[el chupacabra]

So money for licensing MPEG2 content and VC1 content goes to the same place.

Yes and then it's divided up. This is the same for decoders by the way.

Originally Posted by goMac 

Microsoft only makes licensing money from the decoders.

No

[goMac]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

Yes and then it's divided up. This is the same for decoders by the way. No

Actually, I'm not sure you even need a license for individual VC-1 encodes. Once you own the encoder, you can make as many encodes as you want. In the same way, if you produce H.264 content, you don't need to pay a licensing fee when you distribute that content.

So really the only per unit licensing that Microsoft is doing is for the players, and both Bluray and HD-DVD pay that licensing.

[Eug]

Uh oh. Warner's TotalHD combo Blu-ray / HD DVD discs are likely gonna cost more.

he hybrid HD Discs will be available in US in the second half of this year with the launch of MI:3, Batman Begins and Superman Returns. If the format proves to be successful in the US, expect to see them on these shores some time in the new year.
Executives from Warner have indicated that the price of Total HD discs will not differ substantially from standard Blu-ray or HD DVD. This will come as a relief to consumers who feel they have been pawns in the HD format wars.

You mean just like combo discs do "not differ substantially" in price?

[icruise]

Dumb, dumb idea. They have to cost the same or it won't work. Having the disc work in both Blu-ray and HD-DVD players is of no advantage to the vast majority of consumers.

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by goMac 

Actually, I'm not sure you even need a license for individual VC-1 encodes. Once you own the encoder, you can make as many encodes as you want. In the same way, if you produce H.264 content, you don't need to pay a licensing fee when you distribute that content.

So really the only per unit licensing that Microsoft is doing is for the players, and both Bluray and HD-DVD pay that licensing.

Well I'm sure you do need to pay a fee. A fee of 2 cents for every HD DVD or Blu-Ray disc encoded in VC-1. This is divided between the groups that created it (mainly MS).

This isn't like buying a QT Pro key for $30 and then making as many videos as you want and selling them on the net royalty free ( this is legal even with VC-1 up to a limit).. When content is distributed in the masses they must pay a fee. There is also a subscribtion option up to $100,000 per year for people that want to encode in VC-1 price dependent on how much content they sell.. And H.264 does have royalties per encode as well but they may be implemented differently. Originally there was a per minute of video option; don't know if this still exists...it wouldn't fit the current MPEG format of business.

[Eug]

Latest disc sales numbers (ending May 20):



Last week: BD 58:42 HD = 1.4:1
Year to date: BD 67:33 HD = 2.0:1
Since inception: BD 57:43 HD = 1.3:1

So basically that means there is currently a 2:1 disc sales advantage this year for Blu-ray over HD DVD.

Top 10:

1 The Fountain BD 100.00
2 Planet Earth HD 84.89
3 The Fountain HD 66.64
4 Planet Earth BD 61.80
5 Stomp the Yard BD 50.01
6 Casino Royale BD 41.61
7 Night at the Museum BD 38.23
8 Deja Vu BD 34.96
9 Digital Video Essentials HD 23.70
10 Batman Begins HD 23.52

This does NOT include Pirates of the Caribbean or Matrix. Next week's numbers should prove interesting.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally Posted by Eug 

This does NOT include Pirates of the Caribbean or Matrix. Next week's numbers should prove interesting.

No kidding. It should be interesting to see who cleans up.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Ok so I guess the answer to this thread is "Blu-ray is winning."

P.S. how the hell is the fountain #1 when it got such bad reviews? Where is departed even though it sold 100,000?

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh 

No kidding. It should be interesting to see who cleans up.

I think Matrix will. First, 100% of the geeks who have a 360 + HD drive will get the geekiest movie i.e. the Matrix.

PS3 owners don't usually go apeshit over Disney flicks I would think.

Spiderman and 300 on BR will make a killing though.

[residentEvil]

i haven't been reading every page. the walmart + HD DVD pricing was debunked on a couple sites.

but, i have seen in the last 48 hours two different sources saying by the years end blu-ray players will hit the $200 mark.

sorry if it has been talked about.

i'm hoping for a $500 combo player myself.

all i have to add; sorry if it is a repeat or just meaningless fluff.

[hmurchison2001]

The Wal-Mart HD DVD rumor was partially debunked. Neither company denied they were working on a deal.

I think Blu-ray needs to work at getting down to $399 MSRP levels before I believe they can just pop out a $200 player. People forget that HD DVD lens assembly is cheaper because a single lens covers both lasers (Red for DVD and Blue for HD DVD) because the numerical aperture is so close. Contrast that to Blu-ray which needs a larger housing and two lens and you can see where the costs begin to add up.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Latest disc sales numbers (ending May 20):

Looks like HD-DVD sales are actually increasing. HD-DVD doesn't seem to be losing market share, it seems to be gaining it back when you look at the weekly sales compared to the yearly sales.

Also, Costco selling Toshiba A2 for $250:
http://formatwarcentral.com/index.ph...999-costco-bm/

[Eug]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

I think Matrix will. First, 100% of the geeks who have a 360 + HD drive will get the geekiest movie i.e. the Matrix.

PS3 owners don't usually go apeshit over Disney flicks I would think.

Spiderman and 300 on BR will make a killing though.

Spider-Man will do VERY well. I'm not convinced 300 will do as well, but it will also do well nonetheless.

I disagree about Matrix and Pirates. I think Pirates will do better, because:

1) Pirates 1 & 2 are more recent movies.
2) They're separate discs, which are cheaper than the Complete and Ultimate Matrix box sets.
3) They were released just prior to Pirates 3 showing up in the theatre.
4) A lot of PS3ers did in fact go apeshit over Pirates (for reasons I don't quite understand).

P.S. Pirates 3 is getting crappy reviews. Even worse than Spider-Man 3 (which I hated). Despite this, I think Pirates 3 will do well on Blu-ray too.

Originally Posted by goMac 

Also, Costco selling Toshiba A2 for $250:
HD DVD Player 249.99 @ Costco B&M : Format War Central

Technically it's the D2, but the D2 is exactly the same as the A2. The added bonus is that it comes with a free HDMI cable in the box. The A2 doesn't. Both come with the 5 free HD DVD deal. (Too bad Toshiba is taking forever to ship those HD DVDs.)

But yeah, $249.99 is a killer deal for a 2nd generation HD DVD standalone player. ValueElectronics has a great deal too. It's $297, but you get some extra goodies, including 2 extra HD DVDs of your choice immediately.

[hmurchison2001]

We're back to the Hollywood before LotR

Where you get Big Budget films that wow your technically but are for the most part artistically and emotionally vacuous.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Latest disc sales numbers (ending May 20):

Last week: BD 58:42 HD = 1.4:1
Year to date: BD 67:33 HD = 2.0:1
Since inception: BD 57:43 HD = 1.3:1

So basically that means there is currently a 2:1 disc sales advantage this year for Blu-ray over HD DVD.

Is that actual sales, or does it count freebies given out with players?

[Eug]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Is that actual sales, or does it count freebies given out with players?

Actual sales. Freebies don't count. (If they did, then Talledega Nights and King Kong would have very large numbers.)

P.S. I just ordered Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire and La Haine from the UK (which is OK, since there is no region coding). To my surprise, UK HD DVD prices are actually sometimes half decent these days: £11 and £13 respectively.

[Kenneth]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Top 10:

1 The Fountain BD 100.00
2 Planet Earth HD 84.89
3 The Fountain HD 66.64
4 Planet Earth BD 61.80
5 Stomp the Yard BD 50.01
6 Casino Royale BD 41.61
7 Night at the Museum BD 38.23
8 Deja Vu BD 34.96
9 Digital Video Essentials HD 23.70
10 Batman Begins HD 23.52

What's the number represent?