Disney - No Pirates or Cars on Blu-Ray in 2006 (1 Viewer)

[Ryan-G]

Interesting piece regarding this subject on Darkhorizions.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060824b.php

Basically states Disney isn't going day & date out of a desire to double dip. Seems a little iffy to me given the low install base of BR, though I guess the impending PS3 could be part of the scheme as well.

I'm not sure whether I consider it a PR spin on something going on behind the scenes or truth. Darkhorizions is generally a very good source, easily on par with Digital Bits IMO. But the whole thing is second-hand too.

Either way, not sure what the plan is here, Pirates would've helped BR out a bit if it'd been day & date, assuming of course it was VC1 as well.

 

[ChrisMatson]

Well, Pirates will be available in Japan--same region as US.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...c=66&type=qcna

 

[Joseph Bolus]

The movie mentioned in the article - "Curse of the Black Pearl" - is the original 2003 Pirates movie. Still ... I'm sure BD supporters would be happy to have that title on Blu-ray this Fall since previews of it were included on the original Blu-ray "Demo" disc. The way the article is worded, however, it's fairly clear that the 75 titles mentioned will not all be released in the next three months.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Well if Disney is planning to double dip on this title they will not be sucessful here! I have no plans to purchase Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: Dead Mans Chest on SD-DVD. And I will only buy it as long as it is a VC-1 encoded disc. And if they really want to make sure I dont buy the SD-DVD is that if its a Dolby Digital only title.

I really love my DTS version of Pirates: Curse Of The Black Pearl DVD

 

[BrettGallman]

I'm also adhering to this practice regarding new films on HD. I'll rent the SD versions, because I'm sure many studios will attempt to utilize this new form of double-dipping. I hope it doesn't become the norm, as I think it's downright illogical for any new releases not to come out day and date with their SD-DVD counterparts.

I might buy Pirates though if it's supposed to be a BD exclusive, since I can't envision myself buying a BD player anytime in the near future (unless the PS3 proves to be a capable BD player, which I doubt will be the case).

 

[Dave Moritz]

It all depends on if we get VC-1 discs and as long as the Sony player performs awsum or not? I am thinking about weather or not to buy the Sony Blu-ray player without Dolby Digital, Dolby True HD and or DTS-HD decoding? Do I want to buy a $1k player that does not include a decoder that supports the new audio formats. If it is a 1080p player that only decodes DD and DTS is rediculous. So I want to see what the Sony player offers once it is at local retailers. If it is a wast of money I may just put if off for a year and spend the money on other upgrades? I might just buy a nice Klipsch Reference Series RC-64 center channel (Retails $899). That would replace my current Polk CS-100 center channel. So sometime next year I will replace my rear speakers with some Klipsch Bookshelfs or BiPole speakers. I will buy enough for a 7.1 configuration. I am playing with the idea of buying a second center channel for when I get a projection screen and use dual center channels behind a perferated 120" screen.

Anyway I cant wait for Pirates 2 in HD and I cant wait to see Pirates 3 in the theater.

 

[BrettGallman]

Yeah, if Sony and Blu-Ray can get their act together (and their prices to come down a bit), I'll probably get a Blu-Ray player. Whatever player I consider needs to at least be able to decode the new audio formats, though. It's mind-boggling that they can't already do as much, considering the price of the BD players out there right now. I'm not one to say that I'll never buy something, particularly something with as much potential as Blu-Ray.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I might consider the Pioneer Elite over the Sony, if the Sony does no new surround decoding. And if the Pioneer does have decoders for DD+. Dolby True HD and DTS-HD. I may just have to spend the extra $500 on that player instead. As long as it looks as good or better compaired to HD-DVD and the discs are all VC-1 around Dec 06 - Feb 07? Its all up to Sony if I buy Blu-ray, if they get there act together. I will most likely buy one, it they do not then I will spend that money on other things!

I can't wait for Pirates in HD

 

[Mary M S]

I often can not fathom the logic behind studio decisions on software releases.

Watching this tennis match from the bleachers, I’m wondering (something I've never researched) what costs are involved to re-author a DVD for one format or the other.

Are the expenses the same; starting from film to sample for DVD (or) do the costs (steps) grow less to tweak this master once completed (if codecs are accepted by either format) one direction or the other.

I know the discs are completely different animals, but I’m talking about the 1st step of editing film for transfer.

Secondly are these costs exorbitantly prohibitive? Regarding more recent films, - how many units (OD) do the studios have to sell to break even on the costs of authoring? Rule of thumb question since I am aware extras etc effect the bottom-line.

If all the mega busters from a studio released in the last decade are lying on shelves, then the casual consumer goes to find the hardware that will play them. It is a question of perception, the consumer might never purchase all these discs but he subconsciously is attracted to the more exciting ‘library.’

I understand Sony was putting their neck out on this PS3 launch, and profits were factored to be deferred.
Currently could Sony’s choice of Blu Ray software be a liquidity issue?
But what is Disney’s rationale?

 

[Jason Seaver]

The same reason a whole bunch of films (Star Wars, Spielberg, Disney animation) didn't initially appear on DVD - wanting more players in living rooms.

As consumers and enthusiasts, our thought process is that they should be released now, since the films will sell more over time. But the studio sees the pattern that movies sell the most during their first two weeks of release, after which they disappear from the ads, get pushed off the endcaps by newer releases, and wind up basically being just more catalog titles racked spine-out. Disney figures (most likely correctly) that they'll make more money by waiting for a larger installed base to buy more copies in those critical first two weeks.

 

[dpippel]

Yet this is the classic Catch-22 of the current situation with both Blu-ray and HD-DVD. People watch movies, not players. They'd sell more PLAYERS if they released more MOVIES that people actually want to own and experience in high-def. The two go hand-in-hand and so far, with a few exceptions, the titles released by both camps have been pretty lame. Can you imagine how many people would buy players if big titles like LOTR, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, the Alien films, Pixar, Disney animation, etc. were being released on HD-DVD/Blu-ray now? THAT'S the way you grow a new format, not by offering up crap like The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift or AEon Flux. A turd is a turd, especially at 1080p/24fps.

 

[Paul_Scott]

you would think these studios would get hip to the idea of moritoriums for big films. That way they could have something like LOTR close to launch- make it a 'limited time' release, help install the base rather than just feed off of it, then re-visit the title 5 years down the line and make more money off it.
in the mean-time, as more and more people came into the format, they would be scrambling for the few remaining copies, demand would be higher, 'collectible pricing would escalate which would bring even more people into the hobby (who hope to get in on the next big limited release before its exhausted), etc, etc.

They could even easily get away with the disc being relatively bare bones affairs- with the promise that the super duper deluxe version is coming in 5 years or whatever.

at least thats what I'd be doing if I ran a studio and I was looking at what is realistically going to be a niche format for a while (even with some early blockbuster titles)...but what do I know

 

[Jason Seaver]

You've got to remember, it's two different "theys", for the most part. Sure, Sony owns Columbia/Tri-Star/MGM, but what does Universal, Fox, or Paramount really care about selling new players? (I'm not sure how connected Warner and Toshiba are these days) DVD was a big opportunity to sell us all the same titles again, because people seldom updated VHS tapes, but DVD has made it so that they don't need a format to sell the movie again - slap a couple new special features on it and you're good to go.

 

[dpippel]

And HD-DVD/Blu-ray is yet another opportunity to sell us the same titles, all over again. That's the only reason these high-def disc formats made it to market in the first place. The hardware profits are peanuts compared to the potential software revenues.

 

[Mary M S]

I realize advances have always been a two edged sword, New HW specs needs new Media, New Media needs the new Hardware.

Yet still, when it is a format war and huge investments of R&D are at risk seems like the PR folks (that's what they are pd for) could implement a parlor trick to reissue twice, an initial offer and reissue after HW market penetration.

Author the OD two versions, one you hold back with a little "extra" content. Master is in the can, sit on it till the hardware numbers rise to your target levels.

I still think I'm missing something 'behind the curtain' as to motivation.

 

[Rob_Walton]

Aren't the intial BD releases largely bare-bones? Perhaps the decision makers have been listening to Mary.

Of course then you'll get complaints about double dipping, but you can't please all of the folks...

 

[Mary M S]

I would much prefer a mature fleshed out edition, and just pull out the brass band and confetti for the reissue.

In fact that is almost required with early adopters, since as with HW they are also more forward looking as to future software releases, and will often wait (years) for 'that' version they want to own.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I've been singing this song for a while now. But I'm beginning to accept that the studios seem to have their comfortable "box" marketing strategy from which they are hesitant "to think outside".

Sigh. If only I ran the world, things would be better (at least for me).

 

[Jason Seaver]

Well, it's not Disney's investments of R&D at risk. I imagine we'll see Sony putting their flashy event movies out on Blu-Ray day & date with the DVD release.

And sure, Disney could have a special edition ready, but what if Blu-Ray or HD-DVD gets fairly rapid acceptance? Not only would consumers bristle at a new edition released six months after the first, but retailers would probably be less than thrilled about it, too.

 

[Jeff(R)]

Disney's Blu-ray web site with a trailer:

http://video.movies.go.com/bluray/

Jeff

Info at the site:

"BVHE plans to have same-day releases of DVD
and Blu-ray Disc titles starting in December 2006."