Pro-B does not review HDM for DVD Talk. He does review SD DVDs under the name Svet Atanasov (since you were asking about easy look up).

I'm getting the Hd-dvd version because I think the red case looks a lot better with the artwork. To each his own I guess.

Well people can still choose a side based on the facts they know and still not really be a biased party. As long as their thought process on the issue is well informed and they're making a decision based on that, I see no problem with it as long as they're not being sladerous to the other format in their review... unless of course the other format has negative things that need to be said, such as poorer picture quality than the other in a review.

Interesting. Seems someones bid to attack everything pro-blu went a little too far?

This forum may try to take a neutral stand, but the discussion here has seemed rather tilted for some time IMO (mostly not intentional).

My local Borders has precisely one copy of 2001 on HD DVD. They have none of the other Kubrick titles, and none of the new Blu-rays.

I considered buying the 2001 disc, but with it priced at $28.99 there, I think I'll just wait for Amazon.

Good job on keeping the great discussion going.....

and BTW, its a valid question on which DVDs, HD-DVDs and Blu Ray have been reviewed by a member. Because DVD Talk allows the member to put a "DVD Talk Reviewer" on their name but does not require the posting of that person's real name...the issue can lead to questions of objectivity.

where exactly was the question?

Svet's not banned from reviewing high-def discs -- he just doesn't. I think he'd be more interested in reviewing foreign films in standard definition than miring through Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in high-def anyway.

Ok, I have to know...

Why is that people get so upset about a poster who constantly touts Blu-Ray in the BLU-RAY THREAD? If someone wants to go on and on about how good HD-DVD is in the HD-DVD THREAD, then no one should care. As no one should care in this instance, regardless of his affiliation with the site. SERIOUSLY, what's wrong with having a thread that people who are lovers of a hobby can come and post about how much they like it and not try and be shot down be people who just disagree with him. Want to make a point contradicting him and supporting HD-DVD, then go do it in that thread. Don't come in here looking for trouble just because you hate BLU-RAY. At least he's taking the time to post information here for people to read, unlike others who just come and nitpick.

Seriously, he supports the board and helps out. Lay off.

/end rant


Pro-B... Thanks for the time and effort you make with your posts here. I don't agree with everything posted, but I certainly support your right to post it.

For a forum aspiring to be neutral, it's very telling that a Blu-Ray supporter like Pro-B posting in a Blu-Ray thread is under a near-constant barrage of criticism from HD DVD leaning members in a Blu-Ray thread.

The fact is the HDM forum here has been an HD DVD bastion for as long as I can remember, and speaking out in favor of Blu-Ray around here still seems to bring almost immediate reprisal, although it's not as bad as it was a year ago.

As an *honest* supporter of both formats, it gets pretty annoying to come to a Blu-Ray news thread and have to wade through all this nonsense.

When Pro-B or someone else comes into the HD DVD news thread and starts touting Blu-Ray, let 'em have it. But please, keep it out of here unless a post can 100% be refuted with verifiable facts, not opinion, hearsay, etc.

I think part of the problem is that the news item could be:
"BD "Jacket" One Disc, HD DVD Two"

and he'll "report" it by saying:

"A HUGE, HUMONGOUS, check in the favor of BD, The BD "Jacket" is one disc, while the incapable HD DVD and its inferior disc structure is two. Another debilatating blow to the HD DVD format!!!"

There's a difference. This is passive aggressive format bashing. He knows it too. The legitimate news is buried with his spin.

There is plenty of the same rhetoric from HD DVD supporters.

I agree that there's too much bickering going on in more threads than just this one. Not every topic needs to turn into a discussion about which is a bigger potential debacle: TL51 or Profile 1.1. Honestly, it seems like no matter what we're discussing, whether it be Kubrick or the new model of PS3 or anything else, someone throws in a side comment about something completely unrelated, and someone else latches on and BOOM! Thread derailed. I'd love it if people didn't feel the need to do that.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0071023?rpc=44


LOS ANGELES, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Blu-ray DVD titles outsold rival HD-DVD titles by almost 2-to-1 in the first nine months of the year, but analysts expect additional HD-DVD support and new hit releases to "transform" the high-definition DVD battle score in the fourth quarter.

Home Media Research, a division of Home Media Magazine, said on Tuesday total U.S. sales of Blu-ray discs, using a Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research)-backed technology, totaled 2.6 million units from Jan. 1 through Sept 30, versus 1.4 million HD-DVD discs sold.

HD-DVD was developed by Toshiba Corp (6502.T: Quote, Profile, Research). It is backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) as well as film studios like Time Warner Inc's TWX.N Warner Bros.

The division in Hollywood grew deeper in August when Paramount Pictures (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc (DWA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) signed exclusivity deals to distribute their next-generation discs on HD-DVD format for the next 18 months.

Gerry Kaufhold, analyst with In-Stat research firm, believes newly released HD-DVD titles with new advanced Web-enabled features, such as Paramount's "Transformers", will help the HD-DVD camp in the fourth quarter.

Paramount Home Video said that "Transformers" had the biggest debut of any high-definition titles, selling over 100,000 HD-DVDs on Oct 16, its first day of release.

Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research, also said the 18-month period of exclusivity for HD-DVDs by Paramount and DreamWorks should strengthen HD-DVD's hand this quarter.

"This definitely smooths out the edge that Blu-ray had in exclusive titles and it very much strengthens HD-DVD's hand in the fourth quarter," he said, but still expects Blu-ray will lead for the year overall.

Adams predicts that for 2007 overall, consumers will spend $186 million purchasing Blu-ray discs, versus $91 million for HD-DVD.

Walt Disney Co (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Sony, News Corp's (NWSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research) 20th Century Fox, and Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF.N: Quote, Profile, Research) are exclusively in the Blu-ray camp.

Hollywood and electronics manufacturers had hoped new high-definition DVDs, with better picture quality and more capacity would revive the slowing $24 billion home DVD market.

But like the Betamax-VHS battle in the 1980s, the DVD standards war has slowed adoption and created customer confusion. It has also raised the likelihood it will be years before next-generation players become standard equipment.

Since both formats launched in the spring of 2006, an estimated 4.98 million high-definition discs have been sold, including 3.01 million in Blu-ray and 1.97 million in HD-DVD through the end of September, according to Home Media.

One big factor giving Blu-ray an edge has been the popularity of Sony's PlayStation 3 game consoles, which also include a Blu-ray disc drive.

"It's going to be 2008 before the dust will really starts to settle. For now, its like watching a yacht race," said Kaufhold, who expects the standards battle will lead more consumers to dual DVD players such as those made by South Korea's LG Electronics Inc (066570.KS: Quote, Profile, Research), which supports both Blu-ray and HD-DVD.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) is expected to market a dual format player later this year, ahead of the holiday shopping season.

while the paramount decision certainly helps HD DVD in the fourth quarter with some exclusive titles, i don't see the sales ratio changing too much in their favor. if you look at the fourth quarter exclusives announced for both formats, blu-ray has a larger total list and a more substantial list in terms of likely title popularity.

I don't know if you can definitively state Bay is criticizing Paramount's decision just based on his quotes. Sure, it's implied, but it's an important distinction IMO.

Though one has to admit, with the numbers Transformers has put up this week, even if it costs more to produce the Blu-Ray version, Paramount still left a decent amount of money on the table.

And yet, he'll be doing Transformers 2.

And hopefully it will be readily available on both formats to keep all the consumers happy.

Funny he didn't care that Pearl Harbor or Bad Boys wasn't on HD DVD.

And so we start out with this huge sale of Transformers HD DVDs, and then this meteor goes BROSSSSSSH and it hits the HD DVDs and CROSSSSSSSH! There's more Blu-rays being sold for Transformers at a lower price! And suddenly Bill Gates bursts into flames on a motorcycle while trying to attack the CEO of Sony's helicopter over the meteor CROSSSSSSSHHHHHH!

And then an 18 wheeler carrying a shipment of HD DVD's spins out of control and it's all like CROSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!, and then it bursts into flames when it flies into a giant oil tanker and Blu-ray wins the war all like AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUWWWWWWGGGGGGGGGGUUUUUUHHHHH!

Obviously, I'm only thinking in special effects.

Ahhh....South Park. Hilarious!
Michael Bay is a whiny little boy.

I have decided to take this opportunity and kindly state my opinion on a number of issues that have been brought up lately. Hopefully this is the last time I do so publicly:


1. Reviewer’s bias- It has been repeatedly stated on this sub-forum that my bias has eroded TALK’s reputation. As I have not written a single HD review I must conclude that you are not only unfamiliar with my writings but the denotation of the term bias as well.


2. Anonymity- I find it very strange that you chose to address my “writings” as biased yet you are apparently unaware of my identity. Furthermore, to imply that there is a secret conspiracy where DVDTALK reviewers post their reviews veiled in secrecy is an absurd argument to say the least. Especially when the site’s Hi-Def Editor is posting in this very forum, in this very thread. I would assume that contacting him or taking a quick look at the review panel would have addressed plenty of your concerns.


3. Posting/reading non-English articles- This truly is the most absurd of issues that I have seen thrown my way. It is not only sad that we are debating it, it is wrong. Allow me to remind you and anyone else for that matter that one of the reasons why TALK has grown into such a powerful community is because the site has always been inclusive of members with different cultural and social backgrounds, not an exclusive entity where only English-speakers are allowed to participate and exchange opinions. I feel very sorry for anyone who is openly willing to act from a position of superiority and dismiss anything that may be written or spoken in a language other than English.

4. SONY affiliation – In normal circumstances I would not even bother addressing this one but given the constant insinuations that have been directed at me I am going to officially state that I am in no way affiliated with the company nor have I ever worked for them. More than ten years ago I was associated with a European distributor whose partial responsibility was to promote SONY products but I have never been officially employed by the distrib. I hope this clears all second thoughts a particular user on this forum has.

5. Sharing insider information- Every single bit of info I have posted on TALK which has been provided by an insider has been accordingly credited as such. Yet, since you are having second thoughts on the issue I left an open invitation asking for your cooperation in addressing your uncertainty. As such has been denied citing unwillingness to go back and dive through threads I must dismiss your criticism at once.

I hope this addresses once and for all any current or future issues you or others might have with my posting habits on this site.

Sincerely Yours,
Pro-B

pro-b wants to post pro-blu-ray posts in the BLU RAY thread, and is getting attacked for it. I dont see anyone attacking GizmoDVD, Chanster and the rest of the crew in the HD DVD thread. Why is it ALWAYS the Blu-Ray supporters being attacked non-stop at DVDTalk?

I love the whole "posting non-English news is wrong" because the reason they say that is because its hard enough for them to swallow bad news week after week from English sources. Its an extra bit of pain to be getting bad news from non-English speaking countries.

Josh Z should keep out of the Blu-ray thread cause he is one of the main reasons why it keeps going to hell. Always riding Pro-B's tail just waiting for him to post so he can pop up and start waving the HD-DVD flag. I have yet to see Pro-B do the same to him. Then again its just a matter of class.

Because of the obvious bias on this forum, and the total intolerance of any opinion that is not shared by a few posters. I must admit it still amazes me that there are people in this world who think that everyone must think like they do.