HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XIX - We're still truckin...

[iainl]

*ADMIN NOTE*

 

 

HD-DVD and Blu Ray Discussion Part I

 

HD-DVD and Blu Ray Discussion Part II

 

HD-DVD and Blu Ray Discussion Part III

 

HD-DVD and Blu Ray Discussion Part IV

 

HD-DVD and Blu Ray Discussion Part V

 

HD-DVD and Blu Ray Discussion Part VI

 

HD-DVD and Blu Ray Discussion Part VII

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part VIII

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part IX

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part X

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XI

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XII

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XIII

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XIV

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XV

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XVI

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XVII

 

HDDVD and Blu-Ray Discussion Part XVIII

 

UK release of The Prestige on HD-DVD, if you don't want German boxart.

 

Also, Sendit.com have the UK release of Potter 4 for ?16.89, which is cheaper than Amazon. Dear GOD that Dragon looks amazing. ?13.89 for the UK Serenity, too. Which is also shiny.

 

edit - also also, UK Brotherhood Of The Wolf

[GreenMonkey]

BTW: no problems here with the Children of Men HD-DVD on the 360 drive.

[JoeyN]

Seems like Children of Men has a authoring issue , which is causing the problems according to Amir. I watched it on XA1 last night, and it worked fine

[Angry the Clown]

The 22nd of May gets even more expensive with Letters from Iwo Jima from Warner:

 

Warner Home Video has today officially announced Letters From Iwo Jima which stars Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, and Ryo Kase. The two-disc special edition will be available to own from the 22nd May, and should retail at around $34.99. The film will be presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen, along with a Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. English subtitles will be provided. Extras will include a Red Sun, Black Sand: Making of Letters from Iwo Jima documentary, a Faces of Combat: The Cast of Letters from Iwo Wima documentary, a still photo montage, the November 2006 World Premiere at Budo-kan in Tokyo, and a November 2006 press conference. HD DVD and Blu-ray releases will be available for $39.99 and $34.95 respectively. The extra material will be identical.

 

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/letters-from-iwo-jima.html

 

The higher price of the HD DVD of course suggests a combo.

 

The full individual retail notes for the HD DVD and Blu Ray list TrueHD….. on BOTH releases (Warner always note the presence of TrueHD as MLP in their retailer sheets):

 

Letters From Iwo Jima

Blu-ray | Blue BD Case Official Pre-Sell Date: April 2, 2007

 

Studio: Warner Bros.

Theatrical Release: 1/12/07

Theatrical Box Office (M): $13.52

Genre(s): Drama, War

MPAA: R

Rating Comments: Rated "R" by the MPAA for graphic war violence.

 

Synopsis: Sixty-one years ago, US and Japanese armies met on Iwo Jima. Decades later, several hundred letters are unearthed from that stark island's soil. The letters give faces and voices to the men who fought there, as well as the extraordinary general who led them. The Japanese soldiers are sent to Iwo Jima knowing that in all probability they will not come back. Among them are Saigo, a baker who wants only to live to see the face of his newborn daughter; Baron Nishi, an Olympic equestrian champion known around the world for his skill and his honor; Shimizu, a young former military policeman whose idealism has not yet been tested by war; and Lieutenant Ito, a strict military man who would rather accept suicide than surrender. Leading the defense is Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, whose travels in America have revealed to him the hopeless nature of the war but also given him strategic insight into how to take on the vast American armada streaming in from across the Pacific. With little defense other than sheer will and the volcanic rock of the island itself, Gen. Kuribayashi's unprecedented tactics transform what was predicted to be a quick and bloody defeat into nearly 40 days of heroic and resourceful combat. Almost 7,000 American soldiers were killed on Iwo Jima; more than 20,000 Japanese troops perished. The black sands of Iwo Jima are stained with their blood, but their sacrifices, their struggles, their courage and their compassion live on in the letters they sent home. From Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood comes the untold story of the Japanese soldiers and their General who defended against the invading American forces on the island of Iwo Jima. Subtitled Film, with English Subtitles.

 

 

Director: Clint Eastwood

 

Actors: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura, Hiroshi Watanabe, Takumi Bando, Yuki Matsuzaki

 

 

Critic's Quotes: "Letters" may well fire Eastwood's many partisans with renewed vigor, spelling sustained biz on select screens. - TODD MCCARTHY (Variety.com)

 

"Letters From Iwo Jima," takes audiences to a place that would seem unimaginable for an American director. Daring and significant ... - Kenneth Turan (LA Times)

 

Copyright Info: © 2006 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Dream Works LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

Format: Blu-ray

Product Type: Sell Through

Latest Promotion: New Release

Announce Date: 4/2/07

Order Date: 4/17/07

Street Date: 5/22/07

UPC: 085391112884

Cat#: 111288

ISBN: 1-4198-4498-9

Closed Captioning: Yes

MSRP: $34.99

MPAA: R

Rating Comments:Rrated "R" by the MPAA for graphic war violence.

Packaging Type: Blue BD Case

Media Quantity: 1

Disc Configuration:

 

1) BD-50

Soundtrack Language: English

Run Time: 140

Units per Carton: 30

 

Subtitles: English SDH, English, Francais, Latin Spanish

Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio - 2.40, Widescreen [16:9 Transfer]

Sound Quality: Japanese 5.1 MLP

Japanese 5.1

 

Related Titles: Good German, The

[exile]

Woot!

[Angry the Clown]

So there’s a pickle. Flags of our Fathers, usual Paramount contempt for uncompressed audio… Letters from Iwo Jima, Warner uncompressed goodness (some reports are saying it’ll be straight PCM on the BD incidentally. Either way it’s all good).

 

As I understand it, the home video rights are reversed overseas which – if that is indeed true – Flags might come to HD DVD and Blu Ray in Europe as VC1 and potentially with TrueHD/PCM from Warner.

[Romier S]

I recieved Identity on Blu-Ray this afternoon. I gave it a spin after the little one went to bed. The disc puts on some seriously amazing picture quality IMHO. Seriously, one of the nicest looking discs I've seen on Blu-Ray yet. The film has a great deal of dark scenes cast in shadow and rain which could pose some serious stumbling blocks. The detail was just fantastic throughout the entirety of the movie and it definitely has that vivid dimensionality so many folks love about high definition content.

 

Also worth mentioning is the audio. I, unfortunately, do not have the ability to take advantage of the uncompressed PCM track (TORMENT!) but boy does the regular DD5.1 track kick ass. One of the most active soundtracks I've listened to in a long time (and it's been awhile since I spun up the original DVD).

 

Identity is just a highly recommended disc and up there with the likes of "The Prestige" and "Casino Royale" for me.:tu

[Romier S]

By the way, Warner has seen fit to give The Fountain cover another try. Take a look here:

 

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/the-fountain.html

 

Better.

[Angry the Clown]

Better.

 

Much!

[EnemaEms]

I recieved Identity on Blu-Ray this afternoon. I gave it a spin after the little one went to bed. The disc puts on some seriously amazing picture quality IMHO. Seriously, one of the nicest looking discs I've seen on Blu-Ray yet. The film has a great deal of dark scenes cast in shadow and rain which could pose some serious stumbling blocks. The detail was just fantastic throughout the entirety of the movie and it definitely has that vivid dimensionality so many folks love about high definition content.

 

Also worth mentioning is the audio. I, unfortunately, do not have the ability to take advantage of the uncompressed PCM track (TORMENT!) but boy does the regular DD5.1 track kick ass. One of the most active soundtracks I've listened to in a long time (and it's been awhile since I spun up the original DVD).

 

Identity is just a highly recommended disc and up there with the likes of "The Prestige" and "Casino Royale" for me.:tu

Thanks for the impressions Romier. I enjoyed this film a lot. I'll have to pick it up this week. I'll let you know how the Uncompressed track sounds.

 

-Dean-

[kelley]

Good job by Warner to redo The Fountain's cover art...now how about that MLP track?

[Angry the Clown]

Universal announced ‘Breach’ for HD DVD:

 

'Breach' in HD will be presented in 1.85:1 widescreen 1080p video and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio. Extra features are slated to include Breaching the Truth - Get an insider's look at how the compelling story of the man who spent more than twenty years selling his country's secrets to its enemies finally came to the screen; Anatomy of a Character, Brought to you by Volkswagen - A powerful portrait of Chris Cooper, one of the most versatile actors in film today, as he transforms himself into master spy Robert Hanssen; "The Mole" - Originally aired on television's "Dateline" in 2001, this in-depth profile offers an intriguing glimpse of the public and private lives of double-agent Hanssen; Feature commentary with writer and director Billy Ray and former FBI operative Eric O'Neill; and more than 18 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes.

 

'Breach' on Combo Format HD DVD will carry an SRP of $39.98. Check back for high resolution cover art in the days ah

 

http://dvd.themanroom.com/dvd-newsview.php?id=536

 

 

…and Sony have dated Seven Years in Tibet and Cruel Intentions for the 12th of June on Blu:

 

Both 'Seven Years in Tibet' and 'Cruel Intentions' will be presented in 1080p video and PCM 5.1 uncompressed audio. As usual, we expect extras to be identical to those found on the latest standard DVD edition for each title. We'll update the disc details page for each title as extras are confirmed.

 

http://dvd.themanroom.com/dvd-newsview.php?id=00535

[Adam Tyner]

Uh-oh! The HD-A1/XA1 update is reportedly available stateside:

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Q1. What does this update do?

 

A1. This firmware update adds support for certain anticipated network delivered content in future HD DVD discs, improves certain video and audio processing capabilities, as well as addresses certain disc playback and HDMI/DVI related problems identified by Toshiba.

 

 

Q2. The HDMI output does not work or works intermittently with the HDMI or DVI input on my HDTV or monitor. Does the new firmware address that problem?

 

A2. The firmware update addresses and improves HDMI and DVI connectivity. If you still experience problems, try disconnecting and reconnecting the HDMI cable. Make sure your display input is set to HDMI (or DVI). If your display has more than one HDMI/DVI input, make sure that all connected HDMI/DVI source devices are powered on (even if not in use). If none of these solve the problem, please turn off the TV and the HD DVD player. Check all connections. Disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable. Turn on the TV first and then turn on the HD DVD player. Should you continue to experience problems, please contact Toshiba Customer Solutions at (800) 319-6684.

 

 

Q3. During HD DVD playback I sometimes experience pixelization, block noise or audio dropouts. Sometimes playback stops. Sometimes, playback is not smooth. Does the new firmware address these issues?

 

A3. This firmware update, which includes material from prior updates, addresses various playability issues. You should also check to be sure that the disc is clean and, if the disc will not operate at all, that you are inserting the disc with the right side up. Should you continue to experience problems, please contact Toshiba Customer Solutions at (800) 319-6684.

[Jordan_E]

Thanks for the info. Now to wait for someone to put up the info to burn to disc. I can't stand hooking up the A1 and waiting for the download that way.

[Rainmaykr]

Wicked. Will be d/l'ing as soon as I get off work. Thanks for the update.

[Bruce B]

So, back to this cover art topic. Do you guys buy these dvds and then hang them on a wall in a frame? Do you make a mobile out of them and dangle them from the ceiling for display? My dvds fit snugly together in a rack and all I see is the spline.

[Rainmaykr]

Nah, but that doesn't mean coverart can't be god-awful ugly.

 

Actually, I used to be big into original theatrical art for laserdiscs, and later DVDs. And there is one DVD I never bought because of the cover art. Real Genius. It gave me the creeps.

 

And, though I didn't buy it for silly-ass reasons, I'm still alive and no worse for wear.

[Angry the Clown]

I’m not sure anyone here takes cover art too seriously at all, Bruce, but nevertheless it had to be said that the original art for the Fountain was sub-par by Warner’s standards and rather slap dash in light of the film’s tones.

 

Speaking of framing covers though, I've always been temtped to frame my Criterion laserdisc of Trainspotting.

[exile]

Do you guys buy these dvds and then hang them on a wall in a frame?

My old laserdiscs are just like this

 

I do not watch them but some of the cover art is quite spectacular so I'm preserving that.

[secretvampire]

Speaking of framing covers though, I've always been temtped to frame my Criterion laserdisc of Trainspotting.

Hah! Great minds think alike, I actually watched this last weekend with the wife as I never got any DVD version of it and Criterion never re-released it, and I was re-admiring the awesome packaging. In fact, it's actually at the repair shop with my LD player this week as I finally decided to get some intermittent A/V dropouts on the player fixed and found a good local shop to do so.

[Romier S]

Nah, but that doesn't mean coverart can't be god-awful ugly.

Agreed. In the end cover art means very little to me since I mainly care about the disc sitting in the package. However, I sure don't like to see good films saddled with horrific cover art. Especially in the case of The Fountain which I'm hoping has good chance of finding an an audience on home video (and you'd be suprised how much cover art can make a difference to your "average" consumer. As silly as that sounds).

[Dave C]

As a collector of vintage movies posters, I am a big fan of good cover art, especially those that are faithful to good theatrical release movie posters. When the dvd is played, I do use one of those "Now Showing" DVD case display stands, and I enjoy looking at a nice case. It's really not all that important, but well designed cover art is better then looking at a collage of giant actor heads and critic quotes.

[Bruce B]

Agreed. In the end cover art means very little to me since I mainly care about the disc sitting in the package. However, I sure don't like to see good films saddled with horrific cover art. Especially in the case of The Fountain which I'm hoping has good chance of finding an an audience on home video (and you'd be suprised how much cover art can make a difference to your "average" consumer. As silly as that sounds).

 

Romier you must hang out with a much higher class of people than I do. I do not know one person, in all the "water cooler" talk about movies or with friends in general, who have ever even made an inference to cover art. Could have something to do with living in the sticks where we are less cultured to the arts(not being a smartass).

[EnemaEms]

I once cleaned my backside with an original 2001 Theatrical Poster.

 

-Dean-

[Romier S]

Romier you must hang out with a much higher class of people than I do.

I wish.

 

It's not rocket science really. A good number of folks aren't willing to take a chance on an unseen film if the cover looks cheap or is just flat out ugly. A cheap looking cover can give the film a "B" grade appearance. Something akin to those cheapie shit looking horror films you see lining the shelves at Blockbuster that you would never actually bother to rent (cause you damn well know they are garbage:)).

 

There are other factors of course. Does the film have recognizable actors? Can they recollect any word of mouth? Can they remember the trailer and if they had interest? Most of which are far more important factors but the cover art on these discs do play into how the film is marketed on store shelves and how it appeals to the consumer.

 

Hell if anything covers like the original Fountain art are created to appeal to the general "uneducated" walkerby. Big stupid fonts, actors big old heads crowding the cover space etc. etc. It's simple marketing and has nothing to do with anectodotal evidence about what kind of sophisticated or unsophisticated crowd you happen to hang out with.