Why does the movie 300 cost $5 more on HD-DVD than Bluray?

[louv68]

http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/06/29/warners-300-to-sport-bonus-features-on-hd-dvd-not-blu-ray/

[Rich86]

and at the retail level - the difference is $4 locally ($24.88 for Blue-Ray vs. $28.99 for HDDVD).
The standard single disc dvd version is $13.88 today locally - for those of us who don't care about loads of extras and are not willing to roll the dice on Blue-Ray vs. HDDVD.

[gshelley61]

The HD DVD version costs a bit more because it is a combo disc... HD DVD on one side, standard DVD on the other (for playback on a regular DVD player). The Blu-Ray version can only be played on a Blu-Ray player.

[rhegedus]

Does that make the DVD/HD disc formats both single layer? i.e. 4.3Gb/15Gb

[gshelley61]

Does that make the DVD/HD disc formats both single layer? i.e. 4.3Gb/15Gb

I'm pretty sure they are dual layer on both sides...


May 10, 2005
"Toshiba also announced a double-sided, dual-layer hybrid ROM disc comprised of dual-layer HD DVD-ROM side and dual-layer DVD-ROM side. The hybrid disc can store 30GB of high-definition content on the HD DVD-ROM side and 8.5GB of standard-definition content on the DVD-ROM dual layer side."

[rhegedus]

So no DVD artwork?

[gshelley61]

So no DVD artwork?

No. Only a small inner ring label to indicate which side is which.

They look similar to the two sided DVD's from a few years ago that would have widescreen on one side and full screen (4:3) on the other.

[gotnotime]

Please insert disk on side "B" as the HD-DVD format is no longer supported.

Sounds like an expensive way to buy a DVD movie with one side wasted on a dying format.

[louv68]

Please insert disk on side "B" as the HD-DVD format is no longer supported.

Sounds like an expensive way to buy a DVD movie with one side wasted on a dying format.

I disagree. I think people not yet having the hardware to play HD, can at least start building up their library with a dual format disc that allows them to use their existing players. Pretty clever. If they were to lower the prices of these hybrid discs to be only a few bucks more than a standard DVD, I think it would really take off.

[Hastor]

I'm not sure if having the DVD on the flipside is the entire reason for it costing more (though combo formats often do, and that makes no sense, it doesn't cost more to manufacture and is often because they don't want to author the standard def special features over again for the hd-dvd side so they slap the DVD with features on side B). Having said that:

I think the HD-DVD of 300 is worth at least $5 more, no one has brought up the fact that the HD-DVD has many features not found on the Blu-Ray edition. The only exclusive feature on Blu-ray is the 5.1 PCM soundtrack option which most people can't use, but is nice if you can. However, the HD-DVD is best and worth $5 more for this reason alone:

The HD-DVD has the entire movie encoded in its pre-CGI form, not in HD, but so it can be watched picture-in-picture with the final product filling most of the screen. Also, this is part of the commentary and the director is bluescreened onto the pre-CGI movie, walking around as if he was on the set, pointing to and explaining things. Blu-ray can't do picture-in-picture commentary yet, but seems that it probably will after firmware updates. I have both formats and paid the extra $5 for this feature.

Also, the HD-DVD is the first online enabled high def disc. It doesn't offer much but is a step towards possible features in the future. The best feature, which is still kinda "eh" is that you can re-edit the movie and share your edits online for others to watch. I would expect this to work well for making funny things, like making someone's reaction to one thing seem like it was to something else. I don't care to see someone's cut where they just swapped the order of scenes or took out the ones they don't like though. Also, it enables you to key in your cell phone number and receive a text message telling you how to get 300 ringtones and wallpapers. That one is really useless as you can get them from a PC if you are too dumb to make your own for free. It does show that internet connectivity is working. It also puts a cookie on your player, though mine asked permission before creating it and you can watch the movie without it. I don't care if they know what I watch, maybe it will make them make more of it.

Not surprisingly, there are already rumors of a Blu-ray re-release featuring all this (and who knows maybe more) once Blu-ray players are updated to handle it.

I just haven't seen anyone mention a reason besides the DVD flipside but I think these reasons make the $5 seem a lot more justified than a DVD side. Aside from the link in the very first post that tells you all of this, but no one seemed to check out.

[DereX888]

If either Sony or Toshiba were smarter, they'd push *every* high-def disc to be released this way (SD on 1 side, HD on 2nd side), at least for a while until they both gain some significant market foothold.
Since i.e. Sony blows billions on promoting toys that appeal to small group of people on a market (PS3), why not sell at least their own productions (from their own studios group) on SD DVDs with 'bonus' HD side at the price of typical SD DVD... That would really kill HD-DVD, specially that probably only Sony could pull such stunt (because AFAIK Toshiba nor any other HD-DVD making electronics company is not involved in movie making or hollywood productions in any way, only Sony is deep in it). But then again it would have to be some less inane company than Sony, so HD-DVD is probably safe

Gotnotime, youre funny
Just because you have just bought new high-def player, and it happened to be Sony, it doesnt make the other format "dying" LOL LOL