What title/release would "force" you to buy a HD-player or turn to "format neutral"? (1 Viewer)

[Chuck Anstey]

I have an HD-DVD player and there are already a bunch of BluRay titles (Cars, POTC, 5th Element, etc.) that make me want to go format neutral so piling on some more won't make it happen any sooner. The #1 issue for me is the moving target specifications. I am willing to risk buying a potentially dead format but not to buy an almost immediately obsolete player from a winning format because that is even worse. BluRay will have three OSes shortly (profile 1.0, 1.1. and 2.0) that every disc must be compatible with and I have enough experience in the software dev industry to know that there will be issues outside of just the "extras".

Plus, even though I rarely listened to commentary tracks on DVD, I am finding the well done IME to be a really nice feature. I think it has to do with HD having enough resolution to show an SD interview/talking window and still see most of the movie. So when BluRay movies start using this feature, I want to be able to see it. It is difficult enough to justify buying another HD player to get access to the remaining movies but to buy a second player for the same format is just crazy at this point for me, especially the more expensive format.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Well, I don't think many of us are really talking about buying a player just for that one title - I've obviously purchased a couple dozen other Blu-ray discs since February. I knew I would likely be getting a BD player at some point anyway; Casino Royale (and the BD-P1000 dipping below $500 at Amazon) was the thing that convinced me that I might as well do it then.

 

[Patrick.C]

One of two:

An SE of Better Off Dead with commentary by Savage Steve Holland, Curtis Armstrong, Dan Schneider and whoever else they could get together (John Cusack would never do it). The track on One Crazy Summer is one of the best and Better Off Dead deserves something similar.

A real SE of The Breakfast Club with cast reunion, commentary, the whole thing. WHY has Universal neglected their John Hughes films? This was one of the first films they released in HD and its no different than the SD release.

 

[Shane Martin]

I'll be curious if you ever see this. BR has region coding and HD is considering it as well now.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Region-free is not such a big deal for me, but I would like a solution that would play all the titles I want to get in HD and not break the bank in the process.

 

[John H Ross]

Region coding is there to be broken!

 

[Douglas Monce]

Where have you heard that HD DVD is considering region coding? I haven't heard anything like that at all. In fact one of the the major selling points of HD DVD was the lack of region coding. There is no provision for it in the specs and none of the players would be able to read it.

Doug

 

[Jason Seaver]

There was talk of it a year ago, although Toshiba said that they wouldn't/couldn't change existing players to recognize region coding, so they'd remain region-free (although it seems like that would be a pretty simple thing to slip in with a firmware "upgrade"). It doesn't seem to have gained a lot of traction, though.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

So are the players region free for DVD too, or just HD?

 

[Jason Seaver]

Just HD, sadly. It is kind of annoying, because I really don't want to have a third (or fourth, if I need to use the recorder!) DVD player hooked up for when I want to watch out-of-region movies.

 

[Manus]

" A UK model player which is a) dual-format and b) region free. I'm not even looking at software until those two criteria are met. "

Amen . Region Freedom is a right not an option . Imagine not being able to buy Cds abroad or make home movies of your holidays ???? these people have no right to tell anyone how or when to watch material that they have legally paid for .

Making movies does exist outside Hollywood ( I quite enjoyed Paul Verhoeven's 'Black Book' on dvd , it wasnt quite good enough to make me buy a Bd player though )

As with standard dvd , it is ridiculous to apply Region Coding to 70 year old classic Western or Gangster movies IMO

Bd is a hard-sell to those of us the who have accumulated our collections from around the world . I will not upgrade PQ in return for my right view anything I want .

~M~

Happy Viewing

 

[Shane Martin]

It's a privilege. The copyright holders own the copyright so they ultimately are the judge. You don't have to buy their product. If it were a right, BR wouldn't have region coding in other countries. I know Euro's are screwed a bit by the region coding.. I think BR' region coding is actually decent. They are protecting new releases but older titles aren't actually coded.

Douglas, it was a few months back during the IFA that Toshiba has mentioned they are reconsidering it. I think they are trying to suck in Fox, Disney and New Line who all support region coding. I know HD DVD is supported by New Line but only for catalog titles not new releases.

 

[Bill Crosthwait]

Well I saw Transformers and 300 on display at Best Buy.....and I just ordered the HD-A35. Can't wait to watch some HD movies!

 

[Jrf2]

My jumping point for BD will probably be Lawrence of Arabia. When that's officially announced I'll start saving up for a player. My Superbit crapped out and I'm stuck watching the flawed video of the LE, so I hope this comes soon.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I only went format neutral because I did not want to be stuck not being able to own a title in HD that I wanted. While they are both very good formats, I still favor my Blu-ray player. That does not stop me from adding HD-DVD titles to my collection however. I would prefer to see this format war over and for there to be one HD format, sooner rather than much much later.

At this time I have allready planed on upgrading my Sony BDP-S300 to a Denon DVD-2500BT Blu-ray player. I will upgrade my first generation HD-A1 only if HD-DVD wins the format war. I can not wait to own a new Denon AVR-3808ci and matching DVD-2500BT Blu-ray player.

 

[Dave>h]

quote:

"Getting back to the titles concept, I am curious how many people really will watch things like Star Wars, Indy, Close Encounters etc. enough to warrant shelling out hundreds of dollars for a player (which may be a dead format) and rebuying the disc for the second to fifth time? I mean, I like these films, but I have seen most of them so many times that I would probably not miss it if I didn't see them for another five years, so a one time curiosity viewing for how they look in HD is not a factor for me. This goes for most of what is currently available on HD - they are films I've owned on DVD for years, but rarely get watched anymore."

This is a very interesting point. I waited years to have Star Wars on DVD and probably have only watched it once (I may not have even watched Jedi), same goes with Indy, and these are some of my favorite movies of all time.

OK, the Star Wars presention wasn't perfect - the flipped rear channels, everyone remember that still uncorrected fiasco?? And although Indy was good, it wasn't "Wow!!" good.

Who am I kidding, I would still purchase them on HD!?! Hell, I bought Aeon Flux on HD DVD, I think that pretty much proves I'll buy just about anything!

I would love to have an unmolested set of Star Wars the Original trilogy in High Def, that would be very cool (although for the record, I have no problems with the updated versions or the prequels, I am George Lucas's bitch!) but probably that won't ever happen. I'd even buy a Sony blu Ray machine just for that release if it came out on BD and I might even write a letter of apology to Sony for all the disparaging things I have said about them over the years...

Dave

 

[Manus]

" It's a privilege. The copyright holders own the copyright so they ultimately are the judge. You don't have to buy their product. If it were a right, BR wouldn't have region coding in other countries. I know Euro's are screwed a bit by the region coding.. I think BR' region coding is actually decent. "

We'll have to disagree on that

I don't have to buy their product , it's true and they would be wise to remember that . These new formats are about generating new and improving upon existing income streams . I have quite a few R1 discs in my collection which I am not willing to go to the expense and bother of importing an R1 BD machine specifically to replace them all .

My point is I AM an existing customer already like many others , so blocking me out all over again achieves nothing but inconvenience . To the best of my knowledge I am not infringing copyright by legally purchasing a disc and watching it in the privacy of my own home .

Outside of the U.S. Sd-Dvd players are routinely sold Region Free .

I dont make or buy illegal copies of movies either .

I dont believe that the same studios who couldn't agree on a single format are neccessarily the best people to devise an interpretation of ' copyright' either

Enjoy your movies whichever way you choose ,

~M~

 

[DeeF]

I have HD DVD, so I'll be looking forward to the set of Hitchcock masterpieces, plus the great MGM and Warners collection of musicals.

But I can't play Fox films, so if any of the big musicals from Fox arrive on BluRay, I'll have to break down and get the other format.

The only other possibility is Pinocchio, from Disney, on BD. That would definitely be an invitation.

 

[SD_Brian]

If Universal were to release a kickass special edition of Lost Highway as an HD-DVD exclusive, with no SD-DVD release, I might be tempted to upgrade my entire home theater to high def.

More than likely, however, I would just be more annoyed with Universal than usual, decide to stick with my import copy and remain in the SD DVD camp until either the format war nonsense ends or I win the lottery. Whichever comes first.

 

[JPCinema]

Doctor Zhivago
West Side Story
Lawrence of Arabia
Ryans Daughter
Ben Hur
Sound of Music
All the 70mm films would sway many people.