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A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

#91
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1/26/07 at 9:52pm
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Seaver
Which ones? I did a quick Amazon check, and the most recent ones (Brokeback Mountain and Half-Baked) had a $35 MSRP.
Half-Baked, a catalog release, has a retail of 29.99, selling for 20.99 at DVD Empire, Brokeback Mountain, which should be considered a top tier release retails at 34.99, 5.00 dollars lower than previous top tier releases. The prices on these disks does seem to be coming down. In a few months, they will probably be priced very close to non-combos.

Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down

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#92
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1/26/07 at 10:32pm
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

In all the posts so far, there seems to be no comment on the quality of the discs, only the price or whether combo discs.
I own both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players attached through a Yamaha 1.2a HDMI receiver to a 65" HP DLP 1080P.
My High Definition collection amounts to a total of 172 of which 123 are HD-DVD and 49 are Blu-ray.
So far, the HD-DVD discs have had no bad pressings, Blu-ray has had two that were totally unplayable "Speed" and "Stargate". I was finally able to get a correct - but still strange "Speed" after three trials (from Amazon) and "Stargate" after two exchanges with a local store. The PQ for the HD-DVDs I have so far have all been excellent to superb; the Blu-ray from OK to very good. The best Blu-ray discs are Warners using VC1.
I may in a minority, but so far the titles from the exclusive Blu-ray studios are not among my most my favorites films.
Another point: many small studios have been going with HD-DVD and these are the movies that appeal to the aventurous streak in me.
I also own three DVD upconverting to 1080P players as are the two HD-DVD players: Samsung BD-P1000 (with the lastest upgrade installed by their service department late last year) and Toshiba HDXA2.
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#93
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1/27/07 at 12:01am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
this is not whining. this is opinions.
if it disagrees with yours is that why its whining?

the supes reurns was only available as a combo, so there is no hd dvd release to compare sales prices too.
it was the only choice if you wanted the hd dvd version of the film.
if the blu ray version had a lossles track i would have bought that and not the hd combo.
also i would not have bought the combo if i diddnt get it cheep using google checkout at buy.com
Dude, I don't play these PC relativistic games. There is plenty of whining going on in this thread, and IMO it's pretty lame. I think we're pretty lucky to get anything approaching the quality of what we have gotten so far, all things considered. Combo or not, a few bucks more expensive or not.
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#94
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1/27/07 at 2:02am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertCH
Dude, I don't play these PC relativistic games. There is plenty of whining going on in this thread, and IMO it's pretty lame. I think we're pretty lucky to get anything approaching the quality of what we have gotten so far, all things considered. Combo or not, a few bucks more expensive or not.
If you don't like what's being posted in this thread then either stop trying to brand others complaining as whiners or don't participate in it. As consumers we have the right to voice our displeasure which is one of the reasons why this forum and others like it, exists in the first place. Disagreeing with an expressed opinion with stated facts is one thing, but categorizing somebody else as being nothing, but a whiner is not acceptable here because who are you to judge any complaint as trivial and of no value and to voice that to others here? We all have the right to express our opinions without such declarations.




Crawdaddy
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#95
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1/27/07 at 2:23am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I haven't bought a combo yet and probably never will if the cost does not come down to what a standard HD DVD is. I'm not paying more for something I'm never going to use. The discs are expensive enough as it is. 90% combos is a bad move for Universal. I'd say for every person who likes the combos there's 20 who don't.
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#96
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1/27/07 at 2:56am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Half Baked is $35 elsewhere.
Given the choice, do you prefer combos on new or catalog titles?
What is the logic?
I prefer only on new.
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#97
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1/27/07 at 7:21am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Davenport
If your paying more than 25$ for an HD-DVD even if it's a combo your shopping at the wrong places. I have over 40 HD-DVD's and have yet to have to pay over 25$ for any of them even combo's. Amazon used sections and even Ebay will get you these discs a lot cheaper than your standard electronic store.
You're missing the point on the cost of combo discs. Even if you're paying $25 per title that's still a $5+ dollar premium over non-combo pricing. I can purchase straight HD-DVD titles from Amazon for less than $18 shipped with their 10% discount program. When I buy a combo I'm being charged more money for something that I DO NOT WANT (SD DVD side) with no choice in the matter. TotalHD will no doubt be similarly priced.

Careful man! There's a beverage here!

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#98
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1/27/07 at 9:16am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Travis Olson
I'd say for every person who likes the combos there's 20 who don't.

A large outpouring of dissent on a forum does not make this so. I know I am in the minority on this matter, but I am OK with the combos. The presentation of the movies and the special features has never suffered because of the combo format and that is ultimately what is most important to me. I have also found that having the SD side has its benefits. I can loan the movie to family or friends. I can play it at work. If HD was the standard then this wouldn’t matter to me and there wouldn’t be combos, but SD DVD is still the standard. Whatever steps a company takes to make it more cost effective for them to provide us with more HD content, I support them (I guess this means I have to support Total HD too).
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#99
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1/27/07 at 9:17am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

"Even if you're paying $25 per title that's still a $5+ dollar premium over non-combo pricing."

But that title can play in any DVD player in the world and is a lot more convenient and portable. It also allows you to sell off your SD collection of movies. Compare that to the 40$ Fox Blu-ray titles with NO other function and it's a bargain.
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#100
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1/27/07 at 9:37am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

So, has there been any release dates announced for the Universal titles? If not, any ideas when there will be?
LuckyBird
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#101
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1/27/07 at 9:39am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Part of the reason combos are still expensive even those prices are coming down is because many of them are for better or new titles.

Brokeback Mountain is a major release for Universal. You weren't gonnna find it for $20 whether it was combo or not. Same thing for Tokyo Drift and The Breakup. The reason you can't find those for $20 is because they are NEW movies.

Can somebody tell me where to purchase Syriana for $20, since it's not combo and apparantly combo is what is bringing the price up? If people were to stop spreading misinformation around here, they would notice that the reason it's more expensive even though it's not a combo is because it was released day-and-date with the DVD version. Brokeback Mountain was also day-and-date with the new 2-disc special edition that just came out and you can already find that for $24 on amazon.com before the 10% discount.

Combo pricing is generally coming down, but the fact that some movies on combo are day-and-date with their DVD means studios want to charge more than for movies that have been out for a long time.
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#102
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1/27/07 at 10:11am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I don't have a problem with the combo discs. In fact, it's my preferred approach to HD DVD.

Earlier in this thread, someone said the downside to combo discs is having to pay for something you already own if you're looking to upgrade your entire collection. I consider myself a home theater enthusiast interested in quality presentations, but the vast majority of HD DVDs I'm looking to buy are titles not yet in my collection. Since I don't own an HD capable player yet, the SD DVD side is actually the only useful format to me right now, and I don't mind paying what I consider a very small premium in order to future-proof my collection.

I applaud Universal for taking this approach, and I'm very much looking forward to some of the titles on their release schedule for 2007.
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#103
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1/27/07 at 10:20am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I think we ahve all become spoiled by the discount bin. I remember when my wife and I would go to tower records once a month to pick out a $59.00 laser disc. Criterions were $125. When DVD first came out I remember non anamorphic no bonus feature titles going for over $30.00. Universal is taking a beating for releasing combo discs for approx $5 more. I know the majority of you here are expressing that you don't want that, I for one see it as a benefit. If I already have the title on DVD I could sell my current one for $5 and be even. One disc I can play almost anywhere, less shelf space, and still chaper than the Blu-Ray only conent from several studios. It appears that by shopping around a combo only ends up being a few dollars more than the SD release.
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#104
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1/27/07 at 10:54am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I think most of the people that are upset about the additional cost are people that will never play the SD side. Most people with large collections probably watch the average movie in thier collection once. Multiple veiwings in HD and SD probably aren't even something they are even concerned about.
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#105
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1/27/07 at 10:56am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yumbo
Half Baked is $35 elsewhere.
Given the choice, do you prefer combos on new or catalog titles?
What is the logic?
I prefer only on new.
If the price is the same, or close to it, I would rather have the Combo. If I own the disk in SD, it let's me retire it, and reclaim the space. With nearly 1850 disks (SD's, HD's and BD's) space is indeed an issue.

Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down

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#106
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1/27/07 at 10:59am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Gregorich
I think we ahve all become spoiled by the discount bin. I remember when my wife and I would go to tower records once a month to pick out a $59.00 laser disc. Criterions were $125. When DVD first came out I remember non anamorphic no bonus feature titles going for over $30.00. Universal is taking a beating for releasing combo discs for approx $5 more. I know the majority of you here are expressing that you don't want that, I for one see it as a benefit. If I already have the title on DVD I could sell my current one for $5 and be even. One disc I can play almost anywhere, less shelf space, and still chaper than the Blu-Ray only conent from several studios. It appears that by shopping around a combo only ends up being a few dollars more than the SD release.
Absolutely. I see little downside on Combo's. as long as the price stays relatively close to the non-combo releases. I still would like to see a hybrid with HD and SD on the same side. .

Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down

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#107
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1/27/07 at 11:00am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

these arent laserdiscs and the price does not need to be this high.

lasers didnt need to be that high either but it was a small market that would always stay small.
maybe because of the price of the discs.

this could happen to this hi def format if the prices stay high or become high due to all the releases being a combo format.

$20 is my price area.

if they will sell very, very close to that am't i'm in .

if not i rent.
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#108
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1/27/07 at 11:03am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

has there been comment on why no one sided combos
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#109
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1/27/07 at 11:28am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Gregorich
I think we ahve all become spoiled by the discount bin. I remember when my wife and I would go to tower records once a month to pick out a $59.00 laser disc. Criterions were $125. When DVD first came out I remember non anamorphic no bonus feature titles going for over $30.00. Universal is taking a beating for releasing combo discs for approx $5 more. I know the majority of you here are expressing that you don't want that, I for one see it as a benefit. If I already have the title on DVD I could sell my current one for $5 and be even. One disc I can play almost anywhere, less shelf space, and still chaper than the Blu-Ray only conent from several studios. It appears that by shopping around a combo only ends up being a few dollars more than the SD release.


I put down some serious change for the DTS version of Titanic on LD as well as the DTS Schindler's List. Those were the days
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#110
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1/27/07 at 11:36am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
this could happen to this hi def format if the prices stay high or become high due to all the releases being a combo format.


if not i rent.
Combos are not keeping the price up. New release prices from many of the supporting studios is still near 40.00, even with out combos.

Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down

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#111
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1/27/07 at 11:40am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

read what you quoted from me again. it does say if they stay high or stay hi due to combo.
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#112
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1/27/07 at 11:45am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

New pricing is all the same. Combo on catalog is NOT.
So, do people like catalog combos?
Why is Universal releasing catalog as combos? Warner isn't.
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#113
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1/27/07 at 11:47am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by ppltd
Combos are not keeping the price up. New release prices from many of the supporting studios is still near 40.00, even with out combos.
Combo pricing is keeping the prices up for HD DVD catalog titles. While the high MSRP of Fox and Disney catalog BRD is another matter being discussed in other threads.

I don't have a big problem with the pricing of titles that had their theatrical run in the last year or so because those titles are still on the books as far as marketing and production costs. As a materials manager, I can't blame a company for trying to recoup as much cost from a recent asset, however, I do have a problem with catalog titles that have longed been off the books when it comes to high marketing and production costs.

Also, my dislike for combos of recent titles is not as strong as my hatred for combos of catalog titles in which I purchased the SD DVD only version within the last couple of years.
G.W. McLintock: Camille, you're on your own.
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#114
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1/27/07 at 11:49am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
read what you quoted from me again. it does say if they stay high or stay hi due to combo.
Sorry, Tony. I misread your quote.

Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down

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#115
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1/27/07 at 11:56am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Crawford
Combo pricing is keeping the prices up for HD DVD catalog titles. While the high MSRP of Fox and Disney catalog BRD is another matter being discussed in other threads.
Robert, this has been true in the past. But the most recent Combo release, Half-Baked came with a retail MSRP of 29.95 (DVDEmpire Listing; 29.99 MSRP, 20.99 Sale price), the same MSRP that Universal has used on the non-Combo catalog releases. I do not know if this pricing was only for this release, or if it is a new pricing structure from Universal. Time will tell.

Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down

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#116
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1/27/07 at 11:59am
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by ppltd
Robert, this has been true in the past. But the most recent Combo release, Half-Baked came with a retail MSRP of 29.95 (DVDEmpire Listing; 29.99 MSRP, 20.99 Sale price), the same MSRP that Universal has used on the non-Combo catalog releases. I do not know if this pricing was only for this release, or if it is a new pricing structure from Universal. Time will tell.
I need to see a trend and a single release doesn't make it a trend.
G.W. McLintock: Camille, you're on your own.
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#117
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1/27/07 at 12:03pm
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Crawford
I need to see a trend and a single release doesn't make it a trend.
I agree with ths. One title does not make a trend.

Thomas Eisenmann(Last updated 12/02/08) HD-DVD CollectionBlu-Ray CollectionDVD CollectionToshiba HD-XA2, HD Add-on, Panasonic DMP-BD55KPioneer VSX-94TXH, Panasonic PT-AE 3000U 1080p 252 HDs, 167 BDs, 1560 - DVDs and going down

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#118
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1/27/07 at 12:03pm
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Thomas, DVD Empire is the ONLY one priced at $30. Everyone else has $35.
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#119
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1/27/07 at 12:10pm
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yumbo
Thomas, DVD Empire is the ONLY one priced at $30. Everyone else has $35.
Yes, it appears to be a pricing error by DVD Empire.
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#120
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1/27/07 at 12:32pm
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Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
this is not whining. this is opinions.
if it disagrees with yours is that why its whining?

the supes reurns was only available as a combo, so there is no hd dvd release to compare sales prices too.
it was the only choice if you wanted the hd dvd version of the film.
if the blu ray version had a lossles track i would have bought that and not the hd combo.
also i would not have bought the combo if i diddnt get it cheep using google checkout at buy.com



i'm not giving away my dvds.
plus all you can get for them is a few dollars on ebay or
through trade-in for credit on some websites.



well i think both formats will last longer then that.

but everything else you say i agree with.
too many types of dvds.



i doubt that. the standard dvd was the long cut.





dave still not following you here. the newly released anamorphic criterion is the long cut.
and the oop sd uni release was the long cut too despite the package saying otherwise.
the box set does include the theatrical cut too.

i wonder if there was a choice between a combo and a single hd dvd of each title what the numbers would be.

too bad there won't be a choice for us.

as robert crawford mentioned.
looks like most of my hi def dvd watching will be through netflix and blockbuster

FWIW, the theatrical cut of Brazil is not available in any form, AFAIK. The Criterion box contains the director's cut and the Love Conquers All versions. Gilliam was asked to cut 10 minutes from Brazil before Uni would release it, which he did, but it wasn't the 10 minutes the studio wanted. The rest of the story is available in the fantastic book, "The Battle of Brazil".

Also, FWIW, I'm holding off on the HD formats until Criterion gets into the game, though I do think the model of releasing only combo discs would decide the war a lot fatser than the current holding pattern.

\"My opinion is that (a) anyone who actually works in a video store and does not understand letterboxing has given up on life, and (b) any customer who prefers to have the sides of a movie hacked off should not be licensed to operate a video player.\"-- Roger Ebert

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