Universal Cancels 'Dazed & Confused,' 'Land of the Dead' HD DVD Re-Issues (1 Viewer)

[brap]

Universal Cancels 'Dazed & Confused,' 'Land of the Dead' HD DVD Re-Issues | High-Def Digest

Too small of a market bother? Uni's getting the blus? Any thoughts?

 

[Paul Arnette]

My money would be on too small of a market. I couldn't, in good conscience, read anything more into this announcement.

What I could read more into is how many new release announcement's Universal makes for HD DVD. So far, we have exactly two more this year officially announced with a date (American Gangster and Fletch), and one pre-announced (Charlie Wilson's War).

 

[ReggieW]

Paul, I have a sneaking suspicion that there will be no more HD-DVD catalog announcements from Universal & possibly Paramount. It will be day/date titles from here on out. I know this is a rather bold prediction to make, but we have seen NO NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS for any HD-DVD catalog titles from either of these studios. As big of a supporter as I've been of HD-DVD, I couldn't in good conscience recommend this format too anyone until I see more support from the two remaining studios. If Universal/Paramount are unwilling to release any catalog titles to support the format, then it's probably only a matter of time before they drop HD-DVD entirely imho.

 

[Jim_K]

Well I was going to pick up the Combo-less Dazed and Confused.

I guess I'll vote for just an overall lack of interest by Universal.


Hmm. Didn't realize they still only had two titles on their upcoming slate.

Universal (and Paramount) needs to either shit or get off the pot. Sticking with exclusivity for HD DVD with almost non-existent release support isn't doing anyone (red, blu or purple) any good.

 

[Sam Posten]

Curiouser and Curiouser. Maybe they have done the impossible and figured out how to make non $40 Combo disks =p

 

[Jason Seaver]

I'm guessing that this is nothing more than the existing combo stock isn't depleted like they thought it would be.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

I sure hope not. I've been beating the bushes for any sign of other releases and am coming up empty so far. Hopefully things will change in a week or two and we will finally get some annoucements.

 

[Douglas Monce]

You know the releases on both HD DVD and blu-ray have really been lack luster since Christmas. I've bought exactly one disc since November. I sure hope that SOMEONE starts releasing some decent movies SOON.

Doug

 

[Edwin-S]

Why would they need to re-issue these films anyway? Has U already run out of films to release from their library? The least they could do is actually release some new films on HDM before re-issuing stuff that has already been published. The same goes for other studios. Start putting out some really decent content on HDM before re-visiting films that have already been published. Cripes, these studios are already trying to double-dip and so far a good chunk of the present releases have been bottom feeders, outright box office failures, or box office underperformers.

The ones that are good -older catalog releases- are saddled with retail prices that just turn people off.

Stop treating HDM as a means of trying to recoup revenue on failed projects and start actually putting out films people would like to buy {edit} ----> at reasonable prices!!

 

[Sam Posten]

Cause people wont buy $40 MSRP titles?

 

[Edwin-S]

Well, that would make sense to someone in the rarified air of studio upper management. Go through the expense of pressing and releasing another disc of the same movie instead of just lowering the price on the one that is already out there. That is just the kind of thing the management of a company I used to work for would think of. It's just too funny.

 

[Jason Seaver]

The expense is pretty much just removing the combo graphics from the package and pressing it as a single-sided disc.

 

[Edwin-S]

Yes, although there are still distribution costs, but the point is why go to the expense at all? If the existing stock of combos is not depleted try lowering the cost of those discs, instead of pressing new discs. Cancelling these re-issues is a good idea. They should use their resources to issue new titles: not waste them on re-visiting published titles that aren't selling because the prices are too high.

Also, maybe they should get the message that the majority of people collecting HDM do not want to pay extra for a useless DVD copy. A lot of people presently buying films in HD probably have an SD copy of the film somewhere in their collection. On releases, going forward, they should just drop the DVD copy altogether. Either that, or just start releasing HD DVD/DVD combos and stop releasing DVD only discs. Of course, then they would have to drop the cost of the combo to the equivalent price of a DVD in order to sell it which basically means that they would be giving the HD version away for free.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Well, Universal isn't pressing new discs; that the point. I think, like Warner, they were planning on using the reissue as single-sided discs as de facto price drops, but there's no point in doing a reissue until the first batch (where they seem to have overestimated demand) has sold out.

Based on a sample size of one - the copy of The Ant Bully that I bought for the single-sided price and has no indication of a DVD side on the package but which has a combo disc inside - it looks like Warner might have just treated it as a price drop and used their existing inventory; Universal doesn't seem to be doing that. It's tough to know what the right call is here, especially if Uni is looking at the possibility of HD-DVD ending this year and doesn't want to press more discs than they can reasonably sell but also doesn't want their titles to go out of stock.