My complaint with Blu-ray

[Lightning Steve]

I don't know the technical side of things in any great detail but as long as it sounds better and looks better is all I ask. A Blue Ray disk doesn't seem to really have more on it than a SD DVD, yes the data files are larger but that shouldn't cost $10-$15 more. I would pay for the better picture and sound with out complaint. No my complaint has to do with stuff. I am a sucker for stuff, collectables and what not. Hey it's how I've bought cereal for years, I don't care if it's a box of bark and small pebbles as long as it has a cool prize in it. I once pestered my parent for a pair of Buster Brown shoes because it came with a "clicker" (like the solders used in a Bridge to Far), got beat up over the shoes (had to wear them), but the clicker was cool.
For example this week there is an anniversary edition of the Big Lembowski, both SD and BD, the difference is the BD is just a disk and the SB comes in a cool bowling ball!!!! The SD version of Speed Racer came with a car, BD nothing!!
Why doesn't the Blue Ray have stuff??? Are BD buyers just to "adult" for these gimmicks??? I'm 46 and I want my STUFF dam it!!

 

[j_garcia]

They are releasing those special editions with additional crap because they know there is already a shift to BD and they know that a growing chunk of people will no longer buy the SD versions no matter what they come with. Nightmare Before Christmas had a SD set that came with a LARGE bust of Jack Skellington (~$100) which I thought was cool, but no matter what it came with, I wasn't going to buy the SD version to get it.

The Big Lebowski is a good movie, but it isn't good enough for me to want to buy the SD version either to get a friggin bowling ball. I like to collect certain items, but things like this have little interest to me. I mainly just want the movie.

Blu-ray doesn't have enough of the market yet for them to offer specials of that nature, because the sales numbers aren't quite there yet. If they DID offer them once in a while though as Blu-ray exclusives, they might get some of those who are STILL fence sitting to take more of an interest.

 

[allargon]

Please explain to me what Warner is doing with Casablanca on Blu-Ray then or all these overpriced Blu-Ray's from Disney and others with a DRM'd to hell digital low res (not even DVD quality) copy.

There are definitely quite a few "special" editions going on with Blu as well. Blade Runner and Harry Potter sets come to mind.

The OP is asking for MORE of that collectibles stuff even with higher pricing. Personally I want less of it with lower prices. Some peopled hated combo discs on HD DVD because they lacked disc cover art. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[darien87]

Personally, I could care less about getting any "stuff" with my BD's. I hardly ever even bother with watching the special features of most discs.

Just give me the movie and give it to me as cheap as possible.

Plus, where the hell are you going to store a bowling ball or a metal briefcase?

 

[CaliHwyPatrol]

I'm just speculating here, but I don't think the prices are high because they want to screw us. That would be bad business, especially with a new format. I think the prices are high because it is a new format. A lot of time, effort, and money went in to research, development, distribution, licensing, etc of this new format and the prices are high because that's what it costs to make it work.

Take medicine for example. A company will spend several million dollars developing a new drug. When it hits the market it will be quite expesive because they have to make up for that money spent. Several years down the road when their patent expires, all these generic companies will pick up the drug research for pennies and sell the same drug a lot cheaper.

Once more companies pick up Blu Ray and development becomes cheaper, there will be more price drops. It would be bad business for them not to do it, since if they keep high prices they will never be able to oust DVD. I already see quite a few Blu Ray movies out there in the $15 range, so I can only expect that the prices will continue to drop until it becomes impractical to buy DVD. The upcoming holiday season, to me, is really the first holiday season for an affordable Blu Ray, so I think we should see some good stuff this time around.

Or, this is all BS, they are screwing us, and I'm talking out of my ***.

 

[j_garcia]

Prices are still high not only because production of the discs themselves is not fully mainstream (meaning there are only a few shops doing it), but they are spending a lot of money on these new transfers also, so initially they will pass the cost on to the consumer. Fox and at least one or two other studios have dropped the MSRP prices of some discs (catalog titles) and we are already starting to see that effect in stores with movies priced as low as $14.99 regular price. I have over 100 movies now and I am still averaging about $15 a disc.

 

[EJ1]

I would be willing to pay less for a BD "barbones" release. No BD-Live or extra features, etc. I just want the movie and an HD soundtrack and I'm good.

 

[j_garcia]

I agree. I don't mind if they release super-collector editions, as long as they also offer a bare bones as well, as they did with Harry Potter and Blade Runner, and I bougth the basic version of Blade Runner as an example.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Personally, I could care less about getting any "stuff" with my BD's. I hardly ever even bother with watching the special features of most discs.

Also my sentiments. Rarely is is about it, on some special films.

Plus, where the hell are you going to store a bowling ball or a metal briefcase?

In your closet, of course.
Unless your theater is set up for displays

 

[jostenmeat]

Yep.

I have yet to watch a single extra among my BDs or HD-DVDs. I've been encouraged to watch the extras on Surf's Up, because my friends think the way they did the animation is so fascinating. I just can't get myself to do it. They are almost always a waste of time, and so I can't change my predisposition or tendencies, I find. Oh well.

I'm down with bare bones. But, as this was talked about at AVS recently (and still is for all I know), it does take time and money to do a good transfer. And so to warrant higher prices, they throw in these extras which cost next to nothing in comparison. And so the world turns . . .

 

[Affejunge]

Prices are still high not only because production of the discs themselves is not fully mainstream ...

Exactly. Does anyone remember when DVD was released? Exactly same story. VHS tapes had dropped to $15-$20 (any they have a MUCH higher production cost), but is was almost impossible to find a DVD under $24.99 with some as high as $29.99 (and this was back '97-'98 time frame) There is no doubt that BD will continue to drop. But now, just like back in the late 90's, I will order all my BD online.

 

[racquetman]

Many DVDs aren't much cheaper than their Blu-ray versions unless you get them on sale. A lot of DVDs, even older ones, still hover around $14.99 - $19.99 or more. I think the difference is the fact that there are sooooo many more DVDs out there to choose from compared to Blu-ray titles that you can always find a DVD title you like for cheap.

The studios would love for you to pay full price for their DVDs, but most of us can wait because, as I said, there is always something out there for cheap to tide us over until the DVD titles we want go on sale. Blu-ray doesn't have that luxury at this point. Fewer titles mean fewer choices, which means you are less likely to find something you like on sale.

Also, Blu-ray discs just costs more to manufacture. At least that was one of the HD-DVD camp's big arguments back when there was a format war.

Lastly, it is just smart business to keep the profit margin as high as you can as long as you can.

 

[Lightning Steve]

Well I guess the BD people listened to me,LOL.
Saw in the Best Buy flyer that this weeks release of Iron Man on BD comes in a collectors set with a Iron Man bust and two comics. Finally I can get the best of both, good picture/sound and some crap.
To those who commented on the extra content on a disk, I never (usually) watch that stuff either, unless it's something historically related to the film, Pearl harbor or the history on the five points in Gangs of New York for example.

 

[j_garcia]

Target is going to have an exclusive folding Iron Man mask case on both the SD DVD and BD.

 

[supervij]

From the Digital Bits:

"Speaking of Paramount, we've just learned that there are a whopping EIGHT retail exclusive versions of Iron Man available today on DVD and Blu-ray. If you purchase the DVD at Circuit City, you'll get access to an exclusive Marvel Digital Comics featuring the artwork of Adi Granov. At Best Buy, you'll get a custom lithograph created by Marvel artist Gerald Parel. Target features "exclusive Mark III" mask packaging on both the 2-disc DVD and 2-disc Blu-ray. At Costco, the 2-disc DVD includes a trio of bobbleheads. At WalMart, the 2-disc DVD comes with an exclusive comic book, while the single-disc DVD comes with a bonus disc containing the first episode of the new Iron Man animated series. FYE and Suncoast stores are offering the 2-disc DVD in exclusive Steelbook packaging. Finally, at Borders stores the disc includes a collectible book of original sketches by Bob Layton. Whew!"

Salivating yet, Steve?

,
supervij

 

[j_garcia]

Images from a user on another board of the Target "helmet" version:

I haven't seen the steelbook, but people are paying a lot to get it imported from Canada for some reason?? $45-50.

 

[Lightning Steve]

Salivating yet, Steve?

,
supervij

Yep, I picked up the BD set at Best buy with the Iron Man helmet bust, and two mini comics.

 

[EJ1]

That helmet version looks horrible. I'd rather have just the regular BD case.

 

[j_garcia]

That helmet version looks horrible. I'd rather have just the regular BD case.

Same here, and that is what I bought - the regular, no frills version.