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

Status
Not open for further replies.
I love Band of Brothers, but I'm kind of torn - I almost think it would look worse in HD....it's obvious that the look of that show is not necessarily meant to be all sharp and clear looking.

Still tempting though.
 
Does the ultimate Matrix HD-DVD set contain the Animatrix??? It seems that it will not be included but I need some clarification...
 
[quote name='oasisboy']Does the ultimate Matrix HD-DVD set contain the Animatrix??? It seems that it will not be included but I need some clarification...[/QUOTE]

Yeah I'm pretty sure I read that its on there but not in HD.
 
[quote name='oasisboy']Thanks for the info. I am defenitely in for Ultimate Matrix. My final question is, where is the cheapest place to pre-order it? Amazon.com seems to be the best deal at the moment ($83.95 shipped)

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Matr...3-4984042?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1175900253&sr=8-1[/QUOTE]

It's back just one page. Post 698. That's going to be the best deal you're going to get on just about any Warner HD DVD for the time being.

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2808499&postcount=698
 
Which movie should I blind buy?

The Fountain or Breach?

I love Darren Aronofsky's past work but there is something about Breach that really makes me want to watch it.
 
Oh and the Fountain apparently got a new cover.

7a9e569a1d38c897c12f00enu8.jpg
 
[quote name='Sporadic']Which movie should I blind buy?

The Fountain or Breach?

I love Darren Aronofsky's past work but there is something about Breach that really makes me want to watch it.[/QUOTE]

I saw both. The Breach is interesting, but has absolutely no action. It's just a drama.

The fountain I saw with like 10 other people and they all hated it. But I actually liked it. It's very different, and very strange. Quite a trip.

I'd choose the fountain out of those two for a blind buy.
 
[quote name='guyver2077']id prob be more pumped for it if it wasnt a combo disk..[/QUOTE]

fuckin' A, thanks for letting me know...

Oh well, it'll be worth it.
 
[quote name='guyver2077']got my scanner darkly and payback today...[/QUOTE]

my scanner darkly came in today as well....

also, am i the only one that doesn't mind a combo disc?
 
[quote name='ashram']my scanner darkly came in today as well....

also, am i the only one that doesn't mind a combo disc?[/QUOTE]
I actually really like them. I just wish the price was a little lower but I like them either way.
 
I wouldn't mind combo discs if they actually worked. I've tried three different movies that were combo discs, and the HD side on each of them screwed up in the middle of the movie. At this point, I won't buy any combo discs at all, and I'm even hesitant to rent them from Netflix knowing that there's a good chance they won't play all the way through.
 
[quote name='Chaz']I wouldn't mind combo discs if they actually worked. I've tried three different movies that were combo discs, and the HD side on each of them screwed up in the middle of the movie. At this point, I won't buy any combo discs at all, and I'm even hesitant to rent them from Netflix knowing that there's a good chance they won't play all the way through.[/QUOTE]

I don't think the fact that it is a combo disc is causing the problems you are having, it's Universal's production line having issues. I'd be surprised if one of the combos you had problems with was a Warner.

I don't mind combos either. I just don't think they should cost more. According to Amir, upcoming Universal combos won't cost more any longer.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']I don't think the fact that it is a combo disc is causing the problems you are having, it's Universal's production line having issues. I'd be surprised if one of the combos you had problems with was a Warner.

I don't mind combos either. I just don't think they should cost more. According to Amir, upcoming Universal combos won't cost more any longer.[/quote]
i don't mind combos also, but if they have to cost more it should only be like $5 bucks not $10-15 dollars.
 
I want art on the discs themselves, so I'm really disliking the combos.

Scanner Darkly owners: how's the extras look content-wise? I don't know anything about the movie and when I do buy movies like that, the extras (or lack thereof) sway me one way or another.
 
[quote name='SteveMcQ']I want art on the discs themselves, so I'm really disliking the combos.
[/QUOTE]

Your discs spend a lot of time outside of their cases and players? Or do you just have some kind of special vanity moment on the way from the case to the player?
 
[quote name='SteveMcQ']I want art on the discs themselves, so I'm really disliking the combos.

Scanner Darkly owners: how's the extras look content-wise? I don't know anything about the movie and when I do buy movies like that, the extras (or lack thereof) sway me one way or another.[/QUOTE]

They are the same extras on the standard dvd which means there isn't alot.

-----------

So, I finally pulled the trigger with the google checkout 10 off deal. Dog Day Afternoon for $11.89 is mighty nice.

How many times can you do it before Google starts laying the hammer down? Twice with one credit card? Or do they go by the name?
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']Your discs spend a lot of time outside of their cases and players? Or do you just have some kind of special vanity moment on the way from the case to the player?[/quote]I'm trying to cut back on my vanity actually. Having that extra shiny side available leads me to hours upon hours of just staring at my reflection in the disc. Sometimes I completely forget there's a movie stored in there and I just stare admiringly at myself.;)

It's just another surface that can get scratched. I subscribe to the philosophy that I bought an HD-DVD player to watch HD content. Having the SD content at a premium of another $10 or so seems far too wasteful when I already have the same content on the other side of the disc, albeit at a far superior quality.
 
[quote name='Sporadic']
So, I finally pulled the trigger with the google checkout 10 off deal. Dog Day Afternoon for $11.89 is mighty nice.

How many times can you do it before Google starts laying the hammer down? Twice with one credit card? Or do they go by the name?[/quote]
Ive placed over 40 orders with 6 credit cards, only one has been 'banned' because I slipped up and did two orders with the same card at the same time. The method that seems to work for staying under the radar is to wait until the item ships before using that credit card again. Ive used the same name and address on all the orders, so my only guess would be that they look for repetitveness in a credit card number (but even that would be stupid as waiting until the item ships only takes 2 or 3 days).

I really want to get A Scanner Darkly, but im in mega-saver mode after buying a car. Even $12 shipped seems like a lot (well, i know its not, but theres a hell of a lot of stuff I want to buy, $12 adds up when you have a wishlist of 30+ dvds). I think im gonna start playing the lotto.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']I don't think the fact that it is a combo disc is causing the problems you are having, it's Universal's production line having issues. I'd be surprised if one of the combos you had problems with was a Warner.

I don't mind combos either. I just don't think they should cost more. According to Amir, upcoming Universal combos won't cost more any longer.[/QUOTE]

I know it's Universal's production issues. However, the production issues seem to be tied to the combo discs, because we're not seeing these kinds of problems with any of the other Universal HD-only discs. If they can get the production issues sorted, and drop the costs to normal levels, I won't have any problem with them. I really have no problem with any disc, as long as it works. When there's a consistent problem with particular discs, or types of discs, not working as they're supposed to, then I have a problem with them.
 
I played it safe and "rented" Scanner on the XBL Marketplace. It was ok, but I wouldn't buy it. The overacting was annoying and the movie was confusing. Yeah, I get that Slater* is flipping out because he thinks there are bugs on him, but he still looked ridiculous. Same for Robert Downey Jr.

It had a "double swerve" element sort of like the Departed, but it was done in a way that was too muddled to be enjoyable.

Your opinion may vary.



*His name isn't Slater, but that's who he was in Dazed and Confused, so that's his name as far as I'm concerned.
 
[quote name='thrustbucket']Scanner Darkly got a 5 star PQ review on High def digest btw. And dog day afternoon got 4. Amazing for a 30 year old movie.[/QUOTE]

You want to talk amazing, rent Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938).

It will blow your mind.
 
crap they delayed harsh times until june....there really isnt much im looking forward to now except matrix.

and i totally hate the combo disks now.. at first i thought they were cool but in the end of the day i will never use the dvd side and it keeps the price of the discs up which make it harder to find good deals. Add in no disc art and you have to see why the combo disk must die..
 
I was watching Jurassic Park on DVD last night and man, I haven't seen that movie in a couple years fucking good ass film. Need this trilogy on HD-DVD now!!!
 
[quote name='Sporadic']I really wish Paramount would stop dragging there feet and dive into the next generation.

I want the Indiana Jones trilogy so bad.[/QUOTE]

That's not Paramount dragging their feet, that's Lucas. He's very next-gen video format wary and has unfortunately passed that on to his best bud Steven Spielberg. Hence the reason we won't be seeing Jurassic Park in high def anytime soon.
 
And now, for a brief news break :)

HD DVD Takes Lead in Europe
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18013123/

FINANCIAL TIMES/FT.COM: Aficionados of European cinema who would like to watch films such as Roberto Benigni's award-winning The Tiger and the Snow in high definition, may, for the time being at least, have to buy a HD-DVD player rather than a Blu-Ray Disc machine.

A number of European independent film studios and DVD production companies are opting for Toshiba's HD-DVD format over the rival Sony technology, thanks to a strong support programme by the HD-DVD camp and concerns over the price of Blu-Ray technology.
Click to expand...

Samsung goes neutral: BD-UP5000 Hybrid HD DVD/Blu-Ray combo player revealed
http://www.stor-age.com/dongtai/xinpin/htm2007/0704041220IY.asp

Plays HD DVD, Blu-Ray, and upscaled DVD
Supports 720p/1080i/1080p for both formats
HDMI 1.3
Meets specs of both formats, Full HDi/BD-J support
Faroujda DCDi Processing
Release Summer 2007
~$699-$899 depending on relative pricing of BD-P1200 at release (hybrid unit will be ~$100-$200 more)
Click to expand...

DVDTown: Say NO to Blu-Ray
http://www.dvdtown.com/news/dontgettheblues-saynotoblu-ray/4407

Toshiba has been good in issuing firmware updates for their players to make sure they are compatible with future HD-DVD releases. You might believe this is the case with Blu-ray as well, but no. Recent comments from the Blu-ray camp indicate that they have yet to complete final specifications for the interactive component called Blu-ray Disc JAVA (BD JAVA). What this means is that when the specifications are finally decided upon in late October, 2007, one's Blu-ray player bought before that date may not play parts of future Blu-ray releases. Imagine the confusion in a store trying to figure out if one's machine will play a specific extra.

HD-DVD knew the importance of a strong set of features from the get-go, and they had their mandatory features ready from the start. They made sure that every HD-DVD player had an Internet connection (which is not required by Blu-ray), allowing easy updates of the player and opening up exciting on-line features that we will see on HD-DVD releases this fall. Their interactive layer, called HDi, has also been in place from day one, and we have already seen it in various releases. "Batman Begins" and "Miami Vice," for example, showcase picture-in-picture and the possibility to make one's own scene-selection menus. Warner Bros. recognized the current limitation in Blu-ray technology and decided not to release titles with interactive features on Blu-ray before they knew what to develop for. These titles include things like "Batman Begins," "Poseidon," "Troy," and the upcoming "Matrix" box sets, which are HD-DVD exclusive for now.

I must draw a conclusion from all this: Don't buy Blu-ray. Not before the Blu-ray camp have finalized the format's specifications. Not before the manufacturer will GUARANTEE 100% compatibility with future Blu-ray releases. If you don't want to buy HD-DVD, either, that's fine. Wait. Enjoy regular, standard-definition DVDs. For now, however, the only safe and sensible HD choice is HD-DVD.
Click to expand...

And now, back to your regularly scheduled CAGing! ;)
 
Interesting news on Europe up there, especially considering how the PS3's sales have absolutely TANKED since their strong first week.

The Samsung news is what I expect to see from pretty much every hardware manufacturer eventually, although this is even sooner than I would have thought. Hopefully others follow suit so we can make the format "war" less relevant sooner than later.

FWIW (not much), don't forget that the 15th is the "buy HD DVDs from Amazon" thing.
 
Samsung initially announced those plans many, many months ago, in fact IIRC they announced their R&D plans for a hybrid player before LG even did (here's to hoping theirs is more effective too). There was some talk out there that they canceled those plans (a early BDA quote spun to propoganda mostly from unreliable blogs and forums), but many also said that was out of context and it obviously was. The fact that they are going neutral is a poorly based or at best an outdated one, as they they have been researching the HD DVD for over a year now and almost since the start of the little format war.

Also, while I agree with the basis for the DVDTown article, it screams of some bias. Not to mention the PS3, which like it or not, I consider a Bd player and the highest selling one that regularly gets several firmware updates anyhow and is the one thing Sony may have actually "future-proofed" somewhat well. Plus HD still has some stuff I'd like to seen cleaned up. Not so much with HDi, but especially the trouble with Universal's U-Control garb and their Combo discs, which despite a couple firmware updates for both the Toshiba players I've owned (an A1 then an A2) they can't seem to get them running smoothly. Not exactly Toshiba's fault, but seeing as how Toshiba at least owns a bit of the HD DVD license fees I'm sure they could lean on them to get their act together. And I could be alone there in that thought, but I don't want to get it into on this thread, we'll leave that for the war thread.

[quote name='doubledown']What is this AMAZON thing you speak of?[/QUOTE]

It's basically a day to try to make HD-DVD seemingly have more support. A good idea IMO, though I think it's just buy HD-DVD day, I only buy Amazon if I can't find a better price as I'm not a big fan of Amazon (which is tough sometimes because their HD prices are hard to beat).
 
so everyone is just deciding for no reason to buy hd's on the 15th...

made sense if there was some sort of sale or something like the last br sale
 
Yeah, I don't think there are any special deals for it (though I suppose Amazon/somebody else could have something planned). Of course being the cheapasses we all are most of us are only gonna care if there is.
 
[quote name='doubledown']Ok, I thought it was a sale...it's like one of those "Don't buy gas on this day" emails I used to get.[/QUOTE]
Pretty much. It's not going to really do anything, but it can't hurt to participate. The only deal I know of is if you are in on the "1 year of 10% off HD DVDs" thing.
 
[quote name='guyver2077']so everyone is just deciding for no reason to buy hd's on the 15th...

made sense if there was some sort of sale or something like the last br sale[/QUOTE]

It's the one year anniversary of HD-DVD.

Still a retarded idea though.
 
[quote name='Sporadic']It's the one year anniversary of HD-DVD.

Still a retarded idea though.[/QUOTE]

Right. A bunch of people on avsforum got sick of hearing BD Fanboy's spew out their numbers, and they wanted to do something for HD DVD's one year anniversary so they are trying to get as many people as possible to all buy at least one HD DVD on the 15th to show HD DVD their support.
 
http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20070413_0000338109

Official!

[quote name='Samsung']
Seoul, Korea – April 13, 2007 : Samsung Electronics Co., LTD., a leader in consumer electronics and digital media technologies, and the first company to introduce a Blu-ray disc player will introduce a dual format High-Definition (HD) optical disc player in time for the holidays.

Samsung’s Duo HD player (BD-UP5000) will fully support both HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats and their interactive technologies, HDi and BD-Java. With the Duo HD consumers can enjoy additional studio content such as trailers, director’s comments, more elaborate interactive menus and behind the scene footage. The new Duo HD joins Samsung’s next generation DVD line-up which includes Samsung’s second generation Blu-ray player available at retail this month. Together, these two models offer the consumer a strong line of High-Definition players to match Samsung’s award winning, and best selling, line of HDTVs.

"We welcome Samsung's Duo HD player as another solution in the marketplace that will help reduce consumer confusion and buyer hesitancy towards HD media," said Ron Sanders, President of Warner Home Video. "This is an innovative product that can move us closer to mainstream consumer adoption of HD technologies."

“We are very pleased to announce the upcoming release of our Duo HD player. Consumers are hungry for more HD content but are currently confused about competing formats. Samsung’s Duo HD player will allow consumers access to every HD movie title available regardless of the authoring format. Samsung is committed to making life simpler through technology and will market next generation DVD products which will satisfy the consumer and market requirement. This is a big win for the consumer.[/quote]

And further....
As a member of the DVD Forum and contributor to the DVD Industry, we recognize that both HD-DVD and BD formats have merits. As such, we have decided to market a dual format player. Samsung is flexible to market a stand-alone HD-DVD player whenever consumers demand it. Our main concern is not technology but consumer choice” said Dongsoo Jun, Executive Vice President of the Digital AV Division at Samsung Electronics.
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top