HD DVD thread - Toshiba: HD DVD DISCONTINUED, REPAIR/SUPPORT CONTINUES, NO BLU PLANS

[gunm]

Gah, I already double dipped on LOTR. I really don't wanna go through that again.

Well, with the PS3 price drop news, it looks like I won't really care so much about BR exclusives any more...just a matter of time for me...

[thrustbucket]

Maybe i missed it somewhere, but aren't the UK HD-DVDs still in PAL which would make them unplayable in the US?

There is a chance I am wrong here, but I am pretty sure I read this a while ago.

HD DVD (and BD, for that matter) don't get encoded in PAL or NTSC like DVD's. The way they are encoded makes it up to the player to decide how to display it. They are encoded 1080p at 24 frames a second. Each player takes that information, re-codes each frame and throws out whatever your display wants, depending on your display and player.

So short answer to your question: No.

[Sporadic]

Has anybody seen Dreaming Arizona before or know any details about it?

I ran across it on Amazon while crusing the HD-DVD section and it's only 10.95

http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Arizona-HD-DVD-MusicScenic/dp/B000R34WDG/ref=pd_ts_d_43/103-9005636-9331058?ie=UTF8&s=dvd

[rsigley]

Amazon and Buy.com are now showing July 31st for Blue Planet HD DVD and July 10th for Blu Ray

One I was really looking forward too

[Sporadic]

Amazon and Buy.com are now showing July 31st for Blue Planet HD DVD and July 10th for Blu Ray

One I was really looking forward too

Looks like the Blu-Ray has been pushed back too.

http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=21668

[KaneRobot]

Go with the 8 from Warner. BoB will come out in the US and will be cheaper than importing when it does.
I agree. Product vs. product, BoB wins in a walk. But it's not worth paying extra for something that will probably be out here (or at least announced) by the end of the year.

[Sporadic]

Yeah, I decided to go with the 8 from Warner.

I'll be placing the order as soon as my funds in my Paypal account clear.

----------

MTV finally canceled/refunded me for my Shaun Of The Dead order. :/ Sucks since I have to take the overnight shipping off my Hot Fuzz to cover the difference I have to pay to grab it from Amazon.

[LinkinPrime]

Here's some dates on Sony "exclusives" coming to HD DVD overseas:

August 1:
Hannibal (Universal) [France]

August 2:
Fantastic Four (Highlight) [Germany]
Language:

- German DTS HD 5.1
- English DTS HD 5.1
- German subtitles HoH (not forced)

Supplements:

- Audio Commentary with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon
- Deleted Scenes (24 min.)
- Making Of “Heroes are Born” (97 min.)
- The Baxtor Building (10 min.)
- Music videos “Everything burns”, “Come on, come in”
- Cast Biographies


August 31:
Underworld (Concorde) [Germany]
Silent Hill (Concorde) [Germany]

September 5:
Ghost Rider (M6 Vidéo) [France]

September 27:
Resident Evil (Highlight) [Germany]
Resident Evil: Apocaylpse (Highlight) [Germany]

Spring 2008:
Saw Trilogy (Kinowelt) [Germany]

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/1322/51vyudjzmclss500ec7.jpg
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8846/41kabza3ytlss500mf5.jpg
http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?t=10696
Some were previously announced, some are new.

[thrustbucket]

That list reminds me why I still don't feel bad that I don't have access to Blu-ray exclusives.

[Stingermck]

Crap. I need everyone on that list. Stupid high import price though :cry:

[captainfrizo]

I'll be getting Underworld to complete the set and possibly the first Resident Evil, although that one is a bit of a stretch for me.

[dastly75]

I downloaded a supposed 720p rip of the Renaissance hd dvd.
http://monsieurf.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/renaissance_3.jpg

Movie was alright, the quality of the video itself was good. If you want to see a short clip of it, I uploaded a small 50 MB clip on rapidshare: http://rapidshare.com/files/41839449/renaissance-sample-progress.mkv


I also watched Black Snake Moan, good movie and superb video quality.

[Sporadic]

TMNT is finally avaliable on Warner's site

http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=22636

WBWEL will take off 20% and if you buy $60 worth of stuff you get free shipping or if you buy two titles, you get 15% off and free shipping.

[LinkinPrime]

TMNT is finally avaliable on Warner's site

http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=22636

WBWEL will take off 20% and if you buy $60 worth of stuff you get free shipping.

Cool, I preordered mine from them a few weeks ago thanks to somone posting a workaround to make it show up on your cart even though the site didn't have it yet.

[pinoy530]

TMNT is finally avaliable on Warner's site

http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=22636

WBWEL will take off 20% and if you buy $60 worth of stuff you get free shipping or if you buy two titles, you get 15% off and free shipping.

If you go the their Hi-Def site, you can usually add titles to your cart weeks before it appears on the regular site. I think I pre-ordered my TMNT a month ago.

[Duo_Maxwell]

I downloaded a supposed 720p rip of the Renaissance hd dvd.
http://monsieurf.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/renaissance_3.jpg

Movie was alright, the quality of the video itself was good. If you want to see a short clip of it, I uploaded a small 50 MB clip on rapidshare: http://rapidshare.com/files/41839449/renaissance-sample-progress.mkv


I also watched Black Snake Moan, good movie and superb video quality.

Not to be a doubter, but seems sketchy that they'd put a DVD Video logo on the cover art. Wonder if that's a place holder cover art from Amazon or something? But then again who knows what those crazy Europeons are up to.

On a slightly related note anyone hear an announcement for this title on HD or BD in America yet?

[rsigley]

I'll be getting Underworld to complete the set and possibly the first Resident Evil, although that one is a bit of a stretch for me.

the CGI on RE2 on blu ray looked really bad in HD, very fake looking

i hope the first one isn't the same way

[Sporadic]

I just came into some money, what should I grab

300
The Adventures Of Robin Hood
Blue Planet
The Departed
The Fountain
The Fugitive
Galapagos
Goodfellas

I changed my mind, The Fugitive and Goodfellas are just going to have to wait another day, I'm going to get Letters From Iwo Jima instead.

It's a blind buy but I don't doubt Eastwood and Ken Watanabe :)

$152.34 for all 7 after tax, not that bad considering 4 of them are combos.

- edit Actually now that I think about it, maybe The Departed can wait another day too. Taking that off would drop me to $126.95 and then I can get Casino in it's place.

[orimental]

Amir from MS dishes some slight info on LOTR for HD DVD.


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=851221&page=30&pp=30 Post# 887

From the sounds of it, MS is working with New Line to get this release on HD DVD to be the perfect HD DVD.

Actually, that's not necessarily true. MS developed the VC-1 codec, which is a mandatory standard of both HD DVD and Blu-ray. So it would actually be a neutral release if it came out since New Line is a WB studio.

[Duo_Maxwell]

I changed my mind, The Fugitive and Goodfellas are just going to have to wait another day, I'm going to get Letters From Iwo Jima instead.

It's a blind buy but I don't doubt Eastwood and Ken Watanabe :)

$152.34 for all 7 after tax, not that bad considering 4 of them are combos.

- edit Actually now that I think about it, maybe The Departed can wait another day too. Taking that off would drop me to $126.95 and then I can get Casino in it's place.

Nice decision, Letters looks great in HD too. Plus, Goodfellas is on sale this week too at a couple places for $15.

[Sporadic]

Nice decision, Letters looks great in HD too. Plus, Goodfellas is on sale this week too at a couple places for $15.

Yeah, that's why I decided to put it on hold.

At the last minute though I made a few more changes. Ended up with 300, Adventures Of Robin Hood, A Room With A View, Blue Planet, Forbidden Planet, The Fountain, Galapagos and Letters From Iwo Jima

$160.78 after taxes isn't half bad. Averages to 20 dollars a disc.

That just leaves picking up Casino and Dawn Of The Dead from buy.com and I'll be happy until Tremors/Stanley Kubrick Collection/The Shawshank Redemption/Dirty Harry Collection is announced.

[LinkinPrime]

Planet Earth gets a double dip for 7/31:
Now a second version of 'Planet Earth' is hitting both HD DVD and Blu-ray -- the version that was presented in the series' US television run, which replaced Attenborough's narration with the decidedly less British actress/conservationist Sigourney Weaver.

...

The Discovery Channel has also been advertising a separate website (pedvd.com (http://www.pedvd.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1)) that's selling the first three episodes of 'Planet Earth' on a single disc at $14.95 on both next-gen formats. It wasn't immediately clear whether additional episodes will be available as standalone discs at some point in the future.
http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Discovery_Channel/BBC/Disc_Announcements/Planet_Earth_Goes_All-American_in_New_HD_DVD,_Blu-ray_Release/768

[mykevermin]

Sigourney Weaver =/= double dip. :lol:

[LinkinPrime]

Shooter Hidefdigest review:

'Shooter' is an interesting amalgam of material and eras. Based on the cult novel "Point of Impact," the story's Vietnam-era concerns have been updated to the post-9/11 world with interesting results. Part action film, part political drama, part cop-detective story, it is not entirely successful on any of these fronts, but it does offer an unusual twist and perspective on routine assassination thrillers.
As an HD DVD release, this one's quite strong -- the video transfer earns four stars, the solid but unspectacular audio track edges out its Blu-ray counterpart, and the insightful supplements package is well presented in 1080p video. Well worth a look for fans of the genre and/or Mark Wahlberg.

http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/shooter.html

Now to find a cheap price on this...might end up having to go through Buy.com again...

[Sporadic]

Blue Planet gets a double dip for 7/31:


http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Discovery_Channel/BBC/Disc_Announcements/Planet_Earth_Goes_All-American_in_New_HD_DVD,_Blu-ray_Release/768

Planet Earth not Blue Planet

[GizmoGC]

Planet Earth not Blue Planet

Haha, he must have gotten the name wrong.
I'll pass. I prefer David's voice over Weavers.

[LinkinPrime]

Planet Earth not Blue Planet

Whoopsy...fixed it.

[Layd Dly]

Planet Earth gets a double dip for 7/31:

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Discovery_Channel/BBC/Disc_Announcements/Planet_Earth_Goes_All-American_in_New_HD_DVD,_Blu-ray_Release/768

Man now which one do i get.

[Duo_Maxwell]

Man now which one do i get.

I thought the same thing, but I'm waiting to see if the extras that were left out of the BBC version get in the Discovery version. If so the choice is obvious for me as I like eihter narrator, if not then I'll go with what I can get on the cheap.

[thrustbucket]

I thought I read that the BBC version had something like a total of 90 minutes (or some obscene amount) of extra stuff throughout the whole thing....

[Duo_Maxwell]

I thought I read that the BBC version had something like a total of 90 minutes (or some obscene amount) of extra stuff throughout the whole thing....


I dunno exact minute, perhaps in the SD version probably, but I do know they left alot out of the BD/HD versions. There's none of the 5-10 behind the scenes mini-docs that were at the end of each episode (these were even shown on its Discovery airings IIRC). Also, none of the 3 documentries from the bonus disc that the standard DVD set had. Put simply it had none of the interesting extra, bonus material that the SD sets got. That's why I still haven't invested in the set yet to be honest.

[LinkinPrime]

Universal Announces Knocked Up as a HD DVD/DVD combo.

The HD DVD release is expected to include both versions of the film on a HD DVD/DVD combo disc(the unrated version in high-def, and the R-rated version on the standard-def flipside), as well as extensive extras still to be announced.

Though Universal has yet to announce an exact street date, the studio has issued a "pre-book" date (the date that retailers must place orders to ensure all copies are fulfilled) of August 14. Based on usual pre-book patterns, that would give 'Knocked Up' a likely release window of sometime in the September/October timeframe.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Universal/Universal_Readies_Knocked_Up_for_September_HD_DVD_ Release/772

[LinkinPrime]

Not sure if this is open to anyone but if so Las Vegas residents or nearby people willing to travel can get a HD DVD player for $99.

Toshiba will offer its HD A2 HD DVD player at $99 through the Home Media Expo. Also included will be three HD DVD titles.

For more information on the offer, which starts July 22 and lasts for one week only, attendees must go to Home Media Expo registration in the Venetian Ballroom at the Venitian Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas beginning July 16.

Home Media Expo takes place July 16-19.

For more information about the show, call 888/778-8892 or visit www.homemediaexpo.com (http://www.homemediaexpo.com/).

http://www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=10894

[Sporadic]

Not sure if this is open to anyone but if so Las Vegas residents or nearby people willing to travel can get a HD DVD player for $99.



http://www.homemediaretailing.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?sec_id=2&&article_ID=10894

Isn't it something like $200 to get in?

[LinkinPrime]

Isn't it something like $200 to get in?

Didn't check the website out until now...yup seems like it.

[Sporadic]

Just ordered my dad an HD-A2 from Amazon.

I see it doesn't come with an HDMI cord. Any suggestions on what I should get? I know Monster is a rip-off but I want to get a decent cord.

[dmes65]

Just ordered my dad an HD-A2 from Amazon.

I see it doesn't come with an HDMI cord. Any suggestions on what I should get? I know Monster is a rip-off but I want to get a decent cord.
Get it from www.monoprice.com

[Sporadic]

Get it from www.monoprice.com

I'll check them out but I was hoping to get them from Amazon since I have Prime.

-----------

New titles annnounced from Warner.

Title details

The Harry Potter set, priced at $119.97 standard-definition and $149.99 Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD, will hold the first five films including the most recent theatrical installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It represents the first time Warner has enhanced a Potter collection with exclusive memorabilia, which includes bookmarks and collectible trading cards.

The five-disc Blade Runner set is $78.92 and four-disc is $34.99. Blu-ray and HD DVD versions of the five-disc configuration also will be available day and date.

Exact street dates for Potter and Blade Runner sets haven’t yet been specified.

Warner also is touting upcoming new versions of catalog releases, including the Sept. 18 bow of Troy Ultimate Collector’s Edition Director’s Cut, not yet seen in theaters, for $39.92.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6461120.html

[Sporadic]

Ok this is pretty cool.

JULY 17 | LAS VEGAS—Warner Home Video provided the first sneak peek of its debut made-for-DVD high-definition release, Return to House on Haunted Hill, during a Tuesday Home Theater Forum session at the Home Media Expo here.


As Warner has worked closely with filmmaker Joel Silver from the beginning of the Haunted Hill production, the title will boast some of the most advanced interactive features yet for a HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc. The title streets in both formats on Oct. 16.

The new interactivity will let viewers choose 96 different combinations of story lines. At various points in the film, plot questions will pop up, the answers to which will determine the course of action for the movie.

“Sometimes you can choose to watch what’s happening with the people downstairs, and sometimes you can watch to see the people upstairs,” said Steve Nickerson, senior VP worldwide for high-definition. “It’s a very interesting thing, and it will allow for repeat viewing.”

Silver appeared via video and showed scenes with featured questions including, “Should you answer the cell phone?”

“This is navigational cinema. It’s a whole new age, and people are going to love it,” said Silver. “You become a filmmaker, where you are part of the process of making the movie. If you want everyone to die, you can do that! This is the first time this has been done before.”

Additionally, Nickerson showed off the studio’s first Web-enabled offerings on HD DVD titles. With 300, streeting July 31, Warner will be selling film-related merchandise via a disc for the first time. With their HD DVD player remote, consumers will be able to type in their cell phone number to receive instructions to access 300 wallpaper and ringtones for $1.99 each.

“We are now starting to market to people—we can talk directly to you,” said Nickerson.

300 on HD DVD also contains a picture-in-picture feature that compares the actors performing with a blue-screen background with the special-effects-laden feature film.

Also demonstrated during the session, Blood Diamond kicked off Warner’s Web-enabled HD DVD offerings on July 3. Viewers can find out information about the movie’s African setting, which can be constantly updated going forward. Also, viewers can answer polls to potentially influence which movies Warner releases on HD DVD in the future.

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6461151.html?industryid=47213


Return to House on Haunted Hill just went from "never ever going to see" to "rental"

[thrustbucket]

I just got prompted for an update tonight when trying to watch Matrix Revolutions. Did anyone else?

[Deadpool]

Ok this is pretty cool.


Return to House on Haunted Hill just went from "never ever going to see" to "rental"

LMAO! Thx for the info on that. Forgot all about it.

[LinkinPrime]

Thanks Sporadic...that definitely sounds cool.

[Deadpool]

In case anyone was interested the Troy Extended Edition is up for pre-order on the Warner site now.

9/18/07 $26.95 before discount

[guyver2077]

the potter man is a'comin

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Disc_Announcements/Attention_Muggles!_Warner_Announces_Harry_Potter_F ilms_for_Blu-ray,_HD_DVD/777

[KaneRobot]

Not sure if this was posted before, I'm not looking back more than a page...

Link (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/New_Line/Disc_Announcements/Confirmed:_New_Line_to_Launch_Blu-ray,_HD_DVD_Support_with_Hairspray/778)

Ignore the movie, it's the studio that's important here - yes, FINALLY New Line is scheduling stuff for release. Bring on the Blade films. Anyone else want to bet on LOTR for 2008?

*Edit* More info on the FIVE DISC (?!) Blade Runner set (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Disc_Announcements/Warner_to_Raise_Next-Gen_Bar_with_Five-Disc_Blade_Runner/779). Blade Runner is pretty awesome, but that seems a bit much.

[Ruined]

I'll check them out but I was hoping to get them from Amazon since I have Prime.

The main key is to get one with an official HDMI logo on the connector because that means it meets full HDMI specifications.

[LinkinPrime]

Not sure if this was posted before, I'm not looking back more than a page...

Link (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/New_Line/Disc_Announcements/Confirmed:_New_Line_to_Launch_Blu-ray,_HD_DVD_Support_with_Hairspray/778)

Ignore the movie, it's the studio that's important here - yes, FINALLY New Line is scheduling stuff for release. Bring on the Blade films. Anyone else want to bet on LOTR for 2008?

*Edit* More info on the FIVE DISC (?!) Blade Runner set (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Disc_Announcements/Warner_to_Raise_Next-Gen_Bar_with_Five-Disc_Blade_Runner/779). Blade Runner is pretty awesome, but that seems a bit much.
Hopefully this means LOTR, Blade, The Mask, Mortal Kombat...yes I said it!

So who here that is still HD DVD format only, have considered going over to the dark side and getting a PS3 or Blu-Ray player? What is stopping you from going multiformat and do you see yourself ever going there?

I'd be damn tempted if/when Incredibles and/or Aladdin hit BR :bomb:

[guyver2077]

i would kill for mortal kombat...

[SteveMcQ]

So who here that is still HD DVD format only, have considered going over to the dark side and getting a PS3 or Blu-Ray player? What is stopping you from going multiformat and do you see yourself ever going there?I've picked up Blu-Ray as well. The Amazon deal got me to bite.

[thrustbucket]

Hopefully this means LOTR, Blade, The Mask, Mortal Kombat...yes I said it!

So who here that is still HD DVD format only, have considered going over to the dark side and getting a PS3 or Blu-Ray player? What is stopping you from going multiformat and do you see yourself ever going there?

I'd be damn tempted if/when Incredibles and/or Aladdin hit BR :bomb:

I have no intention of buying a PS3 or BD player... ever. Just a waste of money at this point. About 90% of all the movies I want are still coming out on HD DVD. And there are still no exclusive games on the PS3 that would make me consider dropping $500.

[ryanbph]

Hopefully this means LOTR, Blade, The Mask, Mortal Kombat...yes I said it!

So who here that is still HD DVD format only, have considered going over to the dark side and getting a PS3 or Blu-Ray player? What is stopping you from going multiformat and do you see yourself ever going there?

I'd be damn tempted if/when Incredibles and/or Aladdin hit BR :bomb:

I will be getting a ps3 soon. My 2nd 360 died recently, and I sent it in to best buy, and they will send me a $400 gift card. I had about $300 in gift cards/reward zone gift cert that I was able to get the elite 360 with only about $200 out of pocket expense. So the $400 gift card is going to get me a ps3 :lol:

[Sporadic]

So who here that is still HD DVD format only, have considered going over to the dark side and getting a PS3 or Blu-Ray player? What is stopping you from going multiformat and do you see yourself ever going there?

Anchor Bay is tempting me since Dawn Of The Dead and Day Of The Dead are two of my favorite movies but the price of a player is keeping me away.

Seriously fuck paying 450-500 for one. I just grabbed an HD-A2 for 250 from Amazon and that came with 5 movies after mail in rebate. When Blu-Ray hits 250 or a combo player hits 500, I'll get one.

[anomynous]

Anchor Bay is tempting me since Dawn Of The Dead and Day Of The Dead are two of my favorite movies but the price of a player is keeping me away.

Seriously fuck paying 450-500 for one. I just grabbed an HD-A2 for 250 from Amazon and that came with 5 movies after mail in rebate. When Blu-Ray hits 250 or a combo player hits 500, I'll get one.
be prepared to wait a long time then

[Ruined]

Hopefully this means LOTR, Blade, The Mask, Mortal Kombat...yes I said it!

So who here that is still HD DVD format only, have considered going over to the dark side and getting a PS3 or Blu-Ray player? What is stopping you from going multiformat and do you see yourself ever going there?

I'd be damn tempted if/when Incredibles and/or Aladdin hit BR :bomb:

Still HD DVD only. I feel its ridiculous to pay $499 for a PS3 when 95% of the titles are available on 360 and run the same or better on 360. I'll pass on the 5% of exclusive 1st/2nd party games on PS3, its just not worth the huge entry price when you have a 360. The controller desync/disconnect problem on the 20gb/60gb PS3 doesn't help either.

I also have no plans of adopting BD. The BD+ Advanced Countermeasure spec is simply too intrusive in terms of DRM, as it allows the studios to run whatever programs they please on your box without your consent if they think you are hacking.

All movies will be available on HD DVD eventually its just a matter of time and patience as the HD DVD standalones saturate the market this XMAS.

[LinkinPrime]

Still HD DVD only. I feel its ridiculous to pay $499 for a PS3 when 95% of the titles are available on 360 and run the same or better on 360. I'll pass on the 5% of exclusive 1st/2nd party games on PS3, its just not worth the huge entry price when you have a 360. The controller desync/disconnect problem on the 20gb/60gb PS3 doesn't help either.

I also have no plans of adopting BD. The BD+ Advanced Countermeasure spec is simply too intrusive in terms of DRM, as it allows the studios to run whatever programs they please on your box without your consent if they think you are hacking.

All movies will be available on HD DVD eventually its just a matter of time and patience as the HD DVD standalones saturate the market this XMAS.

All I want is to have Disney on board. I'm hoping that the deal with Microsofts Video Marketplace will show Disney how much more money they can make if they go multiplatform.

[terribledeli]

Picked up Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick today. I just took a gamble with my wife's Best Buy discount. $24.99 titles are down to $18.91+tax. Not great, but best instant gratification deal around here. I was holding off on Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Dawn of the Dead till the DDD sale, but I'll probably pick those up as soon as they show up.

Microsoft getting Disney on board with the Video Marketplace has really stopped me from picking up a Blu-ray player for a while. If they'd give you an opportunity to actually purchase titles (Fall release maybe?), I wouldn't bother with a Blu-ray player till I find them for $99 at Wal-mart.

[Duo_Maxwell]

Is anyone a little disappointed with Universal's support of the format as a whole? I was thinking about it today at work and 90% of what they put out are catalog titles, and the vast majority of those are older (like 8+ years). But it's not just titles, at least they crank them out even if they're older. But to me it's a shade disappointing to see thing like the lack of using premier HD audio tracks (like TrueHD), the bad combo disc streak they had, not being the first studio to take advantage of features, etc. All that kind of seems odd considering they are biggest backing studio for HD DVD and the guy in charge of their HD division is the co-chair of the HD DVD Promotion Group. Just seems like they should be pushing those things harder than a dual format studio like Warner does. All we really get from them is U-Control which while convienent and interesting doesn't add all that much to the mix IMO. Ah well, just a really random thought....

[Ruined]

All I want is to have Disney on board. I'm hoping that the deal with Microsofts Video Marketplace will show Disney how much more money they can make if they go multiplatform.

Patience. All the studios will come in time - for now just use the XBLA marketplace for Disney flicks... No need to waste $500 on a player that is the same exact thing as what you have with a slightly different disc format:

Futurists: Both formats will grow

Futurists: Both formats will grow

HOME MEDIA EXPO: Consumers still confused about Blu-ray, HD DVD

By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 7/18/2007
JULY 18 | LAS VEGAS—Both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc will have a place in home entertainment’s future and a big one at that, according to research presented at Wednesday panel “The Future of Retail and Home Entertainment” at the Home Media Expo here.

By 2012, high-definition DVD will reach $10 billion in annual sales, surpassing DVD sales, which are expected at $8 billion, according to Adams Media Research projections. Adams believes that high-def sales will be split equally between HD DVD and Blu-ray.

Firm principal Tom Adams said the industry is “slowly getting used to the idea that Toshiba’s not going away.”

But high-def DVD won’t grow as fast as standard DVD did. Part of the problem is a lack of consumer high-def knowledge.

“Consumers are entirely confused,” said Russ Crupnick, NPD movies and music analyst. NPD research shows that 10% of consumers think they already have a high-def player, while research says that closer to 1% actually do.

One of the complaints of consumers is that they don’t understand why they should upgrade to high-def. “More than price, people don’t see a big difference,” he said.

Crupnick said there’s an opportunity for smaller retailers to educate consumers about high-def, but he cautioned them away from heavily investing in it, saying many consumers will buy players and high-def movies at big box stores.

The typical high-def consumer is male, ages 18 to 34, reads men’s magazines such as Maxim, probably owns an iPod, drinks imported beer and makes most of his movie purchases at electronics and game specialty stores, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Other new technologies such as movie downloading and video-on-demand are expected to grow in the next five years, but not as fast as high-definition. Adams projects that movie downloads could reach $160 million in revenue this year, but he said that is optimistic.

Crupnick said NPD has seen a significant drop in movie downloads in the last year.

DVD sales continue to be an important part of the business.

The most important thing retailers can do is focus on customer service. Crupnick suggested retailers look at what companies that score high on customer satisfaction are doing, such as Amazon and Netflix.

Music consumers, who behave similarly to movie consumers, shop an average of five stores for media, according NPD. Over the last three years, consumers have shifted where they are buying DVDs. Between January and May 2004, 54% bought discs at video stores, compared with 42% this year. Purchases at online stores doubled in the same period, from 11% to 21%.

Store loyalty, he said, is a thing of the past.

But consumers are buying more DVDs at video specialty stores, according to Nielsen. In 2006, 28% of video purchases were made at specialty stores, up from 23.4% the prior year. DVD purchases at Wal-Mart slid from 21% to 17%.

At an afternoon panel about DVD manufacturing on-demand, execs from MOD companies said the business is just getting started, but it may offer opportunities for retailers to carry a broader range of content.

Amazon CustomFlix VP of content acquisitions Larry Smith said at his company, some smaller titles sell one or two copies, while others can sell even more.

Workout video You On a Diet: The Workout sold enough to make it the No. 7 top DVD seller on Amazon at one point.

[LinkinPrime]

Universal Pledges Web-Enabled Features on All New HD DVD Titles



Universal VP Ken Graffeo announced Wednesday that the studio plans to include web-enabled features in all of its new releases on HD DVD, starting with 'Heroes: Season One (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/heroess1.html)' on August 28.

The move appears to be intended to emphasize a technical advantage of HD DVD over rival format Blu-ray, which has yet to roll out any discs with features that utilize internet connectivity.

ointing out that Blu-ray players "don’t have the consistency in their machines to be able to handle this," Graffeo's remarks came as attendees at the Home Media Expo got the very first peek at scenes and features (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/787) from the highly anticipated 'Heroes' HD DVD release.


Although execs at the show remained tight-lipped about exactly what type of web-connected features the 'Heroes' HD DVD will include, Universal's Graffeo likened them to those of the massive social network MySpace. "We are developing that same community," explained Graffeo. "With 'Heroes,' producer Tim Kring is very involved in letting HD DVD users exclusively participate in the Heroes community."


Expect more complete details about the 'Heroes' HD DVD release later this month from Comic-Con, where NBC-Universal is planning a session with the show's cast and crew.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Universal/Industry_Trends/Web-Enabled_Features/Universal_Pledges_Web-Enabled_Features_on_All_New_HD_DVD_Titles/786

Keep it up HD DVD :applause:
------------------------------------------
Warner announces Harry Potter Year 1-5 Limited Edition Gift Set

Ending months of speculation, Warner Home Video has at last announced that the 'Harry Potter' franchise will be coming to HD DVD and Blu-ray this fall in a lavish multi-disc box set.
Dubbed 'Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Gift Set,' Warner revealed plans for the long-awaited release during a special presentation today at the Home Media Expo in Las Vegas. Though the studio did not provide an exact street date, they did confirm that the release would include all five of the produced 'Harry Potter' films, including the current theatrical hit 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.'

Pricing for the five-disc set will be $149.95 for both the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions.
No specs or supplemental details have been revealed, but the set is expected to come in collectible packaging including exclusive Harry Potter memorabilia. The studio has also not revealed when -- or if -- the 'Potter' titles will also be made available individually outside of the box set.

Considered one of the many "holy grails" yet to hit high-def, 'Harry Potter Years 1-5' is sure to be one of the holiday's most highly-anticipated titles, if not its biggest seller. http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Disc_Announcements/Warner_Announces_Harry_Potter_Films_for_Blu-ray,_HD_DVD/777

I pray :pray: that there's still a 20% off coupon at the WB store by the time it shows up online.

[Sporadic]

I pray :pray: that there's still a 20% off coupon at the WB store by the time it shows up online.

I posted that a few pages back, never been a big Potter fan but I am ecstatic with Blade Runner's announcement.

Now only thing they need to do is announce the Stanley Kubrick Collection and The Shawshank Redemption and I'll be set for the rest of the year.

----------

Good news from UPS, my baby boy should be home on Tuesday. :applause: :bouncy: :applause:

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/2075/comeonhomecd6.jpg

And even better news, my dad's HD-A2 will be here tomorrow.

[LinkinPrime]

Oh crap...you did. My bad Sporadic, and good luck with with the your new bundle of joy...I hope it arrives safely and has good health.

[Sporadic]

Oh crap...you did. My bad Sporadic, and good luck with with the your new bundle of joy...I hope it arrives safely and has good health.

No problem and thanks.

It's going to be a busy two weeks for me when it comes to HD movies. I have 7 unwatched movies, the HD-A2 coming tomorrow, 2 movies (Casino/Trading Places) on the way from buy.com, my HD-DVD attachment showing up on Tuesday, 3 movies (The Host/Hot Fuzz/Shaun Of The Dead) hopefully showing up early sometime next week and 6 on the way from Warner that should be here by the end of the month.

Great times.

[LinkinPrime]

Fry's ads for today have:

HD DVD
11.99ea. :hot::hot::hot:
V For Vendetta
Troy
Unforgiven
Scanner Darkly

18.99ea
Harsh Times
Unleashed

[rsigley]

damn when will fry's come to the east coast :(

[Ruined]

Fry's ads for today have:

HD DVD
11.99ea. :hot::hot::hot:
V For Vendetta
Troy
Unforgiven
Scanner Darkly

18.99ea
Harsh Times
Unleashed

Troy is a pass because the new Director's Cut will be out soon.

But the rest of these are great buys!

[thrustbucket]

Nearest Fry's is 550 miles away.

[Sporadic]

My The Host, Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead just shipped via USPS Priority.

I should have them by Tuesday.

[Duo_Maxwell]

My The Host, Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead just shipped via USPS Priority.

I should have them by Tuesday.

Damn early arrivals, where did you order from?

[Sporadic]

Damn early arrivals, where did you order from?

DVDPacific

Their prices are almost on par with Amazon, the only down side is the shipping price. Cost me $6.96 for Priority shipping on all three but it's worth it for me to see these almost a week early. :bouncy:

[jovherye]

Fry's ads for today have:

HD DVD
11.99ea. :hot::hot::hot:
V For Vendetta
Troy
Unforgiven
Scanner Darkly

18.99ea
Harsh Times
Unleashed

Priced match Scanner at CC tonight plus got an extra 10% off! WOOT!

[Duo_Maxwell]

DVDPacific

Their prices are almost on par with Amazon, the only down side is the shipping price. Cost me $6.96 for Priority shipping on all three but it's worth it for me to see these almost a week early. :bouncy:

Interesting, and thanks for the info, perhaps I'll put in a preorder or two there myself in the near future.

[asianxcore]

It needs to the be the 31st already :)

I haven't bought an HD-DVD since the CC/Matrix price mistake. Looking forward to picking up both Hot Fuzz and 300

[armyjon99]

Midnight Run
Bruce Almighty

On the way
Posiden
Bulletproof

I don't even have a hd dvd player yet but I got them for free thanks to thrid link on sig :-)

I want
Grand Prix
Battle of the Bulge
Apollo 13
Planet Earth
+ more I cannot think of

[Ruined]

Midnight Run
Bruce Almighty

On the way
Posiden
Bulletproof

I don't even have a hd dvd player yet but I got them for free thanks to thrid link on sig :-)

I want
Grand Prix
Battle of the Bulge
Apollo 13
Planet Earth
+ more I cannot think of

Remember, if it says "COMBO FORMAT" on it like 300 or Knocked Up HD DVD releases, that means one side plays in a standard DVD player and the other on a HD DVD player. You could build up your library so you dont have to rebuy in highdef, even without a hd dvd player!

[Sporadic]

Just got my attachement back from MS.

Looks like they sent me a new one and it works perfectly.

Now I just have to lay into of my TV and watch all my new movies until my head explodes :D

-----------

Somebody posted a rumored release list for Warner in October.

POLTERGEIST (25TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION)
Release Date: October 9th
MSRP $28.99

TWILIGHT ZONE:MOVIE, THE
Release Date: October 9th
MSRP $28.99

RETURN TO HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL
Release Date: October 16th
MSRP $34.99

[Layd Dly]

I crossed the line buying a ps3 but i still own no movies for it beleive it or not. im about to send in for my 5 free ones this week.

My regret is buying the MS hd-dvd add on for the 360. i wish i wouldve waited and got a toshiba a2 since the prices have come down so much and come with 5 free movies.

[masked lemon]

The IP address thing was a joke... apparently you haven't seen that commercial.

[KaneRobot]

Just got my attachement back from MS.

Looks like they sent me a new one and it works perfectly.

Nice. I should have my 360 back today if my brother answered the door to sign for it. I have some catching up to do as well.

I was pleasantly surprised with the turnaround time on my 360 repair - I had been seeing people talking about 4-6 weeks, or even 2 months in some cases. I think they may have had mine for like 3 days before sending it back.

[anomynous]

Remember, if it says "COMBO FORMAT" on it like 300 or Knocked Up HD DVD releases, that means one side plays in a standard DVD player and the other on a HD DVD player. You could build up your library so you dont have to rebuy in highdef, even without a hd dvd player!
i pictured a corny infomercial while reading that

[Setzer]

My regret is buying the MS hd-dvd add on for the 360. i wish i wouldve waited and got a toshiba a2 since the prices have come down so much and come with 5 free movies.

Any pros or cons to getting the 360 HD-DVD drive over something like the Toshiba a2?

[LinkinPrime]

Any pros or cons to getting the 360 HD-DVD drive over something like the Toshiba a2?
Get the Toshiba A2 its $199.99 right now, with 5 free HD DVD's and free HDMI cable:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145951

Pro's of having a XBOX360 HD DVD drive: One less connection since it uses your XBOX360 A/V and sound cables. Takes up less space.

Con's: Does not come with 5 free HD DVD's. If anything happens to your XBOX360, you wont be able to use your HD DVD drive.

[Sporadic]

Any pros or cons to getting the 360 HD-DVD drive over something like the Toshiba a2?

I have both of them in my household and the only thing I would say the A2 has over the HD-DVD drive is noise.

The A2 is damn near silent when running which is nice if you watch movies close to the unit.

[Duo_Maxwell]

I hope you all are joking when you can't think of any real advantages too the A2 over the add-on. If and only if you don't care about playing these HD discs in an immersive, home theater-like environment and don't plan on buying future upgrades to your HT setup should you consider buying the add-on.

Put bluntly to those asking, the A2 is better than the Add-on in every concivible aspect I can think of.

[Setzer]

Isn't the A2 only capable of displaying up to 1080i where as the add-on drive for the 360 can display movies in 1080p?

[Sporadic]

I hope you all are joking when you can't think of any real advantages too the A2 over the add-on. If and only if you don't care about playing these HD discs in an immersive, home theater-like environment and don't plan on buying future upgrades to your HT setup should you consider buying the add-on.

Put bluntly to those asking, the A2 is better than the Add-on in every concivible aspect I can think of.

Some examples would be nice.

I have the A2 plus the 360 add-on and after playing with the A2 for a few days, the only thing that really popped out at me was how quiet it was and HDMI output.

---------

On a different note, I finally watched The Prestige and it really blew me away. Not only is it a fantastic movie but the HD-DVD is on par with everything Warner Bros. have put out in America.

It's nice to see an import with some actual extras.

[pinoy530]

Isn't the A2 only capable of displaying up to 1080i where as the add-on drive for the 360 can display movies in 1080p?

Yes, but if you have a non-elite 360 you need a vga connection and a tv that accepts 1080p over vga or if you have an elite you need to connect it via hdmi.

I have both an A2 and 360 as well. The only noticeable differance is the sound to me. The A2 is quiet while the 360 is loud. Now, if you have a compatible reciever, with the A2 you can get lossless sound but with the 360 add on you're stuck with Dolby Digital, DTS or WMA.

Currently, with the A2 being so cheap and still offering 5 free movies, I wouldnt recommend the add-on, atleast until a price drop is announced.

[porieux]

The add-on can't output the next gen audio formats, which eventually could be an issue.

I'm happy with mine though.

[Duo_Maxwell]

Isn't the A2 only capable of displaying up to 1080i where as the add-on drive for the 360 can display movies in 1080p?

For only the Elite owners or those with a 1080p capable VGA input (and believe there aren't as many as you'd think). Either way at the moment that is added cost. Plus it's a bit of a non-issue anymore as chances are if you have a 1080p display it has the ability to "de-interlace" the signal so you effectively get the same resolution with about zero signal loss.

Some examples would be nice.

I have the A2 plus the 360 add-on and after playing with the A2 for a few days, the only thing that really popped out at me was how quiet it was and HDMI output.

---------


Disadvantages of the add-on:

1) No loseless sound (if you have/want good equipment for HT that alone should be a deal breaker)
2) No upconverting (if you use component as the vast majority of 360 owners do)
3) Your xbox will still make it sound like a lawn mower is running in your living room
4) Remote not as intuitive for HD DVD (I admit this is kind of nitpicking)
5) Less frequent firmware updates (look at how long it took to fix that night mode audio issue)
6) Value per dollar (with the price drops/deals you can get a fully functional, standalone player w/ 5 free movies for only $50+ more, sometimes less)

Advantages the add-on has:
1) Takes up less room/cabling


All you need to do is compare pros to cons IMO. Even without that list you already have 3 cons mentoined by others to the single pro. Now going with context if like I said your HT setup isn't a big concern and you just want movies to look prettier it's not too bad (still can't say I'd recommend it at the going rate) and will probably more than suit your needs well enough. But like I said earlier that's about hte only situation I'd even come close to justifying buying one.

[Sporadic]

Disadvantages of the add-on:

1) No loseless sound (if you have/want good equipment for HT that alone should be a deal breaker)
2) No upconverting (if you use component as the vast majority of 360 owners do)
3) Your xbox will still make it sound like a lawn mower is running in your living room
4) Remote not as intuitive for HD DVD (I admit this is kind of nitpicking)
5) Less frequent firmware updates (look at how long it took to fix that night mode audio issue)
6) Value per dollar (with the price drops/deals you can get a fully functional, standalone player w/ 5 free movies for only $50+ more, sometimes less)

Advantages the add-on has:
1) Takes up less room/cabling


All you need to do is compare pros to cons IMO. Even without that list you already have 3 cons mentoined by others to the single pro. Now going with context if like I said your HT setup isn't a big concern and you just want movies to look prettier it's not too bad (still can't say I'd recommend it at the going rate) and will probably more than suit your needs well enough. But like I said earlier that's about hte only situation I'd even come close to justifying buying one.

1) Yeah, you are right about this one.
2) I'm using VGA
3) Yeah, I brought that up. I wouldn't call it a lawnmower but the stand alone is silent
4) I hate the remote with the standalone. It's nearly impossible to use in the dark.
5) Both players have issues. The A2 can't play Stalingrad (last time I heard) and the add-on can't play Dreaming Arizona and that National Geographic HD-DVD.
6) Most of the free movies suck but you are right if you can get a standalone, you should get a standalone. Like I first said, the standalone is silent which is nice. The add-on's used market though is fantastic. I've seen players going for 100-140

[Sporadic]

Well look what showed up today.

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/5981/94559830wh1.jpg
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/7383/67213849fv6.jpg

Seems to be a manufacturing error with The Host though. My cover was put in upside down.

[guyver2077]

On a different note, I finally watched The Prestige and it really blew me away. Not only is it a fantastic movie but the HD-DVD is on par with everything Warner Bros. have put out in America.

It's nice to see an import with some actual extras.

i guess you wont be selling it... someone compare it with the br version!


Dont think anyone has brought up a huge pro for the addon: PC FUNCTIONALITY!!

If your 360 goes down, you can connect it to your pc.

[Sporadic]

i guess you wont be selling it... someone compare it with the br version!

Never 8-)

Somebody at AVS posted comparison photos between the BR version and to me, it looked exactly the same.

[Ruined]

Mr. and Mrs. Smith now available on HD DVD!

Looks like Fox was beat to the punch with this title, now available on HD DVD for $39.99! In stock now!

From our reliable friend Tony at xploitedcinema:
http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/smith-polish-release-p-12323.html

Region free, no forced subs! Will work perfectly on any HD DVD player.

Video: 1080p VC-1 Video
Audio: English DTS-HD 5.1, English Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, Polish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1
Subtitles: Optional Polish subtitles

And yes, the hideous yellow HD DVD sticker peels off easily from the front of the case. Also, the price is the same list price Fox was going to charge for the title before they delayed it indefinitely for BD :)

[LinkinPrime]

Mr. and Mrs. Smith now available on HD DVD!

Looks like Fox was beat to the punch with this title, now available on HD DVD for $39.99! In stock now!

From our reliable friend Tony at xploitedcinema:
http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/smith-polish-release-p-12323.html

Region free, no forced subs! Will work perfectly on any HD DVD player.

Video: 1080p VC-1 Video
Audio: English DTS-HD 5.1, English Dolby Digital Plus 5.1, Polish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1
Subtitles: Optional Polish subtitles

And yes, the hideous yellow HD DVD sticker peels off easily from the front of the case. Also, the price is the same list price Fox was going to charge for the title before they delayed it indefinitely for BD :)

I'll be placing my order on Friday. Thanks for the heads up. Still need to get Prestige, Underworld, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, and Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Apocalypse...whew....thats a lot a dough.

To top it off, I still need to get a few US movies that came out, The Shooter, The Frighteners, The Mummy and a few other low wants.

[LinkinPrime]

Found a good list of HD DVD imports at AVS.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10690120&&#post10690120

KaneRobot, any chance you can add the link to the OP? Thanks!

[Sporadic]

I'll be placing my order on Friday. Thanks for the heads up. Still need to get Prestige, Underworld, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, and Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Apocalypse...whew....thats a lot a dough.

To top it off, I still need to get a few US movies that came out, The Shooter, The Frighteners, The Mummy and a few other low wants.

I know how you feel. I still have to import Hannibal, The Elephant Man and that Motorhead concert. Plus there is Tremors, Blade Runner, and The Stanley Kubrick Collection on the way later this year.

My poor poor wallet :cry:

[CocheseUGA]

$40? Too steep for my blood. I'll keep enjoying Angelina in SD, thanks.

A little off topic, but has anyone tried making backups of their DVDs (either version) with their drive on the PC?

[cleaver]

I got my 300 today; I only watched about half an hour during lunch but I was disappointed with the PQ: decent but I saw some some pixelization in some smoke. Sweet special features, but I couldn't figure out how to edit scenes and remove the lame wife at home story.

[LinkinPrime]

I got my 300 today; I only watched about half an hour during lunch but I was disappointed with the PQ: decent but I saw some some pixelization in some smoke. Sweet special features, but I couldn't figure out how to edit scenes and remove the lame wife at home story.

Where'd you get it early from? WB Online?

[KaneRobot]

Got my 360 back today. Thank god.


Found a good list of HD DVD imports at AVS.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10690120&&#post10690120

KaneRobot, any chance you can add the link to the OP? Thanks!

Yeah, I was going to do a slight overhaul of the OP to include that when we got to 100 pages, but no reason to hold up on that I suppose, especially because there is a pretty nice selection of imports out there now.

[asianxcore]

Found a good list of HD DVD imports at AVS.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10690120&&#post10690120


Is Perfume: Story of a Murderer (German release) missing from that list?

I still need to pick that up along with Le Pacte Des Loups

The prices for both make me hesitate a bunch though.

[LinkinPrime]

Is Perfume: Story of a Murderer (German release) missing from that list?

I still need to pick that up along with Le Pacte Des Loups

The prices for both make me hesitate a bunch though.

Is it out yet? I think that the list is only for HD DVD's already released.

[Sporadic]

Fuck yes, it's about time :applause: :applause: :applause:

Warner Announces Quartet of Kubrick Classics for Blu-ray, HD DVD

Kubrick fans rejoice! After a year of waiting, Warner Home Video has finally announced the Blu-ray and HD DVD releases of a quartet of the director's most revered classics.

On October 23, Warner will debut remastered special editions of four Kubrick classics: '2001: A Space Odyssey,' 'A Clockwork Orange,' 'The Shining' and 'Eyes Wide Shut.'

The releases are set to debut simultaneously on Blu-ray, HD DVD and standard-def DVD, with each title available separately as a stand-alone release. Currently, the studio has not indicated whether the titles will also be bundled together as a box set collection.

Supplemental details for the four titles have also not yet been revealed, but tech specs on the next-gen versions will include 1080p video transfers and remixed Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio tracks on both the Blu-ray and HD DVD editions.

Retail price is $28.99 a piece for each Kubrick classic.

In anticipation of the full press release with final confirmed details, we've added listings for all four titles to both our Blu-ray Release Schedule and HD DVD Release Schedule, under October 23. Needless to say, stay tuned!

--------------

$40? Too steep for my blood. I'll keep enjoying Angelina in SD, thanks.

A little off topic, but has anyone tried making backups of their DVDs (either version) with their drive on the PC?

Yeah, I was able to rip Mulholland Drive to my hard drive using the 360 attachment. From there I was able to play the video with PowerDVD.

--------------

Is it out yet? I think that the list is only for HD DVD's already released.

Yeah, it's out.

-------------

Just watched Hot Fuzz, Universal knocked this one out of the park. Just great and I had no issues with the combo.

[CocheseUGA]

Yeah, I was able to rip Mulholland Drive to my hard drive using the 360 attachment. From there I was able to play the video with PowerDVD.


I wonder if I could rip it to a format the 360 would recognize....

Otherwise, I still plan on building a HTPC in the next couple of years and I'll just have instant-play copies of everything from there.

[porieux]

Nice! Those Kubrick HD-DVDs will be mine. Finally will be replacing the crappy SD-DVDs I got back in 2000.
And man oh man, were those DVDs crappy.

[Sporadic]

I wonder if I could rip it to a format the 360 would recognize....

Otherwise, I still plan on building a HTPC in the next couple of years and I'll just have instant-play copies of everything from there.

I hope you have alot of space on your hard drive.

The the movie stream of Mulholland was 8ish GBs. The whole thing was around 20something

Nice! Those Kubrick HD-DVDs will be mine. Finally will be replacing the crappy SD-DVDs I got back in 2000.
And man oh man, were those DVDs crappy.

I'm really excited since all of them will finally have the correct aspect ratio and not that fullscreen bullshit.

[CocheseUGA]

I hope you have alot of space on your hard drive.

The the movie stream of Mulholland was 8ish GBs. The whole thing was around 20something



I'm really excited since all of them will finally have the correct aspect ratio and not that fullscreen bullshit.

I was referring to standard-def DVDs. HD would indeed be a waste of time and effort.

[M1C13]

I was referring to standard-def DVDs. HD would indeed be a waste of time and effort.
So shouldn't this be in a completely different thread then since it has nothing to do with HD-DVD.

[Sporadic]

So shouldn't this be in a completely different thread then since it has nothing to do with HD-DVD.

He was planning on ripping the DVDs with the HD-DVD attachment.

Which I can't see why it wouldn't work. It shows up as an other external drive does.

[LinkinPrime]

This is :hot:

HD DVD Player add-on drops to $179.99 + 5 free HD DVD's (+ King Kong & Remote)

http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2007/jul07/07-26ComicConXboxHDDVDPR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Release s
Starting Aug. 1st

5 free movie offer is valid until Sept. 30th

I think you still get King Kong and the remote too.

The choices for the five free movies are pretty shitty, but hey, you could sell them and offset the cost of the player to be cheaper.

Apollo 13
Casablanca
Four Brothers
The Rundown
U-571
Seabiscuit
Constantine
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Blazing Saddles
The Perfect Storm
The Chronicles of Riddick
Dukes of Hazard
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
U2: Rattle and Hum
We Were Soldiers

[CocheseUGA]

You're bordering on spamming, mate. ;)

[LinkinPrime]

You're bordering on spamming, mate. ;)

Just spreading the word to all the HD DVD related threads...HD DVD must win!!! ;)

[CocheseUGA]

Just spreading the word to all the HD DVD related threads...HD DVD must win!!! ;)

Not sure a $20 is going to do that, but fair enough.

[LinkinPrime]

Not sure a $20 is going to do that, but fair enough.

It doesn't hurt, + w/ 5 Free HD DVD's by mail...its a pretty good deal, even if you don't like the movies, there's always eBay.

[M1C13]

why would you need to use an HD-DVD player to burn regular dvds? If your computer can play dvds which 99.9% can, then you can just stick the DVD in the drive google dvd burner, and your done.

[CocheseUGA]

why would you need to use an HD-DVD player to burn regular dvds? If your computer can play dvds which 99.9% can, then you can just stick the DVD in the drive google dvd burner, and your done.

I don't have a DVD drive, but I'm not sure why I even had to explain it.

[Sporadic]

I just found out from Warner I should have 300 and Blue Planet in my hands Monday.

I can't wait. They were both blind buys.

[porieux]

300 was great IMO. Lots of fun and great visuals.

[rsigley]

i got my blue planet and darkman from dvd pacific today

iw as surprised i got darkman since it comes out the 31st

i'll let you know about quality of blue planet

[guyver2077]

i got the email from warner as well.. cant wait for monday

[LinkinPrime]

You guys are lucky, getting stuff early. I haven't gotten the email and myexpresscheckout.com shows its still "in process" I'm sure I'll get it by the end of the week.

[guyver2077]

heres hoping 300's online features are a lot quicker than blood diamond..

also im pretty sure this will probably sell better on br due to it being cheaper like superman and departed..

fucking combo disk

[SteveMcQ]

also im pretty sure this will probably sell better on br due to it being cheaper like superman and departed..

fucking combo diskI'm going with the BR version myself since I absolutely hate combo disks. The only extra exclusive HD-DVD has would be the online features? I know I've read about it here, but I'd appreciate the recap.

[Sporadic]

I'm going with the BR version myself since I absolutely hate combo disks. The only extra exclusive HD-DVD has would be the online features? I know I've read about it here, but I'd appreciate the recap.

Um, no.

The HD-DVD is full of exclusive extras.

As if all of the above cross-format goodies were not enough, Warner has served up quite a treat for HD DVD fans with a cutting-edge assortment of high-def exclusives.

Easily the most anticipated bonus is the "Bluescreen Picture-in-Picture Version" of the film. A true first for any home video format, Warner has encoded the entire feature in its bluescreen, pre-post-produced version. Like your typical In-Movie Experience track, just activate the feature and a large picture box will appear in the bottom left of the screen, allowing you to watch the before-and-after versions of the film along with audio commentary by director Zack Snyder.

The first few minutes of this one in particular are way cool -- it's really a kick to both see and hear, shot-by-shot, how each effect was done. Everything about the film looks so different -- not just the bluescreen elements that were eventually added in later, but also the entire tone, mood and appearance of the live-action footage. I suspect this will be an instant classic at film schools everywhere.

Having said that, and as truly trend-setting as this feature is, a certain sameness does start to creep in after a while. Sure, CGI geeks will swoon, but 30 minutes on in or so, you get the basic idea of the process Snyder used in creating his visual wizardry, and some may find it overkill to sit through this one in its entirety. Still, this is certainly the kind of pioneering bonus feature that has propelled Warner to the forefront of studios supporting high-def, so far be it from me to complain. Please keep this stuff coming!

The bluscreen feature alone would have earned '300' its place in next-gen history, but Warner has also included some groundbreaking web-enabled extras, too.

The most intriguing among the web-enabled extras is a feature called "Pick Your Favorite Scenes." Here, you can assemble and re-organize your favorite bits of '300,' and then store the line-up to your player's internal accessible memory and/or put it online to share with others. Warner will even let you review and rate other fan-made cuts. While I'm not sure how many of "'300's Greatest Hits" I'd want to watch, the technology here is undeniably exciting.

There is also a fresh interactive game, "Vengeance and Valor." Think Risk meets Checkers, only using iconography from the movie. Gameplay is pretty basic: you can select a few components (such as the type of infantrymen you want to fight your opponent with, and your plan of attack), but it's not all that involving. Plus, without a worthy online opponent you're kinda out of luck. Still, I suspect Warner is just testing the waters with this one -- depending on the reaction from early adopters, here's betting that future applications will be more sophisticated and complex.

Finally, in a nod to unabashed capitalism, '300' is also the first next-gen title ever to provide viewers with one-click access to buy film-specific merchandise. Thanks to the miracle of HD DVD, you can now "take '300' with you wherever you go!" by using the disc's web interface to purchase custom wallpaper and ringtones for your mobile phone. Of course, you could do this on any old PC, too, so aside from the novelty factor this is hardly much of a "feature." Still, I can't wait until my HD DVD player starts to try selling me Harry Potter plush toys...

[SteveMcQ]

Um, no.

The HD-DVD is full of exclusive extras.Ooohhh...good stuff. I'll hold off on it then for a really good deal on the HD-DVD version. Hopefully a non-combo version comes soon.

[GizmoGC]

Ooohhh...good stuff. I'll hold off on it then for a really good deal on the HD-DVD version. Hopefully a non-combo version comes soon.

Don't expect one for at least a year if ever. At this point, they are only re-releasing catalog titles as HD DVD only (Army of Darkness if the only one I can think of). Its $4 more, are you that cheap?

[guyver2077]

lol

[LinkinPrime]

Heroes HD DVD specs revealed:

HD DVD INTERACTIVE FEATURES
Interactive features are available on the following disks:

DISC ONE Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.
DISC TWO Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.CONNECTIVITY FEATURES
DOWNLOAD CENTER - download exclusive content, trailers and updates directly to your HD DVD player.
GENETIC ABILITIES TEST - Take the Abilities Test and find out what type of Hero you are. Your profile will be uploaded to NBC.com/Heroes where you will be given a unique access code to view exclusive content.
DISC THREE Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.
DISC FOUR Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.Picture-in-Picture Cast & Crew Video Commentary
Godsend with Jack Coleman, Leonard Roberts and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
The Fix with Greg Grunberg, Hayden Panettiere and Natalie Chaidez (Episode Writer and Co-Executive Producer).
Distractions with Milo Ventimiglia, Zachary Quinto, Greg Grunberg, Jeanot Szwarc (Episode Director), Jack Coleman and Michael Green (Episode Writer and Co-Executive Producer).
DISC FIVE Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.MIND READER
Put hero Matt Parkman's mind-reading abilities to the test with a series of simple math activities to reveal your hero.
DISC SIX Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.Picture-in-Picture Cast & Crew Video Commentary
.07% with Chuck Kim (Episode Writer), Andrew Chambliss (Asst. to Tim Kring) and Timm Keppler (Asst. to Dennis Hammer).
Five Years Gone with Greg Grunberg, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Jack Coleman.
The Hard Part with James Kyson Lee, Noah Gray-Cabey and Ian Quinn (Stunt Coordinator).
Landslide with Masi Oka, George Takei and Matthew Armstrong.EXTRAS
DELETED SCENES (1:51)
.07%: Linderman's Missing Sword
Five Years Gone: Old Friends
Landslide: Marty, That's An Order
DISC SEVEN Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.Picture-in-Picture Video Commentary
How to Stop an Exploding Man with Tim Kring (Creator/Executive Producer & Episode Writer), Dennis Hammer (Executive Producer) and Allan Arkush (Executive Producer & Episode Director).

Below is a full list of features found on all seven discs:
DISC ONE-SPECIAL FEATURES: Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.EXTRAS:
NEVER AIRED 73-MINUTE PREMIERE EPISODEWITH AUDIO COMMENTARY BY SHOW CREATOR TIM KRING
Tim Kring's original, unaired extended pilot episode.DELETED SCENES
Don't Look Back: A Spark Ignites; Niki's Mistake; Behind Niki's Garage Door; Blood on the Map.
DISC TWO-SPECIAL FEATURES: Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.CONNECTIVITY FEATURES
DOWNLOAD CENTER - download exclusive content, trailers and updates directly to your HD DVD player.
GENETIC ABILITIES TEST - Take the Abilities Test and find out what type of Hero you are. Your profile will be uploaded to NBC.com/Heroes where you will be given a unique access code to view exclusive content.EXTRAS:
DELETED SCENES
One Giant Leap: Hiro's Book of Revelations; Niki Confronts Her Mother-in-Law.
Collision: The You That Ain't You; Micah's Plea.
Hiros: Claire's Miracle; Strangers in Our Own Home; Brody's Cheer.
DISC THREE-SPECIAL FEATURES: Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.EXTRAS:
DELETED SCENES
Nothing To Hide: Matt's Voices; Tough Love; Nathan's Paternity Suit; You Can't Tell Anyone; Stakeout; Claire the Freak; Jessica Gets Her Gun; Lyle's Secret.
Seven Minutes To Midnight: Appearances Can Be Deceiving; Eden's New Life; Matt and Janice Reminisce.
Homecoming: The Battle for Claire.
Six Months Ago: Dad Is Dead; Jessica Takes Care of Business.
DISC FOUR-SPECIAL FEATURES: Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.Picture-in-Picture Cast & Crew Video Commentary
Godsend with Jack Coleman, Leonard Roberts and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
The Fix with Greg Grunberg, Hayden Panettiere and Natalie Chaidez (Episode Writer and Co-Executive Producer).
Distractions with Milo Ventimiglia, Zachary Quinto, Greg Grunberg, Jeanot Szwarc (Episode Director), Jack Coleman and Michael Green (Episode Writer and Co-Executive Producer).EXTRAS:
DELETED SCENES
Fallout: Mohinder's Discovery.
Godsend: Claire's Media Moment; Peter's Awakening.
The Fix: The Dishonest Plumber.
Distractions: A Shock to the System; You're My Business; Niki's Homecoming.
DISC FIVE-SPECIAL FEATURES: Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.Picture-in-Picture Cast & Crew Video Commentary
Run! with Greg Grunberg and Kevin Chamberlin, Adam Armus and Kay Foster (Episode Writers and Supervising Producers).
Unexpected with Greg Beeman (Episode Director and Co-Executive Producer), Zachary Quinto, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Jeph Loeb (Episode Writer and Co-Executive Producer).
Company Man with Jack Coleman, Allan Arkush (Episode Director and Executive Producer) and Bryan Fuller (Co-Executive Producer and Episode Writer).
Parasite with Allan Arkush (Executive Producer), Jimmy Jean-Louis and Christopher Zatta (Episode Writer).EXTRAS:
DELETED SCENES
Run!: Mr. Bennet's Phone Calls; Janice Panics; The Haitian's Talent.
Company Man: Generation Gap; The Cover Up; Thompson's Mandate.
Parasite: Lonely Wolf. MIND READER
Put hero Matt Parkman's mind-reading abilities to the test with a series of simple math activities to reveal your hero.
DISC SIX-SPECIAL FEATURES: Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.Picture-in-Picture Cast & Crew Video Commentary
.07% with Chuck Kim (Episode Writer), Andrew Chambliss (Asst. to Tim Kring) and Timm Keppler (Asst. to Dennis Hammer)
Five Years Gone with Greg Grunberg, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Jack Coleman
The Hard Part with James Kyson Lee, Noah Gray-Cabey and Ian Quinn (Stunt Coordinator)
Landslide with Masi Oka, George Takei and Matthew ArmstrongEXTRAS:
DELETED SCENES
.07%: Linderman's Missing Sword
Five Years Gone: Old Friends
Landslide: Marty, That's An Order
DISC SEVEN-SPECIAL FEATURES: Character Connections
An interactive experience which lets fans follow their favorite heroes.The Helix Revealed
An interactive guide to the mysterious Helix symbol that keeps appearing throughout the show.Artwork Presentation
Immerse yourself in the artwork featured in the show in detail.Picture in Picture Video Commentary
How to Stop an Exploding Man with Tim Kring (Creator/Executive Producer & Episode Writer), Dennis Hammer (Executive Producer) and Allan Arkush (Executive Producer & Episode Director).EXTRAS:
MAKING OF
We take a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Heroes - from development to phenomenon.SPECIAL EFFECTS
Examines the flying scenes and other cool effects in the show.THE STUNTS
Examines the physical stunts in the show.PROFILE OF ARTIST TIM SALE
A look at the artist behind much of the artwork used in show.THE SCORE
Go behind the scenes with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman as they bring the Heroes world to life through their own special style of music.
**Italics denote DVD EXCLUSIVE
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7733

Added spoiler tags to make it easier to read and so it doesn't take up a whole page.

[GizmoGC]

Heroes HD DVD specs revealed:


http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7733

Added spoiler tags to make it easier to read and so it doesn't take up a whole page.

Yeah, HD DVD is totally dead :roll: :lol:

[CocheseUGA]

That's my problem with HD pricing: the combo format. It's supposed to be a way to ease people into the transition, but it's anywhere between $5-$10 more than the HD-only movies that are out there. Pricing should have been the same, and the people who have switched shouldn't have to pay a premium for content they will probably never use.

[Sporadic]

That's my problem with HD pricing: the combo format. It's supposed to be a way to ease people into the transition, but it's anywhere between $5-$10 more than the HD-only movies that are out there. Pricing should have been the same, and the people who have switched shouldn't have to pay a premium for content they will probably never use.

Just wait until TotalHD disc hit the market.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Hi_Def

At least you could use the other side with a combo. When these abortions hit the market, we are going to get a side that's impossible to use unless you have both and it holds less data.

[guyver2077]

finally got to see blood diamond...

not bad at all

[SteveMcQ]

Don't expect one for at least a year if ever. At this point, they are only re-releasing catalog titles as HD DVD only (Army of Darkness if the only one I can think of). Its $4 more, are you that cheap?It's not a matter of price. I just don't like not having disc art. I'm very picky when it comes to my discs, but I can't be around all the time when guests want to come in and watch my movies. At least with disc art, they know which side to be careful to not touch. I wish I could give people the benefit of the doubt with technology and taking care of other's belongings, but sadly, that is not the case. I hated the flippers at the onset of the DVD era and I hate them now.

[Deadpool]

I'm really excited since all of them will finally have the correct aspect ratio and not that fullscreen bullshit.

But Kubrick shot them that way... that's the way he wanted them presented.

*and on a side note all the Kubrick films and Twilight Zone are up for preorder on the Warner HV site. Hurry because i think the 20% off expires on tuesday.

WBWEL for 20% off

1 Troy Director's Cut (HD) HD-DVD $21.56
1 Clockwork Orange, A: Special Edition (Dbl HD) HD-DVD $15.96
1 Full Metal Jacket: Deluxe Edition (HD) HD-DVD $15.96
1 Shining, The: Special Edition (HD) HD-DVD $15.96
Product Total: $69.44
yeah baby!

[Sporadic]

But Kubrick shot them that way... that's the way he wanted them presented.

Negative.

Here's two good posts from a different forum that basically sums this up.

After the '70s (mostly), kubrick did all of his films in 1.37:1 Super 35 to be friendly to home video. the original camera negative is approximately 4:3 but he framed every shot to be friendly to 1.85:1 framing because he knew that most theaters would display it that way. so the original theatrical aspect ratios of "the shining," "full metal jacket" and "eyes wide shut" were 1.85:1 but the original camera negative and subsequent DVD and VHS presentations were all framed in 1.33:1. the upshot being that whether you did it in widescreen or fullscreen, you were getting an image the director framed with your ratio in mind.

in that sense, there is no real fixed original aspect ratio for those three movies. they all look magnificent in 1.33 and 1.78:1. it's been speculated that kubrick himself prefers the full camera negative ratio, and i'm actually pretty inclined to agree. maybe it's just because they were framed for a different ratio, but the square format framing is usually more attractive than the wide format framing in those three movies. that said, if you have a zooming DVD player and EWS, just use the zoom function and you'll see how well the 1.78:1 aspect ratio works for that film.

i think it's pretty telling of his talent as a director that he could frame for two totally different ratios so perfectly that either one of them will give you a better framed picture than most any other movie. he really was head and shoulders above the rest in that regard.

the super 35 thing is also only a consideration for those three movies. barry lyndon was shot in the oh-so-euro 1.66:1 aspect, as were lolita and a clockwork orange. 2001 and spartacus were done in 2.4:1 because, well, they're just more epic that way, and dr. strangelove was done in a variety of different aspect ratios because kubrick was bat sh*t crazy.

The idea that Kubrick composed his movies for 4:3 is a myth that has been debunked time and again. Storyboards for his movies specifically mention the 1.85:1 framing. People who worked in post-production on this movies have confirmed that only 1.85:1 footage was ever displayed during editing.

In addition, if you actually look at his movies, you can see that close-up shots of actors' faces are positioned much too low in the frame for the open-matte version, while in the 1.85:1 matting maintain the "Golden Rule" of placing the eyes 1/3 down from the top of the frame.

The reason Kubrick instructed the VHS and LD transfers of his movies to be open-matte back in the '80s was because he was a straight-up black bar hater. He had a peculiar notion that the bars themselves affected the viewer's perception of the movie, distancing them from the story, and wanted his TV screen filled instead.

Unfortunately, Kubrick died before the prevalence of 16:9 TVs, and we will never know his wishes for viewing his movies in High Definition. However, given his prior explanations, it stands to reason that pillarboxing his movies into the center of a 16:9 screen would have exactly that "distancing" effect that he was trying to avoid on 4:3 TVs.

William Friedkin is another director who used to be a black bar hater and demanded that all of his movies be transferred open-matte, until recent years where he has completely reversed course and started supervising widescreen transfers for his movies.

*and on a side note all the Kubrick films and Twilight Zone are up for preorder on the Warner HV site. Hurry because i think the 20% off expires on tuesday.

Shit, I thought I had more time then that. There is no way I can pass up all 5 for 80 but I wanted to grab Blade Runner too. :cry:

[Deadpool]

the original camera negative and subsequent DVD and VHS presentations were all framed in 1.33:1. the upshot being that whether you did it in widescreen or fullscreen, you were getting an image the director framed with your ratio in mind.

i'm not quite sure how that makes me wrong... isn't that what i said?

[Sporadic]

i'm not quite sure how that makes me wrong... isn't that what i said?

No, you said that was the way he shot them.

He shot in 1:85 for theaters and then had the rest of the negative exposed (which is why you can see the helicopter blades in The Shining) for home video since he couldn't stand black bars and didn't want to pan-and-scan.

[Deadpool]

Sorry i misspoke. He "framed" them that way while he was filming knowing the way they would be presented in the home market.

[guyver2077]

well looks like its time for my next wb order as they have new additions im interested in..

troy directors cut
smallville season 6 (im contemplating what format to get this on since br version is on one less disc)

they also have the "best of" hd dvd series up..

im waiting for them to add return to haunted hill

[guyver2077]

yes!

300 has arrived!

[porieux]

Yeah Kubrick needed some friends with good home theater setups to set him straight LOL. There is no question that the theatrical presentations are the preferred versions. The full frame are a 'compromise' better left to history, IMO.

Now to use my $24 CC GC to get 300 HD.

[LinkinPrime]

yes!

300 has arrived!

Whatever...fucking WB barely shipped mine today. I'll be seeing it sometime on Friday or Saturday.

[guyver2077]

Whatever...fucking WB barely shipped mine today. I'll be seeing it sometime on Friday or Saturday.

strange..when did you order? wb have been always perfect with preorders

[thrustbucket]

Anybody bought Nomad? I have heard it's actually pretty cool. I think I may blind buy it just because it's rare getting to see movie like that without knowing shit about it.

[thrustbucket]

strange..when did you order? wb have been always perfect with preorders

I ordered mine at the end of May from WHV and it still hasn't shipped.

[LinkinPrime]

strange..when did you order? wb have been always perfect with preorders
6/12...Maybe they are just slow for us Californians :cry:

I got my Matrix set late in the release week as well when I ordered 2 months in advance. I've never gotten anything from them before release date.

[Sporadic]

Whatever...fucking WB barely shipped mine today. I'll be seeing it sometime on Friday or Saturday.

:booty:

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1900/300ka7.jpg

[guyver2077]

:booty:

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1900/300ka7.jpg

i was going to do that too but didnt wanna rub it in..


i think my movie was shipped from cali too

[Sporadic]

i was going to do that too but didnt wanna rub it in..


i think my movie was shipped from cali too

:)

Yeah, mine shipped from SYLMAR, CA

[captainfrizo]

Those bastards at UPS have the shipping delivery for 300 set for Wednesday (the fifth day in transit). Now, that normally wouldn't be a big deal but I've had other packages mailed from CA and they've got here in two days (via UPS and their cheapest shipping method). I don't know what would cause a 3 day difference.

What can Brown do for you? Get my shit here in a more consistent manner.

[rsigley]

lil disappointed on the lack of special features on blue planet

darkman looks really good tho

just got email that my TMNT shipped

love dvd pacific

[LinkinPrime]

That's sad, they come from California and I get them days later then you East Coasters...Booo!

I'll be picking up my mini Spartan Helmet tomorrow from Best Buy, and selling the DVD to a co-worker for $15
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/betterthingA/300-DVD-Hel.jpg

[Sporadic]

lil disappointed on the lack of special features on blue planet


I thought it was pretty cool how they included the whole "The Dream Is Alive" movie.

They packed alot on to that 15GB disc.

[guyver2077]

that helmet looks bad ass... what do you have to buy to get it?

[Trakan]

that helmet looks bad ass... what do you have to buy to get it?

$35 edition at BB.

[guyver2077]

crap.. and i bet they dont give it away with a hd dvd purchase in store

[LinkinPrime]

crap.. and i bet they dont give it away with a hd dvd purchase in store

Nope...that's why I have to buy both. I want that helmet. At Comic-Con in San Diego they were selling this one:
http://i5.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/ac/7a/b497_1.JPG

[GizmoGC]

crap.. and i bet they dont give it away with a hd dvd purchase in store

Its packaged with the DVD...so not gonna happen.

I'm torn if I should buy THAT and the HD DVD version...but I'll pass most likley on the SD version.

Tomorrow is gonna suck.

Shaun of the Dead
Hot Fuzz
300

Ugh.

[guyver2077]

hows that shaun of the dead... ive heard many ppl talk about it but i dont think ive seen it..

shooter is coming out too

[Sporadic]

hows that shaun of the dead... ive heard many ppl talk about it but i dont think ive seen it..

Hilarious movie made specifically for zombie fanatics (be sure to watch the original Of The Dead series first) but the way they filmed it doesn't really benefit from HD.

[GizmoGC]

hows that shaun of the dead... ive heard many ppl talk about it but i dont think ive seen it..

shooter is coming out too

As a fan of the 'Dead' movies I enjoyed it. Sold my SD months ago in anticipation.

As for Shooter, I have no idea what its about, but my Blockbuster was selling both versions of it last week.

[LinkinPrime]

As a fan of the 'Dead' movies I enjoyed it. Sold my SD months ago in anticipation.

As for Shooter, I have no idea what its about, but my Blockbuster was selling both versions of it last week.

Shooter was bad ass. Here's the concept:

The best Sniper the US ever had retired but the government seeks him out for advise to find a sniper that's trying to kill the president...but it turns out to be a scam and he's actually framed for the shooting. Seem's cliche but its a really fun movie.

[rsigley]

I thought it was pretty cool how they included the whole "The Dream Is Alive" movie.

They packed alot on to that 15GB disc.

yea i liked that

i just always feel cheated with the imax movies cause they're usually very good but short

guess i'm spoiled by most movies having like 10 hours of just extras now

i know this is HD DVD thread, but the Mars Blu Ray disk is really bad.

most of the movie just looks like its in SD, then random shots are very high quality hd

[LinkinPrime]

I just checked myexpresscheckout.com and I'm getting 300 today! Atleast this time I got it on the release date...nothing yet on TMNT.

[Sporadic]

Oh dear god, Blade Runner is up on Warner's store

Blade Runner: 5-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition = $79.95 (http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=22952)
Blade Runner: Complete Collector's Edition = $29.95 (http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=22944)

The only difference that I know of is the packaging and remember 20% off with WBWEL!

[SteveMcQ]

Oh dear god, Blade Runner is up on Warner's store

Blade Runner: 5-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition = $79.95 (http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=22952)
Blade Runner: Complete Collector's Edition = $29.95 (http://whv.warnerbros.com/WHVPORTAL/Portal/product.jsp?OID=22944)

The only difference that I know of is the packaging and remember 20% off with WBWEL!Is the first set all consisting of single-sided discs like the Complete Matrix Trilogy, or are they double-sided like the Ultimate Matrix set? Not sure if those were mentioned in the press releases.

[rsigley]

Is the first set all consisting of single-sided discs like the Complete Matrix Trilogy, or are they double-sided like the Ultimate Matrix set? Not sure if those were mentioned in the press releases.


they look like single sided in this picture

http://www.acquiremag.com/2007/07/26/bladerunner5discultimatedvd.jpg

[asianxcore]

the Comic-Con exclusive of the 300 2-disc SD release is awesome. I'd rather have that than the Spartan helmet.

I was interested in Shooter when I saw the trailer in theaters, but never caught it during it's run. Might have to give it a rent.

I just picked up 300 and Hot Fuzz (both HD-DVD) today. Probably will watch them later on tonight.

[Sporadic]

Is the first set all consisting of single-sided discs like the Complete Matrix Trilogy, or are they double-sided like the Ultimate Matrix set? Not sure if those were mentioned in the press releases.

From what I read, they are all single sided. The only difference between the two are purely cosmetic.

[guyver2077]

yea theres def a few good warner titles to choose from now... waiting for them to add haunted hill....

been waiting a while to se smallville season 6

we need a deal on heroes dammit!!

[LinkinPrime]

Yup...got 300 today. I'll be watching it tonight hopefully!

[guyver2077]

sad to see br version outselling.... im telling you that the combo disk is killing hd

[LinkinPrime]

sad to see br version outselling.... im telling you that the combo disk is killing hd

What do you mean...like you personally saw it in stores? Or do they have numbers already?

How's Hot Fuss? I almost got it at Best Buy for $29.99...does it have cool explosions and action sequences...hows the PQ...Is $29.99 as cheap as it gets...sorry, haven't been following that movie or Shawn of the Dead...I've never seen them.

[guyver2077]

What do you mean...like you personally saw it in stores? Or do they have numbers already?

How's Hot Fuss? I almost got it at Best Buy for $29.99...does it have cool explosions and action sequences...hows the PQ...Is $29.99 as cheap as it gets...sorry, haven't been following that movie or Shawn of the Dead...I've never seen them.


just by daily monitoring thedvdwars.com... br version is currently 2 and hd 4 on amazon

in store... im predicting a total blowout for br ....in store prices are even worse..and people will usually go with the cheapest version..
ive said it a million times... these combo disks are holding the format back...

the same thing will happen to 300 that happenned to superman returns and departed.... the br version will outsell because of the $5 difference



shaun of the dead shipped from my netflix queue today

[thrustbucket]

What do you mean...like you personally saw it in stores? Or do they have numbers already?

How's Hot Fuss? I almost got it at Best Buy for $29.99...does it have cool explosions and action sequences...hows the PQ...Is $29.99 as cheap as it gets...sorry, haven't been following that movie or Shawn of the Dead...I've never seen them.

I saw hot fuzz at walmart for 25.99 and made FYE match it because I have an FYE card.

You will like Hot Fuzz if you liked Shaun of the Dead. If you haven't seen Shaun, then you will like both if you generally like british comedies.

[Sporadic]

How's Hot Fuss? I almost got it at Best Buy for $29.99...does it have cool explosions and action sequences...hows the PQ...Is $29.99 as cheap as it gets...sorry, haven't been following that movie or Shawn of the Dead...I've never seen them.

PQ wise I would put it on par with The Departed

It's a great movie that lampoons the action genre and is almost pure action for the last 20 minutes.

I don't remember any explosions but there is a ton of gunfights.

[TheRock88]

Picked up 300 today at Target for $30. Going to pick up Hot Fuzz tomorrow from either Fry's or BB.

And Linkin, I would also recommend Hot Fuzz. Saw it when it was in theaters and it's one of my favorite movies of the year so far.

[Requiem]

I also hate the dual combo disc. It's so worthless and actually prevents me from buying some movies I wanted due to insane prices. i still havent seen Miami Vice and wanted to get the HD movie, but the tacked on SD version raises the price by almost $10.

I hope they kill this combo idea.

[thrustbucket]

I hope they kill this combo idea.

On the contrary, I am hoping HD DVD studios drop DVD's all-together and only release combos. This would automatically drop the price too.

[GizmoGC]

Shooter was bad ass. Here's the concept:

The best Sniper the US ever had retired but the government seeks him out for advise to find a sniper that's trying to kill the president...but it turns out to be a scam and he's actually framed for the shooting. Seem's cliche but its a really fun movie.

Sounds decent. I'll rent it from Blockbuster.

[SteveMcQ]

300
Children of Men
Tokyo Drift
Shaun of the Dead
Hot Fuzz
The Departed*

Just a few movies I've wanted to buy, but held off on 'cause I hate damn combo disks. It's not so much the price, but I hate flippers. HD group, please get with it and get rid of these things. Thanks.

*Eventually purchased this on Blu-Ray.

[dastly75]

All they need to do is lower the price of the combo discs to the same price as regular non combo discs. Then they should just make all of the discs combo discs.

[Layd Dly]

i know personally ill buy on blurray due to price why spend more money for essentially the same thing. ill never ever use the dvd side, and i dont let others borrow movies or games to begin with so that bears no weight on it.

[guyver2077]

yea and ofcourse the generic look of combo disks suck.... they need to go

[doubledown]

I think the fact that Blu-Ray has a huge market share with the PS3 price drop is why 300 is selling more on BR. I personally enjoy Blu-Ray more as I have a PS3 with 1080p, while my 360 HD-DVD does 1080i...not a BIG deal, but the PS3 seems to handle it a bit better. Although, I support both formats.

[guyver2077]

i was actually wondering why they havent made a black add on for the 360.

i have the elite and the ps3.. i usually only get the exclusives on br and the rest on hd

[chair_home]

i know personally ill buy on blurray due to price why spend more money for essentially the same thing. ill never ever use the dvd side, and i dont let others borrow movies or games to begin with so that bears no weight on it.

If you're getting it for just the movie, this is true. There's an exclusive HD-DVD game which I tried last night and is pretty crappy, but the HD-DVD version has the picture in picture commentary (which shows the blue screen version of every shot), which I thought was pretty cool.

[guyver2077]

i havent been able to try out the picture commentary yet but the game was pretty blah.. i dont even understand it

[LinkinPrime]

Saw 300 last night...Awesome PQ, and sound...loved it. The PIP was really cool as well, never seen anything like that. I'm not a person that goes through the extras or commentaries but its still a very cool special feature.

[guyver2077]

i was somewhat bothered by all the grain in 300... i was expecting alot more but they said that its intended to look like that

[LinkinPrime]

i was somewhat bothered by all the grain in 300... i was expecting alot more but they said that its intended to look like that

It is. If you watch the PIP, you'll notice that so much detail is removed, the dirt marks on character faces were all done by special effects and not make up, you'll also notice that there's absolutely no grain whatsoever.

[asianxcore]

i was somewhat bothered by all the grain in 300... i was expecting alot more but they said that its intended to look like that

Synder was attempting to make the film look like the panels in Miller's novel. In the end the film is highly stylized.

The grain is meant to be there as Linkin Prime said. I'm surprised you didn't mention how desaturated the film looks or how blown out the contrast is. Of course both were also intended :)

I need to finish watching the movie.

[seanr1221]

Yea, when I first saw the grain (BR version) I was like wtf? And then I realized it's on purpose :lol:

[guyver2077]

hot fuzz got a great review... now it got me interested..

too bad its univeral and a combo... meaning it wont come cheap

[thrustbucket]

hot fuzz got a great review... now it got me interested..

too bad its univeral and a combo... meaning it wont come cheap
25 bucks at walmart

[guyver2077]

i dont even think my walmart has hi def discs

[terribledeli]

My wife's store received zero copies of Hot Fuzz on HD this week. It does not bode well for TMNT next week.

[guyver2077]

yea i should get the tmnt shipped confirmation from warner soon....lets see how tmnt does..

[rabidmonkeys]

I've seen and owned more movies then most. Having said that, 300 HD is the single best dvd in my collection. If this is the future of movies, I can't wait. It looks SO GOOD and I'm watching it in 1080p upscaled from 720p because I didn't get an elite yet. I can't wait to watch it with a pure 1080p signal. The transfer is spot on, no problem with any colors or halos, no artifacts. It is pure gold. The thing that sucks is that no where in austin had the the HD DVD version!

Two different best buys were sold out and so were both targets. I finally got the last copy at Circuit City. The bullshit part is that on two different occasions, while i stood there, someone also asked for the HDDVD version and was told they were out and they bought the BluRay version instead. So I wonder how much of this title's sales figures are going to be based on second choice purchasing instead of true consumer intent. Also, WTF is up with these stores under-ordering so deeply? Why is it that they had stacks of Blu but were sold out of HD?

Earlier you guys were complaining about combo discs. I made that argument here on the BD vs HD forum and got blasted for it, but i still believe it to be 100% true. I'm happy with this disc, but that combo format is going to kill us all in the long run.

[TheRock88]

Just picked up the second to last copy of Hot Fuzz at CC. Got them to PM the BB ad, cant wait to pop it in later tonight.

As for 300, watched it this morning with my brother and it was simply amazing in HD. This was a very good week for HD.

[asianxcore]

too bad its univeral and a combo... meaning it wont come cheap

not as cheap as Walmart, but I picked my copy of Hot Fuzz at Target for $29.99

rabidmonkey, I don't think stores (minus mom&pop) order their products anymore. when I worked at TRU, we were on an instant replenishment system. what that meant was that if we were out of something, if our inventory numbers were right, we were automatically sent X amount of said item.

we also were sent all of our products (I worked in the R-Zone) with amounts thats were never known to us. I know the guy who worked our DVD section at the time, just got random boxes filled with all kinds of different DVD titles.

pretty much nothing is really ordered, it's all in the hands of the wherehouse of whoever distributes for retail store X

hell, my local Target got maybe 20+ BD copies of 300 but only around 6-8 copies on HD-DVD. also even though Hot Fuzz is only on HD-DVD/SD, they only received 3 copies of the HD release.

[guyver2077]

i wish i could talk with the marketing and manufacturing geniouses at camp hd dvd....

29.99 is more then i would pay for a movie unless its a high catalog release...

i never by instore.... with pirates and lebowski being the only exceptions.

we really need to find a way to get deals on these universal movies...atleast warner gives us 20%..the universal store prices are ridiculous

[thrustbucket]

I can't wait. It looks SO GOOD and I'm watching it in 1080p upscaled from 720p because I didn't get an elite yet.


I really hope if you have a 1080p TV, and you don't have a VGA in on it, that you are at least sending it a 1080i signal and not 720p.

[guyver2077]

my tmnt has shipped! yes!

[LinkinPrime]

my tmnt has shipped! yes!

Damn you! Mine for sure won't ship till atleast Monday, and I know I won't be getting Disturbia from Buy.com for atleast a week or two after as well.

[captainfrizo]

300 looks incredible on HD-DVD.

[guyver2077]

Damn you! Mine for sure won't ship till atleast Monday, and I know I won't be getting Disturbia from Buy.com for atleast a week or two after as well.

fuck i just remembered i will be out of town on monday so i wont even get to see it until tuesday ..lol

[guyver2077]

just finished watching the rundown on hd... pretty cool movie and looked good...

[Sporadic]

300 looks incredible on HD-DVD.

Agreed.

Too bad the movie was lame.

I'm amazed it got such rave reviews. It's so cliche it's sicken and the slow-mo battle scenes got old less than 5 minutes in.

[thrustbucket]

Agreed.

Too bad the movie was lame.

I'm amazed it got such rave reviews. It's so cliche it's sicken and the slow-mo battle scenes got old less than 5 minutes in.

The first slow mo battle scene was about 20 minutes in. And I think the point, kinda, was to be cliche.

[rabidmonkeys]

I really hope if you have a 1080p TV, and you don't have a VGA in on it, that you are at least sending it a 1080i signal and not 720p.

Never. On a 1080p TV you would notice the difference right away. The 1080i stuff tears vertically in high motion and just over does not look as crisp. And I would never, ever use VGA for a 1080p signal, especially when watching movies.

[thrustbucket]

Never. On a 1080p TV you would notice the difference right away. The 1080i stuff tears vertically in high motion and just over does not look as crisp.
Maybe. But I've never noticed.

And I would never, ever use VGA for a 1080p signal, especially when watching movies.
Why? Is this some specific problem to your own TV? My picture looks much better since switching to VGA from Component on my DLP projector. Many people feel VGA looks better than HDMI, if a TV supports it. I'm curious as to what is with your tv that you it would look so bad.

[rabidmonkeys]

I have a smaller 1080p monitor that also accepts VGA and component. The VGA is washed out, I assumed the same would happen on my 46". I would never use that for a primary source, not when HDMI looks so good and component with digital audio looks the same to me. But to be honest, it never occurred to me to try until you brought it up again because of my poor experience on a smaller screen. I can definitely test it and see, thanks for the suggestion.

[Ruined]

Never. On a 1080p TV you would notice the difference right away. The 1080i stuff tears vertically in high motion and just over does not look as crisp. And I would never, ever use VGA for a 1080p signal, especially when watching movies.

1080i stuff will only tear if your HDTV is especially poor at 1080i deinterlacing. When transmitted at 1080i, HD DVD movies are encoded in 3:2 cadence and all of the same information from a 1080p signal is in that 1080i signal - just organized differently. So, the only time it will look worse is if your TV is poor at "reorganizing" the 1080i signal - however if it is good at this process (known as Inverse Telecine) you will not be able to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p.

Note this is different with gaming and broadcast TV because they are not encoded with 3:2 cadence and sometimes they are encoded incorrectly unlike HD DVD.

Because of this, with most modern sets you will get the best results by using 720p for gaming and either 1080i or 1080p for HD DVD movies.

[LinkinPrime]

XBOX360 HD DVD Player Sales Rise above 1,000%

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.xbox360fanboy.com/media/2007/08/hddvd360salesrise.jpg (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/08/02/xbox-360-hd-dvd-player-sales-rise-1-000/)

Obviously due to the price drop and the 5 free HD DVD's...nice sales hike, hope it lasts a while.

[thrustbucket]

I have a smaller 1080p monitor that also accepts VGA and component. The VGA is washed out, I assumed the same would happen on my 46". I would never use that for a primary source, not when HDMI looks so good and component with digital audio looks the same to me. But to be honest, it never occurred to me to try until you brought it up again because of my poor experience on a smaller screen. I can definitely test it and see, thanks for the suggestion.

Your welcome.

One more thing, that 'washed out' problem with the VGA cable was fixed with the spring dashboard update. There are also now settings in the system blade under display for helping to tweak it further. Apparently it was found that some TV's accept VGA signals wrong which is why they look washed out. So there are three settings for helping with this now in the system blade.

[rsigley]

does this mean i'm done abusing google check out, or was it just another error? anyone get this before?



Buy.com has cancelled your order. Your credit card was not charged.

* Reason: Other (describe below)

* Comments from Buy.com: "Canceled by Google 02"

[terribledeli]

My wife called a little while ago to say that her store (Best Buy) received their shipment of Hot Fuzz HD-DVD/DVD discs tonight. She said about 15 showed up.

Hope returns of TMNT arriving at her store next week. Hooray

[thisjustanother]

i have been debating if i should buy the player or not with the release of 300 and hot fuzz of course just like everyone else im sure. but im just not sure about hd and all. is it better then blu ray is it worth the money. i just dont want to wait a month and find out that i made a crappy purchase and regret wasting that much money on it.

[KaneRobot]

Ideally you'd want both (Blu-Ray and HD DVD), but the add-on is a pretty fucking nice thing to have right now with the price drop and free movies. Don't let the Sony press releases sway you, HD DVD isn't going anywhere for quite a while. More likely we'll just see dual format players become affordable and the format war will become fairly irrelevant, at least to consumers.

It's not "better than Blu-Ray" really as far as video or audio quality, the two formats are (usually) the same (*EDIT* - that was kind of dumb to say, as thus far HD DVD has offered higher quality audio on several dual format titles. However, Blu-Ray is also beginning to catch up in that respect as well). The majority of dual format releases now use the exact same encode, so they will look the same. HD DVD is capable of a few more features than Blu-Ray right now (most notably internet connectivity for special features, which is kind of cool), but Blu-Ray should be catching up on that by the end of the year.

For me it was about saving money. I'll be glad to buy a Blu-Ray player later on, I'm sure they are not going anywhere. It's just not worth 500 bucks to me to be able to watch the same movies with a nicer picture. When I got the HD DVD add on, I got it for 160 bucks and it came with a movie and remote. It was a no-brainer there and a minimal "risk" as an investment. Getting it for 180 bucks with 5 movies (or 6 if they still include King Kong) and a remote is a really nice deal. I'd go for it, since I'm assuming you have an HDTV. The HD DVD title lineup is already pretty nice and it will only get better as we head into the holidays.

[thisjustanother]

the thing is i hardly buy anything. i even have a hard time buying food/drinks, let alone electronics. i went into 5 stores looking at dvd/cds and games in the intent to buy something but came out with nothing cause i just have a hard time buying anything.

the hd movies are quite expensive in my eyes. 30-35 bux for one movie? shesh.

[Sporadic]

the thing is i hardly buy anything. i even have a hard time buying food/drinks, let alone electronics. i went into 5 stores looking at dvd/cds and games in the intent to buy something but came out with nothing cause i just have a hard time buying anything.

the hd movies are quite expensive in my eyes. 30-35 bux for one movie? shesh.

Don't buy movies B&M

Amazon has all of the HD-DVDs besides combos (which are 27.95) for 19.95

If you hardly buy anything, get a Blockbuster Online or Netflix account. They both have HD-DVD available and a pretty decent selection.

[thisjustanother]

i would do the blockbuster/netflix thing but i just hate the idea of monthly pay stuff. i have a hard time paying my mmo account let alone doing a movie thing like that.

[magiic]

Sounds like you are not in a financial position to be getting the HD player and movies for it.

[thisjustanother]

nah, i am doing decent with money. i just have a hard time buying accessories.

[Sporadic]

Sounds like you are not in a financial position to be getting the HD player and movies for it.

Really.

We gave you the options and you aren't down with any of them.

Why did you even ask in the first place if you are pigheadedly against getting one?

[drone8888]

I think he just wants to be titled a true "CAG". Unfortunately, you have to take advantage of, or post deals to even qualify. Trolling or perusing without actually living like a CAG is just sick.... sick like stalker fetish serial killer sick@!!@!!@@!

Get one you cheap bastard, you don't need permission, live a little.

[Sporadic]

I think he just wants to be titled a true "CAG". Unfortunately, you have to take advantage of, or post deals to even qualify. Trolling or perusing without actually living like a CAG is just sick.... sick like stalker fetish serial killer sick@!!@!!@@!

Get one you cheap bastard, you don't need permission, live a little.

You don't get much more cheap ass than buying the add-on that comes with 6 movies and then paying 16 a month to get 3 HD-DVDs out at a time.

[thrustbucket]

If you are that tight with your money, to the point that renting is even painful, then the HD movie market is not for you.

The 5 free movies are worth over $200 so $150 (at BB) for the HD DVD add-on is a no-brainer for any movie buff.

[geko29]

Never. On a 1080p TV you would notice the difference right away. The 1080i stuff tears vertically in high motion and just over does not look as crisp.
Then your TV sucks. 1080i off of HD DVD or Blu-Ray contains EVERY SINGLE BIT of information that a 1080p signal does. Any halfway-decent deinterlacer will generate a perfect 1080p image. Unfortunately, many lower-end TVs have piss-poor deinterlacers, and completely narf up the image.

Or were you talking about 1080i broadcast, which DOES tear in motion, because the SOURCE is interlaced. With a progressive source material, proper re-assembly of the progressive signal is completely indistinguishable from receiving a progressive signal in the first place.

In fact, your 360 is doing EXACTLY what your TV is SUPPOSED to be doing. When you set it for 720p, it's taking the 1080p/24, doing an inverse tecline to 1080i/60, deinterlacing to 1080p/30, then scaling down to 720p/30. If you set your 360 to 1080i output, the results are the same, except there's no scaling (and consequential loss of HALF of the information on the disc), and the TV is doing the deinterlace from 1080i/60-->1080p/30

And I would never, ever use VGA for a 1080p signal, especially when watching movies.
A properly calibrated VGA input looks FANTASTIC. In fact, on my Westinghouse 37" it looks better than my component input (both at 1080p). For HD DVD, there's no contest, since my set (like yours apparently) has a piece of shit deinterlacer, so VGA looks 100x better.

[rabidmonkeys]

Then your TV sucks. 1080i off of HD DVD or Blu-Ray contains EVERY SINGLE BIT of information that a 1080p signal does.


In fact, your 360 is doing EXACTLY what your TV is SUPPOSED to be doing. When you set it for 720p, it's taking the 1080p/24, doing an inverse tecline to 1080i/60, deinterlacing to 1080p/30, then scaling down to 720p/30. If you set your 360 to 1080i output, the results are the same, except there's no scaling (and consequential loss of HALF of the information on the disc), and the TV is doing the deinterlace from 1080i/60-->1080p/30

WTF are you talking about? Did I say that my xbox was working weirdly? Or not as intended? My television upscales all non 1080p sources to 1080p. Hence, my original comment of wanting an elite, to get 1080p source straight through to HDMI and into a 1080p native tv.

If you think that there is no difference between 1080i and 1080p you need more first hand experience. I've had two 1080p TVs sitting next to each other with multiple copies of the same dvds and hd dvds on both and I can assure you that 1080p blows 1080i out of the water.

PS I'd watch your tone on this board, especially being a noob. We are all friends here or at least try to be. And I would never attack another man's setup.

[guyver2077]

man i really need to get a 1080p set ...

i dont even think ive had my current 1080i lcd for a year yet....

[armyjon99]

That shooter movie anygood or bargian bin material?

[Ruined]

WTF are you talking about? Did I say that my xbox was working weirdly? Or not as intended? My television upscales all non 1080p sources to 1080p. Hence, my original comment of wanting an elite, to get 1080p source straight through to HDMI and into a 1080p native tv.

If you think that there is no difference between 1080i and 1080p you need more first hand experience. I've had two 1080p TVs sitting next to each other with multiple copies of the same dvds and hd dvds on both and I can assure you that 1080p blows 1080i out of the water.

PS I'd watch your tone on this board, especially being a noob. We are all friends here or at least try to be. And I would never attack another man's setup.

I don't think he was trying to attack your setup, but it is true that if an HD DVD signal transmitted at 1080i looks worse than the same signal transmitted at 1080p on your 1080p HDTV, that simply means the inverse telecine processor on your HDTV is of low quality.

Lots of high end setups use HD DVD/Blu-Ray output at 1080i even from 1080p players because the high end scalers like Lumagen all give the best picture quality from 1080i input (1080i60 converted to 1080p24 through inverse telecine).

He is right that every single pixel of a 1080p signal is stored with no loss in quality in a 1080i signal, provided that the 1080i signal is encoded properly as it is on HD DVD (often Cable and Videogame sources do not have proper cadence). Therefore, if the 1080i output does look worse on your HDTV, that is simply a function of a low quality processor on your HDTV.

Now, realize that this does not mean that a 1080i HDTV looks identical to a 1080p TV. 1080p as a TV display technology does look better than 1080i when speaking in terms of the TV display itself. It would be optimal for the TV to display in a multiple of 1080p24 (unfortunately most 1080p TVs display at 1080p60 which results in jerky pans).

However, that being said, in terms of signal transmission, if your HDTV's processor is of high quality it will make zero difference if the signal is transmitted at 1080i or 1080p, because in the end they will both look the same as they essentially have the exact same picture info simply ordered differently and the 1080i signal would have been converted to 1080p without loss.

Therefore, if you say "1080i output from HD DVD looks worse than 1080p output from HD DVD" you are essentially saying "my 1080p TV has a low quality video processor." On the other hand, if you say "1080p HDTVs look better than 1080i HDTVs" you'd be on target as this is a different beast altogether :)

[bill123]

I didn't see it mentioned anywhere but over at xploitedcinema it looks like they just added American Haunting and The Island to the list of now availble HD-DVDs. Anyone hear if the transfer for Island is any good? I loved that movie and bet it would look fantastic in HD.

thanks,
bill123

[terribledeli]

While it semi related to a discussion we were having earlier, I may be jumping ship to Camp blu-ray sooner than expected. I guess there was a rumor floating around that Disney is going to be offering two different Platinum releases each year now. One on regular DVD, one on blu-ray. I know Pinocchio is due out in 2008, but a document floating around lists Sleeping Beauty as the Blu-ray Platinum release. Since Sleeping Beauty is my wife's favorite animated film of all time, I'm afraid I may break my stance.

I didn't realize all the excellent reviews Hot Fuzz was receiving. I'm a tad disappointed that Shaun didn't receive the bonus content from the UK DVD release though. Does anyone think it'll be worth waiting for the UK HD DVD release? If one is even coming.

[Sporadic]

I'm selling some HD-DVDs in the trading forum.

http://cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147365

:)

[guyver2077]

yea unfortunately i have no choice but to get the spidey trilogy and pirates on br....those are must haves...

i dont know what if anything hd has lined up to counter spidey...

[Sporadic]

yea unfortunately i have no choice but to get the spidey trilogy and pirates on br....those are must haves...

i dont know what if anything hd has lined up to counter spidey...

I think The Bourne Ultimatum is set for release sometime around there.

Same with Evan Almighty and Chuck & Larry

- fake edit Yeah.

11/6 - Evan Almighty

11/20 - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

12/11 - The Bourne Ultimatum

[guyver2077]

I think The Bourne Ultimatum is set for release sometime around there.

Same with Evan Almighty and Chuck & Larry

- fake edit Yeah.

11/6 - Evan Almighty

11/20 - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

12/11 - The Bourne Ultimatum

cmon...are you kidding... those wont make a dent

[thrustbucket]

cmon...are you kidding... those wont make a dent

I'd actually prefer those movies (minus chuck and larry) to own over Pirates and Spiderman. But too each his own....

[guyver2077]

while they are probably good movies... they wont sell anywhere near pirates or spidey..plus br also has matrix this holiday...


i predict a sad sales holiday season for hd

[SteveMcQ]

Did they even advertise that Matrix was now out on HD? I think I've seen more Bridge to Terabithia on BR commercials than HD-only movie commercials.

[LinkinPrime]

while they are probably good movies... they wont sell anywhere near pirates or spidey..plus br also has matrix this holiday...


i predict a sad sales holiday season for hd

I'm wondering how good they will sell...no one seemed to like Spidey 3 or Pirates 3.

[LinkinPrime]

Is anyone having any sound problems with 300? When I play it, the action scenes are fine but then the talking scenes are extremely low volume....Is this normal?

EDIT: I saw that you posted this Spordic over at Hidefdigest forums:

Futurama coming to HD DVD?
Just read this

It's been known for some time that Futurama was coming back, almost certainly in the form of four feature length films. Finally at Comic-Con we got the entire scoop. There will indeed be four movies, shot in wide screen, released straight to DVD & Hi-Def DVD. The first film, 'Bender's Big Score' will be released on November 27th.
http://www.tvblogger.org/2007/07/comic-con-futurama-is-clear.html

Hopefully that isn't a mistake. Doesn't Fox still have the rights or did a different company pick them up?
Just wondering why you didnt give us the heads up here ;)

[asianxcore]

I guess there was a rumor floating around that Disney is going to be offering two different Platinum releases each year now. One on regular DVD, one on blu-ray

Aren't all of the previous Platinum releases in the vault? I thought Disney had some weird thing where once they went in they never came out.

The only "classics" they have yet to re-release are the Jungle Book (out in Oct.) and Pinocchio.

[Duo_Maxwell]

Last I checked Fox still holds the DVD rights to the new Futurama releases. So unless something totally unforseen happens they won't be on HD DVD. My guess is the reporter wasn't explaining things too well and (at least in his mind) "Hi-Def DVD" could technically be Blu-ray as well.

[LinkinPrime]

Last I checked Fox still holds the DVD rights to the new Futurama releases. So unless something totally unforseen happens they won't be on HD DVD. My guess is the reporter wasn't explaining things too well and (at least in his mind) "Hi-Def DVD" could technically be Blu-ray as well.

Well...the new episodes/movie is going to be on Comedy Central, which may mean that they bought the new stuff. Comedy Central is owned by HBO last time I checked. So it could be coming out for both.

[Duo_Maxwell]

Aren't all of the previous Platinum releases in the vault? I thought Disney had some weird thing where once they went in they never came out.

The only "classics" they have yet to re-release are the Jungle Book (out in Oct.) and Pinocchio.

Nah that's what they actually want everyone to think (Hence the it's your last chance to own..." commercials). There's somekind of time release on the vault films (possibly 10 years, I'm not exactly sure). I think the Platinum releases on some kind of planned schedule thing through 2010 also.

[Duo_Maxwell]

Well...the new episodes/movie is going to be on Comedy Central, which may mean that they bought the new stuff. Comedy Central is owned by HBO last time I checked. So it could be coming out for both.

That's not how it works. TV rights get sold to someone and DVD rights can get sold to someone else (or retained possibly). Look it up if you like, something may have changed just recently, but everyplace I've seen has said Fox indeed is distributing the direct to video releases.