BeatBoy's big news!!!! (LOTR)

[Esox50]

That said, I doubt NL would do something as drastically different for the BD than the HD DVD. Odds are they'd use two discs or hold a release on Toshiba's promise to have 51GB discs available by the end of the year

I don't disagree with you re: NL.

I know beatboy is a bit controversial over there on AVS with some of the zealots. I believe he's just enthusiastic and genuinely excited, and he seems like a good guy. He controls himself well for the beatings he takes to try to get us BD'ers rumors & news before anywhere/anyone else. I appreciate someone sticking their neck out like that. Sure, most of it is rumor and needs to be treated as such. But I will say this, he's been both RIGHT ON and WAY OFF in the past. So here's where it gets interesting...

Here's his original thread (that was subsequently closed) where he claimed he would have "something cool on the way" in 12 days (or something like that). Note the date, 3/18
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=821301

Now, the Matrix news for HD DVD didn't even hit until 3/21, and neither beatboy nor his source knew of this on that date:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post10091136

So, finally, on 3/26 beatboy puts out the big news about LOTR:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...2#post10135372

This last post was subsequently dismissed as "damage control" for the Matrix announcement, and everyone jumped all over him. But if you look at the above posts, it seems he actually posted that he would be "announcing" this big news (what turned out to be LOTR:EE on BD only) before the Matrix was announced (or even leaked for that matter) for HD DVD... and even on the Matrix announcement date neither he nor his source knew of the Matrix announcement.

So, what does this all mean? I'm not saying it is legitimate that LOTR:EE is coming to BD first. It might be, it might not be. It's still a rumor and should be treated as such. But, i think it would be pre-mature to just dismiss this is as a "fanboy" dream or "damage control" over the HD DVD Matrix announcement.

Furthermore, I think Chad may be right. I suspect NL Cinema would just wait for TL51 to be added to the HD DVD spec and just do it then. But I wonder, will the HD DVD folks be screaming mad IF New Line were to come out and say, "We're releasing LOTR:EE on BD now, with the HD DVD versions to come 'later' when TL51 is ready?" How would they feel then to have the tables reversed on them?