Archived: Insiders Thread

[myst420]

Paidgeek,

With the claims of the HD DVDers that their is no advantage to Blu-rays extra bandwidth, have the studios considered adding a short extra to show the diffrence? I.e. take a very difficult scene and encode it twice or better yet split screen and call it the "Blu-ray advantage"

It would silence many of the claims that bandwidth is just overkill.

[LFletcher]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

"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?

It's good news to hear that its still on its way. The key movie demographic may be aimed at the PS3 world at the moment, but I believe a wide range of movies should be available if its to become successful.

Here's the link,
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showpost.ph...4&postcount=17

[GaS]

Paidgeek

Is there any update as to how many copies of Casino Royale have been sold to customers?

[onyxx]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Paidgeek, is there any possibility that we will see old TV shows done in film brought to Blu-ray?

Cough, Sienfeld, cough.

I have been wondering that to, I read that Sony started to syndicate Seinfeld in HD. I would buy all seasons at once if they were ever released!

http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/03/21...-and-jeopardy/

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by myst420

Paidgeek,

With the claims of the HD DVDers that their is no advantage to Blu-rays extra bandwidth, have the studios considered adding a short extra to show the diffrence? I.e. take a very difficult scene and encode it twice or better yet split screen and call it the "Blu-ray advantage"

It would silence many of the claims that bandwidth is just overkill.

The problem with doing this sort of comparison is that the quality of lower bit rate encode will be challenged on the basis that someone was not trying hard enough, or that another compressionist could do a better job with a different encoder.

The best available comparisons are those where the same title has been released on both formats. You can try this with MI3, "Training Day", "Rumor Has It" and possibly one or two others I am forgetting.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Paidgeek, is there any possibility that we will see old TV shows done in film brought to Blu-ray?

Cough, Sienfeld, cough.

Definitely, but the Seinfled masters are not reference quality HD...

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by GaS

Paidgeek

Is there any update as to how many copies of Casino Royale have been sold to customers?

I think around 50K have sold through to customers.

[crunchy]

paidgeek-

Just wondering if you had any comment on recent rumors that Universal Studios will not release on Blu-ray after all?

Do you have any info (or speculation to share) about why we see a series of events that do not favor Blu-ray, when Blu-ray has actually been dominating sales according to Nielsen video scan?


(Matrix HD-DVD exclusive, Samsung DUO player, Universal possibly staying HD-DVD exclsuive).


It seems to me in the recent market environment, more companies would be switching to Blu-ray, or increasing their support, however the opposite is happening.

[Heresy]

Universal has never indicated that they were going to start releasing Blu-ray; any suggestion that they were was only from speculation in the marketplace because of the dominance that Blu-ray has been showing.

The Matrix is NOT HD-DVD exclusive; Warners is just waiting for Blu-ray to get their #### together so they can include their IME extras.


Samsung on the other hand really did stab Blu-ray in the back with their stupid combo.

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

The problem with doing this sort of comparison is that the quality of lower bit rate encode will be challenged on the basis that someone was not trying hard enough, or that another compressionist could do a better job with a different encoder.

The best available comparisons are those where the same title has been released on both formats. You can try this with MI3, "Training Day", "Rumor Has It" and possibly one or two others I am forgetting.

Corpse Bride and Aeon Flux are a couple others. I remember because I was at a HT meet where these titles, as well as MI3, were all directly compared to each other. Conclusion: very minor, if any, differences. We thought the BD version of Corpse Bride may have had very slightly more saturated colors, but this was probably due to the player (Panasonic) rather than the disc.

[phloyd]

Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin

Corpse Bride and Aeon Flux are a couple others.

Corpse Bride should be identical encodes for BD and HD DVD. The Paramount titles (and the first couple of Warner BD titles) are the only ones that make sense to compare.

The early Warner BDs are surprisingly low bitrate MPEG2 discs! So they are probably not going to offer a comparison that is favourable to BD...

[crunchy]

paidgeek, thanks for your time in posting here.

another comment:


I just finished watching Volver and really enjoyed it. Great transfer, great film. Just wanted to let you guys know it was appreciated.


Even though the big blockbusters might sell a few more copies I hope Sony will keep working to release arthouse and foreign language films.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by benes

Just to add to this if I may. It should be noted that a lot of the Paramount and Warner mpeg2 titles actually have a LOWER bitrate than their vc1 counterparts. Aeon Flux, Full Metal Jacket, MI1, MI2, Training Day. And yet the MPEG2 hold their own pretty well.

I didn't know that, benes. Thanks for enlightening us. I'll have to use your chart to smack 'em Phase Pyro-maniacs down.


fuad

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by crunchy

paidgeek-

Just wondering if you had any comment on recent rumors that Universal Studios will not release on Blu-ray after all?

Do you have any info (or speculation to share) about why we see a series of events that do not favor Blu-ray, when Blu-ray has actually been dominating sales according to Nielsen video scan?


(Matrix HD-DVD exclusive, Samsung DUO player, Universal possibly staying HD-DVD exclsuive).


It seems to me in the recent market environment, more companies would be switching to Blu-ray, or increasing their support, however the opposite is happening.

I have not personally confirmed this, but if it is true, it is very disappointing. I think the obvious reason that Uni might choose to continue with HD-DVD is getting some cash. I'm sure you all know that we are lucky to break even on the format at this point in time, so if someone dangles a big number in front of you to stay the course, that might be attractive.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by crunchy

paidgeek, thanks for your time in posting here.

another comment:


I just finished watching Volver and really enjoyed it. Great transfer, great film. Just wanted to let you guys know it was appreciated.


Even though the big blockbusters might sell a few more copies I hope Sony will keep working to release arthouse and foreign language films.

Thanks for your comments. I thought it was a great looking film.

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

I have not personally confirmed this, but if it is true, it is very disappointing. I think the obvious reason that Uni might choose to continue with HD-DVD is getting some cash. I'm sure you all know that we are lucky to break even on the format at this point in time, so if someone dangles a big number in front of you to stay the course, that might be attractive.

The way I see it, this is the only thing that even begins to make sense regarding why Universal would stay exclusive to HD-DVD.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

I have not personally confirmed this, but if it is true, it is very disappointing. I think the obvious reason that Uni might choose to continue with HD-DVD is getting some cash. I'm sure you all know that we are lucky to break even on the format at this point in time, so if someone dangles a big number in front of you to stay the course, that might be attractive.

^^

Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin

The way I see it, this is the only thing that even begins to make sense regarding why Universal would stay exclusive to HD-DVD.

Guaranteed. And we all can take a pretty good guess as to where that cash is coming from.

[Rob Tomlin]

Originally Posted by JTK

^^


Guaranteed. And we all can take a pretty good guess as to where that cash is coming from.

Hmmm. I don't know man, I'm struggling with that one!

[Damon Payne]

I doubt it's cash. Discounts on encoders, free tech support, etc. are far more likely. I'm splitting hairs over semantics but it is important.

[RUR]

Originally Posted by Damon Payne

I doubt it's cash. Discounts on encoders, free tech support, etc. are far more likely. I'm splitting hairs over semantics but it is important.

MS has a history of leveraging other, often essential, MS product in return for what they want. Sometimes nicely, often not. One of the many behaviors which take them beyond normal business hardball into monopolistic and which make them so easy to detest.