Disc costs: CE3K vs Blade Runner $ (reply to dialog_gvf)

[fitprod]

Originally Posted by Cruyff14

Do you really believe that studios currently create a seperate HD master for a SD release and then create another for the BD release? Or could it be that they create one HD master that serves all purposes?

The main issue it seems the studios are running into is that the HD Masters they prepared 4 to 7 years ago do not hold up for the HDM format standard that everyone is expecting.

Telecine processes have advanced over the years, and they are discovering what was a good enough HD master for and older DVD is no longer adequate.

fitprod

[WickyWoo]

You make it out as if studios can not create one HD master and use it for several purposes That's simply not true. If they create a HD master that is suitable for BD they can and will use that same master for the SD release (and for HDTV and normal TV and VHS if it still existed).

That still doesn't change the additional expense required for your highest medium, Blu-ray beyond what woudl be required for DVD and TV

I would not mind paying $50 for a barebones release myself but raising prices is not the answer. The market needs to grow beyond the current demographic. In order to do that, studios need to get content out there that interests people who are into classic movies so that they are going to buy a BD player in the first place. At the moment there's not much content out there for that target group so why should they buy into BD?

You're into a catch-22 then. There's not enough people yet to support these titles, but to get them prices have to come down. You're just going to have to wait i'm afraid. Warner has already announced an orgy of classic goodies for 2009, and I expect a lot of studios will follow in that year

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by Cruyff14

Do you really believe that studios currently create a seperate HD master for a SD release and then create another for the BD release? Or could it be that they create one HD master that serves all purposes?

No. But, if they don't choose to release on BD they can do less. A LOT LESS.

BD releases require A LOT MORE effort to be applied to what is being done. Just look at what happens when they don't. The reviewers and consumers tear the studio a new one on sites such as this, every time. Hell, they have a framing mistake, audio issues, or artifacts and it is a witch hunt.

Blu-ray demands bleading edge mastering and authoring. It's expensive and time consuming. And it may require the film to go through a restoration effort costing $millions to achieve.

For SD and HDTV, people will put up with a lot less. A lot of older films on HDTV are atrocious.

Gary

[Papi4baby]

Lets simplify this, i wanted both Blade Runner and Close Encounters, guess which films i own?


Blade runner, why because as much i want Close Encounters i just do not think is worth that much, not too me anyways.

[MFS3Kiryu]

I bought the Blade Runner briefcase collection sight unseen the first day it was offered for Pre-order on Amazon.

Close Encounters? I waited til I could get it for $20 off and I had a giftcard to best buy.

[Uxi]

I bought both and thoroughly enjoyed both. Great quality movies (content, picture, sound) and with good extras, even if im not as much of an extras buff these days. I do think CE3k is a bit too high priced... to be a sales "success" anyways (wrt Paidgeek's comment that the sales have been disapointing).

Of course, any enthusiast worth his salt should have these already, but I do not expect J6p to buy either, really.

So it comes down to intention. Would I have preferred CE3k to be priced like Blade Runner? Sure. I would still hapilly buy it again even if it wasn't. But I don't expect Joe Sixpack to buy it unless it's priced more like a normal catalog release.

[TheRealBob]

Most of this discussion about what is the "correct" pricing strategy is focusing on the inherit worth of the titles, but I think the bottom line is what is important. Blade Runner hit the high-def bestseller charts in both formats and seems to have quite well, while Close Encounters didn't do too much. I think that alone tells you a lot, especially since Closer Encounters was a much bigger movie at the box office. I think it's quite likely Close Encounters could have netted a lot more money with a lower price tag.

However, another factor is that Close Encounters might not have aged well. The movie is about an encounter with aliens, and a brief, barely seen encounter at that. These are not aliens at war with earth, aliens at war with each other, aliens coming to earth with malicious intentions, aliens coming to help us, or aliens really doing anything. They're just aliens. After all we've seen in movies since then, this almost seems like a nonevent today. These days the very end of Close Encounters would now be more of the middle of the movie, setting up the real action that was to follow, not the payoff itself.

In addition to that, part of the appeal of Close Encounters at the time was that there was a real sense among the public that there must be something to all these UFO stories we were hearing. Spielberg himself bought into this. A lot of people believed that aliens were visiting the earth and we were soon going to have some sort of contact with them. Today, that seems almost laughable. The whole UFO moment has pretty much collapsed except for the kooks. A big, serious movie about what an encounter with aliens might look like doesn't really fit into today's culture.

(For the record, I bought both Close Encounters and Blader runner on BD.)

[Blu Titan]

After watching the incredible job that Warner did on Blade Runner, there's no question that a higher price is warranted. The movie just looks and sounds beautifull. Will I pay extra for that type of quality? Of course I will.

[darkpoet25]

I'm happy with the way that CE3K turned out, and I would have paid a little more if it was more.(I got it for around $33 at work with my discount) I've never seen this movie look as good as it does on Blu. Maybe the reason for the high price was due to the nicer packaging? Either way I am happy with my purchase and am glad that Spielberg gave his seal of approval for it. The movie was about more than just aliens for the record. I feel it had more to do with the human spirit and the drive to know what else lies out there in our universe.