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

[Paul H]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Wizard of Oz,GWTW, Casablanca, etc, WB seems to be trying something different to offset the unfortunate low sales volume.

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

I would pay the same price they're asking for a standard case. I don't want these odd-shaped things that won't fit on my shelf and are three times as large as they need to be, at any price.

Originally Posted by BluDomain

It wouldn't be so bad if they included a standard blu-ray
case and cover in the box.

Originally Posted by bbeck

WB has no problem providing a standard edition of Casablanca to our friends outside the U.S. What gives?

Hope WB listens to what the above people are saying.

IMHO the Standard Blu-ray case is the way to go and that's the opinion of an avid collector of 2000 plus titles and counting.

If you have to pay more for a classic to offset the cost, so be it. It's worth the price for it to fit & store correctly with all the other titles.

Paul

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by BluDomain

It is much easier and cheaper to take advantage of the WB Red2Blu.

Did they produce a special version just for this promotion?!

[BluDomain]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Did they produce a special version just for this promotion?!

According to the CSR on the phone, it is the same two-discs
in regular case.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by BluDomain

According to the CSR on the phone, it is the same two-discs
in regular case.

That's what I've wanted. Maybe it's on its way to retail.

[Doctorossi]

If North By Northwest is only in a massive and awkward box ( )... import, here I come!

[HeavyHitter]

Hi Jeff,

I saw that Boogie Nights was posted in the Rumor Mill. Do you know if the work done on this was when New Line was in control, or when Warner took control? This is a favorite of mine and given how New Line hurt so many titles with DNR, I was just wondering.

[Esox50]

^^^ It's sad that 3 years into this thing, we still have to question and have reservations about Warner/NLs efforts...

[NoQuestion]

well if they would do a proper master of films using the vc-1 encode then there wouldn't be a problem. I mean, Universal has a handful of vc-1 encoded titles that are top notch, WB/NL on the other hand tend to keep their masters in the meh range except for the few exceptions (new releases or BIG titles/classics).

[Jeff Kleist]

Did they produce a special version just for this promotion?!

Any time there is a "special" box, there are normal boxes done for rental

well if they would do a proper master of films using the vc-1 encode then there wouldn't be a problem. I mean, Universal has a handful of vc-1 encoded titles that are top notch, WB/NL on the other hand tend to keep their masters in the meh range except for the few exceptions (new releases or BIG titles/classics).

VC-1 has nothing to do with it, nor the talent of the compressionist. They can only work with what they're given.

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

...

If you love classics, you need to push your friends to buy them, HARD. The sales numbers just aren't there to justify it.

The thing is, it really is a chicken & egg problem. They need more catalog sales to come out with more titles. But many of us understandably wait for the particular titles.

I was considering the Tracy & Hepburn Signature Collection the other day. I was torn. I really would have loved to acquire the blu-ray version, but I don't think a single title is available.

(By the way, kudos to whomever thought of the packaging of these sets. The content is good (and needs to be available), but the B&W portrait photograph on the box really makes it.)

Unfortunately, the Classic Comedies Collection appears to suffer from the same fate.

And these are major collections with major classic hits.

[bbeck]

Originally Posted by BluDomain

According to the CSR on the phone, it is the same two-discs
in regular case.

According to the Red2Blu site, it's the Ultimate Collector's Edition. I'll believe the website over a CSR - sorry.

Again, it's a great deal for those who have the HD-DVD and would like to trade it for a shelf-hogging ultra-swag set. But it's not for me.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by bbeck

According to the Red2Blu site, it's the Ultimate Collector's Edition. I'll believe the website over a CSR - sorry.

Well, the program appears set to run for a few months, at least, so we'll probably know in plenty of time for you to take advantage.

[Jeff Kleist]

How much does that collector crap cost them to produce?

Not that much. The point is to drive up the SRP. They're going by the hypothesis that people who are buying it now will continue to buy it now, and therefore they get a faster ROI and can justify doing more classics faster

Given the history of said practice, I can't say that they're wrong, and that it's worth a shot, so long as the period between the premium edition and the vanilla is kept reasonable

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Not that much. The point is to drive up the SRP. They're going by the hypothesis that people who are buying it now will continue to buy it now, and therefore they get a faster ROI and can justify doing more classics faster

Given the history of said practice, I can't say that they're wrong, and that it's worth a shot, so long as the period between the premium edition and the vanilla is kept reasonable

What would a reasonable period be, in order for it to be beneficial for all parties? Give-or-take?

[Jeff Kleist]

I really couldn't say, because they're going back and doing a lot of these movies again, fresh for Blu.

To say it's costing them over aa million dollars apiece before replication costs is not unreasonable, and to say that many classic titles are not breaking 5 figures in sales first week, some not by a long shot is also not unreasonable.

[Batman1980]

Jeff, that would explain this -
I think what with the economy and most people's reluctance to double dip even to get an upgrade, companies need to stop releasing catalog titles at over $20. Just ridiculous, really. Also more companies need to offer rebates to DVD owners as well.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

I really couldn't say, because they're going back and doing a lot of these movies again, fresh for Blu.

To say it's costing them over aa million dollars apiece before replication costs is not unreasonable, and to say that many classic titles are not breaking 5 figures in sales first week, some not by a long shot is also not unreasonable.

Wow. Those are some rugged figures that cant be ignored. Better understood now. Thanks.

[Jeff Kleist]

Jeff, that would explain this -
I think what with the economy and most people's reluctance to double dip even to get an upgrade, companies need to stop releasing catalog titles at over $20. Just ridiculous, really. Also more companies need to offer rebates to DVD owners as well.

Certainly efforts are being made to get catalog prices down, but that's simply not realistic at this point in time, nor was it for DVD when inflation was a lot lower and $24.95 was worth a lot more

The big push right now is on the 2-packs, and I think it's a good way to go, so long as they continue to pair movies well. They hit that magical $20 a movie while letting the studios move more units

[Batman1980]

That's actually why I try to get movies in trilogies, tends to be a LOT cheaper than getting them individually.

[al cos.]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

To say it's costing them over aa million dollars apiece before replication costs is not unreasonable, and to say that many classic titles are not breaking 5 figures in sales first week, some not by a long shot is also not unreasonable.

Geez, that's brutal. Not to be morbid, but it seems the number of people interested in pre-70s movies just gets smaller every year, how can those numbers ever get much higher? (Even when the discs get cheaper, it doesn't seem like a flood of people will buy Magnificent Ambersons for 20 bucks but wouldn't have at 30.)