Warner to release all announced HD-DVD movies for Blu-ray as well?

[Marwin]

I found some very interesting news about Warners plans for Blu-ray and HD-DVD over at The Digital Bits today.

Another thing that Warner noted, and I asked them specifically about this issue, is that many of the titles that they have planned for release on DVD in 2006 will be released day-and-date on HD-DVD format as well. Warner execs were also careful to stress that while some of their HD titles will enjoy a brief period of exclusivity on HD-DVD, given that the format is launching first, every title that's released on HD-DVD will also be released on Blu-ray Disc when that format finally launches later this year. I also learned that while some extras will be exclusive only to the HD formats, Warner is going to be careful to make sure that all of the extras available on regular DVD will also be included on HD... so you can replace your regular DVDs with either HD-DVD or Blu-ray if you so choose.

If this is true then it appears that Warner will be completely format neutral and offer all of their movies in both formats. This would mean that the titles that so far only have been announced for HD-DVD won't be exclusive to HD-DVD after all, only for a short while until Blu-ray launches

[thunderhawk]

Funny actually.. How Warner waited and actually wanted to avoid supporting both standards to reduce expenses, how they waited to see one format to give up and how they end up supporting both in the end.

[phloyd]

I wonder that, once you have all the elements in place, if it really costs a lot more incrementally to author the second format. I would bet that most of the expense is in the transfers and creating all the artwork. Once that is done, especially for these relatively no frills titles, you just gotta suck it into the authoring system...?

Cheers!

[AV_Integrated]

Originally Posted by phloyd

I wonder that, once you have all the elements in place, if it really costs a lot more incrementally to author the second format. I would bet that most of the expense is in the transfers and creating all the artwork. Once that is done, especially for these relatively no frills titles, you just gotta suck it into the authoring system...?

Cheers!

Except for the new interactive features for both formats which are different, I believe you are correct. There will be a computer program that converts the video from some crazy resolution like 4096x2200 or something down to whatever format they decide to use. It will be setup and tweaked for best color, etc.

But, once the HD master is made from the archival quality original, then you have it. Then it is just making the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray master discs from which replications will be made. Once you have that, it's all pretty easy.

I think even artwork and covers are relatively easy. It's all printing press stuff. Do the cover art in Photoshop, lay it out in Quark or something, send it off to the printers.

I really think that one of the big statements from HD-DVD has been how 'CHEAP' it would be for disc manufacturing and how must less expensive their discs would be. I personally believe that we will find pricing to be almost identical. Apparently DVD lines DO need some changes made to them that are significant to do HD-DVD and it is new equipment for Blu-Ray. But, in the end, the discs themselves cost about 20 cents or so in raw materials or something incredibly low like that. Even if Blu-Ray Discs cost 10 times as much, it would be 2 bucks... $1.80 difference! It just doesn't add up to enough to make a difference in the final selling price.

Just speculation though - the only title listed avaiable for both formats is priced the same... so we will see in the upcoming year where that actually falls.

[phloyd]

The entertainment industry has demonstrated with CD and DVD that they are more than happy to absorb the cost savings from cheaper discs - the price of manufacturing drops markedly but the discs stay more or less the same retail price.

It has always been my belief that if there is any costs saving, the only people that will benefit is the studio - the chance of them passing such saving on to the consumer is next to zero... until of course they aren't selling any and they go to the bargain basement bins...

And yes a $2 difference in disc cost could easily be smoothed over in the early days I am sure...

I will be buying an HD-DVD title to go in my collection next to my DCC tape and my Divx copy of The X-Files movie

Cheers!

[Jodi]

Is anyone on this forum a member of the Home Theatre Forum???
Warner Home Video is having an on-line chat session with the Home Theatre Forum on Tuesday Feb. 21 (I think about 6pm PST).
If someone on this forum is an HTF member, PLEASE ask the Warner folks if they are going to commit to more DTS Digital Sound in their BD and HD-DVD discs.
Thanks,
Jodi

[Jodi]

Originally Posted by n2blu

I'm a member of HTF. Thanks for the heads up.

You're welcome!
How often have you participated in HTF chat sessions with the major studios, and have you ever been able to get any questions answered in the past?

Jodi

[Grubert]

Besides they have specifically demanded that no HD-related questions be asked.

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by Grubert

Besides they have specifically demanded that no HD-related questions be asked.

Well that's that.

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by n2blu

Well that sucks. Who made this demand HTF or Warner? Either way it's quite disappointing.

Warner. Bear in mind that they are trying to give a little more life to DVD, so that's what they want to talk about. A hidef-dedicated chat would be great, but maybe nearer the summer, when both formats have officially launched.

[Grubert]

I thought you might find this interesting. It's an interviewwith a VP of Warner Home Video in Japan (original here). A member of avs has posted the translation:

Q: Whether Warner will focus on specific format or not?
A: We'll treat both format identically. Initially, HD DVD titles will be ahead because HD DVD player release date will be ahead of BD's. Working process of HD DVD is taking a lead, so initial title release (for BD) cannot to be same time frame, however, around 1 year after from launch, BD title release will catch up to HD DVD release, almost identical titles will be available for both formats. BD just started little bit late because spec had just done last December.

Q: Doesn't Warner still think HD DVD is the favorite format?
A: We thought it before. ROM spec is important for movie studio, so we slanted to HD DVD which is easy to replicate. This judgement is still valid today. However, format unification we hoped failed, then we made a business decision beyond the ROM replication cost, etc.

Q: Target customer of HD DVD and BD seems to be overlapped, unlike VHS or UMD which aim different users. It is difficult to think that similar disc application will be co-existing.
A: Of course, one format is better eventually. But ideal and the real is different. If unification won't happen, it is better to business in the real world. Or, both formats may survive, like game consoles.

Q: How's about the release plan?
A: For new titles which will be released 2-3 titles per month, we'll release all 4 formats, DVD, VHS, HD DVD and BD. For catalog titles, it is not decided in detail, but in total, it's going to be around 100 titles within this year. It may be affected by hardware sales situation.

Q: How much initial HD title price will be?
A: Depend on title basis. Some title will be little bit expensive than DVD, but some title may be possible to be quite expensive. One reason of this is production cost is expensive than DVD, and another reason is we don't want to cause trouble of DVD business. As to new release, we'd like to use hybrid disc. Flipper type hybrid (Twin Format) for HD DVD, if possible, we also want to use hybrid for BD.

Q: But, hybrid raises the replication cost.
A: Pricing will be more than $35, however, there is a merit of hybrid disc beyond the cost issue.

Q: What codec will be adopted?
A: We'll use same codec (for both formats), H.264 and VC-1. Both are basically same. (We tested them) twice in Yokohama, twice in Glendale and once at the theater near Paramount. VC-1 won those tests by a hair, but we think both codecs' capability is same at this moment. As to new release, codec is chosen by production side like director, for catalog titles, we Warner chose the codec.

Q: Which codec did Warner choose for initial titles?
A: I don't know about bit rate, but Digital Media Exchange (Warner's subsidiary post production studio) is authoring using VC-1.

Q: SPE judged that 18Mbps VBR (MPEG2) is enough. Although load for playback of VC-1 is not too high, currently there is no real time encoder same as H.264.
A: MPEG-2 is already old. Although it has good PQ at high bit rate, there is decent difference from advanced codec at low bit rate. To support both HD DVD and BD, if we use DL BD, eventually we have to do encoding to meet the limitation of HD DVD 30GB. Then, there is no choice to pick other than VC-1 or H.264 that have superiority at low bit rate. In the future, after improving PQ and productivity at low bit rate, we want to release a lot in form of HD DVD9 or BD9.
Don't be wrong about it, it is just a low cost option. We'll use it for short movies, but not for feature length movies, and we don't think blue laser player is unnecessary. Chose blue or red depending on content length, that's our thought.

Mr.Yokoi said that bit rate of releasing titles will be around 12Mbps of VC-1, it reflected the test result by picture evaluation engineer who called "golden eye" in the movie industry. It is said that 7-9Mbps achieved good enough PQ.

As to audio format, "We'll adopt Dolby True HD for new release and the one that the audio master exists".