laseca

I've looked for an answer online but haven't found one. I'm new to HDTV and recently bought a HDTV, PS3 and lots of Bluray movies. I know there are many titles I'd like to own that aren't on Bluray yet. However, I was watching Spike TV HD channel and saw the movie Breach and all the newer Star Wars episodes. These movies aren't available on Bluray but appear on network TV. They don't look upconverted from DVD as the quality is much better. Typically with DVDs, any movie that appears on network TV already has a DVD release. Clearly this isn't the case with Bluray. Any reason why? I believe my only option is to watch these movies in HD on network TV until the Bluray version is released. My thinking was that it takes time to do a proper conversion to HD and then movies are released on Bluray. Appears many movies are already in HD but only with network channels.

davidh777

There are some that I'd love to have on Blu, like LOTR and The Incredibles. But the 2.35s tend to be cropped to 1.78 for broadcast. I tried watching LOTR that way but it was too distracting.

Mr. Salty

It's been common practice for the last several years to transfer movies to video in high definition, then downconvert them for DVD release. This goes back to before HD DVD and Blu-ray existed, so that they could, in fact, be broadcast on HDTV networks.

That certainly eliminates one step in the path to releasing a movie to Blu-ray, but there are many more. Encoding the master, creating menus, special features, etc., all come into play. Studios also want to spread out releases rather than flooding the market all at once (not to mention there is only so much Blu-ray production capacity available at mastering houses and pressing facilities).

Qui Gon Jim

This weekend, I was browsing the guide on my cable system and HBOHD was showing The Abyss. I was excited to see that one of my favorite films ever was going to be in HD as even the DVD release is ganked. I set the PVR to record, and lo and behold. It was a 4:3 version. AND it looked crappier than SD. So disappointed.

rfduncan

I think if you actually received HDNet or Universal HD you'd be even more upset. My understanding is a lot of their programming is unavailable on Blu-ray but is being broadcast in real HD.

The explanation Mr. Salty gave is pretty much what I'd guess as well. Studios decide that new releases should get authoring priority over catalog titles as they are likely to sell much better. Many HD titles releases recently seem to be tied to an anniversary (e.g. Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, etc.).

WMAangel

Maybe not the best example to use, as the LOTR films were shot on Super 35, so the HDTV broadcasts may not actually be "cropped" from scope, but rather "opened up" and are showing more in the 16x9 presentations....regardless, OAR is always best and how everything should just be presented!

Drexl

It's also possible that some titles are being held back to master again due to the criticism of titles from earlier masters (like Gangs of New York, and recently Gladiator). Warner, for instance, had released some titles back in 2006-2007 that were sourced from 1080i transfers, then pledged not to release any more of those. Although, there was some theorizing that the BD of The Perfect Storm is a filtered version of the same master used on the HD DVD, so they may not actually be re-transferring all of them.

DonnachaOne

Breach is a poor example because it already had a HD-DVD release. The format may be dead but the fact remains it's available on hd home video.

bunkaroo

I've found HDnet is a fairly decent indicator of what might be coming in terms of catalog. StarzHD seems to play nothing but movies that Sony and Buena Vista have already released on Blu with rare exception.

davidh777

Thanks, that's certainly possible. It didn't look to me like I was getting more picture, but I was just going by memory and didn't actually compare to the DVD.

WMAangel

I remember back when the LOTR films were first released onto DVD (with the theatrical cuts that were available in both wide and full screen versions), that there were multiple screenshot comparisons done that showed the different framing choices and what not....

joefrog91

Unfortunately, the one rare exception I want is Grindhouse. I missed the free Starz weekend when they showed Grindhouse. I found out too late.

PopcornTreeCt

I love watching Jurassic Park on HBOHD.

Giles

that's sometimes the case but not entirely, examples Warners really needs to step up the release of what they have shown on HDNet:

Chariots of Fire
The Right Stuff
Empire of the Sun
Little Shop of Horrors (Frank Oz remake)
Barry Lyndon
The Mission
Greystoke: The Legned of Tarzan Lord of the Apes
Camelot


from other studios:

West Side Story (which I assume will be a MGM/Fox release - the 65mm tranfer is absolutely outstanding)
Chinatown
Breakfast at Tiffany's
My Fair Lady
Oliver!
Bye Bye Birdie
High Society
The Producers (original and musical version)
Bridge on the River Kwai
Lawrence of Arabia (which is rumoured to be a 2010 release anyway - it was a visual tease for HDNet movies to broadcast this - )
E.T
Legend (unfortunately Universal only gave HDNet the US theatrical cut and not the director's cut)

the catalog title that is blatantly missing from the classic library is Fox's, HDNet movies had at one point, tried to get some titles from them but agreement was never finalized -shame really

Giles

'Gladiator' was opened up on one of the cable stations, I'm not remembering, DVDBeaver includes it as one of the editions it compares.

as for the Lord of the Rings films, I've only known their HD airings from TNT which is frankly hideous since the bottom of the screen is littered with ads for other TNT shows.

Bluelitespecial

The Incredibles was shown in its OAR when it has been aired on NBC.

Giles

this looked great - but undoubtably the bluray's DTS-HD MA track will be more intense.