Universal exec sez Wanted:Blu-ray as The Matrix:DVD
by Richard Lawler 
posted Jun 27th 2008 at 8:17AM
Former HD DVD supporter turned Blu-ray fan Craig Kornblau of Universal has jumped wholeheartedly onto the dark side - he couldn't even wait for the new movie Wanted to hit theaters before exclaiming that "What The Matrix did for DVD, this could do for Blu-ray". Assuming he's talking more about an impressive package of never before-seen special features plus a loving audio/video transfer of a groundbreaking action movie and less about U-control zooms on Angelina Jolie's tattoos over a cheesy PG-13 snoozefest, there's a chance that could happen. Please pardon our skepticism, we seem to have spilled it all over this area.
Filed under: Blu-ray
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Adam @ Jun 27th 2008 8:56AM
With a name like Kornblau, you can't go wrong.
kcjones @ Jun 27th 2008 9:46AM
I'm convinced that the Matrix is the all time best selling DVD. Granted, I have not seen Wanted yet, but I doubt it will revolutionize the movie industry nevertheless Blu-ray on the same scale as the Matrix.
Truth Teller @ Jun 27th 2008 9:59AM
He's dreaming and wrong.
The imminent prolonged recession across the world is what is going to ensure Blu-ray does not escape the game console niche
(even tho the US $'s fall has offset some of the increase elsewhere oil has increased by 5 times in cost compared to 3 times in the mid 1970s & doubling in the late 1980s).
A film has nothing to do with it in those circumstances.
It's timing and Blu-ray just hasn't been lucky enough with that.
Maybe if times were good and the economic outlook more favourable he might have a point but right now this is just the CE corps & movie industry desperately howling at the wind and talking up this mess however they can.
That and the fundamental truth that many many people are convinced that compared with SD DVD upscaled on their 32" - 50" HD TVs Blu-ray simply doesn't offer enough that they care about
(lossless audio is just irrelevant to most).
This even in the USA with 480i/p NTSC standard def, nevermind 576p PAL Europe.
JimC @ Jun 27th 2008 12:56PM
TT -
"That and the fundamental truth that many many people are convinced that compared with SD DVD upscaled on their 32" - 50" HD TVs Blu-ray simply doesn't offer enough that they care about
(lossless audio is just irrelevant to most).
This even in the USA with 480i/p NTSC standard def, nevermind 576p PAL Europe."
Where are you getting this crap? I have a 46" 1080p TV and I can very well tell the difference between SD and HD!!!! So stop making up crap and trying to push Upscaling. You're so disingenuous that it reeks. Before HD DVD died, HD with all its special bonus features and web enabled content was the shizzz but since it will be Blu-ray delivering that content, somehow all those shizzz features no longer matter? You sir are a punk fanboi, get over it....HD DVD LOST!!!! Either state that you don't like blu-ray and will stay with DVD but for heaven's sake man, we've heard the BS upscaling spin far too much now, no one believes it except your fellow HD DVD disgruntles....
Do you think evangelizing upscaling is truly going to keep blu-ray from being adopted? Why weren't you evangelizing upscaling over HD DVD????
Truth Teller @ Jun 27th 2008 1:50PM
Don't be so willfully obtuse JimC.
I never (and have never) said there was no difference.
The point is that the difference that there is (between upscaled SD DVD & high def), is, to a large segment of the public, just not worth the premium Blu-ray demands.
But you knew that anyway.
Carry on deliberately misrepresenting if you must.......
WebDev511 @ Jun 27th 2008 2:29PM
Well the studios HAVE to dream or the movies wouldn't be worth watching.
We'll see if Universal can make good on the promise, or if we're going to get another useless feature like community viewing.
@JimC
The vast majority of humans on the planet do not physically possess the visual acuity to differentiate 720p from 1080p on screens below 50". So TT's observation about joe six pack not being able to tell the difference between upconverted SD and Blu (or hd dvd for that matter) isn't some delusion.
Now that said, I don't think that upscaling will prevent adoption of Blu, but the real cost of upgrading to an HD setup combined with a tanking economy might.
EatingPie @ Jun 27th 2008 4:30PM
>That and the fundamental truth that many many
>people are convinced that compared with SD DVD
>upscaled on their 32" - 50" HD TVs Blu-ray simply
>doesn't offer enough that they care about
Gonna site all those statistics that have verified this oft-repeated statement?
No? Could it be because they don't exist? Yes, that's probably the reason.
I wish people would stop saying this. It's not true. There are no stats at all about upscaled vs. HD. Besides, every single person I've shown HD vs. Upscaled DVD to has picked HD. Every one, even those who have no idea what HD is. While I've hardly got anything scientific going here, it's still more than people who keep citing the above NON-EXISTENT "statistic" have done!
-Pie
Truth Teller @ Jun 27th 2008 5:52PM
* quote
EatingPie
Gonna site all those statistics that have verified this oft-repeated statement?
No? Could it be because they don't exist? Yes, that's probably the reason.
=====================================================
You must have missed it, the last one was posted here
(and IIRC it had a large - for this kind of statistical exercise - sample of well over 2000).
Sorry to puncture your myth but they do indeed exist.
WebDev511 @ Jun 27th 2008 10:12PM
@Eating Pie
"A person's ability to distinguish small details is described by visual acuity. When individual pixels are barely resolvable, increased resolution brings no benefit for the viewer, unless the viewing distance can be shortened or the display enlarged. For many users' television viewing distances, in order to see the full benefit from 1080p content a display must be bigger than usual or the viewing distance needs to be closer than usual. The ability of the eye to resolve 1080p content also depends on the amount of contrast in the picture. For optimum viewing of resolution it has been recommended that you sit back a maximum of approximately three times the height of your display."
That said, a1080p source on a 720p screen of 50" or less will look better than an upconverted DVD. Is the improvement enough to justify the current premium? For me it was, but Home Theater IS my hobby.
Leonardo DiCrapio @ Jun 27th 2008 10:43AM
Wanted looks like a cool flick. To outdo the Matrix would be tough, though, but it would pretty much "just" require that Wanted is at least as good as the Matrix (which is questionable). Additionally, it would require that the movie is good enough that it can spawn at least one GOOD sequel. The first part is the tough part (warranting a sequel) -- the second part is pretty easy, though (besting Matrix Reloaded would be mildly challenging; besting Matrix Revolutions would be a cakewalk).
squiggleslash @ Jun 27th 2008 11:03AM
Perhaps he's right, just not in a way he expects.
When DVD came out, it was a radical advancement on what had been before. An amazing new format that offered things nobody had offered before, as well as packaging the features that had pre-existed in a better way.
When the Matrix came out, it was a radical advancement on what had been before. An amazing new movie that used cinematic techniques nobody had seen before, as well as packaging familiar themes in a way better than before.
When Blu-ray came out, it was an incremental advancement on what had been offered before, DVD, with some rather poor technical decisions made resulting in a poor experience for many end users. Many aspects of the technology, such as BD+, are brain dead, and the worst features of the format reflect Hollywood's lack of imagination and obsessions with controlling consumers.
By all accounts, Wanted has special effects that are an incremental advancement on what had been seen before, in The Matrix, with some rather poor writing and plot decisions made resulting in a poor experience for the vast majority of viewers. Many aspects of the movie, such as the much-criticized base misogyny and the lousy plot, are brain dead, and the worst aspects of the movie reflect Hollywood's lack of imagination and obsessions with controlling viewers.
The Matrix:DVD == Wanted:Blu-ray.
tim @ Jun 27th 2008 11:29AM
'wanted' is not pg-13. it's r. and i'm pretty sure it's not a 'snoozefest.'
lakersin2025 @ Jun 27th 2008 12:05PM
Johnny 5 is alive.
J.Goodwin @ Jun 27th 2008 1:03PM
Actually, recessions typically increase consumption of home entertainment media and devices. The recession in 2001/2002 did a lot to help the game consoles in that generation, the PS2 in particular hit the right price at just the right time. Happy accident for Sony. Either that or they've got some crackerjack economists.
Truth Teller @ Jun 27th 2008 1:23PM
What recession of 2001 - 2002!?
A mere slow-down and dip in the rate of economic growth (which is all we saw in Europe) is not a recession.
Not when growth stays positive.
Ask people whop were adults and worrying about making ends meet in the early 1980s and 1990s.
That's a real proper recession.
2 and more quarters of negative economic growth.
That's a proper (and real) recession.
A real recession has such things as record home repossessions, bankruptcy, unemployment and sky-high interest rates.
It's been some time since we last had one, perhaps it's no surprise some people don't really know what they are or what they are really like.
The idea that game consoles or expensive games & movies take priority during that sort of event is pretty laughable, if somewhat sad for all concerned.
joe @ Jun 27th 2008 2:01PM
TT-
We didn't have a 'technical' recession but a recession isn't as big as you make it sound either. It's simply a softening of the economy.
Economists have rewritten their books to the point they no longer correspond to economic realities. If you stick to the definition of a recession we are not in one right now since in terms of USD our growth has increased.
There was the 90-92 US recession as well as the 2000-2002 US recession. That is if you believe we are in one now.
Truth Teller @ Jun 27th 2008 2:49PM
No Joe.
I wish you were right but....
The real and actual definition of a recession is 2 or more quarters of negative economic growth.
The rest is mere semantics and the beguiling BS of the uncritical supine press & commentators pretending that what is not actually a recession
(where they can tut tut & trumpet a 'bad time' but one where few actually end up suffering) is.
It's a total fabrication to say a mere slow-down from the 'trend' rate of economic growth is a recession and a symptom of the outrageous manipulation of the uninformed. which has been going on
Well we're in for a lesson in the reality of the situation.
Some people might not want to hear it but it's going to be a real recession, not the fake 'recession-lite' nonsense.
First there's the enormous hang-over from the housing sub-prime disaster which we already know is imposing a 'credit crunch' across the entire western world and beyond.
Unknown to many there is also the much under-reported
(but much much bigger than sub-prime)
'Credit Default Swaps
(which US & UK banks are up to their necks in to the turn of $23 Trillion US - 3 x the US GDP.
We've already seen the huge sub-prime bail-outs by various Govs so guess how expensive CDS is going to be to the taxpayer!?
To top it all we're also witnessing the speculators and investors getting out of housing and into foods & fuel - which, surprise surprise, has seen those commodities sky-rocket in price which again is just keeping up the pressure & reducing large sections of our population's disposable real incomes.
The early 1980s & early 1990s recessions all came, largely, because of what were then huge hikes in the oil price.
The price tripled in the 1970s & it doubled in the 1980s.
We've just seen it go up by 5 times and it hasn't stopped yet.
Like I said if you have no personal experience of it then talk to those who lived through them.
They are no fantasy & they happened not very long ago.
Huge unemployment, huge housing repossessions, interest rates through the roof and economic growth seriously down for a long time.
This recession hasn't really even got going yet, hold on to your hats.
Danny @ Jun 27th 2008 1:12PM
Yeah, this is definitely a hard 'R' movie. Not sure where you guys got the idea that it's a PG-13 snoozefest.
And no, I'm not still bitter over the fact that you STILL haven't reported on the new HD channels in Columbia, SC on TWC.
Truth Teller @ Jun 27th 2008 1:23PM
Actually JimC it is, once again, you that is quite clearly lying about what I said.
I have never said that there was no difference between SD & HD.
I have said that compared to SD DVD upscaled repeated surveys show an overwhelming majority do not think the benefit Blu-ray offers is 'worth it'.
(EngadgetHD even occasionally posts the results of such surveys here)
This is not only true but it is true and quite correct even in the cr@ppy 480i/p SD TV USA, nevermind in superior 576p PAL Europe.
But you carry on, twist and misrepresent what I said to pursue your own agenda if you like.
Jonnieboy @ Jun 27th 2008 11:48PM
So the fact that Blu-Ray is selling faster than DVD did in its beginning has no relevence to your argument? I just find it hard to believe that there are so many people predicting huge gains for Blu-Ray over the next several years and you, sir, are much more adept at predicting the future of entertainment than trusted analysts are.
Truth Teller @ Jun 28th 2008 8:37AM
* quote
Jonnieboy
So the fact that Blu-Ray is selling faster than DVD did in its beginning
=====================================================
Well it would help if your initial starting point here was actually true and not just a typical blu-ray.com fantasy propaganda myth.
This article from march this year.
Even with it being bundled into the PS3 (as big a 'leg-up' as Blu-ray could possibly have......and one which DVD did not have, the PS2 came out 3yrs into DVD's life) Blu-ray growth has been much slower than DVD.
http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/8002/hd-DVD_outsells_blu-ray.html
Mr_Fizzlepop @ Jun 27th 2008 4:03PM
The only reason there wasn't an Official recession in America in 2002 was because Bush gave hundreds of dollars to every tax paying American to prop up the economy, just like he's done this year.
There are many economists that use far more complex criteria to gauge whether a recession is upon a country then the simple 2 quarters down used historically.
In 02' the first and 3rd quarters were down in America and the only reason second quarter wasn't was the bush tax payout. The vast majority of economists agree on this.
KiraXD @ Jun 27th 2008 4:10PM
Wanted is defintely NOT a snoozefest.
i saw tge screening for it a few weeks ago, and the story was actually really good, and the action and VFX were amazing... the shooting in this is what every other shoot-em-up movie wishes it could be.
Jeff N. @ Jun 27th 2008 4:19PM
I understand where Craig Kornblau is coming from.
He wants the Blu-ray to have such a WOW factor as to peak interest in Blu-ray discs and players. I was an early adaptor of SD DVD. I remember playing the Matrix for many friends and neighbors on my surround sound system and many were wowed enough to get a DVD player within a few months. If 'Wanted' the Blu-ray is a knock out visually and sonically, and then friends and neighbors are given a demonstration in your house ie "Look how awesome this new movie looks and sounds"., it could spark a lot more interest in Blu-ray.
Truth Teller @ Jun 28th 2008 9:14PM
* quote
Jeff N.
If 'Wanted' the Blu-ray is a knock out visually and sonically, and then friends and neighbors are given a demonstration in your house ie "Look how awesome this new movie looks and sounds"., it could spark a lot more interest in Blu-ray.
=====================================================
Yeah but the problem with that is that to look and sound amazing it depends primarily on the rest of your kit, and very little on the disc itself.
Telling people they have to shell out on a comparatively very expensive player
(game console or standalone)
along with the latest (& bigger than 50") 1080p/24 screen, as well as putting a shed-load of additional cash into a suitably high spec audio system to even begin to make the most of Blu-ray is where it all falls down.
Most people are simply not that bothered about turning their living room into an expensive mini-cineplex.
DVD looked like and was a huge jump over VHS video (@ around 250 lines resolution) in terms of PQ, as well as being an obvious step forward in terms of convenience of use, on just about anybody's exisiting kit.
Even in the 480i/p USA, nevermind 576p PAL Europe.
Blu-ray is not especially user friendly (being slow and having in many instances pretty clunky menus) and does not offer anything like the same leap in quality over upscaled DVD as DVD gave over VHS, not on the vast majority's 32" - 50" HD TV set (many if not most of which at this stage are 720p sets).
Garst @ Jun 27th 2008 4:33PM
What did The Matrix do for DVD? I hated those movies.
Jeff N. @ Jun 27th 2008 4:56PM
Simple. It made people aware of DVD and how it was different & better than VHS tape. It was a disc that many people used to show off their surround sound systems to friends & neighbors, and peaked interest in this new product called DVD.
Se7enwolf @ Jun 27th 2008 5:45PM
Wanted was actually a pretty good movie. so was Wall-E.
Big Sam @ Jun 28th 2008 1:01PM
That "snoozefest" has a 7.5 on imdb right now...
RandyG @ Jun 28th 2008 1:43PM
Wanted is the best movie of the year so far, although it will loose 25% of its potential gross simply because its title is bland and forgettable. I don't care if that was the name of the comic book, the name is awful.
nick @ Jun 28th 2008 6:41PM
Wanted reminded me of the Matrix at times, but it's far more violent, and I doesn't strike me as mainstream. In fact, it's a little strange, but then again, the Matrix was out there at one time too, but where I bought into the Matrix from the get go and found it gripping from the first sequence, I cannot say the same about Wanted.
Wanted certainly carries a style, and is unflinching when it comes to getting shot, beat up, sliced or impaled. Blood spatters I believe in every situation involving action. And while there's great action, such as near the end, there's also some over the top situations getting there.
Would I run out to see Wanted again? Probably not. Would I catch it if it were on TV? Sure, but it would probably be heavily edited. Will it sell just as well as the Matrix? I'd be surprised if it did. It's an interesting movie with great action, but not a great movie.
tama @ Jul 5th 2008 2:26AM
Yep, it's not PG-13, and pretty violent to be mainstream. Silly post about an exec's silly comment.