*** Official HTF HD Formats Comparison Thread *See Post 957, p. 32* (1 Viewer)

[ppltd]

Transformers, being a dual format release should do extermely well.

 

[ppltd]

David, that is a good question that no one in this forum can answer. It is strickly a personal choice. But I have read many posts where the posted stated that they would not buy the HD DVD version because it is a Combo. I have yet to read one where the poster has said it was the selling point that made them decide to buy the HD DVD version.

As far as my personal preference on Combos, it is neither a make or break for me. But for new releases, I like them. It gives me flexibility on where I can watch the title. Until a good High Def portable player is designed, my Combos are appreciated.

 

[Paul Arnette]

I disagree a bit with this. I still believe it has much to do with the title. The key factor being a day-and-date title. The real test, IMO, is how close BD day-and-date exclusives like Spider-man 3, etc. come to 300's numbers. Will they do as well as quickly, no. Will they do as well over time, harder to say.

 

[ppltd]

Paul, I should have been a little more clear. The title is certainly important, but I think as the install base on both formats expands, it becomes just as important for new releases.

I also agree that watching the number the first couple of weeks of release and looking at them a year later will be interesting, but if the present DVD model holds true, it is the first week or two where the highest profits exist for the studios. It is in this time that they can press the disks in a quantity high enough to maximize profits.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

That's true. Already my roomates are having "blu-ray issues" where they take the blu-ray discs upstairs and try to play them on the DVD player in the living room... without much success. Even after repeated explanations of how they won't work in DVD players... I see a BD sitting on the coffee table upstairs about twice a week... and I have to laugh that someone has tried it yet again...

With a combo-disc the consumer be able to play it in at least one disc-player in each movie-equippped room in the house (a house with an HD DVD player). Of course, they'd have to insert the disc right-side-up! That might be the biggest challenge of all... given how they can't seem to remember that BDs won't play in DVD drives.



-dave

 

[Brian Kaz]

The problem with using Spidey 3 as a barometer is that the single release is way overpriced. The box set will also dilute those figures, and being high priced itself, will result in fewer sales anyway.

I'd say Pirates 3 would be a good indicator, but being number 3 in a trilogy that already sold tons on DVD, not on BD, will mess with the numbers as well. It depends on how many people are willing to buy the BD when they have the first 2 on DVD.

 

[john harshman]

yes this is truly sad
but look out meatballs 4 drops on VHS 9/28 preorder on amazon now

 

[ppltd]

Now that's just not funny. Come to think of it, it is. I am currently sitting by my portable trying to figure out if I have Disk 1 or Disk 2 of my copy of the Original Outer Limits Season one DVD's. Once I figure that out, I have to determine if it is side A or side B and I can't find my reading glasses. My eyes just aren't what they used to be.:frowning:

The only saving grace with the Combo's is that only the HD side has writing.

 

[Jason Roer]

Thomas - So funny! I have the Outer Limits Season 1 set out on the coffee table and if I ever get my work done this evening, I was planning on watching an episode or two. My wife is away on business so I thought it would have been really cool to do a 27 and 1/2 hour marathon and watch the entire season, but as you know, I have WAY too much to do right now.

Glad to hear the Shaun/Hot Fuzz double feature was a success! Love those films.

Cheers,

Jason

 

[Jason Roer]

How will this mess with the numbers at all? Do you really believe anyone who has purchased a Bluray player during the time when Dead Man's Chest was released on SD-DVD and the release of At World's End would choose to purchase the SD-DVD release of At World's End, just so they can complete their SD-DVD collection of the Pirates trilogy? It's much more likely that there will be a deal on all the Bluray releases of the Pirates films when At World's End streets and that will result in those people purchasing the entire trilogy in Bluray.

Cheers,

Jason

 

[Jason Roer]

David,

Of course I can only speak for myself here, but I rather love the COMBOS. Just the other night my wife wanted to watch something on the big system and she's pregnant - she wins all battles for everything (at least for the remaining 3 months!) Anyway, I wanted to check out some of the special features on the Hot Fuzz disc - so I flipped over to the SD-DVD side and PRESTO! I was watching those special features. Also - I can watch them on the road as well this way. And I can lend them out to friends who just want to watch the darn movie, but don't have HD-DVD yet. Paying a $4 premium for that is certainly worth it to me.

As far as 300 is concerned - well I really didn't like the movie - at all; my non-purchase had nothing to do with being a combo. I wouldn't even consider purchasing it. Although I am very interested in watching the IME bluescreen pip - so I guess I'll rent it at some point.

Cheers,

Jason

 

[Brian Kaz]

I have no idea what people will or won't do with their money. But I do know a lot of people are weird about having their collection match.

Here's a better question: If Pirates 3 sells (for example) 200k units first week, will we see the first two come to parity in sales at some point?

 

[Jason Roer]

Brian,

If that were the case, what would be the point for these people to purchase a Bluray player in the first place? It would disturb their SD-DVD collection. Seriously, I cannot imagine a single person who owns a Bluray player and is planning on purchasing At World's End, doing so on SD-DVD just so their collection of the pirates films would match. If anything, like I mentioned before, it will boost sales of the first 2 pirates films on Bluray, so people who only own them on SD-DVD at that point can complete their collection - in the new and superior format.

Cheers,

Jason

 

[Averry]

I posted in the 300 sales thread, how I Think the numbers will even out as people buy the HD-DVD drive for the 360 with discount.


I DO believe that there will be a some what significant number of people who do this as I have. Only recently had I been thinking about buying the drive, but the deal put me over the edge.

No, $20 didn't KEEP me from buying the drive as somebody had suggested, I simply was afraid to take the dive, but once the deal came in place, (and you can't argue with 5 free movies, no matter the titles) I purchased it. Eveytime you go on xbox live you see the add for the Drive. I noticed that online it's been selling much more lately. (granted I have no idea how poorly it was already selling)

Look at it this way, if you've owned your Xbox 360 for a while, and you want to go hi def, what do you do? Do you drop $500 on a PS3? Do you drop $450 on a blu-ray player? Or do you spend $180 and get 6 free movies?

I know the 360 is more expensive in the end, but does it matter? Especially not if you've already owned one.




The 360 is dropping in price. The game line up this fall stomps all over anything the PS3 has this year. Halo 3 will sell more copies than the total number of PS3's in the whole year.

 

[Sam Posten]

I saw the thread about the War talk, and I had to laugh and add:


As for the war itself, I'm an uneasy switzerland. =)

 

[Paul.S]

Even using your numbers, Marek, (450k HD DVD and 2M BD decks) instead of Dave>h's (600k and 3M, respectively), the resulting percentages are similarly disparate (19.3 and 8.2 versus 14.5 and 5.4%, respectively). It seems to me his (qualified) point about attach rates stands.

 

[Brian Kaz]

Yes, Lord knows PS3 gamers will be crying this holiday over their sh!tty exclusives like Heavenly Sword, Lair, Ratchet & Clank, Gran Turismo: Prologue, Haze, Folklore, Time Crisis, Home, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune........

 

[Ryan-G]

Here's a link that can be interpreted a number of ways on the topic of the Console players...

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3161833

Basically says (From NPD) that 30% of 360 owners are aware of HD graphics and only 40% of PS3 owners are aware it's a BR Player.

I'm not sure what to make of the numbers, on one hand I want to say that it shows console gamers aren't inherently movie fanatics and every PS3 can't count as a BR Player.

But on the other hand, I can see a really decent case for ignorance of and not caring about HD formats in any medium at all.

Of course, the biggest fault I find with this is it doesn't say exactly how many of the consoles are used strictly by < 18 year olds, whose parents pay little attention to it. Because a 12 year old will have little grasp of resolutions in gaming or movies, and if the Adult just bought it for the kid and never read the box, no reason to expect them to be aware. Soccer Mom effect. It's especially telling that they included 6 year olds in the study, IMO *really* ridiculous. A 6 year old, or even a 10 year old, has little grasp of even Surround Sound, much less resolution. Apparently some number of Non-owners were counted as well, which IMO is a tainted sample as they lack even the box and instructions to have any clue.

Regardless, the one thing it shows is that PS3 definitely can't be counted 1:1 as Players, and maybe less than 2:1.

Anyways, make of it what you will, it's still interesting data for many I'm sure.

 

[Jari K]

This sounds a bit hard to believe. I fully understand that not all gamers use PS3 for watching Blu-ray-films, but not knowing that it´s also a Blu-ray-player doesn´t sound realistic.

 

[ppltd]

I tend to agree with you. I would certainly believe that 40% of PS3 owners could care less that it plays BD movies, but I would be amazed if they did not realize it was a BD player.