Archived: Insiders Thread

[Member-9711]

Originally Posted by paidgeek

Let me know what you show as being announced for December and I will let you know if your list is complete.

Highdefdigest shows 20 Million Miles to Earth, Superbad, Rent and The Legend of Zorro. 4 titles total for december from SPE and Celine Dion from Sony BMG.

The titles are great, I mean Superbad is the most wanted title this year for me, it's just less titles than other months for the important holiday season.

Thank you for answering.

[DaViD Boulet]

What's wrong with the Dolby TrueHD on SpiderMan 3 Blu-ray???

In my review at dvdfile.com, I notice a definite compromise with the sound of the TrueHD compared to the PCM on Spiderman 3.

http://www.dvdfile.com/index.php?opt...=6337&Itemid=3

But I did discover something that concerns me greatly that the studios need to address and correct NOW early in life of TrueHD software: when I compared the PCM uncompressed 5.1 track to the Dolby TrueHD track on the third disc (which contains both types of lossless audio), despite the theory that the two audio tracks should sound identical, the PCM track was audibly superior to the TrueHD and I didn’t have to struggle to hear the difference… it was obvious. The PCM track was more robust, textured, realistic, and also seemed louder (I level-compensated when comparing to make sure I wasn’t being biased by mere level differences). As good as it was, by comparison the Dolby TrueHD track sounded slightly restrained, and “smoothed over”. My suspicion (even though Sony as stated they do not set the dialog normalization flag to engage processing) is that this slightly compromised fidelity of the Dolby TrueHD track is a result of dialogue normalization processing which is applied after the lossless sound file is extracted in the playback hardware’s decoding engine, and effectively re-writes every bit word with a new value as the amplitude of the entire digital waveform is digitally recalculated/reduced. I should point out that my audio gear, while better than the average Circuit-City rack-system, isn’t comprised of out-of-reach esoteric gear; I’m confident that most critical listeners with “good” sound systems will be able to hear the difference between the Dolby TrueHD and PCM soundtrack on the third film without difficulty. Sony and other studios: PLEASE learn how to properly optimize Dolby TrueHD so that it sounds 100% identical to the PCM original.

Greg from thedigitalbits notices the same thing:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/review...eviews009.html

The audio is no less disappointing. Encoded with both Dolby TrueHD and linear PCM tracks, Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray is a breathtaking aural experience. The entire soundstage is used to full effect with clear dialog, pounding low frequencies and split-surround effects. Between the two high-end soundtracks, the linear PCM track is the preferred choice. Differences are slight, but there are differences nonetheless. The Dolby version has a slightly more plugged-up sound when compared with the airier, more transparent PCM track. This is likely due to the lower, variable bit-rate of the Dolby technology compared with the higher, fixed bit-rate of PCM. Again, these are not differences that slap you in face, but they're enough to notice.

Ok, so what's going on? Paidgeek, I'm almost 100% convinced that Dialogue Normalization *has* been applied to these TrueHD tracks. When your audio engineers told you that they wouldn't do it, were they aware that the equipment does it by default and that if they didn't want DN applied they'd have to manually reset the flag to -31?

I'm sure that the same problem exists with the TrueHD tracks on the other discs, but without the PCM to compare the compromise isn't as apparent.

Help us. What's wrong? DolbyTrueHD won't be "lossless" until it's 100% transparent to the PCM original. Nothing less will do.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

Where I agree with everything you said it is aimed at the early adopters. Not those that are on the fence or just looking to get into the game. The problem comes here in that they will sell every unit they put out at that price. And for every unit sold that is one more person that will buy the media and keep this war going. So every unit sold is a person lost, at least for now,to the red team. And because of this it somehow needs to be countered.

Or do you not see it this way?

I was in my local Costco yesterday and saw the displays for the DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray player product. My store might be the exception, but there were plenty of Toshiba DVD and DVD recorder products, no HD-DVD players (though the display showed them at $249) and a slick Blu-ray display with a monitor, software and plenty of players at $449. As Joe average consumer, it was hard to even understand what the HD-DVD player was about, because there was no messaging around the player to speak of and no software. The price is also so close to the DVD recorder product, that it doesn't really make sense. I don't know if the consumers really understand what the product is for.

[paidgeek]

Originally Posted by frank_t

Absolutely correct -- it's a race to the bottom. Why?

Because there's a lot of people at the bottom. They are the same people who make DVD so profitable today.

DVD software is profitable, players are not. The reason we have a healthy business in DVD is partly the fact that the CE companies had their boon to make some money on players while we grew the business. You know, healthy as in support for advertising, retailer training, important stuff like that.

[Logan00]

To any insiders I was wondering if other BD manufactors will do like Disney did with one of its commercials for an upcoming Blu-ray movie.

At the end of the commercial, it said something along the line 'Available on DVD and Blu-ray and can be played on the PS3'

Any idea if this is the new marketing strategy?

[mdm1699]

Originally Posted by Sonny

People need to see SONY S300 BD players for sub 300$ pricing this year or it could get very ugly I want Universal in BD or I mite end up with a 170$ hd-DUD player this is getting old

Just wait until HD-A2s hit $99! Sony needs $75 blu-ray players. LMAO. I say let Toshiba bleed. Let's see how long they can keep this up. The BDA needs to focus on maintaining and getting new Studio exclusivity deals.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by darinp2

..........as they try to kill the format that put more in to try to fight piracy, and push for the format that the professional pirates definitely want to win (just look at what the guys behind AnyDVD (Slysoft I believe) say and how much they want HD DVD to win).

Maybe that could be their new slogan or something. HD DVD, the format supported by professional pirates everywhere. I'm sure the professional pirates in the know love hearing how easy it will be for them to replicate HD DVDs, and I bet they fear a world where they won't be able to use high density ROM discs (even if the market isn't big enough yet). Especially in countries where pretty much the whole market is these professional pirates, since the studios haven't been able to compete with them there.

--Darin

Well, I question if anything is un-crackable, given enough time, resources and incentive. The important thing is to provide more effective deterrents to illegal activity to make it less and less revenue robbing to people’s businesses in the end.

If BD+ can prove itself over time to accomplish this compared to the impotency of what HD DVD offers, it should surely create an interesting chain of events (regarding more content providers hopping onboard) as high-def optical media becomes more embraced by the mainstream public.

People may not realize that this illegal activity not only steals revenue from content providers and the U.S. economy but also actually costs people their jobs. I don’t believe that Zucker had the entire Siwek policy report in front of him when he spoke in front of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on this issue but, Siwek estimated that “in 2005, the U.S. economy lost approximately 373,375 jobs in total as a result of copyright piracy both in the U.S. and abroad. Of these lost jobs, approximately 312,052 jobs were lost at the U.S. production level in the creation, manufacture and distribution of copyright-protected works while 61,323 jobs were lost at the U.S. retail sales level (See Table 6).”

^ ^ ^
from……………
http://www.ipi.org/ipi%5CIPIPublicat...257369005B0C79

I would venture a guess that any HD DVD junkies out there would whistle quite a different tune and not pooh-pah the efforts of Blu-ray to provide more effective deterrents to piracy if their job was suddenly in jeopardy as a result of people like Slysoft.

[WickyWoo]

Penton check your PMs please

[ps3andlovinit]

Originally Posted by Elandyll

First, annoyed, I saw that the HD Toshiba TVs were bundled with HD DVD players

Paidgeek, I think this would be the best strategy for the BDA as well..rather than low prices. People have no problems spending more money on their t.v's...when it's together like this the player becomes an "incidental" cost that they don't think or hum and haw over. In fact they see it as being a deal to grab..

Seeing some of this with Samsung and Sony here in Canada..however the more the better for the holiday season as many t.v's don't have bundles.It also tends to be Best Buy more often than the Sony Style stores. Given the Sony Style stores don't have competing t.v's and HD DVD it makes less sense they don't bundle - as you have the potential for a much higher uptake of Blu-ray and increasing the penetration.

I've also seen some deals that make the player optional but at a reduced price when you buy the t.v. Another good angle as the t.v is the key to the consumers heart .. er wallet and placing HD optical in the home.

Yeah I know that's the marketing dept jobs and monday morning QB talk and all that .. just wanted to provide some consumer perspective that I think this is a good marketing approach that Toshiba is taking. The brand power of Sony and Samsung et all are higher and will nullify it and turn it to the BDA's advantage.

And since I think all the Blu-ray CE mfgs also do t.v's it shouldn't be a political problem..unless it includes the PS3..which I would love to happen .. but can live without for the bigger picture.

[SS316SRV]

Where has Max been with his Hotspurs arse?

I would think that he would have some good info for us in this busy period for high def media.

I don't know what that could be. But I am sure he has some good info for us.

[WickyWoo]

Christ people, stop trying to read a disaster scenario behind every little thing we say

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Spankey

Hopefully not for damage control?

No.
I'm referring to this..............
http://www.digitalhollywood.com/LAFall07Agenda.html

and a sponsored dinner in the evening.

[CptGreedle]

I understand most consumers don't have an HDTV yet, but the price is getting down there and the innocent bystanders will see this and might pounce on it.
This is not a good thing for us, but I think we can still overcome it.
The real trick is to try to release a BD players with similar specs as the A2 (1080i etc) and cut the price way down... so it can compete at the $200-$300 level.

Is the BDA working on anything to counter this?

[SS316SRV]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Sorry guys, I have been a bit busy, making a costume for Halloween, trying to get the girlfriend to wear more clothes for tonight etc...

Thank you Max,

I knew you would have some good infor for us.

[Beta-guy]

something occurred to me and I thought I'd ask before we started getting speculation on this point as well apparently the BDA contract with Warner expires on Oct 31, right? With an announcement expected Oct 31 well now we are hearing everyone saying that Warner is going BD exclusive or HD-DVD exclusive when it could very likely be an announcement about what movies are coming for the holidays. If we get no exclusivity announce Oct 31 the next thing that'll draw everyones attention will be the if Warner has a contract with HD-DVD when will that expire?

(I'll be honest I don't know if Warner has a contract with HD-DVD or not but I expect if they do when that contract is up we'll get a frenzy about Warner going exclusive one way or another all over again)

[SS316SRV]

If I didn't know better, I would guess that Warner's blu-ray discs were beer flavored.

That is the only thing that would explain this recent obsession.

[Bullseye]

It appears to me that there is an element on here trying to create panic with these rumours.

[Spankey]

trying to get the girlfriend to wear more clothes

Uhmmm...okay...

[huntifosi]

After watching 'Bell Book and Candle' with Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak on HD Net last night I have a question for any of the insiders that may know. (Mister Harris?) Are these old movies being 'restored' or just 'transfered/encoded' for broadcast? And will they be available on Blu? (It's an old Columbia Pictures flic, looked pretty good) Thanks!

[WickyWoo]

It appears to me that there is an element on here trying to create panic with these rumours.

That is exactly what's going on

EVERYONE upgrades their membership in EVERYTHING yearly. They don't do press releases, there is no broohaha, someone in accounting cuts a check for 50k or something and life goes on.