UltimateAVmag.com: Real Men of Genius

One of the myriad benefits we can enjoy now with the end of the high definition disc format war is the elimination of competition that threatened to drive down prices of hardware and software. Imagine what would happen if cars came in different colors. What a mess.

Out of respect for the victors, Netflix, the nation's largest rent-by-mail service, has decided that since high definition discs cost more than regular DVDs, they will charge their customers more. Sure, exhibiting a more thug-like corporate mentality (you know, like Wal-Mart), they might have demanded that the studios meet their price point, and not the other way around. I thought the objective was to make high def pervasive? Instead, Netflix has decided to perpetuate the greedy (and not a little masochistic) pricing policy chosen by the studios who, at the same time, profess their inability to sell standard DVDs, much less the blu-ray variety.

Walk into most retailers, and three BD movies are going to run you the better part of a C-note. But we, the all consuming public, have demonstrated our lack of interest in consuming, of DVDs at least. That's either because the novelty of DVD has worn off, or that in a fit of good taste, America's decided that most of what Hollywood produces doesn't seem worth the $20 they charge for a DVD, much less $30 or more they'd like to get for a blu-ray.

That's not to say we don't all have our funny bones exposed for the tickling. For instance, on July 29th of this year, Dark City will be out on blu-ray, and I'm there man, I'm there! But the rest of the time, I'm being pretty selective.

And by selective I mean, I just can't bring myself to buy a standard DVD anymore. It's just sooo pre-high def. I'll set my DirecTv DVR to search HBO for a movie on high-def and wait to watch for free (sorta). The lost thrill of holding the medium in my hands is nicely ameliorated by the thirty bucks I just saved by getting the message for free.

And as it stands, I'm not exhibiting nearly any of the buying frenzy of the early DVD days. Now if they drop the prices enough so that $17 bucks gets me a blu-ray at Costco or Amazon, well, then, I'm there man, I'm there!

So without further ado, and sung to the tune of beer . . .

Bud Light presents, Real Men of Genius. Today we salute you, Mr. Major Motion Picture Marketing Department Flunky. You finally gave us what we wanted. The knowledge that our every high def disc desires are being manufactured and stockpiled for that fire sale that will inevitably precede the processing of your pink slip. Your adamant insistence that consumers will willingly pay almost twice as much to own a movie in high def that they didn't bother going to the movies to see and that they won't even buy on a regular DVD, or even rent, was pure brilliance. We stand in admiration of your back catalog releases that clearly prove your mastery of the Excel spreadsheet sort command. So crack open a Bud Light and enjoy a cool refreshing swig of life. You deserve it Mr. Major Motion Picture Marketing Department Flunky.

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Reader Comments

Posted Wed Apr30, 2008, 1:36 AM — By David Vaughn

Fred,

Once again your speak words of wisdom. This Bud's for you :D

David

Posted Wed Apr30, 2008, 5:21 AM — By Peter S.

I could not have said it better. The idiots who run the entertainment industry just seem to get dumber and dumber as the years go on. They complain no one is buying cd's because of downloads. Hello...why the hell are you still charging $14.00 for a new release..and that is on Amazon. Remember when cd's first came out they said they would be cheap....if they were and they actually had music worth buying the whole album for, there would not be a problem. All they want is one hit wonders for the teeny boppers forget the people like me who have been buying music since I was 12. I have three different versions of Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow, Album, CD, SACD yet they give us Britney Spears....idiots. And don't get me started on Blu-Ray...the price they charge is criminal. My movie buying has slowed to a trickle. Especially since the format war ended...no more BOGOF offers, ridiculously high initial prices. I used to buy 5-6 movies a month now it is like one every two....morons!!!!

Posted Wed Apr30, 2008, 11:37 AM — By Louis T. P.

..well, always remember that old phrase people... "Beware what you wish for, you may get it!"...so many wanted the war to end, well... now that it has, Sonys Blue Ray monopoly is making it so very few can buy anything High Def, just read an article that said that Blue Ray players prices actually just went up!... well, many of you wanted the war to end...! You got it! lol..! Personally I think the wrong format won!, Blue Ray..., over-priced and not even close to be finished! (1.0 and 1.2 profiles). Too bad gaming stations people, and money from Sony decided this war, and NOT the best format, and by that I mean in terms of been complete, cheap and ready for prime time! So, don't cry now on the high prices....just don't... many of you asked for it! As for me, I will continue to enjoying my HD-XA2 for a long time on HD and its great upscaling of regular DVDs. Blue Ray is NOT going to get my money until they get their act together, in price and good COMPLETED players! And now with FIOS... bye by

Posted Wed Apr30, 2008, 4:04 PM — By Mahmood

Your words do resonate, they really do. I for one while absolutely loving that HD is taking off, I hate the way the studios AND manufacturers want to milk the HD buying public for all it is worth. The discs cannot really be that much more to master than a dvd when a HD master probably existed anyway? Most studios would have a HD master for the movies anyway wouldn't they? Isn't that what they supply the TV studios for transmission on HD networks? (Maybe UAV could do an article on how a BD is actually mastered) The audio is better on BD but enough for me to go out and repurchase all my library? No way!To hear the audio requires an upgrade to the amp/processor so guess what?- Another manufacturer on the BD bandwagon that is willing to sell me their latest fandango HDMI version-whatever works-receiver. While i'm glad that we have a HD format winner,i don't see it having the same longetivity as DVD as most people will in future be happier to have HD films on hard drives similar to what many do wit

Posted Wed Apr30, 2008, 4:25 PM — By Mahmood

Most people are happy with their music on hard drives. Being happy with films on hard drives is not that far off i reckon. Don't forget that many of us are already recording and storing TV via media center tv listings anyway and are happy for our TV content to be stored on our hard drives/pvr's, so why wouldn't people feel the same with their film collection? Maybe the film 'collector' would rather have an actual 'tangible item' in their hand and also be able to look at poster artwork and want to display a 'collection' for all and themselves to admire. The movie studios i'm sure have already decided how to 're sell' their film libraries to us in the future or are working toward that(3D anyone?) Same goes for manufacturers (3D displays anyone?)On another note, again the manufacturers and the BD studios could not get their act together with BD profiles and HDMI. And the end user unwittingly became a 'beta tester' for the movie studios and manufacturers.

Posted Wed Apr30, 2008, 9:26 PM — By MJR

Price is secondary. What people are losing sight of is any of these are luxury items. No one makes you buy Hermes,Prada, or Fendi. No one requires you buy any advanced video format. Don't expect companies to lose money for your benefit. People are losing jobs, houses, and overseas there are food riots. Be grateful you have money to even think about a video format.

Posted Thu May 1, 2008, 2:50 AM — By Scott Wilkinson

Brilliant blog! I love those Real Men of Genius radio commercials�they make me laugh every time, as does your prose.

Posted Thu May 1, 2008, 6:06 PM — By Bruce in CO

Thank you, Mr. Tell It Like It Is UAV Reviewer Guy.

Posted Sat May 3, 2008, 2:15 PM — By Fred M

Thanks all for the positive comments.

MJR - I'm a capitalist too, but I think the studios' pricing policies are short-sighted and conter-productive to their goal of making money long term.

I see this week that iTunes is going to sell movies over at the Apple store. For $15, you'll get something that is SUB-PAR to what you would get on a DVD. Read the fine print and you'll see that the aspect ratio is 4x3, meaning a throwback to non-anamorphic "letterboxing" of any widescreen movie. A 2.35:1 film will yield you barely 272 lines of image information. That should look quite hideous on anything bigger than an iPod!

People, Apple is about to do to the movies what they did to music. The only way to combat this is for high-definition movies to drop in pricing, otherwise, the market falls to the lowest common denominator again.

Posted Sun May11, 2008, 6:43 PM — By fred tam

yea i've slowed and stopped my dvd purchasing because i didn't want to spend on an obsolete format. why buy a film you really like in inferior quality? netflix filled the hole quite well, and since bluray is still ridiculously priced, i'll put off any purchases for the time being. i can wait. i'm not going to get stuck with an inferior quality version of a film or be double dipped. hopefully more people hold off as well until they get their heads out of their keesters and drop bluray titles to a reasonable price. sometimes these corporate types are too greedy for their own good. they ran sacd/dvda into the ground because they overcharged and were overprotective with drm. now with every cd purchase i'm reminded i'm purchasing inferior quality leading me to buy fewer discs. sometimes you just want to slap these people. as for films on harddrives, i don't think so. music is a jukebox optimal media. film isn't. esp with todays drives you can cram countless songs in los

Posted Sat Jun28, 2008, 8:37 PM — By Burt LeSarge

Not to excuse what Sony is doing with it�s pricing with Blue ray, but to point out the most logical reason why the pricing is as is. As you remember things were pretty tight with HDVD & BlueRay, then, suddenly blue ray started signing the major movie production housed to exclusive BlueRay arrangements. Sony did not want to repeat Beatmax. So they open their checkbook and bought BlueRay from the production houses. I�m quite sure they plan to make that money back, one way or another.

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Posted Tue Aug 5, 2008, 3:57 AM — By Billy

The difference between today and ywsterday is that during the beta/VHS fiasco, Sony didn't own any content, now they own most of it. Toshiba never had a chance as there is no way they were EVER going to get stuff on thier format from Sony Pictures. EVER. Sony is going to lose this time too, though(And so will we) as they can never see that it is better to sell 1000 trinkets cheaply vs. 10 trinkets at a high price. Even if we can get other manufacturers to make bluerays, will it make any difference if most of the titles are so expensive? Ya know, I can get used DVDs over the net for 2 or 3 bucks plus shipping, I upvert them, and they look damned fine on my 10 foot screen. The average consumer looks at them on a 42 incher(Or less). Think they see a difference? Bring the disc price down to DVD levels and a player under a 100 bucks then step back. Hell, drop further then that and see how Christmas sales go. But I doubt you will. Grow up Sony, I love ya, but your acting like Brett Farve.

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