New Warner HD DVD releases announced (1 Viewer)

[Walter Kittel]

From High-Def DVD Digest

Syriana, and Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang will be released as 'hybrids' on June 20th. A week later Lethal Weapon will be released as an HD only title on June 27th.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh...les_in_June/99


- Walter.

 

[JohnS]

hopefully Lethal Weapn will be a true 1080p and not like Fugitive.
I'm anxious to see a review.

With HD they should also have HD versions of the Theatrical version and HD version of the Dir. cut on both sides.

 

[Paul_Scott]

Dear God, I really hope they don't use these inane hybrids for V For Vendetta.

again I ask, does anyone really want these things?

 

[Walter Kittel]

Found a link to another press release over at AVS that alters the details somewhat from the one posted in the first post. As per the following link Syriana will be released as an HD DVD title, alongside the DVD release. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang will be a combo title, to use Warner Bros. vernacular. Release dates for these titles and Lethal Weapon are unchanged. Pure speculation on my part, but I'm guessing that LW will feature the director's cut only.

I am no fan of the hybrid / combo releases either, but I am going to make an exception for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060609/20060609005535.html?.v=1

- Walter.

 

[Herb Kane]

Just received the PR this evening Walter:
----------------------------------------


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE ATTACHED











WARNER HOME VIDEO DEBUTS THREE NEW

HD DVD FORMAT TITLES

Syriana and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - June 20

Lethal Weapon - June 27



Burbank, California (June 9, 2006) – Warner Home Video (WHV) has announced the June 20 HD DVD debuts of Syriana and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Syriana will be released day-and-date with its Standard Definition version and will sell for $34.99. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang will be released as an HD-DVD/DVD combo and is available for $39.99 SRP. Lethal Weapon will follow with its HD DVD debut on June 27 for $28.99 SRP.



Set against the extensive global oil industry network, Syriana unfolds a complex series of interconnecting stories that challenge the morality and integrity of all those involved. The Syriana HD DVD contains two exclusive featurettes, Weaving Reality Into Drama and
A Conversation with Matt Damon.



Starring Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang tells the story of a petty thief brought to Hollywood for an unlikely audition when he finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation with his high school crush. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star in Lethal Weapon: Martin Riggs (Gibson) is an L.A. cop with suicidal tendencies and Roger Murtaugh (Glover) is the unlucky police officer with whom Riggs is assigned. Together they uncover a huge drug-smuggling operation, and as their success rate grows so does their friendship. All bonus materials on the Standard Definition versions of these two titles will be included on the HD DVD versions



Warner Home Video HD DVDs offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color in addition to beautifully crisp sound. HD DVD also provides a new level of interactivity, giving instant access to extra features with the debut of a seamless menu-bar that allows viewers to enjoy features and settings without leaving or interrupting the film.

 

[Robert Crawford]

What is the negative about hybrid/combo releases?






Crawdaddy

 

[CaptDS9E]

People dont like the higher retail price when they go to BB or CC. Even though they can buy it at Amazon for $27.99 +10% off anyway.

 

[JohnS]

I feel like it falls in the same lines as, studios having SD DVD's with Widescreen on one side and Pan and scan on the other.

It's a waste of space.

Were buying HD DVD's have a HD movie, maybe a DIR cut version or have HD version of the extras and such. Don't waste space for a SD version, something of which I'll NEVER use, if I'm watching the HD version

Doesn't make any sense.

 

[BrandonJF]

- Higher MSRP. Yes, apparently it is really only $5 higher than what WB would charge for a new non-catalog title that wasn't a hybrid. Still, the pricing is bad for HD-DVD all around since places like BB discount them less than other titles, for some reason. They can be had at Amazon for cheaper, but any consumer doing a direct comparison at Best Buy will be forgetting about HD-DVD. Plus, even if it is really $5 more than we'd normally pay, it's still $5 for something I don't think most early adopters want and people "on the fence" aren't going to future-proof their DVDs by buying a hybrid at those prices. Get "Firewall" today for $13.99-$17.99 on DVD or get the combo and future-proof it for an additional $12-$20 (and at BB, there was a $21 difference between the standard DVD and HD/DVD combo).
- Single layer. So far, we're losing half the potential disc space that other titles currently enjoy. Whether they would've used that space or not, I can't say. But, for now, it seems that the HD/DVD combo restricts the HD side to 15GB.
- WB doesn't add the supplements to the HD side, bringing us back to the early days of DVD when we had to flip the disc. Whether they leave them off because they have less disc space to work with due to the single layer issue or they just don't feel like it, I don't know.

I'm glad Syriana doesn't appear to be a hybrid. Maybe it ends with Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Thanks for the information, now I understand. I like the idea of having a SD version on the disc so you can play it on other equipment besides your HD DVD player, but I don't like the single disc and space restrictions.




Crawdaddy

 

[Daniel-M]

Well, well the more hybrids they release the more money i save by not buying them. What was the address for that torrent-site again

 

[Roger J]

Doubt it. I suspect Syriana wouldn't fit on a HD-15 and that is all that they can do on the HD side of a combo at this time.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I suspect (unfortunately) that Roger is correct. If you look at runtimes, per IMDB -

Rumor Has It - 96 min.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - 102 min.
Firewall - 105 min.
----------------
Syriana - 126 min.

I'm sure that other variables ( including the film's visual style ) figure into the calculation of what can fit on a 15GB HD DVD side, but perhaps we can use runtime as a somewhat reliable indicator with regard to upcoming combo releases. (??)

V for Vendetta has a runtime of 132 minutes so hopefully we'll get an HD DVD only release using a 30GB dual layer disc.

BTW, thanks Herb.

2nd BTW, Brandon's assessment of combo pretty much mirrors my thoughts. Thanks.

- Walter.

 

[LarryH]

I agree with BrandonJf on every point. I can't see the so-called future-proof argument. Someone shopping for a standard definition DVD will probably eventually be able to buy a high-def version at a reduced price, anyhow, as they hit the discount bins.

 

[Roger J]

Combo discs are not intended to appeal to buyers not using a HD player. The intended purpose is to appeal to the buyer that has a HD player in the HT but SD player in another room, or vehicle. One disc serving dual purpose.

Price penalty to those that only care about the HD side, but not a completely flawed idea for its intended purpose.

 

[Jordan_E]

Well, it's the other way around for me: I have the HD DVD player in the bedroom and play SD discs in the HT, since my projector isn't up to snuff for HD DVD, but I still won't buy Dual Discs. But I bet a title will pop up eventually that will make me go: Dammitt, they got me!

 

[John Milton]

Same here. If it's not botched I'll be picking it up. I'll probably pick up Syriana and maybe Kiss Kiss Bang Bang as well.

 

[Eric DiPiazza]

Is Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang up for pre-order anywhere?