Studio People Don't or Rarely Read the Forums Anymore? (1 Viewer)

[Paul Hillenbrand]

Personally, I think the key sentence is:
"Everyone has their opinion,and I'm not one to really tell our columnists what they can and can't say, and what opinions they should have."



The main message I'm committed to and try to stress in all forums I frequent and address to ALL studios, regarding HIGH DEFINITION Blu-ray authoring, is this:
Movie Lovers want movies in their collections that are as "authentic as possible to the theatrical presentation".

Also IMHO, Mr. Michael Hafner nails the reality of the situation in this entire post #95.


What is your opinion?

Paul

 

[Jari K]

I can´t say, that I really blame the "studio people", if they´re a bit tired of the negative talk. I mean with e.g. 10-page thread, how can they find those "valid arguments" over these endless "rants"? Then again, if guys like us (or better yet, guys like RAH, B.Hunt, etc) won´t "deliver the message", not sure who´ll..

So again, not a black&white-issue.

I sincerely hope, that the (right) studio people are reading the forums at least from time to time, but I can see the point that this Penton-Man is saying. I don´t fully agree with him, but I understand the point..

 

[Robert Crawford]

The complaint from studio people regarding inaccurate information being posted is nothing new and I have heard them complained about it beforehand, long before this format war came along. However, with that being said, I do think the format war has made it worse the last couple of years and now that the war is over with plenty of bad feelings left as residue to go around, the studio personnel have generally turned a deaf ear to much of the internet chatter.

We do have some legitimate issues regarding removal of film grain and detail due to excessive DNR being applied along with too much EE on certain BR releases. But, I'm afraid our message might be getting lost due to the issues I mentioned in my previous paragraph and the constant stream of negativity that is being posted on the internet regarding so many BR releases.

 

[TravisR]

I feel the same way.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Hell, we even have a thread about dvds that are better than blu-ray which to me is far from the reality I have experienced in this hobby because the worse BR disc I have in my collection is a lot better than its SD DVD counterpart.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Removal of film grain, DNR and EE aren't things studio execs should have to turn to internet forums for, these are technical flaws being introduced into the product which don't belong there. The same goes for edited prints - these studios have plenty of internal resources and people who should know what belongs in a given print if they do their homework.

Consumers do have a right to complain when the products they buy are laced with defects, but I do think the noise level has become so high (some warranted, some not) that it is easier to filter it all out than to try and address the real problems, especially if it means going back and doing something properly - which should have been done in the first place. There is also a legitimate complaint when feature sets are lessened for a higher end (BR) release (this works both ways as per the lack of Smiley prints of HTWWW on DVD). Some of these are marketing decisions, but there should be no surprise if they piss people off as a result.

 

[Edwin-S]

So what is the solution? Consumers should just shut up because only the opinions of insiders should have weight?

I, also, don't entirely agee with that quote from Mr. Hunt, especially that bit about public rallying crys being ineffective. Until Mr. Harris raised the issue of excessive DNR/EE on the PATTON BD there was little if any discussion about excessive DNR/EE from anyone, at least on this board. The issue came to the forefront only after he went public with his criticisms.

I'm not an insider so I can only speculate on this part, but I expect that there was little discussion on excessive DNR/EE in Blu-ray releases amongst insiders until a public hue and cry went up all over boards like these. So Mr. Hunt's assertion that public outcry is ineffective seems misplaced, because the insiders only took notice once the outsiders started hollering. If people hadn't started hollering there wouldn't have been any concerted insider action to adrress the problems. Things would have continued on their merry way, unchanged.

I also think that it is somewhat arrogant of the studios to be dismissive of these boards because of what occurred here and on others. It really is arrogant to think that they can absolve themselves of responsibility for the divisiveness and disinformation that occurred on these board during the format war. It was their side taking and manufacturing alliances that forced HT enthusiasts (outside of a few) to take sides in the first place. Now they are going to turn up their noses and dismiss opinions expressed on these boards because of the infighting that they were largely responsible for? If it hadn't been for them there would have been no format war and the vitriol and excess that accompanied it.

 

[Xylon]

The best that guy can say is accuse me of being a HD DVD fanboy. Because I'm too "critical" of his beloved Blu-ray Some of these people are spending way too much time at the kumbaya forum. Attacking or mocking me every time I get too critical but no commentary about other threads I made where I recommend or praise the BD release. Pathetic. I can't even defend myself because some idiot mod got personal when I pointed what I think of the 1st release Filth Element (and this was waaaaaaaay before the re-release ) I lasted a couple of days before the ban

Anyways that forum is not exactly the place to have a healthy debate without being banned outright (you will hurt their feelings) and certainly not the demographic to explain films.

I don't toe the line. Ever.

 

[Xylon]

Studios read the forums. Anyone claiming otherwise is . . . . . .

 

[Paul Arnette]

So let me see if I got this straight? The studios don't or rarely read the forums anymore because they've become so negative as a result of a format war that they started. Boy that's rich.

That's fine studio folk, put your heads in the sand. Ignore the enthusiasts who would otherwise help grow your format and watch it die on the vine as a result. Brilliant.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Sure there was. It just didn't get the same level of attention until someone of RAH's stature took on the issue.

How do I know? Because I was one of the people discussing it.

M.

 

[Xylon]

Whoops I did not realize there the admins name is also Mike


Michael its the other Mike!!!

 

[Douglas R]

I so agree with everything said in that link. I’ve worked for organisations which attracted the attention of very vocal postings and campaigns on internet forums. Despite the fact that we were the professionals who had masses of information, experience and data and discussed issues with a wide range of other businesses and individuals, these people always spoke arrogantly as if they knew far more than we did and that they were the experts. In fact they were not experts. They were people who obsessively gathered bits of information, mainly from the internet, usually inaccurate or distorted and simply repeated what others had said. Companies take little or no interest in these negative internet forum campaigns.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Edwin,
This HTF thread started last year before the Christmas Holidays was a long discussion thread that talked about these issues long before the "Patton" or "The Longest Day" discs came out. Matter of fact, I think you posted in that thread.





Crawdaddy

 

[Vincent_P]

Perhaps, but it should be noted that the thread linked is specifically about Robert Harris's "safe Blu-ray list". I think it's safe to say that Robert Harris is "an expert" with regards to how films should look. The insider in that thread, Penton Man, also makes an off-hand swipe at Harris by bringing up the much-maligned HD-DVD of SPARTACUS, a film Harris restored on film. I couldn't help but think that Penton Man did that intentionally as a way of trying to question Mr. Harris's credibility, even though Harris was not involved with the HD-DVD of SPARTACUS.

Vincent

 

[Loregnum]

I love how things have turned in the world. So we have reached a point where someone giving their money for a product is an idiot if they aren't happy there are flaws which have no logical reason to be there. Instead of companies wanting to produce a better product the mentality is that the consumer should STFU and be giddy for whatever they are given to buy. NICE.

It is pretty simple- the oh so moronic consumers complaining have complained only about 2 things really: DNR and EE. These do not have to be there and it doesn't take an "expert" to know this. For someone to imply that all consumers are doing is complaining about every disc release is lame.

Maybe studios should care about this stuff since it is what helps keep their jobs. Last time I checked these people get paid by us mornonic consumers buying their stuff.

Seeing that mentality makes it pretty clear to me why movies like Meet Dave get the green light and become huge bombs. Maybe studios should get more intelligent people working for them and they'd make more cash and have less complaints. or, they can keep being like GM and not give a crap what the consumer wants and wonder why their sales are down.

The next time a customer at my job complains when my office screws up I will simply tell them to shove it because they are amateurs. That will go over well and I am sure they will just be dying to give me more business.

Pathetic....but it is what i expect in the year 2008 with the north american society we have.

 

[Edwin-S]

Can you believe I forgot about that thread? It was huge. And what is worse is that I forgot that I posted in it. Oy!

 

[Cees Alons]

That Pent-up Man is actually going to someone else's "insider" thread to post all that nonsense! And then another "insider" needs to come in to defend the legal inhabitant of the thread. And then they quarrel for some time.

Even if it were true what PM writes there, does he want to tell us that (1) because studio people allegedly no longer read "the" forums it is now evident it isn't true what they write on those forums, or (2) the loud and exaggerated posts spoil it all for those publishing reasonably and expertly, or (3) see what you achieved already: better stop posting all the critique, because you only drive the Olympic Inhabitants away from your dwellings?


Cees

 

[Douglas Monce]

Studio executives rarely know anything technical about film, much less what a vintage film is supposed to look like. That isn't an indictment of execs, it's just not their job.

The people who are now running or having some influence over the home video divisions of some of the studios seem to have come from a video background rather than film. As a result they to don't seem to know what something shot on film is supposed to look like, either that or they just don't like that look and take it on themselves to change it for the "better".

Now this is clearly not all the studios and not even every release from every studio. There are plenty of BDs out there that are stunningly beautiful representations of the original film.

Doug

 

[Chris S]

My view is very similar to Phil's; I want films released as close to the original theatrical presentation as possible. But at the same time I realize there are other factors that prevent this from happening and can appreciate some of those factors. It doesn't mean I like them all and I don't mind a post or two stating a unsatisfactory view of them, but I won't take it much beyond that. I love this hobby and I don't want it to become all about the 5% that I dislike. That's just not any fun.


And I don't think I would blame the format war as it seems too simplistic and convenient of an excuse for some of the current discourse. I'm sure some people "can't stand each other" due to heated debates over previous discussions but there needs to be a level of personal responsibility with ones own post. To blame a format war for one's own attitude or view removes that level of accountability.