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

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by NoQuestion

Bill,

Once all the studios (big and small) switch to bluray will there be an issue with movies being pressed at the plants? I'm worried that the replication plants will get swamped with titles and we wont see an increase in movies released weekly. Do you feel that the plants will be able to handle the increase in titles or do you think more replication plants need to be opened? Also, do you see the weekly release schedule increasing in the next few months once all studios have switched to blu or will we continue to see the same amount of titles weekly?

Thanks,

No worries. Most of the delays related to Warner BDs last year were about the logistical difficulty of juggling three formats, not to mention their dicey new distribution software. MaxPower says BD replication capacity is expected to increase 600% by October 2008. This will not be a problem. Or if it is, it won't be a lasting one.

Oh, hey - Max himself is here. Max, would you care to address this issue?

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

I think we could normally put it down to early adopters curse, but with the type of people that Toshiba were attracting with HD DVD it may not be as easy as that...

Yes, I agree. It's going to be messy and somewhat acrimonious.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

No worries. Most of the delays related to Warner BDs last year were about the logistical difficulty of juggling three formats, not to mention their dicey new distribution software. MaxPower says BD replication capacity is expected to increase 600% by October 2008. This will not be a problem. Or if it is, it won't be a lasting one.

Oh, hey - Max himself is here. Max, would you care to address this issue?

So its safe to say that Warner Brothers did indeed make the right decision to support bluray

[CAB]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

I think we could normally put it down to early adopters curse, but with the type of people that Toshiba were attracting with HD DVD it may not be as easy as that...

Max! Good to seeya mate. I've missed your insight. You're one of the few sane ones around here (in the Internet).

Sorry to crash your thread, Mr. Hunt.

[Balian]

I will tell you one thing, Sony and the BDA better ramp up production of BD50s REALLY FAST. With all the studios on board and the renewed confidence of a winning format, there will be a demand crush I am afraid will be too much.

The format war ended MUCH faster than anticipated.

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by LovingHDDVD

Good to know this because i will never buy a Blu ray over 20 dollars. PERIOD

Being so price sensitive didn't help HD DVD.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by dialog_gvf

Being so price sensitive didn't help HD DVD.

Isn't the sheer irrefutability/finality of that statement a wonderful thing?

[NoQuestion]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

No worries. Most of the delays related to Warner BDs last year were about the logistical difficulty of juggling three formats, not to mention their dicey new distribution software. MaxPower says BD replication capacity is expected to increase 600% by October 2008. This will not be a problem. Or if it is, it won't be a lasting one.

Oh, hey - Max himself is here. Max, would you care to address this issue?

Thanks for the quick response Bill, I am looking forward to the future when each week with have a dozen or 2 on regular basis

[Marcusarilius]

Originally Posted by LovingHDDVD

Good to know this because i will never buy a Blu ray over 20 dollars. PERIOD

I'm confused. Why weren't you directed towards Amazon like everyone else in your camp? Must be a glitch.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Slec

Isn't the sheer irrefutability/finality of that statement a wonderful thing?

What I think is absurd is how HD-DVD fans have screamed that Blu-ray's high prices are a huge issue. The bottom line is that Toshiba didn't slash prices right to the ground out of the goodness of their heart. They did it because they HAD to. It was the only way they could compete against Blu-ray. And in the end, it wasn't enough. In fact, slashing prices as fast as they did was probably what sealed the format's fate. No other manufacturer wanted to join them in supporting HD-DVD because there was no money in it! This IS, after all, a business. Not a giveaway. And Tosh lost hundreds of dollars on every player they sold. It was suicide.

And for those who still claim Blu-ray's prices are too high, apparently you don't remember what it was like just ten years ago, in the first days of DVD. It took DVD FOUR YEARS after launch to reach $199 and $99 prices. We're only two years into Blu-ray, and we're already down to $499 and $399. So Blu-ray is right on the same price curve path. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a $299 unit this holiday season and a $199 in 2009. And there's your four years. Blu-ray software will come down too. And for god's sake, how can anyone complain about Blu-ray software prices when you've been able to get HUGE discounts and 10 FREE DISC offers for months now. If you want Blu-ray titles for low prices, discount offers are out there all over the place.

[Paradiso]

Yeah, hopefully the HD DVD camp won't get sooo resentful that they start hacking web sites again. Enough already. We have a Hi-Def format guys....never mind the color of the laser, just enjoy the fact that there's some great discs out there and more to come. I'm not going to gloat too much, I'm just glad it's over and now everyone can get down to producing some wonderful HD content and showing us what people with a concentrated focus can do.

Bring on the Criterion Collection!

[Grisle]

Originally Posted by LovingHDDVD

Good to know this because i will never buy a Blu ray over 20 dollars. PERIOD

Save that anti-Blu-ray BS for other websites.

[Paradiso]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

What I think is absurd is how HD-DVD fans have screamed that Blu-ray's high prices are a huge issue. The bottom line is that Toshiba didn't slash prices right to the ground out of the goodness of their heart. They did it because they HAD to. It was the only way they could compete against Blu-ray. And in the end, it wasn't enough. In fact, slashing prices as fast as they did was probably what sealed the format's fate. No other manufacturer wanted to join them in supporting HD-DVD because there was no money in it! This IS, after all, a business. Not a giveaway. And Tosh lost hundreds of dollars on every player they sold. It was suicide.

And for those who still claim Blu-ray's prices are too high, apparently you don't remember what it was like just ten years ago, in the first days of DVD. It took DVD FOUR YEARS after launch to reach $199 and $99 prices. We're only two years into Blu-ray, and we're already down to $499 and $399. So Blu-ray is right on the same price curve path. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a $299 unit this holiday season and a $199 in 2009. And there's your four years. Blu-ray software will come down too. And for god's sake, how can anyone complain about Blu-ray software prices when you've been able to get HUGE discounts and 10 FREE DISC offers for months now. If you want Blu-ray titles for low prices, discount offers are out there all over the place.

Heck don't forget those crazy cd prices in shopping malls from the late eighties/early nineties. 19-21 dollars for a single cd.

[Raphdude]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

I think we could normally put it down to early adopters curse, but with the type of people that Toshiba were attracting with HD DVD it may not be as easy as that...

Bill,

Thanks to your site and your common sense editorials, I ended up NOT being one of those early adopters. I must admit, if Paramount had put out Saturday Night Fever on 9/18/07 in HD-DVD like they had originally planned, I would have been almost tempted. So glad I got a PS3 instead.

Now, I'll get the Fever on blu!!!:

Thanks again Bill!! You rock!!

[blaze_macleod]

Hi Bill, i've only recently found about you and the excellent work you do on digital bits, i hope it's ok to ask a question.....in regards to Toshiba and Microsoft being left to deal with the mess after this is all done, isn't it just going to become a legal minefield with consumers filing law suits?

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by blaze_macleod

Hi Bill, i've only recently found about you and the excellent work you do on digital bits, i hope it's ok to ask a question.....in regards to Toshiba and Microsoft being left to deal with the mess after this is all done, isn't it just going to become a legal minefield with consumers filing law suits?

Probably, unless there are rebates or refund/exchange offers of some kind. I'm guessing there's going to be some backlash. Toshiba is deep in the thick of a mess all their own making. And it's a real mess, no doubt.

[Marcusarilius]

Originally Posted by Paradiso

Heck don't forget those crazy cd prices in shopping malls from the late eighties/early nineties. 19-21 dollars for a single cd.

Right. And those were were the prices way back then. Probably the equivilant of $30 to $35 bucks in today's money.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Raphdude

Bill,

Thanks to your site and your common sense editorials, I ended up NOT being one of those early adopters.

Well... that was definitely the idea. We've been getting a lot of e-mails lately from readers who were glad they took our advice. So I guess we did something right. 2 for 2 on the format war thing sounds pretty nice. I can certainly live with that. Let's just hope we don't have to deal with a THIRD format war for a while. You'd like to THINK the industry would learn its lessons...

[Paradiso]

Originally Posted by Marcusarilius

Right. And those were were the prices way back then. Probably the equivilant of $30 to $35 bucks in today's money.

You said it, Marcus. At that time I was still living in Arlington, VA. We had a music store (now out of business) called The Wiz. They were selling cds at 8.99-11.99. They sure got a lot of my business. Heh of course I got my first credit card then (maniac!) so I went nuts there.

"Nobody beast the Wiz!"

Ahhh, sooo long ago...

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

Probably, unless there are rebates or refund/exchange offers of some kind. I'm guessing there's going to be some backlash. Toshiba is deep in the thick of a mess all their own making. And it's a real mess, no doubt.

I would like to add that I feel that this is why MS needs to make a bluray addon for the 360 and quick. Then offer those who bought the HD-DVD addon a nice discount.

I made a thread about this on AVS and none of the MS insiders have said anything.