Remember the Phantom Menace LD? (1 Viewer)

[JeffdDurborow]

Just a brief comment i was thinking about how important the blockbuster movies released on either one of these formats can really create an impact..

I remember when the Phantom Menace came out in Japan on Laserdisc.. I couldn't believe the people buying these up let alone how many laserdisc players sold primarily for watching this movie...hhhhmmmmmm??

i realize that most LD players weren't going for 500 bucks but you start issuing these movies that the customers want on the format they want to see them in. cha ching!!! the war gets a lot more intersting...

2 cents..

 

[Dana Rodakis]

Yep I remember. I still have the disc. Paid 100$ for it (I think). My LD player is the Elite DVL-91.

 

[Seth=L]

Episode III would do the new formats justice. There are some titles coming M.I. III, X-Men 3(maybe). The strangest thing is there appears to be no release date for Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest. I am also dissapointed there is no V for Vendetta on either platform.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

"The Last Great LD"!

 

[BrettGallman]

I guess we can expect one of the Star Wars movies on HD around 2009, seeing as how it took Episode I 4 years to make it on to DVD.

But in all seriousness, I do think the release of major titles will go a long way in procuring a bright future for these formats. I don't think releasing Star Wars on HD/BD will immediately result in thousands of sales right off the bat, but it will show a commitment on the part of studios to these formats.

I still wonder how the average Joe reacts to HD material when they first see it, though. Unfortunately, I think that if the overwhelming response on the part of that crowd is one of ambivalence, even big name titles might not be enough.

 

[JeffdDurborow]

i agree completely.. simply using Phantom Menace as an expample of how it drew people into the LD format just to watch that particular film. Even in the end of the Laser format...

However - -
We start seeing multiple blockbuster movies developed for iether of these formats we start seeing increased demands for the hardware...

star wars is in a league of it's own. When it comes to formats and versions of these movies we have already tested our patience numerous times with them. simply put we can wait..for these..we have before..

 

[Jason_RoyH]

I bought my first DVD player for the Matrix

 

[JediFonger]

so did i (well, DVD-ROM on HTPC, same difference). it's all about content baby =).

 

[Dave Moritz]

It will most likely depend on George Lucas and how he feels about HD formats? If he supports them and is egger to release any of the Star Wars movies in HD. Then we could see the movies at local retailers by the end of 07. But if he decides to not support HD and trys to avoid the HD formats we could be in for a long wait. If I rember correctly Lucas did not care for the DVD format but the $$$ factor most likely convinced him to release Star Wars on DVD. There are a handfull of titles that I would buy on HD without thinking about it and Star Wars is one of them. Star Wars 3 especially should be total eye candy in HD.

 

[JediFonger]

with so many variations on codecs, i can see lucas planning this release pattern for all 6 star wars:

original release:
- Bare essentials, MPEG2 on BluRay with Dolby Digital Plus (he isn't a big supporter of DTS).
- VC-1 low-bitrate 1080p w/DD+.

1 year later:
- mpeg4 avc h.264 BluRay w/TrueHD 6.1 dump from DD-EX and 1minute interview with lucas about speed.
- mpeg4 avc h.264 HD-DVD w/TrueHD 6.1 dump from DD-EX and 1minute interview with lucas about speed.

2 years later:
- highest bit-rate VC-1 w/TrueHD 7.1 new mix on HD w/newly recorded commentary by the janitor at lucasfilm.
- highest bit-rate VC-1 w/TrueHD 7.1 new mix on BluRay w/newly recorded commentary by the janitor at lucasfilm.

3 years later:
40th anniversary edition 7 disc collection
- all 3 codecs in 3 separate HD-DVD discs w/TrueHD 7.1 new mix from a year ago.
- all 3 codecs in 3 separate BluRay discs w/True HD 7.1 new mix from a year ago.
- 1 disc bonus w/ken burns 2 hour feature again or another new documentarist in 1080p.

then:
41st anniversary edition collection
same as 40th+1 15minute interview with lucas's kids, the current lucas estate holders.

a few years later:
HVD edition:
- the same as 41st, but now with 3D holographics video discs beamed directly into the brain.

then:
50th anniversary edition collection
same as HVD edition but with viles of lucas's ashes in 4k resolution and uncompressed 2,056kilohertz/1,024-bit 22.2 channel surround sound uber-duper ultra supernatural edition.

then:
100th anniversary edition collection
holonovel simulations of all 6 star wars movies interactively. you can BE han solo and decide to shoot first... or not.

 

[Dave Moritz]

No supprise that since George Lucas and Ray Dolby are such good friends it is no suppise there will never be a DTS track.

How ever I am hoping that Lucas will give Star Wars the Dolby True HD treatment. As I am going to give Dolby the benafit of the doubt that DTHD will perform very well. I figure we might see a 6.1 mix but it would be cool to see a 7.1 mix.

I hope that Lucas would not do a Sony and release them in MPEG2.

 

[JediFonger]

by the time he gets around to releasing these films, i think majority of the releases on BR will be VC-1 or MPEG4 AVC H.264 instead of MPEG2... but you never know how many dips he is willing to go =).

 

[Dave Moritz]

I would doubt that JediFonger, I wouldn't be suprised one bit. However I will not purchase Star Wars again until its on an HD format using a VC-1 transfer.

 

[JediFonger]

as with SD-DVD, there is the issue of bit-rate (like sony's superbit marketing =). so... i think we will see the initial VC-1 releases, and then people like sony harping on about Superbit... HD! =). heh heh heh.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Brett,

Maybe I'm misreading your tone or content, but Episode I was released in October 2001, about 2.5 years after its theatrical release.

 

[EnricoE]

i also have the ld in my collection. it's the only way to see the film in it's original theatrical form with a great 5.1 soundtrack

 

[BrettGallman]

Yeah, I screwed up.

I was thinking 4 years between '97 (the debut of DVD) and 2001, forgetting that TPM came out in '99. Oops.

So you know what that means? Maybe Star Wars will show up a little earlier than I expected. Or longer, if it takes as long as the Original Trilogy took to debut on DVD.

Realistically, I still say it's going to be a long time.