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What Happened To The HTF Awards? (1 Viewer)

Dr Griffin

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I recently came across a thread for the Home Theater Forum DVD Awards. Was it ever done for Blu-ray (I can't get any of the results pages up), and why did it stop? I like this idea, that we could all vote for release and studio of the year etc., and maybe present something to the winners, even if it's simply on-line acknowledgement. Or, just for our own amusement. Maybe categories for best sounding disc, and best cover/packaging etc.

awards2008_2008HTF600.jpg
 

Ronald Epstein

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There wasn't much participation/interest in them. That is why we stopped doing them last year.
 

Colin Jacobson

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There wasn't much participation/interest in them. That is why we stopped doing them last year.

I used to do a top 10 list every year on my site, but I bailed a long time ago - it just became too difficult to really differentiate among the "best releases".

Back in 1999-2004ish, DVD changed and evolved so much that various titles stood out as especially strong/well-executed. Now there's just not the same level of difference/impact, IMO.

I could still do a top 10, but it'd be really arbitrary - I imagine the HTF Awards would be the same, which is probably why people lost interest...
 

Dr Griffin

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The more I thought about it the more I could imagine that it was a huge amount of work, and without a lot of participation, it would be pointless.
 

Brent Reid

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I'm planning something along these lines on my site, for different categories of silent films. Mine will be ongoing, dynamic user voting polls though. Your thoughts above are invaluable – thanks guys!
 

Ronald Epstein

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The more I thought about it the more I could imagine that it was a huge amount of work, and without a lot of participation, it would be pointless.

Stanley,

That was the problem.

I enjoyed doing the awards every year. However, just for the nominations, I had to sit with multiple pieces of paper to document every vote for a seemingly endless stream of different titles. It was frustrating work.

It was rewarding, at first, when we could really document what our membership thought was the best and worst of the year.

....even more rewarding when I went to Warner Bros. and saw a cardboard placard hanging inside MPI advertising their studio as "The best of the Year" based on your votes. That really amazed me that they took our yearly polls so seriously.

However, as I stated, in future years, the percentage of participants were so low that I felt embarrassed posting the results.

For those of you that have indicated they keep lists, I do sympathize. It's a lot of work, and not worth the effort when it no longer means anything.
 

Dr Griffin

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Stanley,

That was the problem.

I enjoyed doing the awards every year. However, just for the nominations, I had to sit with multiple pieces of paper to document every vote for a seemingly endless stream of different titles. It was frustrating work.

It was rewarding, at first, when we could really document what our membership thought was the best and worst of the year.

....even more rewarding when I went to Warner Bros. and saw a cardboard placard hanging inside MPI advertising their studio as "The best of the Year" based on your votes. That really amazed me that they took our yearly polls so seriously.

However, as I stated, in future years, the percentage of participants were so low that I felt embarrassed posting the results.

For those of you that have indicated they keep lists, I do sympathize. It's a lot of work, and not worth the effort when it no longer means anything.

Ron, your post speaks volumes about the state of the home video hobby. The numbers are dwindling. It's strange how, as the technology finally got to the quality we all dreamed of years ago, we have become a dying breed.
 

Colin Jacobson

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Ron, your post speaks volumes about the state of the home video hobby. The numbers are dwindling. It's strange how, as the technology finally got to the quality we all dreamed of years ago, we have become a dying breed.

I don't think it's just dwindling numbers - I think that DVD and then Blu-ray matured to the point where there's no real innovation left to excite us.

I've been reviewing DVDs since 1999, so I've seen radical changes in the format. When DVDs grew as a format, it was exciting and inspired fun choices for "best of the year".

But eventually there just weren't many "killer apps" out there any more. You could look at the titles released in, say, 2002 and find stuff that expanded the format - that doesn't happen now.

I'm not complaining - I'm just saying there's not the same room for discs to dazzle like they did 15 years ago...
 

Dr Griffin

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I don't think it's just dwindling numbers - I think that DVD and then Blu-ray matured to the point where there's no real innovation left to excite us.

I've been reviewing DVDs since 1999, so I've seen radical changes in the format. When DVDs grew as a format, it was exciting and inspired fun choices for "best of the year".

But eventually there just weren't many "killer apps" out there any more. You could look at the titles released in, say, 2002 and find stuff that expanded the format - that doesn't happen now.

I'm not complaining - I'm just saying there's not the same room for discs to dazzle like they did 15 years ago...

Very Good point. I could still get excited about some releases that I've been waiting for, but at this point, they may never come.
 

skylark68

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You guys really know how to depress a fellow... :(

There are a few titles out there that I long to see even in DVD format!

Say it ain't so Joe!
 

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