A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment - Page 5

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

right the love conquers all version put together by sheinberg.
only shown on tv i think.


no theatrical version on home video.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

So how 'bout that press release from Universal!!!

One thing I will say though, I am encouraged to see that a lot of those folks complaining in the "Fox pricing" thread are complaining here. I may disagree with you guys, but I gotta hand it to you...you're all very consistent!!!

And since this is the Universal thread, it needs some humor, and in light of the lack of Spielberg announcements (not really unexpected at this point), I thought it would be fitting to quote Dr. Ian Malcolm from The Lost World: Jurassic Park, "Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming."

Regards,
Dan

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Fair enough. No offense intended, and if I came across as overly critical, my apologies. It's just that the two newest combos I've boughten were for less then $22 a piece at amazon. For me, with no tax a free shipping, $22 for a HD disk is more than acceptable, even without the added value of being able to play it in the other dvd players around my house. And I'm a poor college student.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Who's up for taking DanR out back and beating him? ... Hey Dan, what HD DVD player do you have?

I think there are many worthy titles in that list. That's just a sampling according to Adam and more on the way.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

It was a joke, I was trying to get people back to the press release and the titles, rather than the whole combo/pricing fiasco.

If you wanna square off with me out back, you'll have to excuse me while I go get my Darth Vader Force FX lightsaber. You have learned much young one, but you are not a Jedi yet.

Regards,
Dan

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Oh, Tim, I forgot. When Universal releases on BD, I'm gonna hit ya with a "Young fool, only now, at the end, do you understand." Of course, for our little story here, we are going to ingore what happens to the Emporer after that...HAHAHAHA.

Regards,
Dan

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Might be awhile for Universal Dan but for sure when Fox does release these, you can do all the heavy breathing for us in HD.

All in good fun, my friend.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Another thing going against me in this format war is the colors. While Maroon is my favorite color.....that dark redish color does resemble the Dark Side while the Blue could be considered a Jedi color. ....of course the past few dvd releases have shown the lightsabers to take on a bunch of different colors.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I was thinking of picking up MIAMI VICE on HD DVD. I went to a local B&M store to pick up a copy. I found out that MV was a HD DVD/DVD combo with a lovely 51 Canadian dollar price tag. The decision to purchase that particular movie was very easy to make and the decision was "no way". If 50 dollar combo discs is UNIVERSALS way of "supporting" HD DVD then the format can die for all I care. Every one of UNIVERSALS combo discs has been a "no go" decision for me because they are too damned expensive. I will not pay 40 to 50 dollars for a movie, no matter what format they come out on. If FOX, UNIVERSAL, or DISNEY want to ensure that their respective formats die (or remain niche) then they are going about it in exactly the right way with their insane pricing policies.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

90% of Universal's releases will now be combos. I wonder what the 10% will be and how they will decide...?

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

TV series?

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

The combo idea doesn't bother me, in fact I could see it being useful at my house. I have one main "theater" in my house but 4 other TVs that have a SD DVD player attached. At some point, both sides of a combo disc would get a workout.

So...where's that list of HD DVDs......?

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Edit - Lethal Weapon I can't believe I asked that question. You are right Bat that is WB. The funny thing is I own LW 1 on laserdisc, dvd, hd-dvd and bluray.


I am also hoping that Universal supplies that list soon so we can see what is coming out this year and when.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

universal does not own lethal weapon movies, warner bros does.

Jacob

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Universal releasing The Good Shephard on a combo release. I'm not happy with this release, but at least, I don't currently own the SD DVD. Still, I just think it's another way for the studios to increase their profit margin per unit sold. However, if the MSRP remains $34.95 for this title that's still playing in theaters then I have nothing to complain about, since, they've been charging that same MSRP for all of their films released to theaters within the last year on HD DVD.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh..._to_HD_DVD/452

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

You're still missing the point. I. DO. NOT. WANT. THE. SD. DVD. SIDE. Yet I am being forced to pay for it.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I don't agree with this argument at all. The price point for shiny discs containing home video has been $15-$20 for a long time. I don't care what laserdiscs cost back in the day and that really isn't relevant to pricing on high-def discs. There is a huge manufacturing and distribution infrastructure already in place for DVD that the studios have leveraged into their high-def disc business model. Their costs are minimal compared to the laserdisc days. I'm with Robert - combos are a way for studios to maximize their profits by charging a premium for something that costs them very little overhead.

I'm starting to get very disillusioned about HD-DVD and Blu-ray. With each passing week, more layers of nonsensical business and marketing strategy seems to get piled on top of their already iffy product rollouts. IMO both camps should be thinking K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) instead of throwing more and more half-baked "solutions" at consumers. If the trend continues I see both formats ending up exactly like SACD and DVD-Audio.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

$51???? Where on earth was that? I've never seen a combo priced above $35 Cdn.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Back to release pace...


Considering Universal has announced ten titles for January-April, to keep their promise they'd have to release 30-40 titles in May-June alone.

I find it hard to believe.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Upon release of its first HD DVD titles, Universal was criticized for scheduling of their release announcements. If I remember correctly, some titles were practically available in stores at the same time as the announcements were made. They were also reportedly relatively silent at CES. It's probably the same issue: I don't think they have announced all their titles yet for the first four months of the year.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I think it does for one reason, and that is becuase people exspect HD titles to be as cheap as SD-DVD's! And unlike Laserdisc at the time it to was a nich market as well. And HD is nothing more than a nich product at this time. And unless consumers embrase at least one format and support it. It to will end up being a nich format that may just end up dead just like Laserdisc. Granted DVD helped kill it off with titles that where cheaper and of good quality, oh ya and you did not have to flip the disc over.

Most people have been spoiled by the cheap prices of SD-DVD and many of them never ended up paying top dollar for laserdisc releases! I have no problem with the prices right now but I would exspect them to start dropping in the near future. I do not dismiss the opinion that the combo discs are most likely ment to maximize profit. If you where running a company and could put a product on the shelf that took up 1/2 space. Wouldn't you consider it and offer it over pressing and shipping twice the product? And considering that its a very small mark up its not like you are paying for two retail copies of the movie. And if you have kids and you have a DVD copy of a movie allready. Then if you where to buy a combo disc and the kids destroy the dvd version you will still have the combo version with the dvd side you only paid $5 instead of going out and buying it at full retail. I also see it as a big plus for people that do not have HD-DVD at this time. Because as they indirectly build up a HD collection and if HD-DVD wins the format war. They may decide to go out and buy that HD-DVD player and they allready own a good size HD collection allready. Someone can allways say they do not want the dvd version of the movie because they allready own it. But if that is the way HD-DVD is going to move towards. And someone does not like it then there is allways the Blu-ray option that only offers one HD version on there discs and no SD-DVD version at all. This is the best way that HD-DVD can try to bring the average consumer to there format eventually. I can see why they are doing it, if someone has the HD titles they will eventually brake down and buy the player to watch them. If a consumer is buying combo discs and own a HDTV allready. Once they own a large number of HD-DVD combos and the price of the players come down, why not buy a HD-DVD player. This is all assuming that HD-DVD wins the format war or last long enough for consumers to justify the player becuase the indirectly purchased the HD titles.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

I second your second, or third his first . I happen to like Combo's. I travel a lot, and it allows me to make a single purchase on a new release and view them at home in HD or on my portable while traveling.

Enough said on Combo's, how about the follow up promised by Universal with additional release info? Any word when that might be coming?

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Well Dave and Adam (EDIT: and Thomas), we'll just have to agree to disagree on combos. IMO you guys are way too trusting of these huge media corporations and their motivations. For me it goes back to the simple fact that combos cost me more money to buy and the studios that release titles exclusively on them are NOT giving me any choice in the matter if I want that title. In my book that's anything BUT consumer friendly.

I also think don't think either high-def format is ever going to be widely adopted by the "mainstream" consumer. Depending on how the format war eventually shakes out, we're going to end up with one or two HD disc products that are sold to a good sized niche, but they will end up being niche products nonetheless. From my experience the average consumer really isn't that interested in the technology.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Oh make no mistake they are in the business to make money. And I do not trust corporations to do anything for anyone but themselves. But I do see combos being a good thing if HD-DVD is to survive and win the format war. I own HD-DVD, but I am also buying Blu-ray as well. And I would personally rather see Blu-ray win this war. Granted if HD-DVD happens to win thats good to and I will already own the player and all I will end up doing is buying all HD-DVD.

I hope that HD does not end up as a nitch market and I hope that consumers jump on board and support the new HD format. When HD first came out IMHO most consumers did not care. But after seeing what HD really is and seeing how great it looks more and more people are buying HDTV's. The growth of sales show that more people than ever are willing to invest in a HDTV. Its only a matter of time till they will invest into a HD player to take advantage to that HDTV. And more channels will also become available on dish and cable.

Granted this format war has had a negative affect on the introduction of a HD disc format. If there would have been only one format the average consumer would have most likely accepted it faster than they are currently. Is this a fact, no but you never know how successful any product will be until its been out on the market for a decent length of time.

Combos are also good for retailers as it takes up less shelf space. Something that is in short supply at many retailers. I respect our view on the combo issue and realize that not everyone wants to have a SD-DVD copy forced on them when all they want is the HD version of the movie. Especially if the allready have a copy of the SD-DVD sitting in there movie library. The combo discs will ether help save HD-DVD or it will help sink it, only time will tell.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

You are of course right that the choice has been taken away from you as a consumer. But to be honest, that choice was taken away the second the studios decided to go exclusive .

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

what bothers me (about combos) is that they cannot say this is to get HD in the hands of the average customer. If that is the case then why not just release a combo disc? Don't get me wrong, I would be just as upset by this but I would love to hear their reasoning.

I would understand their advantage to going combo only. With just one type of disc to make that would indeed reduce their costs and heck even reduce consumer confusion. "Don't think about it, just buy it, whether you have SD or HD, you can watch this movie!".

However they won't do that yet. Why? Because they want to give SD buyers a choice to pay less if they only want the SD-DVD.

So then why are we getting the shaft? Why don't we get a choice?

How about a combo and a non-combo HD on release day? If you want SD get the combo. You can play it now AND will be able to later. you already have HD? get the HD-DVD only. Heck if you want to play it on all your players, get the combo too, you can pay the extra for that. But the HD only guys don't want/need to "history proof" their purchase by getting an SD side.

The more I am typing the more I think this would be a great solution.

Re: A Conversation with Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Children of Men.....YES!