Adam Tyner

From http://news.com.com/New+disc+may+swa...3-6147053.html :

DthRdrX

God help us if they are the 15/25gb discs ...

Fincher Fan

So no cover-art? That sucks.

speedyray

No thanks since these are not going to have a lot of space for the stuff. What are they going to do make a half Blue and half Red case.

MrChaos

While this definitely sounds like a smart plan, WB should probably go the way the way we want Universal to go with the combo discs. One issue of the HD/DVD disc and one issue of the HD only disc. Of course that would result in WB releasing 3 copies of the same film so I don't imagine this happening.

The huge negative is that the discs probably will retail even higher than the combo discs right now. If, somehow, they can keep the discs around the $30 mark, this will take off. If they think the consumer will buy discs that are $40+ HA!

TheKobra

You can usually pickup a combo at Amazon for $23.00 shipped with the discount.

darkside

No thanks. I can use combo HD DVD/DVD discs, but would never have a use for HD DVD/BD discs.

MBoyd

This is going to piss off a lot of people. WB was doing so well too . . .

So I forsee a price hike and probably less storage . . .oh and a different color case that wont match my HD-DVDs. Bah . . .

fryinpan1

I do not see how the consumer would benefit from WB HD DVD/Blu-ray hybrid discs. If someone is only supporting one format, WB is already realeasing discs on both formats. If someone is supporting both formats, they would still buy only one disc. The hybrid disc would be more expensive too.

Adam Tyner

...because if the format you support keels over, you'd already have a library ready to go for the competing format.

I'm not sure what else the benefit would be. Warner's apparently not going to stop releasing individual HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, and if they're the only company doing this, the appeal to consumers would seem to be somewhat limited.

The Bus

This is more to bring people into the format rather than help people like us who have already bought into it. They polled consumers and the #1 response was probably, "I don't want to pick a format that is going to lose." With this, they've taken care of that problem.

These studios really need to keep MSRPs of these discs to $29.95 or less: That ensures in-store pricing of $20-$25. Catalog releases should be $24.95 or less: I'm glad Best Buy was selling stuff like Space Cowboys, Grand Prix, Adventures of Robin Hood at $18.99. That is an extremely enticing price.

I'm sure you all remember when (outside of crazy online deals) DVDs in stores were $15 to $25. I remember reading an article where Warner Bros. specially said they wanted to lower the price of DVDs to near-rental level: $5 to $8. People would then pick up movies on a whim. They obviously went through with it.

Warner Bros. has had a very smart history with home video. They strongly supported DVD, they opposed DIVX, they support both formats (as every studio should). I don't think this hybrid idea is going to be a failure.

Here's something to think about though. Remember how BDA touted 3+ layer Blu-Ray discs? IF current BD players could read them, it would be cool to have a 4-layer HD DVD/BD combo, with BOTH formats on one side. HD DVD would occupy the first two layers, BD the other two. I don't think that's possible and I'm sure there's more complexities involved (the BD watermarking, Duraflame coating) but it would be interesting.

matome

So true. In a perfect scenario this could work out, but, as mentioned, Warner is already releasing in both formats and I doubt the exclusive studios would be coerced into releasing these as well, since they apparently have their reasons for picking one format or the other.

digitalfreaknyc

Dumb Dumb Dumb.

if I have to, I'll just buy discs from other countries. They don't have combo's and I have a feeling they won't have these stupid things either.

bunkaroo

Count me as another who's not too keen on this. Right now I've been buying all my WB discs as HD-DVD's because of the better audio. Once the audio is identical on both releases, it would probably just be dependent upon price.

Instead of asking how does this benefit the consumer, the real question, how does this benefit WB? I assume they would stand to save money by not having to make dual releases, but who knows.

Also, assumign these discs were double-sided, wouldn't this mark the first time we're seeing double-sided discs with HD content on both sides? That alone makes me worry about quality control.

Big thumbs down to this decision.

bunkaroo

Double post.

slop101

I don't get all the hate here - combo discs (as with combo players), if they're priced reasonably, just make the "war" in this format war less and less of an issue. Isn't that what we all want?

digitalfreaknyc

1) HD/DVD combo discs aren't priced reasonably. What makes you think these are going to be any better?

2) Capacity is an issue. I'm seriously doubting we're going to get BD-50 and HD-30's on one disc.

slop101

Well, keeping optimistic and assuming that 1) the price is reasonable (technology evolves and what was expensive yesterday will be cheap tomorrow, and churning these discs out is really just a printing process), and 2) they can get around the capacity issue (maybe have double layers on both sides - again, a reasonable asumption on thechnology advancement) - tell me again how this could be a bad thing.

digitalfreaknyc

I can tell you how assumptions can be a bad thing.

slop101

Didn't most people assume that dvd would be successful after it's first year, and didn't most people assume that DIVIX would die?

While this move could be motivated ultimately by their pocketbooks, I guess I can also see this as WB's big middle finger to the format war, which I can appreciate.

digitalfreaknyc

And they need to be prepared to have consumers give it right back when we don't buy them because of their compromised quality and price.

Looking over at AVS, NO ONE is happy about this. It's just another disc format that's not needed.

Nevi

That's a huge plus for consumers. It means when you buy one of these Warner twin format discs that you have no worries... other than the added cost of the disc I suspect.

FantasticVSDoom

I think its an attempt for WB to try and circumvent the whole "war"...Its a nice attempt but ultimately not all the helpful, but I applaud them for the effort.

bunkaroo

But look at DVD-18. Widespread problems with double-sided dual-layered discs. I can't imagine it being any different with HD discs.

slop101

I still don't get why.

I mean, aren't you making your own assumptions as to price and quality?
Why are your assumptions right and mine wrong?

I'll ask again, if these are priced right, and with good quality, what the hell is the problem?

As for the AVS forum, they're jsut a bunch OCD morons - it's not another format - it's both formats.