Question about the HD-DVD lead-in promo

Phil Menard · 06-17-2006, 07:05 PM

This question is for anyone else who has a calibrated HD TV or projector. Does the HD-DVD promo look different on the Universal than it does on the Warner Brothers releases? I was noticing that on Universal disks the promo is less sharp, and that dark areas are much darker and have less detail than the same promo on the Warners. The two titles specifically are PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Warner Bros) and CONSTANTINE (Universal).

Universal HD-DVDs seem darker on the whole, but the promo should look identical on both distributors disks, right?

Adam Tyner · 06-17-2006, 07:09 PM

Both titles you listed are from Warner. Constantine isn't a Universal release, and Universal doesn't really have a promo preceding their titles.

Sean Bryan · 06-17-2006, 07:15 PM

Phil,

Constantine is also a Warner Brothers HD DVD, not Universal.

Universal HD DVDs do not have any HD DVD promo (other than the brief "Universal HD DVD" Earth opening.

That being said, I noticed that as of the second batch of Warner Brothers' releases, their HD DVD promo is very dark, much more so than the same promo on their first several releases.

I asked about it here and at AVS, but no one seemed to care.

I stopped watching the WB promos anyway, so now it doesn't bother me.

But it does seem weird.

Edit: Ah, Adam beat me to it!

Phil Menard · 06-17-2006, 07:32 PM

Well, dang! Don't I look foolish now? I'll see if I can't pay better attention in the future. Sorry.

OK. Thanks guys!

CONSTANTINE still seems darker to me.

Sean Bryan · 06-17-2006, 07:38 PM

You know, I did think that Constantine looked a little dark. But there are so many factors that affect this I haven't given it much concern because those with better set-ups than mine (and probably better calibrated as well) haven't been saying anything about it being too dark.

I thought it was "a little dark", but for all I know that can be the intended look (I didn't see it theatrically).

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Ed St. Clair · 06-17-2006, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Bryan

I stopped watching the WB promos

I would like to hijack this thread, if I may:
Do "all" the WB HD DVD titles have the promo?
Is it "forced"?
Is there any way to set any of the three HD DVD players to bypass the WB promo?
Thanks.

Adam Tyner · 06-18-2006, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed St. Clair

Do "all" the WB HD DVD titles have the promo?

I can't remember off the top of my head if the combo discs do, but all of the other Warner discs I've seen include it. It is skippable, though.

Sean Bryan · 06-18-2006, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Do "all" the WB HD DVD titles have the promo?

I believe so.

Quote:

Is it "forced"?

No. You can skip it.

Quote:

Is there any way to set any of the three HD DVD players to bypass the WB promo?

Not that I know of, but the chapter skip button works just fine.

Mark Zimmer · 06-19-2006, 10:02 AM

It is obnoxious, though, especially since it's at much higher volume levels than the actual feature film. Considering you have to have already bought into HD DVD to see the promo, I'm not sure what they think they're accomplishing with this thing. I'd just as soon they dropped it.

Sean Bryan · 06-19-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

I'd just as soon they dropped it.

Yep, it doesn't need to be there.

I'd much prefer they handle things more like Universal with a nice Studio/HD DVD AV logo and then into a basic main menu.

I'm not a fan of the obnoxiously elaborate SD-DVD menus, most of them seem to be way too much. But I'd prefer some kind of basic video menu like Universal HD DVD uses. Having no "main menu" on Warner Brother's HD DVDs seems a little too spartan.

But yeah, they should drop the "welcome to HD DVD" promo.