Why aren't all new releases released in High Def?

[Phatferd]

I understand that making/encoding/pressing costs money, but I think all new releases need to be released in High Def in order to help the format take off. The BDA should help cover some of the costs of producing a Blu-Ray copy of a film in order for studios to cut down on their loss.

What really got me on this was the film "Rendition". It is a new film with a star-studded cast including Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gylenhall (sp) and Marryl Streep. The studio was New Line Cinema which supported Blu.

I really feel that the BDA needs to step up and make new releases from major studios always available on Blu. It would help give validity to the format and allow the consumers to adopt it much sooner. If a consumer sees that not all movies are coming out on the format then the studios themselves are not behind the format.

[AaronSCH]

Not a big enough consumer base yet.

[Polyh3dron]

The REAL travesty is not seeing The Darjeeling Limited released on Blu-ray. Oh yeah and Once too.

[Phatferd]

Originally Posted by AaronSCH

Not a big enough consumer base yet.

I don't buy this excuse. First of all Rendition is only on DVD and it's the 7th best selling DVD right now. You're telling me they don't have a customer base for this, but they do for The Rookie, Sleuth, Gattaca, One Missed Called, etc?

Also, my point is that the BDA should begin to push their format by giving their consumers as much as possible in terms to availability/options. It's a simple concept that Sony and Microsoft understand as they sold their gaming machines at a loss to gain consumer acceptance.

[OokieSpookie]

Because studios are stupid, and the BDA is asleep at the wheel and drunk after their victory.
Consumer base has nothing to do with it, the only chance alot of these titles have is day and date.
Releasing them two years from now (If they do at all) will take as much work for far less profit.
At least while hd-dvd was around they made at least some effort, now we get vague promises.
The sad thing is that little distributors are running with the ball, image and anchor bay have made some great announements.
Plus we have smaller ones like Digital Underground ready to announce releases and they have far more to lose than the big companies.

[foots]

Originally Posted by Phatferd

I don't buy this excuse. First of all Rendition is only on DVD and it's the 7th best selling DVD right now. You're telling me they don't have a customer base for this, but they do for The Rookie, Sleuth, Gattaca, One Missed Called, etc?

Also, my point is that the BDA should begin to push their format by giving their consumers as much as possible in terms to availability/options. It's a simple concept that Sony and Microsoft understand as they sold their gaming machines at a loss to gain consumer acceptance.

Rendition is New Line Cinema. Look at when they began releasing movies on BD. Look at how many movies they've released on the format. Look at how many movies they have scheduled for release.


The fact that they have had box office disaster after box office disaster lately and that they are about to be absorbed by WB may have something to do with it as well.

[Phatferd]

This is the one excuse I CAN accept, but I still think it may be copout. Shoot 'Em Up, Mr. Woodcock and even Pan's Labyrinth were not huge success' at the box office.

The only reason I give Rendition an excuse is that it is the most recent and likely their financial struggles were a bigger concern at release time. This still doesn't answer the question why they choose the movies they do to release. I'm sure The Number 23 would have been a good film to release on Blu, but they didn't.

Also, it's not just New Line, The Darjeeling Limited is another movie that could be on Blu and for whatever reason is not.

[foots]

Originally Posted by Phatferd

This is the one excuse I CAN accept, but I still think it may be copout. Shoot 'Em Up, Mr. Woodcock and even Pan's Labyrinth were not huge success' at the box office.

The only reason I give Rendition an excuse is that it is the most recent and likely their financial struggles were a bigger concern at release time. This still doesn't answer the question why they choose the movies they do to release. I'm sure The Number 23 would have been a good film to release on Blu, but they didn't.

Also, it's not just New Line, The Darjeeling Limited is another movie that could be on Blu and for whatever reason is not.

Those appeal much more to the PS3 crowd. Pan's Labyrinth I'm not sure other than that it may have done really well on DVD. Also I think it is controled by someone else overseas so perhaps the costs of producing a transfer for hi-def was shared.

As for the Darjeeling Limited.... I believe that is FOX and it isn't much of a secret that they care about $$$ above all else. I agree with you on that one..... I believe they control Death at a Funeral as well....

[DetroitSportsFan]

There really is no rhyme or reason for the studio's decisions on Blu-Ray releases.

[ground chuck]

i'm just happy blu was invented! if you build it they will come.......

[syncguy]

I don't think movie studios are stupid. They are good business people. Perhaps at this stage there is a business sense for delaying the blu-ray release.

What if they do the HD transfer from the movie and release the downscaled DVD first and then wait for 6 months to release blu-ray so that they could sale the same content twice to the same person. I am sure they must be thinking of testing this model.

[Sith]

we NEED There will be Blood on blu, sooner than later