2010: The Year They Finally Got Blu-ray Right (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Does Lionsgate really deserve any credit for the Apocalypse Now transfer?

You know what, Jeff? That is my stupidity.


I am so used to studios handling their own transfers

and certainly, in this case, the credit should be given

to Zoetrope.


I will update what I have originally written. Thanks for

pointing that out to me.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Originally Posted by dana martin

well if we go past a 2 year old film as a catalog title, then Kino is playing with the big boys this year and keeping the standard at almost Criterion Level


[SIZE= 12px]2 Keaton's with possibly Our Hospitality on the Way![/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]Pandora and the Flying Dutchman[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]Metropolis[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]The Sun[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]Battleship Potemkin[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]The Black Pirate[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px]Compaired to the major studios, the smaller boutiques are the ones doing the catalogs and getting them right, mostly the first time, as for Paramount, 2 titles this year, African Queen and White Christmas, makes me wish they would readdress It's A Wonderful Life [/SIZE]

I totally second the kudos to Kino. They are doing some great classic releases.

 

[Chuck Anstey]

I would like to add the notion that while it has been great to get these older titles done properly, I think there has been another change in 2010 for Blu-ray that is at least as important to expanding the format; price. It was an incorrect assumption at the start that consumers would regularly pay $25-$40 for most Blu-rays because they were better than DVD, and studios seem to have understood that recently. I regularly see Blu-ray on sale for $10-$17 and many of them are good titles. For new releases the premium for Blu-ray has dropped to around $5-$7 and many times that includes a DVD with the Blu-ray.


I hope studios continue to recognize that general consumers are simply not going to pay $30+ for movies regardless of the format and that Blu-ray must follow the historical DVD pricing model. DVD started around $25-$35 per disc when the current format, VHS, was priced $10-$20. Then the price of VHS dropped to typically $5-$10 and DVDs dropped to their "normal" price of $15-$25 with cheaper bargains to be had as it became the defacto standard. DVD is the new VHS and Blu-ray pricing is close to dropping into its normal pricing for all releases, which I believe needs to be around $20-$25 typically with $30 for top quality deluxe editions. There are still a few holdouts and children's titles rarely go on sale for even $20 but I think the irreversible pricing transition has begun and that is the biggest change to Blu-ray in 2010.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

This has been a great year for BD, as my own personal collection of classic films has really been improved with many of the great releases already mentioned in this thread. We just watched The Sound of Music yesterday, and I was completely blown away by the image quality of this favorite.


Unfortunately, we still have to deal with the occasional clunker -- Spartacus comes quickly to mind.

Originally Posted by ManW_TheUncool


If not, I guess you can always just rent -- Blockbuster Online seems pretty good for that (while they're still around anyway), if NFLX is too swamped w/ renters for them...


_Man_



You do not necessarily need a B&N membership to take advantage of their Criterion sales. If you are a AAA member, you get an additional 10% discount off the already greatly discounted Criterion prices during the sale. Shipping is free on orders over $25, too. I usually hold off on Criterion purchases until this sale and always combine it with the AAA discount.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Gents,


Thanks for the advice on the B&N Membership

and/or AAA discount (for which I am a member).


If you see the sale anywhere and think of it, drop

me a PM. Looking to eventually buy SEVEN SAMURAI

when the price is right.

I hope studios continue to recognize that general consumers are simply not going to pay $30+ for movies regardless of the format and that Blu-ray must follow the historical DVD pricing model.

Exactly.


I have already posted elsewhere on this forum
concerning about my dismay over an upcoming

"A" title being released by a studio for $40 retail

(reduced to $35 Amazon). Don't want to repeat
who it is or what as there is no need to beat a

dead horse. However, I fully agree that it's high

time that studios stop offering new releases at
this price tier.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Ron, the Barnes & Noble sale is going on right now. If you login into your AAA member account first, then go to Barnes & Noble from their shopping/savings page, you should be able to get Seven Samurai for $22.50. Add another title, and you will get free shipping.

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein

Gents,


Thanks for the advice on the B&N Membership

and/or AAA discount (for which I am a member).


If you see the sale anywhere and think of it, drop

me a PM. Looking to eventually buy SEVEN SAMURAI

when the price is right.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Originally Posted by Scott Merryfield

Gents,


Thanks for the advice on the B&N Membership

and/or AAA discount (for which I am a member).


If you see the sale anywhere and think of it, drop

me a PM. Looking to eventually buy SEVEN SAMURAI

when the price is right.

[/QUOTE]

Yep, it's going on right now. If you plan to be near a B&N store (w/ a DVD/BD section) this weekend, there's even a 25%-off coupon for non-members (just for this weekend) to use that can drop the Seven Samurai BD down below $19.


_Man_

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Chuck is right on the money regarding, um, money.


I was in my local Super Walmart yesterday, and they had a ton of BDs for $8-$15, many of which were double features. (I was SORELY tempted to pick up the Chaos and The Bank Job 2-pack for $10, which included all the extra features from the regular releases. And if I didn't already have the set of the original three Rambo flicks, I would've gotten the double feature of First Blood and the fourth movie.) Many of them were the same catalog titles that have been in DVD bargain bins for years now (The Usual Suspects, Ronin, etc.), but it's still a good sign.


Come to think of it. . .is Chaos worth getting? The Bank Job was awesome.

 

[TonyD]

I never saw Chaos, didn't Mike Frezon uy that recenty?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by ManW_TheUncool )


Good memory, though. It was quite awhile ago cuz I got it for practically nothing in a sale somewhere. Sorry to report it is still unwatched though so I can't give any kind of informed answer. It is because of stuff like this that I have gotten really selective about the BDs/DVDs I buy now. My purchases have been cut back a lot. (College tuition/loans for the kids has had a bit of an impact, too!)

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon



Yep, it's going on right now. If you plan to be near a B&N store (w/ a DVD/BD section) this weekend, there's even a 25%-off coupon for non-members (just for this weekend) to use that can drop the Seven Samurai BD down below $19.


_Man_

Where's THAT coupon?!?


[/QUOTE]

A quick google for "Barnes and Noble Coupon Thread", and you should find it at the top of the google results (at the usual forum site) -- I just keep it bookmarked myself (as I'm sure many others do). BTW, they apparently also added a 25%-off online coupon as well for non-members though that probably won't work for the Criterion sale.


_Man_

 

[Ronald Epstein]

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/pimages/email/2010/11/GenCoups/1111_non_dual_landing_481.gif

 

[Ronald Epstein]

What a waste of time.


Printed out my 25% off coupon and headed to my

local Barnes and Nobles store. Their Blu-ray selection

is pretty pathetic. DVD dominates here and Blu-ray is

reduced to 3 rows of wall shelving.


Suffice to say Seven Samurai wasn't even in stock.

Don't think there was any Criterion there.


The 25% can't be used online so my only choice is

using the AAA 10% off discount which with the reduced

sale price will get me to the $20 mark which I really can't

complain about.

 

[Charles Smith]

Yikes! What a far cry from the couple of B&Ns I frequent. Not only are they always very well stocked in Blu-rays and Criterions, but the clerks go out of their way to help people get full use out of every coupon they bring in, ringing a haul up in two or more sales if necessary.

 

[MatS]

Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein

What a waste of time.


Printed out my 25% off coupon and headed to my

local Barnes and Nobles store. Their Blu-ray selection

is pretty pathetic. DVD dominates here and Blu-ray is

reduced to 3 rows of wall shelving.


Suffice to say Seven Samurai wasn't even in stock.

Don't think there was any Criterion there.


The 25% can't be used online so my only choice is

using the AAA 10% off discount which with the reduced

sale price will get me to the $20 mark which I really can't

complain about.

BD Criterion buyers wait for this highly anticipated annual sale

it started on the 1st, so to to go and expect to see one store well stocked 12 days later, when their stock on these catalog titles is never that deep, is a bit of a reach


you still may be able to ask the store to order the title(s) for you and possibly they get them back in before the end of the sale (21st)


I was happy to pick up Paths Of Glory and The Darjeeling Limited for 13.91 each in store at the start of this sale

 

[MatS]

Originally Posted by Chuck Anstey

I would like to add the notion that while it has been great to get these older titles done properly, I think there has been another change in 2010 for Blu-ray that is at least as important to expanding the format; price. It was an incorrect assumption at the start that consumers would regularly pay $25-$40 for most Blu-rays because they were better than DVD, and studios seem to have understood that recently. I regularly see Blu-ray on sale for $10-$17 and many of them are good titles. For new releases the premium for Blu-ray has dropped to around $5-$7 and many times that includes a DVD with the Blu-ray.


I hope studios continue to recognize that general consumers are simply not going to pay $30+ for movies regardless of the format and that Blu-ray must follow the historical DVD pricing model. DVD started around $25-$35 per disc when the current format, VHS, was priced $10-$20. Then the price of VHS dropped to typically $5-$10 and DVDs dropped to their "normal" price of $15-$25 with cheaper bargains to be had as it became the defacto standard. DVD is the new VHS and Blu-ray pricing is close to dropping into its normal pricing for all releases, which I believe needs to be around $20-$25 typically with $30 for top quality deluxe editions. There are still a few holdouts and children's titles rarely go on sale for even $20 but I think the irreversible pricing transition has begun and that is the biggest change to Blu-ray in 2010.

I disagree with a good portion of this post

if anything retailers/studios are trying to make up margin for slumping dvd sales by keeping new release BD pricing high

in the early days of the format we were blessed with promos such as BOGO .... look at the frontline release pricing for new releases and even most catalog in the Sunday circulars ... $30 is still almost the norm.

Pricing and the general economy has greatly curtailed my BD spending from what it was when it first launched. I no longer care about having a release on street and am much more willing to sit on the sidelines till a title drops to the sub $15 mark. Retailers are banking on those with the gotta have it right away mentality... ex. Kick-Ass street 8/3 for 22.99 @ BB, 24.99 @ Target, currently 12.99 @ Amazon.
It's not uncommon to see a catalog release at $20 on Amazon first week of release and watch it go down to $10 a few months later.


There are deals to be found, one just has to be patient and spend time looking around.

Another reason why I disagree with another point of yours when you say "children's titles rarely go on sale for even $20" if childrens titles = Disney releases

Disney almost always has coupons available for their titles and with coupons and other pre-order deals I have been able to secure most of their releases for around $10 each and many even around half that.

 

[Chuck Anstey]

Originally Posted by MatS

I would like to add the notion that while it has been great to get these older titles done properly, I think there has been another change in 2010 for Blu-ray that is at least as important to expanding the format; price. It was an incorrect assumption at the start that consumers would regularly pay $25-$40 for most Blu-rays because they were better than DVD, and studios seem to have understood that recently. I regularly see Blu-ray on sale for $10-$17 and many of them are good titles. For new releases the premium for Blu-ray has dropped to around $5-$7 and many times that includes a DVD with the Blu-ray.


I hope studios continue to recognize that general consumers are simply not going to pay $30+ for movies regardless of the format and that Blu-ray must follow the historical DVD pricing model. DVD started around $25-$35 per disc when the current format, VHS, was priced $10-$20. Then the price of VHS dropped to typically $5-$10 and DVDs dropped to their "normal" price of $15-$25 with cheaper bargains to be had as it became the defacto standard. DVD is the new VHS and Blu-ray pricing is close to dropping into its normal pricing for all releases, which I believe needs to be around $20-$25 typically with $30 for top quality deluxe editions. There are still a few holdouts and children's titles rarely go on sale for even $20 but I think the irreversible pricing transition has begun and that is the biggest change to Blu-ray in 2010.

I disagree with a good portion of this post

if anything retailers/studios are trying to make up margin for slumping dvd sales by keeping new release BD pricing high

in the early days of the format we were blessed with promos such as BOGO .... look at the frontline release pricing for new releases and even most catalog in the Sunday circulars ... $30 is still almost the norm.

Pricing and the general economy has greatly curtailed my BD spending from what it was when it first launched. I no longer care about having a release on street and am much more willing to sit on the sidelines till a title drops to the sub $15 mark. Retailers are banking on those with the gotta have it right away mentality... ex. Kick-Ass street 8/3 for 22.99 @ BB, 24.99 @ Target, currently 12.99 @ Amazon.
It's not uncommon to see a catalog release at $20 on Amazon first week of release and watch it go down to $10 a few months later.


There are deals to be found, one just has to be patient and spend time looking around.

Another reason why I disagree with another point of yours when you say "children's titles rarely go on sale for even $20" if childrens titles = Disney releases

Disney almost always has coupons available for their titles and with coupons and other pre-order deals I have been able to secure most of their releases for around $10 each and many even around half that.

[/QUOTE]

I'm not quite sure where you shop but I think you missed much of my points. I am talking about Brick & Mortar retailers, where most DVDs and Blu-rays are sold. I can walking into BestBuy or Target at any time and find at least 20 titles for

 

[Jason_V]

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway

In other news, you CAN count Disney's ENTIRE catalog output in 2010 on your hands:


10 Things I Hate About You

Gangs of New York (Remastered)

Toy Story

Toy Story 2

Armageddon

Tombstone

James and the Giant Peach

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Fantasia

Fantasia 2000


10 titles.

What we know of for catalogue Disney/Pixar next year on Blu:


Alice in Wonderland

Bambi

The Incredibles

The Lion King

Dumbo


And probably other stuff I'm totally forgetting.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Jason_V

In other news, you CAN count Disney's ENTIRE catalog output in 2010 on your hands:


10 Things I Hate About You

Gangs of New York (Remastered)

Toy Story

Toy Story 2

Armageddon

Tombstone

James and the Giant Peach

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Fantasia

Fantasia 2000


10 titles.

What we know of for catalogue Disney/Pixar next year on Blu:


Alice in Wonderland

Bambi

The Incredibles

The Lion King

Dumbo


And probably other stuff I'm totally forgetting.


[/QUOTE]

I'm looking forward to every one of those releases. However, as someone in another thread reminded us, Disney does make live action films, too, and I'd LOVE to see some of THOSE get the Blu-ray treatment: So Dear to My Heart, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Old Yeller, Swiss Family Robinson, Pollyanna, the original The Parent Trap, The Moonspinners. And, of course, Mary Poppins.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Let's not forget The Happiest Millionaire, Matt! That's the one I really want (and honestly hope gets released in HD sometime).

[SIZE= 10px]I could mention The One and Only, Original Family Band...but it's THM that I really want! [/SIZE]