What is the problem w/ Warner and Blu-Ray?? (1 Viewer)

[Paul Arnette]

You're probably right, and I wasn't really disputing that. I just didn't bother to bring it up because the bottom line is that it appears that they feel the format isn't mature enough for classics.

However, if that is the case, what I find odd is that they still released some classics like Bullitt, The Cowboys, The Getaway, and Rio Bravo on both formats this year, which I am thankful for. So they must think they're is some hope or that they'll try to 'grow' that market. If that's the case then release the missing non-IME titles on BD too. Warner, us BD supporters may surprise you.

 

[BrettB]

Probably the most blatent act on Warner's part showing their HD DVD bias was to release the Matrix films on HD DVD on the same day as the Pirate films. Of course that ended up totally backfiring and serving as an embarassing microcosim of HD DVD's chief shortcoming.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Well and I thenk your right they still seem to be releasing classics. I don't see Warner abandoning Classics at all. In the first year of these new formats we have seen Casablanca, Forbidden Planet, Grand Prix, The Searchers, The Cowboys, Rio Bravo, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Bullitt, Superman, Superman 2. This is a pretty hefty list of classics for the first year of a new format. 2 of those titles came out last month. Hardly what I would call abandoning the classics.

Now to be fair Warners support of BD does seem to be a bit half hearted.

Doug

 

[Douglas Monce]

I'm not sure why you think it backfired. The Matrix sets sold quite well. I'm not sure why anyone thought they would outsell the Pirates movies which did better numbers at the box office as well.

Doug

 

[Cees Alons]

So, let me see. Format neutral studio is suspected by you to have a preference. So anything that seems to fit that suspicion is a "blatant act". Even something that you think didn't profit them, but which can be explained as a misfired attempt to gain profit (in an illegal way?).

But wouldn't that make any release of the format-exclusive studios "blatant acts" on their part, in your book?

And note that we're only talking suspicions here, the other group of studios have already admitted to having a strong preference!


Cees




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I am format neutral - it's many studios, that's who are not.
And a few fanboys and followers.

 

[Shane Martin]

13,000 copies is not what i'd call quite well.

I don't think they did it on purpose as BrettB mentions. They simply wanted IME to be a part of the release and BDJ isn't ready. The Blue Ray Group has only itself to blame.

 

[Paul Arnette]

Yes, where IME titles are concerned I agree. However when examining Warner Bros. treatment of BD and HD DVD, I break it into two parts. IME and non-IME titles. For the former I give Warner Bros. a pass until the BDA has Profile 1.1 out in the wild, for the latter I do not. The latter amount to timed-exclusives, which I realize are a market reality and now sadly appear to be the province of movies as well as games, but I dislike them intensely nevertheless, especially from a neutral studio.

Edited to add:

Now I realize that sales and the increased cost of manufacturing BD probably come into play with some of these non-IME titles, and I do not dispute that. However, it annoys me nevertheless, and it does create some ill will between BD supporters and Warner Bros.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

When did WB find out "PotC" was going to be released?
When did WB have Matrix ready to ship?
How is making the 'same' amount of $$$ as "PotC" a "embarassing (sic) microcosim (sic) of HD DVD's chief shortcoming" (sick )?
What's your bias?

 

[Douglas Monce]

Well considering that the best selling HD DVD of so far sold 100,000 copies, its not all that bad.

Doug

 

[Tim Glover]

13,000 copies @ an the average price of $70---and that was just the first week....not too bad for Warner. I'll take it.

The only oversight in this release was Blu-ray not being ready for this title...or Batman Begins, V for Vendetta etc...

Can't blame Warner. It's like blaming the officials for starting a game on time when you don't have all your star players there.

 

[BrettB]

Which HD DVD has sold 100K?

 

[Duncan Harvey]

oh please, just grow up...

the format war is still best symbolised by two bald men fighting over the use of a comb.

I've got 2 PS3s and 2 HD1s, plus Casablanca, Robin Hood and Forbidden Planet. I do have the POTC films, but not the Matrix (yet).

 

[BrettB]

I hope you're not talking to me.

 

[Douglas Monce]

The Departed. Sorry I didn't mean to say HD DVD but rather the biggest selling HD title. This was a month or two back so its probably a few more than that now.

Doug

 

[BrettB]

No worries. I thought maybe something had changed drastically.

Top 20 SI through 5/27. Where applicable disaggregated sales are included in brackets (BD+HD DVD):

1 The Departed 100,500 (62,700+37,800)
2 Superman Returns 84,100 (44,800+39,300)
3 Casino Royale 83,600
4 Batman Begins 53,500
5 Mission Impossible III 51,300 (25,500+25,800)
6 Planet Earth 44,700 (19,300+25,400)
7 Happy Feet 40,100 (25,500+14,600)
8 Goodfellas 38,200 (12,100+26,100)
9 The Prestige 34,700
10 The Fifth Element 33,800
11 The Last Samurai 32,500 (10,100+22,400)
12 X-Men: The Last Stand 32,000
13 Underworld: Evolution 31,400
14 Ice Age: The Meltdown 28,300
15 Night at the Museum 28,100
16 Black Hawk Down 27,900
17 Talladega Nights 27,700
18 Babel 27,700 (14,400+12,600)
19 Serenity 26,200
20 Troy 26,100

link

 

[Douglas Monce]

But we are also talking about a title (the matrix) that was in excess of $70 or $80 on release. So selling 13,000 copies is a pretty good haul.

Doug

 

[Nick Laslett]

It can release a bareboned bluray disc at a slightly lower price and run the risk of encouraging bluray player sales, "because bluray discs are cheaper"

Why can't they just do this? Warner's will still make money on the sale, whether the disc has IME or not.

They are just being dumb, alienating potential customers by not releasing content available elsewhere. What is Warner's problem? If people want the higher spec HD-DVD version with the IME features then they will invest in that hardware and buy the movies in that format.

But why should Warners not just release the inferior version with just the movie and an encode not optimised for Blu-Ray on the blu-ray format aswell, it's not like they have to do much to support the format. And then when IME is available on Blu-Ray they have a perfect opportunity to encourage double dipping.

Unless I don't understand things, Warner are leaving potentialy 12,000+ sales of the Matrix Trilogy to Blu-Ray owners on the table because of some stupid extra. Don't they want my money?

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I think that WB's decision to delay some of their interactive-discs until the advent of Java-enabled BD players (expected this fall) is reasonable. They *could* release those discs now and then force everyone to get updates for their player firmware (which we all had to do with Pirates), but I think they want to wait a few months for a larger crop of "java ready" players in the field.

It's not forever...

I agree with some posts that at times is has appeared that WB has favored HD DVD, especially when they were putting TrueHD lossless audio on HD DVD but not on the same BD titles when there was plenty of room (and when the authoring platforms provided the option). But they've turned that around lately and provided audio-parity between the two formats as far as lossless audio is concnerned.

Looking forward to them releasing their interactive BD titles a few months hence.

Now, it's time for FOX to get back in the race given the finalized BD+ functionaity! That's the studio that deserves the harshest slap around here...




No, they avoid outrage by BD consumers who might get pissed that, yet again, they're releasing a version on BD that omits features on the HD DVD (like they had done in the past with Dolby TrueHD). With BD replication still ramping up, there's not room in the schedule to keep re-releasing content to double-dip just yet: the first shot needs to get it right (ie, WB is not rushing to the plate to re-release Happy Feet on BD with Dolby TrueHD).

Their decision to wait is an informed one. And they'll make their money. Just a few months from now.

 

[Douglas Monce]

One could say the same thing about Disney or Fox. They are just being dumb alienating potential customers by not releasing content on HD DVD.

Doug

 

[Shane Martin]

The first gen players can't be upgraded to BDJ Profile 1.1. This is a chip upgrade not a firmware upgrade.

The PS3 is different.