Does anyone like buying the Combo discs ?

[low-def.]

I am a DUAL format owner and I was just noticing all of the combo disc pre-orders available soon to order.

Now personally I hate combo's. I think they look cheap and nasty and yet often the price is a little higher than the BD version.

If there is a HD DVD I want and it is a combo, i'll get the BD version (if available).

Why do they keep releasing them ? Do the public really want them ?

And there is always reported play back issues with combo's too on the tosh players. i.e The Good Shepherd & Smoking Aces to name a few.

Me personally I will buy the UK non combo disc if it is available before the US release. i.e The Bourne films.

We have (all US discs):

1) Eastern Promises
2) The Brave One
3) The Invasion
4) The Bourne Ultimatum
5) The Kingdom
6) Oceans 13
7) Knocked Up
8) I now pronounce you chuck and larry
9) No reservations
10) Balls of fury.

Because of these combo's I'll probably only order Eastern Promises and the Kingdom on HD DVD. I'll get the BD version of Oceans 13, The Brave One and The Invasion

[google]

I would think that most people buy combo discs not for the SD but for the HD. The fact that it may cost more to buy a combo disc than the HD-DVD disc on it's own is the issue.

I would have no use for the SD version of the film on the combo disc.

The distributors just see it as a way of getting a bit more money out of us.

Scott

[Ettepet]

The main thing combo discs 'did' for me was to show how good HD-quality could remain on a severely limited size disc. Happy Feet (US combo) still looks and sounds amazingly well!

[Rom]

I actually like them. I have had no problems with any combo on my HD-E1 and I can still play the other side in my car/bedroom SD player. As to the 'looks cheap' comment... Huh? I see the disc art for maybe 5 seconds, whilst taking the disc out of the box to put in the player

Pricewise though, I do think they are just an excuse to rip off, it doesn't cost that much more to put the SD on the other side, surely?

[Rasczak]

I am a big fan of combo discs - I find them useful to use in my own legacy equipment - in particular PC should I want to copy to my mobile media player and bedroom DVD players. Like the poster above I have not experienced any problems playing them nor do I have any trouble handling them. Price of the discs is irrelevant to me - therefore the more we see the better IMHO.

I think, in due course, HD DVD/DVD combis could be instrumental in ensuring high def adoption. We have already seen it in Star Trek but hopefully we'll see it extended to other boxsets where the price premium and packing issues are not important.

[Pecker]

Ditto.

I think most of the problems attributed to combos are rubbish.

The problems attributed to them have all been fixed by firmware upgrades.

Anyone who thinks firmware can fix problems caused by faulty glue needs their bumps feeling.

SD combos (known as 'flippers') have been around for years without problem and, as I understand it, use exactly the same process.

Anyone moaning about artwork is...well, let's just say I can't see it as a problem.

On 99% of discs the artwork is simply a reproduction of the front cover, only with a hole in the middle. 99% of the time you can't see it because it's in the case. 0.99% of the time you can't see it because it's in the player.

As for the writing being too small to read - if your eyesight is that bad, what benefit are you getting from high def?

I've never had a problem with combos. But on the other hand I have gained benefit from being able to lend to mates with SD players, or watch elsewhere in the house.

And from the latest Warner news, it looks like they're now going to be the same price as BDs.

Steve W

[Starburst]

There are times the combo discussion gets as nasty as the HD DVD/Blu-ray discussions when it comes to what others believe and how it influences their purchases

Now I don't like combos a fact I have mentioned a few times and their use has stopped me buying some releases, there is no doubt that the combo format has meant lost sales but I have yet to see any real genuine sales figures or marketing reports that DVD owners are buying HD DVD combos in expectation of a future HD DVD player purchase.
If someone has such a link perhaps from Warner then it would make interesting reading.

Now I respect all the posters who like combos as it suits there needs but all I really want is to be given a choice, release a combo by all means but back it up with a HD DVD only with the same content (minus the DVD only stuff of course).

[Nic Rhodes]

another combo fan. There is much more potential we can see here.

[Adam_uk]

I hate them.

I think they look cheap and nasty, they remind me of those discs where you had to flip them mid film.

I find the loss of disc art a loss to be fair- while you dont spend hours gazing at it, I find it a good think to have.

What benefit do they offer? The SD film? Well surely you want the HD version. That it may lead to increased adoption (which I highly doubt to be true) that gives you no personal benefit.

They just make the HD DVD version look inferior to the BD version- an inferior product.

[Rasczak]

Originally Posted by Starburst

I have yet to see any real genuine sales figures or marketing reports that DVD owners are buying HD DVD combos in expectation of a future HD DVD player purchase. If someone has such a link perhaps from Warner then it would make interesting reading.

I would like to see some figures as well - I would guess given that sales of 300 on HD DVD/DVD were less than that of Blu-ray the answer is not many at present. But what we don't know is how this will change as the formats raise their profile. For this reason we are all watching Star Trek: First Season Remastered very closely.

all I really want is to be given a choice, release a combo by all means but back it up with a HD DVD only with the same content (minus the DVD only stuff of course).

You are probably aware already but this can normally be achieved by buying UK releases. Sometimes the UK releases loses something (Bourne Ultimatium losing it's TrueHD track) but normally the releases are nigh on identical standfast release dates.

[Spidey987]

I really don't mind them, though if I could buy a non-combo version for a little cheaper, I always would. So in that respect, I'd like some choice.

[Noggin1980]

I don't like paying more for something I will probably never use, but since the practice of chargeing more seems to be disapearing I'm really not bothered either way weather its a combo or not.

I didn't vote.

[Mad Mr H]

I am not a fan of the increased price for an item I dont need......

For me I'm HD only.

[Moosh]

I don't mind buying combos if it means that I'll be getting the film a few weeks or months earlier than a non-combo release.

Also, on a side note, I've never had any problems with any combos that I've bought.

Cheers
Moosh

[Starburst]

Originally Posted by Rasczak

You are probably aware already but this can normally be achieved by buying UK releases. Sometimes the UK releases loses something (Bourne Ultimatium losing it's TrueHD track) but normally the releases are nigh on identical standfast release dates.

Yep, had to wait a while for the UK Hot Fuzz and 300 versions for non-combo, shame the Trek series isn't non-combo in the UK as well.