DVD Talk Forum Select Forum Area...Forum Home--------------------DVD TalkDVD ReviewsDVD HardwareHD TalkInternational DVD--------------------DVD Bargains DVD Exchange Hot DealsStore Forum--------------------Book TalkComic Book TalkMovie TalkMusic TalkTV TalkVideo Game Talk-------------------- Tech Talk OtherSports--------------------FeedbackSearch-------------------- Forum Home Resources DVD Price SearchCustomer Service #'sRCE InfoLinks Columns var xyz = ' =Date&reviewType=All&searchText=';function d(e, z) var sb = document.getElementById('sb');var px = document.getElementById('px');if(e.id == '') sb.value = 'Search ' + e.innerHTML; else sb.value = e.id;var t = px.getElementsByTagName('A');for(var i = 0; i Search: HD TalkUnbiased Coverage Of All Things HD: HD-DVD, Blu-Ray and Beyond Clash Of The Titans - HD Style Main TV on HD Switzerland of World War HDDVD Talk - Switzerland of World War HDRecently I've noticed a disturbing trend. Several internet sites have deemed it necessary to choose a side in the HD format war. Why they're doing it is beyond me. Could it be passion? Maybe an over-inflated sense of ego? Perhaps it's just a desire to see this format war come to an end, regardless of which side ends up becoming dominant. No matter what the reason, it makes no sense. What good does it do to declare a winner when both formats are still not selling more than a few thousand copies for a majority of titles? It's just silly, and a waste of time. Worse, it engenders ill-will between supporters, who spend more time fighting with each other than they do watching the movies they love in high definition.Furthermore, it presupposes that the best thing that could happen to the HD world at the moment would be an end to the format war. I contend that this is simply not true. As has been stated before, the format war has done nothing but benefit the consumer. Hardware prices have come down and software has been improved at a tremendous rate. We wouldn't be seeing either format in the condition they are in today if it weren't for the war.Case in point: At Blu-ray's launch in June of 2006 (a year ago), Sony released The Fifth Element, long a cult favorite and a shoo-in for home theater demo material. Unfortunately, the disc looked awful. There are many reviews you can find detailing exactly what was wrong with it (we have two on this site alone), but no matter the particulars, it was considered a major failing on Sony's part. And now, a year later, what do we see? An upcoming remastered release of The Fifth Element with not one but two lossless audio tracks. Do you really think Sony would have re-released the movie so soon were they not trying to outdo HD DVD in any way they possibly can? And do you think we would have seen a Sony release with 24-bit Dolby True HD as we will be getting without the competition to force Sony's hand? I think not.And that's just one example. Both Blu-ray and HD DVD hardware have been dropping in price. But even now, the cheapest Blu-ray player (outside of the flawed first generation Samsung) is still $500, and if people think Blu-ray might win, the players are going to have to become even cheaper, a process that competition will speed up. We're still seeing releases lacking extras readily available on the DVD versions, and studios such as Universal and Paramount have been loathe to embrace lossless audio. There's no better way to spurn these studios to action than to make them think they will lose money without providing these on their HD discs.Of course, the war won't always be to our benefit. But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Right now, we're reaping the rewards of good old fashioned capitalistic competition. Once we get to the point where players are cheap, all DVD extras are being ported, new HD extras are being made, and lossless soundtracks are the norm instead of the exception, that is when we want to call an end to the bickering. Until then, I say let it ride. Right now the studios understand that HD optical discs are a present investment for greater profits in the future. Why should we as consumers stunt the growth of either HD DVD or Blu-ray when the studios are more than willing to release in their format of choice?And this brings me back to my original point. All of these websites declaring their support for one side or the other are just blowing hot air. Their announcements are nothing but empty posturing. Here at DVD Talk, we are proud to provide unbiased coverage on everything high definition, and will not waste anyone's time making pointless statements of support. As for the format war, don't bother getting in a huff about it. What does that achieve? Instead, if you've decided to support Blu-ray, then buy Blu-ray discs. If you want to support HD DVD, buy some HD DVDs. There are plenty of each. Or, if you're like us, buy both and let the studios sort it out.-Daniel HirshleiferHigh Definition NewsBlockbuster recently announced that they will be exclusively carrying Blu-ray discs in 1,450 of their locations across the country. Previously Blockbuster carried both formats in only 250 locations. These locations will continue to offer both formats. Blockbuster did not specify whether this would affect their online site, which offers a Netflix-like rental by mail service.In addition, Starz (who owns cult favorite label Anchor Bay) has also announced Blu-ray support, starting with their "Masters of Horror" series. Starz said they're looking at other catalogue titles to release on the Blu-ray format. Although release dates have been confirmed, this year's fourth quarter is the projected time frame for these releases.In news that's good for both sides of the fences, the BBC's epic Planet Earth has become the best selling HD media disc to date. The combined sales of the HD DVD and Blu-ray versions pulled in roughly 3.2 million dollars, topping The Departed's previous record of 2.8 million. The reviews for both versions have been unanimous in their praise of the set, and it seems that at even $70 a pop, people are willing to pay for quality. This is a good sign for anyone who wants to see either or both formats succeed, as the more studios see profit, the more they will support HD.High Definition New And Upcoming Releases For The Month of JuneJune 19th:Bridge To Terabithia (Blu-ray)June 26th:American Me (HD DVD)Being John Malkovich (HD DVD)The Big Lebowski (HD DVD)Black Snake Moan (Blu-ray, HD DVD)Bulletproof (HD DVD)Dead Silence (HD DVD)Deep Purple Live At Montreaux (HD DVD)Freedom, Volume 1 (HD DVD)Hustle and Flow (Blu-ray, HD DVD)Mallrats (HD DVD)Meet Joe Black (HD DVD)Mystery Men (HD DVD)Santana: Hymns For Peace (HD DVD)The Watcher (HD DVD)Yes Live At Montreaux (HD DVD)HD DVD and Blu-ray ReviewsWhile the end of the month is loaded with releases, there have been several recent discs on both formats that are worth taking a look at:Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series (HD DVD) by Adam Tyner. Highly Recommended. - "With most movies and television series, the additional resolution that high definition offers is appreciated, enhancing an experience that's a marked improvement over -- but not fundamentally different from -- a standard definition DVD. This is not the case with Planet Earth; this awe-inspiring documentary series is defined by its staggering scope and visual majesty, and high definition is essential to fully appreciate it."
Hellboy (Blu-ray) by Daniel Hirshleifer. Highly Recommended. - "Hellboy is just plain badass. Guillermo Del Toro melded his cinematic style with Mike Mignola's unique mythology to create a wholly enjoyable thrill ride. Ron Perlman IS Hellboy, and the rest of the cast support him ably. This Blu-ray disc boasts very impressive picture and sound."
Basic Instinct - Unrated Director's Cut (Blu-ray) by Joshua Zyber. Recommended. - "A classic trash art masterpiece, Basic Instinct remains as entertaining as ever. Sadly, the Blu-ray has a mediocre transfer and sound, much like every other home video edition of the movie, but the bonus features carried over from the last Special Edition DVD are fun. The disc earns a qualified recommendation."
Liar Liar (HD DVD) by Don Houston. Recommended. - "Liar Liar held up fairly well for this Jim Carrey fan and the new technical elements for this HD DVD release were an improvement that fans will appreciate but nothing here was so much better to justify an upgrade if you already have the anamorphic widescreen version of the movie on DVD already."
Blood Diamond (Blu-ray) by Matthew Hinkley. Recommended. - "Blood Diamond is a great film. Some might think that it is too pushy with the way it talks about war and diamonds, and how we should stop buying conflict diamonds to help save lives. Sure, it definitely has a message, but that by no means should stop you from watching this film. The cinematography is beautiful with incredible audio, and an okay video transfer. Even the extra features are nice with a fair amount of substance to them. Blood Diamond is an easy Recommend for me!"
Rio Bravo (Blu-ray) by John Sinnott. Recommended. - "Rio Bravo is a very good film, though its stark black-and-white view of the world is a little dated now. John Wayne gives a strong performance as usual, but it is director Howard Hawks that really shines, putting together an exciting film filled with humor that never drags during its 2 hours and 20 minute run time. The restored film looks great on this Blu-ray disc, with only minor grain and a couple of spots that slightly mar the presentation. Filled with substantial extras, this is a disc that is easy to recommend."
Lost in Translation (HD DVD) by Daniel Hirshleifer. Highly Recommended. - "Lost In Translation was a little gem of a movie that blew up into a massive jewel of a picture. This must have been my fifth or sixth time seeing the film, but it still retains its charm and its power. This HD DVD edition isn't going to blow anyone's mind with its sound and picture, but what we do get fits the film perfectly. The movie is so fantastic that it alone is enough to make this disc Highly Recommended."
The Cowboys (HD DVD) by Adam Tyner. Highly Recommended. - "With too many studios doing such a poor job taking advantage of their back catalogs for these next-generation formats, it's heartening to see Warner not only unearth so many of their films from decades past but do such a spectacular job of it. The Cowboys is remarkable both as a coming of age film and as a Western, boasting panoramic cinematography that looks tremendous in high definition as well as a strong set of performances and a stirring emotional undercurrent."
Cruel Intentions (Blu-ray) by Todd Douglass Jr. Recommended. - "Cruel Intentions is one of those films that seems to be a standard inclusion in many DVD collections but does it deserve the upgrade to Blu-ray? Considering the video and audio aren't completely top of the line I suppose it depends on your appreciation of the movie itself. The tale of sex and deceit moves along briskly enough but there are some weak links in the chain of events. If for any reason you haven't seen the film I can easily recommend the Blu-ray though an SD upgrade isn't entirely necessary in my opinion."
Bubble (HD DVD) by Joshua Zyber. Rent It. - "Bubble is an interesting but minor work from Steven Soderbergh. It's worth a viewing by rental, though isn't an essential purchase. The HD DVD's picture, sound and commentary track are all fine, but the disc is missing a bunch of supplements from the DVD."
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