CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

stefuel · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:17 am Post subject:

I'll not buy into this till one drops out. It's like buying a revolver with one bullet in it and every time you buy a movie, you stick the gun in your mouth and pull the trigger. I'm sure I'll make it through the tortuous upscaling of std def dvd to 1440X960P till we have a clear winner. Some day, 50% of the people here are going to be pissed, but not me Wink

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

Why would I be pissed? I have spent $200 on a player that will still be able to play all the movies made even if HD-DVD would lose. I am however enjoying HDM right now! What are YOU doing?

You make it seem like if Blu-Ray wins that all of my HD-DVD's will start on fire and I will have to start over on my HDM collection. I have seen this reasoning several places. I don't quite understand it.

The same holds true for a Blu-Ray collector...albeit possibility for format investment is more than likely increased.

Ridebreck · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:59 am Post subject:

I fully realize that HD-DVD could 'lose', but like Greg said, big deal. I'll still have some great movies in HD as well as what I consider to be an excellent upscaling DVD player. I plan on getting a PS3 one of these days anyway, so even then if Bluray 'loses', I'll have a damned nice gaming system. I feel like this competition is great for the consumer since it's likely the cause for the pricing to fall so dramatically in such a short period of time.

Stonefool · Joined: 24 Dec 2006 Posts: 253 Location: Sweden

How probable is it for one format to really go away completely, in the sence that they stop producing hardware for it, even dual players?

VideoGrabber · Joined: 09 Apr 2006 Posts: 933 Location: Michigan

Ridebreck commented:
> this competition is great for the consumer since it's likely the cause for the pricing to fall so dramatically in such a short period of time <

Good point! If Sony had gone along with the DVD Consortium and followed the democratically-selected standard, instead of thumbing their nose and going their own way, at this stage of the game I'm fairly sure we'd still be gazing longingly at $1,000 players, and dreaming of the day when you'd eventually be able to get one for under $500. (Maybe a year from now, if you were lucky.)

And since the players would be so expensive, far fewer would have been sold. Thus, without ample players, there would be nowhere near the number of movies released on disc that we already enjoy. So I agree that competition has accelerated the process significantly.

wkomassa · Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 101 Location: Brookfield, WI

I completely agree with this, in principle. The funny thing is that Blu-Ray prices aren't really budging.

Alaric · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:46 am Post subject:

Hi There,

I just bought my first HD-DVD today and i don't even have a player !

I don't see the point of spending good money (top dollar) on new releases on DVD anymore, as i can see me wanting them on HD and i'm already fed up of buying a film and then buying the directors cut/extended edition/better picture/better sound editions....So i've been holding back to bargin versions of older flicks and ex-rentals.

There is a lot of my back catalogue of films i have that i really can't be bothered with HD as well...I'm not sure the DVD releases of some of them are that good, let alone HD, and with upscaling they are more than watchable on my BG808s, where as my old VHS simply were not.

However with Frank Millers 300, its a film i really want to see and the HD-DVD combo disc cost almost the same as the two dics SE DVD....

Will HD-DVD win, maybe, maybe not, but i'm sure that dual combo players will exist if either format fail, or i'll have a spare slot in my HTPC for a HD-DVD drive as well as a Blueray one. A few years down the line they'll be cheap as DVD-roms are now and as CD-roms once were.

My HD-DVD disc will still work if blueray wins, for once i've not wasted money on what is certain to become a dead format (DVD) !

cya,
Lee

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Why does everyone keep saying that B/R players are 1000.00 dollars?

I paid 439.00 plus shipping for mine and it works great! (BDP s1)

My wife loves it. It's a little slow on startup but otherwise, perfect.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

BTW did anyone notice this???

Exclusive: Spielberg "Big Supporter" of Blu-ray, But Future High-Def Releases Uncertain
Tue Aug 21, 2007 at 11:46 AM ET
Tags: Industry Forecasts, Steven Spielberg (all tags)

Confirming mounting speculation, we've got exclusive word this morning that Steven Spielberg is indeed "a big supporter" of Blu-ray, and that yesterday's carve out in the Paramount/DreamWorks HD DVD announcement was designed to allow the legendary director to release future titles on Blu-ray.

With many of his early blockbusters distributed by Universal Pictures ('E.T.,' 'Jurassic Park' and 'Jaws,' among them), it was once assumed that the combination of Steven Spielberg's classic titles and Universal's exclusive HD DVD support would be one of format's biggest weapons against rival Blu-ray, but a series of developments have led many to speculate that perhaps Spielberg himself has other ideas.

The first hint of trouble for HD DVD came back in February when the HD DVD promo group issued a public apology to Spielberg after listing several of his titles in a "Coming Soon" list that was apparently never approved by the director.

Then, just last month came news that the very first Spielberg high-def title -- a 30th anniversary edition of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' -- would be released on Blu-ray, not HD DVD. (That release is due November 13, day and date with the standard-def DVD edition.)

Finally, yesterday's stunner of a Paramount/DreamWorks HD DVD exclusivity press release included a conspicuous one line carve-out, stating that Spielberg's DreamWorks films would be exempt from the terms of the HD DVD exclusivity arrangement, opening the door to the possible future release of more recent Spielberg blockbusters on Blu-ray.

So what's the deal? We put that question to the source for all things Spielberg -- his longtime spokesman and DreamWorks marketing exec Marvin Levy. Speaking exclusively with High-Def Digest, Levy confirmed Spielberg's active support of Blu-ray with the selection of 'Close Encounters' for his next-gen debut.

"It was important to Steven that if any of his films were to be released [first] on high-definition, that it would be a classic," said Levy. "Steven is big supporter of Blu-ray, and chose 'Close Encounters' to be the first of his films on either format."

Spielberg approved the new high-def transfer made for the film, and among the Blu-ray's supplements is a new introduction recorded by the director specifically for the release, as well as a storyboard comparison.

Levy further clarified the Paramount/DreamWorks press release, saying that "...his movies, like 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'War of the Worlds,' are not included in that deal. They are not exclusive to HD DVD, nor [are they] planned for that format at this time.'"

Levy went on emphasize that beyond 'Close Encounters,' Spielberg has no other films in the high-def pipeline on either format. "At this moment, there are no plans for something further [on either format]. Anything in the future will be decided on a title-by-title basis. There certainly won't be more titles in 2007."

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

and this...

Disney: 'Narnia,' 'Nemo' and 'Sleeping Beauty' Coming to Blu-ray in 2008
Fri Aug 17, 2007 at 02:09 AM ET
Tags: Disc Announcements, BD-Java, Disney (all tags)

The sort of announcement you'd expect to be made at CES (and not in the dead of August), Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has issued a press release previewing four of its top Blu-ray titles for 2008.

Referenced in the release for the first time publicly are upcoming Blu-ray releases for 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Finding Nemo,' 'National Treasure,' and 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.'

Though exact street dates have not yet been announced, the studio has provided seasonal guidance for all four titles, and promises each will push the boundaries of what has been seen so far on the Blu-ray format.

First up in the Spring of 2008 will be the recent family hit 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,' which is slated to among the first Disney titles to include Picture-in-Picture bonus content.

Next, in the Summer of '08, the studio plans to debut its first BD-Live Blu-ray Disc title, the action-adventure blockbuster 'National Treasure.'

The Fall will see the release of two highly anticipated animated titles -- Pixar's 'Finding Nemo,' and -- in what promises to be a milestone release -- 'Sleeping Beauty,' which will be the first Blu-ray title to bear the studio's "Platinum Series" banner.

"The Platinum titles are the crown jewels of the Disney Studios and we do not take releasing them lightly on any format," said Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. "The proven Blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience."

The 'Sleeping Beauty' Blu-ray is slated to include a "Virtual Castle" and multi-player activities -- both utilizing BD-Live technology.

Further details are available via the press release, which can be read in full here.

ecrabb · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:41 pm Post subject:

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

ecrabb · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:09 pm Post subject:

I hardly buy anything locally. Not because I don't like to support locals, but because I hardly buy anything new. There aren't a lot of options in a city the size of Des Moines. We're talking about 3 specialty shops (only one of those carries Sony), and Best Buy, and a few appliance stores that deal electronics. That's it. I have a relationship with one of the boutique stores that carries everything from $300 Denon receivers all the way up to $12,000 pairs of Dunlavy's, Lexicon, Martin Logan and Rotel. Problem is I buy so little new stuff, it's kind of a "Hmmm... Yeah, I think I remember you." sort of relationship.

I didn't realize the s300 was that cheap. I glanced at Best Buy last week, and whatever they had, it was $800. I don't care for the Samsung player that much, and I still don't want to spend almost five hundy for a BD player. I didn't spend that much for my first HD-DVD player late last fall. When I can pick a BD player up for around $200 or $250, I'll get interested. I'll get pretty antsy once a few of the Pixar films are on the shelves taunting me... then, I'll probably have to go format neutral. Cars, Nemo, and the Pixar shorts would look F'ing incredible in full-res HD.

SC

KennyG · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 254

wkomassa · Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 101 Location: Brookfield, WI

Huh - I did not know that that player used the Reon. That might be my boy!

And looks like you can pick them up for mid $300s now. Man. They're almost giving these things away. Rolling Eyes

KennyG · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 254

KennyG · Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 254

CZ Eddie · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1601 Location: Austin, TX

Here is a cool poll.

Which high def player would you purchase:

http://www.techspot.com/news/26691-poll-if-you-were-to-buy-a-hidef-player-which-would-be-your-pick.html

Seems BluRay has a 39.8 to 38.5 edge over HD-DVD at the moment.

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:43 am Post subject:

Heh... now it's 39.7% to 38.8%, HD-DVD over BD. Dead heat.

SC

jask · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 10187 Location: kamloops BC

We can pass out hats but it won't be a party till Dave gets here Thumbs Up