Bits now confirms - Warner drops lossless audio for Speed Racer BD (1 Viewer)

from the bits:


Insane.

Warner... what is your problem? Honestly... even Sony managed to put inefficient PCM on their BD25 releases. Can't you even manage TrueHD? With all those other discs in the set... plenty of room for bonus material elsewhere, if the BD25 was the limiting factor.

I just don't get it. Why release it on Blu-ray at all if only with Dolby Digital lossy sound? Just wait a while until BD50 replication is more readily available. I was going to purchase this disc sight unseen even without having seen the film. Now, it's a no-sale.

Shame on you Warner... you said you were going to turn a new leave with consistent lossless audio on HD media!

Apparently they won't be able to get enough of a write-off on this bomb unless it doesn't sell on home video either. Since it is a BD-25, maybe they intend to give us an HD DVD compliant video bitrate while they're at it.

some WB contact info from Blu-ray.com:

Address: 4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
Phone: 818-954-6000


What say we all call WB and tell them how we feel?

Can you guys remember a few years ago when we overloaded Disney's consumer-feedback phone system and they had to shut the phones down?



Disney gave us an anamorhpic Muppets Treasure Island when we called them on it. Maybe we can splash some reality-water in Warner's face on this one too.

Damn Straight! Not only will I call, I'll share this # with friends as well. DTS-HD Master or TrueHD should be a given with this release. This is making me wonder about some of Warners recent releases. I can't think of any reason why they would do this other than cost. Well, if they don't want to give me hi-res audio then knock $10 off the price of the damn Blu-ray. Yeah...Riiiigggghhhhtttt.

As I posted elsewhere:

I shot an e-mail to Bill Hunt about this (knowing he was also a big Speed Racer fan), and his answers for what he is hearing is the reasoning for the LA Confidential, Blow, and Speed Racer releases being the way they are is something I somewhat suspected, and made my anger level at Warner drop significantly. He said he would probably comment on it on The Bits tomorrow.

I REALLY hope Warner revisits this title when they have the chance to do it full A/V justice. The current release is just gonna be a rental for me, but a BD50 with TrueHD down the road would be an easy buy. Honestly they could have remedied the problem with a dual BD25 release, but I'll be just as happy with a full on BD50 down the road.

Surely this can't be? Warner could put True HD on the HD DVD of Batman Begins nearly two years ago, and they won't supply a lossless track for such an obvious home theater demo title?

As someone who just upgraded my setup to include the new audio formats, I'm going to be more selective with my purchases in future - I won't support Warner's backwards attitude to HD audio by buying a release like this. Netflix it is.

Don't forget Warner gave us an OAR version of the remastered Willy Wonka several years back too because of "online" pressure and a petition. Originally, they were only going to re-release it in pan and scan.

I will definitely be writing AND calling in regards to their practices of low bit rates, DNR, and lack of lossless. Funny how Universal - who has never released a BD until recently - gets it so fast, yet Warner still doesn't understand.

Wha. . ? There's no lossless on LA Confidential either?

Decision Maker: "Ah, hell. Why not release it 4:3 while we're at it?"

Thanks for mentioning the L.A. Confidential situation, I was considering it yesterday, but not today...

BTW what is this "Digital Copy" I'm seeing more of with BDs?

I don't know how Warner is deciding which titles get lossless audio and which do not. I don't understand why "Speed Racer" gets released without such a track, yet they release Eraser, Outbreak, Every Which Way But Loose and The Gauntlet with a lossless track.

DVD Times - Warner 'Action' Titles (US BD) in September - Artwork added

I suppose it's SOMEWHAT okay if there is no lossless on older films, but to have a film from the 1970's (Gauntlet) have a TrueHD track AND NOT a 2008 film Speed Racer just screams insanity!

Wait, so LA Confidential, a very long film, is on a BD25 and no lossless audio?

This is pathetic. It's BS and I'm not going to pay for it. Sorry, Warner. No.

That sounds very interesting, but as DaViD pointed out, Sony was using PCM on BD25 releases, and with VC-1 or AVC that are both more efficient than MPEG-2 and improved encoders for those codecs, there's even less reason for this to be an issue.

At this point, I'd have to say that the only thing that would make sense for this is that Dolby and DTS have decided to end all business relationships with Warner.

Guess who isn't getting my vote for the HTF's Best Studio of the Year award this year.

This is a bit heartbreaking for me. Some of you might remember my search for a new receiver this past May/June. The match that lit the spark under my ass to do that was Speed Racer. It has a GREAT score, and great sound design, and I wanted to make sure I heard that in lossless sound. So I finally got a new receiver to be ready (and not just for SR, but for all of the forthcoming BDs). And they go and screw SR right in the keister for not doing well at the BO (I assume).

It makes me really angry. I rarely contact companies, but probably will do so over this. And LAC is more sand in the face. That is one of WB's crown jewels. What are they doing???

That doesn't make sense, given that 4 out of the 5 titles referred to by Robert in post #11 have lossless audio. There must be another reason.

No, if other studios are putting out EVERY title lossless, there is no excuse whatsoever.

I didn't say the other reason made sense, only that Jesse's doesn't.

I was going to buy this, not now. No lossless = no sale!