In addition to the pulled release dates highlighted in the last two weeks, Fox has now pulled Mr & Mrs Smith from it's original release slot.

highdefdigest.com

What are Fox doing I wonder? This latest announcement leaves them with barely any releases upto Q3 '07.

This is bad news for Hi Def disc on the whole IMO and I would love to know what is happening in the background to cause this.

Are they going to pull out of the disc based market in favour of downloads through News Corporation's various broadcast interests?

[Pecker]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

You'd think neither side actually wants to win this format war.

If I were Sony or Universal I'd be putting out as many HD films as I could at cost.

The financial benefits of 'winning' the 'war' are enormous, but no-one appears willing to spend a few bob on releasing titles in an attempt to get back some of the massive outlay they must have put into R&D.

Steve W

[steve0]

Greed

I think they are waiting for a bigger user base like with dvd, it was years before the commited to dvd and when they did it was a non anamorphic version with no extras and inflated price

What is odd though Steve is that this leaves Fox with only 2 releases up until July - "Eragon" and "Me Myself and Irene."

Something is happning within Mr Murdoch's empire and I would love to know what?

[bcopping]

maybe Murdocks gone a little nuts again, need Hannibal & BA to slap him back into line!

i love it when a plan comes together!

[Jim Morrison]

Apparantly it's something to do with copy protection...

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?t=4546

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=400

Jim, thanks for the links, bu I cannot help but think that it is a crock of "sh..". All of these films have been shown on Sky HD where copy is is let us say more than simple.


Despite the rumours, I am quite convinced that this has nothing to do with managed copy.

[lfletcher]

Originally Posted by jackal

Despite the rumours, I am quite convinced that this has nothing to do with managed cpy.

BD+ has nothing to do with managed copy, its Fox trying to stop people doing the unmanaged copy after people found the workaround for AACS.
I believe Fox have always been very protective of their property (if rumours are correct they are the ones that wanted BD+ implemented in Blu Ray to start with), particularly emphasised by the fact that they are the only company that always region codes their titles for BD.

[av addict]

Originally Posted by lfletcher

BD+ has nothing to do with managed copy, its Fox trying to stop people doing the unmanaged copy after people found the workaround for AACS.
I believe Fox have always been very protective of their property (if rumours are correct they are the ones that wanted BD+ implemented in Blu Ray to start with), particularly emphasised by the fact that they are the only company that always region codes their titles for BD.

so how close are they to have B+ implemented onto blu-ray discs?

Originally Posted by lfletcher

BD+ has nothing to do with managed copy, its Fox trying to stop people doing the unmanaged copy after people found the workaround for AACS.
I believe Fox have always been very protective of their property (if rumours are correct they are the ones that wanted BD+ implemented in Blu Ray to start with), particularly emphasised by the fact that they are the only company that always region codes their titles for BD.

So you don't think this is a big issue
for Blu ray/HD movies on the whole?

It is not something that can be brushed aside IMO. Let us say that they are waiting for the keys on current players to be revoked until BD 1.1,
. Where will that leave current owners of hardware.

[Pecker]

It's ridiculous.

Pirating will happen. I've already copied a HD film. I have several recorded on my SKY HD hard drive.

In the far east they've already released a hi-def disc recorder with analogue component inputs. It costs c.£1,000, but that's small beer to a pirate dealer.

When this format war started, what we all agreed (maybe the only thing we agreed on) was that Sony's BEETAMAX failed because VHS had stronger software support.

For Sony to release so few new titles is idiocy in the extreme.

Steve W

[Nic Rhodes]

I don't think this has anything to do with BD+ or AACS or managed copy.

If I were a betting man, which obvious I an not, but I would think Fox (and other comapanies) have prepared BD discs. These have gone off to the compatibility testing labs and have been given the okay. Unfortunately when they stick them in PS3 then all is not right. All IMHO

[peterweg]

Originally Posted by jackal

So you don't think this is a big issue
for Blu ray/HD movies on the whole?

It is not something that can be brushed aside IMO. Let us say that they are waiting for the keys on current players to be revoked until BD 1.1,
. Where will that leave current owners of hardware.

Individual players are revoked, they will have to be upgraded to play newer films.

However the compromised players are PC software players which won't affect 'Hardware' at all.

Revoking compromised players will happen on a regular basis, as they are hacked newer disks will exclude playback on those players.

[peterweg]

Originally Posted by Nic Rhodes

I don't think this has anything to do with BD+ or AACS or managed copy.

If I were a betting man, which obvious I an not, but I would think Fox (and other comapanies) have prepared BD discs. These have gone off to the compatibility testing labs and have been given the okay. Unfortunately when they stick them in PS3 then all is not right. All IMHO

So that is why there are so few HD-DVD releases? in your 'honest opinion' are you suggesting that playback of HD media formats is so complex that Sony and MS are incapable of doing. Surely if a MPEG2 can be decoded by a DVD player it could also be decoded by a Blu-ray player ?

[zz101]

Originally Posted by Nic Rhodes

I don't think this has anything to do with BD+ or AACS or managed copy.

If I were a betting man, which obvious I an not, but I would think Fox (and other comapanies) have prepared BD discs. These have gone off to the compatibility testing labs and have been given the okay. Unfortunately when they stick them in PS3 then all is not right. All IMHO

Whats that based on though - I've not heard of any titles refusing to playback on a PS3?

Are you thinking of the HD-DVD add on which has had problems?

[Nic Rhodes]

What has this got to do with HD DVD?

So few releases?, I have bought about 60 HD DVDs in the past couple on months, my wife is very pleased there are so few .....but this thread has nothing to do with HD DVD but FOX.

Been exchanging emails with RandB films this morning about my replacement Chronus BD disc. Works fine on all standalones, passes compatibility testing but has 'issues' with PS3. Other discs are in the same predicament. Some others have spotted this and made changes to disc before pressing, unfortunately RandB films didn't and are therefore recalling all their BD Chronus discs.

[Bald Monkey]

Cheers.

I think this could be a bad sign for HD in general if companies are having to 're-do' titles before release as it all adds extra costs, to an already expensive new format(s)..

Please lets keep this thread on track, there are enough that get closed on here, and this is important news.

[Retronana]

Whilst I'm not able to comment on the dealings of Fox, I did pick up from our Tech contact at DADC that there where some issues with managed copy and these issues where being resolved.

I know that Fox and Disney are very hot IP protection (as are most studios), so this could be reason for the delays...

[lfletcher]

Originally Posted by av addict

so how close are they to have B+ implemented onto blu-ray discs?

I have no idea, all we know is that no one has done it so far. From Paidgeeks response over at the other forum, we may find out in a few weeks.

[zz101]

Originally Posted by Nic Rhodes

What has this got to do with HD DVD?

I thought you may be confusing compatibility issues with the HD add-on rather than the PS3 which hasnt really suffered from it.

[lfletcher]

Originally Posted by jackal

So you don't think this is a big issue for Blu ray/HD movies on the whole?

It is not something that can be brushed aside IMO. Let us say that they are waiting for the keys on current players to be revoked until BD 1.1,
. Where will that leave current owners of hardware.

I do think its a big issue. I'm as unhappy as the next person as I had quite a few of the Fox discs pre-ordered. However Fox are well within their rights to protect their content (if they feel they can), with whatever means they have at their disposal within the constraints of the Blu Ray format.
Now as long as whatever they implement has zero impact on legitimate Blu Ray users then I don't have an issue with it.

Now if it has something to do with player compatibility (as Nic suggests), then I'm happy to wait a little longer for them to iron out all their issues. Releasing product that a vast percentage of players are unable to play would be far more damaging to Blu Ray (and HD in general) than (quite) a few delayed titles.

[lfletcher]

Originally Posted by Pecker

For Sony to release so few new titles is idiocy in the extreme.

Eh? Whats Fox and their lack of releases got to do with Sony? Sony seems to be releasing a steady stream of titles.

[Pecker]

Originally Posted by lfletcher

Eh? Whats Fox and their lack of releases got to do with Sony? Sony seems to be releasing a steady stream of titles.

My mistake, sir!

Steve W

[Nic Rhodes]

The other thing to bear in mind here is that this is the time when increased BD J 'activity' should be being released and this has in the past necessitated additional firmware tweaks from the player manufacturers in order for everything to work together in a seemless manner. This takes time to coordinate, espeically if you are a PS3 which I suspect is where the bulk of the issues are currently.

[SGH42]

Originally Posted by bcopping

maybe Murdocks gone a little nuts again, need Hannibal & BA to slap him back into line!

i love it when a plan comes together!

What you talking about Fool !

[carlymart]

maybe hddvd and blu ray
but in all seriousness it is a big set back for blu ray and hd

[Davy]

Originally Posted by zz101

Whats that based on though - I've not heard of any titles refusing to playback on a PS3?

Excuse my ignorance on this matter guys, but are you saying that a PS3 (UK spec) will play any region Blue Ray disc? ie a Fox 'Region A' disc?

[zz101]

Originally Posted by Davy

Excuse my ignorance on this matter guys, but are you saying that a PS3 (UK spec) will play any region Blue Ray disc? ie a Fox 'Region A' disc?

No - it will only play disks that its supposed to play - it doesnt however have a history of refusing to play back disks for technical reasons.

[Davy]

Originally Posted by zz101

No - it will only play disks that its supposed to play - it doesnt however have a history of refusing to play back disks for technical reasons.

Are you saying, it might play back other region discs, although it cannot be guaranteed?

[Uranus]

Originally Posted by jackal

Jim, thanks for the links, bu I cannot help but think that it is a crock of "sh..". All of these films have been shown on Sky HD where copy is is let us say more than simple.

Despite the rumours, I am quite convinced that this has nothing to do with managed copy.

Seconded: It doesn't make sense that it's to do with their fear of piracy. Why delay a load of oldies and yet release eragon(Mine shipped from movietyme today)which is a new film that nobody would have seen yet it HD if you are worried about piracy?