along fine AFAIK.

[degas]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

Need a much bigger HD screen (60" would be perfect), but I need to bribe my wife a bit more...

No more that 3 picture heights from the screen is my goal. I'm about 4 right now....

You should be awarded one for free by Sony, for all the good work you've done (and keep on doing) on these boards.

[Beta-guy]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

None of these decisions are as straightforward as they should be. Pragmatism is clearly not driving the bus these days...

I think that's why we are nervous, if it was a matter of sales they would have gone BD only by now, right? I'm still hoping sales will move Warner to BD, but I just have to ask, is there anything else we as consumers can do to encourage Warner to join BD exclusively? Are they still holding out hope for TotalHD?

[JAGUAR1977]

Originally Posted by Beta-guy

I think that's why we are nervous, if it was a matter of sales they would have gone BD only by now, right? I'm still hoping sales will move Warner to BD, but I just have to ask, is there anything else we as consumers can do to encourage Warner to join BD exclusively? Are they still holding out hope for TotalHD?

It makes sense to milk both sides this Q4, giving HD-DVD one last chance with cheaper players, then go with the market.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by mdm1699

Originally Posted by mdm1699
Penton, Paidgeek.

The numbers are 71:29 for this week. They will only get better as the year progresses. Will anything EVER be good enough for Warner to go blu? HD-DVDers DO NOT SPEND ON MOVIES. lol. It will always be that way as long as the name is associated with DVD..

Remember when during Transformers week, it didn't help dud to break 50% for the week?

[nicoz]

Originally Posted by nicoz

I've run into a situation multiple times where I could have used two sets of Subtitles at the same time. I never considered this before I purchased an HD TV / Blu-ray Player. Here is my scenario:

I speak English. My wife's first language is Spanish, but is fluent in English. When watching a foreign film in Italian, French, Portuguese, etc. I need the English Subtitles, but my wife although fluent in English has to work very hard to keep up with a movie in English Subtitles, and doesn't really enjoy the movie.

In this scenario it would be better if I could see a strip of English Subtitles while she watches the Spanish Subtitles. I don't really care how it’s done, one could be on the top of the screen and one on the bottom. With 1920x1080 resolution there is plenty of room to display two sets of text, even if the player has to scale the fonts down.

Has anyone seen a Blu-ray player with this feature, or read about such feature in any specs?

Can you think of a reason why it wouldn't be possible? Where the data is stored on this disc, etc....


Nicoz.

This happened to me again last night with "Black Book" and excellent Blu-ray, but the audio is in Dutch. Would have been better if I could have put up ENGLISH and SPANISH Subtitles Simultaniously.

Does anyone in this thread work for BDA? I think this should be in the specification for future versions. The player should allow you to use more than one track of Subtitles at the same time. Now is the time to add this feature while there are less than 1000 disc releases...

[HDJK]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

46" LCD, ATC 100's + velodyne Ls,Rs,C, PS3.

Need a much bigger HD screen (60" would be perfect), but I need to bribe my wife a bit more...

No more that 3 picture heights from the screen is my goal. I'm about 4 right now....

Sweet

[whippersnapper]

Originally Posted by Ilka

Paidgeek, et.al.:

Dell.ca is now offering:

- 1 40GB PS3 Sony console;
- 1 game (Ratchet/Clank, or 1 other), or +1 wireless controller;
- 1 HDMI cable;
- 1 Spidey 3 BD movie;
- (and as expected, 5 free BD movies ...)

for $399 Canajun ... is this the start of the XMAS Sony push? Anyways, congrats Sony!

PS - I knew nothing about this deal until an office mate mentioned it at lunch today (he'd already ordered). 3 hours later, heard about about another peep ordering (but not from dell.ca).

Now if they'd just throw in a Blu-tooth remote control, it'd be ideal. For th e life of me I don't understand why they don't make the remote control standard on the PS3.

[mdm1699]

Originally Posted by radagast

Remember when during Transformers week, it didn't help dud to break 50% for the week?

I know. Warner frustrates me. I am replacing my entire collection with blus. Their HD-DVD exclusives just stand out on my media rack. It is the insiders' job to rally and reassure the troops.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by HDJK

Sweet

An interesting aside to that purchase is that the fellow that first recommended pg give those particular speakers a listen, is a sound engineer that has done quite alot of work for the band known as……………………


Pink Floyd.
So, in a sense pf introduced pg to ATC.

P.S.( I’m exhausting my p’s today)
And please don’t ask me any questions about the upcoming David Gilmour Blu-ray disc. My current fixation is with Shakira coming out on Blu in Dec. because at the last Grammy awards my seat was so far back in the nose bleed section that I never fully appreciated this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1qTI4K71pk
^
Something that should have definitely been viewed at no further than 3 picture heights distance.

[kurtlingle]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

I was personally disappointed in what was captured in the interview, but having been involved with the press from time to time, I know how these things can happen... I am expecting some clarifying statements to be coming...

Paidgeek,

Yes -- please. We really need a unified positive message coming from Sony about winning the war. I think most of us chose BD assuming it would come out the winner (who wants to choose the losing format?).

Think about it.... if someone posted those same comments here at BD.com they would be accussed of being many things...

Please let us know what you can.

By the way - congratulations on the sales numbers of SM3. I plan to pick up the PS3 in early Dec and hope there are still SM3 included then.

Sincerely.
Kurt

[Shadowself]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

I was personally disappointed in what was captured in the interview, but having been involved with the press from time to time, I know how these things can happen...

I've been explicitly misquoted in interviews by the press -- once to the extent that the grammar and syntax of what I supposedly said would have been extremely embarrassing, if it had been true. Unless there is an audio or A/V recording of the interview it is virtually impossible to get the press to print/publish a retraction. After about the fourth or fifth time this happened I just started refusing any and all interviews. Period.

I haven't gotten as paranoid as an old acquaintance, Hans Bette, who, in his later years, would to refuse to let any press into any of his speaking engagements for fear of misquotes. However, I try to be very careful.

Maybe I'm a bit too jaded, but for any untrusted persons of the press I'm fairly quick to wonder about the precision and accuracy of any reports. Over time there are people who prove fairly reliable, but few fall into that category.

Bottom line:
Remember the old adage: "Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you read."
or if you're the trusting type...
Trust, but verify!

[phloyd]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Pink Floyd.
So, in a sense pf introduced pg to ATC.

The Floyd... a topic close to my heart.

Looking very much forward to the Gilmour... but any word on the Waters tour that I believe was shot in HD in Canada?

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by phloyd

The Floyd... a topic close to my heart.

Looking very much forward to the Gilmour... but any word on the Waters tour that I believe was shot in HD in Canada?

One thing that I have always wondered and could never figure out:

"Which one's Pink"?