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Hardware Michael Bay Back on Blu-ray Bandwagon
Marcus Yam (Blog) - October 24, 2007 3:22 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 72 comment(s) - last by Etsp.. on Oct 29 at 5:03 PM
"Transformers" director says his money is on Blu-ray Disc

Director Michael Bay’s latest effort, the Transformers movie, immediately broke home video release records on October 16. Transformers on HD DVD became the fastest selling high-definition release in history, with 100,000 copies sold on the first day.

190,000 copies were sold over the first week, leading Paramount to boast Transformers as, “the fastest and best-selling week one release on either high definition format as well as the best selling HD DVD ever.”

Despite Bay’s great success on HD DVD with Transformers, the action director is showing little faith in the future of the high-definition optical format. Speaking to USA Today regarding the smashing release of Transformers on high-definition, Bay commented on Paramount and DreamWorks’ decision to go HD DVD-exclusive saying, “It's short-sighted and it has delayed consumers' moving to HD (home video). As a director, my critical eye is that Blu-ray is where my money is. Consumers are smart, and they are going to wait it out.”

Michael Bay’s Blu-ray-backing comments are the latest in a string of lines critical of Paramount and DreamWorks’ deal with the HD DVD camp. Immediately following the exclusivity announcement, Bay posted on his website, “I want people to see my movies in the best formats possible. For them to deny people who have Blu-ray sucks! They were progressive by having two formats. No Transformers 2 for me.”

Bay later backpedalled on his blog to a different tune, praising HD DVD’s hardware pricing and said that he might indeed be back to direct Transformers 2.

The Transformers director’s critical view of the home market release isn’t limited to just the HD DVD version, however, as he also told the paper that the DVD release was “not as good as it could have been.”

“I was traveling promoting (Transformers) while they were doing the DVD,” Bay said. “You try to guide people as to what to do (in making it), but ultimately if you rush your date, you are not going to get the DVD as good as it could be. … Studios want to pump this stuff out, and my job is to care about it and try to put the right people on it. They just see it as a show they are selling, and I see it as a movie. That's how your movie lives on, in the DVD format.”

Whether or not Bay is satisfied with Paramount’s high-definition format of choice, his movie will also live on in HD DVD format.

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Question
By The0ne on 10/24/2007 4:03:19 PM , Rating: 2
Anyone wonders what Speilberg is thinking about Michael Bay? I think about this all the time and I think he's laughing :)




RE: Question
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 10/24/2007 4:14:30 PM , Rating: 5
I doubt speilberg really cares. Him and Lucas are sitting back talking about old times, and staying out of this sort of stupidity. Bay is just a hot head and doesn't know when to be quiet. I think the guy just loves to be in the news.


RE: Question
By Locutus465 on 10/24/2007 5:46:09 PM , Rating: 2
I just wonder what makes him think Blueray is where the money is... Would he be getting more royalties if blueray won? I doubt it.... For a directors perspective, the media really shouldn't matter much... But I guess everyone has to have their opinion, which is fine... I guess perhaps when he said that's where the money is he was referring to the fact that blueray players are more than 50% more expensive than comprable HD players and he's figuring bigger profit margins?


RE: Question
By Link on 10/24/2007 10:34:35 PM , Rating: 3
It's because they went with HD-DVD, they could only use Dolby-Plus due to lack of disk capacity. If they went with BR, the movie could have better sound with either Dolby TrueHD or Uncomressed PCM the same picture qualty.
Besides, 300 clearly showed people buy more BD than HD-DVD, so Bay was right that BR is where the money is.


RE: Question
By Locutus465 on 10/24/2007 11:49:02 PM , Rating: 2
Bays comments make it seem as if he beleives he will be better off economically with a blueray win... If that's the case he's delutional, once the victor is decided people will buy that format...


RE: Question
By melgross on 10/25/2007 11:43:47 AM , Rating: 2
You misunderstand his statement. He's saying quite clearly that going HD-DVD only, is giving consumers less choice, and prolonging the day when we will see one format win out, as he obviously knows that Blu-Ray sells many more copies of a film than does HD-DVD. His own friends seem to be Blu-Ray owners.

Introducing this in both formats would have allowed consumers to make that choice, which would have resulted in more Blu-Ray copies being sold (because that's what always happens), and therefore brought the day closer when only one format would survive, presumably Blu-Ray.

Despite the number of supporters of HD-DVD on these forums, consumers seem to be buying Blu-Ray in preference to HD-DVD.

That seems to frustrate the HD-DVD backers here.


RE: Question
By Locutus465 on 10/25/2007 1:21:17 PM , Rating: 4
So far "consumers" pretty much strictly means "early adopters" who don't shy away on spending a good deal on whatever technology they persive as being the best... I agree that as a whole early adopters to this point seem to like blueray... The sony name helps (yes folks, sony actually has a good name in electronics) and the greater storage capacity at launch help push the perception that Blueray is superior despite it's short comings as a technology for watching high def movies (inconsitant BDJ, rampent MPEG2, cost (manufacturing and consumer)).

We're now getting to the point where HD-DVD (but not blueray) is accessable to a much wider audiance (Toshiba A2 retails $220 on amazon, A1 is sub $200). So the Win I'm seeing this holiday season for HD-DVD will come in the form of a the vast number of HD-TV owners out there who want HD home movie tech (HD-DVD/BD) but have been holding out because the technology was considered too new/expensive. With HD-DVD hovering at and just under $200 "santa" may be delivering a larger number of HD-DVD players (and media) than Blueray...

This is obviously 100% speculation on my part, so take it as you will.


RE: Question
By DingieM on 10/25/2007 3:11:15 AM , Rating: 3
Almost nobody can recreate TrueHD and/or uncompressed PCM because those receivers are too plain expensive. And than one needs good quality speakers to hear the difference, and than one needs a good room for audible quality. Almost nobody has that.

Like he said, customers are smart, but they want cheap devices and no fuss with DRM imparing Blu-Ray. HD-DVD is clearly better with that respect.
If people would really care about HD, than you would see it already, but its not.

Its really *that* simple.

And besides, Transformers is not a quality movie, its just entertainment.


RE: Question
By michal1980 on 10/25/07, Rating: -1
RE: Question
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 10/25/2007 7:17:00 AM , Rating: 1
Pure conjecture on your part. "300" proves nothing. Show me a clear pattern of ratio's on dual format releases, and then we'll talk, otherwise you have no argument.


RE: Question
By GreenyMP on 10/25/2007 9:48:47 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
"300" proves nothing

You are in denial. It proves a lot. It may not be a large enough sample to do any real statistical analysis, but I think I remember you and the rest of the HD-DVD supporters saying, "Blu-ray only sells more because they have better titles. Wait until a title releases on both formats -- then we will see which one sells more." Now you want a trend. Oh, "...and just wait until Wal-mart starts selling sub $200 players". When faced with plain-as-day statistics, you still deny the nose on your face.


RE: Question
By Shoal07 on 10/25/2007 10:50:55 AM , Rating: 2
While I’ll admit that the “audiophile” market is niche, it is not as small as you make it sound. Actually, the majority of your early HDTV and HD player adopters are likely also audiophiles with Receivers and speakers. A receiver can handle PCM pretty easily, it is the UNCOMPRESSED audio, most receivers have no problem with it. If yours does, you can use the separate 5.1 or 7.1 analog inputs and bypass the processor. I don’t care HOW you compress a signal, PCM is the PURE signal. I would take PCM any day, which is why I went w/ Bluray. And by most receivers, I mean at about ~$799 and up. People who spend $3k on a big HDTV and zip on their speakers are just plain missing out. You should spend at least as much on your audio system (receiver or pre/pro and amps, + speakers) as you do on your TV. I spent about 1k/2k on receiver/speakers (not including my new sub) almost 2 years ago and they’re perfect. Plus, unlike the TV, I could get 25+ years out of the speakers (given I don’t abuse them).

PCM FTW!


RE: Question
By Etsp on 10/29/2007 5:03:31 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
While I’ll admit that the “audiophile” market is niche, it is not as small as you make it sound.

That pun wasn't on purpose was it? XD


RE: Question
By Belard on 10/25/07, Rating: 0
RE: Question
By FITCamaro on 10/25/2007 8:43:46 AM , Rating: 3
A lot of people don't care if it doesn't do 1080p since 1080i looks just as good and a lot of people have 720p TVs.

Regardless of whether it supports 1080p, the vast majority of people are going to buy the cheapest thing they can. So HD-DVD has an edge. Price wins format wars. Not features. That said, HD-DVD supports all the same features Blu-ray does except the extra layer of DRM on the disc.

And you've been able to pick up HD-DVD players for $199 several times.


RE: Question
By RMSe17 on 10/25/2007 9:23:02 AM , Rating: 1
Look.. It doesn't take a high school degree to see which format is better. All you have to do is go to www.newegg.com and look at the blank media and burners.

I see BluRay BURNERS that I can buy. I see BluRay MEDIA that I can buy to put stuff on. I DO NOT see HD-DVD blank media OR burners. This is so simple, a little kid will get it. BluRay wins, HD-DVD is a bunch of [you fill in]...


RE: Question
By DingieM on 10/25/2007 10:04:53 AM , Rating: 1
Tunnel vision.

So newegg is in the US the only choice? grow up.
There is very small percentage using HD media for backups. Thats right, buy a burner for backing up. Now what: with the DRM impaired BluRay you may not even copy/backup your own disc.

Blu-Ray wins? Don't make me laugh.

People want cheap things and don't care about the best quality, so what would they like to have? A good price-quality ratio and features...than there is only one clear and objective choice: HD-DVD

Its simple as that.

Except it.


RE: Question
By Locutus465 on 10/25/2007 9:31:16 AM , Rating: 1
Toshiba A2 player costs $250 at best buy (can be gotten cheaper), as you point out the cheapest set top BD player currently available is $500... Thus, 50%... My math skilz are 1337 yo ;)


RE: Question