Would you purchase THD's from Universal?

[BTBuck1]

I was strolling through the "Would you buy THD discs" thread today and also after reading Bill Hunts comments about how even if Universal made THD discs that would basically end the format war. What do you guys think, would you buy THD's if they were made by Universal??

Just curious, since the answer is overwhelmingly NO from Warner Bro's.

Vote and comment please...

I would, but I think you guys already know that

[theknub]

i'd prefer not to. there is the chance i would, however essentially releasing on THD allows the format war to end and gives BR 100% support. given that situation, why not just release a single sided disc. however, if it means ending it i may sacrifice a little as long as the transfer is up to par and not some port

[blitz6speed]

When i voted, i said i would if.. But after i thought about it, no, i would not support it, since hd-dvd owners would count it as a sale on their side and there would be no clear cut case that it was helping anything. So no, i would not support it unless they came out with Blu-Ray only discs.

[Polyh3dron]

I'm buying HD-DVDs from Universal. I would buy those before I would buy THD discs. I also refuse to buy combo discs(although I'll make exceptions for Children of Men and Smokin Aces). I don't buy HD-DVDs of any other studio but them. The X360 add-on was cheap and there are a lot of Universal films that I love. The only non-Universal HD-DVDs I have are Batman Begins and V for Vendetta.

Oh I also work on the Universal lot so I get Uni HD-DVDs for like 16.95 each.

[KenThompson]

Same answer as Total HD from Warner. No No No. I love HD but will not buy a stupid flipper. Blu is going to win the format war so why do THD when one format is dead on arrival.

[GTP]

Absolutely not.....or we end up with two nitchie formats ...and downloads for the masses....instead of physical HD movies.
No compromise should be accepted....its full 50gb BD or bust with no hd dvd based THD comprimises on space for superior picture and audio.

[hyperdine]

Originally Posted by GTP

If its not happening...or even being discussed by Universal ...then why have a poll?

Well, to be fair, Bill Hunt mentioned this as a hypothetical too, so I think it's worth discussing. It certainly is entirely possible. Honestly, I think all Universal would have to do is announce they would be publishing on Total HD and the war would be over. They wouldn't even have to follow through with it.

[JTK]

Voted no, same answers as most of what I wrote in this thread:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=5378


It doesn't matter which studio it is or what it is. I like what GTP wrote right at the end of that other thread:

Originally Posted by GTP

Same answer....absolutely no watered down hd dvd based HD video/audio is acceptable in any way shape or form.

Its full 50 gb BD with HD video and audio.....or bust.

I will disagree with some who suggest they'll continue to just watch SD DVD's of...anything. I can't do that after being exposed to HD, so I'll just avoid outright until any nonsense and stopgap phases go by. (Combos, THD's, etc.)

Originally Posted by hyperdine

Well, to be fair, Bill Hunt mentioned this as a hypothetical too, so I think it's worth discussing. It certainly is entirely possible. Honestly, I think all Universal would have to do is announce they would be publishing on Total HD and the war would be over. They wouldn't even have to follow through with it.

Very good point.

Same goes if a studio like Paramount dumps HD-DVD altogether. Basically if HD-DVD loses another microbe of anything, it's all over. It just has to happen in talk and "on paper" as you suggest and that should pretty much ice it.

[MFS3Kiryu]

Big fat no. Bottom line, BD is superior to HD-DVD. Why should I have to settle for overpriced, compressed, crap, Total HD discs because a bunch of Sony haters of X-Box 360fanboys made the wrong choice?

Answer: I shouldn't, and I won't.

[theknub]

as i stated in my post, i would not like to. the only possible way it could happen is if the transfer is on par with what transfers should be, and isn't some port. give me 50 gigs on my side and i won't even look at the other

[BoogalooShrimp]

As much as I would like to not indirectly support hd dvd, I would probably give in and buy a Universal total hd. This is assuming that the bd side of the disc is well done (or at least on par with the hd dvd side). I would want an entirely different encode on a bd-50 but you know Universal will just port over the hd-dvd version. This is also assuming they release movies I'd want to buy in the first place. Right now there are only a few.

[theknub]

i refuse to purchase a port if that is what is on the BR side. we know that is most likely what will happen, but you never know.

[scott1256ca]

So, theknub, does that mean you purchase no Warner titles, because they are all ports of the hd-dvd (so far as I know) with the exception of the first few mpeg-2 titles?

Scott

[theknub]

i have only purchased superman and beerfest. i will prob get departed given the qood pq reviews i have heard so far.

[scott1256ca]

It just seems to me that with Warner, you get a port of the hd-dvd, whether you like it or not. THD won't change it, it is happening already. I have no love for dual sided disks. I prefer artwork on one side, which also means I can put my fingerprints all over it, if I want, and I have no desire to pay extra for a flipper. I may wait on titles if I think THD is driving the cost up, or I expect a superior transfer when the studio double dips after BD wins (which I personally think is inevitable), but if I want the movie, and the reviews are ok, I'll buy a flipper, again subject to cost.

I don't get these THD disks, unless Warner thinks they can pass along the extra cost to the consumer. Economics says they can to a degree, but it will cost them sales. So I only see these THD's working if Warner says "it's future proof, so hey, it is worth an extra $5", when it only costs them an extra $1 (I'm pulling numbers out of the air for example only), and they are actually able to sell that idea to consumers. I keep hearing that BD-ROM is so expensive to produce. If that is really true, these THD's would be costing a lot to produce. Cost has to be lower than what we are led to believe.

[jorg]

it depends i do not know the specs for thd so i will say no i would asume tho that a thd disc wont be a good as a hd dvd or a blu-ray

[The Big Blue]

No. Total surrender is required.

[Fozziwig]

As I've said before, when, not too far from now, the sales ratio is 10:1 in Blu-ray's favour creating these mutant discs will seem brainless, cretinous, moronic and MENTAL.

In that order!

[ProvenFlipper]

I would purchase, but I would be buying very, very few THD discs. Normally I buy BDs if I'm remotely interested in the movie. With THD discs, I would have to be in love with the movie. This goes for Warner/New Line or Universal.

[Shadowself]

I can't imagine buying a THD disk. I won't support locking into the constraints of an inferior product.

It was asked if I (well not specifically of me, but of "you" in general, I assume) have bought or would buy a Warner Blu-ray disk because most of those are ports of HD DVD disks. The answer is, "I haven't yet." and "I've been tempted a couple times, but have been able to resist."

While it is true that a short movie can be done well on HD DVD -- including a lossless compression of audio, it is not possible with all the different imagery I want to see. (Personally, I even feel BD50s are a bit constrained for some projects, but that's just something with which I'll have to deal. )

I won't even buy bad transfers of films I love. TFE is probably one of my top 10 films. (I know, it's campy, but I like it.) However, I've never bought the BD version of it because it was sub par. If I can do this with BD disks, I can certainly do it with HD DVD transfers.

Therefore, I've resigned myself to not supporting any form of implementation of HD DVD. Hopefully, I'll be rewarded with BD50 implementations of everything that needs it.