Disney seems more bullish than ever on BD (1 Viewer)

[Greg T]

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/art...&page_number=1

 

[JackKay]

I think that when Disney puts a movie on a hi def disk they want the option of you clicking on an Icon that unlocks a game (through the internet connection) and is released with your credit card number that unlocks a game that is already on the disk. More disk space, more to sell. They arn't stuped.

 

[Rachael B]

That Dizz-ney wanker is only concerned about which format has the most draconian kopy-poofing! Well, he proably sees an excuse to charge more for disc interactivity that I'm not so sure folks really want. Myself, I don't think I'll have much use for connecting to the internet with a movie player anytime soon, if ever, for anything other than a player upgrade. I'm not crazy about the internet thang at all. I'm paranoid about studio spyware.

 

[Kyle McKnight]

One has to ask...

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Advanced interactive features, I predict, will be abandoned by the studios and forgotten by the consumers within a year. People just don't care that much.
Who can recall....
*NUON videogames built into DVD players?
*Edit the movies yourself and choose what cuts you want?
*Multiple camera angles? (only found its way onto a handful of adult titles)

All people want are flashy menus, chapter stops, a commentary (a bad commentary thats as fluffy as a People® magazine article), and the trailer for the movie (correct me if you "must" watch some of the other crap that they call "bonus material").

PS: One of the studio heads was talking about some uber-technology that will allow commentators to "draw" on the movie sports playback style. Now correct me if I'm wrong but DVD already can do that (and I have a copy of Men In Black that proves it).

 

[JackKay]

Disney would love it when you buy one of their movies, and the game to play on a PS3 is already on the disk. You simply buy it with your credit card over it's internet connection and a key to unlock it is sent to you. You buy the movie and the game is waiting (for a price), but it is already there. No middle man, retail price sent right to Disney.

Garrett you will never make it as a business man.

 

[Ryan-G]

Would work for PC's too. I bet Peter Jackson would love this idea, make a movie, put the game on the disc with it, ship it and have people ready to unlock it.

Could put both a PC and a PS3 game on a disc losing only 8 gigabytes of space at the very most, likely closer to 4 or 5.

 

[Chad R]

It seems if they were so bullish about it the would announce some titles for the format already, even if it's as far out as September.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I really hope so. The added space on BD should be for more features or better transfers of long movies, not for interactive tea parties with Snow White.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Maybe not, but one with the Mad Hatter (and co) might be worth the effort.

But I’m really in the ‘who cares very much’ camp.

 

[Cees Alons]

Rachel, that's not being paranoid. The other Sony already did it, on CD.


Cees

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Based on the authoring of the top-tier DVD titles from Disney (Bambi, Aladdin, etc.) I would expect that they are going to make very *good* use of that space on Blu-ray.

Blu-ray not only has space, but it has *bandwidth* (1.5 times that of HD DVD). This allows for many more language tracks and/or multiple video streams.

Why would you want multiple video streams?

Remember the "work in progress" you could watch on the Beauty and the Beast DVD? That used multi-angle...which is a 2ndary video stream. DVD didn't have the bandwidth to store two video streams in top quality, but BD does.

The video-commentary on the Bambi DVD needed to use a 2nd layer on DVD since DVD's bandwidth is too limited. But on BD the same feature could be presented so the user could just toggle during the feature film to select the alternate video stream...like changing languages on the fly.

This would also be great for international films that actually have difference video content for different worldwide markets. Toy story has a few scenes that change depending on what part of the world you're in. Wouldn't you like them all on your Blu-ray? And just choose which "version" of the film to watch? or toggle back and forth to see the difference?

Based on Disney's use of mulit-angle to do these very type of things on DVD, I think we'll see some interesting use of multiple-video streaming by them on BD.

HD DVD doesn't really afford that option since the bandwidth is too restricted.

 

[JackKay]

David, could you have two or more rated versions of a movie on a disk. If the Studio's thought companies like Clearplay were making too much money making cleaner versions of their films, could they put a PG version along with the R rated version on the disk that you could switch back and forth with your remote without interrupting the movie?

 

[Eric F]

Oh yeah! More space for the cropped version! Weeee!

At least he was honest about it. That does not bode well for HQ OAR transfers from Disney. If I wanted to see their broadcast quality transfers I'd turn on Starz-HD.:frowning:

 

[Cees Alons]

You don't need BD for that. Creating a PG version next to the R version could already have been done on current DVDs, through seamless branching. Don't forget it's seldom necessary to add scenes for a G or PG version.


Cees

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Branching does indeed work on DVD but one can't seamlessly "toggle" between the two versions since the laser has to seek out the different video streams on the disc.

With multi-angle, the video streams are parallel and a use can toggle between them just like multiple audio soundtracks.

Imaging two rated versions...like eyes wide shut...one with the "airbrushed" scene and one with the theatrical. Then the use could toggle between them instantly if they wished.

The "rated" version example isn't the best use-case bcs generally folks would want to watch the version that they picked. but it could be handy for international films with different scenes for different audiences...and Disney *already* does this now on a few dvd titles (though sometimes with the consequence of compression noise bcs of the limited bit-rate of DVD).

 

[Cees Alons]

David,

I do hope they will.

My point was: the extra space on a BD disc is not a selling argument per se. It's a potential advantage. But I will never buy a title because of the "potentials" of the format used to author it: a buyer will only buy because of the content that is actually present.

So, yes, I think the BD specs have an advantage: they promise a chance to studios to produce richer titles. But if the studios wouldn't do that (or if the product itself or the extra content is not to my liking), I have no reason to prefer the release just because it's BD.


Cees

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Sure...it's a potential advantage. But what isn't?

We'll have to wait and see...like with everyting else...like hoping that the studios will do unfiltered 1080P transfers, provide us with high-res lossless audio...give us HD special features...do their best to provide transparent compression...

 

[Cees Alons]

One bird in the hand.


Cees

 

[DaViD Boulet]

10+ years of a format's life is plenty of time to catch some birds. I'm aiming for the 50-gig bird in the bush. It can take a few months...that's ok...the HT community and studios will have *years* to enjoy it.