comment #1

Chase Kahn says ...

I just bought 'Pineapple Express' today for $29. It is a little ridiculous -- it will continue to play second-fiddle to DVD until those prices are reasonable. I'll still buy 'em at $30 because I'm stupid and I like my high-resolutions, but it is a little silly.

comment #2

Phatang! says ...

"Very slight burn?" What does that mean? He isn't dissing The Third Man, is he?

comment #3

Gordie Lachance says ...

I bought the 5 disc Blu Ray Blade Runner for $15 a few weeks back from Amazon, which tells you just how much those discs cost to produce.

comment #4

Marty Melville says ...

Amazon, Amazon. The prices in the brick and mortar joints are insane (32.00 for Day the Earth Stood Still... almost half that on Amazon... also got How the West was Won for 15.00 on Amazon).

It's a pain to search and shop rather than impulse buy, but online retailers are the way to go (right now)...

comment #5

Sabina E says ...

I'm tired of technology always changing and the companies shoving those products in our faces.

BUY THIS! BUY THAT!

Yesterday, it was DVD players and iPods. now you're telling me I have to get a freakin Blu Ray disc player? No thanks.

comment #6

Ponderer says ...

Jeez, just be a better shopper. I got all the Criterion Blu-Rays off Amazon for $23 each. It's especially pointless to complain about Criterion Blu-Ray prices since they charge EXACTLY THE SAME as the DVD versions.

comment #7

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

"Yesterday, it was DVD players and iPods. now you're telling me I have to get a freakin Blu Ray disc player? No thanks."

DVD is over a decade old. And don't worry, there's every possibility that it will last as long as blu-ray does, and only be killed by the maturation of digital distribution.

Jeffrey, there've been a number of people expressing a preference for The Third Man DVD over the Blu Ray. There's a lot more grain present on the blu, which might be a bit too pure for some. Personally I, loved it.

And yes, Amazon by and large is the best place to go. Unfortunately a large chunk of the public will never go there, and their only exposure is to the overprice selection at Best Buy.

comment #8

Sabina E says ...

the DVD is already over a decade old? Damn.

comment #9

Kristopher Tapley says ...

I'm done with retail now that I'm in Blu-ray. Amazon is where it's at. SICK deals, constantly. And free shipping, of course, if you get over $25, so no complaining here.

That said, I did just get "Kill Bill" I and II at Target because they were $20 each. That's cheaper than the Amazon two-pack, so screw it.

But on the whole, I agree. Never thought I'd see the day that Best Buy was too rich for my blood.

comment #10

Chase Kahn says ...

Blu-ray isn't really an inconvience if you already have a 40+ HDTV -- they aren't asking you to replace your DVD collection, just to switch over.

comment #11

Chase Kahn says ...

Tapley's right -- Target has some great prices on Blu-ray. I was just there this morning and saw 'Ratatouille', both 'Kill Bill', 'Wall-E', etc. for $20, plus a handful of catalogue titles for $15.

I also just realized that those new Kubrick re-releases on Blu-ray and DVD have disgusting cover art -- look at the 'Full Metal Jacket' package and try not to puke.

comment #12

Gordie Lachance says ...

Lets not knock Best Buy too hard. Amazon constantly has to lower their prices to match Best Buy's, like they did last week on the $89 complete Wire series.

Having said that, Amazon has already put stores like Tower and Circuit City out of business, and Borders is on the ropes. If the economy doesn't change soon, Best Buy and B&N will join them.

Netflix and on demand will put an end to video rental stores (the few that are left) within 3 years.

It's going to be pretty interesting to see what kind of stores pick up all those leases.

comment #13

MindlessObamaton says ...

Face it, y'all: Blue Ray is nothing but a stopgap medium on the way to HD DLs. Don't get me wrong, I love watch the BRs, but normal folks just ain't goin' for it. Don't shoot the messenger, yo.

comment #14

bmcintire says ...

Speaking of lousy packaging and Stanley Kubrick, why has Warner never once gone with the original yellow and black poster art for THE SHINING on their video releases? Always with Nicholson shoving his face through the hatcheted door, or Shelly Duvall screaming/crying at the protruding axe. Let those images sell hispter t-shirts and use the theatrcial art for once!

And where in the hell are BARRY LYNDON and LOLITA on Blu-Ray?

As far as deep-discounting goes, I picked up the Blu-Ray of PRIMEVAL for $9 at either Best Buy or Fry's a few weeks ago (I can't remember which) simply because it was so cheap. It will probably remain in its shrink-wrap long after I am gone from this world, but such a deal!

comment #15

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

There isn't even a half-decent version of Barry Lyndon on DVD - the best version is still NON-anamorphic. With the weird aspect ratio of the movie, that means on a newer TV set you get a rectangle within a rectangle (i.e. windowboxed). You can't even zoom it without losing some of the picture. Irritating.

comment #16

Ponderer says ...

"Blue Ray is nothing but a stopgap medium on the way to HD DLs. Don't get me wrong, I love watch the BRs, but normal folks just ain't goin' for it."

As someone who was both an early adopter and in the online sales sector when DVDs made their debut, Blu-Rays are doing immeasurably stronger business. The disc prices are cheaper, they're selling WAY better, the unit prices are far more inexpensive (at this point in the DVD lifespan, players were still around $700-$900 across the board).

Blu-Ray may be a stopgap. But in a three-year time period? No way. Bandwidth simply can't support that demand (witness Comcast having bandwidth throttlers in place in all markets now). Downloadable HD is either sub-par in terms of resolution (Xbox, iTunes) or wretchedly compressed (cable). And your downloadable HD still hasn't figured out a way to include the most basic special features.

Downloadable as the predominant form of HD video sales? Someday. Maybe in 10 years when the infrastructure is there. But it's nowhere ready yet for that kind of customer investment.

comment #17

Gordie Lachance says ...

Cable companies throttling bandwidth has nothing to do with infrastructure and everything to do with setting up a new business model where customers are billed for usage.

But no, I wouldn't expect to see real HD downloads until the retail public is bilked out of every last Blu Ray dollar.

That would be like inventing electric cars while there was still oil in the ground.

comment #18

Gordie Lachance says ...

Also, just for the record, I own somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500 dvds. I could not even watch them all once before Blu Ray dvds will be extinct. So I'll just sit this round out.

comment #19

D.Z. says ...

Criterion stuff always costs more, because there isn't a big market for most of it. I hear the Chungking Express BD is worth it, though, especially since QT's ugly mug ain't on the cover. Anyway, BD-supporters who claim the format's successful are similar to people who claimed the housing and dot-com markets are the "New Economy". They just don't want to lose the shirts off their backs alone.

comment #20

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

Shut up D.Z.

comment #21

Nick Rogers says ...

bmcintire: To leave "Primeval" shrink-wrapped until you die would be to deprive yourself of the alligator horror movie "Lake Placid" tried, and failed, to be.

comment #22

drbob says ...

I bought a Blu-ray three pack of 2001, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining on Amazon for $29.00 with free shipping. Less than $10.00 per movie. Not too shabby.

comment #23

bdboudreaux says ...

I just got my first blu-ray player for xmas and I'm fairly enthralled with it, but I'm also swearing (to myself and my wife) that I'll only buy new releases or dvds that I don't already have. I definitely think downloadable and flash drive based media is the future but for the meantime Blu-Ray is great, I just hope that we'll be able to load our blu-ray discs onto the next generation flash drives that will take it's place, because if not the wife will be pissed.

comment #24

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

Notice, no one runs side by side, honest DVD to Blu-Ray comparisons.

Hard to believe this fall it will be 10 years since THE MATRIX was the last major best selling laserdisc. It was also my first DVD purchased, before I even had the machine...

comment #25

D.Z. says ...

Deathtongue: If I'm really spineless, Akira might be my first BD before I even own the machine. But then the last DVD had a wretched "bleeding picture" transfer, so I'm hoping this is a genuine "remaster".

comment #26

Josh Massey says ...

I've been selling my old DVDs on eBay and treating them as a coupon of sorts for Blu-Ray. I got about $5 for my Assassination of Jesse James standard DVD, so I basically landed the Blu-Ray for $18. Easier to look at it that way.

comment #27

Nick Rogers says ...

My wife got me "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" on BD for Christmas in anticipation of our purchase of a player. I also picked up "Cloverfield" and "Sleepy Hollow" packaged together for $26 at Best Buy. Judging from the deals disclosed here, I should start hitting up Amazon. Like bdboudreaux, I had to promise not to re-buy beyond a dozen pre-selected titles.(out of about 900 DVDs).

comment #28

scooterzz says ...

about a decade ago, when i got my first dvd player, i had a small three shelf bookcase that i promised would be the extent of my dvd library...there was no possible way things were going to get as out of control as my vhs habit did.... now, several thousand dvds (and many larger bookshelves) later, i'm making the same promise re: blu-rays.....i may need to find a support group.....

comment #29

JapAdapters says ...

To see a movie in BR is to love the format. It's that simple.

Still, I won two BR discs (Mad men season 1 and Sleeping Beauty) because I have everything else in DVD. The truth is, most of my 800 DVDs won't look much better in BR than they do upgraded on a BR player, so why bother?

Btw, the way to go on Amazon is the "new/used" section. THAT is where the deals are.

comment #30

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

D.Z. says ...

"If I'm really spineless..."

Yes. Yes, you are.

comment #31

ZayTonday says ...

Wells, I got the Third Man and Pineapple Express for 26.99 each at Amazon. Stop going to Worst Buy.

comment #32

D.Z. says ...

Kane: Anyone who loves QT, no matter what, is in no position to be calling *me* spineless.

comment #33

ZayTonday says ...

Oh and this is straight from Criterion's website:

"29. Do Criterion Blu-ray discs cost more than DVDs?

Criterion’s Blu-ray editions will generally be priced to match our DVDs. It makes sense to us: High-definition mastering and restoration has been a part of our DVD production standard for years. And for our customers who might be on the fence about whether to buy DVD or Blu-ray, we thought the best thing we could do was take price out of the equation."

http://www.criterion.com/help#q29

comment #34

Jonah says ...

"Kane: Anyone who loves QT, no matter what, is in no position to be calling *me* spineless. "

Explain what somebody elses taste has to do with you being a complete coward and bullshitter.

comment #35

D.Z. says ...

Jonah: Don't call me a coward and bullshitter in a two-on-one verbal argument which has nothing to do with the topic, bucko.

comment #36

Jonah says ...

"Don't call me a coward and bullshitter in a two-on-one verbal argument which has nothing to do with the topic, bucko. "

"Bucko"? Seriously?

I don't take orders from you, son. And I definitely don't take you seriously when it comes to going off topic.

You are spineless, and a coward, and a bullshitter. Simple as that.

comment #37

D.Z. says ...

Jonah: Hey, if you want to end up like that other Jeff poster, it's no skin off my nose.

comment #38

Jonah says ...

I have no idea what you're talking about. As usual, you make no sense. Jeff who?

comment #39

Daviddb says ...

Josh, are you really selling all your DVDs and supplanting them with Blu Ray? Jeez, that's expensive...my question still is, is all this fuss worth it? Is there that much difference? I've seen a noticeable difference in animated films, but what about black and white classics...

It just seems a lot of extra money to spend on something you might watch a few times in a lifetime...

comment #40

Doug says ...

As someone who buys from Amazon a lot, it seems that recently they've been increasing the price of regular DVDs to make the Blu-rays a more attractive buy. Many new single disc DVDs are $19.99, and some $24.99 (!) with the same movie on Blu-ray only two dollars more.
Of course, if Blu-ray really takes off, then they'll really slash DVD prices, but that's probaby a few years away.

comment #41

Marty Melville says ...

"is all this fuss worth it? "

Transfers vary, but in general I've found Blu-ray to be light years ahead of most standard def dvds...

Case in point, the new Scarecrow from Disney would have blissed me out image-wise, had I not just watched Casino Royale on Blu... bottom line, even a reasonable transfer on Blu-ray makes most dvds look like VHS.

On the other hand, some transfers done in the last two to three years are so right on, they look fairly spectacular (with the up-converting) on a Blu-ray player.... in particular Nicholas Ray's half-awful, half-terrific KING OF KINGS which makes me hunger for the Blu-release of all those Bronstons.

comment #42

theultimatebiu says ...

In my opinion buying a blu-ray now is really only needed for those who have a extensive film library and watch it only a very regular basis. I barely watch my DVD collection and I have about 50 DVD's....buying a blu-ray player now just seems pointless and costly.

comment #43

Josh Massey says ...

"Josh, are you really selling all your DVDs and supplanting them with Blu Ray?"

Certainly not all of them - just the ones that I really want to see in hi-def. Assassination of Jesse James was the first movie in my collection I wanted to upgrade.

comment #44

Floyd Thursby says ...

Those puzzling of the use of Bucko by DZ, that closet conservative, may find in the answer in the second box of the following: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/wolcott/2009/01/is-there-no-escaping-this.html

comment #45

Rich S. says ...

Those folks who point out that BR is currently outselling DVD at the same point in their respective lifecycles forget three things.

One, while BR is a step up from DVD in quality, it is not the quantum leap in quality and convenience that DVD was from VHS. This is especially true to the average joe with a 32" TV.

Two, when DVD was introduced it was a relatively new thing that the general public was wary of. It was expensive and looked an awful lot like another niche format, laserdisc. DVD has already paved the way for acceptance of a very similar format.

Three, when DVD was introduced, its replacement was not already on the near horizon. True, the technology for comparable HD downloads may not quite be there yet, but 10 years in the future? No way. Compare the iPhone to the cellphone you had even three years ago.

Further, the iPod model has already gotten a generation used to living without tangible media. After all, tangible media for movies has only really been mainstream for about 25 years. And ownership of films is younger than that.

I like BR, but I was burned by HD DVD and laserdisc and I'm in no hurry to take such a chance again. It's true that the studios would love to milk this last tangible format for all it's worth, but there's too many competitors that want to offer alternatives. On Monday, LG announced a partnership with Netflix to incorporate streaming technology directly into its TVs. BR will become a quaint niche format a lot sooner than you think.

comment #46

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

I more or less stopped buying dvd's years ago, except for the impulse buy here or there, and am the same way with blu rays (although my impulse buys here are adding up).

Netflix, people! It works great!

comment #47

DavidF says ...

Here's my theory...no one actually knows how well Blu Ray will do or whether HD downloading will replace it in the next few years and it won't be settled on this discussion board, nor any other.

It's doing well for starters and I alllllmost bought one last month. We can look forward to innumerable articles about the imminent death of DVD in the meantime.

The thing Rich misses in his otherwise legit point about iPods etc is that by any objective measure iPods sound worse than CDs and LPs. They offer convenience and portability and we can only hope that, in the long term, audiophlie products will continue to exist.

Blu Ray, however, won't die until downloadable content is as good as or better. I know it's getting there but it isn't there yet, nor are most homes wired with Internet in every room just yet. People don't want to go back to VHS (or even 480i) quality on their fancy, new TVs.

comment #48

Rich S. says ...

Granted, the sound quality of iPods is not that of CDs, LPs, Tapes, etc. But how many people, especially young people, use any of the latter? I remember when CDs came out the audiophiles squawking about the loss in quality. But they effectively killed off tapes and LPs in just a few years.

I think the quality argument may be an illusion anyway. Most of the "HD" people crow about when they get their new flat screens isn't true HD and certainly isn't 1080p. If cable companies can routinely offer 720p downloads and promote them as "HD," I'm pretty sure that will be good enough for the average consumer.

I'll probably wait until BR players drop to $150 and then maybe get one for Netflix rentals. But, except for limited editions and rarities, I'm not buying any more discs. Like the Who says, I "won't get fooled again."

comment #49

televisiontears says ...

Rich S, I took my tech-impaired father shopping for a new home theater over the holidays and we found him a very nice Samsung BD player for $170 at Best Buy. It was an open-box buy, but was like-new (I doubt it had even been used). Keep your eyes peeled if you're in the market, there's some killer deals out there.

comment #50

D.Z. says ...

Floyd: Yes, I'm suddenly conservative, because I don't think too highly of people who strap bombs to their chests and stone women for being raped, nor too highly of death squads of either ideology.

Rich: They're also fudging the sales stats for BD versus DVD. There are more home theater consumers in general than there were during the VHS days, which is why there's a higher turn-out for the next-gen product. But if you look at the situation in terms of ratios relative to those who are and those who aren't buying BD and DVD, it pretty much evens out in the percentage of early adapters for both formats. Actually, the early BD buyers might even end up consisting of a smaller percentage of people, relative to the early DVD buyers, since there's more BD product, but less consistency in BD purchases than was the case with DVD.

David: "Blu Ray, however, won't die until downloadable content is as good as or better."

If people cared about picture/sound quality that much, TDK would make more money in IMAX than in regular theaters.

comment #51

cinefan says ...

I have found the picture quality of Blu-Ray to vary a lot. While Casino Royale and Dark Knight, for example, both look stunning on Blu-Ray, classic films like Casablanca and Third Man only look slightly better or the same as their DVD counterparts. I just got the Godfather Trilogy on Blu-Ray and was disappointed by the picture quality of the Godfather - not noticeably better to me than the DVD version (Godfather II, on the other hand, looks absolutely gorgeous and noticeably better on Blu-Ray than DVD - weirdly inconsistent).

comment #52

Ponderer says ...

"If people cared about picture/sound quality that much, TDK would make more money in IMAX than in regular theaters."

Hunh? The IMAX screenings of TDK were packed long after they'd dwindled to a trickle in regular theaters around here. It grossed $55 million playing on *94* IMAX screens - compared to the total screen count of 4300 screens. That's phenomenal. People care.

comment #53

Ponderer says ...

"I have found the picture quality of Blu-Ray to vary a lot. While Casino Royale and Dark Knight, for example, both look stunning on Blu-Ray, classic films like Casablanca and Third Man only look slightly better or the same as their DVD counterparts. I just got the Godfather Trilogy on Blu-Ray and was disappointed by the picture quality of the Godfather - not noticeably better to me than the DVD version (Godfather II, on the other hand, looks absolutely gorgeous and noticeably better on Blu-Ray than DVD - weirdly inconsistent)."

What's your screen size, cinefan? Casablanca was absolutely blistering and jaw-dropping on my 61-inch set.

comment #54

cinefan says ...

I have a 80" screen and a projector with 1080i. Perhaps it was my projector but I thought that Casablanca looked grainy on my screen and the picture quality didn't look noticeably sharper than the DVD version. I was blown away by Wall-E and the Dark Knight when I saw them on Blu-Ray but Casablanca produced more of a meh-meh reaction for me.

comment #55

televisiontears says ...

I'm honestly not implying anything, Ponderer, but has anyone noticed how flat panel screen size has replaced SUV size as the male overcompensation of the moment? The number of secretly-insecure-yet-masculine guys who brag about their 50 inch LCD's has skyrocketed in the last year.

Guy: I just got my new 61-incher. It's freaking gorgeous! You gotta come over and see it!

Me: Isn't your apartment under four hundred square feet?

Guy: Yeah... I don't get your point.

Me: Never mind. I was just wondering what the point...

Guy: It's huge!

comment #56

D.Z. says ...

Ponderer: Yes, TDK made significant money in IMAX, but it still couldn't compete with the total take in regular theaters. And itsIMAX take is still smaller than that Montana flick, even though the latter is not even an event movie. So the demand isn't really there for optimal viewing experiences.

comment #57

Ponderer says ...

D.Z.: How could IMAX compete with the regular box-office? There's literally fewer IMAX screens in the world than there are total regular film screens in my city. I know TDK didn't get all the teenyboppin' girls out, but both IMAX films did monstrous per-screen business.

televisiontears: You're not wrong. :) But I always loved a big screen...I would dig out a basement and install a CinemaScope setup if I could.

cinefan: Appreciate your thoughts. I really thought Casablanca was my first B/W Blu-Ray that was simply luminous. (I'm fairly picky as well, as I have fantastic upconversion that really takes DVD within spitting distance of HD.) Interestingly, I thought The Third Man BD didn't look nearly as good as Casablanca.

comment #58

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

"How could IMAX compete with the regular box-office? There's literally fewer IMAX screens in the world than there are total regular film screens in my city."

Ponderer, haven't you figured out D.Z. is a fucking idiot?

comment #59

D.Z. says ...

Ponderer: IMAX tixx cost more per person than regular movie tixx, though. So if attendance is high enough, it should encourage higher sales overall, compared to the theatrical releases, especially with repeat screenings.

comment #60

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

D.Z., there are maybe 200 IMAX theaters IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. God knows how many normal theaters - gotta be in the thousands. Unless IMAX raises their ticket prices by, I don't know, 2000%, I think it'll be difficult for even a very popular title to do better there than regular theatrical.

Wow are you a dumbass. Do you ever think that about yourself after somebody rationally shows the idiocy of your one of your posts?

If you respond to this post with another non sequitur you will die of cancer in a year, so think carefully before you do anything :)

comment #61

D.Z. says ...

Assuming there were more IMAX theaters, the adjusted gross would still not be much more significant than the regular theatrical gross. Why? Because most people just wanna see the movie, not turn the whole experience into some stupid VR set-up. And it shows in the home video sales, where the TDK DVD still out-numbered the BD 13-to-1. And the BD discs are easier to find than an IMAX joint. In fact, it's telling that the TDK BD included a downloadable copy of the flick as a desperate attempt to direct-downloads. Now, if consumers are not willing to pay the extra cash for the event movie of the year on BD, a more convenient format, why would they do so in IMAX, even if it were convenient, too?

comment #62

Ponderer says ...

"In fact, it's telling that the TDK BD included a downloadable copy of the flick as a desperate attempt to direct-downloads. "

Hunh? It's on the regular TDK 2-disc DVD, too. WB sees it as a standard special-edition add-on.

And what the hell are you talking about on the Blu-Ray sales numbers? It broke every Blu-Ray record in the book. Iron Man, the previous high-water mark, sold 400k its first week. TDK sold 600k its first DAY. It's already past 2 million and still flying strong. It's the most popular title on Blu-Ray EVER. Wow, WB must just be crying about how the disc has been rejected by consumers.

NotImpressed1Yet: You were right in what you said earlier. Man.

comment #63

D.Z. says ...

It's still a small seller, relative to the DVD version of the film.

comment #64

Jonah says ...

Poor DZ. Don't think it went unnoticed that you failed to clarify the meaning of your "other Jeff poster" remark.

Chickenshit, indeed.

comment #65

Ponderer says ...

"It's still a small seller, relative to the DVD version of the film."

Yeah, 2 million Blu-Rays compared to 3.5 million DVDs is a terrible, especially when DVD only has a ten-year head start.

comment #66

D.Z. says ...

Ponderer: Actually, according to Digital Bits, in terms of world-wide sales, it's 13.5 million dvds, and 1.7 BD discs. Should be a higher ratio, shouldn't it...?

comment #67

Jonah says ...

spineless.

comment #68

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Whenever D.Z. starts one of his posts with "actually," you know you're in for a higher dose of bullshit than usual.

Yes, TDK sold more DVDs than Blu-Rays, and sold more regular tickets than IMAX tickets. The same can probably be said about EVERY SINGLE MOVIE EVER RELEASED at this moment in time.

What in the living fuck is your point?

comment #69

D.Z. says ...

Kane: Perhaps, but TDK is supposed to be the type of title people are willing to pay more than once to see. So why not go with the best format, if you're willing to pay for more than one show or more than one format.

comment #70

D.Z. says ...

Sorry, second format=version of the film.

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