It's August and there are a lot of movies that have dates through the end of the year, and I haven't heard a word about a release date of the sets on BD.

It's August and there are a lot of movies that have dates through the end of the year, and I haven't heard a word about a release date of the sets on BD.

Warner will wait until at least October 31 when BD Profile 1.1 is the set standard. This way they can make an equal Blu-ray version with proper IME.

Warner will wait until at least October 31 when BD Profile 1.1 is the set standard. This way they can make an equal Blu-ray version with proper IME.
There won't really be any players then, so it's really no different than now.

Until Warner releases the first movie by itself, or chooses to offer The Animatrix shorts in HD, I'm personally not interested.

There won't really be any players then, so it's really no different than now.

I didn't say it would come out on the exact date of October 31. But when it's released it will be after that date.

Whenever I visit the WB online store to browse around I always get a pop up window asking why I have left the store without buying anything. My answer is always "I was wanting to buy The Matrix Blu-ray edition, but was unable to find it. I will buy it when it is released". Maybe if we flooded the WB site with request like this they would get the message and release the damn set. If someone can post a WB corporate email address I would be happy to send them a very long email requesting they release the set, with or without the PIP and the Animatrix in HD like it deserves.

I would like to think that we will see Matrix but I am not so sure.

I don't think the HD DVD release was all that successful. Warners went to a lot of expense to create two big packages and the sales didn't go that well.

Of course, part of the reason is that the release was confined to the minority platform.

But I fear that the Blu-ray version may be delayed until they decide that adoption has increased.

I would like to think that we will see Matrix but I am not so sure.

I don't think the HD DVD release was all that successful. Warners went to a lot of expense to create two big packages and the sales didn't go that well.

Of course, part of the reason is that the release was confined to the minority platform.

But I fear that the Blu-ray version may be delayed until they decide that adoption has increased.
Well, if present dual releases are any indication it would sell just better than 30k. Someone at WB would have to fall on their sword me thinks.

I can wait another year or more for the release.... since I didn't care for the HD-DVD version.

I can wait another year or more for the release.... since I didn't care for the HD-DVD version.

What do you mean? The BD version will be exactly the same.

Personally, the longer they wait, the better, IMO. Warner releases, pretty much without fail, recycle the HD DVD encodes and waste 20 GB on Blu-ray Disc. When Warner finally comes around and treats their releases like Paramount has lately (separate encodes for BD and HD DVD), then they can do The Matrix trilogy. I'd just hate to see the same VC-1 low bitrate crap recycled, yet again, as was done with 300 and with every other WB release.

Well, if present dual releases are any indication it would sell just better than 30k. Someone at WB would have to fall on their sword me thinks.
Well, let's run some theoretical figures for grins and giggles and see where we end up.

30,000 projected Blu-ray set sales x projected Warner revenue of $50 (this is a guess, but I think it's a good one) per set = $1.5 million

We don't have figures on what it costs to replicate BD50s, but let's ballpark and say it costs Warner as much as $2.00 per disc, times four discs in the set for a net cost of $8 x 30K = 240K for the pressing.

Packaging probably costs perhaps a dollar per box set at most, so $30K for that.

Shipping/delivery costs are probably in the range of $1 per set unless they send it direct from the Warner store, in which case they eat a higher delivery cost (but get more of the revenue which offsets the shipping charges), so another $30K there.

Encoding and mastering were already sunk costs with the HD DVD, and since Warner typically doesn't do re-encodes, I don't expect that to change here either, so $0 for that.

Total cost of about $300K, versus a revenue of $1.5M, minus whatever it costs them to do the BD test pressing and BD-j authoring for PiP and such. Still seems financially solid, if not terribly profitable.

Well, let's run some theoretical figures for grins and giggles and see where we end up.

30,000 projected Blu-ray set sales x projected Warner revenue of $50 (this is a guess, but I think it's a good one) per set = $1.5 million

We don't have figures on what it costs to replicate BD50s, but let's ballpark and say it costs Warner as much as $2.00 per disc, times four discs in the set for a net cost of $8 x 30K = 240K for the pressing.

Packaging probably costs perhaps a dollar per box set at most, so $30K for that.

Shipping/delivery costs are probably in the range of $1 per set unless they send it direct from the Warner store, in which case they eat a higher delivery cost (but get more of the revenue which offsets the shipping charges), so another $30K there.

Encoding and mastering were already sunk costs with the HD DVD, and since Warner typically doesn't do re-encodes, I don't expect that to change here either, so $0 for that.

Total cost of about $300K, versus a revenue of $1.5M, minus whatever it costs them to do the BD test pressing and BD-j authoring for PiP and such. Still seems financially solid, if not terribly profitable.

I have been given the impression that authoring is a lot for these discs, but I do believe that WB is making money on this, even if it isn't a ton.

Until Warner releases the first movie by itself, or chooses to offer The Animatrix shorts in HD, I'm personally not interested.

Quoted for truth.For my tastes and money only the original is worth a double dip,I have the ultimate DVD set so that will suffice for the two sequels....

It's August and there are a lot of movies that have dates through the end of the year, and I haven't heard a word about a release date of the sets on BD.

With the exception of Blade Runner, Warner Brothers has not announced any titles for November or December so it seems a little early for this kind of post.... unless you are wanting to cause trouble.

Until Warner releases the first movie by itself, or chooses to offer The Animatrix shorts in HD, I'm personally not interested.
Absolutely. The sequels were nearly as disappointing as the original was fantastic. I'd like to see a double disc SE of the original with a full 50GB encode.

If they make us wait all of this time (and we still don't know how long it is) to only come out with 30GB encodes of a boxed set of all three movies, I'll just wait.

I don't really care to see Reloaded & Revolutions again, let alone buy them. But the original is a must-own for me.

Better come soon...

With the exception of Blade Runner, Warner Brothers has not announced any titles for November or December so it seems a little early for this kind of post.... unless you are wanting to cause trouble.


Of course he wants to cause trouble. You saw who started the thread, right?

I own the HD DVD version and Part 1 and 3 are terrific in terms of the basic elements (PQ/SQ). The Dolby TrueHD track is a testament to what HD audio can offer.
I liked Matrix Revolutions than Reloaded.

I'm in no hurry either. the longer we wait the better the chance of a separate encode.

give us separate encodes and disks....PLEASE!!!

and where the hell is Batman Begins and Poseidon?

I too would only buy the first movie, but not the box set. What I do want from Warner is the other missing titles... like BB and V.

I too would only buy the first movie, but not the box set. What I do want from Warner is the other missing titles... like BB and V.


Pretty much. The Matrix is not even on the list of Warner titles I want. And, if it means having to buy the 2nd and 3rd movies? Heh...I don't think so.

I'm in no hurry either. the longer we wait the better the chance of a separate encode.
Better chance for the source to decay.

Im pretty sure that the transfers were digital. The first one was re-colour timed and Im sure it exists as a 4k transfer digitally.

Warner has gone conservative with Reloaded and Revolutions. I think they may release in BD-25 coz they were able to squeeze HD DVD version within 25 GB.

Personally, the longer they wait, the better, IMO. Warner releases, pretty much without fail, recycle the HD DVD encodes and waste 20 GB on Blu-ray Disc. When Warner finally comes around and treats their releases like Paramount has lately (separate encodes for BD and HD DVD), then they can do The Matrix trilogy. I'd just hate to see the same VC-1 low bitrate crap recycled, yet again, as was done with 300 and with every other WB release.

I agree. No need to rush this with all that is due to be released by the end of the year. Things won't change for the Blu-ray editions until the other format is pretty much side-lined.

I don't expect to see an announcement until they have a chance to test it on 1.1 profile players.

Personally, the longer they wait, the better, IMO. Warner releases, pretty much without fail, recycle the HD DVD encodes and waste 20 GB on Blu-ray Disc. When Warner finally comes around and treats their releases like Paramount has lately (separate encodes for BD and HD DVD), then they can do The Matrix trilogy. I'd just hate to see the same VC-1 low bitrate crap recycled, yet again, as was done with 300 and with every other WB release.


I agree 100%!


Warner needs to quit wasting the space on the Blu-Ray, and create seperate, BETTER encodes on the Blu-Ray than the HD-DVD. Quit being lazy and do it right, Warner!

I hate it when companies put the same HD-DVD encode on the Blu-Ray. They should take advantage of the extra space on the Blu-Ray, and show what it's capable of!

Better chance for the source to decay.

Not if they have already done the film to 4k digital scan. If so, then the source will not degrade as it is now digital.


And this that I am assuming a company take a film and does the digital scan on it, thus creating a "DIGITAL MASTER"

From the digital master, then would then be able to do an encode, for let's say HD-DVD. This would make it come out to the correct size to fit on the HD-DVD with all the extras.

What ALL companies should be doing, is go back to the DIGITAL MASTER, and create a seperate encode for Blu-Ray. Obviously with BD, they have more space per disc to work with.

Now lets say, in 10 years, that they come out with the "next generation of HD Media", whether it be halographic or whatever, and if they come out with Ultra-High HD, doubling current HD resolution, (3840x2160) or something like that. Then that 4k DIGITAL MASTER that they did of the film will still work just fine, instead of having to go back to the film and do another digital master. By now, the film may have degraded slightly, so not as sharp as the original.

I have been given the impression that authoring is a lot for these discs, but I do believe that WB is making money on this, even if it isn't a ton.

But the real expense comes in marketing. With television and in theater commercials they ran for the package, I'm going to wager that little marketing campaign ran at least a couple million dollars. Marketing is never cheap, that was most definitely their biggest expense, followed by authoring costs probably. The actually manufacturing is probably the cheapest part.

Whenever I visit the WB online store to browse around I always get a pop up window asking why I have left the store without buying anything. My answer is always "I was wanting to buy The Matrix Blu-ray edition, but was unable to find it. I will buy it when it is released". Maybe if we flooded the WB site with request like this they would get the message and release the damn set. If someone can post a WB corporate email address I would be happy to send them a very long email requesting they release the set, with or without the PIP and the Animatrix in HD like it deserves.

I took you advice and did that yesterday. I'll continue to do it until it's released.

But the real expense comes in marketing. With television and in theater commercials they ran for the package, I'm going to wager that little marketing campaign ran at least a couple million dollars. Marketing is never cheap, that was most definitely their biggest expense, followed by authoring costs probably. The actually manufacturing is probably the cheapest part.

If this is the case then WB was stupid not to do a BR and HD DVD release at the same time reguardless if the BR version was missing features....then they could have done HD matrix ads vs ads for HD DVD only.....