I am only the messenger (from AVS):

Bluray BD-J delays causing HD DVD releases to be HELD BACK?!
This one really burns me up, if true.

Over in the bluray software topic there is a new thread which seems to acknowledge that the advanced BD-J IME authoring tools are not ready for the studios yet movie releases on Bluray are possibly giving trouble and studios may be having difficulties testing and completing them, due to a lack of actual Bluray players that can play them, since none can yet handle BD-Video or BD-Live. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=796592

But because of all the Bluray pressure on studios like Warner (when BR fans thought they were "favouring" HD DVD) and possibly New Line, it seems they are reluctant to release the HD DVD versions of big hits like the Matrix Trilogy and Harry Potter and LOTR trilogy in the US market until the Bluray version is ready.

Are they afraid of being accused by the BD camp of picking favourites in the battle?!

So here WE are, HD DVD owners, with hardly any releases right now because they are apparently being withheld by studios to wait until the Bluray versions are ready TOO!?

As you know, a french website DVD Drama published the release calendar of Warner in France, and it showed many BIG MOVIES that were HD DVD -only- such as Matrix, Harry Potter, etc. This definitely supports the notion that the Bluray versions are not ready yet, IMO.

A post in this other thread also indicates that the BD-J advanced authoring/testing tools may not be available to studios until the SECOND HALF of this year!? Certainly, it'll be months before BDJ 1.1 or 2.0 players are on the market.

Tell me what you think of THAT, folks?

EDIT: We have a little more information now. It seems that testing of the BDJ advanced functionality on some of these future releases is proving quite difficult, as there are no currently shipping players that can handle this functionality.

As a result, it appears that testing is having to be done on players that are complete yet, or aren't even built. This is supposedly slowing studios like Warner from being able to release the Bluray titles (per Grubert's thread) and - because they seem to be afraid to release HD DVD before Bluray - it seems therefore, to be a big factor causing the HD DVD titles to be delayed.

EDIT: A post by Paidgeek states that there ARE no such things as "authoring tools" for BDJ

Contact Warner Now!!

I suggest that you keep it nice:
1) We love the company and appreciate the support they have given HD DVD - but we have this problem we'd like to discuss...
2) We love buying their movies
3) We are shocked and dismayed to learn that they may be holding back "key" release titles because Bluray is not yet ready - this is not fair and could hurt the HD DVD format
4) Please release these titles on HD DVD now - the format is ready for them
5) When "advanced profile" Bluray players are ready, they can test and release their Bluray versions at that time
6) The HD DVD format needs their support today and the format can handle all their advanced content - please release the movies now!

Here's where to contact them, hit all three:

IF YOU get an ERROR page on either of the forms, just hit the "Retry" button on your browser.

Customer Service Form - http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/main...mer_service.jsp
Choose "DVD / Video" from the pulldown menu.

Fan Mail Form - http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/main/help/fan_mail.jsp
Enter "HD DVD" as the name of your favourite star.

Email Address - [email protected]

Here's an example of the letter my brother and I have sent:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...0&&#post9634620

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OK - I've also done a poll. Do you think that Warner should release the big hits on both formats NOW, regardless of whether BD-Video interactive stuff is ready?

Or do you think they should hold back the releases on BOTH formats until all the BD-J advanced IME BD-Video stuff is ALL sorted out?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=797764

Scrap the interactive BS...I think Warner should be more pre-occupied with making sure all their releases have LPCM/TrueHD.

At the very least they should release them on HD DVD with all the interactivity ready to go, and release the BD when they can.

Yet another reason to love the format war.

I guess I'll be importing Harry Potter 4. I don't think I want to wait until November when the BD release is ready.

This unfortunately demonstrates the superior position Blu-ray is in with the studios. As well as HD DVD did for them in 2006 you would think Warner would be all systems go, but instead they shut down HD DVD while they figure out stuff on the Blu-ray releases.

The seems more and more like them wanting to release everything on TotalHD. They have to have both the Blu-ray and HD DVD releases ready at the same time because they will be releasing them as TotalHD discs.

That was my first thought too. If they're going to wait until the BD side is ready before they release the HD-DVDs, I'm somewhat surprised they're releasing them at all. I don't get this at all.

This surprises no one.

so when can I start screaming like Chicken Little?

I started during CES.