Region free Blu-Ray, At Last

[JAGUAR1977]

Casablanca is coming to Blu-ray, but it's release on HD-DVD was an experiment, it crashed and burned, that's why we saw so few 'classics' released after it.

Most of the major classic movies you can think of are currently being restored to bring them upto scratch, so they couldn't be released at this time.

Ironically the titles in the worst state are those from the 70's and 80's due to low quality film stock.

There's some info here:-

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread....31882&page=130

Personally I'm not interested in much prior to the 70's.

[Grant]

There goes a tale unto itself.

[CJ34]

Not interested in much prior to the 70's? Not a movie lover then, just an admirer of eye candy, eh?

Mate, there is sooooo much good pre-70's material that you'd be an idiot to deprive yourself of them. You'll learn as you get older.

[CJ34]

Casablanca is coming to Blu-ray, but it's release on HD-DVD was an experiment, it crashed and burned, that's why we saw so few 'classics' released after it.

That's bull and you know it. The HD marketplace isn't sufficiently mature enough yet to show indicators and trends. People such as yourself have already stated that HD DVD sales were tiny - with that in mind no title was going to sell well on HD DVD. Over time, as HD momentum picks up, then they can assess what's selling and what's not. I would venture to say that Casablanca would more likely appeal to older viewers and that this demographic probably wouldn't fall into the category of early adopters. In time, most people will migrate to hi-def, it is then that market forces can be properly evaluated. At present - and I stress that I mean right now, not what might be - the Blu-Ray target audience seems to be PS3 owners, which is dictating what kind of material is surfacing on Blu right now.

And you didn't address the issue of why Warners, a format neutral studio at the time, didn't simultaneously release titles like Casablanca on both formats. Why no Blu-Ray? That was my question, suggesting that Blu-Ray has a different target demographic.

[Grant]

Ironically a similar target audience to UMD.

[JAGUAR1977]

That's bull and you know it. The HD marketplace isn't sufficiently mature enough yet to show indicators and trends.....................

And you didn't address the issue of why Warners, a format neutral studio at the time, didn't simultaneously release titles like Casablanca on both formats. Why no Blu-Ray? That was my question, suggesting that Blu-Ray has a different target demographic.

The HD market may only be approximately 5% of the DVD market, but that still translates into millions of disc sales, plenty enough to identify trends.

Casablanca was part of a phased exclusivity deal for HD-DVD that also included Matrix, V for Vendetta, Batman Begins and all those other titles that didn't show up on Blu-ray, both PiP and non PiP.

Casablanca sold little more than a few thousand copies, compared to tens of thousands for the formats best sellers. It was expected to sell better for all the reasons you stated, but it didn't happen.

Both formats best sellers were virtually identical, i.e. 300, plus your typical action/sci-fi movies, Transformers, Bourne, Matrix and the like. Catalouge movies sold at the same 2-1+ ratio on Blu-ray over HD-DVD as modern blockbusters, so both formats users were buying the same type of movie.

Fox are propably the most conservative studio, currently only releasing your typical blockbuster, but they now have announced those old war movies, that shows the way the makets moving.

[JAGUAR1977]

Not interested in much prior to the 70's? Not a movie lover then, just an admirer of eye candy, eh?

Mate, there is sooooo much good pre-70's material that you'd be an idiot to deprive yourself of them. You'll learn as you get older.

I'm not purposely depriving myself, there's just so much form the last 35-40 years I haven't seen, and very little pre 70's stuff that appeals.

I love music from all time frames, film on the other hand just seems to date, for me and many I know of my age group, at least.

I'm guessng there's a very large proportion of those aged 45+ who will never play videogames, won't even attempt to play them, lol, maybe it's a similar generation gap.

[CJ34]

Well, time will tell, Jag. I hope Blu-Ray picks up momentum and we see more and more great titles hit the format.

Anyway - it's been fun. Look after yourself. All our posts will no longer exist after tomorrow.

[JAGUAR1977]

Well, time will tell, Jag. I hope Blu-Ray picks up momentum and we see more and more great titles hit the format.

Anyway - it's been fun. Look after yourself. All our posts will no longer exist after tomorrow.

Maybe a blessing in disguise

[Vaughan]

The HD market may only be approximately 5% of the DVD market, but that still translates into millions of disc sales, plenty enough to identify trends.

I'm sorry, you clearly have no idea how this works. You can work out a trend from ten people out of a billion according to you. But back in the real world..................

But then, why listen to someone who has such a bizarre attitutde to film? Of course film date - music dates, books date, paintings date. You've clearly not yet matured enough to appreciate things outside your own little life experience (I can hear it now - it's only film I don't like!) Yet you want to tell us how the business of movie making works. Excuse me while I laugh.

I love music from all time frames, film on the other hand just seems to date, for me and many I know of my age group, at least.

One of the silliest things I've ever read on here. You've become accustomed to the music, so now you assume it doesn't age as films do. The thing is, it does, you just can't hear it.

And please don't talk for your "age group". A lot of people in your age group are illiterate, unemployed, and/or criminals. But let's not extrapolate too much from that in a Blu-Ray argument, huh?

I'm guessng there's a very large proportion of those aged 45+ who will never play videogames, won't even attempt to play them, lol, maybe it's a similar generation gap.

Without the people in the age group you mention there wouldn't even be videogames. Have you any idea of how huge Space Invaders was? And Pong? You clearly have no idea what age group bought them, played them, and so on. It's just more history where youhave a huge gap and plug it full of assumptions.

I could care less what you watch. If you want to deprive yourself of some of the best films ever made that's your business, but really, the hole you've dug for yourself here is hilarious. Your post in the other forum was/is a laugh out loud moment.

[zanner]

Ah, Pong in the 70's, two white lines (not cocaine) a little dot, which sped up the longer you went on, and millions used to be hooked by this little gem.

[CJ34]

Dear God, Jag - your posts on that thread you linked to are outrageous. Allow me to quote some of your material:

I don't want to come across as some kind of Philistine, but I only have a passing recolection of the name 'A Passage to India', I've never heard of David Lean, never seen Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia or Casablanca, and can count on one hand the number of pre 1970 movies I have watched!

Maybe I'm completely out of touch, but I think we've reached the point were pre 70's movies are of little interest to those who will buy Blu-ray, or any new video technology.

You argued with me - and yet I hit the nail right on the head, didn't I? You are absolutely confirming everything I was saying.

Early 70's movies are now getting on for 40 years old, unless your a film buff/historian/student, it's difficult to be excited or interested in movies that have so little culteral relevance to those in the 18-40 age bracket.

Whaaaaat? Oh man...you need to get a proper education, mate.

Sales expectations for these now very old movies need to be realistic, especially when most Blu-ray users are in a younger age group.

Again totally confirming what I was saying.