Warner Archive goes Blu!!!

[buck135]

You know I'm wondering if this isn't the route Warner will choose to release many of the catalog titles they just acquired from Paramount.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by buck135

You know I'm wondering if this isn't the route Warner will choose to release many of the catalog titles they just acquired from Paramount.

I'll bet many of the lesser ones will surely be Archive releases. Warner has even re-released a bunch of titles that they released previously as "real silver" DVD's, and simply re-released them as Archive DVD-R's.

If they can't even bother to re-release their own stuff like Nightbreed on silver manufactured DVD's...

[MorallySound]

Originally Posted by zbinks

Confirmed. Pressed [Blu-ray] discs, not BD-R.

I wonder then if these will be limited releases rather than "on demand" because of the pressed discs?

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by MorallySound

I wonder then if these will be limited releases rather than "on demand" because of the pressed discs?

WAC reports that the Blu-ray discs will be replicated in limited quantities and fulfilled on demand. All releases will leverage high quality 1080p masters. In many instances, as with Deathtrap, the films will be available for the first time for home viewing in their original widescreen format.

I don't think they mean limited ala Twilight Time, where they print 3,000 copies and that's it. I think they mean that instead of pressing 10,000 (or however many discs they typically press at a time), that they will instead run a smaller pressing (1,500, 3,000, etc.) and run additional pressings as warranted. They then offset the higher per disc pressing charges by selling the discs at a higher than normal retail price. I'm guessing this is probably very similar to what Olive does with some of the Paramount titles that they've been releasing.

[f.ramses]

Originally Posted by zbinks

Confirmed. Pressed discs, not BD-R.

It's nice to be wrong. Kind of odd how they are using the Archive Collection name since it might make people assume BD-R but now we know...

[crikan]

Originally Posted by rxfiend

So why is it such a bothersome to release pressed DVDs? WB has an odd way of thinking.

Its bothersome to store thousands of unsold DVDs in a warehouse. Its also bothersome to pay music royalties for thousands of unsold DVDs.

Those of you that have been sitting on the sidelines because of the color of the disc have been missing out on some fun films.

[ronnie21]

will killer party be put on blu too???

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by ronnie21

will killer party be put on blu too???

Only four titles announced thus far: Deathtrap, Gypsy, The Hudsucker Proxy and Fearless.

[hotbodynick]

Originally Posted by zbinks

Only four titles announced thus far: Deathtrap, Gypsy, The Hudsucker Proxy and Fearless.

I'll pick up Fearless. I remember it being a pretty deep flick back in its day. The DVD was full frame only even though the laserdisc was widescreen.

[X-human]

Petition for The Green Slime on Blu-ray.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by MorallySound

It sure does suck, but format rights are always an issue when releasing something for home viewing... and the Archive titles being released directly through the studios are likely only cleared for the US distribution.

Well, the vast majority of the Warner catalog is made up of stuff that Warner owns worldwide rights for, including most of the Archive titles, but of course there are exceptions, with probably THE GREEN SLIME being the most familiar example for us. It's those exceptions that screw everything up. What Warner really needs to do with the Archive webstore is go through every film offered to identify the ones they do and do not own the worldwide rights to, and then program the website so those titles they don't have world rights for can only be shipped to countries where their sale is okay. It would be total bitch work to do, though, so I imagine this would be a good summer project for some film school interns.