superbit dvds: what happened?
10-21-05, 03:30 PM
#4
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I think they've given up doing 3-4 new titles every 3 months and instead working on Ultimate Editions like what they're doing with The Mask of Zorro, Legends of the Fall, The Fifth Element, Leon and A River Runs Through It.
I think they just slapped the "Superbit" logo on Closer and The Brown Bunny. Of course they can call them Superbits because we have nothing to compare them to.
Saxon
I think they just slapped the "Superbit" logo on Closer and The Brown Bunny. Of course they can call them Superbits because we have nothing to compare them to.
Saxon
10-21-05, 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by canaryfarmer
You can only go so far selling (mostly) bad movies on barebones discs for $24.99.
10-21-05, 06:18 PM
#11
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Sony is probably trying to clear them out before Blu-ray hits, hence the big 9.99 sale at BB. My guess is that many of the Superbit titles will be first out of the gate for BR.
10-21-05, 06:26 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by canaryfarmer
You can only go so far selling (mostly) bad movies on barebones discs for $24.99.
I love the few SB titles that I own, but... yeah, I was about the say the same thing.
Especially when you're selling things like Dark Crystal or Labyrinth that (a) lose really cool supplements and (b) are virtually indistiguishable visually/sonically from their cheaper/supplement-packed counterparts.
10-21-05, 06:34 PM
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I don't know if you can see the difference between Superbit and regular DVD's on an HDTV but I know on my regular TV I couldn't tell any difference. Actually the Superbits tend to look granier and murky to me.
10-21-05, 08:17 PM
#19
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Originally Posted by toddly6666
Are we going to have to upgrade to new DVD players to play these new Blue-Ray dvds???
10-21-05, 10:04 PM
#20
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sucks about Superbit, but Columbia's catalogue wasn't too impressive. But I think we can really see that the average consumer (read: the majority) doesn't give a crap about image quality, so the Superbit death isn't anything for high-end fans to chuckle at. How warmly will the public embrace a new format like Blu-Ray which is only going to cost them more (new players and discs)? I really see this being the new niche format. More succesful than D-VHS perhaps, but it's doubtful it will even reach the popularity of LD. The next format craze is far more likely to be seriously expanded potential for digital cable pay-per-view. Once you order a film, instead of having a limited time, it can be stored on a hard drive or disc forever. Never have to enter the DVD store again and all titles will be instantly available everyone. Man, that would save a lot of hassle.
10-21-05, 10:43 PM
#21
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Originally Posted by indiephantom
I think we can really see that the average consumer (read: the majority) doesn't give a crap about image quality, so the Superbit death isn't anything for high-end fans to chuckle at.
I think that a lot of people can appreciate improved image quality -- and would pay more for it -- but you have to actually PRESENT them with improved quality, not just branding and hype. The Superbit concept was flawed from the start.
Plus, as mentioned, a large number of the titles that Columbia focused on... well, frankly, they suck. Not to threadcrap, but are people really clamoring for crystal-clear editions of Hollow Man, Anaconda, Cliffhanger, SWAT, and Vampires?
10-21-05, 11:31 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by bboisvert
The issue is that a significant % of Superbits showed little to no improvement... even on high-end equipment. So, why should people pay $$$ for a bare bones edition of, say, The Dark Crystal. When they can get an edition of it, with deleted scenes, a fantastic 1-hour documentary, and other goodies for about ten bucks? An edition, I will add, that looks/sounds identical to the DTS "superbit".