Author Topic: The War Begins... (Read 107273 times)

Munskie · « **Reply #1200 on:** Apr 16, 2007 at 02:34 PM »

Thats good news. But probably induced by the April 15 HD DVD purchase day........still a mean feat though, considering that this costs $69.99...so theres no doubt in my mind that the Matrix Trilogy will come up no.1 at the amazon bestseller list.......

pchin · « **Reply #1201 on:** Apr 16, 2007 at 03:09 PM »

Interesting day for HD-DVD annivesary yesterday where forum members combined forces to spike & boost HD-DVD sales...It was real fun to see the chart soaring

pchin · « **Reply #1202 on:** Apr 16, 2007 at 05:46 PM »

Posted from member bbc20000:

European releases

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/9610/underworldevolutionhd60yt7.jpg
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/7281/untitledft8.jpg
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/3493/elprestigiohd600aow7.jpg

UK releases
The Island 7th May 07
The Prestige 14th May 07

Underworld: Evolution will be released in Spain, but not in the UK. Underworld is a Sony movie but glad it has a European realease on HD-DVD! Let's hope Spiderman will get such treatment!

krazy · « **Reply #1203 on:** Apr 16, 2007 at 08:32 PM »

Quote from: pchin on Apr 16, 2007 at 05:46 PM

Posted from member bbc20000:

European releases

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/9610/underworldevolutionhd60yt7.jpg
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/7281/untitledft8.jpg
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/3493/elprestigiohd600aow7.jpg

UK releases
The Island 7th May 07
The Prestige 14th May 07

Underworld: Evolution will be released in Spain, but not in the UK. Underworld is a Sony movie but glad it has a European realease on HD-DVD! Let's hope Spiderman will get such treatment!

The Spidey series is very much BD exclusive because it's a 100% Sony production (therefore Sony has complete control over the video release) unlike Underworld which was a 50/50 production with Lakeshore entertainment (which is distributed by Universal in Europe). Besides, I highly doubt Sony would let such a flagship title appear on a rival format

pchin · « **Reply #1204 on:** Apr 16, 2007 at 09:36 PM »

Ah this krazy guy...kill joy talaga noh :'(

You should give me some benefit of doubt dba... $:-\$

doughn · « **Reply #1205 on:** Apr 16, 2007 at 09:47 PM »

im getting a dual format player like LG, to njoy both formats.. hehehe

oReOsHaKe · « **Reply #1206 on:** Apr 16, 2007 at 09:58 PM »

Quote from: doughn on Apr 16, 2007 at 09:47 PM

im getting a dual format player like LG, to njoy both formats.. hehehe

Kailan ba lalabas yang dual format player na yan?

krazy · « **Reply #1207 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 12:32 AM »

Quote from: pchin on Apr 16, 2007 at 09:36 PM

Ah this krazy guy...kill joy talaga noh :'(

You should give me some benefit of doubt dba... $:-\$

Not so much as being a killjoy, but more of stating the facts

Just a rule of thumb: if the production of a movie is wholly done by a format exclusive studio, it will very well be exclusive on that respective format (like Spider Man on BD or King Kong on HD DVD). On the other hand if a movie is made by two (or more) studios, then there's the chance it might be released on different formats for different parts of the world (depending on the distribution arrangements) like Cinderella Man which was made by Universal and Disney/Buena Vista and explains why Cinderella man is on HD DVD in North America (as Universal has video distribution of that movie in the US/Canada) and on BD in other countries like Japan where it's distributed by Disney/Buena Vista

pchin · « **Reply #1208 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 04:49 AM »

Quote from: doughn on Apr 16, 2007 at 09:47 PM

im getting a dual format player like LG, to njoy both formats.. hehehe

doughn, you should consider Samsung as "it is promising that the Duo HD BD-UP5000 will have full support for HD-DVD (including support for HDi), something LG hasn't been able to offer with its player."

Quote from: krazy on Apr 17, 2007 at 12:32 AM

if the production of a movie is wholly done by a format exclusive studio, it will very well be exclusive on that respective format (like Spider Man on BD or King Kong on HD DVD).....

No worry bro, I was just kidding. Yep I know the real reason. I'm just envy to those movies I can't get lang hehe

crey014 · « **Reply #1209 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 06:55 AM »

With my new HDTV, I'm just itching to get myself an HD Player. Any recommendations? Any sites that sell these players that ship internationally? Tried amazon but they only ship in America. I'm thinking of going straight to HD DVD.

Munskie · « **Reply #1210 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 07:16 AM »

Quote from: doughn on Apr 16, 2007 at 09:47 PM

im getting a dual format player like LG, to njoy both formats.. hehehe

if i were you, ill avoid this one.....with its SRP of $1200, you can get a stand alone HD DVD player (around $350) and a PS3 ($600) and still have change...........and LG isnt even supporting HD DVD's iHD heatures....

pchin · « **Reply #1211 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 07:19 AM »

Quote from: crey014 on Apr 17, 2007 at 06:55 AM

With my new HDTV, I'm just itching to get myself an HD Player. Any recommendations? Any sites that sell these players that ship internationally? Tried amazon but they only ship in America. I'm thinking of going straight to HD DVD.

You can refer to "Toshiba HD-DVD player, available na ba locally?" for more info

http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=56153.0

crey014 · « **Reply #1212 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 09:27 AM »

Thanks.

I was thinking I'll just contact a friend in California and get it sent here to New Zealand.

bonjit · « **Reply #1213 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 06:11 PM »

Hi guys,

I just bought 2 hd dvds Batman Begins and Miami Vice. The King Kong disc that came with the xbox is very clear compared to the two dvds I bought. Siguro hindi maganda iyung pagka transfer. Batman Begins is a little bit better than the standard dvd I have but miami vice is not up to par with the king kong hd disc, ang layo.
Any thoughts on these guys

Bonjit

Munskie · « **Reply #1214 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 08:46 PM »

Quote from: bonjit on Apr 17, 2007 at 06:11 PM

Hi guys,

I just bought 2 hd dvds Batman Begins and Miami Vice. The King Kong disc that came with the xbox is very clear compared to the two dvds I bought. Siguro hindi maganda iyung pagka transfer. Batman Begins is a little bit better than the standard dvd I have but miami vice is not up to par with the king kong hd disc, ang layo.
Any thoughts on these guys

Bonjit

yup sir, medyo disappointing nga yung Miami Vice PQ-wise.....and to think it was shot in HD cameras. Lots of video noise.....you can compare it to Superman Returns too.....shot din yun sa HD cameras, parang me artificial grain...which I think is intentional......Batman Begins though isnt that bad in PQ but is top tier in audio quality...

et414 · « **Reply #1215 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 08:56 PM »

sometimes it's the way movies are supposed to look. what some people call "director's intent". movies like these are intended to look soft(batman) or grainy(miami vice) and doesn't make very good eye candy for your hdtv. stay away from superman returns and sky captain and the world of tomorrow if you don't like this look.

for a comprehensive list of highdef movie rankings based on PQ check out the Tier System at avsforum. they have one for bluray and hddvd

Munskie · « **Reply #1216 on:** Apr 17, 2007 at 09:00 PM »

yup, tumpak eric......

Lantis · « **Reply #1217 on:** Apr 18, 2007 at 05:20 PM »

Hardware Sales: HD DVD Stand-Alone Players Reach 100,000 Milestone
Wed Apr 18, 2007 at 03:39 AM ET
Tags: Hardware, Industry Trends, Toshiba (all tags)

HD DVD has beaten Blu-ray to a major sales milestone, becoming the first next-gen format to sell-through over 100,000 stand-alone players to consumers.

The figures were announced by the North American HD DVD Promotions Group, the official umbrella PR organization for the HD DVD Forum (which includes the format's primary hardware backer Toshiba).

The 100K total does not include sales of HD DVD PC drives or the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on drive, both of which continue to sell strongly.

The majority of the HD DVD set-top players sold so far in the U.S. have been from Toshiba, which launched the format with two models in April 2006. Earlier this year, LG Electronics released a dual HD DVD/Blu-ray player, and Samsung has also announced plans to release its own dual-format player later this year.

With an entry-level price point of $599 at launch, HD DVD set-top players cost about half of the then-cheapest Blu-ray stand-alone players. Toshiba further reduced its bottom-line HD DVD player to $399 on April 1 to spur more sales.

Though Blu-ray now outpaces its rival in terms of total player penetration largely due to the PlayStation 3, the HD DVD Promotions Group and Toshiba are touting the format's consistently aggressive pricing as the primary reason for the continued strong sales of stand-alone decks.

"Toshiba remains committed to drive sales with strategic pricing and marketing to complement the rapid market adoption of HDTVs," said Jodi Sally, VP of marketing for Toshiba America Consumer Products, in a prepared statement. "Retailers are showing a significant increase in sales volume this month so far. On Amazon.com, our HD DVD players continue to rank among the Top 10 bestsellers of all DVD players, which says a lot about how consumers relate to price."

How long HD DVD can enjoy its lead in stand-alone player sales versus Blu-ray, however, remains to be seen. Aside from the PS3, whose popular 60GB model retails for $599, Sony has announced plans to also debut a $599 stand-alone player this summer, which will help close the gap with HD DVD pricing.

Still, being the first format to reach 100K in stand-alone sales is a notable achievement for the HD DVD format. Thanks to the "PS3 factor," and Blu-ray movie sales enjoying a more than two-to-one sales lead during the first few months of the year, many have already begun to write HD DVD off as a format without a future. But today's announcement certainly suggest it would be unwise to proclaim the format war as over just yet.

Mouldingo · « **Reply #1218 on:** Apr 18, 2007 at 05:54 PM »

Disc Sales: 'Planet Earth' Breaks New Amazon Record; HD DVD Staging a Comeback?

With a week to go before its dual-format high-def release, pre-orders for 'Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series' have broken new ground on Amazon's top sellers list. Meanwhile, recent Amazon rankings appear to indicate a turnaround in HD DVD sales.

'Planet Earth' has been Amazon's most ordered high-def release on both formats for a while now, but this past weekend saw it hit new heights on Amazon's overall list of top selling DVDs, with the HD DVD edition topping out at #4, while the Blu-ray edition hit a high of #17 in the same timeframe.

The unusually strong Amazon sales for 'Planet Earth' exceed even the famously high levels set by the 'Casino Royale' Blu-ray, which ultimately hit a high of #7 on the Amazon chart shortly after its release last month.

But while it should be emphasized that the Amazon chart represents Amazon sales only and isn't necessarily indicative of the market as a whole, these strong numbers for 'Planet Earth' (and for the HD DVD edition in particular) are noteworthy none the less.

First off, while some pointed to 'Royale' on Blu-ray as an anomaly, arguing that the disc's high sales numbers were more a function of the film's appeal and accessibility to the PlayStation 3 audience, 'Planet Earth's strong sales on both formats would appear to indicate otherwise. Not only isn't the disc a gamer-friendly action spectacular like 'Royale' (although it's sure to boast some stunning visuals), but the multi-disc set carries a relatively steep Amazon price of $69.95, compared to more accessibly-priced single disc Blu-ray edition of 'Royale' at $26.95.

Secondly (and perhaps of most interest to industry-watchers and early adopters alike) the strong sales for 'Planet Earth' on HD DVD coincide with what would appear to be an impressive sales recovery for HD DVD -- at least as measured by Amazon. While the format has taken a drubbing compared to its high-def rival since the start of 2007, its Amazon rankings over the past three weeks seem to suggest a comeback:

Note that while the most recent spike in the chart above (from this past weekend) is likely attributible to a coordinated "buy-a-thon" on the part of some online HD DVD supporters in honor of the format's first anniversary this past Sunday, setting that aside, the format's overall Amazon trending would appear to indicate that its poor performance vs Blu-ray over the first few months of the year may in fact have been (as its backers have long argued) more attributable to a dearth of new releases than anything else.

Of course, without anything backing up this assertion besides Amazon ranks, all of this remains idle speculation. But after months of bad news, it's speculation that's likely to be music to the ears of HD DVD format backers and their supporters.

av_phile1 · « **Reply #1219 on:** Apr 18, 2007 at 06:22 PM »

Not only Planet Earth. Also Happy Feet. I wonder what the sales ranks are between titles released in both formats.

barrister · « **Reply #1220 on:** Apr 18, 2007 at 06:27 PM »

Blu-Ray camp organizes HD-DVD retaliation
17/04/2007

http://www.psu.com/node/9816

pchin · « **Reply #1221 on:** Apr 18, 2007 at 06:52 PM »

Quote from: av_phile1 on Apr 18, 2007 at 06:22 PM

Also Happy Feet. I wonder what the sales ranks are between titles released in both formats.

Current Sales Ranking:

Happy Feet (Combo HD DVD) 318
Happy Feet (Blu-ray) 324

Quote from: barrister on Apr 18, 2007 at 06:27 PM

Blu-Ray camp organizes HD-DVD retaliation

This will be interesting

av_phile1 · « **Reply #1222 on:** Apr 18, 2007 at 06:56 PM »

Quote from: barrister on Apr 18, 2007 at 06:27 PM

Blu-Ray camp organizes HD-DVD retaliation
17/04/2007

http://www.psu.com/node/9816

It seems the format war has spilled into their respective fanbase. Keep it on. The studios will be delighted singing all the way to their banks.

bonjit · « **Reply #1223 on:** Apr 18, 2007 at 08:15 PM »

Quote from: ET414 on Apr 17, 2007 at 08:56 PM

sometimes it's the way movies are supposed to look. what some people call "director's intent". movies like these are intended to look soft(batman) or grainy(miami vice) and doesn't make very good eye candy for your hdtv. stay away from superman returns and sky captain and the world of tomorrow if you don't like this look.

for a comprehensive list of highdef movie rankings based on PQ check out the Tier System at avsforum. they have one for bluray and hddvd

salamat munskie and et414 for your comments and suggestions. I'll stay away from the two titles you said.

Bonjit

crey014 · « **Reply #1224 on:** Apr 19, 2007 at 02:28 AM »

Just signed up for that Blu-Ray-athon. Ha! Should be fun.

Moks007 · « **Reply #1225 on:** Apr 19, 2007 at 08:23 AM »

Quote from: barrister on Apr 18, 2007 at 06:27 PM

Blu-Ray camp organizes HD-DVD retaliation
17/04/2007

http://www.psu.com/node/9816

Tsk tsk tsk, No originality..Why follow a losing or dead format right? Hddvd is always first at everything im sorry to say
1. First to come out/released
2. First to reach 100,000 milestone for standalones.
3. First with this anniversary celebration idea
That shows we love our format and this is not just to spike sales. Some people can call it whatever they want but this is a anniversary celebration showing support that we love our format no matter what, and I truly enjoy being part of that day.

Moks007 · « **Reply #1226 on:** Apr 19, 2007 at 08:25 AM »

I know I know some may say the first also to die..but that remains to me seen hehehe

pchin · « **Reply #1227 on:** Apr 19, 2007 at 08:33 AM »

Wow Ray, you're very vocal this morning....Long Live HD-DVD!!

Quote from: crey014 on Apr 19, 2007 at 02:28 AM

Just signed up for that Blu-Ray-athon. Ha! Should be fun.

We had our share of fun...so get ready to go out & have some fun too.

The Dark Force will strike back!

Moks007 · « **Reply #1228 on:** Apr 19, 2007 at 10:43 AM »

hehehe....Paul, This is a symptom of after effects of April 15th hehehe..Im still too hyper hehe..

Munskie · « **Reply #1229 on:** Apr 19, 2007 at 10:09 PM »

Warner Brings 'Blood Diamond' to Blu-ray, HD DVD

Warner Home Entertainment is bringing 'Blood Diamond' to Blu-ray and HD DVD this summer, in two separate-but-unequal versions sure to generate controversy amongst early adopters.

Unlike the studio's usual policy of releasing identical Blu-ray and HD DVD releases of a title on the same date, Warner will instead debut 'Blood Diamond' about a month apart, with the Blu-ray hitting stores first on June 5, followed by the HD DVD on July 2.

What's more, though both versions will share identical tech specs, including matching 1080p transfers, supplemental content will be far from identical. The basic suite of extras are the same, including a filmmaker's commentary, four featurettes and a music video; however, the HD DVD will include a raft of exclusive cutting-edge features omitted from the Blu-ray release.

The HD DVD of 'Blood Diamond' will be the first next-gen title to include web-enabled extras, including allowing viewers to use their players to offer opinions in Warner's online polls, as well as view other exciting special features such as maps of conflict pertaining to war-torn areas in Africa.

Furthermore, the HD DVD boasts an In-Movie Experience (IME) video commentary with additional behind-the-scenes and interview footage. And for the first time on 'Blood Diamond,' Warner will include the new Focus Points feature that takes the viewer to exciting in-depth featurettes and production diaries.

Despite the considerable differences between the Blu-ray and HD DVD, Warner has set an identical list price of $28.99 for each.

Certainly, Warner's decision to offer such an impressive suite of extras on the HD DVD of 'Blood Diamond,' yet withhold them from the Blu-ray, makes a significant departure from the studio's previous "format agnostic" approach of issuing identical versions on both formats.

Even more notably, it strikes yet another blow for Blu-ray's much-maligned BD-Java authoring environment, which continues to be held up due to production delays. As such, advanced features such as IME remain unavailable on current Blu-ray releases. In the past, however, with such IME-enhanced titles as 'The Matrix Trilogy' and "Batman Begins,' Warner has chosen to simply withhold their release releasing a Blu-ray version until a future . Their decision to simply downgrade the Blu-ray for 'Blood Diamond,' however, is sure to generate controversy.

Oh..I can wait for the HD DVD version.......same price, but more features. And to think the hype was that Blu-ray should have more features coz it has more space.......now this. Another right upper cut by HD DVD to Blu-ray's chin.