Universal To Release Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Cancelling DVD Versions

[admin]

Universal studios is going to release Blu-ray/DVD combo, just like Disney, which itself learned the trick from Universal back in the HD DVD days.

However, Universal also plans to discontinue the DVD only versions of the movies that will be release as Combos, which includes movies such as 8 Mile, Dawn of the Dead, Doom, End of Days, Jarhead, Street Fighter: Extreme Edition, The Last Starfighter and The Rundown.

Although these are not exactly top hits, and probably do not sell that much on DVD anyway, the plan to discontinue the DVD version may signal studios wishes to force Blu-ray onto consumers, whether they want it or not. But this will happen only if this limited trial succeeds.

Prices for these combos are expected to be between $15 and $23. The DVD only versions of these films can be had for as little as $7 at the moment.

More:

http://www.thehdroom.com/news/Universal_Embraces_Blu-ray_%2B_DVD_Combo_Packs/5967

[drfsupercenter]

I'm still waiting for hybrid content on a single side of a single disc. I'd buy those in a heartbeat.

[Budreaux]

I'm still waiting for hybrid content on a single side of a single disc. I'd buy those in a heartbeat.

Not going to happen.
The difference in the format will noo allow it on a single disk.
Like the difference in DVD-R and DVD+R, they just can't be on the same side of the disk.
Perhaps a specialty pressed disk that is a combination, and then add the instructions for the firmware of the device playing it as to where to seek the laser, much like the PS2 games did with the center hub, but I don;t see this being a feasible move.

[drfsupercenter]

I heard that they were already developing dual-format discs, though...

[Budreaux]

I heard that they were already developing dual-format discs, though...

Perhaps one format per side.

[Budreaux]

New dual-format disc tries to break format war

Jan 8, 2007 8:00 AM



Warner Brothers — a major proponent of the original DVD format — plans to announce at the CES convention this week a new single-disc format that can play HD video in both the Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats.

The new dual-format disc, Total HD, is an attempt to end the format war now causing consumer resistance to both formats. Because of manufacturing complexities, however, the Total HD disc will not contain a standard DVD format version of the content.

Barry M. Meyer, chairman and chief executive of Warner Brothers, told "The New York Times" that his company came up with the Total HD disc after concluding that neither Blu-ray nor HD-DVD was going to disappear anytime soon.

The newspaper reported, however, that it’s not clear whether Warner’s Total HD disc will convince the studio executives backing one format or the other to release their content in both. Some told the newspaper they believed that releasing films in both formats would only prolong confusion and the emergence of a winning format.

Maybe this is what you were hearing about, or maybe even the DualDisk that the record companies came up with. AudioCD on one side and DVD on the other. Either way, you don;t get an HD format and a DVD format with one disk.

[drfsupercenter]

I know what DualDisk is and I've seen the HD-DVD/DVD flipper combo discs.

But I swear I've seen another article about combo formats.
Something like this:

http://news.cnet.com/JVC-previews-Blu-ray-DVD-combo/2100-1041_3-5506834.html

[admin]

I think I posted a news item about dual sided combos, but these were never really that popular on HD DVD when it was tried (as they didn't have any disc pictures, making finding the right side to play very annoying, and there were also compatibility problems). To make a single sided dual format disc is also possible, at least it was possible with HD DVD, but I suspect these would again have compatibility issues with existing hardware and also reduced capacity.

The separate DVD disc solution is probably the best. If you're worried about missing out on the DVD extra features compared to 2 disc DVD versions, then the dual sided/single sided combo would also suffer from the same problem. At least with the separate DVD disc solution, you get an extra disc for playback without having to rip or burn your own (it could also be the one that you give the kids to use, keeping the Blu-ray version for yourself, which is I think why Disney likes these combos).

[Budreaux]

I know what DualDisk is and I've seen the HD-DVD/DVD flipper combo discs.

But I swear I've seen another article about combo formats.
Something like this:
http://news.cnet.com/JVC-previews-Bl...3-5506834.html

That article was back in 2004 during the format wars. We never even saw a prototype of that proposed disk which leans to make me believe it was all hye to give BR an edge in the format wars.

[admin]

This perhaps?

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=89804

[Budreaux]

Still interesting to see all the links to that dual format is either dated with no followup or links go to removed content.....

I still say it was all hype during the format wars.

[drfsupercenter]

This perhaps?

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=89804

Yes, that.

I just don't like the separate disc thing as it jam-packs the case, unless you like your DVDs in paper cases... and if they did a dual-format disc they could actually put extras on, unlike having a separate disc (Of course, they WON'T, as movie studios are evil and don't care about their consumers, but that's besides the point!)

[admin]

In any case, what I found more interesting about this news article was that Universal plans to discontinue the DVD only versions of these movies, so you'll have to get this version if you want to own the movie.

[admin]

Turns out Universal's Blu-ray/DVD combo is actually a flipper, with Blu-ray on one side, DVD on the other, as opposed to Disney's separate discs. It's basically the same as the HD DVD combo format, except one side is now Blu-ray. The Bourne Trilogy will be the first titles to be made available as a combo:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/dual-format-blu-raydvd-flipper-discs-landing-in-stores/

[drfsupercenter]

Hm, that's better than the separate discs... I hope they're still secretly working on a dual-format single sided disc though.

And lets hope the DVD portion actually has a fair amount of extras, too... Not like Disney where they give you the movie and nothing else and basically shaft all non-Blu-Ray users who get that edition.

What I actually liked was the Snow White DVD pack, since it had both DVD discs and a free Blu-Ray of the movie. When it comes down to it, do HD special features really make that much of a difference? (It seems that a lot of discs just have direct-stream-copied-from-the-DVD special features anyway)... so you get the movie in HD, the part that actually MATTERS, and you can still watch the movie and all the special features on a normal TV. (Shame, they discontinued that one too. Just as I thought whoever runs the home video department of Disney switched their brain on again, they now replaced that edition with DVD-only.)