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

[Musashi]

Originally Posted by Flux88MPH

Good morning Bill,

First I'd like to say thanks for taking your time to answer our questions here on the forum and for also keeping us informed for 10+ years with the Digital Bits.

My question involves the ez-D 48-hour DVD. I was once a district manager with Suncoast back when they ran the test on these in my Austin TX stores 5-6 years ago. I expressed to the suits at Buena Vista when they came for store visits that it was an idea that was going to fail and end up being a wasteful pollution issue in the future (divx). They finally set up a recycling program for the discs but you have to ship them off which now again brings up another type of pollution. (Sorry for the long wind) is there any indication that these are still selling and do you think they (Buena Vista) will try and introduce Blu-ray titles in the same or a similar way? I just find this to be a very wasteful option and was interested what your thoughts and knowledge were on the subject.

-Thanks

I may not be Bill, but I do know that those DIVX-like ez discs have been long gone for many years. Very unlikely we'd see a hi-def version.

[DaViD Boulet]

Now that Fox has announced it's first classic titles Sand Pebbles, Longest Day and Patton, I am really hoping they stay with DTS master audio for these too, but there is nowhere to email these 2 studios and I am hoping they get this message before more classics come out (especially Warner) yet again compressed.

Let's also hope that both Fox and WB let go of their practice of noise-filtering audio tracks to remove "hiss".

The 5.1 DD on the Hello Dolly DVD was an embarassment... no highs whatsoever. Comparing to the much older AC-3 track on the laserdisc which had full frquency response showed just how much music FOX techs were willing to erase to get rid of the *slightest*, barely-audible hiss.

noise-reduction for audio is a serious threat to the fidelity of our "lossless" audio sountracks on HDM.

[Flux88MPH]

Originally Posted by Musashi

I may not be Bill, but I do know that those DIVX-like ez discs have been long gone for many years. Very unlikely we'd see a hi-def version.

The website is still active though and they purchased SpectraDisc.
SpectraDisc DVDs worked same way as Flexplays (ez-D, only not starting as red and turning blue instead of black. The addition of the red layer to Flexplay discs may be in order to protect the expired discs from being read in next-generation players using blue lasers, for which the oxidized blue-color layer is essentially transparent.

I should have gone on about the evolution of Flexplay in my original post. This is what ez-D became and it is very much alive. *Sorry for not adding this Bill.

[radagast]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

I am no insider, but arn't these movies not even in theatres yet? The way prices on HD DVD players are going the best thing is wait, and when it gets close to the time for them to come to disk decide if it is worth the HD DVD player or not. Can't see any good in rushing out now or even worrying about it. When the time comes you will most likely have a better picture of what is needed.

I THOUGHT THERE WERE NUMEROUS WARNINGS AGAINST PEOPLE ASKING BILL ABOUT BD RELEASES. HAS SOMETHING CHANGED???

[WickyWoo]

Better rule, rather than responding telling people the rules, hit the report post button instead of clogging the thread

[DaViD Boulet]

I did report the post.

mods can feel free to delete my "corrective" post along with any others stemming from the deleted original post.

in the future I'll keep corrective posts to a minimum given the speedy actions of the thread-cleanup by the mods.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by DaViD Boulet

Let's also hope that both Fox and WB let go of their practice of noise-filtering audio tracks to remove "hiss".

The 5.1 DD on the Hello Dolly DVD was an embarassment... no highs whatsoever. Comparing to the much older AC-3 track on the laserdisc which had full frquency response showed just how much music FOX techs were willing to erase to get rid of the *slightest*, barely-audible hiss.

noise-reduction for audio is a serious threat to the fidelity of our "lossless" audio sountracks on HDM.

couldn't agree more. Hello Dolly was a travesty without a high end.

[iwanttobeabmoviestar]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

I'll try to find out.

thank you as i know wb sent out replacements for potter and blade runner . Do you think it has more to do with the replication schedule for blu rays more than customer unfriendliness or do you you think there are just soo many of these "recalls" that warner has that t3 is not on top of list of fixes ?

[OokieSpookie]

NVM I lost a week somewhere...gomen

[MerrickG]

Bill,

Any reason why Universal is only putting out Bionic Woman on DVD and not HD-DVD?

[mystiksuicide]

Originally Posted by merrick97

Bill,

Thanks for the heads up on the Warner title announcement next week.

I have a great feeling about these announcements...

Can anyone say Batman Begins??!!! V for Vendetta???!!! Constantine?!!!
The Matrix Trilogy????!!!

Ok, that last part was me talking, but damn thats exciting news.

Hopefully the first 3 Batman films will also get announced.

Others Id like to see are:
Heat, Goonies, and The Lost Boys.

The Samsung rep delivered a new blu-ray promo disc to our store and one of the promos said "Batman Begins coming soon to Blu-Ray"

And by all means please release Lost Boys on blu

[WickyWoo]

Bill,

Any reason why Universal is only putting out Bionic Woman on DVD and not HD-DVD?

Bill's free to correct me, but because it's a very short run and cancelled show that didn't do very well in the ratings to begin with, I doubt they feel it's worth the investment to do HD authoring on it for any format.

And by all means please release Lost Boys on blu

Lost Boys 2 theatrical release this summer. I think a Blu is a given at least with the video version

[OokieSpookie]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

Bill's free to correct me, but because it's a very short run and cancelled show that didn't do very well in the ratings to begin with, I doubt they feel it's worth the investment to do HD authoring on it for any format.



Lost Boys 2 theatrical release this summer. I think a Blu is a given at least with the video version

I thought Lost Boys 2 was set for direct to vid release? Either way if it gives us the first Lost Boys on blu I will buy two of each

[mystiksuicide]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

Lost Boys 2 theatrical release this summer. I think a Blu is a given at least with the video version

I asked Cory during the Christmas party and he said that there was a great chance they would release it on blu since Lost Boys 2 :The New Tribe was about to begin production.

[WickyWoo]

After the execs saw the rough cut they bumped it to theatrical, probably that late july dead zone where a smaller movie can make a good amount of money.

The video will undoubtedly hit in October

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by RUR

Bill,

Is it possible to get some confirmation that NPD's hardware sales figures include Amazon? Lot's of speculation on this, with little "hard" info.

Thanks!

NPD collects data from as many sources as they can. I don't have information about Amazon, but as someone who briefly had a book in the Top 50 at Amazon once, I can tell you that those "top seller" lists don't necessairly mean much in terms of actual unit sales numbers. Amazon is a great online retailers, but their numbers get inflated all the time - given way more weight than they actually deserve.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Flux88MPH

Good morning Bill,

First I'd like to say thanks for taking your time to answer our questions here on the forum and for also keeping us informed for 10+ years with the Digital Bits.

My question involves the ez-D 48-hour DVD. I was once a district manager with Suncoast back when they ran the test on these in my Austin TX stores 5-6 years ago. I expressed to the suits at Buena Vista when they came for store visits that it was an idea that was going to fail and end up being a wasteful pollution issue in the future (divx). They finally set up a recycling program for the discs but you have to ship them off which now again brings up another type of pollution. (Sorry for the long wind) is there any indication that these are still selling and do you think they (Buena Vista) will try and introduce Blu-ray titles in the same or a similar way? I just find this to be a very wasteful option and was interested what your thoughts and knowledge were on the subject.

-Thanks

P.S. I forgot to mention the evolution to flexplay on this post and added it to my next post.

I don't believe EZD ever sold very well, and I certainly don't see Disney embracing some kind of similar variation of Blu-ray. BVHE predisent Bob Chapek is also the predisent of the Digital Entertainment Group, and they've got a new initiative to help move the home video industry in a 'greener' direction. So I don't think you'll see anything of the likes of EZD again anytime soon.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by mntwister

Bill, I didn't have time to read all pages yet and am limited for time so forgive if this has already been posted. We have all been pleased that every Disney, Fox, MGM, Sony/Columbia title has had an uncompressed track on it. Yet Warner continues (latest one being the Lake House) to put only Dolby Digital 640kbps on many of their titles.

I couldn't tell you why Warner did this in the past, but I expect you'll see this start to change on titles going forward. I'll certainly pass your concerns on to them.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by iwanttobeabmoviestar

thank you as i know wb sent out replacements for potter and blade runner . Do you think it has more to do with the replication schedule for blu rays more than customer unfriendliness or do you you think there are just soo many of these "recalls" that warner has that t3 is not on top of list of fixes ?

It's certainly not customer unfriednliness. Now that Warner can focus on just DVD and Blu-ray, I think you'll see these issues iron themselves out. And I'm sure their customer service people will be more responsive over time.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by merrick97

Bill,

Any reason why Universal is only putting out Bionic Woman on DVD and not HD-DVD?

Nothing I'd say on the record here would be anything but speculation at this point. Do you WANT them to put it out on HD-DVD?

Again, let's just wait and see what develops with Paramount and Universal. It's best not to try and read signs into every little development. There are many things that just can't be commented on right now.