I've made the decision that I won't buy any more BD's that don't have uncompressed audio tracks. I hate to sound like a snob, but for me, the audio is at least half the experience, and it just doesn't make sense to spend good money on sub-par audio when the technology is clearly there to do a better job. So far, at least in my experience, Warners seems to be the most common problem in this regard.

So my question is not whether Warners will do a better job in future releases. Rather, my question is whether it is possible that Warners might upgrade some of the releases they already made. For example, I just rented The Fountain from Netflix, and I found it to be an interesting movie that I'd love to have in my collection. But I just can't justify putting down more than $20 for a movie with a DD 5.1 track.

Superman Returns was another Warner release that got shoddy treatment on BD. The HD DVD disc got a Dolby True HD track whereas the BD only got DD 5.1.

I think SR is getting re-released. I think HD DVD owners with problematic disks can have them exchanged as well. I wonder if they will take mine and give me the BD instead. ;) SI and SII are both excellent on HD DVD IMO though.

Will Warner upgrade audio on their BD's?

Not likely. They are continuing to screw the blu-ray format.

The Reaping was just announced with Dolby True HD for HD- DVD
and just Dolby Digital for Blu-Ray.

Warner sucks!

Not likely. They are continuing to screw the blu-ray format.

The Reaping was just announced with Dolby True HD for HD- DVD
and just Dolby Digital for Blu-Ray.

Warner sucks!

No need for wrong information. Take a look at these scans of the backcover, sent to DVDActive from Warner themselves. Both the HD DVD and BD is identical. Only difference is the HD DVD is combo, and a little more expensive.

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/the-reaping.html

No need for wrong information. Take a look at these scans of the backcover, sent to DVDActive from Warner themselves. Both the HD DVD and BD is identical. Only difference is the HD DVD is combo, and a little more expensive.

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/the-reaping.html


Wow. That is odd. Here is a brand new article from Highdef Digest:

Unfortunately, all tech specs will not be created equal. Warner will include a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track on the HD DVD edition, but the Blu-ray will have to suffice with a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround option (encoded at 640kbps).

Edited to add link:
Reaping - Highdef Digest (http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Warner/Disc_Announcements/Warner_Summons_The_Reaping_on_Blu-ray,_HD_DVD/795)

No need for wrong information. Take a look at these scans of the backcover, sent to DVDActive from Warner themselves. Both the HD DVD and BD is identical. Only difference is the HD DVD is combo, and a little more expensive.

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/the-reaping.html


I hope the case has the right information and Highdef Digest got bad information.

I do hope that the cover is correct. Warner's been good lately, to include True HD on BD discs, after the firmware updates to the players. They're also making the specs on both the HD DVD and BD on the new Turtles movie identical.

I usually prefer the Blu-ray in these cases, as the HD DVD is more expensive with the Combo format.

I think SR is getting re-released. I think HD DVD owners with problematic disks can have them exchanged as well. I wonder if they will take mine and give me the BD instead. ;) SI and SII are both excellent on HD DVD IMO though.
SR is not getting re-release at this time, though for a shortly time only a special pack-in version with DD True-HD is being included with a certain new model BR player.

i highly doubt Warner would include TrueHD track on HD-DVD and not the BD. if they did i would be really pissed b/c this is deliberately screwing over the BD version, a lot worse so than DD5.1 vs DD+

that said, i also don't intend on buying anymore titles w/o lossless audio unless it is a very old catalogue with not much going on soundwise. Titles like The Last Samurai i wouldnt mind upgrading if a lossless audio version comes, tho Unforgiven i dont mind not having lossless audio. one title i truly wish gets not only an audio upgrade but also a new avc or vc1 encode is Paramount's MI:3. that movie had some amazing audio and action sequences.

here's the pic of the BD back cover for the click-lazy:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w145/columbine420/thereapingbd.jpg

i highly doubt Warner would include TrueHD track on HD-DVD and not the BD. if they did i would be really pissed b/c this is deliberately screwing over the BD version, a lot worse so than DD5.1 vs DD+.

Think again, my friend, they've done that a lot. WB has been a reluctant embracer of the big blu, and tries to trip it up every chance they get.

Another unintended consequence of WB using the HD-DVD optimized transfer for Blu-ray is that titles that could possibly benefit from higher bitrates that Blu-ray can support to elminate pixelization, ease visible banding or get rid of it, etc. are getting screwed because, unlike Paramount WB doesn't bother to do another transfer just for Blu-ray.

I hope the case has the right information and Highdef Digest got bad information.

They do get bad information.

I told them that 300 would have PCM and TrueHD several times before they added the PCM track to the list.

They do get bad information.

I told them that 300 would have PCM and TrueHD several times before they added the PCM track to the list.

I find this really strange that they would make a statement about the audio discrepancy between the two formats with such certainty. They made it sound like it was definite.

I am definitely leaning toward believing the cover of the actual art work. But I would like to know where HDD is getting their info if they end up wrong.

Superman Returns was another Warner release that got shoddy treatment on BD. The HD DVD disc got a Dolby True HD track whereas the BD only got DD 5.1.

My Blu-ray copy of Superman Returns has both PCM and TrueHD on it.
Warner will release this to replace current versions as they sell out. There are no more prints being done of the one with the lossy audio on it.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/8144/scan0001cm7.jpg

My Blu-ray copy of Superman Returns has both PCM and TrueHD on it.
Warner will release this to replace current versions as they sell out. There are no more prints being done of the one with the lossy audio on it.



Makes me glad that I've held off buying it yet.

I am currently replacing Warner HD-DVDs with Blu-Rays but I had not purchased this one in either format.

Now the question remains is if they will be offering replacements for all the old Superman Returns? Probably not.:(

Now the question remains is if they will be offering replacements for all the old Superman Returns? Probably not.:(

Not likely, there's nothing wrong with it.
T5E and SR are big differences.
They're not replacing T5E because it's got a new 20/48 TrueHD track on it, they're replacing it because the master was not cleaned up properly and because it's supposed to be a reference title.

Think again, my friend, they've done that a lot. WB has been a reluctant embracer of the big blu, and tries to trip it up every chance they get.

Another unintended consequence of WB using the HD-DVD optimized transfer for Blu-ray is that titles that could possibly benefit from higher bitrates that Blu-ray can support to elminate pixelization, ease visible banding or get rid of it, etc. are getting screwed because, unlike Paramount WB doesn't bother to do another transfer just for Blu-ray.

In the past I would agree with you, but that was before Blu-Ray started to dominate sales. It seems like the majority of big name day and date releases from Warner on Blu-Ray are gettting lossless. I expect this trend to continue and become the norm for day and date and major catalog releases (as should be the case).

My Blu-ray copy of Superman Returns has both PCM and TrueHD on it.
Warner will release this to replace current versions as they sell out. There are no more prints being done of the one with the lossy audio on it.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/8144/scan0001cm7.jpg

Did you get this with your player?

I'd love to get this and ditch my HD-DVD combo.

High-def Digest posted an update to the Reaping article:

UPDATE 07/23/07 (3:00pm ET): Since originally posting this article, Warner Home Video has confirmed to us that despite earlier information to the contrary, both next-gen editions of 'The Reaping' Blu-ray will include Dolby TrueHD tracks. (Thanks to Steve for the tip!)

anyone want my SR HD DVD? I'll trade it for something and rebuy SR on BD. :)