Adam Tyner

Lots of news!

Here's a tease at what packaging may look like. That's from Fox, but it's unclear if this is a mockup. Nice to see that combo packs may continue to be a thing. Was never interested in DVD combo packs, but this'll be a nice way to build a library of UHD BDs while I remain 4K-less.



Samsung showed off their player earlier today. It's targeted for an early 2016 release. No official price yet, but it's said to be under $500.








Fox announced 7 titles for UHD BD:

• The Maze Runner
• Exodus
• Life of Pi
• The Kingsman
• Fantastic Four
• X-Men: Days of Future Past
• Wild

The only one of these with a true 4K master is The Maze Runner, but there's still HDR and a wider color gamut to consider.

Coral

My price point will still be $10 ($20 for a Criterion).

The only way I'll build any collection of 4K titles (even without a 4K TV and player) is if it's one of those combos and it hits my price point. Otherwise, sorry - not biting.

PhantomStranger

As I suspected, we will get combo packs. The only winning strategy for UHD Blu-ray (an overly awkward and cautious name) is to convert a certain percentage of the current Blu-ray market to the format. UHD will need to capture about 40-50% of all Blu-ray consumers for Hollywood to even care about keeping it around.

The price points seem more reasonable than most first-generation hardware for a new format.

Alan Smithee

And 3 of those initial titles should be in 3D, but aren't. Fail.

E Unit

Well considering the UHD standard doesn't factor in 3D, I'm totally not surprised there aren't any 3D titles. Not something they envision in 4K for the most part. So not so much a fail as it is them giving 3D the finger.

Adam Tyner

Also, 4K 3D isn't really a thing (that goes for theatrical releases too), although 3D has more to benefit from than just resolution.

Giles

did Fox not mention the inclusion of Dolby Atmos or DTS-X for these titles - they are getting as bad as Disney in not including 'object based mixes' on bluray for their movies mixed as such.

Fox should have thrown a classic movie into the first batch like 'The Sound of Music'

Drexl

I hope that packaging is accurate, and that other studios use something similar. One thing I don't like about cover art for a new format is how some studios emphasize that it's new and different with some kind of embellishment (some of the worst being the early Disney BDs and Universal HD DVDs). Later on, those go away and the early titles look out of place next to discs that use the full area for cover art.

But here, it's a relatively small banner that's mainly used to display that it comes with a BD and digital copy.

Alan Smithee

So why are they putting out 3 titles that were SHOT in 3D (not converted)? Their 2D resolution likely isn't even 4K. This isn't a good start.

Josh-da-man

I would bet good money that one of Sony's first UHD releases will be The Fifth Element.

Alan Smithee

If they go in with that attitude and DON'T overprice them like they did with laserdiscs, they should do OK.

One thing about releasing classic titles right away- inevitably as more people get into the format after a few years, they'll complain that the discs for those movies are "old" with "outdated" transfers and need "remastering", even if they're perfectly fine.

PhantomStranger

The good thing about smaller markets is that UHD customers will be far more educated about film issues in general. I envision UHD as a more diverse Laserdisc-like consumer market. If the studios acknowledge that from the beginning things should work much more smoothly.

Why So Blu?

It'll be a thing to see if the "wealthier" crowd can sustain UHD. That same crowd did not sustain LD when DVD came along, granted, the price point and marketing had something to do with LD's demise. UHD needs to be marketed and priced accordingly. It's not going to work out, IMO, if the studios think that the wealthier cinephiles will keep UHD afloat.

Adam Tyner

I don't understand the argument. Why should that demographic have preferred Laserdisc over DVD when the latter was the superior format?

1) How many aging, low-quality 4K masters are out there? Very few, I'd wager.
2) I take by your tone that you feel that complaints about aging, low-quality masters on Blu-ray are unfounded. You and I definitely disagree there.

fitprod

I concur with this... The studios have to start looking at what Disney and Warner are doing. If it wasn't working, they wouldn't have direct marketing exclusives like Warner Archives or the exclusives that are available from the Disney Movie Club.

To be honest, I haven't bought many Disney titles at retail the last year or so... I usually wait to build up a batch of stuff to order, and then use my "VIP" discount to save a bundle. (Never thought I'd see Apple Dumpling Gang or the Herbie movies on BD to be honest...)

The Warner Archives are slightly different, since they do seem to get out to Amazon and Deep Discount.

If anything, deep Blu-ray catalog will go this way. Not sure about 4K since it will be a new format and need to be out in the public's view.

fitprod

Alan Smithee

Most recent Disney Blu-Rays aren't region coded anyways. In fact it seems more of the smaller studios region-code Blu-Rays now than the majors (likely because a different company owns the rights to those movies in different countries.) Funny that New Line favored Blu-Ray because it DID have region coding (they only put out one title on HD-DVD, and said Hairspray would be delayed until it had played out in theaters worldwide before that would come out) but now that they've merged with Warner their discs aren't region locked anymore.

E Unit

Some of the first titles with some ugly ass flea market level looking artwork.

Supermallet

Sony really fucking loves Pineapple Express, it was also one of their first Blu-rays IIRC.

And just like early Blu-rays, the initial line up is shitty and uninspiring.

Adam Tyner

Blu-ray was two and a half years old by the time Pineapple Express came out.

Giles

curious to know if 'Salt' has both cuts of the movie.

PhantomStranger

The Smurfs 2 has some of the best video seen on Blu-ray. I imagine the UHD will look phenomenal. The others are fine but nothing I would consider picture-perfect video quality.

Why So Blu?

Chappie will look and sound great. It's already a near-reference BD.

Alan Smithee

2 of those titles should be in 3D, but aren't (and 3D is the only reason I saw "The Smurfs 2" or the first one for that matter). Yawn.

Adam Tyner

Alan Smithee drones on about something that's long been established. Yawn.

How many of those titles have 4K 3D masters anyway? Is the answer is "zero"? The Smurfs 2 3D BD, even though it says "mastered in 4K" on the flipside, has "2D version only" beneath that banner.

joltman

A great start already having two sequels without the originals