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

[jw]

I guess they changed their minds....That should be ok, right?

[Cinema Squid]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

I guess they changed their minds....That should be ok, right?

Yeah, no problem. Just curious.

[TheLion]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

TheLion is back.

Lion, this wooden hanger was a gift received following my stay at the superb hotel in your neck of the world…………
https://forum.blu-ray.com/2995450-post12606.html

I never really left...but still: thank you!

The next time you stay around my neck of the world (Hotel Imperial in Wien or not...) a quick PM would very likely get you a free city guide (but would cost you all that incognito enigma surrounding you ;-) ).

I would certainly love to...

[dcowboy7]

Originally Posted by jwbbud

I guess they changed their minds....That should be ok, right?

But he said he stood by his 1st review 100%.

How can 100% = changed mind = changed review #.

Is that like that new math stuff.

[Jeff Kleist]

Bill wrote a whole bunch of notes into the review if you go back and read it that should answer your questions

[quetzalcoatl]

I have seen stories about the new Sherlock Holmes rental copies not comming with lossless audio. Can you confirm this?
I guess I can understand taking extras off the movies for rentals, even if I donot like it, but making them with lossy audio as well. If true seems like a big step in the wrong direction.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

I have seen stories about the new Sherlock Holmes rental copies not comming with lossless audio. Can you confirm this?
I guess I can understand taking extras off the movies for rentals, even if I donot like it, but making them with lossy audio as well. If true seems like a big step in the wrong direction.

Actually I think giving rental blus a lesser audio track than retailer blus is a good idea but that's just me.

[Jeff Kleist]

I have seen stories about the new Sherlock Holmes rental copies not comming with lossless audio. Can you confirm this?
I guess I can understand taking extras off the movies for rentals, even if I donot like it, but making them with lossy audio as well. If true seems like a big step in the wrong direction.

It wouldn't suprise me given current trends. The idea is to make the rentals less desireable, especially when it comes to resale value. If you go movie only and strip the lossless, you can often get away with a BD25, which also saves a little money on copies that are going to be destroyed anyway (many of them)

[Blu Titan]

Toughest job in the movie entertainment business is to be an HD reviewer. First, comes the review of the movie itself, then the technical portion (AQ/PQ) which can be very challenging, and the general masses dissect every review....just waiting to pounce.

[Vincent Pereira]

Most annoying "rental version" was TERMINATOR SALVATION only offering the PG-13 cut, although that film was so awful I can't imagine a couple minutes of extra violence or whatever improving it much.

Vincent

[Jeff Kleist]

Most annoying "rental version" was TERMINATOR SALVATION only offering the PG-13 cut, although that film was so awful I can't imagine a couple minutes of extra violence or whatever improving it much.

I liked it, but it could have been so much better had they added back in plot instead of breasts.

[quetzalcoatl]

Originally Posted by Wolverine1980

Actually I think giving rental blus a lesser audio track than retailer blus is a good idea but that's just me.

Wink or no there is only one responce this can get. Grabs pitchfork and torch WITCH, BURN THE WITCH.

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

It wouldn't suprise me given current trends. The idea is to make the rentals less desireable, especially when it comes to resale value. If you go movie only and strip the lossless, you can often get away with a BD25, which also saves a little money on copies that are going to be destroyed anyway (many of them)

But what about what this can do to someone new to Blu-ray. If they have just bought a player and a home theater rent this title put it in and go to watch it. Yes they will get a better picture but will get the same audio and might think that it is this way will all titles. And yes I have also heard it is on a BD25.

[Jeff Kleist]

I think the majority of people who care about lossless don't rent a lot anyway, and that the people who would be unaware of such things probably aren't set up to handle it anyway.

I'm sure blockbuster or netflxi would get mad if they put a trailer that amounted to "This rental copy is crippled, but if you buy it....."

[garyrc]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

I think the majority of people who care about lossless don't rent a lot anyway, and that the people who would be unaware of such things probably aren't set up to handle it anyway.

I'm sure blockbuster or netflxi would get mad if they put a trailer that amounted to "This rental copy is crippled, but if you buy it....."

Where are the filmmakers in all this? Why doesn't pride in their work cause them to pressure diskmakers to make sure that every viewer gets the best representation of a particular movie that the viewer's equipment is capable of delivering, whether they rent or buy (or both, if they like the rental, which is more likely if they get good sound and PQ!).

[quetzalcoatl]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

I think the majority of people who care about lossless don't rent a lot anyway, and that the people who would be unaware of such things probably aren't set up to handle it anyway.

I'm sure blockbuster or netflxi would get mad if they put a trailer that amounted to "This rental copy is crippled, but if you buy it....."

Where I agree about those that care but most of the new home theater packages will now decode lossless audio. And the person that just bought the stuff wanting to try and see what they bought rent a disc like this and get a big disappointment in that the audio is no better than a DVD. They then might think that all Blu-rays are this way. So it really comes down to perception.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by garyrc

Where are the filmmakers in all this? Why doesn't pride in their work cause them to pressure diskmakers to make sure that every viewer gets the best representation of a particular movie that the viewer's equipment is capable of delivering, whether they rent or buy (or both, if they like the rental, which is more likely if they get good sound and PQ!).

The filmmakers probably don't get a cut of rental sales so they're probably on board with tactics that get people to buy the movie instead.

[garyrc]

Originally Posted by Wolverine1980

The filmmakers probably don't get a cut of rental sales so they're probably on board with tactics that get people to buy the movie instead.

Well, if that's true (of some), then I'd like to see the stats on whether high PC and sound quality is followed by more renters later buying the disk. .

[captveg]

Guys, the rental disc of Sherlock Holmes has EN DTS-HD MA 5.1. The conspiracy theories can be put to rest for now.

[Jeff Kleist]

Well, that's good to hear

I don't rent, so just going off the information I'm being given.

It wouldn't be suprised if the rental discs were defaulting to a stereo DD track however

[captveg]

There's only two audio streams on the rental:

English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Spanish DD 5.1

The only way someone would get a DD track is if they selected Spanish. They would get the lossy English DTS 5.1 "core" track if they are not set up for lossless audio.