The idea behind superbit DVDs is that by leaving off all the extras you allow a higher bit rate to be devoted to the sound and video - more Mega-Bytes Per Second for your money - theoretically giving a better quality disc.
Recent tests conducted by Total DVD confirm that the titles released so far in Columbia/Tristar's superbit range do exhibit a higher bit rate than their vanilla counterparts. For example:
(Superbit rate listed first, followed by standard bitrate)
Crouching Tiger... 7.16 MB/Sec - 5.14 MB/Sec
Godzilla 7.11 MB/Sec - 5.77 MB/Sec
All well and good. However...
The test compared the bit rates of these titles to two non-superbit titles from other distributors, namely the 2 disc versions of 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Se7en', both of which are packed with extras, boast DD and DTS soundtracks, interactive elements and audio commentaries. The bit rates on these two discs were, respectively, 7.90 and 7.89 MB/Sec, higher than all but two of Columbia/Tristar's entire superbit catalogue.
With these results, Columbia/Tristar's superbit collection seems nothing more than reissues of discs that could have been mastered to a higher standard on their original releases, but at inflated prices and devoid of the extras that Fox and EV seem quite capable of offering while maintaining comparable audio and video quality.
Anyone smell a marketing exercise?