**Official HTF HD Formats Ind./Retailer/Studio Support Thread-*SEE POST 3176, p. 106* (1 Viewer)

[Douglas Monce]

Actually 2 Bob Hope double features were released, "Road to Rio/Road to Bali" and "My Favorite Brunette/Son of Paleface". I have both of them. From what I can gather from BCI's website, they release exactly 4 high def titles, all of them on HD DVD. There is no listing or mention of blu-ray on the BCI or its parent company's website. I know of no announcement for any of their titles on blu-ray.

They didn't indefinitely postpone Galaxina as it was released on HD DVD last month and is still available on their website and on Amazon.

Doug

 

[Jari K]

While this was mainly a joke, it´s good to remember that when you "support" CH-DVD, you should know where your money is going... (if this CH-DVD is ever coming, I have no idea..)

 

[Jari K]

They´ve released these in Blu-ray:

*The Night of the Werewolf/Vengeance of the Zombies (double feature)
(BCI/Deimos Entertainment)
Blu-ray Review: The Night of the Werewolf/Vengeance of the Zombies | High-Def Digest

*Sister Street Fighter / Sister Street Fighter 2 (double feature)
(BCI/Eclipse)
Sister Street Fighter , Sister Street Fighter II - Blu-ray

Perhaps these "Bob Hope"-films (which I want, BTW!) were released solely under the "BCI"-banner or something, but it´s not true that these 4 films are their only "high def titles"..
(and officially the second BH "double feature" was cancelled and some copies just leaked to the retailers => customers?)

 

[Douglas Monce]

Actually the second Bob Hope release wasn't canceled. That was a miss print but I'm not sure who started it. You can get both Hope releases from Amazon and I've seen them both at Fry's Electronics.

BCI Moves to Blu, Cancels Upcoming HD DVD Slate (UPDATED) | High-Def Digest

I see now you have to search for blu-ray disc, not just blu-ray or you don't get any listings on the BCI site.

Doug

 

[Cees Alons]

No, that cancellation rumor was false.

Just received Bob Hope Collection: My Favorite Brunette / Son of Paleface and already own The Road To Rio / The Road To Bali ($13.95 each! That's less than $7 per HD movie.).


Cees

 

[Jari K]

More MS comments about downloading:

Xbox 360 chief rings the changes after failures | Technology | The Guardian

"What does it feel like to back the wrong horse?

Thompson laughs resolutely. "What do you mean?" he jokes. "The horse that we're fundamentally backing is the one that says the future of entertainment content is online digital distribution. I would argue that we backed the right horse.

"If we're sitting here in 12 or 18 months time, we'll be saying 'why were people even thinking about a disc format when it's really about digital distribution?' Our strategy's been developed for the last six or seven years, and ever since we launched the platform it [online content] has been our big, big, big bet."

 

[TravisR]

I think '12 or 18 years' is more likely than '12 or 18 months'.

 

[Paul_Scott]

the older I get, the faster time seems to go by. Even 12 years won't be that long.
of course the older I get, the more it feels like time is running out for certain things- capabilities, enthusiasms, expectations...It's not doom and gloom to realize it's coming and likely going to be here in some form or fashion before we expect it. It may mutate in a way that people don't expect once it does arrive, but it is obvious it's coming and will offer a greater majority of people something to get excited and enthused over that Bd never will- convienence. We can pretend that Bd can hew to it's own timeline now that the format war is over but soon it's going to be besieged on two fronts. The one front is old reliable-dvd. Nothing more convienent than what you already own and know. On the other side is a HDVOD DVR. Not only would it be convienent (no clutter of cases, envelopes, etc / no wasted fuel driving to the store/the premium for owning the content would likely be cheaper than buying a new release on sale..while more money would still go directly back to the studio-encouraging a deeper catalog available sooner), but its the streamlined, instant gratification nature that would make it sexy as hell to Joe and Jan Sixpackl.
I'm also curious as to why downloading(in the future) is always thought of as a PC specific application-or is that just the way I read this stuff?. With satelite service there's no need for a land line and a dvr/internet device could be set up to access one specific closed network portal thru which all content would be funneled. even moving/storing downloaded media onto an aux drive might see it encrypted and therefore readable only by the parent dvr device. I want my physical media but am under no illusions that there are numerous ways a system like that would be more enthusiastically supported by studios as well as consumers. For us, it would be the instant gratification version of Netflix. get rid of the need for a land line and it will be impossible to compete with.

 

[ChristopherDAC]

Per-customer satellite delivery has major problems with today's satellites. Until we get to the level, with space capabilities, that we can have at minimum orbital assembly and maintainance flights to geosynchronous orbit, if not an actual permanently-manned station, there are very strict limits which are going to remain in place.

A major metropolitan area would require the capacity to do at least 1000 unique downloads per day, & with today's transponder powers it can't be done. Give me a gigawatt of transponder power, either in one station or dispersed among several, & large enough antennas to provide a spot beam radius no larger than 2 km, & I'll cover the whole western hemisphere with this type of service. The physics of information transfer are very unforgiving, and CCIR channel allocations don't make things any easier. Nobody will build that level of capability while satellite masses are limited by launch vehicle size & satellite lifetimes are limited by manoeuvering propellant reserves.

 

[Paul_Scott]

good to know. I guess I can exhale now. That was my 'utopian' dream for a VOD scheme. Depending on how its implemented a land line system might still have some sex appeal -especially for an average consumer. I just don't feel like its going to be 12 years before the chatter about this stuff reaches critical mass. The thing is, does Bd get a strong toe hold before people start to become aware of 'the next big thing' (I'm sure corporate media will be able to the word out on this stuff)...or does Bd take its time passively aggressively waiting for the base to hit certain benchmarks? I don't know, I' just asking. What I do know is that moneys starting to get tight for me personally, and I've still got literally hundreds of DVDs (and HDMs) unwatched in my collection. I've been a huge supporter of this industry over the last 8-9 years and I'm finally at the point where I have to consciously cut back and hew to a more limited budget. If things continue in this direction, a VOD system, depending on its ergonomics, quality, and price...might even become attractive to me.

 

[Dave Moritz]

While I realized that Universal and Parmount would not just be able crank out Blu-ray's at a drop of a hat. But this is starting to get rediculous and it makes me wonder what the heck both Universal and Paramount are doing? I have not seen one bit of news about what titles we can even exspect to see during the rest of the year. I would love to know what the hold up is for these two studios to get some titles out on Blu-ray? Again I knew that they would not just wave there hand and poof there is Blu-ray titles. But it would be nice to know when we could exspect to see some titles on the store shelves, at least we would know that they are putting an actual effort into Blu-ray release.

Is anyone here as frustrated as I am? While I know we will get the titles sooner or later, I would just love to understand what the heck is going on?

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Dave-
I understand your frustration, but I can assure you that titles are being worked on by both studios. Universal has a pretty big learning curve to move their interactivity from HDi to BD-J. I'm expecting some announcements in the next few weeks.

 

[Brandon Conway]

While DVD prep and production has been narrowed to 3-4 months nowadays, BD is closer to 6-8 months. The time that has elapsed is reasonable.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Thanks Adam, much apreciated.

 

[Michael Reuben]

As my old man used to say: "Be sure you want what you ask for -- 'cause you just might get it!"

M.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

I agree that the lack of communication from these studios is frustrating, but while I can't say anything more, I do know that specific titles are currently being worked on for BD release by both studios. It's not like they are stitting on their hands and thinking about what they want to do, they are currently working on releases.

EDIT:
Sorry, addressed your post twice

 

[Jari K]

Not sure where to post this, but quite clever "homemade" YouTube-video here about the end of format war:
"Format War Veteran"
YouTube - Format War Veteran

(proceed with humor)

 

[Jari K]

Some interesting figures:

Toshiba Profits Plummet 95 Percent - CE Pro Article

"Toshiba is reporting a 95 percent loss in profits for Q1 2008, attributing the losses to the company’s departure from the HD DVD business in February.
It lost 48 billion yen ($461 million) when it pulled out of the HD DVD industry, the company says."