naw you di'an't

refering to transformers:
(2:22:26 AM) hoho xD: better then pirates or spiderman 3
(2:35:41 AM) iSIYU: could you love albert more
(2:37:11 AM) iSIYU: he didn't even notice your facebook got deleted
dumbass.

Personal Conflicts
I think its time I finally make up my mind about Transformers. On the one hand it was probably the most talked about special effects work of the year, on the other hand it was a shallow, shallow movie. So here's where I'm conflicted, the more people care only about special effects, the easier it will be for me to find a job in two years, but it also means movies of lower quality will proliferate. Special effects/CG/whatever you want to call it should rarely, if ever take precedence over story and characterization, when that happens a movie becomes little more than a tech demo. Obviously as someone who would like to one day call himself a "digital artist" this seems counter-productive, but (and this is my shower epiphany) shouldn't the people who make special effects understand that more? When CG is used correctly (LOTR) it elevates a film and makes it more compelling. When used excessively, or when it becomes the sole selling point of a movie (Matrix), even the most technically proficient CG becomes tedious, and makes the audience adverse to computer graphics on the whole.

Spiderman 3 vs Transformers
Lets be serious, comparing Michael Bay to Sam Rami is like comparing Entertainment Weekly to National Geographic. Actually, maybe National Inquirer and Newsweek makes for a better analogy. I'm not saying Michael Bay is incompetent (that I reserve for Brett Ratner) merely a director with little range and even less depth. Like the National Inquirer Bay is prone to throw any idea that will grab people's attention in his production with little understanding of the source or the subjects. From the trailers to the acting to even the set/robot designs everything about Transformers just felt like a generic action film. Well, a generic action film with a lot of post-production lens flare. Also I don't think the writers had any idea of what this film was supposed to be, if this film was supposed to show the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons continuing on Earth, Shia LeBouf was overused. If it was supposed to be a personal movie about all this insane shit happening to this one guy, the macro level stories about the government and the Australian girl thinking Fourier Series are obsolete, were overkill. Either way it was a movie of excess which is exactly what you get with Michael Bay, while he may never make anything better at least you know he's consistent, just like the level of integrity of National Inquirer. Rami has obviously demonstrated some sort of journalistic integrity and what you get with him is for the most part the whole story. I will try to consider only Spiderman 3 as comparing 1 or 2 to Transformers would just be unfair. While Spiderman 3 was not the perfect film, nor an especially good one, it was not flawed at the fundamental level. Spiderman 3 was a movie that had maybe 20 minutes worth of film that could have been cut. Obviously nobody looking for too much depth would watch Spiderman 3 to scratch that itch, or pick up a Newsweek for that matter. A little more effort went into making Spiderman 3, in terms of crafting the character and the world. You could say it was lazy to stay so faithful to the story of the comics, but the worse thing is to make the story and characters generic.

Oh yeah, Jon deleted his facebook last week. (and he also uses 'then' interchangeably with 'than')

It's all about perception.

Obviously this whole "war" is about visibility and which format the public will associate with HD viewing. That is what this fuss about box office receipts boil down to. Obviously HDDVD cannot out gross Blu-ray studios because of the sheer imbalance in the number of studios.

But really, nobody is going to AMC 16 Cupertino Square to decide which hi-def movies they're going to buy. People are going to decide at the stores. With blockbuster exclusively carrying Blu-ray titles at its store. Target, Best-buy, and Wal-mart expanding their Blu-ray shelf space, Blu-ray's visibility this fall will undoubtedly best that of HD-DVD.

Also, this forum post was too amusing to ignore:
http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?t=18627

(Read closely - the Blu-ray player is the only one that will let you experience"True HD")


And don't take my word for it, here are some choice words from the CEO's of Disney and Fox.

Disney CEO Robert Iger today criticized studios that have dropped support of Blu-ray in favor of rival HD DVD.
"It's disappointing that the industry hasn't managed to be cohesive," Iger said.
...
According to Variety, Dauman refused to comment on reports that Toshiba paid Paramount $100 million to switch to HD DVD.

But Iger seemed certain that the report was true.

"We haven't taken any money (to choose Blu-ray) because we think it's far and away the best business," Iger said, according to Variety.

...
News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, whose Fox studio also exclusively backs Blu-ray, told the conference that his favored format offers the best picture.

"The public can tell the difference," Murdoch said, according to the AP.

-from Disney Chief Rips Blu-ray Defectors

Did you read my post?

Did you? I specifically talked about HD releases. Fox has delayed their some of their titles indefinitely, and MGM has been absent this summer (excluding Weinstein Co.).

Read better. Thanks.

Seriously, we read the same forums don't pull this shit.

I'm not even going to write my own post seeing as how we're just taking stuff from hi def digest and calling it our own posts now.

post 1

Paramount was #1 with a Universal at #2. Woo hoo!

Universal had better marketshare than Sony! It can't be! Well, they did and if Evan Almighty didn't tank they might have been #1.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3i6f8f659f09a5fba9eda7d33e6549e6e9

HD DVD now has the summer box office, cheap players and the size advantage along with rumors of Warner rolling over.

Post 2: Rebuttal

Things are getting worse and worse for Blu Ray. You just got owned:
BD exclusive studios:
Sony
MGM
Fox
Disney
Total = 1.746 billion

HD DVD exclusive studios:
Universal
Paramount/Dreamworks
Total = 1.336 billion

Looks like another BD victory! (These numbers were taken straight from the article so don't try to call foul).

Not So Sneaky

If you want to pull summer hits into this, Universal and Paramount clearly has the higher summer market share than Sony and Disney with a 1.336 billion lead over a 1.098 billion.

But already I expect your counter-attack: "Oh, but what about the rest of the exclusive studios?"

Well, I guess you could add Fox into the numbers with their 480.7 million. While Fox is one of Blu ray's more viable studios, it's a shame that they still haven't gotten their act together and are delaying titles indefinitely left and right.

And then there's MGM, which had a meager $166.7 million. But furthermore, most of their hit titles stem from Weinstein hits such as 1408 (and may I remind you that they are currently HD DVD exclusive).

Sorry Siyu. It was a nice attempt, but HD DVD had a better summer.

Side note: Halo 3 in 6 days!

Sneaky

When I first saw that last post, it felt a little "familiar" so I just skimmed it, and I almost missed this line: "HD DVD can make a solid counter-strike with the upcoming Transformers HD DVD and other exclusives in order to grasp that group."

Did we forget that for every Transformers on HD DVD there is a Spiderman 3 and Pirates of The Caribbean on Blu-ray? I don't refer to these two titles as any sort of cinematic achievements, I merely point out that all three films were indicators of the whims of pop culture this past summer. Given that fact, their box office performance should be indicators of their strength in pushing an given medium, and Transformers was the lowest grossing film of the three.

I understand rooting for the underdog (Arrested Development/Firefly anyone?) But lets not shy from the truth.

Aren't you glad there are checks and balances in the world?

Combo Discs

I've never despised the combo disc format for HD DVD and I think HD DVD definitely has the right idea for their plans. Even though the discs are roughly five bucks more expensive, I've never been displeased with it. I find myself lending out these titles to friends to watch on standard def, while I can enjoy it on my own HD player. It's useful and welcome to our library because there will always be people without a HD setup. Obviously, the HD DVD group is targeting users transitioning from standard to high definition. All of their Hollywood hits on Universal have been combo discs, and it's pretty clear that they want those to purchase these than the other version.

But, it definitely still needs improvement. With HD DVD finally solidifying their details of a triple layer disc, that only requires a downloadable hardware update, no longer will we be plagued by the horrifying flipper discs. With one layer dedicated to the DVD, and two layers for the HD DVD, it is a weapon to be feared. I've heard of problems, even though I've personally never encountered any problem whatsoever, but they are out there. Browsing through forums, you will find a handful of threads dedicated to troubleshooting these discs (which often recommend boiling the disc or a hardware update).

With three major film studios siding with HD DVD, they have a viable strategy to attack the crowd. It would be wise of Universal, Paramount, and Dreamworks to stop production of standard definition DVDs and focus on these combo discs. This would be a solid attack on transitioning users as well as the current HD market. But still in the question is the cost of these pricey products.

So what now? Is this what they should do? Yes. Obviously Blu ray has made a bigger penetration into the mainstream market, but HD DVD can make a solid counter-strike with the upcoming Transformers HD DVD and other exclusives in order to grasp that group.

Lower the cost. Screw flipper discs. Focus on HD DVD combo format.

We will all be happier.

Why I'll be Picking up Sunshine

(This post is mainly for people who have seen the movie so... basically Albert, StephO, Peter, and Billy. There are spoilers so be warned.)
So, I Decided I really Liked Sunshine. Yet another thing Albert and I agree on: Sunshine was a really good movie. I most certainly was not a perfect movie, but I think I'm too hard on movies. Especially after I took that Intro to Film Studies class at DeAnza four summers ago. I think after you're able to see the act breaks in the movie and the purpose of each scene, it's difficult to appreciate movies as a whole. But Sunshine was different, there was an organic feeling to its story and the immediacy to the pull it had.

The goal of any film is to make you feel things, and this film made me damn depressed. In a year where I have to look at Yahoo!Movies release date list to remind myself that I waited in line to watch Pirates3, Shrek3, and even Spiderman a movie that leaves any kind of impression is a welcome change. This film did such a good job of putting you in the same bleak situation as the characters. While there was a lot of emphasis on Icarus II being the last hope for mankind, what spoke to me most was that these characters were faced with death but in exchange achieving their destiny. I think Cassie and Cillian Murphy's characters both brought out the most empathy in terms of crying and the tone in Cillian Murphy's voice that shows from the very beginning that he's accepted his fate but is still working towards completing the mission because its just what he has to do.

Yea... that third act. Obviously the film's one big, grotesque, random, out of place mistake was Pinbacker. Yea the movie turned into a slasher for about 5 minutes, but that really isn't what I had a problem with. Obviously Pinbacker was a physical manifestation of the thoughts and the challenges of severe isolation in deep space, but my problem was that he was so damn strong. I think Pinbacker in philosophy was a good and necessary part of the story, and an actual physical presence that works against the crew. While the plot of the film was far fetched, I didn't struggle to much with it since it was only important in so far as that it was an end goal of the crew and not the immediate cause of their conflicts, Pinbacker was a bit much. I would have much preferred him to be a normal or weak human, who ruins the computer systems at the last minute. I don't think its necessary that he be as menacing and overpowering as he was. It would even fit better with the idea that Pinbacker is this weak voice inside everyone nagging slowly that the completion of their goal goes against the natural order of things. I think it was my realization that my problem wasn't with Pinbacker's role in the story (causing the climactic conflict for the crew) but rather just in his physical representation, that made me really like this movie. In the end, it was a miss-step that neither disrupted the emotional investment in the movie nor did it deny the film a logical and dramatic climax. And that's why I'll be picking up Sunshine on Blu-ray.

Sunshine will be released by Fox Searchlight and be Blu-ray exclusive

So my next laptop is going to be a viao or a macbookpro

Okay so Apple's made some big announcements in the last few days, but wow I totally didn't know about this one that they made almost 6 months ago.

“Apple is pleased to join the Blu-ray Disc Association board as part of our efforts to drive consumer adoption of HD,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Consumers are already creating stunning HD content with Apple’s leading video editing applications like iMovie HD and are anxiously awaiting a way to burn their own high def DVDs.”

“Apple has a long history of technical innovation around DVD hardware and software, and their support of the Blu-ray Disc format is a testament to their commitment of ongoing innovation. The Blu-ray Disc format provides the immense capacity and the revolutionary functionality that Apple’s loyal customer base will be sure to enjoy,” said Maureen Weber, chief BDA spokesperson and general manager of HP's Optical Storage Solutions Business. “We’re thrilled about Apple joining our 16-member board, and we look forward to working with them on the development and promotion of the Blu-ray Disc format.”

source: Apple's Press Release

Does this mean you'll be trading your MacBookPro for a Toshiba Satellite?

That's So Last Generation

Wow 15 GB a layer, with that kind of progress we'll be seeing releases of Lord of the Rings and Spiderman on VHS, and we'll all have to buy cassette players to listen to Kanye's new album.

All this is, is an intermediate technology that any mildly informed person would know to avoid. And aren't you glad you read our blog so you know what to avoid? This is like a gaming console that uses DVD storage and/or has literally no HD support. Remember that other thing we were supposed to hate on together? Seriously, so last generation.

Surprise surprise, who's CEDIA prediction was right?

Hey something we can hate on together!

HD VMD. Something cheaper than HD DVD apparently with 15/20gb storage. I guess this is something that will try to oust one of HD DVD's stellar qualities, the price point. The discs will cost $1 to manufacture (compared to $2-3 of HD DVD and Blu ray) and it will debut with a 1080i player at $199.

Siyu, shall we hate on this together?



Source: Highdefdigest
Press release: CNN

CEDIA Predictions: Blu

No one outside the industry will give a shit. The press opt will ignore this in favor of caring about a real show like CES. (I mean seriously, there isn't even a Wikipedia article about CEDIA all this "buzz" is from fanboys posting in forums)

Likelihood: Hella Happening.

Meanwhile:
Hi-Def digest has posted a nifty tracking app of Amazon sales ranks of HD-DVD vs Blu-rays.
http://amazon.highdefdigest.com/history.aspx?TYPE=10&SPAN=14
Notice how a week or so after the Paramount announcements there is a bump in HD-DVD sales, but even more quickly the curves return to the pre-announcement status quo with Blu-ray significantly ahead of HD-DVD.

Who knows? Maybe Albert's wet dreams will be answered and Microsoft/Toshiba will shell out enough money for Disney or Fox to go format neutral and there'll be another bump before the curves return to status quo. Or maybe, I'll sneak into unit 1 tonight and take a dump on his face before he can check neoGaf tomorrow.

And for the record, as of two weeks ago the definitive collector's edition of Serenity is only available on DVD making neither HD format advantageous when considering Serenity ownership.

CEDIA Predictions: Red

Since CEDIA 2007 is tomorrow, I've decided to post a few of my predictions for surprises tomorrow. It's an exciting day and there's already a ton of buzz around the rumors circulating around the internet. Here's what I believe will happen tomorrow:

Cheap Chinese Players: These Chinese players are presumed to be one of ultimate blows to the opposing side. Although in the past year these players have been believed to be HD DVD players, it has only been recently that notions of these being Blu ray players were brought up.
Likelihood: Somewhat likely

Warner Remains Neutral: Even though we've heard countless tales of Warner shying towards the HD DVD side, it will probably remain a neutral company. Warner is a money whore, and they know that being format neutral is a boatload of money for them. In addition, Warner has just announced some new HD DVD/Blu Ray titles for release later in the year.
Likelihood: Definite

Disney Goes Neutral: Disney has been a forerunner in the support of Blu Ray, so it's a surprise to hear all these beliefs that Disney may go neutral. But it's in the air, and you can't rule it out.
Likelihood: Not so likely

Lionsgate and Weinstein Go Neutral: The rumors say so, but will it happen? While I do believe Weinstein will go neutral, Lionsgate is a toss-up.
Likelihood: Probably

Serenity Appearing on Blu Ray: Never will this happen. Sorry Siyu.
Likelihood: In Siyu's dreams.