Giles

I think you're underming them - they know about the format war - they are not jumping on it yet, because they would prefer to release on one format. Everything they've done in the last past year have been mastered in High Def - the turn over to BR (or HD-DVD) isn't a hard thing for Criterion to do - they state this in the S&V article. Pricing though for the eventual High Def discs was not addressed or clarified.

WepaMan

First thing I thought of when I read that.

True_Story1011

Doesnt matter to me either way, I'd purchase just about anything they'd release.

But where's this article about Sony making that offer to Criterion from one of the above posts?

Kerborus

Ok, let me explain myself a little:

- Yes, I own 2 HDTV's. I've also just purchased a $6,000 HD projector to install at work (as I am over the AV department). I also work at the Weather Channel and am involved in building our new HD studio here. It still makes me laugh to have TWC in HD. I know about HD. I think sports look great on them. Star Wars looks great on them. Just not sure how 30's -40's B&W films are going to look 'that much better' on them, not do I think they were intended for HD, nor do I care. I like the images to be cleaned up and restored as much as the next guy, but I'm one of the people who has seen blu-ray and just kinda said 'ok' what's the fuss about? It's not that better than DVD and I don't need it to be better than DVD to watch say, 'Beauty and the Beast'. People compare it to the jump from VCR to DVD and I just don't buy it. Sure, there's more pixels, blah blah blah, but face it, it doesn't look THAT different to the casual eye. Yes, I've seen MANY examples when I went HDTV shopping.

- I'm not made of endless money. It's a constant war of finding coupons, saving money, getting gifts, etc. that gets me my Criterion fix. I try and buy used as much as possible because I love the films. This isn't just Criterion but all of the films I collect. I primarily love the movie itself, then I go to quality and then DVD packaging. Paying $60-$100 for a Blu-ray Criterion is not going to happen. I think they can be overpriced as it is - paying $30 bucks to watch 'Dance on Film' was a tough sale for me. No way I'd pay $40, $50, etc.

- I HATE, yes HATE is the word, blu-ray packaging. It's a gimmick to differentiate it from HD-DVD and it takes away from the artwork. Yes, I do care about such things, what can I say, it's a hobby. I do print and convert all snappers, slim packs, box sets, etc. to keepcases. I like my library to look uniform on the shelf - let the insults fly. My deepest horror is having to convert every single Blu-ray disc to keep case, which I think is far superior in appearance to the glowing blue tiny box.

- No, my DVD players will not stop working the day Criterion cuts over. Good point. However, I do 'collect' DVD's. However silly that may sound to some of you, I do this and have done it for almost 10 years now. This does not mean that I will buy every DVD I own or want over again, far from it. It means basically that I will stop collecting altogether, specifically expensive titles like Criterion releases. I do not have the will to go through ANOTHER re-issue-athon with Criterion. I'm not buying Seven Samurai a 3rd time, or the Lady Vanishes. You just know that the first thing they will do, is re-issue a ton of old releases to BRD and that means a slow down in new titles. Now, I'm sure any of you can guffaw and pick apart this, the weakest if my arguments, but it doesn't change the way I feel.

Now that I have said all that - I recognize that all of your points are logical and probably 'right'. My argument is emotional (perhaps irrational) and is based on fear of change in doing what has been the most exciting hobby for me in my life. I was wary of DVD when it came out and didn't want to replace my VHS collection, but I did. I just wish that I saw as huge a benefit to dvd to bluray.

Supermallet

Well, you just admitted that this isn't a rational issue for you, so we probably won't be able to change your mind anyway. However, you did say you had similar separation anxiety going from VHS to DVD. Couldn't it simply be that it's the change that bothers you?

Josh Z

No, they weren't intended for HD. They were intended for 50-foot theater screens.

Josh Z

Also, the last Criterion laserdisc was Armageddon, released March 16, 1999.

http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/8537/C...-Edition-(1998)

Yes, they went from Citizen Kane (first Criterion LD) to Armageddon (last Criterion LD), a perfect chronicle of the best and worst that the filmmaking art has to offer.

Adam Tyner

Moral of the story: ignore Wikipedia.

Giles

... ouch ... touche

cardaway

And anybody who says Criterion releases have anything to do with the quality of the film.

Parasol Stars

I really like Blu-ray and HD DVD cases. One thing I didn't like about DVD, is that the cases that different movies came in were not the same across the board. I thought everything should be in keep cases, and hated snappers and paper cases that special editions came in. Sure there may be two different case styles for each hi-def media, but they are the same size and look great in a collection. The only different case i've seen other than tv shows is Close Encounters, but I didnt like that movie anyway.

True_Story1011

The Close Encounters case was bitching!

cardaway

Doesn't the Close Encounters slipcase actually contain a standard BD case and a booklet? If somebody didn't like the outer box they could always just put the movie part in the shelf.

True_Story1011

QFT

paradicelost

Was Grand Illusion there first strictly dvd release. I know i picked up Robocop and Silence of the Lambs in mid-98 which i know were previous LD titles. I don't see how they were slow to embrace dvd, it seems like it took them less than a year to release library titles on dvd. They released dvds before paramount which didn't release there first run till october of 98. and few other companies.

Mr. Salty

If I were running TWC I think I'd want someone a little more enthusiastic about the format in charge of designing my studio.

I always laugh when I read posts by people who seem to think older movies were somehow made differently than modern movies. They were shot on 35mm film just like new movies are.

Check out the HD DVD of "Casablanca" sometime.

Keepcases were a gimmick to differentiate DVDs from CDs. Many early DVDs were released in jewelcases.

You seem to think Criterion will stop releasing DVDs when they start releasing Blu-rays. DVD will be the dominant home video format for a while, with Blu-ray being more of a niche market. You're worrying for no good reason.

Yep, I suspect there's some sort of undiagnosed OCD component going on here. You seem to know you're being irrational, yet you're unable to cope with that.

darkside

Grand Illusion was not an early Criterion release. They had already changed their logo by the time that one came out. It is numbered 1, but doesn't match the ones that come right after it with the old logo. The were planning on releasing it first, but a new print was found and they delayed it until they could release a more complete edition.

PopcornTreeCt

Yeah, I agree. You can't say Criterion was slow to embrace DVD. Because fact is they weren't.

They embraced LaserDisc which never hit the mainstream and then DVD almost as soon as they hit.

Blu-ray has had a better adoption rate in the first year than DVD had in theirs. The war is over. What is taking Criterion so long?

Dan

Didn't Criterion release their first DVD after they discontinued their last Laserdisc?

I don't think they're near ready to drop DVD...

darkside

Not the same situation. LD sales were dead by then. There is no reason they can't support both and honestly if any company should release HD content it is Criterion.

tylergfoster

I have no link, sorry. It was just what I heard. And it makes enough sense to me, having heard how much of a hardass Sony is about licensing.

True_Story1011

Its cool Thanks for at least replying

davidlynchfan

but when they do,does Criterion continue off the spine # with the dvd and onto blu-ray or do they re-start all over? ,ooh,intriguing to see!

PopcornTreeCt

They would re-start.

Gerry P.

The war has been over for all of two weeks!!!