POTTER MAR-ed in R4. How does this bode for R1? (1 Viewer)

[Brian Kidd]

I was reading DarkHorizons.com today and they mentioned that the Australian release will be P&S only. My question is this: Is WB using Australia as a test for future film releases for the rest of the world? I have a bad feeling that our victories with CATS AND DOGS and WONKA were flukes. Any other thoughts on the subject?

 

[rutger_s]

We, in R1 U.S., are getting a dual-release for Harry Potter. One in widescreen format enhanced for 16:9 TVs and another in the standard format.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

That's a mess. I cannot imagine the outcry if they made Harry Potter available in P&S only in R1. I'm glad we're getting a widescreen version, but I feel sorry for the folks in Australia. This really makes no sense at all. Maybe they could start a petition.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I'm guessing that Warner knows/assumes that people will just import from the US if they want widescreen

And before you say anything, if they want Philosopher's Stone they can import from Canada.

 

[Ricardo C]

I'm an R4 resident (South America), and boy am I glad I have a multi-region player. I'd advise everyone with an R4 only player to boycott this release. It's an insult and a travesty. Can you imagine getting Lord of the Rings in P&S only? :frowning:

 

[TheoGB]

Sounds bloody unlikely to me. I wouldn't believe it until I see it. They've already got a PAL master for R2 in widescreen only.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Yeah, I know R1 is getting an OAR release. I was just referring to the future of R1 product. I edited my original post to reflect this. Thanks.

 

[Iain Jackson]

The R2 disc will be available in Pan and Scan and Widescreen editions - and we'll only get the P&S in rental stores! This is only the second time I can think of there being separate releases for these here in Britain. Not long ago I was just thinking how lucky I was that this trend had not yet reached region 2... I knew it was too good to be true.

 

[TheoGB]

Hmm. But we've had crap rental versions of feature-packed eventual releases over here for a while so at least WB are giving us the option to buy immediately, even if they are giving Blockbuster the crap P&S option too.

 

[Sarah S]

Maybe after 6 months, WB will release HP in OAR. Could this be their way of trying to get around the court decision regarding renatl windows?

 

[Angsty]

*sigh*
No, this is not a marketing test by Warner in Australia - this is business as usual for them. Sometimes we wonder why they even bother.... they certainly don't give a damn about releasing a quality product to the Australian DVD market. (Why else would they persist in releasing titles in the NTSC format, despite the fact that Australia uses PAL??)
We've already had to endure a P&S NTSC version of Willy Wonka, an NTSC FLIPPER of Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves... any many more other titles.
The only good thing to come out of all this is that Warner's actions are encouraging people to modify their players to be multi-region so that we can source non-defective product from other zones.
Guess I'll be getting my copy from R2..
Angela

 

[Tom Ryan]

We, in R1 U.S., are getting a dual-release for Harry Potter. One in widescreen format enhanced for 16:9 TVs and another in the standard format.

Ergh, please don't call pan-and-scan "standard". That makes it sound like it's something other than a cinematic aberration :frowning:.
-Tom

 

[Steve Tannehill]

We've already had to endure [...] an NTSC FLIPPER of Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves...

Don't feel singled out...that is the current release version over here as well.

- Steve

 

[Justin Lane]

Yeah, I know R1 is getting an OAR release. I was just referring to the future of R1 product. I edited my original post to reflect this. Thanks.

This does not look good for R4, but I do not see how in any way decisions made in R4 would have a bearing in R1. So far it looks like Warner got our point that we demand OAR on all future (family) releases.

J

 

[rutger_s]

Okay, widescreen version enhanced for 16:9 TVs and an altered pan & scan version enhanced for 4:3 TVs is what you'll find in R1.
Better?

 

[Bjorn Olav Nyberg]

Quotes:

We've already had to endure [...] an NTSC FLIPPER of Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves...

----

Don't feel singled out...that is the current release version over here as well.

----

I think Angela was also commenting on the fact that they released a *NTSC* version. Australia is PAL territory after all. Of course on this forum you might get the impression NTSC is the preferred video format of choice, but some people actually prefer PAL. But even so, being that Australia is PAL territory, releasing a NTSC version doesn't really make much sense.

For the record, I live in PAL territory as well, and prefer NTSC DVD's, but I would think it was strange if they started releasing NTSC DVD's over here. It would turn me over to R2 releases, but it would still be strange.

 

[TheoGB]

Yeah, but isn't the PAL version of Robin Hood single-sided over here? That makes it even more stupid.

WB is obviously treating R4 as the region it has to do least work for. If there are no cuts to the R2 version the Aussies don't already have then they can have PAL. Otherwise just give 'em the R1 and leave it at that.

I think there should be a move made to move Australasia into R2 - surely there isn't a big difference with the release dates of movies over there compared to over here.

 

[Bjorn Olav Nyberg]

I think there should be a move made to move Australasia into R2 - surely there isn't a big difference with the release dates of movies over there compared to over here.

Probably not for American movies, I suspect the problem would arise with Australian or European movies aso. If it weren't for EEC free trade regulations, even Europe would have been subdivided for exactly those reasons.

 

[Roland Wandinger]

I would think it was strange if they started releasing NTSC DVD's

I sure hope WB never gets that idea. Warner's PAL DVDs are first rate and very cheap at that!

 

[Christine Warren]

The one thing that amazes me in this is that it will encourage people to get region free players, quite the opposite of what the distributers claim to want. I prefer to buy local region DVDs unless I get more on those from other regions - this will be one more to get from overseas. Is there any word on a release date for HP in the UK (praying it will be before her son-in-law leaves London after a brief holiday)?

And if logic has anything to do with it, why on earth have a mix of PAL and NTSC countries in the one region in the first place?

It's a pity that when companies know that they won't be releasing a film in a particular version in one region that they don't make a multi-region copy of it. This is something that is done with music DVDs and was also done with Elizabeth, which was a region 2 and 4 DVD.

Christine