The post makes a remark about seemless branching. But if you're using a 50gb disc, when would there ever be a need for branching? They could have easily fit both on the same disc. Very strange they didn't include both. I still prefer the theatrical cut (of most movies), unless there is a true director's cut and not just stuff thrown back in.

I just said that.

Maybe the plan was to have the theatrical and the unrated (via seamless branching) and they just ran into problems with it. So, they axed the unrated version. Who knows?

but if these studios are trying to convert to HiDef and neglect the unrated cut just to standard DVD I find that very counter intuitive.

Initial titles will be 25GB. Thought you all knew.

Perfect excuse to re-release later on...if this war lasts that long.

Must have slipped past me. I've read so many sentences containing "Blu-Ray" and "50 GB" that it's been cemented in my brain.

It does the format no good when Best Buy who is supposed to be whole hog behind HD-DVD doesn't get the HD-DVD editions of Apollo 13 and Doom - out on the date the discs are supposed to street. The Best Buy employees were in typical clueless mode over these releases, when I went there at lunchtime.

I did a search this morning and only 2 out of 6 showed they had both titles. Still, I'm going to buy mine from amazon.com since they're much cheaper than BB. Of course if you're using rz certificates, then BB is logical.

I was looking for Serenity over the weekend. The BB I go to the most often looked on their comp. and it showed 3 in stock. They spent 30 minutes and couldn't find them. So I went to Walmart and found it. Now, with Walmart, they had them on the long new release side and the very button kinda out of sight. I went in yesterday and they're re-doing the sections like they do every quarter. The HD-DVD's were nowhere to be found.

I realize the small amount of titles is probably the reason, but I wish they would build a little end cap with all of them together, rather than mixing them in with DVD.

in other news, UPS will be delivering Apollo 13 to me tomorrow, bringing my massive HD library to 5 titles.

Just got back. Mine had all of them. Except for the friggin' player.

Did you find Chronos? It is the only title I have not been able to locate.

Mine hasn't shipped from Deepdiscount either.

Delayed until May.

Regarding Chronos, I could have sworn I saw a mention over at the Digital bits, that the release date was pushed yet again.

drat two minutes too late...

Thats why! Thanks Grubert. Best Buy's site has it listed with the 4/25 date still but you have to click on it to get an unavailable message. I'm looking forward to this title.

Heh wasn't the matrix supposed to be released 4/25/06 as well? Taking a look back they are absolutely shit when it comes to doing things when they said they would.

According to Video Business:

• Goodfellas and Swordfish are coming out on 5/2 ($28.99 MSRP)
• A hybrid DVD/HD-DVD of Rumor Has It is coming on 5/9 ($39.99 MSRP vs. the $28.98 MSRP of the regular DVD)
• Training Day is hitting HD-DVD on 5/9
• Batman Begins is expected to be released near the end of May.

I absolutly can't wait to see Batman Begins in high def. Fantastic movie. Warner better give this one an HD soundtrack.

Who else here hates the idea of a hybrid. I hate flippers and a putting it on a single side would lower the quality for both versions.

I guess Goodfellas is my next double dip, better sell off my DVD version now.

I personally think the hybrid idea is worth trying. You might get people still on the fence to start building an HD DVD movie collection now. However, since it is more expensive I think most will pass and just wait until they decide to move to HD DVD.

The being able to play the DVD side anywhere in the house idea sounds good on paper, but in reality I think few people will want to pay extra for the ability to do it. Most watch movies on their home theater anyway and probably have plenty of other DVD options for watching in other rooms or on a laptop.

If features have to be removed to fit it on one disc I definitely have no interest.

I'll be getting all of those....except Rumor Has It. I still think I'll hold on to my 2-disc Batman Begins dvd with the oop comic.

Let's hope these Warner HD's aren't mixed at a lower volume like their launch titles were.

I'm getting them all as well, and will wait for a Rumor Has It "price cut".

Someone over on AVS said Unforgiven looks to be ready to go as well.

It sounds like a nice idea on paper, but I agree: the prices are absurd. I mean, it'd be one thing if it wound up being a Trojan horse sort of thing -- you pay the usual $15 for a DVD at Best Buy and you get a high-definition version as an added bonus. Tally up enough of those sorts of hybrids, and when you dip your toes into HD-DVD, you already have a library ready to go.

But to charge an $11 premium over a standard DVD and a $5 premium over HD-DVD...? I just can't imagine that many people biting. It's a drag too because while there is a traditional and more affordable DVD release of Rumor Has It, there's not a regular HD-DVD release, so if you want to watch the movie in high-def, you have to pay extra for the added benefit of getting a version of the movie most people will probably never watch. :shrugs:

I stopped by Circuit City tonight to get Match Point and noticed they had both of these titles. Worth a check if you have one nearby. I didn't have them pricechecked because I got both from amazon.

Hmmm... I buying HD-DVD, but I'll be damned if I'll by a HD-DVD/SD-DVD/DVD-18 Hybrid.

Considering some of the glitches I've been reading about on HD-DVD's... And then you have to take into account the general failure rate of DVD-18's, Warner's asking for trouble.

Fortunately, Rumor Has It isn't a title I would buy, but if they insist on this silliness for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Syriana, I'll be very disappointed.

fitprod

If it helps, the Best Buy in Boise had both new titles on display, but I picked mine up at Wal-mart for $5 less each.