Universal VP predicts Blu-ray sales lead to continue (1 Viewer)

[Norman Matthews]

As a matter of fact, we can all enjoy Hi-Def DVD right now.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

God bless Universal for continuing this crazy, and now destructive format war? I don't think so. As others have rightly stated, if Universal goes neutral it's game over for HD-DVD. Good riddence too. Blu-ray is consistantly where it's at for higher caliber audio (PCM, DTS MA, and now with Sony coming on board the lossless train, Dolby TrueHD). Down with lossy audio!

Don't forget, Universal pulled a fast one on Traffic and seemingly released an upconverted DVD transfer!

Dan

 

[Edwin-S]

You can't single out UNIVERSAL for that. Both camps and almost all of the studios have put out substandard product at some point in time.

 

[Norman Matthews]

People said the format war was crazy and destructive before it had ever begun, but now that the first year of HD consumer discs has passed, it's hard to deny the good the war has done for both formats (from the consumer's perspective).

You think we've reached the point of inflection where it now does more harm than good. I disagree. But seeing as you tipped your hand with the rest of your post, and knowing there's no point in arguing with evangelism, I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Poor HD transfers-- I'll grant you that, however this is a whole new low. Passing off an upconvert as HD. This is why I singled out Universal. They've also had a hard time with compatibility issues too.

If you guys think my opinions on Blu-ray are evangelising, I'd hate to think what some HD-DVD fans are. I only stated facts so far. Blu-ray (just looking at Region A releases), to date, has far more titles with PCM or lossless audio than HD-DVD. Even some titles released elsewhere in the world that get lossy audio here, are getting DTS MA or PCM tracks too.

If you want room for both great audio AND great video, Blu-ray is the stronger format unless HD-DVD supporting studios change their tune.

 

[Darren Pillans]

"And God bless 'em for it."

Are you simply being antagonistic, or do you genuinely feel that?

"As a matter of fact, we can all enjoy Hi-Def DVD right now."

Speak for yourself. I couldn't count the Hi-Def titles I'd buy today on more than one hand. Many, if not most of us have yet to adopt, and the average consumer wouldn't know a High-Def DVD if they sat on one.

Instead of Hi-Def DVD making itself known amongst the wider community, it's cannibalizing itself and fostering consumer confusion and reticence before it even truly begins. Even if there was only one format, it would remain a niche for a long time to come. The market is barely there for one format, let alone two. Not all of us have hundreds of dollars lying around to take a chance on a format, or to splurge on both.

It's all a little depressing, really.

 

[Norman Matthews]

I'm not speaking for myself; I'm speaking for everyone. Anyone who really wants to enjoy Hi-Def DVD content can, right now.

And like you said, even if there were no war, it's not as if either format would have exploded by now. As a matter of fact, without the war, do you really think either side would have released everything they have so far to this point? I don't. And I don't think the prices would have been anywhere near as low as they will be when you eventually decide to buy in if there hadn't been a war.

The war has been good to this point. I think it'll be good for some time to come, because the oft-invoked "Joe Sixpack" wasn't going to buy into either format in its first few years anyway.

Another overlooked aspect of the war is this: You know what the format war has given us that would not be present at even a tenth of its current level if we had all just picked an heir apparent and moved on? PASSION. Many people love their format of choice even moreso just because the other format exists. Sure, it makes for some heated, round-and-round internet discussions, but I think that's also a good thing in the long run.

 

[Rob Young]

Yep...the war has been good and anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves or is a full out fanboy and wishes just thier respective preference was the only choice. Do people forget the quality of the early Bluray releases? Do you honestly think they would have stepped up their game if HD DVD didn't exist? Please.

Prices of players would not be as aggressive as they are right now. We'd still have $800-1k bluray players and that is it.

Anyone who thinks that if there was one format that sales would be through the roof are living in some dream world. Listen, I LOVE my high def content but I realize that most simply do not care and are happy with DVD. Having one format wouldn't magically make all those people go and upgrade.

As stated, if people want hi def content they can get it now. This "war" is not stopping anyone. I never understand the logic of trying to blame two formats as the reason why you haven't bought in....so if there was one format and players were 1k you'd be in? You can get a player for each format for a combined total of less than 1k...the money issue is not a reason.

I find it funny Universal gets slammed for Traffic yet I guess Sony is ok for releasing that original Fifth Element which looks not much different than the superbit DVD and is poor enough they are re-releasing it....the bias of some people amuses me.

I have both formats (and like both and have no bias to either since they do the EXACT SAME THING) but I will say I am happy HD DVD exists and came out with quality from the start because it is clear to me if Bluray was the only game in town we wouldn't have the overall quality we have now...and prices would be higher. On the flip side, it is good bluray exists because it is was all hd dvd I am sure we'd see the same thing. Basically, this war has forced companies to care about their product which benefits people like me who are to in now because we realize it is better to have sweet quality now than wait.

Oh and about the PS3...it is clear it has had an influence on sales (hell I own a PS3 as do my parents) but I think once the system actually gets some games the bluray sales will go down. Basically, I bet there is a good % of buyers who got it mainly for games but since the PS3 is pathetic right now for games they are just using the system for strictly bluray movie playback.

 

[ppltd]

And you know this for certain? Is this from a press release, or just some post made in a forum?

 

[Darren Pillans]

Excellent points, guys.

I gotta be honest. I didn't have the objectivity to see all those factors.

I know over here, all the early Blu-Ray releases are excessively grainy. A friend showed me the HD-DVD of Training Day and it left all the Blu-Rays he had for dead. So did the HD-DVD menu system.

Norman and Rob, how do you see this all going?

What are your thoughts?

Any predictions?

 

[Bob Black]

What a ridiculous post! Blu-Ray is consistently where it's at?!? Delayed launch, delayed BD50's, an entire group of players overpriced at $1000+ that can't even decode advanced audio codecs, offer no ethernet port, STILL can't get the interactive Java features working...not to mention NONE of the existing stand-alone players will be able to access these future features IF they ever even get them working! Combine this with shoddy transfers on so many of their releases and the cancelation of virtually every announced FOX / MGM title -- and what does that all sound like? Yeah, HD-DVD really should just go away so we can all be blessed with this other wonderful format!

And speaking of their great "lossless audio" committment, when does a player arrive that will actually "support" DTS-HD (on all the FOX titles) or TruHD 5.1? It's not much of an option when the players can't even decode them!

 

[Dan Hitchman]

You sure are behind the times. Sure the first few titles were iffy, but the quality has met or beaten HD-DVD on most titles now. Grain is okay if it is an accurate representation of the filmmaker's intended look. You ever wonder why HD-DVD looks smoother? They filter a lot of the natural grain. It also dumps some of the detail when they do that.

A lot of these titles also have PCM or lossless audio of some sort or another (quite a few are 24 bit too). The Panasonic, the Samsung 1200, the PS3, and soon others will decode 8 channel Dolby TrueHD lossless right now. No one, not even an HD-DVD player can internally decode DTS MA right now (everyone is waiting for the new surround decoders that will have it on board, starting this May). If you bothered to read the DTS white papers on their web site they already discuss that DTS MA needs HDMI 1.3 to go to a separate decoder.

The PS3, the Samsung 1200, and the upcoming mid-priced Sony (and those coming from now on) have HDMI 1.3 outputs.

The Fox/MGM titles are being re-scheduled for this summer. BD-Java and internet features I could care less about (more fluff, and it opens your HT system to viruses and other nasties... no thanks!). The PS3 has more than enough horsepower to add it. And HD-DVD players (all from Toshiba & NEC so far) have had their fair share of problems.

 

[Bob Black]

Care to provide a link showing proof that FOX & MGM titles will be re-scheduled for the summer? Rumor has it that FOX is awaiting BD+ which won't be operational until the 4th quarter at the very earliest!

And of course you don't care about any features that HD-DVD has over Blu-Ray. Next-generation interactive features will only be important to you when Blu-Ray get's its act together & provides it. Until that time it's simply useless waste, right? Well there are plenty of folks who like to feel that the extra money spent on these next-generation HD players should provide them something extra! Hell, FOX doesn't even give you poor saps the slim features found on the SD DVD and charges $40 for their discs! Oh, but they DO provide the lossless DTS-HD that you can't hear...

 

[Terrence B]

Disney is as much a copy protection studio as Fox. I seriously doubt that they will go neutral. If our last little Disney employee magazine is any indication, Disney is very excited about blu-ray, and that enthusiasm doesn't seem to be waning one bit.

 

[Terrence B]

Bob,
Some of us just don't care about the extra features. We have had extra features on DVD for years, I didn't watch them. I have a HD DVD player with all of what you call next generation interactive features, I don't watch them. And when my PS3 gets advance interactive features, I won't watch them as well. Some of us just don't care about that crap whether we have it, or not.

What I get out of the next generation player is HD video and lossless audio, something that is very rare on HD DVD in spite of the fact they have all of these great next generation interactive features.

 

[ppltd]

It isn't waning until it is. None of these studios will announce a change until they are sure they are doing it. Until then, they will continue to verbally back the format they are with. This includes Universal. So goes press releases.

 

[Vincent_P]

What is your source for this? Sounds like FUD to me.

Vincent

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Darren,

I believe that early Training Day BD was one of the "badly authored" MPEG2 discs from WB that they were obligated to release early on due to contracts despite the fact that they weren't happy with the results nor did they have anything to do with the mastering.

That's all changed. BD's early "launch" wasn't a legitamate launch at all... the format streeted months before it should have which was Sony's (probably bad) decision to try to close the gap between HD DVDs launch and BDs launch on paper.

Until VC1 and AVC and 50GB got going on BD, it wasn't really a viable product and shouldn't have even be release prior.



Well, Sony most certainly *did* get slammed...and slammed big-time for that Fifth Element BD. I thought everyone knew about that... it was pretty loud and for quite a lonng time, and the Blu-ray fan-boys were among those slamming Sony the loudest because we were all so PISSED that Sony would crap on Blu-ray just when it mattered most to really demonstrate what the format could do with a reference title.

But, at least Sony turned it around with their subsequent releases of other titles and just did a BRAN NEW film-to-HD transfer of the 5E and will be re-releasing it this summer... with *dual* lossless audio (TrueHD and PCM) to give consumers an unusual chance to compare. Sony has also dedicated to avoid dialog-normalization on all lossless TrueHD tracks to preserve bit-for-bit accuracy upon decoding...a FIRST for any studio.

I'd like to see Universal pick up the slack with their lossy soundtracks.

 

[ppltd]

Amen.