HD DVD and Blu-ray releases on November 6th, 2007
Disney finally steps up and really gets in the HD movie game this week with not only two of their biggest recent movies, but also a few nice box sets. Warner keeps supporting both sides -- for now -- with one of our favorites, The Aviator. Universal has another popular comedy this week, that's of course a HD DVD exclusive with I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. As you'd expect, November looks to be a great month for both formats and while Blu-ray fans look forward to the Die Hard franchise, HD DVD fans get Star Trek and Shrek The Third, and Warner is scheduled to bring the Ocean's movies to both formats. One thing is for sure, this holiday season is going to be great for HD movie fans.HD DVD 330 vs Blu-ray 343 *
Blu-ray
- The Aviator (Warner)
- Beowulf & Grendel (Starz)
- Best of Blu-ray, Action (Warner)
- Best of Blu-ray, Family (Warner)
- Blu-ray 4-Pack: Action Movies (Walt Disney)
- Blu-ray 4-Pack: Disney Movies (Walt Disney)
- Blu-ray 4-Pack: Family Movies (Walt Disney)
- Cars (Buena Vista)
- Oldboy (Tartan)
- The Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1 (Walt Disney)
- Ratatouille (Walt Disney)
- The Aviator (Warner)
- Best of HD DVD, Action (Warner)
- Best of HD DVD, Family (Warner)
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (Universal)
*Blu-ray total does not reflects 32 Paramount titles that were previously available.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
David (phidjit) @ Nov 5th 2007 8:41AM
Warner keeps supporting both sides...
or do they...
http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?t=24236
Dave @ Nov 5th 2007 8:58AM
Cars and Ratatouille yeah! Awesome!
Cash @ Nov 5th 2007 8:45PM
Is a CGI cartoon movie really going to look *that* much better on hi-def?
Unless Pixar has begun packing in the extras on BD they used to pack in their regular DVD releases (have you seen what they include now? It's like the early days of dvd when you were lucky if they threw in a trailer of the film you were watching), whats the upshot of paying twice as much... the pretty blue case?
ryan @ Nov 5th 2007 9:04AM
There are some big titles for BD this week. I have no interest in buying BD's for my Daughter though since she won't be able to watch them when we go on trips or even in her playroom.
I do want to see Chuck and Larry though.
JimC @ Nov 5th 2007 10:25AM
I will be buying the Disney titles because we love to watch them as a family and if the kids want to watch them, we let them watch them on the HDTV. Don't kids deserve to see their favorite movies in HD as well? :-)
FrankTheCrank @ Nov 5th 2007 9:17AM
Ratatouille was such a great movie. And my son LOVES cars.
My only problem is, I do not want to pay a premium. If these movies are more than $19.99 than I think it's a rip.
When you can get the SAME CONTENT for $14.99 or less on DVD. My PS3 has a great upscaler, so it's not about the resolution.
If they truly want Bluray to dominate, they have to make the discs cheaper to purchase.
Bob @ Nov 5th 2007 10:33AM
I agree with not wanting to pay a premium. Since you already have a PS3, you should try out Netflix for getting the movies you want to see in HD.
The Fuzz 53 @ Nov 5th 2007 9:17AM
After being at the mad house that was Walmart friday morning for $100 HD-DVD players, and also seeing that every store in the area sold out of them that day, I have to say the Blu-ray is in for some serious trouble. We should definitly see a pick up in HD-DVD sales this week.
JeffDM @ Nov 5th 2007 11:32AM
I'm trying to find figures on installed base of HD-DVD players, I'm probably not using the right search terms.
I think it's possible that the Wal-Mart deal increased the US installed base by a good 5% in a single day.
Anthony @ Nov 5th 2007 9:18AM
The Pixar short films are released here in Australa on the 14th. Have them preordred. Cars & Ratatouille are not out till 1/18. Love Pixar stuff.
Robb @ Nov 5th 2007 9:28AM
This list is becoming more and more absurd. We are counting 4-packs of previously released movies as one new movie. The pack is 4 movies that are already being counted in the list so why count the movie twice?
Ben @ Nov 5th 2007 10:34AM
We've always counted box sets, and I don't think these are any different. If we stopped counting box sets now, I'd have to go back and remove all the old ones.
JeffDM @ Nov 5th 2007 9:46AM
I agree that repackagings of the exact same discs shouldn't count as new titles. That's five repackagings right there.
LA26 @ Nov 5th 2007 10:12AM
Think I may have to agree with the HD-DVD supporter's.
Re-releases and re-packings shouldn't count and if they do it should be a seperate list.
JimC @ Nov 5th 2007 10:25AM
Well, then if they sell a 4 pack, it counts as 4 units instead of one. Can't have it both ways. HD-DVD fans which would help you out more counting it as a new title and 1 title sold or 4 titles for each 4 pack sold (remember, Warner is watching)? :-)
Mike @ Nov 5th 2007 7:02PM
1st...no kids don't deserve to watch HD
2nd..kids can't tell the difference in a cartoon in true 1080 or if upconverted to 1080
800lb GORILLA @ Nov 5th 2007 10:03PM
The kid's will love it just the same even if it was played on betamax 1
ryan @ Nov 5th 2007 4:25PM
The question would then have to be asked, are the combo and non combo titles counted once, or twice.
Big Sam @ Nov 5th 2007 1:45PM
Wal-Mart doesn't report individual sales so they won't show up in any of the measuring systems.
HD Tom @ Nov 5th 2007 11:53AM
As a rookie HD-DVD owner, I have to say, it is slightly frustrating that certain titles I want to see are BD-exclusive. Not that I didn't know that going in to last week when I bought my bargain player.
But the bottom line is, I won't jump on a BD-player until the price comes at least sub $150. I could easily afford the BD-players out there now, but it's the principle to me, especially when there are plenty of other things that need my cash (family, etc.)! I can't believe I'm the only one w/ this "dilema"!
JimC @ Nov 5th 2007 3:05PM
HD Tom...this was Toshiba's strategy. Get people to buy a low price HD-DVD unit and then get them on their side for titles. It all depends on how this thing turns out. If HD-DVD wins the format war, then you win but if not then you were suckered by a low price strategy (but fortunately not out much $$$). I highly doubt Toshiba can or would be able to sustain those discount prices for more than one quarter so this is their gambit. For me it is not about price for the player (or titles even though the cost are roughly the same) but quality of selection. I am a parent and we like Disney movies, Disney is Bluray only, also I see Bluray as having the greatest potential in the long term. All the clamor about special features means nothing to me. I buy a movie to watch the movie not special features. So for me it is about quality of the video and sound and also how many discs I have to play to watch a single movie. Right now I'd be willing to bet any one of the Lord of the Rings extended editions would not be able to fit on a single HD-DVD disc but would be able to fit on a single Bluray because of the extra capacity of Bluray. Video + Sound + capacity + title selection = Bluray for me. However, I am being cautious about the number of titles I buy for now until it is settled. But all but 2 are Bluray only titles. If HD-DVD wins then I will have to keep my bluray player (or buy a dual format unit)until all my titles are available on HD-DVD. FYI - you might want to educate yourself on which studios are in which camp...
Fortunately for me, very few HD-DVD titles actually interest me but there are a few...if you were to look at my DVD collection and translate them to Bluray or HD-DVD, the vast majority would be from bluray only studios....
800lb GORILLA @ Nov 5th 2007 10:18PM
Why cant Toshiba sustain low player prices??
Reported here on this site a month or so ago, HD VMD was being touted as a challenger to HD DVD and BR, and they were about to release highly specified players at the $150 region.
Considering the complete lack of support this product has compared to HD or BR, that would have to be a profitable price point as one would rightly presume they aren't launching their product at a loss.
Toshiba has been manufacturing HD DVD players for a number of years now, so one can also rightly only presume their cost structure would be considerably less than HD VMD.
Also, I believe Toshiba has moved production to China, so their costs must be significantly lower again.
Oppo can profitably sell an up converting DVD player for $99, so I can see no reason, at this point of the A2's life cycle, why Toshiba cant do the same.
Smee @ Nov 6th 2007 12:15AM
@JimC
Oh stop it, IF LOTR doesn't fit on 1 HD DVD it can be put on 2 discs so it makes NO difference at all.
Also, on HD DVD you have PIP and many other features you cant enjoy on betta ray and it's 75% cheaper!
Mitchell @ Nov 5th 2007 3:34PM
Studios put aside i dont see how anyone can be pro Blu ray when the players cost at minimum $250 more for what real benefit?
yes, they hold more but does this really impact quality of the material? With all the fancy codecs out there I am sure they could fit LOTR on 1 HD DVD with great quality.
Being the current state of the formate war I couldn't imagine spending $400 on a player that could be obsolete in a few years. Even if blu ray wins players today may not support everything that is available in the next profiles.
I am not a fanboy of either format. But i did buy an A2 for $98. This way i can get the benifit of HD movies without a lot on the line. If blu ray does win then i will buy a blu player when the price is reasonable. ie >$200.
JimC @ Nov 5th 2007 5:06PM
"yes, they hold more but does this really impact quality of the material? With all the fancy codecs out there I am sure they could fit LOTR on 1 HD DVD with great quality."
Mitchell, yes but the amount of loss in compression to make it fit in smaller capacity discs will become even more relevant for monger movies. Wasn't Transformers shipped with "lossy" audio? Do you think George Lucas or Peter Jackson compromise just to fit their movies on to 1 HD-DVD? Given the max quality settings, Bluray has the larger capacity and therefore could more readily store such a movie on one disc.
Even with cheap HD-DVD players (which by the way is completely artificial, someone is taking a huge loss to deliver that player at that cost), at this point it really depends on where your tastes in movies takes you. If your favorite movies are on HD-DVD then go that route and hopefully HD-DVD wins but for now Bluray has the titles I know my family wants (Disney mostly, Spiderman, etc). I have no doubt that whichever format wins, in a few years it won't matter as the capacity for HD-DVD will probably increase sufficiently, all the non-movie shiny toys will be there on bluray. For me it is and always will be about the movie itself and right now, Bluray has it for me. I want a pure uncompromised movie viewing experience, if I want to watch extras, I will surf the web or put in the extras disc...but don't mess with the movie quality to fit bells and whistles on the disc....
Mike @ Nov 5th 2007 10:36PM
Jimc, how much do you think Sony has lost on every PS3? When the PS3 1st cam out there were write up it cost sony 1000 to make...Sony is loosing more mony then Toshiba..and as u said..they both will increase storage over the years so that is not a valid argument.
The number 1 arguument is price
2nd is content...and I believe as HD DVD adds more and more stand alones...other movie studios will follow.
There are a lot of talk at AVS forum that Disney voted at the DVD forum in favore of the triple layer 51gig HD DVD disc...sony and other blue ry supports abstained. Disney would like to see HD DVD handle more capacity...and there is a reason why. They want to support it.
Smee @ Nov 6th 2007 12:31AM
And it is just that sort of elitist attitude that will bring betta ray unstuck.
Mike @ Nov 5th 2007 7:11PM
Your not...I post the same thing here and avs forum that I have preschool and gynastics to pay for and other things on my budget that are higher then hd movies. I waited till walmarts $99 sale to get one. There are a lot more middle class families on a budget out there then those that are not. Probable with better stuff to do then post about it all the time too. That's why you see more fanatics post.
800lb GORILLA @ Nov 5th 2007 11:00PM
Poor old blu ray, they never wanted a price war, they wanted to keep prices high & makes lots of $, & they were going to smash HD DVD quick smart.
Because BR was sony driven, sony expects, no demands even, that people just pay whatever sony says they want to charge, and be damned.
Unfortunately , sonys CE partners believed sonys spin & thought they were getting involved in a lucrative business.
Now the only BR player selling is sonys PS3.
So what does sony do?
Perhaps sony takes Toshiba head on , and wages a sony standalone player battle at very low prices, losing even more money in the process and destroying what they set out to do in the first place.If they win, they sure cant put player prices back up again.
Where does this leave sonys CE partners in all this? They have invested millions of dollars and are getting very little, if anything, in return.
Whatever happens from here, it is a loose loose for sony.
The next few months are going to be very very interesting to watch.
Bobby Hull @ Nov 6th 2007 12:11AM
only 4 titles released on HD-DVD? LAME.
Bobby Hull @ Nov 6th 2007 12:14AM
with so few titles released on HD-DVD, I'm still glad I bought the A2 so I can watch mostly upconverted DVD.
Allison @ Nov 6th 2007 12:19AM
Ohh...I wish Disney released on HD-DVD. No matter, I'll just buy a Blu-ray player - anyone have any recommendations on which Blu-ray player to buy? I'm not into games so the Ps3 is out of the question - thanks!
Smee @ Nov 6th 2007 12:39AM
Yes, the Toshiba A2 is a brilliant quality player with many feature. It also comes with 5 free movies and it can be purchased for $98.
Smee @ Nov 6th 2007 12:39AM
Yes, the Toshiba A2 is a brilliant quality player with many features.
It also comes with 5 free movies and it can be purchased for $98.
HDpurist @ Nov 7th 2007 12:26AM
Allison, check out the Blu-ray players from Sony, Pioneer and Panasonic. Any players from these brands are excellent, high quality. I would recommend the Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD BD player, MSRP is $1000 but lower prices can be easily found. Good luck!