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

[JasonR]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

Okay... I'll go back over the next few hours and answer some of your questions from the last few days, but first, here's the deal with Perfect Storm, V for Vendetta, Batman Begins and The Matrix Trilogy BDs...

First, a number of you had concerns about The Perfect Storm BD (due 7/22). The HD-DVD transfer had some troubling technical issues, but those appear to have been corrected for the BD version. Here's Warner's response on the subject:

"The BD release we have produced for Perfect Storm includes the new 1080p master. This is a brand new encode of a brand new 1080p master."

Also, a number of you have asked about the BD transfers/encodes for V for Vendetta (5/20), Batman Begins (7/8) and The Matrix Trilogy (TBA 4th Qtr), so here's the reply from the studio:

"Each of these releases will repurpose the encode used on the HD release. They looked beautiful on HD and will look beautiful on BD. Each of these titles will be released on BD50s. We are very excited that the Matrix titles will be coming out on BD... they are going to look awesome. And with Animatrix added (not part of the HD release) it should be terrific."

There you go. Back to answer more of the above questions shortly...

Thanks Bill!

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by huntifosi

Hey Bill, what titles are YOU looking forward to/want on Blu? Anything sound/look good to you?

Also, the BSG on this coming Friday is the ONLY BSG worth watching.... (just don't let Mr Woo find out...)

I'm looking forward to a LOT of things, but right now, what I'm most excited about is the prospect of BSG on Blu-ray, and I have to say Speed Racer. I think Speed is going to look AMAZING on Blu-ray. Right now, I'd bet it will be the demo disc of the year. Off the beaten path, I'm also looking to that disc of the Japanese space probe's high-def video of the Moon and Earthrise on BD. I'm REALLY looking forward to the possibilty that Paramount MIGHT release The Godfather Trilogy on BD, but we'll have to wait and see. I'd seen the new restored quality and it looks REALLY amazing.

And yeah, NuBSG is by far the superior show. Clearly. Not to bag on Woo's original formula, but you know... I experienced the 1970s Universal sci-fi era the first time around, and while it was fine in its day, I definitely got my fill then. There's only so many times I can see the same 3 or 4 spaceship shots recycled.

[TauHeel05]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

"Each of these releases will repurpose the encode used on the HD release. They looked beautiful on HD and will look beautiful on BD. Each of these titles will be released on BD50s.

Bill, thanks for the info.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bester

Will you please also confirm that this has nothing to do with production lines so the former reds can shut the f### up?

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with production lines and capacity issues that I know of. Those issues, like so many dusted up by the red ants (including the profile thing and others), are VASTLY overblown. The reality of the delays is much more political and it's about the studios not wanting to screw up. Keep in mind, in the case of Paramount, the studio is painfully aware that they have now pissed 100% of their high-def customer base. And as Wicky said, they want to make a splash when they announce.

Okay... gotta step out for a bit. Back more later today.

[MatrixS2000]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with production lines and capacity issues that I know of. Those issues, like so many dusted up by the red ants (including the profile thing and others), are VASTLY overblown. The reality of the delays is much more political and it's about the studios not wanting to screw up.

I am glad to say that many of us saw through that dust!

[HeavyHitter]

Thanks for the updates, Bill. Great work as usual.

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

Absolutely. Will do.

Thanks.

[savage1984]

Thanks, Bill.

[huntifosi]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

I'm looking forward to a LOT of things, but right now, what I'm most excited about is the prospect of BSG on Blu-ray, and I have to say Speed Racer. I think Speed is going to look AMAZING on Blu-ray. Right now, I'd bet it will be the demo disc of the year. Off the beaten path, I'm also looking to that disc of the Japanese space probe's high-def video of the Moon and Earthrise on BD. I'm REALLY looking forward to the possibilty that Paramount MIGHT release The Godfather Trilogy on BD, but we'll have to wait and see. I'd seen the new restored quality and it looks REALLY amazing.

Thanks Bill. Hearing what you're looking forward to gives us an idea of what we can enjoy (BSG - YES!) and fill our storage units at home with. Thanks again for the time and effort.

[CptGreedle]

Great info Bill!!
But let me get this straight, the Matrix BD release will be the trilogy and not the Animatrix. But does that mean the Animatrix will be re-released on DVD or released on Blu as a separate item? If Blu, any word on the specs to that?

[mike79]

What is bsg?

[huntifosi]

Originally Posted by mike79

What is bsg?

Battlestar Galactica

[dakota81]

Originally Posted by Mr_Bester

Will you please also confirm that this has nothing to do with production lines so the former reds can shut the f### up?

Haven't you figured it out yet? Penton-Man already confirmed this. Maxpower already confirmed this. Bill Hunt has confirmed this numerous times already. Stop listening to those people. Stop responding to them. They are not interested in knowledge, only the argument. It'll be a great day when this forum ends discussion of this non-issue.

[fronn]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

It has absolutely NOTHING to do with production lines and capacity issues that I know of. Those issues, like so many dusted up by the red ants (including the profile thing and others), are VASTLY overblown. The reality of the delays is much more political and it's about the studios not wanting to screw up. Keep in mind, in the case of Paramount, the studio is painfully aware that they have now pissed 100% of their high-def customer base. And as Wicky said, they want to make a splash when they announce.

Okay... gotta step out for a bit. Back more later today.

Then I certainly hope they realize that not releasing something like Godfather remaster on BR when it's released on DVD will ruin any of the good will they might gain from this "big splash" they make.

The sad part is, there's still a possibility they won't release Godfather on BR this time... which isn't something we should really have to deal with in a format that'll be 2 years old by the time it's potentially released. A title like Godfather means more than the actual content on the disc, it signifies that the studio is willing to support the format and, more importantly, bring the consumers the most for their money -- any studio that actually cares about the product will, excitedly, want to bring it to the consumers in the best ways they can. Godfather is a title that any studio should/would love to own the rights to (we're talking about a studio that almost let the film elements go to hell though, so who knows). It was excusable last year (only barely), but (I don't think I'm alone here) it's unnacceptable for it to happen 2008 or beyond.

Also, your being here is much appreciated. It's very nice to have some way to talk to these studios and tell them things that are important to us, be it praise or criticism (if every studio had a paidgeek or penton, the industry would be better off). Like in most industries, it's very easy for the large company/studio to lose focus of their customer base and what's actually important to them...

I will support Paramount again (and in full force -- they own a lot that I love) when they show me the customer and movies are what they think is important. Paramount, over the last couple years, ignored both of those things in very public ways (Godfather film elements almost being lost and switch to HD DVD for a fat check -- two slaps in the face to various different movie lovers).

Is their "pain" a fear (scared of consumer backlash), or do they realize where they've actually fumbled?

I don't mean to rant, but being a movie lover it's frustrating to see a studio that owns a large selection of excellent movies doing things as they secretly hated movies.

[WickyWoo]

Is their "pain" a fear (scared of consumer backlash), or do they realize where they've actually fumbled?

Paramount knows that they've pissed off every single HD customer out there

[jkwest]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

Paramount knows that they've pissed off every single HD customer out there

what about Universal? Whats their excuse?

[SBrooks1]

Thanks for the continued info Bill. Based on the new info about the Godfather trilogy being remastered, what are the chances of it being announced for a US DVD/Blu-ray right out of the gate? Do you think Paramount will want to make that kind of splash when announcing restart of Blu-ray support?

[WickyWoo]

what about Universal? Whats their excuse?

See comment about making a splash. Universal has no blu product to sell yet

[WickyWoo]

He is one of the two people who prefer the original, untainted, 1970s Boy and his Dagget version.
__________________

There's a great many of us I might add, and without us whining and *****ing to Universal for 25 years before they kicked us in the teeth, you wouldn't even have your Sex in the Spacey West wing show :P

And they pretty much wrote the kid and the monkey out by midseason anyway. No one in their right mind liked them

Well, actually someone did because a collector paid 30K for the daggit suit on ebay a few years back.

[frank_t]

Originally Posted by Bill Hunt

The Woo does not like to even acknowledge the existance of the new BSG. He is one of the two people who prefer the original, untainted, 1970s Boy and his Dagget version.

too funny.

i appreciate the original and will watch it on TV when it comes on (I remember watching it when it was the new series on TV!). heck, i'd even purchase it on BD (not DVD mind you, I don't buy those any longer).

but i think the new series is excellent.