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

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by jasonbird

I've got a question for you about Fox's Man on Fire. They just released it on Blu-ray and the reviews it's getting on AQ/PQ are stellar. But there were no extras included on the release (while there's a special edition dvd out with loads of extras). In your opinion why would they not port over at least commentaries or something for the Blu-ray? I'm wondering if I should pick this up or wait for another future release.

Thanks

Sometimes, material has only been cleared for one or two uses. So there may be things they can't port over for legal reasons without jumping through a lot of hoops. Other times, the studios want to get the director and actors involved in creating new extras, but they just aren't available because of schedule issues. And then there's the whole question of: Do you just give people everything they already have, or do you try to give them something new and really make the new release worth people's time and money? What's the best balance to strike there. In isn't an easy decision.

Generally, what I do is if the DVD still has stuff the Blu-ray doesn't, I take the DVD disc, put it in a paper sleeve and tuck it into the Blu-ray case. Voila - instant complete special edition, and only half the shelf space.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

Hi Bill. As someone that has been foolowing DVD from the start, how does BD's ~5M in 2007 disk sales compare to DVD disk sales in the same relative time frame?

I think it's actually right on the same growth curve. I don't think Blu-ray will ever be as big as DVD - that's a once in a lifetime phenomenon I think. But you never know. As more and more people buy HDTVs, they're going to get addicted to high-def content.

[clyon]

Bill -

I don't know how much insider info you have about players but here is my question. Is Samsung trying to fix the issues with there model BD-P1200 player? Or should us owners of this model start saving owner money to get a diffrent player?

thanks.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by matthewrounds

LOTR??? I think everyone in the forum would jump for joy if that were announced! Its nice to see you at the forum.

I actually spoke with New Line folks at CES and asked them about LOTR on Blu-ray. It's coming, but it might be a few years. You'll probably see The Hobbit on Blu-ray first, and then LOTR. They know it's the crown jewel of their catalog, and they're going to want to work with Peter Jackson to create something really special for it on Blu-ray. That will take some time.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by scoobiesnackarff

can you tell us that is if you heard, what was the reaction when the Toshiba/HD DVD crew first found out about Warner? Just curious

Alan

It was exactly what you'd expect. Shock. I think the HD-DVD camp really thought they'd won Warner over, and I've been told their event at CES was set to be a big "we've won" celebration. So when it went the other way, they were hit pretty hard.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by tofur69

[rant]
Why do studios insist on using poorly made photoshopped images for their video covers? Why cannot they use the original poster art? Are they trying to give some up-and-coming paint monkey a job?

That's a good question, and it boils down to marketing people always wanting their product to stand out on the video store shelf against competing titles. Plus, they always want to feature the faces and names of big stars, etc. They're always trying to create new buzz around and old title, so that's why you see a lot of new art. My pet peeve is when they give away twists in the story on the cover. The infamous case in point is Fox's cover for the Planet of the Apes DVD.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

Bill do you think that HDM in general can afford to let 2008 slip by without declaring a winner? I know we all hope and think BD is going to win with the WB announcement but to have to wait the entire year of 2008 would be extremely bad news as its another year gone by.

No, I don't think so. The good news is that, as I've said several times now in this thread, retailers know that and I'm betting that they're going to be pushing for a winner by mid year. And the mainstream press is already calling Blu-ray the victor and HD-DVD the new Betamax. All of this will build to an inevitable Blu-ray victory, I think no matter what Universal or Paramount do.

[JBlacklow]

Not to sound like an echo of DaViD, but I'd like to also thank you immensely for your columns. It's made you one of the most polarizing figures of the format war (at least in the US), and it really seems hit a nerve with some. I know that if I'm seeing people on the forums calling you Bill *unt (or as David Sedaris says "base vernacular for, well, you know"), or saying that they wouldn't piss on you to put out a fire, you must be getting a million times worse in your inbox. Putting up with that and not only continuing to post, but remain defiant, is very cool of you.

Anyway, enough with the hagiography and on to an actual question. What, if anything, have you heard about Blu-ray versions of Warner's classics that they released on HD DVD? The 1932 "Robin Hood", "Casablanca", "Forbidden Planet", and "Mutiny on the Bounty" have all been released on HD DVD, although apparently they sold very poorly. Having actually seen the HD version of "Casablanca", I'd plunk down the cash without hesitation.

P.S. - Any time you're in the DC area, you've got a beer or three coming your way!

[Bullseye]

Bill when you were talking with New Line did they mention the Blade Trilogy and the Last Destination films?

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by gand41f

Reading between the lines, I assume what is meant here is that it is actually Toshiba and retailers working in unison to find a spot for a "soft landing" (as opposed to "crash landing"...massive returns, etc.) and they have a tacit agreement to stop the whole charade in a few months...but they can't yet since we're still in the Christmas return period?

More or less. Retailers don't want to rush too soon into pulling the plug on HD-DVD because a lot of their customers obviously purchased the format from their stores over the holidays - they run the risk of pissing people off and getting a lot of returns. On the other hand, sales were down across the board last year and especially over the holidays. With Warner having made their move, there's a feeling at retail that this is nearly over. All you have to do is look at the mainstream press post CES to see that feeling reflected there. So going forward, you're not going to find a lot of retail sales people recommending HD-DVD to their customers without heavily qualifying it to cover themselves. So, you're not going to see a lot of mainstream consumers buying HD-DVD. Even with these sales - if low prices were enough to win this thing for HD-DVD, that would have happened already. So as these players slowly go out the door, I'm guessing they won't be restocked by many retailers. Hardware and software sales will slow dramatically, and that will be all the more justification not to stock them. It will snowball.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by monkyman

Hi Bill, again welcome to the forum.

My question is about Paramount/Dreamworks. Do you believe they will make the move together to blu, or like Newline, one may stop HD DVD all together while the other continues to support them for the time being?

Any word on how the relationship between Mr Speilberg and Paramount/Viacom/Dreamworks are? There was talk that Speilberg and Geffen may leave by the end of this year.

Thank you.

Hard to say. DreamWorks wants out of Viacom, and Spielberg is 100% behind Blu-ray. DreamWorks can start negotiating with other studios in April I believe. So whatever happens will happen around mid-year. You can reasonably rest assured, however, that any Spielberg titles will be Blu-ray only. I'm told that the odds of Indy 4 ever appearing on HD-DVD are extremely slim.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by cj-kent

Bill, it is awesome that you have graciously given us some of your time. My question is this: What is a realistic time table for HD DVD software to be phased out of retailers' stores? When you consider how slowly Universal is likely to drag their feet and that Warner won't stop releasing HD DVD until June, will we really have a clear-cut winner for the general public to choose from for the 2008 Holiday shopping season? I guess what I'm really asking is, could it already be TOO late for the HD format? You said countless times at the Bits that another Holiday season of indeciveness could kill any chance of mass adoption for either format.

I think by 3rd quarter of this year. All that has to happen is for there to be a clear message to consumers for the holiday season. Even if Universal is still releasing a few titles only on HD-DVD, the Blu push from the rest of the home video industry is going to vastly outweigh it in the minds of consumers, and I don't think you'll see many retailers still pushing HD by then.

[tron3]

Bill,

First read one of your articles a few months back. I must say I gained more perspective from that one article than I did in sifting through a week of FUD here. (Fear Uncertainty Doubt)

Can't say I have a question no one else will ask, but have you seen my TransFUDers parody? It makes mention of you near the end. Thought you might enjoy it.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...ht=transfuders

[radagast]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

I think by 3rd quarter of this year. All that has to happen is for there to be a clear message to consumers for the holiday season. Even if Universal is still releasing a few titles only on HD-DVD, the Blu push from the rest of the home video industry is going to vastly outweigh it in the minds of consumers, and I don't think you'll see many retailers still pushing HD by then.

Hi Bill,
Could you enlighten us on the real time-line of this format war, from my previous post? Thanks.

[Branden]

Hi Bill,
Been reading the Bits since i stepped into the war a few months back, glad to see you've shown up here. welcome!

I think almost everyone here assumes that HD-DVD exclusive titles will make their way onto Blu-ray eventually. I realize it would be easier and cheaper, but as much as i anticipate some of these titles I'm not exactly excited at the prospect that they'll turn out to just be ported over from HD-DVD transfers. Can we expect some of these titles to be re-encoded and optimized for Blu-ray?

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by GJN

I've been surprised and somewhat dismayed by the lack of new release announcements since the holiday season. I should think that this time of year is ideal for maintaining the momentum of December sales and further diversifying the demographic base for HDM. I jumped heavily into Blu-ray a year ago on the basis of titles announced at last year's CES; I'm sure many others would have done the same this year. Any comments?

On another note, has anyone in the BDA made overtures to smaller firms like Criterion and Image to encourage them to release in Blu-ray? I would think that help with mastering and replication costs would encourage these small but very influential DVD producers to test the high def waters.

Image is already releasing on Blu-ray. Breaker Morant streets on 2/6 on Blu and they have more titles in the works. Criterion will likely follow once the size of the market justifies releasing their sort of titles. Remember, Criterion is a boutique label, so you have to have a big enough audience of serious film enthusiasts out there for it - not just the guys who like watching explosions on their new HDTVs. It seems to me it took a couple years for Criterion to jump on DVD. I'm guessing they're watching the market closely. Plus, keep in mind that the kinds of film restorations they do are even harder to get right in high-def, so it takes a lot more work. But I suspect Criterion will do some Blu eventually.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Going on the assumption that Warner is going to fill immediate space by dumpwaring most of their previous HD catalog, is there any reasonable hope of their converting their previous "poor selling" (haha) Casablanca and Adv. of Robin Hood, and possibly helping to break studio-wide "4:3 Vintage titles" phobia?--Or are those pretty well gone for good with the studio "sales" alibi?

(Once they can get past Robin Hood on Blu, it's only a step to their already Ultra-mastered GWTW and Oz...)

More of those classic titles are coming to Blu, but as you said, it's true that Casablanca and Robin Hood sold very poorly on HD-DVD. So it might be a year or so before you see them try those titles again on Blu. They'll be out eventually. In the meantime, the studio has tons of big new release titles like The Dark Knight, Speed Racer, Get Smart and I Am Legend to grow the Blu market with, not to mention catalog titles that need to be ported over to Blu like the Matrix films and Batman Begins.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

Image is already releasing on Blu-ray. Breaker Morant streets on 2/6 on Blu and they have more titles in the works. Criterion will likely follow once the size of the market justifies releasing their sort of titles. Remember, Criterion is a boutique label, so you have to have a big enough audience of serious film enthusiasts out there for it - not just the guys who like watching explosions on their new HDTVs. It seems to me it took a couple years for Criterion to jump on DVD. I'm guessing they're watching the market closely.

Won't a lot of filmstock will need plenty of TLC before an HD release makes sense?

The restoration costs need to be considered too.

Did Criterion do the work on The Seven Samurai? I remember renting that on LD, and it having a small documentary on the restoration work done.

Gary

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by radagast

Thanks Bill, for participating here. I have recently heard a different history of this format war that places Toshiba as working on hd-dvd first, with Sony being the spoiler by starting on Blu-ray later and causing the war. Before that, I had always heard that Sony and Philips started Blu-ray long before Toshiba started hd-dvd. And that since hd-dvd was such an easier spec to do, that is the reason Toshiba got to the market first. I think you are a good person to know the real history and not any revisionism. Could you clear this up? Thanks.

No, Sony started thinking high-def first. I heard Warren Liebefarb give a speech a year or two ago in which he said that Sony first approached him about a high-def version of DVD around 1999, when it became clear that DVD was going to be a huge success. The Japanese market was already embracing high-def, so it made sense to start thinking about a high-def upgrade to DVD. But Lieberfarb and Toshiba weren't all that interested. They didn't want to start clouding the success of DVD by talking about a new format already. They wanted to wait a few years to reap the benefits of DVD. So Sony went off and started making their own plans. By the time the DVD camp started thinking about high-def, Sony was already planning an end run around the DVD Forum. They'd gotten screwed on the disc structure royalties for DVD, and they weren't going to let that happen a second time with high-def.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by greekjgg

Mr. Hunt, what do you see happening first?

1. Universal or Paramount going blu (either neutral or exclusive)

or

2. A major retailer going blu exclusive

Hard to say, but probably 2. And then of 1, Paramount first. That's my best guess.