Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[Slec]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Couldn't say, I don't think anyone knows people in the European divisions, and I only know people in asian labels, not divisions



1- Clone Wars was a few episodes of the TV show slapped into a theatrical release
2- Because it was a new release, Spielberg insisted, and you wouldn't believe how shakey that one was and almost didn't happen
3- LOTR IS waiting for the version everyone actually wants. LOTR is not a blockbuster franchise owned by the filmmaker either. Lucas controls the fate of Indy, and owns star wars lock stock and barrel. WB also knows that in the 2-3 years between that it'll be ripe time for a double dip, and the extended cuts are an excellent selling point

How was the release's performance received by Spielberg and those at the studio? Would the release of the rest of the Indy movies be the indicator that they were happy with how it did? I'm curious what the barometer for success is by studios.

[Jeff Kleist]

Spielberg wanted it on Blu-ray period. He's a big fan of the format

It did fine, not exceptional, but I'd say within expectations, maybe a bit better considering how many people didn't enjoy it

[NutsAboutPS3]

Originally Posted by wallendo

DVD prices drop rapidly and significantly after release while BD prices do not show the same major drops (not as fast and not as far

In my local HMV store just now, I noted a couple of price comparisons:
Serenity - DVD £3, Blu-ray £15
X-men Trilogy - DVD £8, Blu-ray £35

These are very big price differences to ask people to pay for Blu-ray, and I wonder if it might be the relative price of Blu-ray rather than the absolute price that puts some people off, i.e. might Blu-ray sell better if DVDs were simply more expensive.

[Jeff Kleist]

Slec, that's exactly right, especially on catalog titles

It's the price gap, not the absolute that makes the most trouble for Blu, combined with the fact that Wal-Mart and their ilk have devalued DVD so badly with their $5 bins

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by NutsAboutPS3

These are very big price differences to ask people to pay for Blu-ray, and I wonder if it might be the relative price of Blu-ray rather than the absolute price that puts some people off, i.e. might Blu-ray sell better if DVDs were simply more expensive.

I would think so. I think BDs, at their current pricing, represent a great value, but I can certainly see how the price discrepancy between formats would put some people off.

Maybe I'm just out-of-whack with everyone else- I used to spend $40 a pop (in '90's dollars, mind you!) on bare-bones laserdiscs.

[BluDomain]

Originally Posted by cjamescook

So, I should wait for a few weeks after initial release for the Battlestar Galactica BD set to drop in price...

Sounds like a plan. Better have Plan B just in case. Or pick up
second hand on eBay. Although popular titles there seem to
maintain price levels.

On the other hand, Amazon does (did?) not appear to follow the above model:
Often times the pre-order price is low, then it rises at release, then weeks or months later, it drops again to spur sales of the remaining stock, until it rises to list price as it now a collector's item or it just goes out-of-print.

Amazon doesn't set prices. At least that what they told me when
I asked. They said the Distributors have access to their database
and maintain prices as they have millions of products and couldn't
possibly keep up. My guess is that Amazon doesn't even own
their warehouse stock. Probably the same Distributors as for
BestBuy. It makes price matching so much easier.

Pre-orders are often initially set a couple dollars lower as a benefit
to determine stockage levels.

[BluDomain]

Originally Posted by NutsAboutPS3

In my local HMV store just now, I noted a couple of price comparisons:
Serenity - DVD £3, Blu-ray £15
X-men Trilogy - DVD £8, Blu-ray £35

Premium products often maintain price levels and value.

[Q?]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

It sure will in my book! It's going to have grain, because it's supposed to. But anyone who has ever seen BSG on SciFi HD, or even on HD-DVD, knows that high-def is THE way the show as meant to be seen. I've seen the HD image projected in a large theatre setting, and let me tell you... it's awesome.

This is great!!!
For me it's like LOTR or Star Wars coming out!
Totally fantastic

[Sussudio]

Hey Bill or Jeff--

could either of you guys shed some light on this thread topic?

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=95876

Are re-releases of Casino, Eastern Promises, and American Gangster really on the way so soon?

[Jeff Kleist]

It's simply a promotional thing like Fox is doing with Mother's day and "spa cash", or Fox's summer movie cash promotion. Discs show up with some kind of premium attached to them or slightly different cover art or slip cover for a promotion (Breast cancer awareness pink, Awards season gold)

These things happen all the time

[Jeff Kleist]

Amazon doesn't set prices. At least that what they told me when
I asked. They said the Distributors have access to their database
and maintain prices as they have millions of products and couldn't
possibly keep up. My guess is that Amazon doesn't even own
their warehouse stock. Probably the same Distributors as for
BestBuy. It makes price matching so much easier.

Amazon operates their own warehouses with a proprietary picker system. Best Buy also operates their own warehouses. Amazon certainly does change their own prices and set up promotions with distributors. Yes people set the prices for their own goods, but it's certainly not the case that amazon just lets everyone do their own thing, not by a long shot

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

I think Clone Wars was following the 'shove it out the door before everyone has time to realize how crappy it is' business model.

You have not been watching the series on TV I guess? It's a whole lot better then most crap you can see on TV these days and the PQ in HD is crazy pure eye candy. This release will rock on BD.

But what else should I expect from an Arsenal fan GO MAN U!! Just teasing.

[Sussudio]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

It's simply a promotional thing like Fox is doing with Mother's day and "spa cash", or Fox's summer movie cash promotion. Discs show up with some kind of premium attached to them or slightly different cover art or slip cover for a promotion (Breast cancer awareness pink, Awards season gold)

These things happen all the time

thanks for the clarification

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

It's a whole lot better then most crap you can see on TV these days

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

GO MAN U!!

No accounting for taste, I guess.

[Bolty]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

You can be sure that the extended Khan and VI will come out eventually, along with the director's cut of TMP

However, the price is great, the box art gorgeous, and there's no reason to doubt that the movies will be looking their best with lossless audio. I plan on simply swapping out the eventual new versions into the existing box myself

You seem almost dead certain there will be release of the Director's cuts someday.

Is that just informed opinion or has someone TOLD you it WILL happen?

If the latter---very roughly when will it happen, a year, two years, or more?
It would help in making an informed decision on buying the current set.

Thanks !!!

[Jeff Kleist]

A little from column A, a little from column B

In all seriousness, part of my job is to analyze the information coming in, and to protect the sources of that information. So let's say I have a hypothetical situation like this

A new Star Trek movie is coming out
Master tapes of the Trek movies have arrived at a facility that handles cleanup and restoration
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the Trek movies are undergoing restoration for a new release

[mattym]

it would be a shame to release the trek movies with the original FX intact on the older ones, the rejigged version of TMP was good, but V was shocking FX..on HD its going to look like Shocking FX in HD

[Jeff Kleist]

5 has "shocking FX" because they were low budget at the dawn of the CG era.

The others were modelwork only before that, and good CG after as well as good modelwork

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Slec, that's exactly right, especially on catalog titles

It's the price gap, not the absolute that makes the most trouble for Blu, combined with the fact that Wal-Mart and their ilk have devalued DVD so badly with their $5 bins

I read that was something else that made Warner unhappy with the HD-DVD camp. Is that they felt that all their promotions with free movies de-valued HD media too soon.

It makes sense, but it got mentioned like once.

[dcowboy7]

Since "Seinfeld" is now in HD in syndication reruns (well cropped HD at least), i was wondering if theres any chance of a "Seinfeld Complete Series" blu-ray set ?