Warner Brothers and missed opportunities

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

As I understand it, insiders have talked to Warner about the issues but it seems to fall on deaf ears.

Let's not forget they often used lower bit rate DD tracks on DVD.

It seems Warner's goal is the minimalist approach.

Just vote with your wallet. Don't buy inferior product. All of the studios are on board now, so competition is only going to get more intense. If Warner won't provide product worth buying, there's other studios who seem to want our money.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by Eddie who?

But that's the point. WB had a whole year to re-encode BB. And they failed. WB is just like most corporate American companies: make as much money as you can with little or no expenditure. I can smell the double dip from here.

But it already had an encode. They didn't feel the need to redo it. In a year or so, they wont even need to worry about re-encodes because they will already be optimized for Blu-Ray.

[ClaytonMG]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Just vote with your wallet. Don't buy inferior product. All of the studios are on board now, so competition is only going to get more intense. If Warner won't provide product worth buying, there's other studios who seem to want our money.

So stop buying WB's products and show them there aren't any sales in Blu-Ray so that they can really push for downloads and abandon Blu-Ray completely.

[Majoran]

Originally Posted by ClaytonMG

But it already had an encode. They didn't feel the need to redo it. In a year or so, they wont even need to worry about re-encodes because they will already be optimized for Blu-Ray.

Indeed this has always been my view.....In a perfect world Warner and other studios would have re-encoded the movies. The reality is that they didnt and won't unless its is absolutely necessary from their viewpoint. The best thing people can do is contact them (letters) and vote with your wallet to let them know you are unhappy about their practices.

For future titles I dont think we will have to worry about this stuff as the encodes will all be Blu-ray specific and not "ports". Until that time though, I think people are just going to have to deal with the fact that studios are going to re use the encode they already have, unless it "needs" to be re-done in their eyes.

[Chad Varnadore]

Originally Posted by Majoran

Indeed this has always been my view.....In a perfect world Warner and other studios would have re-encoded the movies. The reality is that they didnt and won't unless its is absolutely necessary from their viewpoint. The best thing people can do is contact them (letters) and vote with your wallet to let them know you are unhappy about their practices.

For future titles I dont think we will have to worry about this stuff as the encodes will all be Blu-ray specific and not "ports". Until that time though, I think people are just going to have to deal with the fact that studios are going to re use the encode they already have, unless it "needs" to be re-done in their eyes.

Warner is already releasing BD exclusives that weren't authored for HD DVD and so far none have been optimized for BD. It almost makes you wonder if Toshiba plans on reintroducing HD DVD.

[hollywoodguy]

Originally Posted by Chad Varnadore

Warner is already releasing BD exclusives that weren't authored for HD DVD and so far none have been optimized for BD. It almost makes you wonder if Toshiba plans on reintroducing HD DVD.

Depending on your definition of "optimized," that's not entirely true. The Dirty Harry Collection was encoded at bitrates exceeding the HD DVD spec. They also all had lossless audio.

[lgans316]

I wouldn't call Dirty Harry 3, 4 & 5 to have Blu standard encode. Stats posted in the main post.

[blitz6speed]

Warner Bros is the WORST studio in the HD game, BAR NONE.

They do DNR on a MASTER level so that even at super high bitrates, there is barely enough detail at 720p, let alone 1080p.

They use the LOWEST bitrate in the industry. Independent companys use twice the bitrate on films not even worthy of being on blu-ray. More Warner movies have BANDING and COMPRESSION ARTIFACTS then all other studios COMBINED.

They are the ONLY STUDIO NOT USING LOSSLESS AUDIO ON EVERY DISC! This is the ultimate sin by a huge margin.

Simply put, Warner is dragging down the good name of Blu-ray with every crap release they do. FOR SHAME Warner Bros, FOR SHAME.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

Speaking of this, has it been confirmed if "The Perfect Storm" will have HD sound?

Doesn't look like it https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?id=191

[hollywoodguy]

Originally Posted by lgans316

I wouldn't call Dirty Harry 3, 4 & 5 to have Blu standard encode. Stats posted in the main post.

What's "standard"? If the numbers are correct, all but DH4 have encodes exceeding HD DVD capabilities.

[Alan Gordon]

Originally Posted by Chad Varnadore

Warner is already releasing BD exclusives that weren't authored for HD DVD and so far none have been optimized for BD. It almost makes you wonder if Toshiba plans on reintroducing HD DVD.

The "Dirty Harry" films, "The Bucket List" and "Fool's Gold" all had BD encodes. Though the last two lacked "lossless" audio.

~Alan

[Chad Varnadore]

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

The "Dirty Harry" films, "The Bucket List" and "Fool's Gold" all had BD encodes. Though the last two lacked "lossless" audio.

~Alan

I haven't seen Dirty Harry. And I didn't check the bitrates of Fool's Gold or The Bucket List after watching them and seeing the same compressed/slightly softer fidelity typical of Warner. If they clock higher than Warner's norm, that's a positive step in the right direction. But it didn't change much. And the absense of lossless was inexcusable.

[Arecsa]

Penton, can you pay a visit to the suits at Warner and give them a spray for still continuing to announce titles without a lossless track? Risky Business earlier this month, and now Blow. This is just beyond ridiculous now.

[horseflesh]

Originally Posted by Arecsa

Penton, can you pay a visit to the suits at Warner and give them a spray for still continuing to announce titles without a lossless track? Risky Business earlier this month, and now Blow. This is just beyond ridiculous now.

I have to agree, this is getting beyond a joke now.
Warner basically ended the format "war" and now they are clearly the worst studio for Blu-ray releases.
I really see no excuse for them still to be announcing releases with no lossless audio (in particular Blow is of concern being a New Line title). Universal and Paramount have come in/back with all guns blazing on the audio front, leaving Warner trailing behind.

Wicky, I know you read Penton's thread, and many times on this issue you've said these things take time to work out of the production system. Well how long???
The excuse you offer on Warner's behalf is that they had been working with both Blu-ray and HD DVD in mind, well so have Universal & Paramount. How come they can get it so right, and Warner continue to screw us around.
Are they trying to piss people off, or are they just lazy???

I plan on buying Cuckoo's Nest & Adventures of Robin Hood because they're both masterpieces and Speed Racer when it's announced (laugh it up, but my 7 year old loved it and he's saving up his pocket money for it), but after that......

[SBrooks1]

I think Warner continuing to give us lossy audio is a much worse issue than the DNR issue. I can handle the look of Patton but not getting HD audio on major films like Blow is complete bullshit. Especially after I upgraded my receiver to handle all forms of Blu-ray HD audio. I really hope you Insiders can get to Warner and express our displeasure with them over this. I think you'll find a lot more Blu-ray hardcores that will be vocal over this issue than the DNR one. Something has got to change with Warner and we need you guys to help us!

[FourToedStatue]

Originally Posted by SBrooks1

I think Warner continuing to give us lossy audio is a much worse issue than the DNR issue. I can handle the look of Patton but not getting HD audio on major films like Blow is complete bullshit. Especially after I upgraded my receiver to handle all forms of Blu-ray HD audio. I really hope you Insiders can get to Warner and express our displeasure with them over this. I think you'll find a lot more Blu-ray hardcores that will be vocal over this issue than the DNR one. Something has got to change with Warner and we need you guys to help us!

And to think as a New Line film Blow would've likely received 7.1 DTS-MA

[Bullseye]

Could you imagine the LoTR trilogy with lossy audio

[Wilche]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

Could you imagine the LoTR trilogy with lossy audio

Yes.

[pellucidity]

Originally Posted by Wilche

Yes.

Don't give them ideas, I don't think there's any doubt that a WarnerVision release of LotR would have Return of the King, extended, on one disc.

It would probably be a BD50

[mel2]

it is a good thing dark city was finished before warner took over new line otherwise dark city would've had a low bitrate video and lossy encode. at least new line's last official title is a great one. i wish the take-over could've waited until new line put out blade 1&2 and lotr in 7.1 dts ma.