To studios who release movies or plan to release movies on the HD DVD/DVD combo format

The price of movies on combo disc is too high. At the AVS forum many people have different thoughts on combo discs. Some people, like me, like the idea of the HD version and SD version on a single disc. Some dislike combos because they are flipper discs and lack disc art. Some like combos because they recognize what a powerful tool it could be in the format war. A few dislike combos because they have experienced playback issues with them. But one thing everyone agrees with is that the extra cost sucks.

Warner Bros. recently released 300 on both HD DVD and Blu-Ray. The HD DVD version was released on a combo format. And like all combo format releases it was priced between $5 to $10 higher than the Blu-Ray counterpart. The same thing occurs whenever a combo format is released on both formats. Happy Feet, Superman Returns, Letters from Iwo Jima and The Departed just to name a few.

Universal studios also releases many of its films on the combo format, but like Warner Bros they are more expensive than non-combo format movies. Which is unfortunate because many people including myself would most likely purchase more movies instead of having to select more carefully due to the higher price of the combo format because $5 or $10 multiplied across

In short we ask for Universal Studios, Warner Bros, and other studios who plan to release on the combo format to reconsider the pricing of the combo format and possibly lower it.



Note to people who vote to sign this petition
Both of the choices are the same, I had to put two but voting for either one means you wish the price of the combo format was reduced.

Note for AVS mods/admins
Please sticky this at the top of the HD DVD software forum so there can be a dedicated thread about the combo format, and so that the poll may be easily accessible

I thought this was a joke. Pick either "Agreed" or "Agreed". Your choice. Any one you want. :D

I vote that ALL generic or why I hate COMBO discussions be limited to this thread and that it's stickied. If that can be done, I would be one happy camper. Good luck with the petition too.

Ron

If they really want HD-DVD to take off, they need to start making EVERYTHING in combo format, in place of both DVD and HD-DVD, and lowering the price to be at least close to what people have become accustomed to paying for DVD's.

Do that. Format war Over.

All they would need to do for Joe six-pack is put a piece of paper in stating one side is the new High Definition format, HD-DVD that only plays on HD-DVD players, give a website for more information (thelookandsoundofperfect.com etc.) along with the standard "you may need a firmware upgrade to play this movie.." Take some of the added cost out of advertising budget, because thats exactly what the little paper would be. Good advertising.

I hate to break it to you, but you could start a petition to lower the price of anything on this planet and people will sign it. Companies, studios, and the executives all know these things and probably don't care. I'll sign it anyway so I can say I did my part.

I hate to break it to you, but you could start a petition to lower the price of anything on this planet and people will sign it. Companies, studios, and the executives all know these things and probably don't care. I'll sign it anyway so I can say I did my part.

I know that but it is doing something rather than nothing and at the very minimum we could relay the thread and the vote count to the studios through one of the many HD DVD insiders. I'm sure they already know people don't like the extra $5-$10 per disc, but this doesn't hurt.

If they really want HD-DVD to take off, they need to start making EVERYTHING in combo format, in place of both DVD and HD-DVD, and lowering the price to be at least close to what people have become accustomed to paying for DVD's.

Do that. Format war Over.

My thoughts exactly. they have the tools to deliver a much more appealing product to the average joe yet they ruin it with the higher price. $ talks and with the added dollars, combos hurt hd-dvd more than it helps them. many of my friends who don't have an hd player yet always say they're gonna buy the combo so that they will be ready for hd when they jump in. then they go to the store and buy the standard dvd cause it's just too expensive for something they can't enjoy now. wasted opportunity if you ask me.

i first chose the second option, but then decided that the first option was more fitting.

I spent a long time thinking through my options before casting my vote... I think I went with the right choice :D

you know why they keep on making combos right?? to make more money. Printing a dvd-9 is only 15cents.

I'm really torn between the two choices...

i first chose the second option, but then decided that the first option was more fitting.

:D

you know why they keep on making combos right?? to make more money. Printing a dvd-9 is only 15cents.
that's what i've been saying, the more we keep purchasing combo's, they will always sell at a higher price point. that said, it didn't stop me from buying hot fuzz and 300...

a little over an hour and a half and just look at the poll standings.... :rolleyes:

Clearly the results of this poll show HD-DVD's superiority over BR...

HAHAA. Just thought I would make the claim before someone on the BR side did.

Cheers,

Richard

PS. And just in case there was any doubt, YES, I was totally joking.

Someone need to take a step back and think about this Combo thing and start to think logically from the consumer point of view.

While I support combo disks I don't support the high price!

Please lower the price of the combo's!!!!

My friend (because he gets a discount) bought 300 for me on HD DVD and asked me why I didn't get a BR player because I could've gotten it for $5 cheaper. Many others ask this question when looking at the movie/format choices. Little to none understand the feature gap between the two. In short, BAD for HD DVD.

I love combos, I don't mind the extra $5, but it seems that a lot of people do.

Combos could be a great asset to HD DVD, instead they are a burden.

Let’s put this distraction to rest and make sure MSRP on HD DVDs match Blu-ray, even if it's a combo.

I have to admit, I love these blu-boys who spend $2000 on a TV, $500 on a player, $500 on a receiver, premium cables, remotes, etc…. then buy the lesser Blu-ray version of ‘300’ to save 5 bucks!

Someone need to take a step back and think about this Combo thing and start to think logically from the consumer point of view.

Any business will try to think from the consumer's point of view but will act based on what works from their own business point of view.

There is already a high def format for consumers without combos, it's called blu-ray. If Hollywood can't charge any premium on combos then why wouldn't they lean even more toward the blu-ray format?

What's needed is to sell combos to those that see it as a value (which a lot of early adopters and high end users will not) and straight HD to those that don't value the standard dvd.

Mass market consumers are less picky than avs users (doh!). Shopping today I saw a man pick up Bourne Identity on hd dvd then proceed to go pick up 2 standard dvd's. Clearly he doesn't have that "I can't watch standard dvd anymore" perspective that you will get in much of avs. Hollywood needs to be marketing combos to people like him with interest in high def but still valuing standard def too.

This also why I asked if hd dvd should also be sold in standard dvd editions (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=886332), where people routinely pay extra for special editions of movies without complaining.

It's a no brainer that we want lower prices.

I say we sign a petition to stop polls that lead to petitions. You're just preaching to the choir in here. We have bought and will continue to buy their products. We want the movies. If it comes as a combo some choke down and buy. Others do it with a smile on their face.

Well, obviously any price that is cheaper is better. :)

Once again I think it fair to point out that HD media in general is too pricey. Paramount is charging as much for non-combo discs as Universal and Warner. Technically, Universal and Warner are actually giving us better value than Paramount. Oh yeah, and Fox which priced their movies at $40 as well (who knows what pricing they'll have when they actually release product again). Sony's MSRP is something like $38.98, which is right up there too - and again without the combo value add.

I think the real problem here for HD DVD is Warner. When Paramount releases a movie, its overpriced on both formats so at least there's some equality. But when Warner releases a title, the $5 price difference is immediately apparent and casual consumers that haven't bought into HD yet look at Warner titles and might honestly conclude that HD DVD movies simply cost more. They aren't likely to pick up the cases and actually notice the DVD side difference, and they definitely won't notice that when browsing CC and BB ads that feature the titles. Warner should either bump up BD new releases to $40 to match Paramount, Fox and Sony or drop HD DVD down to $35 to match their own BD and Disney's titles.

Dang, who would have thought that at the end of the day Disney would be one of the low price studios. I really wish they would support HD DVD, and I'm quite miffed at them for trying to force me into what I consider an overpriced and incomplete format; but I have to give them credit for producing quality HD movies at better price points.

Oh and don't get me started on that $50 Spiderman 3 price. Unbelievable.

HD DVD is supposed to be the cheaper format, what's the use if the software isn't?

I voted "Agreed". But, only because it has the most votes.

The regular public doesn't understand what a combo disc is. All they see is that it's 5 bucks more. They also don't know anything about advanced features of HD DVD (IME, online content) because nobody's told them about it (including the HD DVD camp). The HD DVD camp needs to educate the public on the "benefits" of combo disc and advanced features in commercials if they want to charge more money for it.

and casual consumers that haven't bought into HD yet look at Warner titles and might honestly conclude that HD DVD movies simply cost more. They aren't likely to pick up the cases and actually notice the DVD side difference, and they definitely won't notice that when browsing CC and BB ads that feature the titles.

Many casual consumers barely look at the high def sections let alone pay attention to who's selling what, which is why high def should trojan horse thru the dvd section.

BD is coming in thru the gaming section where consumers do browse anyway.

If you tally up the agreed , it appears it 100% unaminous .
Go figure !!LOL

Bob

I had to view the poll results before placing my vote. :o Gotta make sure I vote for the winning entry. ;)

I voted for the second agreed just because I knew everyone else would hit the first agreed...and I refuse to follow the pack! :p

Does anyone actually believe that studio execs are on here reading these posts? And if they are, I'm sure they are already aware of this issue through the other 1,321 threads on how combos suck.

Well only combo titles from Warner's are $5 more. And that's MSRP. If you're paying MSRP for your discs, shop elsewhere. If your shop is charging $5-$10 more for a WB combo, shop elsewhere. It shouldn't be that expensive and the individual store is the problem, not Warner Brothers. I payed $2.40 more for my HD-DVD 300 over the Blu ray version.

When four of the six major studios release new releases for $40, and a fifth prices its combo new releases at that price, it's not unreasonable, IMO.

If they really want HD-DVD to take off, they need to start making EVERYTHING in combo format, in place of both DVD and HD-DVD, and lowering the price to be at least close to what people have become accustomed to paying for DVD's.

Do that. Format war Over.

QFT++

Combo could be HDDVD's H-Bomb, but I don't think it'll happen unless DVD sales start to drop.. Frankly, there's no reason to have combo discs unless you're selling them at a mild premium (say, the same as a 2-disc "special edition") to regular SD discs. The only thing I use my SD combo sides for is to rip copies of the film in Handbrake for my friends.

I wish they would do away with combos or give us the choice of hd dvd only or combo. No matter what this is great news for HD DVD put another nail in the coffin of BLU-Ray!!!!

Almost 200 votes, cool

I think for a title like 300 they should have priced the HD and BR versions the same. That way we could see really how the new HDM formats are performing. Why should HDDVD have a price handicap over BR?

Like others have mentioned, If you're not going to do away with the combos, at least offer the title in an HD-DVD only disc at the same price as BD. I didn't vote because the "poll" itself is BS.

Like others have mentioned, If you're not going to do away with the combos, at least offer the title in an HD-DVD only disc at the same price as BD. I didn't vote because the "poll" itself is BS.

The poll is basically a petition, if you don't agree that combos should have a lower price then don't vote in it.

Its inactionable. I obstain because you cannot have a poll where there is one option; I dare you to send the results to Warner. They are too busy patting themselves on the back with their success with 300 to bother.

another problem with combo disc to the currently standard dvd veiwer... My bro still hasn't bought into HD yet and was certain he was going to buy the 300 combo so that he could enjoy it someday in hi def. however on this particular movie, special features were important to him and he could not view any good ones on a standard player. standard side only has a commentary. thus he backed out and went with the 2 disc spec ed. combos suck!

Absolutely!!!

I have a PS3 now, bought it a couple weeks ago for $500+Free Remote + 6 Free BR movies (5 in Mail order right now) BUT I am a HD DVD fan/supporter, or was, maybe still but I've HAD Enough and I gotta say this to WAKE HD DVD group UP!!!

So, I am now an owner of Blu-Ray and HD DVD formats.

Who do you think I Root for? Alright, the answer was HD DVD! I Rather Sony NOT win this war, believe me.

But I've had enough!

Almost always, when I look on Amazon, or one of the B&M Ads (Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Wal-mart) I just see that HD DVD is MORE EXPENSIVE than Blu-ray!

Usually it's the Combos...but in fact, Single disks are NOT cheaper at all, they are about the SAME price NO less than Blu-ray!

THIS IS BS!!!

Now, I understand that sometimes HD DVD may have extra features (Like 300 for example, has better features), but I will analyse each release carefully to see what's on there that Blu-ray don't have.

Here is the Deal, and I've made up my mind Clearly today after thought about this long & hard enough My decision is FINAL:

If a Movie is released on Both formats (like ie: TMNT, Distubia coming out this week) I will GO for the cheaper version. (UNLESS these movies have MORE features on HD DVD)

And, because HD DVD is MORE expensive than Blu-ray. Blu-Ray is what I am getting, Sorry, HD DVD but you gotta Keep your promise that HD DVD is supposed to cost LESS!

I DON'T need or care for a DVD side, for $5 more. Hell with that! This Stupid gimmick is useless to me now!

So, to me, you should just Drop the DVD side and concentrate on make HD DVD CHEAPER than Blu-ray!

Otherwise, everytime I will go with Blu-ray instead of HD DVD (Even though I really wanted for HD DVD to Win!


Drop the Prices LOWER than Blu-ray, NO matter what. If you MUST continue to do combos then don't charge us $5 more, make it same price as BR ones.

Pricing is MOST Definitely important. Convience (Having a DVD side) is much LESS important.

Poll = BS